CHAPTER 50
I do not own skip beat! Yoshiki Nakamura does.
The Christmas ball
Part 3
- like a fairy tale-
The songs in the chapter are also at the bottom for references purpose. I still fully advise to listen to them while reading this.
She headed to the buffet as calmly as her nerves allowed, the steps if not masculine this time, at least as effaced and light as it was possible for her to make it. She reached the table and sank her already hurting fingers into the cloth covering the furniture, pressing and pressing against the wood behind.
Peeling her gloves off with a huff of annoyance, she took the time to calm her frazzle being down.
It was upsetting at this level.
She didn't expect it to be this way. It was far more nerve-wracking she thought it would be. She was worried about him. And yet, the all experience had seemed so out of the world. It had only been one dance. One dance and she felt ridiculously happy.
One fucking dance…
She cursed aloud and took some non-alcohol drink.
Needing the space, she took off in direction of the balcony passing by Maria chatting with her grandfather and Kyoko felt sorry her disguise didn't hold longer against the president. During her stay with her, Maria had clearly told her she wanted to be more independent from her grandfather. And while Kyoko could understand the worries of her boss, she could also understand the independence you can desire at this age.
Still, as long as he would let her have fun, it shouldn't a problem. He didn't seem to be bothering her in the way Maria had spoken of at the moment but he was clearly teasing her. And that's at that moment that she noticed a boy, most likely the same age as Maria trying to break in and approach Maria while this one completely aware of him, yet focused on her grandfather was doing her best in looking angry and pushing Lory away making this last one's smile stretch to unknowing highs every few seconds.
Kyoko rolled her eyes and turned in that direction, hoping to change his focus but the second his eyes noticed she was coming, he grinned like the Cheshire cat and chills ran down her back.
She passed Kanae, she could instantly tell it was her with the regular "Moh" coming out when she was outraged or just not happy with a situation. In this case, the all game was apparently not to her tastes. She briefly admired her modern and gorgeous lavender dress, for once praising the president to have had the idea of mixing modern outfits and old ones in attires obligation of the night and she happily noticed she was with Hiou, at least she guessed. The young man by her friend's side was by far taller than in the past and didn't seem like a boy anymore. Rather he had even all of a young man.
But the fake non-expressive uncaring-hands-in-the-pockets-attitude was still recognizable though subtler than in the past. It was replaced by crossed arms, leaning nonchalantly against a wall and the same pretending non-feeling face.
But it was very funny to watch because every now and then his neutral expression would break when Kanae would do something interesting or unconsciously close the distance between them. Kyoko wondered if they were in better terms or if Hiou had just convinced her to talk to him for the evening. But he was still acting out and trying every tricks to be able to touch her, apparently.
Kyoko chuckled to herself thinking she might have to have a chat with him right this night and proceed toward Maria.
She was barely at hearing distance of her targets that the president whispered his greeting with his typical smirk spelling her name in the most natural way and making his granddaughter violently elbowed him at his side until he coughed in pain.
"Maria, that's harsh" he complained. "It hurts, stop bullying me. Do you not love anymore?" he asked with a pitiful expression but Kyoko could see the glim in his pupils as he glanced toward her from the corner of his eye.
She didn't say a word to her president, just looked at him pointedly until he smiled nearly apological but not quite. Maria grumbled and ignored her grandfather before sweetly telling Kyoko she would go speak to her friends now and that they could speak later.
She agreed and turned back to the president just to see him grin and before retreating with an enigmatic "nice work", a wave of the hand and evil chuckling.
She saw him heading to the stage but didn't pay him more attention, decided to catch a breather away from the crowd even if now she didn't have time to go outside anymore.
Lory stepped on the stairs leading to the dais grinning at his own thoughts. He reached the white wheel as it started the task to get out the new partners for the next three dances. Little balls with numbers on it fell by two regularly and before being picked up by assistants and soon the fifth dance had all the future partners found. The rounds of the wheel for the sixth one was next and Lory dismissed the staff rushing in frenzy in attempt to get the following balls ready while still scribing for the precedent turn and told them he would do that while they'd finish taking note for the partners of the precedent tour.
He meticulously put all the glittering red and golden balls back into the Wheel and started on the only mechanic wheel of the stage. As set of two balls began to fall in the little crate, Lory picked them up repeatedly as often as needed to lay them in the little boxes provided for this purpose until one number popped out.
Biting back a smile at the number 10 plastered on the golden ball assigned to his favourite former love me girl, he twiddled his backside, making it sound like he was slightly uncomfortable in his standing until he was leaning against the wheel. Then hidden from view he halted the rotation by the force of his right arm twisted behind his back thus preventing the following ball to come. Then as innocent as a sheep he dropped in the crate the shiny red ball with a 25 number drawn he had taken from the assistants just a minute prior.
