145And after an unfairly long wait, the last chapter... Please enjoy.
The noise around them was mind numbing. Shrieks, clapping, whistles, and a low thundering that was probably the sound of people jumping up and down pulsated through the audience. There were several waves of motion as people who had previously been sitting, waiting patiently, were now caught up in the excitement and stood, waving their arms and screaming. Lights, which had previously helped people find their seats, dimmed, then blacked out. The only light now could be seen coming from the stage, where tiny dots of white marked the edge of the dais and the long platform that protruded from it into the crowd halfway to the bleachers. There was a gradual hushing and Kuon heard Kyoko sigh in relief.
"Too much noise?" he asked, leaning close to her. He felt, more than saw, her shift and heard her voice directly in his ear. Her breath tickled.
"I really don't like concerts," she admitted.
"Have you been to very many?"
"No. I went to a few small performances when Sho joined a local band. But even that was too loud for me."
"Feel free to cover your ears," he responded, a little annoyed by the dance of turning heads. "And let me know if you need to borrow my hands."
He thought he saw her smile in the darkness, but another roar was building at the ground level, which Kuon guessed meant that Bridge Rock had taken the stage. Sure enough, by the time the swell of sound had reached the top of the bleachers, the lights on the stage had flashed on, and three young men waved cheerfully to the assembled crowd, their faces looming on two large screens on either side of the stage.
Then the music began.
In spite of the noise, and his lack of experience, Kuon was able to see why Fuwa had chosen this particular band to precede him. They were good, but they were not great. They mostly appealed to the younger girls in the audience, but since Fuwa had so many adolescent fans, Kuon imagined Bridge Rock had been a good draw. Their style was more fun loving than cool, and seemed much more mediocre than extreme. The leader of the group, a short brown haired boy that Kyoko gleefully leaned over and explained was Ishibashi Hikaru, was happily singing and engaging the audience. He looked safe enough and for a moment, Kuon relaxed, allowing himself to be grateful that Kyoko was working for such easygoing and inoffensive people.
But it only took Kuon a couple of lines into the chorus of the second song to hate the kid. A few references to golden eyes and a sweet smile, and Ishibashi Hikaru had Kuon frowning, with a growl threatening in his chest. Bridge Rock's theme, in line with the concert, was romance, if of a more innocent and young love variety. But if that boy was not referring to Kyoko as he sang so passionately, it was more than Kuon was ready to believe.
It was not reassuring to see his date so excited and happy next to him. She laughed at the occasional antics on the stage, and smiled in a knowing way at the distant figures. By the time the boys had finally wrapped up, Kuon was more than a little sick of them. When Kyoko collapsed into the seat next to him after cheering loudly during their exit, Kuon decided it was time to make some inquiries.
"Did you enjoy them?" he asked as she settled back down into her seat. She looked over at him sheepishly.
"I know they aren't very good, but it was nice to see them performing. Hikaru-san doesn't mention it as much, but Shinichi-san and Yuusei-san both wish they had made it as musicians like they had planned, rather than as talents. I know they were glad to be given this opportunity."
"So you're close to them?" he probed.
"A little," she admitted a bit uneasily. "The group takes very good care of me since I'm still so new to the business and since my first job was with them. I'd say they're like friends, almost brothers. Especially Hikaru-san. I think he's the leader because he is used to taking care of people. He always convinces the guys to ask me to join them for dinner or lunch after filming, though most of the time I have to refuse. He's very thoughtful."
This artless and casual description of her relationship with the trio eased Kuon's fears slightly. For perhaps the first time, he was extremely glad that Kyoko was oblivious to her charm and appeal. He doubted she would believe Ishibashi Hikaru if he declared his feelings any more than she had believed Ren. Unlike Fuwa, however, a nice guy with a medium amount of popularity and a friendly demeanor was dangerous. If nothing else, the trip tonight had at least warned Kuon that he had a possible opponent waiting in the wings.
He was about to open his mouth to say something else when the stage lights dimmed again and a deafening boom sounded from the audience. If they had been politely happy to see Bridge Rock, they were ecstatic for the main event. The screams were louder, the movements jumpier, and the clapping a resounding chorus of praise. Kyoko did cover her ears now, and Kuon lent her his hands without being asked. If it would not have looked so pathetic, he might have covered his own. He could scarcely fathom what this sounded like on stage, where all the noise was coming straight at you as opposed to bouncing back. It was a heady feeling, even all the way back here. It suddenly dawned on Kuon why Fuwa would love this so much. Ren never really felt the praise for his work except in small, controlled groups. Just being part of the crowd was giving Kuon a rush. To be on the stage, the source of all this pure, unrestrained exhilaration, would be an almost godlike feeling.
No wonder the kid had a swelled head.
A single beam suddenly illuminated a lone figure on the stage and the noise, if possible, increased. As the opening notes began to play the volume swelled yet again, but the moment Sho opened his mouth, everything died down to a hushed murmur. His travel across the stage told Ren he was investigating the front rows, but to do him credit, whether or not he found Kyoko did not show in his voice or on his face.
He was good.
