Merry Skipmas to Everyone! And especially to you Korrigan AKA Cel. From your Secret Santa! XD

Writing Prompt: Deserted Island

Not exactly Christmas but hey! Hope you enjoy the present! I wanted to write something from Ren's perspective since I don't do it very often. Now go have fun y'all!

TWO BIRDS, ONE ISLAND, NO EXCUSES

After an LME vacation cruise takes an unfortunate turn, we find our idiot love-birds in a particular situation. Let's hit all of the tropes!

"Would you mind repeating yourself, Tsuruga-san? I seem to have gotten a large amount of sand in my ears and became an idiot for a moment. What was it you said?"

"I said, we seem to have washed up onto a deserted island."

Ren watched as Kyoko's face changed from disbelief to horror, then green, then back to horror. Indeed, her expression shifted so quickly that Ren was afraid she might be having a stroke.

Though, her reaction isn't exactly unexpected.

Most people would freak out if they found out they were stranded with no means of communication. Personally, Ren was just glad to be alive with have definite proof that Kyoko was as well. After the chaos last night, certainty in anything was comforting.

He pointed up the banks of the beach they currently occupied. "I found what seems to be a vacation house about half a mile that way. It's empty, but I found a map on the wall that seems to represent this island."

Kyoko snapped out of her spiral, taking a few moments to process his words.

"Oh," she said, nodding repeatedly to herself. "I see. Good. So we have shelter." Then her brows scrunched, titling in serious contemplation. "I seem to have caused you trouble while I was sleeping. I'm sorry for not being able to assist."

And there it was. Her strange sense of indebtedness to him. One would think that going through such a traumatic experience would cause people to throw away their formalities. Never Kyoko. She was a traditional Japanese woman to the end. Maybe that was part of her strength. Or maybe she was holding on to something that she could control.

"I'm just glad that you're safe Mogami-san," said Ren. "In situations like this, that knowledge alone brings me comfort."

Kyoko's face lit up.

"Of course, because you are such a diligent Senpai worrying about your Kohai. I truly am fortunate to have you around."

And as she bowed in gratitude, Ren watched the true meaning of his words fly straight over her. At least Ren now knew that the world could end and Kyoko Mogami would still completely misunderstand him. It was a wonder that Ren could still feel disheartened by it. One would think that he'd have learned his lesson by now.

"Let's go check out the house," said Ren, keeping the disappointment from his face. "I didn't stay long in case you woke up while I was gone. Maybe we can find a radio or something to communicate with the mainland."

"Good idea!"

Full of bright energy, they began the short trek to the house. Ren took more time observing his companion than the lush green landscape around him. He cared little for the beautiful white sand beneath their feet or the blue sky. All he was interested in was the subtle twitch in Kyoko's eyes, the faint burn developing on her cheeks.

It must not have hit her yet. Her nonchalance was too real. Too calm. There was too much about this situation that should have caused her to burst into a flutter of emotions. Yet she hadn't. Ren felt his ego deflate as he watched her gaze slowly grow more awed with each second.

She may be fine being alone on a stranded island with him, but he sure wasn't. In a different situation, this would have been his dream come true. Her gaze met his and he smiled to reassure her. But mostly it was to reassure himself.

"Do you think everyone is alright?" said Kyoko. "I don't remember what happened. Why did the ship even start going down?"

"I don't know," said Ren. He'd woken to the sound of the alarms, thrown on some clothes and hurried to the rendezvous. It had turned into chaos from there. "Maybe there was a fire in the lower decks?"

"Whatever it was, it must have been bad," said Kyoko. She shook her head. "I didn't even hear the alarms over the sound of the shower. If Moko-san hadn't knocked down my door and um… well, she probably saved my life."

That explained a few things. Like why she hadn't been at the rendezvous with everyone else. The ship had suddenly shuddered, causing everyone to panic and pile into the rescue boats before they were ready.

Ren remembered that panicked moment. The split decision to wrench himself from the pushing throng. He'd raced down the hall toward Kyoko's room, swaying with the ship. Then he'd spotted Kyoko, pinned and unconscious under a service cart. Adrenaline had hit, and he'd shoved the cart aside, carrying her in his arms with Kanae running beside him. They'd made it to the top just in time to see the last lifeboat leave without them. Thank goodness for life jackets. That was probably what had ultimately saved them at that moment.

Up to that point Ren couldn't remember much, it had all happened to fast. He did remember when his grip had slipped and Kanae had been carried away from the two of them.

"What happened to Kanae-san?" said Kyoko. "I remember getting hit by a cart… Oh, I hope Maria-chan is okay. And Yashiro-san and the Ishibashi brothers and—"

"I saw Kanae-san get picked up by a rescue boat," said Ren. "I'm sure she's safe."

Kyoko let out a breath, holding it to her chest as she calmed herself. Her hands trembled, but overall, she still looked fairly calm.

