CHAPTER 109
I do not own Skip Beat! Yoshiki Nakamura does.
~~Magical Summer trip ~~
~~ part 14~~
~2nd part of the Summer Arc, starting blocks~
~~A Long-Awaited Reunion~~
She turned and turned in her bed. Switching to one side, rolling to the other. Fluffed her pillow. No matter, the words would not let her go, they grabbed at her mind, begging to be expressed, to be released. They were banging on her mind's door to the repetitive beat of her dreams. The ones she made asleep but her daydreams concurred heavily for the spotlight.
Two nights and one day, the beginning of a new one, and no sign of appeasement in sight. That's why, past 3 a.m. at long last – , Kyoko pushed the thin covers with a groan and rolled out of her bed, standing. Her oversized twisted-by-her-relentless-movements-in-bed tee – formerly owned by the person upstairs – fell down her thighs and she secretly savoured the smooth texture against her skin and the comfort it brought her – glad he hadn't asked for it back –, and holding the cloth to herself as she wrapped her arms around her middle. For an instant, she could nearly feel her reverie still, and everything was alright. Everything was right and happy. With him.
Her lids breached and grabbed a flying sheet of paper and a pencil in the nightstand drawer under the keen slightly irritated eye of Snow as she lighted up the tiny lamp near her bed.
Surrendering to urges she had tried to curb for two nights, she let them take over, and her knees curved as she dropped them into the soft sandy carpet by her bed. She lied down there and raised her pencil. She hesitated as memories flooded her.
But it was the only way to expurgate them.
She had been haunted by what happened at the booth. She had tried to push it aside and bury it, but couldn't. Just remembering… The texture, the warmth. It drove her nuts at night, making her see delusions. Showing her utopias, where the kiss could have pursued its course. Where she could be with him.
She brushed the softness of her lips with the pad of her finger. The words flew on the paper and madly, the pencil scribed her heart desires.
'Lips
Strong and hot,
But light and soft,
On me.
Dissatisfaction.
Too light, too soft.
Dying for pressure, dying for pleasure.
Dying for his hands,
on me,
Yearning for his body,
on me,
Long to scratch him, bite him,
Long to kiss him, mark him,
Long to caress him, own him.
Yet, it is denied,
To me,
It won't be given,
To me,
I can't reach out,
He won't act out,
It's nothing if an act to him,
It's everything but a farce for me.
Ravage me, brand me,
With those lips.
He doesn't care, I'm nothing but a spare.
To him.
A play, a decoy.
To him.
He is blind.
He cannot see, I won't let him.
I play innocent, nonchalant.
I don't dare.
Silence and inaction are my bindings.
But I'm yearning, longing, begging.
Voiceless.
Dying.
Please.
Praying, praying, praying.
Please.
Ravage me, brutalize me, brand me,
With those lips.
Don't wait, don't restrain any chain,
Don't hold back, don't cut back.
Let the storm rage on, let it out,
Let the storm rage on, let it out,
Let it out, Let it out, Let it out,
Let it out, Let it out, Let it out,
On me.
Everywhere.
With those lips.
Silence and inaction are my bindings,
But I'm yearning, longing, dying.
For those lips.
Ravage me, brutalize me, brand me,
With those lips.
His lips. Yours.
On me.'
The title came on its own as she finished the song.
With Those Lips.
No more tears came, surprisingly. But she was beyond drained so maybe that was why. Mind blank, there was a semblance of peace when she slipped back under her sheets. Merciful, sleep finally graced her, and Snow snuggled close to her as her breathing heaven out.
§§§
They had booked a flight three days ago when it had been settled she would go with him. Or rather, Ren had, as he had forbidden her to take care of it or pay for anything, considering he had been the one to request her to come.
Their flight was supposed to depart at eight a.m., meaning they had to awake relatively early if they wanted to be at the airport with a margin. They were both finishing to pack Kyoko's rented car with what they would take with them, and Kyoko had called her usual cat-sitter to come feed and take care of Snow when she stopped Ren. He was grabbing her duffel bag – besides her vest, her purse and their lunches, she had been banned to help for that too – , and let it back down when she caught his wrist.