There was no denying it. Fuwa Sho had been born to sing. To perform. His musical gift was overwhelming, softening even Kuon's bitter feelings at being in this place. The tenderness of his first song was an unusual opening choice, since it seemed to be calming the crowd rather than exciting them, but his actions on the stage added to his act, and when the last note reverberated through the stadium, the crowd erupted again into screaming applause.
"And how is everyone tonight?" he asked, throwing a fist into the air then pointing to a section of the front row with a casual grin. Another bout of screams meet this rally and he waited for it to die down. Then he stepped back, tossed his microphone from his right hand to his left, and the next song began.
From tenderness to casual seduction, then another brief interlude where he welcomed the crowd, and another then another song, playful and teasing. His capacity to sing across feelings and in different modes forced Kuon to grudgingly admit that he was a worthy opponent as far as entertainment was concerned. His image might be the focus of a younger crowd now, but he showed hints of being able to flex into a new image if time demanded it. It was an ostentatious but effective display of power.
Inviting Kyoko here had been a stroke of genius. Evil, manipulative genius, but genius none the less.
Fortunately for Kuon, his date disagreed.
"Can I borrow your hands?" she leaned over and half shouted into his ear at one point. He nodded and moved to cover her ears, but she stopped him and placed them over her eyes instead. Then her own fingers went into her ears and she relaxed back into the seat. Kuon shifted, moving one of his arms behind her so that he could sit more comfortably while still protecting her from the visual onslaught from the screens in front of them.
It was a memorable event, filled with flashing lights, giant sparklers, and three different outfit changes (Kuon did not want to contemplate how quickly Fuwa had to move to get those done in time). By the time the final song was announced, half of the audience was in tears. By the end of the last song, a haunting ballad about two lovers who kept falling in and out of love, there were few people who did not have watery eyes. Kyoko had forsaken Kuon's protection three songs before, apologizing for exhausting his arms. Her own eyes were conspicuously dry and eyed the form on the stage with a cold distance. When the final notes had died away, she shook her head, then reached out and grabbed Kuon's hand, leaning to rest against his shoulder. He linked his fingers through hers and waited for the crowd to quiet down. After a few minutes and a few more flashing lights, Fuwa returned to the stage for an encore performance, but kept it to two finals songs. Kuon, who had heard of occasions where encores were longer than actual concerts, was glad things had finally wrapped up. After a final bout of cheering, the stadium lights came back on and people started to shuffle towards the exits.
"Stay here and wait it out, or join the crowd?" he asked, sending a perfunctory glare to a man in the row in front of them who had spotted Kyoko and was a little too interested.
"Stay," she sighed. "We need to head down to the front to get picked up to head backstage, and that means very awkward navigating."
"Very," Kuon agreed.
"At least you're tall," she smiled, looking up at him with her head still resting against his shoulder. Kuon wondered how a girl with so little experience in flirting could drive a man so crazy.
Maybe it was just him.
"We'd better get moving," he said after a little while. The crowds had thinned a bit and Kuon had realized they would have to go all the way down and out before they could get to the stage.
Holding tightly to Kyoko and smiling at anyone who stood in his way, Kuon managed to get both of them down in a timely fashion, and was even able to explain to no less than three security personnel why he and his date were headed back into the mass of chaos. They arrived at their original seats in time to give a quick salutation to the girls who had enjoyed the spots before their backstage passes were recognized by a member of the stage crew and they were swept away by yet more security.
After several minutes of bustle and being shoved around, the two were dropped off outside of Fuwa Sho's dressing room and left there with the instructions to wait for his manager, and not to try anything stupid because the door was locked. Their escort left, grumbling about special instructions and careless rock stars.
Kuon took up a post on the wall next to the door, putting himself out of the immediate sight of anyone who came out of the room, but at perfect distance to prevent them from approaching Kyoko if needed. She took up a spot against the opposite wall, standing straight and stiff, as if she were about to walk into an interview. Glancing up at Kuon, she relaxed a little, and even opened her purse to freshen up her makeup. As she put on a new coat of lipgloss, Kuon watched in detached fascination. He had never understood lipgloss. Lips made sense to him and lip balm was a practical item, but he had never quite figured out why women liked to put gummy color on their lips. Mostly, it was just messy, and as far as he was concerned, it tasted funny. Lipstick made just as little sense, for more or less the same reasons. He hoped she did not wear it too often. He would not be able to kiss her if he always had to worry about having pink tinted glittery smear on his mouth when he was finished. That would not fit with Tsuruga Ren's image.
Kyoko looked up and caught him staring. She gave him a curious look and he simply shrugged. There was no chance he was going to explain his last thoughts to her.
After a brief wait, Shoko appeared on the scene, stopping in her tracks as she noticed Kyoko and glancing nervously at the tall, handsome, blonde stranger that lounged so casually near the door.
"K-Kyoko-chan. I'm glad you could make it. Sho said he didn't see you in the crowd, but I thought you might be in disguise."
"It was a precaution," she answered kindly. Kuon studied Fuwa's manager out of the corner of his eye and understood Kyoko's consideration. This was a woman who was a professional and working for a boy who did not appreciate her best assets. Just her obvious ones. "But he wouldn't have seen us. We weren't on the front row."