"What about everyone else?" she said, voice low.

Ren wanted to give her comfort, he did, but he also knew that he'd lied to her enough in one lifetime. It was better to answer with truth than coddle her in this situation.

"I don't know, Mogami-san," he said. "I didn't see anyone else on the ship with us when we jumped off. They may have all been on the rescue boats, or maybe they were trapped. We won't know until we're rescued."

She nodded mutely, the silence taking her thoughts.

A few minutes later, they reached the house. It was of a moderate size, Rows of wooden planks leading out into the ocean. That was probably where the ship docked when the owners visited the island. At least it looked in good shape, pristine and bright. It increased the possibility that the owners frequented this estate.

Kyoko reached the house first, tentatively opening the door.

"Excuse me," she called out, probably from habit as there was no way someone was inside. The door opened directly to a sitting room. Mounted on the wall was a large flat screen across from a plush love-seat. A few decorations dotted the wall, a single bookcase full of movies and books leaning near the side. It felt distinctly western to him. He perused at these, looking for anything that may help him. Kyoko walked into the center of the room, slowly turning to take it all in.

"Whose house do you think this is?" she said.

"Probably some rich American's," said Ren. He held up a movie, noting the title. "This seems to be in English."

Kyoko joined him. "At least it's in a language we can mostly understand. This might have been a lot harder if it had been in French or something."

Ren watched her move into the next room, noting her lightened steps. She'd had no shoes to take off at the door, trailing small bits of sand and debris. Ren was probably doing the same.

"Oh! It's a kitchen," said Kyoko from the next room. Ren followed and was greeted with the sight of Kyoko's torso sticking out of a refrigerator. His eyes trailed the gap of skin visible where her shirt and jeans parted ways.

"Too bad, there's nothing inside."

"Of course there's not," said Ren. He placed a hand on the refrigerator door, pushing so that Kyoko was forced to straightened to allow the door to close. "Anything left here would perish in a few days, maybe weeks depending on the item. Most people would dislike the idea of leaving food to rot when they left."

"There's no harm in checking," said Kyoko. She immediately darted away, sticking her head in yet another thing. Ren's eye twitched, watching as Kyoko flitted in and out of each cabinet.

"There's a few cutlery, plates and cups," said Kyoko. She reached the pantry. She gave a delighted squeal. "In here! I think I found something."

Ren followed, his frown lessening at what he saw. It was rows of silver cans, each with their own decorated label.

"Po-tay-toe pearls," said Kyoko, sounding out the English words. "Potato pearls. What are those?"

"Food," said Ren. He grabbed a few other cans, his heart lightening with each one. "Flour. Beans. Peaches. Rice. I think those are water containers in the back."

"We won't starve," said Kyoko with a sigh. "We're really lucky we landed on this island."

"Seems that way." That was an optimistic opinion. "We'll need to see what all we have. We should probably drink some water and keep searching the house."

"Good idea."

Kyoko bent down, wriggling under the shelves to grab two bottles of water. She held one out to Ren, smiling proudly at her discovery. Ren took the water with a nod of thanks, breaking the seal and taking a drink. Wow, he had been thirsty. He nearly drained the water in five seconds.

"Let's keep searching," said Ren. "See how this place generates electricity. If they have a TV, they might have a radio."

It only took a few minutes to search the whole house. There was a bathroom with a large tub two people could comfortably sit in along with a shower. The water didn't work when they tried the tap, which was unfortunate. There weren't any towels anywhere, but there was a first aid kit in the linen closet.

The largest and last room they searched was the bedroom. A single king-sized bed occupied the center of it, sheets and covers stripped leaving the mattresses bare. Several chests of drawers sat at the opposite end next to a large walk-in closet. Kyoko searched through several of these, her face tightening with each one she opened.

"Are you looking for something?" said Ren.

"Clothes," said Kyoko, closing the next empty drawer. "My shirt and pants are very stiff. They, um, are uncomfortable in some areas."

Nor did they match in any way. Her sweats were a shade of hot pink, her blouse ruffled and light blue. She'd probably thrown on the first thing she'd spotted after getting out of the shower.

…Come to think of it, had she taken the time to put on other necessities?

Ren's mind screeched to a halt, tidbits of information coming unbidden to his mind. How soft she'd felt as he'd carried her ashore. The missing evenness the curve of a bra made.

He felt the need to swallow.

"I'll go check out the other closets," said Ren. "I'll let you hunt for clothes alone."

He fled, making sure he was out of the line of sight before leaning against the wall in despair. Ohhhh this was his own personal hell. Why were all his fantasies assaulting him without any possibility of release? He must have messed up bad to deserve this sort of punishment.

Well… he had. Maybe this was the world telling him it hadn't forgiven him yet.

Ren pushed himself away from the wall, opening all the doors he could find.