Only then did he stepped away and as he saw the staff coming back, he nonchalantly bent to retrieve the two balls then tucking them in their own little box as he had done for all the others before.
He smiled at the staff and told them there should be about a third still into this round before starting the seventh song picking.
The assistants bowed to him repeatedly, apologizing for making him help them but he brushed it away he stepped down and went in search of some nice cocktail.
Later on, his sturdy fingers full of rings tonight would clang excitably against the thin glass of the aromatized beverage so much his hands couldn't stay put with excitement.
He didn't really like to cheat but fate needed the little push with this two idiots and he would rather welcome a cheating's accusation than one of non-action. Plus, he was renowned for his matchmaker nosiness so he needed to at least do honour to his name on such a romantic night.
He chucked in his drink.
The night was only beginning.
The second part of the intro began and Belonging, the fifth song, came and passed without Kyoko really noticing. It was a slow song that's all she could say. That and she had danced with an adorable Momose and regretted a lot not being able to tell her who she was all the time the song lasted. Momose-san had grandly evolved and she was even more beautiful than Kyoko remembered but she had kept her sweetness and kind demeanour. She had just sounded a tad slyer than in the past but Kyoko guessed it was to be expected.
She was glad she hadn't been discovered. Momose had been such an agreeable company after all the precedent dancers, except one of course. She had just grabbed Kyoko bared hands in her own gloved ones and they had danced and chatted happily even with Kyoko under cover.
She was very happy hazard had given her Momose-san as partner and she could finally enjoy herself.
That's why she switched partner naturally at the next dance, The succession, and completely unguarded, twirled happily to place the tips of her fingers against her new partner owns ones not aware in the lest.
But the barest smallest touch sufficed in making climb her awareness ten folds.
She didn't even have to look up to know who it was.
Therefore, she didn't.
The tune, lovely and merrily rhythmic enticed them in swinging twirls where one arm raised; they only touched each other with the top of their fingers. And Kyoko, smiling brightly like she was merely enjoying herself but feeling the weight of one singular gaze, focused really heavily on the steps and music until half way through the song.
The full surface of her partner's palm made contact with her own then and her eyes reflexively rose to meet higher the pensive look he was giving her.
"Hi again" he said with a question in the voice she couldn't name.
"Hi" she answered, trying to distract her nervousness by keeping track of the steps of this high rhythm.
He didn't say more. But for some brief seconds his stare twirled nearly as much as they did on the dance floor between wonders she couldn't decipher and confidence; until it settled quite easily onto the latter. The acuteness in his eyes soared in a blink and his all demeanour changed.
His shoulders fell and his all body loosened up and the hand against hers became subtler yet warmer and so much more present. His heavy presence took all the air and she felt sucked in. Suddenly he felt alighted from the inside out and Kyoko wondered if the scene of distress she had witnessed just a few moments when he was alone was a pure hallucination produced by her imaginative mind.
The odd intensity he was staring at her with and the new softness she thought she could distinct finally got reason of her will power and she tried to avert her gaze. But for some obscure reason, that had absolutely nothing to do with the care he took in the touch of his hand against hers, she didn't manage to.
Kyoko felt so silly. She knew he didn't know yet she couldn't help to see messages where there weren't. The filter of her emotions was all over the place she knew but she couldn't help it.
She felt sucked by the look of his stare. Rooted by the fierce look like he wanted to rob her of all her secrets and embraced them in a warm comfy blanket.
All of sudden he grabbed her by the waist and lifted her at the last crescendo of the song grinning widely and making chuckled a few people around them. It ended without more emphases after that but it happened as such a shock for Kyoko, she had to blink the intensity of the moment several times before being able to move.
She eventually withdrew her hand but large firm fingers closed back on a few of hers to stop her move and she looked up again.
"I'm glad you could make it" he told her with a soft happy voice shocking her with this reveal.
She wanted to retort, say something but she didn't get the time before the final song begin and her partner switched again.
From the second the tips of fingers touch his he had no more doubt about the feminine gender facing him but fresh ones about the identity of his partner. From the moment his palm made full contact with hers, he knew.
He had held her hand in the past and even more recently. He had even worshipped the moments that were graced to him where he had been able to touch those soft hands. So he knew. In an instant he knew.
The joy of seeing her overcome everything for a while then came amazement. Her attire was the extreme opposite of bashful. Not by the costume itself but the extends of where she went to disguised herself were so outright and well-done; would he have not danced with her, he would not have guessed it. No, even after the first dance he was still fooled. It was the contact of her bared hand that granted him clarity. She even went as far as putting lenses to hide her golden eyes and taking a bit larger clothes to dissimulate her curves.