"Are you sure it is fine you go this way?"
He smiled, instantly getting what she was referring to.
"I'm sure. It would be weirder if you were seen spending time with me as Kuon and we were seen. No one even knows you ever met him, from what the public is aware, anyway."He added with a twinkle in the eye.
The concern that was nagging her didn't go away. If this risked exposing him before he was ready, then…
"But what about you spending time in that look with your parents?"She worried. "And me, and – "
He took her fingers that had been rubbing against the side of her neck with stress, and he pulled them away.
"You being here, actually gives me the perfect excuse. The public knows you met Kuu in the past. And they know we are close. "He said with a comforting expression. "So, if we give them a visit together, it makes more sense than with me alone. You don't have to worry. Not for that." Ren said and she could see he was much more preoccupied about meeting his parents and how they would react than the public eye.
"If you went alone, you could go as Kuon."She stretched, turning away and pulling away from his hand, as the events of the last days still haunted her. She was stating an argument she didn't even plan to fight for anymore, and had agreed to come since the moment of their conversation a few days back, but she hadn't been able to help the snide remark to come out. She still felt inadequate in the whole thing. The mere prospect of going to this long-awaited family reunion scared the shit out of her. No matter if she had agreed.
"You know I can't do that. For more than one reason."He replied softly and she could hear the plea in his voice.
She had never planned going back on her words, even if the mere tone of his voice made her even regret feeling anguish rather than content about the whole prospect. She didn't understand why he needed her but she believed him when he had said so.
"I know. I wasn't changing mind."
However, his words had reassured her he didn't risk exposing his secret, and she gave up trying to convince him to dye his hair for the trip.
His arms hugged her waist and not expecting the contact, she jumped a bit.
"Thank you."
He let her go quickly and he was off, loading the car with her bag before her heart rate could have settled back to normal. He couldn't continue doing that. This affection only made her greedier.
He had snuffed out the sleepiness out of her, at least. It was one good thing.
No more yawning as she had been doing all morning, after her short night.
He returned soon and Kyoko went to pet Snow goodbye. Attempted to, rather. The white fluff ball didn't purr at all and Kyoko had barely given her a few scratches under the ear – reluctantly tolerated she might even say- that Snow moved to the other side of the counter.
Kyoko sighed in resignation, knowing very well why she was acting this way.
"See you in a couple of days, Snow."
"Do you mind if I do too?" enquired Ren with a small chuckle at the evident grumpiness of her cat as she was about to turn around.
"By all means."She replied, letting him go to her kitty ostensibly giving them her back.
But when he came to Snow and started caressing her head, her girl twirled around and purring loudly, she jumped into Ren's arms for a huge petting session.
Ren obeyed diligently to the demands of her cat and securing her in one arm, pet her all around while throwing an apologetic smile at Kyoko.
She was both vexed of her cat's behaviour and jealous of the treatment she was receiving from Ren. Yes, totally jealous of her cat.
"Sorry," Ren said when he saw her sigh again.
She waved it away, though she had crossed her arms to express her outrage while the cat threw her a few glances before going back to the excellent luxurious petting she was getting.
Lucky you.
"It's okay. She is pissed at me because I'm leaving and sulking, it isn't the first time."She said while looking at her cat whom rubbed herself even harder on Ren's palm. "And taunting me," she added with an amused scoff. In more ways than one.
He chuckled.
"I'm leaving too, though."
"You are not her owner, wait, her slave, though."She shot back and Ren made an exaggerated face of understanding.
"Ah, that explains it, indeed."
Still, when Ren said – " see you soon, Snow" – her cat jumped off his arms and trotted away towards Kyoko's bedroom.
He laughed as he commented, "She is cute."
"A proper lady cat. Guess you made a convincing enough slave for her to feel scandalized you are also leaving," she added as they watched the area where her cat had disappeared and Ren laughed warmly, before saying.
"I should feel upset but I'm mainly honoured of the privilege."
