12 Days of Building trust

Last chapter and I still don't own Skip Beat! Or any of its characters, except those I made up of course. What a shocker.

"Yes... I'm fine." He smiled happily. "Someone must have found themselves quite a catch out there somewhere."

Revelations

OoOoO

The heavy daze of the night started to wear off, but she was so comfortable where she was lying that she tried to resist it. That's when she felt what she had believed to be a part of her bed move beside her and she felt the lightest of touches on her forehead; a hand, gently stroking away a few strands of hair.

She felt how her heartbeats suddenly sped up like a frightened rabbit, though it was not caused by fear. The memories rushed through her mind and she didn't even consider trying to pretend she was asleep anymore, even though she had never felt so comfortable in her life, when it was simply pointless as the constant thudding would surely give her away any second now.

She opened her eyes and was greeted by the ocean. It was the most beautiful sight she'd seen in her life.

"Good morning…" His soft smile broadened when he noticed she was awake, and she could do nothing but return it in the same fashion.

"Good morning."

They were lying on his sofa; his right arm under her neck while his left hand stroked her right arm.

"How long have you been awake?" She then asked, suddenly self-conscious about herself. This strongly resembled that time he rested his head on her lap and she fell asleep, and even though she loved him now it didn't make it less embarrassing.

He just tilted his head slightly and gave her that crooked smile and a small squeeze.

"A while."

The blush that had been lurking on her cheeks deepened severely.

"Oh."

"You're truly beautiful."

This time she didn't respond, but he was very pleased with her reaction. Since she was trapped in his arms she couldn't move, and any attempts to look away were futile. It looked like his nearest future was going to be highly amusing. And torturous.

"You're cruel." She finally pointed out after finding no escape.

"I am?" He asked in mock surprise, not being able to hide his grin.

"Yes, you are." Though neither could she. "I don't know how to respond to that kind of thing."

"How about a 'thank you'?" He chuckled.

They had a staring competition that lasted about five seconds before she looked up in the roof rather than on him and mumbled.

"Thank you… You're quite…" She took a small breath, pausing. If her face was red before it was now scarlet as she continued in a much lower voice. "… handsome as well."

He would have laughed at his past self when he then had thought that this woman would be the end of him. The pure joy of hearing her compliment him as the man he was, was more than any human man could possibly handle.

He then released her from his grip which earned him a confused and slightly disappointed look.

"What-?"

"You better move, love, before I do something I shouldn't." He mumbled under his breath, giving her that oh so familiar look.

She didn't even have to hesitate before she was off the couch. Which was a shame considering she had been so comfortable lying where she had.

He laughed as he sat up straight. Keeping things slow was probably going to be his biggest challenge in the near future.

"I'll just, uh, stay over here then." She gulped as she realized how easily she affected him. It was almost scary… and how he affected her. She then felt how the entire situation started to dawn on her; what had happened these last couple of days and… and yesterday.

The day before when the emotions were going wild she would probably not have minded, but now when she had cooled off, she was so much more self-aware.

If he had not winced ever so slightly when he turned his head at that moment she might have gone in full-fledged panic. Instead she frowned and remembered that she actually had someone to care for now. She remembered that she did not need to be so scared. She had no reason to.

He did however cringe at Kyoko's gasp which could only mean one thing; guilt. Sure enough, she instantly came back to his side, even though he had just given her good reasons not to.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have made you sleep in this weird position all night by falling asleep." She knelt beside him and put a gentle hand on his neck, searching for the sore spot.

He shook his head and smiled, ignoring the tense muscles.

"No, it's fine. I wouldn't have wanted it any other way. Besides; it's my own fault for making you so tired."

She smiled back, though not completely convinced as she started to lightly rub his neck. Did his warning not get through to her clear enough?

"Still. You need your neck to function properly." She then laughed. "What would your father do to me if I was the reason his wonderful son wasn't in perfect condition? Kuon-"

He gently grabbed her chin and kissed her softly on her lips.

"I think he would be overjoyed." He breathed.

She gazed at him through her surprised daze. Some part of her old self was going absolutely insane, but she managed to keep herself in check.

"What was that for?" She whispered, though it came out almost more like an embarrassed stutter.

"No. Nothing special. You just happened to be close, that's all." He caressed her chin with his thumb, smiling softly. "Also, you saying my name so casually is absolutely mesmerizing. It was such a long time since that happened."

She laughed mildly, understanding his sudden joy, and it warmed her heart to know she did it.

