Disclaimer: I can't possibly own Skip Beat! so don't look at me lawyer man! BP

yeah, I've got a few fics I need to work on, plus homework, but I've been working on this one for a while and it's finished so I'm posting it! It was originally supposed to be a one shot, but became 18 pages. I don't like reading oneshots that are super long so I broke it down for easy reading. I'll post it all today so don't freak out too much. and other than this, no notes until the end. Prepare for a roller coaster guys. This one is a doozy! Enjoy!

Oh, just a note on the italics. Unless I say they're on the phone this time, all italics in "..." are English. Normally I just use italics for thoughts between '...' and for people on the other end of the line, using a translator with end translation notes at the bottom of the page for anything other than English. Since they usually speak Japanese though, I can't do that. Just a minor thing, but still important.

Closest Friend

Guam was a very strange and wonderful place to Kyoko. Warm when Japan was cool, beaches everywhere, and people of all shapes and colors! She never saw so many black people in her life! And stark white ones! And so many shades of brown! Then there were the red people who were always angry, but she was sure that was because of their carelessness on the beach. Blonds and redheads dotted the land too, natural ones. She only saw a few natural blonds in her life, Corn being the top of the list. Everything about this place and these people was incredible.

Unfortunately it didn't impress Setsuka.

"It's hooooot..." Black leather layers were not a good idea on the beach, even under an umbrella. The wig and the fact Cain insisted she wore pants didn't help either. Being bored out of her skull under that umbrella, watching the fake massacre before her, she was starting to wonder when she and her big brother could get away and explore like he promised. Guam wasn't Japan, and it certainly wasn't London where they 'came from'. Setsu wanted to see what kind of bathing suits these people had. Niisan would definitely buy her a good one if she asked.

Mentally Kyoko wanted to scream at the idea. Setsu's idea of a good bathing suit would be so embarrassing! Not that she didn't want to get a few souvenirs from this trip, but she was not bringing back a Setsu approved bathing suit. She'd never use it again after her role was done. But she was so freakin' hot... "Aren't the done yet? I want ice cream!"

"And CUT!" The director grinned broadly as he ended the scene, finally putting that long afternoon to rest. "Well done everybody! That's it for today! Head back to the hotel and get some rest! We've got a long day ahead of us tomorrow!"

"Finally..." Even five in the evening, it was hot! As fun as it was to see her brother 'slice and dice' these idiots, she could not wait to get back inside where at least there was air conditioning. Cain had to be baking in that hideous heavy coat. The makeup had to be sweating off of him by now. He certainly seemed happy throwing off that heavy coat; or maybe he was just thrilled to throw something over that annoying Manaka who still couldn't take a hint. The hamster needed help getting back up and watching that from Setsu's perch was pretty funny.

'Natsu's rubbing off on me,' Kyoko cringed internally, though not entirely upset with the thought of embarrassing the foolish lady further. Though Tsuruga-san had told Bo he couldn't have a relationship with anyone, she still couldn't help but be a little hurt that others were actively pursuing him. He certainly seemed a lot cheerier since the Katsuki test but...

Mentally she shook herself, getting as far away from thoughts of love to focus on her absentminded Niisan who didn't bother going back to the makeup tent to get everything removed. BJ didn't have a lot on under that coat, but there were a lot of fake scars and scabs. Then there were his contacts, which were still scary.

He instead went straight to his sister who started to check him out. Kyoko knew he was handsome, but seriously when did he have the time to even maintain those muscles? How did he keep so good looking without proper nutrition all this time? There were so many mysteries about this man, she didn't even know where to start!

Setsu just ignored them all, took out her cellphone, and started taking pictures. "Say cheese."

Cain raised an eyebrow at her behavior for a second in silence before smirking in mild amusement. "Swiss or cheddar?"

Click "Cute." Not looking up from her phone and still taking snapshots of him coming towards her (he seemed to add a slight swagger to his approach), she blindly put a hand into her bag to find the contacts container he gave her earlier. "Do I get to peel your skin off?"

"If you're good." His hand soon met hers in the bag just as she found what she was looking for. She paused momentarily, very conscious of how close they were at that moment. It was hard to stay in character when the slightest amount of contact made her warm. He didn't do the same but kept going at the same pace, not noticing her odd behavior. Thank heavens. Raising the container to eye level, he inclined his head towards the public showers. "I'll be back."

"Don't take it all off," Setsu pouted, looking forward to peeling off the fake injuries with sadistic delight. There was just something about it that made her body tingle. Her brother smirked at her enthusiasm as he walked away to the public showers, likely to rinse off the majority of the makeup. Sweat, sand, and makeup did not mix well together and he did not like the feel of it. She didn't like the feel of it either. Getting back to their hotel room and taking a shower was high on her priorities. They could go shopping after room service brought them dinner.

It wasn't long after Cain disappeared behind a flimsy curtain that an annoyance appeared. Murasame for some oddity was the reason her brother insisted she cover up, even in the hot hot sun. Now he was looming nearby when all she wanted was AC and ice cream, among ever other aforementioned thing. Couldn't the cheese-head-man go bug the hamster? "What?"

"Heard you went back to England." He folded his arms in front of him, demanding information.

"So?" Why did he care? The only thing he ever did was insult and attack her brother. How he was a threat to her was a mystery, but she wasn't about to press it. He hardly spoke to her since that first day.

"Why?" He cocked his head to the side, really curious. "I thought you were... devoted to your... brother..." Murasame didn't seem to like thinking of those two's relationship. She could only imagine his reaction if he ever knew they weren't siblings.

Instantly Kyoko thought of every excuse she could. Exams. Parents being worried. Legal matters. Abducted by aliens. Medical treatments. Severe craving for 'fish and chips'. There were so many stories she could make up in order to throw him off her scent. In the end, Setsu chose the best option for her. She gave him a quick glare then looked away, waiting boredly for her brother while a fly buzzed around her ear. Maybe she should swat it.