He had a pleased gleam in the eye as he said this, and Kyoko pondered over its secret meaning as he clearly meant more than what he said, but dropped it as they had to leave. They closed her door's house behind them, and left.
§§§
They were glad to arrive at the airport with some time left before boarding. But as they went through check-in and settled in their seats, Kyoko felt the weariness roar back to life, as the repeated yawns proved it. After that, her remembrance of the flight was blurry. She had the recollection of Ren robbing her of her hand luggage – despite her full capability in the matter – , to put it in the small compartments over their heads with his own. She remembered having the vague sensation of something being placed on her, and the sense of feeling especially comfy. But that was about it. She totally blacked out.
She had awoke to the sound of the speaker saying they had landed and would be ready to board out soon, and noticed Ren's jacket over her. She was wearing a light-weight lilac sweater because it had been especially fresh for the season today and with the lack of sleep, it had made it worse. However, she was pretty sure that wasn't that that had kept her so warm. The feeling of Ren's vest on her must have been the culprit. Ah, and her head reposing on his shoulder would have done the rest. That was from where the soothing scent was coming. Even right now, she could feel her head lift a little to each rise of his breath. Her lids closed back.
She was already halfway into the clouds of slumber again, when she felt a soft tickle on her right cheek. Another brush on it and she reluctantly cracked an eye open.
Ren's heavenly soft smile greeted her one-eye-blurry-sight-blurry mind, and she hummed before closing back her lid.
She heard the tingling rumble of his chuckle bestowing her ear, low and enchanting as ever. Her lips tilted up at the sound.
"I'm afraid you will need to open those beautiful eyes of yours, we have landed."His voice said by her ear, and he pulled at a lock, bothering her until she opened her lids again. Why did he have to be so smooth with his words? Why couldn't he be totally clumsy and awkward, so she wouldn't have false ideas and false hopes popping right and left all the time?
He leaned away from her, smiling easily in her direction as he stood and started to gather their belongings. They also had some luggage in the airship's cargo bay, and when they boarded out the plane, they quickly retrieved them. It wasn't much because Ren wasn't sure how his parents would react upon his – and her – arrival, even though Kyoko was positive they would welcome him with open arms.
And even if he knew they were at home for the following days and not on work trips, he wasn't sure they would feel comfortable with him sleeping at home after all this time. Kyoko was on another mind about this too but felt he was worried to impose on them. Or bother them if too much awkwardness had slipped through their relationships. She thought it might be possible some unease would be there but never to the point of not letting their beloved son sleep at their house, and was pretty sure they would still wish for him to consider it as home.
He was way too concerned about how his parents would react. She was certain they would not care about anything but if he were safe, happier, and back to them. Especially after seeing how much of a baka-parent Kuu-san had acted all those years ago. And the one time she had crossed paths with Kuu during her stay in the States – because you could only avoid the most famous actor of Hollywood so much, despite her efforts at the time – , he was still gushing about his son.
She had never met his mum but she didn't think it would be very different. They loved him as parents always should. Unconditionally.
She did wonder if they would be comfortable with her – their son's friend but a stranger – staying at their home out of the blue, and was already planning to propose Ren and his parents to stay at some hotel or something after they would have met. She got Ren wanted her there when he would meet them. But she still thought it would be better to bow out and let them have some family time, once the tricky part would have been achieved.
Whatever the reason and what they believed would happen, their night situation was a bit uncertain at the moment and they were only staying in L.A. for a few days, and would not be working. So, travelling extra light had seemed best.
They hadn't wanted to book a taxi to go to his parents' house, in fear the driver would connect the dots. As the Hizuris were just too well known for anyone to not know, even roughly where they would drive them. And while, as a professional should, the driver probably would respect his clients enough to not talk about it, it wasn't a certitude. A 'probably' wouldn't do. And it wasn't even about the driver getting where they were going, but simply about the potential of just guessing Ren's true identity. It didn't matter if he didn't share it at that time. Once he knew, a leak could happen any moment.