At "we," Shoko had glanced anxiously in Kuon's direction again. Apparently, she had not reckoned on Kyoko being accompanied by a date. Kuon felt a touch of pity, but not much else. He was looking forward to the upcoming confrontation. He relaxed completely against the wall and focused on being still.
"I see," Shoko finally managed. "Well… Sho should be out in a moment, in any event. I think he's changing again."
"Probably fixing his hair too," Kyoko stated absently. "He's particular about his hair."
From the look on Shoko's face, Kyoko had pegged the situation. Kuon was not surprised, but he was a little irritated. When would she be able to make those kinds of declarations about him?
The door opened suddenly and Sho strutted out, missing Kuon, and posing dramatically in front of Kyoko.
"You made it," he stated, and Kuon thought he could detect a note of relief in his voice. Well, if he had been worrying that was one good, and very bad, thing.
"Yes. I didn't have work tonight."
"I didn't see you in the front row." He paused, studying her outfit. "Not even looking like that." The tone of his voice was the only indication that he found her appearance pleasing, but either she had not noticed, or had chosen to ignore it. Her response was bland.
"We were in the back. I didn't want to deal with the crowds up front."
"We?" Kuon shifted and stood, startling Sho and causing the musician to step back as he looked up… and up and up. "Oh."
"The name's Kuon," he said, extending a hand for Sho to shake. The singer, dazed, accepted it without a word, merely nodding. "Kyoko's told me about you."
The slightly taunting tone that Kuon adopted immediately had Sho on the defensive.
"Really?"
"Oh yes. I would say thank you for taking care of her for so many years, but…"
There was a cold light in his eyes, and he felt his own subtle anger shimmering off of him. Sho said nothing, only scrutinized him for a moment, and Kuon wondered if he would be discovered. He had spoken his Japanese with the lightest hint of an American accent to disguise his voice, but in close quarters, it was always possible to be caught.
"Kyoko, who is this foreign freak?" Sho demanded suddenly, ignoring Kuon and taking a step towards the girl. If he had expected her to get defensive, he was sadly disappointed. Kuon watched with pleasure as Kyoko turned bright pink, stammered something unintelligible, and shot him a pleading look. The sudden suspicious and horrified expression on Fuwa's face was worth the entire evening. He glanced between the two of them for a moment, eying Kuon critically and giving Kyoko a questioning look. She did not seem to be able to say anything else, so Kuon took things into his own hands, stepping forward and pulling Kyoko to him, wrapping his arms around her waist and settling his chin on the top of her head.
"I told you, my name is Kuon. I'm Kyoko's… boyfriend." His hesitation before he picked the word caused Sho's eyes to flash and he swore.
"You've got to be joking," he half shouted, causing Kyoko to shrink further into Kuon's embrace.
"It isn't a joke," she insisted weakly. "We're really dating."
"Since when?" Sho shot back, causing her to flinch. Kuon stepped in calmly, unfazed.
"Oh, quite recently," he answered. "We're hoping to keep it from the media as long as possible. Do you think you can keep it a secret?" His tone was almost patronizing, in sharp contrast with his gentle smile. Sho shook with anger.
"Dangit, Kyoko! You can't date some pretty-boy foreigner. Even you aren't that desperate!" Kyoko stiffened, and Kuon could feel that her anger had returned.
"Desperate?" she hissed. "Desperate for what, Shotaro?"
Kuon snorted, seeing Sho in a new light. He was not a genius when it came to kanji, or Japanese names, but he remembered "Shotaro" vaguely from choosing a stage name with the President. The answering glare he got was balm on a series of wounds that the singer had caused over the past two years, and he felt a vindictive pleasure at being present for this moment.
"Don't call me that," the musician grumbled before shooting another glare at Kuon. Kyoko was still wrapped up firmly in his arms and was making no move to get free. It was like Christmas had come early. "Desperate enough to pretend to be dating some random weirdo that you brought along as your bodyguard. Although, I thought you would at least have enough common decency to not let a guy molest you in public."
"Molest me?" She was prevented from continuing by Kuon's hand clamping down firmly over her mouth.
"Kyoko, you don't need to respond to that. Just because he's jealous-"
"I am not jealous!" Sho spat back. "If you get some sort of sick pleasure out of treating her like that, that's your problem. Don't assume everyone's a pervert like you, you foreigner!"
Kuon sighed at the insults and kept Kyoko's attempts to refute them locked behind his fingers. He was glad that she seemed so ready to defend him, but letting her start a real fight would make things much too interesting.
"Just because you aren't man enough to hold the woman you love doesn't mean you need to get upset. Maybe if you had treated her more like this, you wouldn't have lost her."
Sho stiffened before he growled, "I never said that I was in love with her."
"Would you like to?" Kuon asked politely. "I think I'm secure enough in my relationship to let you try and take her. It'll probably be fun to watch."
Kyoko had stopped trying to shout retaliations and was looking at Kuon in shock. She ripped his hand off her mouth, and he let her, figuring she was mostly in control again.
"What are you saying?" she demanded. "Sho would never say anything like that!"
"I think you're wrong, sweetheart," Kuon corrected gently, turning her to face him without losing his hold on her waist. "Don't you know? Little boys on the playground always pull a girl's hair when they like her."