Though he'd chosen to forgive himself for Rick's death, the sting of the memory wasn't gone. He wondered if it would ever fade, always feeling the need for redemption at every reminder. Did he want it too? He was scared of both possibilities, forgiveness and regret.

Ren opened the last closet, pausing.

At last! He'd found what he'd been looking for; a supply closet. The floor was concrete and long, almost like a very miniaturized garage. It was a little dreary considering the décor in the rest of the house, but it didn't matter. It served its purpose. Inside, there appeared to be some sort of generator along shelves of other things. He rummaged through the stuff, finding a water purifier, propane, batteries, and a lamp. He nearly despaired until he finally found what he'd been looking for.

A radio!

He pulled it out, his initial excitement falling with every second.

How did one use a ham radio? He knew the knobs had to do with frequency or something… Actually, he wasn't even sure about that. Everyone in the movies just seemed to magically know how to use them. Too bad this wasn't a movie, then he might be able to enjoy it.

He took the radio to the dining room, placing it on the table before grabbing the other things that looked useful. The toilet paper, for example. Ren was very happy to see that present.

"Mogami-san?" said Ren. "I think I found something that might help us."

She didn't answer.

Concerned, Ren walked back to the bedroom, her voice slowly becoming clear.

"…does this have so many buckles and clasps? It looks more like a harness than underw—"

"Mogami-san, did you find something?"

He just spotted her holding something before she turned into a flurry of activity. The drawer in front of her slammed shut with a loud bang. Kyoko stood, board straight with her hands behind her back.

"W-w-what is it?" she said, eyes wide.

Caught in his curiosity, Ren entered the room, looking around.

"What's in that drawer?" He motioned to the one she stood in front of.

Kyoko's face immediately darkened.

"Nothing."

"But—"

"It's nothing!" Her face was so close now that Ren was forced to back out of the room. His smile slipped, uncertain why she was glaring at him as if he'd committed some atrocity toward her.

"Okay," he said. "I thought you might be interested. I found a bunch of helpful things in one of the closets, including a radio."

Her face immediately cleared. She rushed out and for a moment Ren considered going back to see what exactly she had found. He had a suspicion what the topic of it might include. Judging by the numberless romance movies on the shelves, the single king-sized bed, and the secluded nature of the whole island, there seemed to be a particular purpose to this living abode.

Best not to address this with Kyoko. She was currently fiddling with the knobs on the radio, frowning as she did so.

"Do you know how this works?" she said. "Looks like we need to plug it into the wall to get power for it. Which means we need electricity."

"I found a generator," said Ren. "If we can figure out how to make it work, we should have power. Though, I'm not sure how to hook one up. I'm sure it's dangerous if you don't know what you're doing."

"Let's see if there are instructions."

Kyoko went to the mini-shed-thing, rummaging through the shelves. There wasn't enough room for two people in there so Ren situated himself at the entrance, content to let his mind wander as he watched her rummage.

How were they going to get off this island? What was going to happen to the projects while he was gone? Would they find a new actor to replace him, or wait in case he was still alive? What were his parents even going to do when they heard the news? They'd probably be on the next flight to Japan. He could imagine his mother throttling Lory, his father fighting to pry her away so he could have his turn.

The thought brought a smile to his lips. He hoped they wouldn't worry too much. His mother had cried enough over him.

More importantly than any of that, how was he going to live staying on a secluded island with Kyoko? He'd need to police his actions very carefully to make sure he didn't slip up. It would be very easy to give in to the temptation of the whole situation. Afterall, if something happened, it wasn't like she could run from him.

That was a very dangerous path to let his mind follow.

Kyoko's rummaging halted, eyes narrowing as her lips thinned in concentration.

"What is it?" said Ren.

"I think..." she said. "Yes! This is what I think it is!"

From a plastic container, she pulled red handheld device with a short barrel. For a moment Ren thought it was a gun. But then he recognized the design.

"A flare gun," he said. "I must have missed it."

She grinned in satisfaction, face alight with the fire that made his heart do flips. There was so much excitement and pure relief in her expression. It brightened the dim room, making him realize how tense they truly had been this whole time.

"Would it be better to fire this at night?" she said. "Or now, when they should be out looking for us?"

Ren opened his mouth to answer, then paused.

Kyoko's grin dimmed, tilting her head in question to his hesitance.

"Do you hear that?" said Ren.

Her eyes drifted upward, no doubt hearing the distant thumping of something from outside. He saw the dots connect and her expression cleared. He nearly laughed from relief.

It was a helicopter.

As one they scrambled out of the room and to the outside. Kyoko raced beside him, the flare gun cradled in her hands. He raised a hand against the sun's glare, searching for their mechanical angel.

"There!"

Ren spotted it. A helicopter, high in the sky and speeding past them.

