Chapter 8: Bonus: Deja Vu

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Skip Beat, for if I did, KyoKu would definitely go on holiday together!

She was not going to miss this. With her red heels clutched in one hand and the other holding her bag straps, she crouched low like a panther and dashed. She was a blur running through the crowd until she heard her name.

"Kyoko! Over here!" she heard a familiar male voice call out. She slowed her steps, her Momiji spirit leaving her as she spotted the source of the voice.

"Here she comes," he told the woman standing at the podium. Kyoko approached the pair, sweating and panting. She made it.

"I'm so sorry for the trouble," she said bowing profusely. She could see all the cell phone cameras of nearby passengers taking their pictures. God, I hope I don't look too ragged next to him, she thought, trying to covertly slip her shoes back on.

"Do you have your ticket," he asked her. She nodded and handed it to him.

"Thank you very much Miss. I truly appreciate all your help," he told the ticket lady flashing her a genuine smile.

"It was my pleasure Hizuri-san," she purred. "Enjoy your trip."

Kyoko's grudges swirled around her ready to attack this woman. How dare this woman flirt with her man right in front of her?

"Come on sweetie. They held the flight a few minutes to wait for you," Kuon told her grabbing her hand and her larger bag.

When they entered the plane, there were a lot of grim expressions. The passengers were quite annoyed that their flight had been held up on what the captain told them was a faulty sensor light. Their mood shifted as Kuon and Kyoko stepped on to the plane. Eyes and cameras followed the celebrity couple while they made their way to the very last row in the economy section bypassing a few of the empty seats in first class. The airline had tried to bump them up several times but Kuon was adamant to sit right across the lavatory. This time he knew exactly how to fold himself into the seat.

"Ladies and gentlemen this is your captain speaking. Our mechanical team has found the source of the problem and corrected the issue. We are now ready for take-off. We will reach our destination in under two hours."

Kuon laced his fingers with Kyoko's as the aircraft pushed back from the gate. He placed a small kiss on the back of her hand. Kyoko giggled and leaned in to kiss her boyfriend. They were finally getting the chance to go back since the accident. It took a lot longer for Kuon's injuries to heal and after that their schedules exploded. They were so busy with work that they couldn't find the right time to go.

Now that the snow had thawed and things have settled down, they were flying to fulfill their dreams. It was as if fate had been so impatient with their lack of progress that she literally intervened on their behalf.

Meanwhile, Kyoko was now eighteen and still living at the Darumaya. They revealed their relationship during a press conference after the accident. It was no surprise to the media or the public that the Senpai and Kohai were now officially a couple. They had all accepted it a long time ago. They were just waiting for the pair to realize it themselves.

In the short months that past, Kyoko's popularity grew tenfold. The more negative media outlets tried to attribute her rise due to her relationship with Kuon and the Hizuris. They were soon shut down by her ability to produce amazing results on set. Japan had embraced Kuon the same way they had embraced Tsuruga Ren. With the help of a discrete therapist, Kyoko, family, and friends, he was making great progress with accepting his past.

...

Kyoko let out a squeal as she inhaled the fresh spring air. The forest was lush, with vibrant hues of green and blooming flowers everywhere. It was all still familiar as she took in the little clearing by the river. She looked over at Kuon. His blonde hair glinted off the sunlight and his green eyes took on a deeper shade thanks to the surrounding trees. He really was her fairy prince.

His expression of awe reflected hers. It had all been real. She threw her arms around him as he spun her around. Their laughter echoed off the trees. It was just like magic.

"Come on," he said pulling her after him. They ran down the bank of the river and found the familiar path. They were too excited to notice anything else as they rushed passed; startling rabbits, deer, birds and countless other creatures out from hibernation. They stopped when they made it to the clearing but it wasn't as they remembered.

The pink flowers that once occupied the little glade were replaced with wildflowers of blues, violets, and whites. It was still just as breathtaking.

"Well, let's do this right," Kuon said with a boyish grin. He swept Kyoko in his arms and carefully stepped to the grassy center of the flowers. Kyoko couldn't help raining his face with kisses.

"Hey, hey you little imp! That's distracting," he said chuckling trying to step gingerly around the flowers. Once they made it to the middle, he did the same twirl until they went crashing to the ground in laughter. Kuon rolled to lean over her and propped himself up on his elbow. His emerald eyes were alight with laughter. It was so good to see his carefree face. The shadows of his past were slowly fading.

"It still feels like I'm dreaming," he whispered, his lips hovering over hers. "Ow!" He said sitting up quickly and rubbing his arm. "Did you just pinch me?"

Kyoko looked at him with large doe amber eyes so full of innocence. "Perhaps you might have been stung by a bee? There's so many," she told him waving towards the flowers that had little honey bees gathering nectar and pollen to bring back to their colony.

"Why you?!" he reached out for her and started tickling her. Kyoko's peals of laughter rang out throughout the woods as Kuon showed her no mercy.

"I give! I give!" She screeched gasping for air. Tears were running down her eyes from laughing too hard.

"You know how to end this!" Kuon warned her not letting up.