The man glared at her when she gave no response and eventually backed away, folding his arms. "Fine. Don't tell me. S'not like we didn't get a lot done with you gone. Makana still doesn't get that he's a bad guy. Maybe some girl chat is necessary to get her to calm down?"

Setsuka glared at him from the corner of her eye, deciding to be as rude as Cain suggested she should be. "Men like you are despicable. Only thinking of how to shack up with the next cute thing in a skirt. Get lost."

Stunned, all the blood left his face, only to return in full force seconds after. Setsu usually was civil with people, but she was hot! And covered in sand! Not to mention hungry and tired. Shower, dinner, shopping, ice cream, bed, Niisan. That was all she wanted at that point. This cheese-brained fly was too annoying to deal with right then.

Not far away they heard slow clapping. Cain somehow managed to sneak up on them and was applauding his charming sister's actions as if she was the star of the school play. "Nice. Next time, insult his manhood. If he has one."

"I wonder..." A devious, Natsu-like smile fluttered onto her lips as she looked back to the guy. Honestly, she wasn't quite sure what Cain meant by that, but it sounded very insulting. The intruder was starting to shake at their arrogance, not quite understanding what they were saying. Not everyone learned English in school, nor had the practice they did. Hopefully they could keep things going long enough for him to leave. "Do you think he's compensating?"

Kyoko had heard the phrase quite a few times, not quite getting it, but it definitely impressed her 'brother'. Both his eyebrows went up a bit before he started staring at Murasame's body, debating something calmly. "Possibly..."

"Speak Japanese!" The identical 'you're an idiot' look they gave him made him scream out completely before stomping away, very frustrated.

"Took him long enough." Setsu finally left the chair she lounged in during the shoot, stretching a bit while Cain found his towel and patted the water he collected from his quick rinsing shower minutes ago. Some of the fake scars were still there, and the makeup ran everywhere, but at least his eyes were the familiar brown she loved. "I swear he becomes much stupid each time I see him."

"More stupid," her brother corrected softly. Occasionally she made a grammatical mistake and he would easily correct it. Teaching her to use a British accent at the same time was fun, but over the course of this job and helping Hizuri Kuu, Kyoko's English skills were exceptional. Still too polite but good enough. "Or stupider. Honestly, he's a pain in the ass."

"At least he can fight." Niisan shrugged his consent to that, but didn't comment on it. Seeing some of the makeup peeling across his face, Setsu reached up and started peeling it off. "Cool..."

"What are you going to do to the pieces?" He seemed honestly amused at her fascination with his peeling 'flesh' makeup. It was fun to watch, but a bit odd. He finished patting himself dry (to a point) and stuffed the towel back into his bag, exchanging it for a loose shirt to keep the sun off.

"I was thinking of making a scrapbook." Finally done on the beach, they picked up their bags and started walking towards the hotel. They'd hold hands again if Setsu wasn't having so much fun collecting his 'skin'. "To show Father later. Or maybe your old manager."

"Sounds more like something Boss' grandkid would like." At the mention of Maria, she had to giggle. Yeah, Maria would love fake pieces of her 'beloved Ren-sama's' skin. It'd go well with her hair samples (which Kyoko really wished she didn't know about). Niisan gave her a small smile, much calmer now than at the beginning of the shoot. Hard to imagine that guy and this one were the same person some times. He winced a little as she peeled a large one off his arm, taking a few hairs with it.

"Did that hurt?" She dreaded the thought of hurting him by peeling off the fake marks. What if she was taking real skin off instead of fake?!

"A little. They had to use a stronger glue this time." He pouted as he rubbed his slightly red arm. He'd been in the sun all day, it was likely he was starting to burn. Setsu helped him put on sunblock a few times and the makeup crew assured them everything was UV proof, but it wasn't foolproof.

"Hmmm... we should pick up some burn cream tonight. And Ice cream." Setsuka said it as if it were a done deal, but they never discussed any shopping plans previously. Cain watched her for a moment in silence, then gave a consenting nod. She smiled as she picked off another scar on his face. It was pretty fun. "I was thinking about getting a swimsuit for the next shoot-"

"Not on the set." The firm glare he gave her was exactly the reaction she was expecting. He was very much against those revealing clothes after all. Secretly Kyoko was glad Cain said no. She'd be so embarrassed! But Setsu...

"I want to work on my tan." He was still glaring at her, now more annoyed than anything else. It was funny seeing his different expressions. "It's the perfect opportunity-"

"I won't be able to concentrate if I have to peel men off of you every five minutes. No tanning."

"But it's so hot! I'm baking in this!" She picked at the dark tube top/jacket combo, flicking her hair in the process. She didn't dare bring up the pants again.

"Then wear looser clothes." Cain shook his head slowly, sighing a bit. Was that no good? "We can always buy another suitcase."

"Niisan," she gave him a glare now, one she reserved for each time he spent much money on her, "don't spend money frivolously."

"It's my money. If I want to spend it on you I will. Don't deny me that pleasure."

Kyoko could feel her cheeks turn red for a moment, but Setsu forced it down. This was just how her brother thought. Flattering as it was, he was still being an idiot. She decided to punish him instead of fighting the costs. Coming close to his ear, she teased as she peeled a small scab off his face. "But don't you want to see me in a swimsuit? Niisan?"

Almost instantly his face became blank, slowing his body to a near stop. Giggling, Setsu nearly skipped ahead, teasing him even more. "I'll model them off just for you. I'll even let you pick the best one. Which do you think is better? A one piece or-"

SCRREEEEEEEEEECCCHHH "SETSU!"