"Quick, the flare gun," said Ren. It was going to leave them behind.

Kyoko fumbled, pointing the barrel to the sky and closing her eyes. Ren waited, and waited, wondering when she was going to pull the trigger.

"Mogami-san?" he said.

"It's not working," she said. "I'm pulling the trigger but it's not doing anything."

Ren took the gun from her hands, quickly checking the barrel. His heart sank at the contents.

"Empty."

The world halted. His elation slipped away as he raised his eyes. Kyoko had frozen, disbelief written in clear lettering across her face. Her disappointment killed him.

Ren wasn't giving up.

He raced inside, grabbing the flashlight and using it to search the storage rooms contents. His hands skirted across instruction booklets, tape, water-proof matches and toolkits, but no flares appeared. Nothing. They had no way to signal the helicopter.

He raced through the other rooms, other pantries and shelves and corners they'd overlooked. Nothing. Not a single flare.

He felt more than heard the soft patter of Kyoko's feet as she joined him in the bathroom. Her presence added an extra weight. An enormous responsibility. It hit him that they were truly alone. That they might not be found. That they'd need to work together to survive.

Because help might not come.

"Tsuruga-san?"

Ren sat back on his heels, kneeling on the tile floor.

"This place doesn't look abandoned," he said. "But we don't know when the owners will come back. We'll need to work together to find a way to survive or signal for help. We can set up some sort of signal visible in case another helicopter comes around. Unless it's obvious, I doubt they'd stop since this is a vacation home and they're used to seeing signs of life around here. But we can use the life jackets, something to show that we need help."

He felt her kneel next to him. She took his hand, catching his gaze with her own. He saw his own determination reflected in her. The same hope and fear.

"We've gotten through some tough things together, Tsuruga-san," she said. "And we'll make it through this as well. I am your 'luck charm' afterall."

He chuckled, giving her hand a return squeeze. He didn't wish this situation upon her, but at the same time, he wouldn't have wished for anyone else to help him through this. This may be their craziest adventure together yet and he was happy to have her by his side.

Ren sat on the front porch, pouring over the instruction booklets he'd found. None of them were for the ham radio, which was a major disadvantage to their situation, but one of them had been for the generator. He'd already perused it three times, checking and double checking his facts before he started working on it. But for right now, he was just enjoying the peace.

The sun was low on the horizon, spilling golden rays across the sea. Water lapped against the sandy beach, a picture-perfect example of pristine beauty. It really was hard to stay anxious with scenery like this around him.

His eyes trailed the figure of the woman he loved, watching as she marched closer toward him. Her head was bent, lips mumbling words he couldn't decipher. Her bare feet left footprints in the sand, completing the perfection of the moment. It seemed he really was hopeless. In such a dire situation, she could take away his anxiety with just her presence.

"Are you going to do another lap?" said Ren. Kyoko stopped, looking surprised to find him there. Ren gestured to the island. "You've already walked around the island twice. Did you even notice?"

"Oh, no not really." She suddenly let out a long howl, clutching her head and generally freaking out. Ren would have been alarmed, had he not seen her do this five times already.

Somehow, I don't think it's being stranded she's anxious about.

That might have been his fault. After that moment in the bathroom, he'd pulled her closer. It hadn't quite been a hug. More a familiarity that could bring strength in a hard situation.

Except the recipient had been Kyoko, the epitome of platonic kinship.

Ren rose, the motion causing Kyoko to twitch violently. He walked toward her, a smile keeping the slight irritation he felt away from his face. One would think that after all the indecent interactions they'd had as "siblings" she'd have gotten used to his physical affection. Apparently, Setsu did no translate into Kyoko.

He held something out, and she flinched again, eyes squeezed shut. There was a pause, then she opened them to see what it was.

It was a granola bar and a water bottle.

"I'd rather you didn't pass out on me from hunger," he said.

Kyoko relaxed, as he knew she would, taking the food and water with a mumbled thanks.

"Did you find a space we can use?" said Ren.

Kyoko nodded vigorously. "There's a large uncovered patch of ground about five minutes that direction. I already made an SOS, but I'm not sure how visible it is from the sky. I was hoping you could look over it for me."

"Later," said Ren. "The sun's going down and I'd rather we were inside when that happens. I'll get the generator up and running tomorrow so we can try cooking some actual food."

Kyoko made a face. "What were you doing the whole time I was walking?"

"Reading," he said. "Which I'm glad I did. Otherwise, I might have hooked up the generator to a random outlet and blown up the house."

"Could that really happen?"

"Knowing our luck, maybe."

She followed him back into the house, finishing her snack and water. It wasn't until they reached the bedroom that she stopped in the doorway.

"Ah, um, I think I'll take the couch," she said, delicately slipping a piece of hair behind her ear.

The protest was expected, though Ren wished she had at least blushed a little. Ren faked surprise, his argument already prepared for this situation.