"Are you going to kiss me every time I say your name? Kuon, th-" Apparently.

"You know…" She said after recovering once again. "This will be very troublesome if we talk on the phone."

"I can keep count." He simply stated with a smirk, earning another giggle from the girl who apparently decided that she could live with some shocks every now and then.

They stayed like that for a while; just taking each other in. Content of how everything was, when suddenly…

"Oh!" Kyoko jerked herself out of her daze. "What's the time?"

Kuon tore his eyes away from his love and looked at the clock on the wall right in front of him.

"It's around eight. But none of us have to be at work until ten. It's Thursday, remember? I usually come to pick you up at around that time."

"Yes… that's true…" She answered thoughtfully. "I always wondered how our schedules always matched so well. Perhaps it's just luck."

He laughed. "No, not luck. Just a very persistent manager."

"That's luck in one way." She pointed out with a smile and he chuckled.

"I guess that's true. I'll have to thank him later." Yes. 'Later' being the keyword.

She nodded and just when they were about to settle down to the former complete moment of shared bliss, she remembered yet another thing.

"The shop owners!" She slapped a hand over her mouth. "I didn't tell them where I went yesterday! They are probably worried sick by now!"

Yikes. He pulled his hand away from her face so she could run to get her phone. It was for both their sakes, his, mostly. He knew at least two people that would have his head on a platter if they got the idea that he had been keeping her in distress the last twenty four hours. It was partly true of course, but anything to dampen the fall was necessary.

Kyoko had similar thoughts and cringed as she checked her voice mail.

The couple had called her five times and Kanae three, and she hadn't answered even one of them. She didn't know who she was most scared of calling back to; the Taicho or her best friend. It was a close call.

She decided to get it over and done with and called home first.

Kuon watched her in great amusement (and slight terror) as she made her calls. In the first one she was mostly apologizing while doing lots of bows even though there was no possible way they could see her doing them. Eventually she had calmed down after explaining that she had something really important to deal with, and no, it did not have anything to do with the delivery boy. ("What? He threatened him with a knife? That poor boy!")

Kuon grimaced and felt bad for the guy. He partly felt it was his fault considering he was the one who sent him there in the first place.

The next call was even more intense. She actually had to hold the phone away from her ear as she got the scolding of the century; the couple of the restaurant had apparently called her, asking if Kyoko had been in contact with her. He could only hear a few things through the raven haired girl's rant. Stuff like; "What if you had been kidnapped by some crazy stalker?" Horrid thought. "… Or what if he had kidnapped you?!" Not a very bad idea, actually.

When she finally calmed down, Kyoko explained as much as she possibly could about the event without giving away too much. Though it didn't seem like she needed to say that much, Kanae seemed to understand what she was trying to say anyway.

"Yes… I'm fine now…" Kyoko answered a question and then laughed. "Don't sound so angry, he's not that bad of a company. I will still have time for you, Moko-san." She laughed some more, and after a while she could finally end the phone call on a happy note. (Though Kanae didn't sound very happy, she was actually very pleased with this result.)

Kyoko closed her phone and was surprised to see a handkerchief turn up in front of her out of nowhere. She hadn't even noticed that she was crying, but she gratefully accepted it and dried her tears. He gently stroked her back.

"Is it that hard?" He asked, slightly worried they were already taking things too fast, but she blew his worries away quickly by saying;

"No. Not at all. It's rather the opposite… I'm so happy my floodgates have decided to burst for some reason."

He beamed at her and kissed her forehead since words were useless anyway.

After that they finally managed to pull themselves together. She shooed him to sit in the sofa while she made some breakfast. He still had plenty of groceries since her last visit, though she had to throw some of if away while mumbling about waste of food and starving children.

"You could always come here more often and make sure nothing goes to a waste." She heard that wonderful voice chuckle behind her.

"Didn't I tell you to watch the TV?"

"Why? This is more interesting."

"You are hopeless." She sighed, laughed and turned around to get everything she needed for a light breakfast suitable for his appetite.

"That's exactly why I need you." She jumped in shock. For the second time in twenty-four hours had he sneaked up on her without noticing.

"Don't scare me like that!" She put a hand over her heart and he laughed out loud.

"Sorry, but there's just something I can't forget to do before we leave."

"What do you mean?"

He put a black, square box in front of her on the counter and she just stared at it.

"Is this…?" She carefully picked it up and looked at it in awe.

"You've always been royalty without a crown," He put his arms around her as she opened the box, causing her eyes to become big as plates. "But with this no one will doubt you in your princess gown."