"Oh great... and powerful...Prince of all Fae," Kyoko gasped out between laughter. She scrunched up her face pretending she didn't remember what she needed to say. He had paused in tickling her so she could finish.

"Please... forgive..." he supplied to help her remember.

"Please forgive your one and only Princess for..."

"For...?" he said, resuming her punishment.

"For... making you look like a dork," she said with a final giggle.

"Serves you right for ruining my moment," he said stopping his tickle torture. She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned up to kiss him. She parted her lips and touched her tongue against his deepening the kiss. Kyoko's hands started to roam restlessly underneath his shirt making Kuon groan. He stayed her hands and sat up. It would be difficult keeping his hands off of her while they were all alone in the middle of nowhere.

Kyoko let out an exasperated breath. He always stopped them from going any further. She thought this was the perfect setting. Ever since her eighteenth birthday, Kyoko had been eagerly awaiting for their relationship to become more physical. Was she just physically unattractive? That couldn't be it. She felt his need whenever they made out but before they could progress, he would send her back home.

Kuon tried to ignore her frustrations. He knew she was ready and willing. He wasn't sure how much longer he could hold out either. He wanted to do things right with her. He wanted her to feel that she was cherished and loved by him.

He focused on the flowers around him. What was he waiting for? Ther perfect moment? They almost died for heaven's sake. Kyoko actually did. Kuon berated himself when Lory told them how her heart stopped beating for several seconds. The doctors couldn't find the source of her heart failure. Life was too short! He knew he would lose to his feelings sooner rather than later. He might as well do what he came here to do now. He gathered a couple of the dark blue flowers nearest to him that had the same hue as the corn stone and began to work.

Kyoko smiled. She thought her boyfriend was so pure. He was trying to imprint real memories of the place that had changed their lives forever. She hugged him from behind and placed her chin over his shoulder to watch him work. It didn't take him long to finish.

"For you, my Princess," he told her placing the ring on her right pinky finger and kissing her hand. Kyoko's heart went doki doki and a small shiver ran down her spine. This time there were no negative feelings associated with this ring just an overwhelming onslaught of emotion. She felt the tears prick the corner of her eyes. Kuon cupped her face in his hands and used his thumbs to swipe at her tears. He pressed a soft kiss upon her lips.

"I love you Mogami, Kyoko. I'm in love with you. It has always only ever been you."

Those were the exact words he had said to her while they were dreaming. He wasn't finished. "You've accepted my flaws and all. I was frozen in the past. I was certain that I didn't deserve a shred of happiness in this life. But then I met you. You came into my life like a typhoon and shattered my perfectly sculpted facade. You became my hope, my light in the dark. I can't imagine my life without you in it."

Kuon raised himself on one knee and pulled out a somewhat flat yet rectangular box from his jacket pocket. Kyoko covered her mouth with both hands fresh tears springing to her eyes. His words were so beautiful. The box size confused her so she wasn't quite sure what was in it.

Kuon opened the box towards her. A beautifully crafted blue rose unfolded and popped up out of the box. At the center of the rose stood a large pink pear-cut diamond ring. Kyoko thought she was going to faint. She was glad she was already seated otherwise she would have fallen to the ground. Glinting off the sun, Queen Rosa, shined brilliantly up at her.

"Kyoko, my Princess, my Heart. Will you do me the honor of making me the luckiest man on earth and be my wife?" Kuon asked her with all the love he felt in his heart shining through his emerald eyes. He knew they were young but he didn't want to waste another moment of their lives apart.

"Yes!" She barely managed to choke out, throwing her arms around his neck. She was saying yes to him, yes to love, yes to their happily ever after.

Omake:

The hike to the waterfall took longer than anticipated since it was in the opposite direction of the glade. Kyoko could almost see a ghost of herself executing the ridiculous instructions her dream Corn had given her to find him. The forest was a lot denser in the spring making it difficult to navigate through the woods.

Kyoko was giddy as the roar of the waterfall filled her ears before becoming visible. Now that she wasn't focused on finding the love of her life, she stepped to the very same ledge where she met Corn again in her dreams. The waterfall had to be about six meters tall. She shivered as the wind carried the mist of the falls in her direction. It was actually refreshing on her heated skin.

"What are you doing?" Kuon asked from behind Kyoko. He watched as his fiancée pulled off her T-shirt and threw it to the ground. Next, she yanked off her boots and socks. Kuon's mouth went dry as she shimmied out of the jeans that were like a second skin on her. With her back to him, she tossed her bra up and behind her. Kuon followed the dark lace garment as it soared through the air and landed near his feet. Kyoko's giggle caught his attention. She threw a teasing smirk over her shoulder and plunged into the blue pool below.

Kuon's last thread of resolve snapped as he hastily threw off his clothes to join his lady love in the waterfall's pool. They would pass the rest of their little holiday making love as nature intended in a place they referred to as heaven.

The End

AN: Because my will is weak and I was asked so sweetly to provide an extra chapter. I hope you all enjoyed!

Thanks for reading, sayonara! ^_^