"Why would you take the couch?" he said, faking confusion.

She blinked at him as if surprised he had questioned her decision. "There's only one bed, and it would be highly inappropriate for us to share it together."

Ren amped up the confusion, which wasn't hard considering the holes in her logic he was about to poke through.

"But, we've slept in the same bed before. Are you saying that was inappropriate?"

"Yes, that was kind of the point of Setsu-chan and Cain-san."

"So, you're saying that as long as it's within our characters, it's alright to behave in ways we normally wouldn't?"

"Of course. That is the point of acting."

Dear pure Kyoko. He hoped someone didn't take advantage of her untainted way of thinking one day. Except the president had already done that. As had Sho. And Ren. Hell, he wanted to exploit the heck out of it right now.

He folded his arms, appraising her current state of mind. There was no fluster in her eyes, no nervous tick. She met his gaze with earnest zeal. Ren felt his ego take a hit. She really didn't see him as a man, otherwise, she would have been flustered in some way.

Or, maybe, this was a good thing. Because she had gotten more used to the idea. It was no longer a heinous sin her maiden heart shouldn't even entertain. She'd slept in the same bed with him so often that it had become normal. Reasonable when within their character. Much like it was reasonable to wear leather while Setsu. But they weren't in character right now so there was no need to do so. No need to sleep in the same bed. She had separated her contact with him as an acting necessity.

Nope, that angle was even worse for his ego.

Ren decided it was time to push.

"Alright," said Ren, pretending to concede. "I'll take the couch, you can take the bed."

He moved to leave, but Kyoko blocked his way, lips drawn into a tight frown.

"I said I would take the couch," said Kyoko.

"There's no way I can let you do that," said Ren. "You need the rest to recover from the accident."

"So do you, and your unnaturally long legs won't fit on the couch. They'll hang right off and then you'll be too weak to help out tomorrow."

"I appreciate your concern, but you were the one knocked unconscious. You should get the bed."

Kyoko opened her mouth, but Ren put out a hand. He rubbed his temples, Pretending fatigue from the cliché argument. It was best to control this conflict, lest she pull some unforeseen ridiculous reasoning from thin air as she was prone to do so.

"Look," he said. "Either we both sleep on the bed, or you do so, those are my only two options. Or if you refuse to use the bed, I will take the floor and then neither of us will have a decent night's sleep."

Kyoko bristled. "But—"

She cut herself off. Thoughts flashed across her face, options and feelings being weighed with no context for Ren to follow. She appeared to be fighting with something. Probably her sense of propriety over her duty as a kohai not to cause her senpai problems. That feeling was what Ren was banking on.

"It… would ease my mind if you were close by," he said. He spoke carefully, aware that pushing a hair past the line would cause her to retract within herself. "You're my good luck charm, both as Cain and as Tsuruga Ren. It's a job no one else could replace."

The thoughts on her face screeched to a halt. Her gaze cleared as she appraised him and his words. It made his anxiety rise. Had he pushed it too far? But the look she was giving him didn't seem like a bad sign. Her lips parted as for a moment she held her answer only to herself.

"Alright."

Ren waited, wondering what "alright" meant. Would she let him sleep on the couch? Or was she going to sleep on the bed with him?

"Okay," he said. "Glad we've made that clear."

Except it wasn't.

Kyoko walked around him, climbing onto the mattress and laying down with her back to him. He stared, wondering what he was expected to do. Should he go out to the couch, or get in the bed with her? Her back offered no insight to her feelings, blocking him out.

He could take the safe option, leave the room and let her sleep comfortably without him there. She'd have to call out to him if he was wrong. While the idea of Kyoko calling after him was nice, it also wasn't likely. He might hurt her feelings if she thought he was leaving because he was mad at her or something. She misconstrued his actions so much it was possible.

But if he took the other option… if he joined and she didn't want him there, either she'd tell him to leave and he'd do so, ego bruised but at least he'd have tried. Or, she'd say nothing, and he could stay.

He knew which option sounded better.

Ren took the empty space beside her, watching her closely as he did so. While she shifted in her place, she didn't move away or tell him to leave. Ren smiled, his heart warm knowing he'd chosen the right option. That she'd consented to sleeping together.

The light disappeared through the curtains and they were wrapped into darkness. Without the city lights from outside, it was a pure and quiet night. The peace he'd felt outside returned two-fold as he lay on his back, wishing he could view the stars from here. His mind wandered through the day's events, the things they'd found and what needed to be done tomorrow. He was going to be roaring hungry, despite his small stomach. Setting up that generator was the first thing he'd do so they could have a decent breakfast.

Kyoko shifted in her sleep, turning to her back so that their shoulders brushed. Ren remained still, contemplating inching closer.

"Tsuruga-san, are you awake?"