OoOoO

At nine forty-five they left the apartment, and just when they were about to go down to the garage she suddenly stopped.

"What is it?" Kuon asked, slightly worried at her sudden halt.

"I… I got to check something. I'll be right back." Even though she told him to wait he still decided to follow. He was still not quite sure he was awake or if she was just going to disappear into nothing at any given second. In other words; he refused to leave her out of his sight.

She walked through the corridor and opened the door to the apartment building. Her suspicions had come true.

"What's the matter?" He asked when he noticed her slightly hunched shoulders.

"My bike… it's been stolen. I didn't lock it yesterday since I was in such a hurry, and I guess someone just took their chance and took it."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that..."

"Yes. Me too." She sighed and then laughed. "This is probably going to sound strange, but that bike was sort of a very good friend of mine."

Yes. That did indeed sound strange. Was he dreaming after all? The thought pained him deeply, but she continued to speak.

"You see… I've been through everything on that bike since I moved here, and it did never fail me even once… so maybe, just maybe, the fact that it's gone isn't a coincidence. Maybe it's a sign for me that it's time to move on? That the hard fighting I've been going through together with it has finally come to an end? Perhaps… it can help whoever who apparently needed it more than me more now."

He had had no idea she felt that way, but now that she said it he understood what she was talking about. He did need a new watch after all.

She turned to look at him with a refreshed smile and reached for his hand.

"Let's go to work." He smiled, took her hand and together they walked towards a new start.

OoOoO

Kuu was sitting at home, contently reading a book while his wife leaned against his good side when suddenly;

"Huh."

"What is it, honey?" Julie asked in her sleepy haze.

"I just suddenly got the feeling I owe someone a great deal of money."

"Why? You're in deep with some sharks or something?" She yawned.

"No… I don't know why, but the feeling just came over me like that."

"Huh, strange." She closed her eyes again.

"Indeed." He turned his attention back to the book again, but was interrupted once again as his phone started to ring.

OoOoO

This day had been a horror to endure for several reasons. First they both had to act normally when they picked up Yashiro in the morning, though it was hard since the second he saw them both sit beside each other he had narrowed eyes at both of them.

"Is there… is there something I'm missing out on here?" Was his morning greeting when he got into the car.

"Good morning to you as well, Yashiro-san. I don't know, why do you ask?" Kuon had reverted back to being some sort of version of Ren again, though it seemed impossible to completely keep up the act. It was probably that that the manager picked up on.

The pair had agreed it would be for the best that as few as possible knew right away. It would be better if they could just collect everyone in a big room and simply get it over and done with.

"No… I don't know. I just get the feeling that something is out of the ordinary."

"Maybe you're just tired, Yashiro-san?" The natural flow in her voice surprised even Ren. He turned to look in a direction where none of them could see his face and he laughed softly, covering it up with a cough. Out of the two, you would think she was the one with most acting experience.

When they got to LME they had to part ways, which also was a very hard thing to do. Neither wanted to say goodbye, at the same time as it would be dangerous to do something big in public. Yashiro picked up on their strange behavior, but dismissed the depressing good bye as another indication of them not accepting their own feelings.

If he only knew.

Kyoko drowned herself in work, doing an extraordinary job at the Box R set and spent the rest of the day looking through job offers, and to her delight the mean roles seemed to lessen for each month that passed.

She even got to spend some time with Kanae, but to her surprise she didn't want to know much. Or rather, she didn't want to know anything at all. She knew she would have it hit her in the face in the near future and she wanted nothing of it as long as she possibly could.

"Don't mention a word about him." Was all she said when she met her friend and they continued to spend their time together like they would any normal day.

But then the time finally came that the pair had been dreading all day.

"How's your day been?" Kyoko asked after a quick, comforting hug when she met him outside the president's office.

"Long. How about you?"

"Dreadful. But there's no way to avoid this, is there?" She sighed. "He'll find out sooner or later anyway."

"If I know him correctly, and I dare say I do, it would be sooner." They both laughed to mentally prepare themselves for the incoming insult.

"Shall we?" He asked and rubbed her arm in comfort.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "Go for it."

He knocked on the door and Sebastian was fast to open it up for them. Since they went inside the huge room at the same time they could both observe the colorful changes of expression that the Native American chief made as soon as he saw them.

At first he opened up his arms to welcome them in his "usual" eccentric way with his mouth wide open as if to utter a greeting. The problem was; he didn't do anything more than that. He was completely frozen in that pose as he stared at the two.