"Yes, but they don't throw her out with the trash," she argued.
"Has he thrown you out of here? I thought we were still talking to him, in spite of our insulting and… promiscuous behavior."
Kyoko blushed, but said nothing else. She eased out of Kuon's arms and he let her go, but took her hand instead, not willing to part with her completely. Sho and Shoko watched on, only having been able to follow pieces of the brief conversation. Kuon was pleased to see the uncomfortable look in Fuwa's eyes when the boy noticed Kyoko's shy acceptance of her date's actions.
"Sho, if you have something you want to talk about, let's talk. It's late and I need to get home. And you need to get to bed," she added. Looking at the boy, Kuon agreed. Even though he had cleaned up, the concert had not been short, and he looked tired.
There was a moment's hesitation before Sho asked," Did you like the concert?" Kyoko sighed.
"I don't like loud noise, Sho. But you're still a good musician. You sang very well."
"What about the songs?" he pressed. He seemed to be aware that any talk about his flamboyant performance would get him nowhere.
"You're good at writing music," she conceded. "They were fine."
"What about the last song?"
"The last encore?"
"No, before the encore."
"It was fine. Why?" Sho gritted his teeth, shot yet another glare at Kuon, and looked back to Kyoko.
"It was for you," he said simply. She stared at him for a moment, as if she did not quite understand him.
"Sho, this was a romance concert."
"Yes."
"For love songs."
"Yes."
"Sho… you can't sing a song for me at a concert with romantic songs. It… it's impossible."
"It isn't," he retorted. He shot an additional glare at Kuon before adding in a soft voice. "I love you."
There was another moment of silence.
"No."
Sho stared at Kyoko.
"What do you mean no?"
"You can't tell him that you don't love me and then turn around and tell me you do. Besides, it is fundamentally impossible for you to love me," she stated in a chillingly distant tone. Kuon, who could appreciate how much Sho had put on the line with that simple statement, felt a minuscule twitch of sympathy. Pride was a hard obstacle for a man to overcome, especially if it meant putting his emotions at risk as well. And Kyoko was a master at shooting down those feelings even when she was firing blind. Her rebuttal had to hurt.
"Kyoko, you don't understand."
"Don't I?" she growled, releasing Kuon's hand and stepping forward, her eyes blazing. Kuon could feel a swirling force around him, that negative aura that only Fuwa Sho could make her produce. "You don't understand, Shotaro! You have no idea how, how, atrocious that declaration is. You love me! When in your life have you ever done anything for me without expecting a single thing in return?"
"I invited you to my concert," he shot back.
"So I could sing your praises to the sky? Or fall groveling at your feet when you 'confessed' to me?"
"It wasn't like that!" he shouted back, his face turning red in anger and embarrassment. "I just- I can't talk to people, Kyoko. But I had to tell you-"
"You sang your love to every woman in that crowd tonight, Sho," she cut him off. "Every female in that crowd, in the front row, who you looked at and smiled at and reached out to, you gave your love to all of them. Not to me. Never to me."
"I was singing for you!" He looked away. "Like I used to."
"When did you ever sing for me?" She was still angry, but her tone was a little more even.
"In Kyoto," he answered, meeting her eyes again with determination. This time Kyoko was the one to look away. Kuon watched her jaw clench, and thought he saw her eyes gathering moisture. He reached out for her hand again, knowing she had to deal with this herself, but wanting to remind her she was not alone.
"That… that was a long time ago, Sho. You showed me your new songs because I said good things about them."
"Everyone said good things about my songs," Sho growled. "Except for my parents. But I always showed them to you. And they were all for you."
"Really?" she challenged, her fingers tightening on Kuon's.
"Why would I say it if it wasn't true!"
"You never, never, sang any of the songs you showed me with your band. You only ever sang other stuff."
"Because those were your songs! The other guys wrote the music for our band. I only wrote music for you!" Kyoko stared at him.
"That doesn't seem like a good method for becoming a celebrity musician," she finally said. "Only singing for one person." Sho snorted.
"You would think, wouldn't you? Why do you think it took me so long to find an agency that would actually take me on? I kept using rewrites of the band's songs for my auditions. But the only agency that took me was the agency where I got desperate and finally sang one of the songs that I wrote for you. They signed me before I left the audition."
Kyoko stepped back in shock, forcing Kuon to drop her hand before he twisted her arm.
"You- you're- you're lying!"
"Ask Shoko," he snapped back. "She was at the Akatoki auditions. Ask her what song I sang!"
"It was the song that he opened with tonight," Shoko answered without any prompting. "It's one of the few songs he still won't let the agency force him to change at all. In spite of the fact that it does not match his image. They told him that when they first signed him. That until he had the clout to cover jumping between genres, he had to stick to an image that wasn't bound to anything."
"I never performed any of the old songs I wrote until tonight," Sho added. "Just that one. You remember when I wrote it, don't you?"
"It was about a princess," Kyoko whispered in anguished accents. "The girl he loved was a princess." Sho nodded.
"You always said I was your prince, Kyoko. I know I haven't been the best one, but I can change that. Kyoko-" He took a step towards her and she stepped back again, bumping into Kuon and grabbing his arm to steady herself. Sho stopped, his fists clenched. "You can't pretend it did happen," he growled. "Even if these past couple of years weren't the best, you can't pretend I haven't been there for your whole life, and you enjoyed it for sixteen years."