Ren had also told her he had considered calling the private driver of his parents, who was sworn on privacy by contract. But this also meant that driver would know his face while 'not Kuon', and it would mean if his parents needed him, he wouldn't be available. It has been too long too, and he hadn't known if his parents even employed the same driver as before. And it hadn't been all. There had been even more unknowns, which had made it too impractical.
In the end, he had proposed her to rent a car, however short they would use it.
She hadn't truly understood why he felt the need to ask for her opinion in this matter. It was a long-time secret and much of his goals had been built on his capacity to keep it until he was ready to reveal it. In other words, many things of his life were at stake based on the current secrecy of this. So, she understood. And she didn't think she had the right to voice an opinion in this. Plus, even if he had given it to her, Kyoko wouldn't have felt okay meddling in how cautious he wanted to be, or how he wanted to handle it. Those were his choices to decipher. To begin with, she felt wrong intervening in any of this, when it was so personal to him, so intimate. And while she could put asides this if he needed her, she was a little lost on the whys he involved her so much.
However how touched she could feel he would care for her views on his private matters, and how much she loved he involved her in his life.
They were driving along the coast by now, Ren was to be precise, and he had told her barely a minute ago, they would reach their destination in 20 minutes. She was nervous. For him and for herself. But right now, mostly for him. The minute they had started the car, at the outside of the airport, he had tensed. And the closer they got, the more rigid he had become.
At this point, his body was no more than a block of steel uncannily able to be supple and bend. Twice instances even happened where he was a little too brutal with the car and brought upon the car – totally unlike him – little shocks as he turned. At other times, he would breathe out and be his smooth self as he drove. But his nervousness could not help making some new appearances.
She did not want to give him more self-consciousness and edge by staring at him, and at some point she turned her gaze away. The ocean glided by in the distance as they drove, and she finally took the time to admire her surroundings. Long flat and even lanes of sand made the beaches and she noticed the sea was less of a light blue. Darker tones, profound blue and anthracite tones intermixed, and she spotted a few more greyish ones too. It was slightly clearer when shot straight by sun, as she kept looking at it, it was clear it remained a deeper blue that what she was used to at San Francisco. And the contrast was even deeper if she compared it to Half Moon Bay.
The wind whooshed through the open window, messing her hair as she tilted her face closer to it. It was beautiful. Very sunny and unobstructed. Not many rocks around, just stretched-out uninterrupted bands of sand. She could even spot a couple of smaller roads going right through the beach part of the coast, so huge some were.
She thought she might still prefer the ocean tones near San Francisco from those. But what captivated her were all those majestic palm trees paving the roads and numerous ways all around. There were so high and countless. They rose above the rest, denoting with their warm and green look. And they were so many, not just by the beaches but in the city too. In all honestly, there were more greens in the heart of the city she had expected. She thought she knew this. She thought she should recognize all this. She had come to L.A. on a couple of occasions for work. It had been very short visits and she never stayed the night. But still. She had come. She must have seen some of this at some point. Yet, her memory was a blank screen. She couldn't remember any of those beautiful landscapes, neither of the warm tones the city displayed in front of her eyes right now.
Though she barely had a true look when Ren took a turn that seemed to lead them back towards the centre for a few minutes.
But soon, they were back close to the coast side again and started going into some more isolated but so-very sleek roads. She could feel how on edge he was even without looking at him, and she rubbed his shoulder a little as he took another turn. He let out a breath, giving her a contrite grimace, and she knew he was well aware of the feel he gave off.
She was a little worried for him – even though she was one hundred percent sure his parents would accept him wholly regardless of anything – , the amount of nervosity he displayed put her off too. It was so different from the person he usually was she couldn't help but wonder if she had all elements at hand.
A smaller part of her was also excited. She was going to see his house. The house he grew into. Where his parents were living. She couldn't help feeling privileged he had asked her to come and that she would get to see it, and be with him there. And all hells be damned, it also made her feel a little special. Even if her mind kept telling her she should shut that feeling off before it gave her hope. She was so curious of where he had grown up, what it had felt like. Oh, by now, Kyoko knew America and the show-business world. But it wasn't the city he grew in. Wasn't the house, the places he had been in, and lived in. Nor the people he had been with or met when he was young. Though, she wouldn't want to have anything to do with the people that had hurt or belittled him in the past.