He shook his head as he saw her elegant endearing profile leave the dance floor for the first true break at the end of the next song and went for the chase. This night wouldn't be so bad after all.
He reached her at the other end of the room, catching her grumbling to herself and cheerily greeted her making her jump at the sound.
And curse.
He loved that. She wouldn't have done it in the past. She sounded so much freer now. Nearly unattainable in her free spirit.
"Sorry for scaring you" he said.
"What gave me away?" she asked leaning against a pillar with a small smile.
"Your hands"
She looked at them then back at him, not getting it. And very slowly Ren grasped her long fingers in his, barely keeping them in his hold. He then lightly brushed his thumb on the delicate lines defining the back of her hand, the joints and the smooth skin.
"It's feminine hands. You managed to dissimulate your other feminine features but this was evident the moment I touched them" he explained twisting the truth a bit. "Once I knew you were a woman, I could only think of one woman capable of such a disguise"
A light hue appeared at the compliment but she didn't say anything and the skin against his palm started to feel hotter and hotter.
He looked back at her and she raised her hand in the air but stopped short near head, the impulsion to run her hand in her hair evident but the risk of making drop the wig was there and he relaxed his fingers, letting go her palm.
She leaned back, seeming embarrassed but still not talking.
"I wish you wouldn't have hidden your eyes too though" Ren added after a while without really thinking.
She arched a brow.
"Why is that?"
He hesitated only for a second before stating the truth.
"This beautiful golden colour is too enchanting to be hidden" he lowly said.
She breathed in and turned her head to the side.
"You are terrible" she mumbled and kept her gaze away from him frustrating Ren to no end.
Look toward me
"I was afraid you wouldn't be able to come" he said at last, letting a tint of the sorrow he had felt be heard in his tone.
She turned back to him and offered him a weak smile.
"I wasn't sure I would be able to" she said softly, "sorry for not being able to warn you"
He shook his head, understanding and the silence stretched as he stared at her. He didn't care if she was man or anything, he would be content as long as she was there. An irrepressible smile took hold of his lips and she squirmed under his gaze.
"Stop it already" She said with a chuckle he wished was out of nervousness.
"You are acting like it's your birthday, Christmas and Anouchka all together" she said with a snort. "You looked pretty gloomy earlier, what is this sudden happiness bubble?"
His heart raced. She had noticed that. Him.
He leaned on instinct and her eyes grew like tennis balls when he brushed her cheek with his lips.
She twisted herself to look at him, mouth opened and bewildered.
"Thank you" he said, his voice soft.
"For what?" She breathed.
"Noticing. Worrying"
She rolled her eyes.
"It's normal and it was kind of hard to ignore" she told him with a concerned look. "You good?"
So simple. Just bare open worry. Just like that and he felt his heart lurching forward.
"I'm okay now" he said." But if you keep being so worried, you are going to get a hug" he warned in a very serious voice yet the teasing clear on the face. She needed to be less sweet or he was going to lose it.
She crossed her arms and grinned at him.
"Is Mr fairy getting cocky because he knows I know and I'm more used to foreign customs?" she teased shouting back her own smirk at him.
"Maybe" he chuckled, hiding the effect of again something new from her.
"But she started, worry making its way back on her face, "If I can help and if it would prevent any more misery for the evening then-…she inquired.
He blinked at her, not believing his luck before jumping at the occasion.
"Definitively" he agreed right away.
"Then-
She hadn't finished her phrase neither raising her arms he was practically falling into her and she just had the time to clamp her arms around him.
She chuckled against his ear but kept the hug going before noticing he wasn't respiring anymore.
"You are breathing?" she asked before rubbing his back soothingly making him choked a bit or so it seemed.
"Good?"
He hummed in response and very lightly tightened his hold on her.
Kyoko thought he must really have needed the hug for him to leap into it so enthusiastically and concentrated to keep herself calm and collected and just help him. If he had some bad times, she wanted to be there for him.
You'll deal with that later.
She was trying to keep her mind on random things, to ignore his enthralling scent floating all around her, filling her lungs and making twist her insides and want to rub herself against him. To not pay mind to her pumping and aching heart.
To ignore the soft fabric against her hand hiding the firm delicious muscles waving or tautening at times, the heat he was emitting or even her desires to kiss his throat, jaw and to feel him up everywhere. And on her way in taking her mind off all that, a thought came and she snorted.
"What?" he mumbled against her ear sending a chill down her back and making throb an intimate part of her in a place it really shouldn't happen.
"I was just thinking that people were going to think you are gay she told him while starting to step away"
He let out a short laugh and accepted to let go.
"I really don't care" he replied with shrugging shoulders and she eyed the move with mitigated irritation.