Kuon could feel her trembling, but did not move. He could not see her face, and was not certain what the best course of action would be. He stayed still, waiting anxiously for her reply.
"-ren't the only one," he caught her whisper. Sho ran a hand through his hair in frustration.
"Kyoko, I can't hear you," he sighed. She looked up, and Kuon thought she was extremely calm.
"You weren't the only one," she said again, this time in a clear voice. "You weren't my only prince."
It was Sho's turn to be confused.
"What are you talking about? I was the only guy, heck, the only friend, that you had."
"No," she answered. "I had another prince. I didn't tell you about him because he left and I didn't think he would come back. And he didn't. Not for a long time." She turned around and looked up at Kuon, a small smile on her face. "But he did come back. And he loves me." Kuon smiled back, stroking her face once before she turned around again to face Sho. "You're right. I did enjoy all those years. And when you turned on me, and took all those years away, the only happiness that I had left is what Kuon had given me."
"Wait, you knew this loser before? In Kyoto?"
"He isn't a loser," she snapped. "And yes, I did know him. All those times I was crying, and I knew I couldn't rely on you, he was the one who took care of me."
"It wasn't my fault!" the singer shot back. "It wasn't like I had any clue what your suffering was like. My parents liked me. What was I supposed to say?"
"I already told you," she sighed. "I didn't expect anything. I knew that you didn't know what to say. So I didn't bother you with it."
"You didn't trust me," he grumbled. "Even then, you couldn't even try and rely on me."
She paused and took a deep breath. "I can't accept your feelings, Sho. Maybe, someday, if we can put aside all our hurt feelings, we can be friends again. But you aren't my prince anymore, Sho."
Kuon expected an explosion of some sort, but was surprised when Fuwa, after staring at Kyoko for a long minute, trembling, shrugged and smiled sadly.
"Can you tell me one thing?" he asked, and Kuon realized that the singer was falling back on his cool image to save his shattered and mutilated pride.
"Sure," Kyoko sighed, and Kuon thought he heard a note of relief in her voice.
"What are you going to tell that Tsuruga guy about your… boyfriend." Kyoko froze, and Kuon had to bite back a laugh.
"He, uh, already knows," Kyoko stammered, looking up at Kuon for support. Sho's eyes narrowed in suspicion.
"I don't think he expects the relationship to last," Kuon added dryly. "I think he considers taking her to one of your concerts something of a kiss of death for us, and doesn't think we'll still be dating by the time I drop her off at home."
He noticed Kyoko shifting a bit and wondered if she was anxious for the date to end or if she was actually bothered by the idea.
"Right," Sho answered, looking between the two of them with narrowed eyes. "And I suppose if you do just happen to get dumped, he'll just step in and… fill the gap."
"That," Kuon replied with a bright smile, "would be between him and Kyoko."
The only response was a disgruntled grunt from the musician. He then turned to his manager and told her to have the couple escorted outside. It was late and they should all be heading home. Shoko, breathing a sigh of relief, skipped handing the two of them over to security and escorted them back out herself.
"I'm sorry that was so messy," she told Kyoko as they went along. "I'm hope you had a good time, in spite of everything." Kyoko smiled.
"It's fine Shoko-san. I'm used to Sho's behavior. And he could have been worse."
"Yes," the manager agreed with such an exhausted and relieved look that Kuon wondered what kind of trouble Fuwa had caused in the past. Besides breaking onto the Dark Moon set repeatedly, hitting Kyoko, and the special horror of the Valentine's Day fiasco. "I'm glad things went so well. And it was nice to meet you, Kuon-san," she added with a kind smile. "I'm sorry my charge was so difficult. He's… never been patient with the men that are around Kyoko."
"I'm sure you've done all that you can," he told her, making her blink at his smile. She stared at him for a moment, then shook her head as if to rid herself of a silly thought.
"Well, goodnight you two. Thank you for coming."
After a brief exchange of bows the couple was left alone to wander down the street towards their car. Kuon took Kyoko's hand, but even though she did not pull away, she did not respond. She seemed to be lost in her own thoughts. Kuon let her walk in silence until she tripped suddenly, letting out an inelegant noise between a shriek and a gasp. She did not fall over, and let out a sigh once she had regained her footing, giving Kuon an apologetic look.
"Sorry. I wasn't paying attention." Kuon noticed her shifting on her feet and grimaced.
"No. It's my fault for not noticing earlier. Hold still for a moment." She obeyed, more out of confusion than anything, and let out another shriek as he suddenly swept her off her feet.
"Kuon! What are you doing?"
"You aren't used to wearing those boots anymore, and you've been walking around in them for far too long," he replied, taking off down the street as she pushed against his chest in protest.
"That's no reason for you to carry me all the way back to the car like some, some-"
"Princess," he interjected with a smile. "But here I was thinking that I was your prince." Kyoko grumbled something under her breath. "You aren't going to start hitting and kicking are you? Last time didn't hurt too badly because your ankle was injured and you couldn't move around too much, but I think you might leave bruises if you kick me with those shoes on." His date stiffened and apologized in a frigid tone.