She was well aware it was about him, however, and managed to shut her curiosity off for the most part.
It didn't prevent her to gape, when around the corner, Ren drove them on a very low-rising slope for a very short while and they reached a gate. A whole solid cement wall high of at least four metres, made office of barrier contouring a massive land, and it contrasted heavily with the gate's doors. It was a third shorter in height of the wall, but the most surprising was that it was made of wood. Massive looking wood carved into resembling spiralling columns that she thought, were glued together at first but – after looking harder – , she realized it was just two thick panel carved to appear that way that made the portal doors. It looked solid, sure, but she was still surprised his parents had chosen wood for their gate, considering practicality and security. However, you couldn't see anything from here, so there was that. It was less tempting than otherwise.
Ren caught her puzzlement as he stopped the car and chuckled.
"Made of Lignum Vitae** something if I remember correctly what my mum told me."He said but she just looked at him in confusion so he explained.
"Hardest wood in the world. You add cameras and a password, and it is still pretty decent."
She smiled, a little awkward.
"Was I that obvious?"
"Your perplexed frown was."
His response was light but he was as tense as before. And he didn't get out of the car as she thought he would. He turned it on again, and parked against the side of the big wall. He cut the motor. Let go of the wheel. Removed his seatbelt. Methodical and focused.
He breathed out heavily, lifted his hand and at last, plugged off the keys.
She saw him drop his hands on his knees, and he kept them there in fists of nerves. She had the urge to touch him, to say something, do something that would take the enormous weight it was for him off his shoulders. But she was here to support him, not to do this in his stead, and she knew he needed to do it. So, she let him steady himself in silence for a couple minutes more. When he rested his head back against the seat and looked towards him, she felt free to speak.
"It will be okay," she said, and she grazed the inside of his palm to hold. His eyes met hers, and as she stared into the viridian of his gaze, she tried to convey her reassurance and trust. In her, in him, in his parents. In what he was about to do. To share some of her infinite confidence in him. So, that he could know that no matter what, she could be there if he needed, wanted her here.
She didn't know what he saw in her eyes and if she succeeded in helping him but he looked at her for a while, as if he was anchoring himself to her stare. He was not able to smile then, but he nodded and let go of her hand as he got out of the car and closed the door. He didn't go for their luggage in the truck, just waited for her, and she too, carefully shut the car's door as she got out.
The ocean's voice reached her ears once out. She could hear each rush of waves as they rolled down to crash in their eternal cushioned symphony. The sea was nearby. Very near if she could hear its nuances so clearly from here.
She had been under the impression they had drifted further away from the coast earlier with all those last twists and turns. But it seemed not.
He locked the car.
They walked in quietness, their steps slow reverent lifts and drops of feet as they closed on the portal, and Kyoko could feel he needed each of those moments.
She admired the wood texture and drawings on the gate to not put any pressure to accelerate this. Thus, she only saw from the corner of the eye, as he lifted his fingers to the control panel, and hesitate for a second before typing the keys.
An unlocking sound echoed in the outside air, and in a careful heavy pull, the doorways breached open to the inside. The way revealed itself as the doors spread away, and it guided her sight forward. She followed the moves of the doors as they ended, until it led her to the left and she lifted her eyes in that direction.
Not so far away, sixty-seventy metres away from the gate maybe, gracing her eyes at the end of a cemented car path was a tower. A small one to be exact, on the very offset left side of an enormously stretched habitation constructed with three already preexisting levels. Besides the towers. Yes, plural. Because there were several. Another small one stood on the opposite end of it. There were also two medium towers, one close to the right one, the other on what appeared to be an angled section to the house. And a tall one averaged-ly situated around the midsection of the residence.
They stood out a lot with their anthracite and light grey tones faced to the pristine white of the main corps of the habitation. Even the roof tiles were white. Only the frameworks and junctions between walls and roofs were of a clear sandy ochre. And it remained subtle.