"Stop doing that she grumbled, I'm getting your bad habits and I've started to do the same"
He widely grinned, pleased beyond reason by that knowledge and she shook her head again.
"Why are so damn content with this?" asked more herself than him but still speaking loud enough he would catch it.
He shrugged again. Completely on purpose.
"Just because"
Her face ticked under the sight of his boyish grin but she decided he would win if she let him see her annoyance.
"Where did you forget your gloves by the way?" he asked and Kyoko glanced at her bared hands crossed on her arms before eying him.
"At the buffet I guess, it's the only I was before the second part started" she answered. "But why do you ask?"
"If you want to keep the charade on, maybe you should put them back" he commented.
"Why bother? You already guessed who I was and Kijima also knows I'm a girl" It wasn't she didn't want to participate to the game of the night but if two people already found her out and easily with that, she didn't think it would make such a difference anymore.
"But he didn't get the girl was you, right?" asked Ren.
"You are the only one who managed it just on damn hands, magical senses weirdo" she mumbled. It suits him after all. Only a fairy could have such sharp senses.
I would always recognize you Thought Ren.
"Some sharper eyes might see you are a woman but I don't think there is risk they get it's you under. I, myself wouldn't have get it before a few more dances had you not remove your gloves and even then it was because I touched you in the past" he said. "I already know you and I'm pretty observer but you would fool a stranger each time"
Kyoko chucked.
"You don't have to reassure me, you know"
He tilted the head.
"You don't mind being discovered" It wasn't said as a question but more as a confirmation. She replied anyway.
"Nope"
You don't want to try to win the game?" inquired Ren.
She snorted and shook her head.
"The only reasons I went that far in the disguise was for fun's sake and to get back at you for tricking me into participating" she stated placing her hands on her waist with a little puff of air.
"I'm sorry, I kind of-
"I know she cut him, you did for Maria-chan I bet. I'm not angry. But you did still tricked me and that only deserved pay back"
He looked at her, his lips locked in a constricted weird seal, the expression weird.
"So, since I found you out-" he began.
"No point in hiding anymore" she nodded.
He hummed in reflexion and rubbed his neck.
"What about-…keeping the tale on?" he proposed. "And still doing our maximum to not be discovered?"
Kyoko arched a brow before retorting mockingly.
"Because it's even a possibility for you"
"Maybe not he admitted, but you can"
In front of the new frown marring her face he thought fast about a valid reason and told her:
"It's the game after all, I don't think Lory would be please with us not trying"
"And failing from the start or not even trying" she finished for him, darkening at the prospect of putting back her gloves.
"I did put a mask" he protested.
She snorted.
"As if it makes any difference. You height is selling you out even meters away from everyone else"
He conceded defeat and changed subject as the headed to the drinks table. She looked bothered a lot by it and he couldn't figure out why.
"Does it annoy you that much to keep going? Isn't it at least a bit fun?" Ren questioned her.
She negated the thought with her head before explaining.
"Playing the game isn't the problem. And dancing can be fun" she agreed though she had to admit she was soon going to be tired of the numerous of people presents. "It's the murder of my hands that bothers me" she said with a pitiful look at her hands. Dancing without them was far easier. People just paid more attention and the seams weren't sinking in her skin.
He chuckled softly.
"Well, I still have a tube of ointment to give you" he comment innocently and she groaned in embarrassment.
Rubbing the part of her face not covered by the golden and blue mask, she hid away to not see his grinning face.
"Please, just consider this discussion concerning this and that never happened" she nearly begged with another hand raised in front of him so he wouldn't see her face.
Ren pinched his lips.
"It would be hard to forget you admitted some partners molested you" he said, half-amused-half-growling.
An adorable new racing blush came to her face and he felt really happy to see he could still make her blush like that or the she was still not that immune to some things.
"Please!"
He sniggered even more.
"Never!" he settled before erupting in more laughs.
And between hiccups, he lifted a shaking hand to her where laid the ointment.
She snatched it with dignified huff and walked away.
Chuckling, he fast-walked-trotted after her and taking advantage of something he could do in public here only thanks to the dim lights of the garlands, he gave her a new peck on the cheek as a peace offering.
"Are you planning to make it an habit?" she inquired in all her worthy stance but slightly amused.
"If you'd let me" he replied.
Oh what I wouldn't do if you would let me…
But he couldn't tell her that.
PS: So, there is this. Sorry for the delay. I hope you will all like it. We are so not done with this part. Lol. I might enjoy a bit too much to tease you all and tease these two cute idiots.
I can't believe I reached chapter 50.( though I know it will be much longer) Yay to me!
Reviews are food. Feed me.
For the songs: Belonging-The Elementalists. The succession-The royal masquerade.
Kisses. Enjoy.
AUTHOR OUT.
Mimagfan.