He kept walking, deciding she had handled enough provocation for the evening. His behavior was rewarded, because even though she did proceed to read him a stern lecture on why he should not be carrying her over such a long distance, once her irritation had abated, she became silent and rested her head on his shoulder, tucking her face into the crook of his neck and sighing contentedly.
"I'm sorry," she mumbled. "Thank you."
"It isn't any trouble," he told her. "Your feet must hurt after how long we were standing in line, and then waiting for Fuwa afterwards. I should have told Ten-san to find some other shoes for you."
"This isn't too bad," she admitted softly. Kuon was glad her face was hidden because he could not be sure that he was not blushing now, and it was far too embarrassing for her to see him like that.
They continued on in silence for a little while longer before Kyoko spoke again.
"Kuon?"
"Yes?"
"We're still breaking up when the date is over, right?"
"You only promised to be my girlfriend until eleven," he told her, sidestepping the question.
"But you're ready to be done with this?"
"Not even remotely." "Kyoko, I've already told you how I feel. I've enjoyed tonight and I plan on enjoying all of the time that I have."
"You even enjoyed talking to Sho?" Kuon considered this.
"There were pieces of that conversation that I enjoyed a good deal. I wasn't happy when he was bothering you though."
"I still can't believe it," she sighed.
"Believe what?"
"That he loves me."
"Why?"
"Well, maybe I can believe it. That isn't really the problem."
"What is?" They had reached the car and Kuon, instead of simply putting her down, set her on the back of the car, standing in front of her while she shifted into a comfortable position. She glanced up at him, then at the ground.
"I think I believe that he loves me now. That he cared about me before, when we were in Kyoto. But I think he really, honestly forgot all about me the moment he became famous. When I became famous too, he could notice me again. I was worthy of his attention. But I feel like he won't always feel the same way about me."
"You think he'll get bored of loving you," Kuon suggested. Kyoko nodded and realization dawned on him. "You think I'll get bored of you."
She would not meet his face, but whispered, "Yes."
His hands found a resting place on either side of her and his sudden proximity caused her to look up. "It isn't true," he told her in a firm tone. "I love you, Kyoko. I'll always love you."
"You can't know that," she countered desperately. "You don't know that you won't meet some other girl that is smart, and famous, and patient, and a good cook, and who isn't completely plain and boring!"
"You aren't plain and boring," he insisted gently. "No one who saw you tonight thought that."
"That's because Jelly-san is a magician," Kyoko mumbled, looking away.
"How much makeup did she use?" Kuon asked as patiently as he could. When she did not answer he could feel his frustration growing. "Kyoko, even if you really believed that you were plain, what have I done to deserve you accusing me of being so shallow as to only love a woman because of her looks?" Kyoko's eyes widened in fright and she shook her head.
"I didn't say you'd fall in love with someone who was just beautiful. I said who was beautiful and smart and patient and-"
"Kyoko," he cut her off, one of his hands reaching up to brush her bangs out of her eyes. "I love you."
"But…" she protested, glancing around as if looking for an escape.
"Won't you believe me?" he asked, a pathetic little puppy pout on his face. She fumbled, grasping for an excuse.
"I… I do believe you," she finally admitted. "But Kuon, I'm not worried about now, I'm worried about later. I- I don't want…"
"Do you love me?" he asked, startling her. Her mouth worked silently, but she seemed to be too stunned to answer. "Because it seems to me, that if you're so worried about me falling out of love with you later, you think it is at least a possibility that you might love me enough to not want me to leave. And if you do love me, it means that at least a little, you trust me."
"I- I trust you," she whispered.
"But do you love me?" She said nothing and Kuon had to grab her chin gently and force her to look at him. "I love you, Kyoko."
"You've said that," she mumbled.
"I know, but you won't answer me, so I'm going to say it again and again until you believe it. I love you Kyoko, and I think you are the most amazing and beautiful woman that I have ever met." There was a pause.
"I don't think that you mean that," she told him in a hushed voice. "You don't really think I'm a beautiful woman." Kuon blinked in shock. He had put every ounce of sincerity into that confession.
"Why?" he demanded, completely baffled. She looked away again.
"At the Dark Moon party. When… when I let Kijima-san dress me up." Kuon stiffened at the memory of her walking in on Kijima's arm, but did not say anything. "You said that you wouldn't… do anything to me."
A string of expletives ran through Kuon's mind briefly, but he managed to keep his mouth shut before any of them could escape. This was dangerous territory, and it was going to be his job to navigate all the pitfalls because she had no clue what her simple declaration had done to him.
"Kyoko," he began hesitantly, "that was not the only thing I said."
"No," she agreed. "You started with teasing me that you were going to do something right then and there, and then I got flustered and you said that you were joking and it would be troublesome if I cried."
Okay, that had not been his brightest moment.
"I was joking. About right then."
"Not about me crying," she insisted.
"No, it would be very troubling to me if I ever upset you and you were to cry. I believe I also mentioned that you were a pure-hearted girl?" Kyoko nodded. "I may not have the same… scruples that you do, but that doesn't mean I'm not aware of how you think. I was trying to be considerate."