Yet, despite the contrasts and huge aspect, the residence gave off a fresh harmonious atmosphere. Very well proportioned and warm even.
"No way…"She mumbled unconsciously.
This was no house. Residence wasn't right either.
The long carway went to the extreme left right from the start, and cut across a long land of grass. But another footpath paved with pretty cream rectangular slabs led straight and towards a huge door of the same wood the portal was made of. But it was reinforced with metals of some sort and other stuff. She couldn't say from where she was. And a creeper, a Wisteria if she wasn't seeing wrong, was surrounding the area around and above the front door. Supported by what looked like to be a wood arch but straight. Or a mix between that and a grid.
Amazed and bewildered, Kyoko threaded her fingers in her hair as she pushed it away to not miss a single detail as she gaped and looked left and right. She noticed there were in fact much vegetation around, not just grass. And she thought that what seemed to be leading to the backyard by an enchanting little path, contained even more trees and was even bushier.
The reason they were truly here had fully escaped her mind in that moment, too bewitched by the place. And though, she could feel Ren's gaze on her, she couldn't bring herself to care.
She kept twirling and twisting in hope to take note of every single thing there was to see.
She thought it could be called a mansion for a second but a more appropriate name came nearly instantly afterwards, and she declared as she took some air in, not managing to leave amazement behind and continuing to look around in a daze.
Fairies must be living by thousands here.
It looked fantastic. It looked right out of a story book. It looked magical.
"You have a fairy tale castle."She let out in a worshipping murmur.
Ignorant that her companion had been waiting for her first reaction and words with baited attention, she was unprepared for his explosion – especially with how spell-bounded into reverent silence she had been – , and she jumped a good metre at the sound.
She turned to see Ren holding his stomach with his arm pressed against him, violently bent in two but finally grinning. No, laughing his head off to be precise. And that was the exact moment she returned to earth and realized her comportment.
She blushed but then waved around wildly.
"You have no right to laugh at me. You have towers."She pointed at his childhood house. "And five at that!"
"If it's not a castle, I don't know what is."She grumped out embarrassingly.
Ren only laughed harder.
And between hiccups, he eventually tried to say a few words.
"I was kinda wonder-wondering what would be your-pfff, pff …-your reaction."He told her and she huffed, turning away but seeing him laugh like that was too cute to not keep at least one eye on him. Still. So, he had been waiting to tease and mock her. Evil fairy.
He shook but he continued without hiccuping chuckles when he spoke again.
"My mum is nearly as a big of a fan of fairy tales as you are, you know. This explains the house appearance, I guess." He said with a grin.
"This is no house, it's an enchanted castle."She argued as they started to walk the footpath and Ren snorted.
"No wonder I took you for a fairy the first time I saw you, you even lived in the house that went with it. What other choice did I have?"
When he gave her in return such a tender look, she couldn't help her little freeze as he said.
"Guilty as charged. But I think no one could have ever considered me in such a magical light, but you. You were the only one to see my magic."He said with a teasing but soft grin.
She didn't reply, unfairly shocked and moved by his words.
And that's when the front door opened. As they were barely a dozen metres away from it.
Impulsively, she straightened her mind in a second, and gave him a prompt, and pushed Ren's back. Right towards his parents that had just opened the door.
And as the three of them stared at each other in silence, and his parents' eyes already began to moister as their realization settled in, she took silent careful steps backward. Slowly. Very slowly. To not disturb their moment.
** Lignum vitae wood. One of the hardest wood in the world. Called the ironwood sometimes. It was used for ships construction.
PS: Hello everyone. I hope you are all good. Yes, i'm surprised myself but i'm already here with a new chapter. I guess i was especially creative, *ren shrug*. Anyway, thank you for your kind words again. And here is the new chapter. I hope you will love it. As you might have seen in the title, we officially started the second part of the of the Summer Arc. Yes, it is happening. This one will be intense emotionnally. Don't look at me like that, you have seen nothing yet.
Anyway, i'm impatient to read your comments about this one, and i'll go,
see you soon, hopefully,
Kisses,
Mimagfan.
AUTHOR OUT.