So, not asleep then. Her voice was a whisper, caressing the night with her question. Ren imitated her tone, not wanting to break whatever spell had come over her.

"I'm awake," he said.

"Hmm. I was just wondering."

She shifted again, shoulders still pressing together as she settled.

"It's a little weird to sleep without covers," she said. "And chilly."

It was too perfect to pass up. "You can come closer, I don't mind."

Her hesitance only lasted a moment before she inched closer. Literally, she moved one inch. He felt a laugh building inside him, dissipating into a calm rush of fondness for her demure nature. It was so endearing how fierce she could be with some things and yet, here with him in this situation, she was timid. Treading carefully out of some unknown fear or hesitance. Even better was the fact that she was willing to show that vulnerable side to him. The ache to draw her close grew.

Before either Kyoko or his mind could stop him, he wound his arm around her, pulling her close so that she lay partially on his chest. He felt the cold seeping through his clothes from her body. He hissed as ice blocks—no, those were her feet—settled against his legs.

Kyoko stiffened. "Sorry," she murmured, trying to pull away.

"It's fine," said Ren, despite his body still yelling at him to pull away from the cold. "You'll warm up here in a moment."

Her shifting stopped, and Ren slowly allowed himself to relax. To come to terms with the fact that Kyoko, not Setsu, was in his arms. That she wasn't pulling away. Her petite body fit as well as he remembered in his arms.

"Tsuruga-san?" she said again.

"Hhmm?"

"I'm… glad it was you I got stuck on this island with."

His heart swelled, briefly tightening his hug.

"Me too, Mogami-san," he said. "I'm glad I know you're safe."

He kept the contact sweet, aware of the problems stray thoughts could create. Every second was slowly filling him with a warmth and contentment he could find nowhere else. He wished this moment could last forever.

With his mind eased and heart full, Ren drifted off to sleep.

The first thing Ren noticed when he woke up was his eyes. They felt like thin plastic sheets had been placed directly across them, crinkling and drying his eyes with each blink. Then came the realization.

Ren had slept in his colored contacts.

They were not meant for sleeping in. He'd done it a few times, making it through the next work day through sheer willpower and copious amounts of eyedrops. But stuck here on an island with no such luxuries, that was impossible. He'd need to take them out, which meant showing Kyoko the true color of his eyes.

The last thing he noticed before becoming fully conscious was the body lying beside him. He looked over, seeing Kyoko still fast asleep on the mattress. They'd both shifted in their sleep, their legs tangled as they lay shoulder to shoulder. She was using one of his arms for a pillow, her own laying outstretched across his body as if she were unconsciously reaching for him.

No, those are wishful thoughts. Stay in reality Ren. Just because you're alone on an island with her doesn't mean anything will change between the two of you.

Except she'd probably figure out he was Corn.

Though he was loath to leave her, Ren got out of the bed carefully so as not to wake her, shuffling out of the room. He mourned their lack of water, wishing he could bathe properly or brush his teeth. The sun had not risen, but he could tell by the lightening horizon that it would not be long before it had. He wanted to have the generator up and running as soon as possible so they could have breakfast. That, and he wanted to figure out how to address his eye color and Corn. He worked on this, taking out his contacts and moving the generator as he ruminated.

It would be better if she could reflect away from me after learning the truth. It's important to give her space, especially when it comes to things like this. She's as stubborn and ferocious as an oni when it comes to her work and revenge, but anything related to that emotion… it's another matter entirely.

She'd been betrayed too many times as it was. By her mother, and then by that hillbilly Fuwa Sho. Though she'd made her peace with her mother, some wounds took longer to heal than others. He had been Corn, an untrained good memory from her childhood. Unless he was being presumptuous, Corn was precious to her. He was precious to her.

And now he was feeling jealous of Corn again. If it was Corn on this island, she probably wouldn't be so nervous. She'd speak plainly and play about in the sands and explore the woods with him.

No. he should stay away from that temptation. It was already way too late to try that ploy. Plus, he'd told himself that if a situation arose that required another lie to escape, he would tell her. Even if it meant her hatred, she deserved to know the truth.

The machine roared into life.

Ren blinked, somewhat unsure how he had managed to set up the generator. He was outside, standing a few yards from the house where space had been cleared. The generator hummed with life, waking probably ever occupant of the island with its racket. It hadn't exploded, which was a good thing. The cord was connected to the outlet for the house. Okay, he did not remember doing that. He was very glad nothing had blown up.

He walked back into the house, nearly having a heart attack when he ran into Kyoko. Bleary-eyed, she took a few moments to focus on his face. He waited, breath held as he waited for any reaction to his eye color.

There. He saw it. The undeniable widening of her eyes. The moment where the dregs of sleep were whisked away as she gaped.

That's literally all she did for thirty seconds. Ren, for all his knowledge of this woman, had no idea what was going through her head. Was she upset? Angry? Should he start apologizing now or maybe explain?