"Which was easy, because you had no plans to do anything," she pointed out. Kuon repressed a groan.
"Kyoko, I said was wasn't going to do anything. I didn't say I didn't want to." This new idea seemed to be quite beyond what Kyoko was able to handle. After a moment, he watched her first pale in fear, then blush in embarrassment, then shake her head to clear it of whatever thoughts she had allowed to form.
"T-that was just because I was all dressed up, and had my make up done."
"No," he refuted firmly but gently. "While you did look absolutely magnificent, I can't say that was the only time I've found you attractive. In fact, I think my most distinct memory of you still has to be that night on the kitchen floor." Confusion shifted into shame and she turned a brilliant shade of red.
"Y-you were j-just acting. You were Katsuki!"
"No Kyoko. Not Kastsuki. Not even Tsuruga Ren. Just me."
When she did not respond to this, Kuon gave up trying to explain and kissed her. He was careful, not wanting to frighten her, but he did not release her when her initial reaction was to jerk away. The hand not gripping her chin came up to cradle her neck as he deepened the kiss slightly. She did not kiss him back, but he felt her relax at last and pulled back slowly.
Her lipgloss was not flavored.
There was a tense silence where she simply stared at him, all of her thoughts completely gone. There was a part of her brain, an irrational and indecent part, that wanted him to kiss her over and over again. She clamped down on these wayward thoughts with the force of a lifetime of culture and principle behind her. Kyoko could not lie and would be obliged to admit that she very much liked Kuon kissing her. But one moment of brain loss did not change a promise to keep herself away from intimate relationships before she was married. Some people would call it old fashioned, but Kyoko had been raised on the belief that kissing was almost sacrosanct, and while she was personally ready to admit that she loved Tsuruga Ren, kissing Kuon Hizuri, no matter how tempting, was not on the list of things that she was ready to do.
"Kyoko?" His anxious tone brought her back to the present. He had not pulled away, which was comforting and frustratingly tempting. Her fingers moved to touch her lips, trying to understand the sensation that still lingered. The small action alone seemed to comfort her date. Had he thought she disliked it? That was ridiculous.
"I… I think we should get going," she stated quietly, not quite sure how to deal with this situation. If he did not move, and soon, she was going to be tempted to touch him, and she was not quite sure what would happen if she did. He nodded, helping her down from the car and opening her door for her again. She was getting used to that, and even enjoyed it. It was one of those little things that he did that made her feel special.
"Watch your head," he told her as she slid into her seat, still enough dazed that she almost hit the frame of the car on her way in. She mumbled a thank you before he closed her door, then moved to take his own seat. The car started and the perfectly normal sound helped to ground her.
"Kuon, what are we going to do about our disguises?" she asked as the thought suddenly dawned on her that she could not show up at the Darumaya dressed like this. She had not told the Taisho and Okami-san about her date, figuring they would not approve of the concert. Now she wondered if they would approve of Kuon.
"We'll head back to the Takarada mansion. Ten-san has to dye my hair back and you can return the wig and clothes to her then. Unless you want to keep the outfit."
"Can I?" she asked in surprise.
"Yes. It was picked out especially for you. I think Ten-san would be honored if you liked it enough to keep it."
The outfit was not in Kyoko's usual style, but she was an expert with mixing and matching the clothing that she had to make up new outfits. With a limited wardrobe, she had needed to get creative, and while this ensemble was different, she already had ideas for how she could use the pieces with the clothes that she already owned.
Besides, it was her first date outfit.
"I think I'll keep them," she said, and was rewarded with a smile.
"I'm glad. You look good in them."
She turned away before she would blush again. It had been infuriating and embarrassing, but Kuon's casual manner in handing her compliments was not something she was used to. The fact that he was sincere made things even more difficult. She could not disbelieve anything that he said.
Which was what made this so difficult from the beginning. When he had told her, the first time, how he felt, she had brushed it aside with difficulty. Later, in the safety of her own room, she had come up with the entire list of reasons why Tsuruga Ren would not love her and why he had been mistaken in his own feelings. But at that moment, all she could see was a blinding and painful moment, days, weeks, maybe even years down the road, where he would turn and look at her and tell her she just was not good enough anymore.
The very idea that he might say it had been enough to break her heart, then and there. While her own treacherous feelings had begged her to accept him, to run into his arms and weep for joy, a lifetime of failure and abandonment had pushed her away, and she had given up when he did not come after her. His avoidance over the next few weeks had been proof enough that he could not really have meant it. He was being a gentleman and saving her from the embarrassment of having to see him again.
Then, after she had made a fool out of herself and infuriated him, he had returned with a proposal that had both frightened and excited her.
A date.
He would go with her, to the concert, but only if it was a date. Hope, fear, regret, and desire stirred and simmered, but she agreed. She got dressed up, was permitted to see him in a guise that no one else in Japan could, and had been told that he was the fairy prince she had loved so long ago.