Sparkled flew to her eyes.

"You got the generator going!" she said.

"I did, um, good morning Mogami-san," said Ren.

Was there anything else she'd like to comment on?

She stretched and yawned, smiling and looking far too relaxed as she smiled at him.

"I'll get breakfast started and then we can figure out what to do next, I'm really hungry."

Then she walked straight into the kitchen.

Was she… really going to act like she hadn't noticed? It was literally impossible for her not to. He felt winded as if someone had hit him hard in the chest without stopping to even apologize. Maybe she didn't understand the implications of his eye color. Maybe she thought it was a "great secret of the mighty Tsuruga Ren that she, a lowly kohai, had no business knowing."

It was depressing how she thought of him. Why was it always as a mentor? He wanted, well… some sort of reaction. Anger would have been preferable, at least then she would have spoken to him candidly.

His own irritation was rising. How could she just ignore this? She was a smart woman. There was no way she wouldn't have been able to put the pieces of information together to form the truth.

Unless her denial went even that far.

Ren followed, noting the lights were working thanks to the generator. Kyoko was already buried in her work, setting out food and opening containers as she liked. The joy he usually experienced from watching her cook was nowhere to be found.

"Mogami-san," said Ren. "Would you like any help?'

She shook her head, gesturing to the table.

"The best you can do is find a way to get that radio working," she said. "I'd rather not stay here for too long. I have work that needs to be done and I'd be sad if everyone thought we had died. I don't think Japan could handle the death of their beloved Tsuruga-sama."

Distance. She placed it firmly between them with her statement. It hadn't been overt or even rude, but it was there.

Kyoko wanted to get away from him ASAP.

Ren sat at the table, his back to her as he fiddled with the knobs of the radio. It was the best he could manage, his heart not in the task. They stayed like that for a while, Kyoko in her kitchen and Ren at the table, neither saying a word. Each second tugged at his sanity until he could hardly stand it. The sound of static from the radio felt as if it was coming from his own head.

I wonder if I've lost her.

A chair scrapped at the floor. Kyoko had arrived with a plate of food. She placed it in front of him, doing so with her usual smile as she grabbed her own plate. Every movement and action were completely normal. Graceful and relaxed.

And suddenly Ren was angry.

Here he was, stressed out of his mind that she may never speak to him again and she was completely unfazed. Did he mean so little to her? Did she not care that he had lied to her, kissed her and shared his inner demons with her?

Kyoko clapped her hands together, uttering a happy "Itadakimasu" before picking up her utensils and digging in. Ren watched her chew. He watched as her eyes flitted to the ceiling in her own private thoughts. The movement was so cute and so torturous all at once. He could normally just watch her dance in her own world, happy with that simple pleasure. Not now.

She blinked several times, her gaze suddenly falling to his.

Their eyes caught.

Notice them. Notice the color.

She swallowed.

"Aren't you hungry Tsuruga-san? You need to eat."

Ren pulled the plate toward him, the movement slow. The first bite felt leaden in his mouth. He wasn't even sure what the food was. The whole thing turned to mush that clogged his throat. He choked, pounding his chest to stop from spraying the table.

Kyoko immediately set down her fork, peering at him with concern. "Are you alright Tsuruga-san?"

Ren shook his head, guzzling a mouthful of water to force the gunk down his throat.

"I can't eat," he managed to choke out.

The concern melted into what he identified as her "bully Tsuruga-san" face.

"Tsuruga-san, we barely ate anything yesterday," she said. "I know you don't eat a lot, but we need to keep up our strength. What do—"

"Why haven't you said anything about my eyes?"

Kyoko scoffed without missing a beat. "Tsuruga-san, please don't change the subject. You won't get any reaction out of me if you're just trying to get out of eating. Or is possible that my cooking is that terrible?"

She was getting worked up. Mumbling endless recipes and possible reasons that Ren couldn't eat. Her words sped up, shifting from possible dishes she could create, to outlandish suspicions that Ren was terminally ill. It was her typical defense tactic. Find a different excuse and avoid the truth.

Too bad for her, Ren was mad.

"I won't be able to eat anything you give me until you talk to me," said Ren.

It was incredible that she could still look at him like that. With wide-eyes curiosity tinged with sympathy. It made her appear so distant from his own distress. As if he were dreaming up their conflict. Or that- even worse- it didn't matter to her.

"They are a very pretty shade of green," she acknowledged with a nod as if that was what Ren had wanted to hear.

"You know that's not what they are."

"Are they supposed to be something else?" Her question bore no hint of sarcasm. It was as if she genuinely didn't know.

"Do they really not remind you of anyone else's?"

Kyoko beamed.

"They do," she said. "They look a lot like Corn's."

Ren blinked, utterly bewildered at her response. Her unfiltered happiness at saying Corn's name blew away his anger. What was she playing at? Had she really not figured it out?

"Mogami-san," said Ren, then stopped, suddenly unsure if he truly wanted to unleash this landmine. If he could get away with it even now… no. It was well past time to talk to her about this. And what better time than when they were stuck on an island along together, completely dependent on working together to survive? Call him an opportunist, but Ren would never get another chance like this.

"They're not 'like' Corn's eyes," said Ren. "They are the exact shade."

She gave him a quizzical look. "I know. That's what I meant."

Ren waited.

"Then…" he said. "You do realize that I'm Corn. He doesn't exist. You see that, don't you?"

In a flash, Kyoko was on her feet. The fork in Kyoko's hand pointed straight at Ren's heart. He froze, unsure if she really meant to impale him. The deadly presence of a ninja soul filled Kyoko's being as she glared down at him.

"Don't you dare say that," she whispered, voice full of restrained anger. "Corn is a real person. Everything he gave to me is real and resides forever in my heart. Saying Corn doesn't exist would be like saying that Cain doesn't exist. Or Setsu. Or Natsu. Or Katsuki. They do exist Tsuruga-san, and the bond Corn and I have is not imaginary. Or… are you telling me it was? That everything was fake?"

Her strength left her. Gone was the ninja. Gone was the anger. All that was left was a vulnerable woman, gazing at Ren as if he possessed the power to destroy her.

There were not many things in the world that could move Ren to act without thinking. After his nightmarish childhood then living in the limelight, he had long since learned the importance of thinking before acting. But there was one thing that always caused his mind to short, his heart taking the reins.

Ren rushed to his feet. He pulled her toward him, the fork knocked to the floor from her slack grip. Her head nestled into his chest as he hugged her with the strength and tenderness he felt in his own heart.

"They're real, Mogami-san," he said. "Everyone of them is real. You are very precious to him."

He hoped she could feel how much he truly meant it. She hadn't hugged him back, yet she hadn't pulled away from him either. She leaned against him, her weight barely in factor in keeping his balance.

"Good," she said, "because he's precious to me as well."

They stayed there, Ren content to just hold her for the moment.

Eventually, he felt her weight lift off him. He released her, Kyoko patting at strands of her hair. It was a nervous motion, one Ren was relieved to see. It was comforting to finally see some sort of reaction from her. That he wasn't the only one sticking his neck out. He still wasn't sure where exactly she stood with this revelation.

"Do you have any questions?" he asked. "There's probably a few things we should go over."

"Some. Maybe. Eventually." She continued to pat her hair, lips pursed in thought. "I'm still a little confused as to why Tsuruga-san would lie about something like this. But then I thought about it." Her hand lowered, finally stopping its nervous tick. "Tsuruga-san is always trying to make people comfortable. He doesn't enjoy making people sad, especially when it would trouble them greatly. Well, unless it is to bully me, then he relishes in it."

Ren had no defense against that. Especially when he'd seen her as Corn in Guam, his ego had run wild until he'd practically forced her to kiss him.

Her gaze flickered to him, the determination halting his thoughts. "But in this instance," she said, "I think you were trying to be considerate of my feelings."

That was a new thought. Mostly because Ren knew it was nothing more than selfishness that had kept his from spilling everything to her.

"I'm not sure I follow," he said.

"Because the truth would come with certain questions," she explained, "some of which are not any of my business. Like, why is your natural eye color green? Are you not fully Japanese? Who is your family? And why would you… with me? You wanted to protect me, I guess? Then there's the business with your…"

She was speaking so cryptically he had no idea what she was saying. She spotted his confusion. Her reaction was a curious one. A flush lit her cheeks. She slapped a hand to her chest, grunting as if she were in pain.

"Mogami-san?"

She straightened quickly, Ren nearly busting his chin on her head. Her eyes shone with the sheen of unshed tears as she gazed at him.

"Your unhappiness," she said. "Your curse. Did… did I really help?"

Warm. That was how his heart felt. Still, her heart hadn't shifted to anger, instead stopping at concern. There were so many reasons she could hate him and still it hadn't surfaced. He felt himself smiling softly at her, aware that his feelings were written clearly across his face.

"Yes, Mogami-san," said Ren. "Without you, I'd still be cursed."

She beamed. "Then that is enough… for now."

And it was. He basked in the gentle acceptance she had given him. He didn't deserve it, much like everything she had given him, but he couldn't help himself. Her happiness, her distress, they were all so contagious. If all she wanted was this, he would give it to her until she was ready to hear the rest of the story. Until she was ready to listen to the true story of Kuon "Corn" Hizuri.

This thing just Kept. Going! Like… I have more ideas but not enough time. AHHHH! Welp, I hope you have enjoyed this monstrous adventure. MerrySkipmas to everyone!

-Blushweaver