Which was when things had started to go crazy. Never mind not being worthy of Ren, there was no way on earth that Kyoko qualified to be the romantic interest of a man who could be mistaken for a mythical being of purity and beauty. Under normal circumstances, she might have been euphoric. Right then, she was feeling guilty and ashamed. She had felt so impressive when Jelly Woods had dressed her up and made her look pretty. But she still could not hold a candle to Ren/Corn. And then, to make matters worse, he was also Kuon Hizuri. Son of the only man Kyoko had ever wanted for a father, and child of two of the most skilled and beautiful people in the entertainment industry. If there was been a wall between her and Ren, there was an infinite chasm between her and Kuon Hizuri. She had kept herself composed partly through force of will and mostly by acting like things were normal.
But the evening had not been entirely alienating either. Kuon's breakdown in the restaurant had forced her to realize there were things in his past that haunted him, and might have kept him from admitting his feelings to her sooner. He had said to her, well to Bo, back when he was having trouble as Katsuki, that he could not have anything precious to him here. It made more sense now. Japan was not his home, and he might be planning to leave someday. In addition, something from before had hurt him, had damaged his belief that he had the right to expect happiness and unconditional love. Kyoko could understand that feeling. He had been so strange to her when they sat down to eat, but in spite of his open demeanor and relaxed behavior, she had seen pieces of her beloved senpai in him still. And he was an easy person to be around. She had stopped pretending comfort and had let herself fall into the role of being Kuon's girlfriend. With his foreign looks, it had been easier to reach out to him, and his completely responsive behavior had relaxed her even more. There had been moments of fear and uncertainty, but they were mixed with a soft glow that permeated the entire evening, warming her heart and coaxing her into believing that maybe, just maybe, this could work.
Sho had complicated things. Dealing with two declarations of love when she was still wrapping her mind around the first one was almost impossible. Kuon's assurance that he would not lose her had been irritating and pleasing. His gentle care had been comforting. His love and his kiss had forced her to admit she did not want things to end like this.
She needed time. Time to understand, really understand, Kuon. Time to see that he would not leave her. Time to see that she could handle the things in his past that haunted him. Time to come to love him like she had learned to love her senpai.
"Kyoko." She jolted out of her thoughts, and looked up and out her door, finding Kuon waiting patiently for her.
"I'm sorry," she gasped, stumbling out and forcing him to catch her before she injured herself. He chuckled, and she found herself fighting that fond irritation again.
"Just take it slowly," he told her. "No need to kill yourself going up the steps."
"Sorry," she mumbled. He pulled her into a gentle hug, shaking his head.
"Kyoko, I don't want you to apologize. I really don't mind."
"Sorr-" She stopped, and looked up at him sheepishly. "Yes, Kuon." He sighed and she froze, wondering what she had done wrong.
"No, no," he said gently, rubbing her arms until she relaxed. "That sigh wasn't for you. I forgot to mention earlier that Ten-san knows I'm a foreigner, but she doesn't actually know who I am. Only you and the President do."
"Oh." Kyoko paused to digest this. "Then, I have to call you 'Ren' again?"
"Just until I get you home. Then you can start calling me 'Tsuruga-san.'" Kyoko bit her lip, realizing that she did not want to call him "Tsuruga-san" anymore, but not knowing how to say that without sounding presumptuous. What if he got angr-
She shook her head violently, to dislodge the thought. If he loved her, he would not be angry if she used his name.
"What's wrong?" he asked, and she noticed that he sounded worried. Did he think she was upset at him?
"Nothing is wrong," she told him. "I was just being silly and needed to put my head on straight again."
"Oh." He seemed a little unconvinced, but she could not blame him. She decided to distract him.
"I was thinking that if we're going to have a second date, I'm going to have to talk to you about kissing." There was a slight widening of his eyes, and he pulled her in until her hands were resting on his chest.
"What about kissing?" he asked, his face hovering dangerously closely to hers.
"Um, that is- I- it's not that I didn't like it…"
"I sense a 'but' hiding in that unfinished sentence," he whispered, causing her to shiver slightly.
"Could you not?" she asked in a tiny voice, looking up at him guiltily. "Not yet?"
He paused, but he did not pull back.
"You're still my pure-hearted princess, aren't you?" he asked in a slightly teasing tone.
"Yes?" she replied, a little unsure. She did not think a pure-hearted girl would be so desperate to be kissed again.
"How about a compromise?" he suggested. "I get to kiss you one more time tonight, and next time, when you're ready, you have to kiss me."
She turned bright red, trying to not imagine intentionally kissing him, and eventually managed a small nod. He immediately captured her mouth again, and this time she did kiss him back. It would have been silly not to. This kiss felt more… sure than his last one, and she was glad when he finally pulled away. The idea that self control required practice entered her mind, and she was grateful that Kuon at least had the strength to stop.
"So, I get a second date?" he asked once she had recovered enough to stand on her own again. He guided her towards the front steps, his arm settled comfortably around her waist.
"Yes," she answered, ignoring his teasing.
"I love you, Kyoko." She smiled up at him, and allowed herself to run a hand through his hair one last time before he would change its color back. She was going to miss the blonde.
"I love you too."
"Are you free this Thursday?" Kyoko giggled as she stepped through the door he held open for her.
And there it is. I hope that you all liked it. Thanks to everyone that reviewed, and thanks to Will, who helped make this better than it could have been. Sorry for the delay. I hope that it was worth the wait. Now, back to my other works...