"M- Mr. President? Are you-" Kyoko didn't even get to finish her question before he snapped out of it and picked up his cellphone from one of his front pockets of his leather vest.

"Hello? Yeah, hi, it's me. No, I don't care that you are trying to relax with your wife, I'm just calling to tell you that you owe me a lot of money. Send me a check or something. Okay, bye." They heard some inaudible screaming on the other line, but Lory was quick to end the call and completely ignored the vibrations that meant that whoever that was, was now trying to call back.

Kuon groaned.

"Don't tell me that was-"

"Oh, it was him alright." Kyoko understood nothing, but for some reason Kuon didn't seem very happy about the president's call. "Now to more important matters. When did this," he pointed at them back and forth. "happen? And why am I only informed now?"

The couple looked at each other; Kyoko with a slightly creased brow and Kuon took a deep breath. They had already decided that morning how they were going to deal with this, but that didn't make it much easier for any of them. Especially not Kuon.

She gently took his hand, which he gladly accepted, and drew strength from her warmth.

Lory's eyebrows rose in astonishment by the tender exchange.

"It's… kind of a long story." Kuon finally said as he looked on their entwined hands, the warmth keeping him calm. "But what's most important right now is that she needs to know. And that I'm ready."

"What do you mean?"

"I can't… I can't be someone I'm not anymore. I can't be Tsuruga Ren. Not now when I have her." The room turned completely silent. Kyoko saw how much this decision was tearing on him, so she took one step closer to stroke him on his back, comforting him. It worked.

He smiled down at her, gave her a small squeeze and then turned to look at Lory.

"She already knows a lot. But I want her to know everything, and I thought that it would be for the best if you could help fill in the details if…" He took another deep breath and closed his eyes. "If it gets too hard for me to continue."

The president continued to stare at them in awe, at the same time as there seemed to be a lot of thinking going on behind those big eyes of his. He then quickly picked up another phone, one that wasn't desperately trying to get him to answer, and started to search through his contacts.

"What are you doing?" Kuon asked with mild suspicion.

"I'm cancelling all my appointments for today. I think the two of you should take a seat."

OoOoO

"Kyoko-chan! You look absolutely wonderful! Like a true princess…" Aiko hugged the shorter girl as soon as she got inside after walking on the red carpet. "Really, I have no idea how you even do this!"

"Thank you, Aiko-chan." Kyoko blushed happily and started to fidget ever so slightly. "Though I couldn't have done it without certain help."

"I don't believe it. And what are you grinning about, Mr. Short-pants?" The brunette asked it so bluntly Yashiro had to pretend he sneezed to cover up his sudden fits of laughter.

Ren just chuckled, smiling even broader.

"Good evening to you as well. I just have to agree with you; she can actually do wonders with herself. Not that she needs to."

Kyoko's face grew several shades darker and Aiko started to laugh out loud, taking the smaller girl's hand and hid her behind her back.

"You know, I think I shall keep her with me all night just in case you decide to throw her over your shoulder and run away."

Instead of trying to direct the conversation in another direction like he usually does in this kind of situation he just smiled in a very… odd way, according to Aiko. It was as if his eyes alone agreed that the idea wasn't all that bad.

She suddenly narrowed her eyes and turned to look at the girl behind her, who was blushing deeply as she also studied the tall man's expression.

"Wait a minute… don't tell me-"

"If everyone could turn their attention to the stage, please." Some woman from the stage crew said in a microphone, interrupting Aiko in the middle of her sentence. "It's soon time for the live broadcast to start, so if everyone could head to their assigned table so we can get started it would be awesome! Thank you."

Even though she didn't have any time to say anything, Aiko pointed at her own eyes with her index- and middle finger and then to the two suspects in question, silently stating "I have my eyes on you", as they proceeded to find their places. She was almost more shocked about Yashiro's lack of reaction.

If she only knew. It had been impossible to hide it from the manager as he one day caught them sharing a quick kiss in a hallway at one of their planned, short personal meetings. His face: Priceless. His reaction? The couple had at first thought that some random girl had accidently caught them in the act judging from the scream.

Several months had passed since the end of the filming and release of Wake me up and they were now sitting in the audience for the Japanese Academy Awards as their movie had been nominated for several prizes, to their great delight. Though this wasn't even close to being the reason why both Kyoko and Ren, or rather Kuon, was so nervous to be there.

"How are you feeling?" He whispered into Kyoko's ear as they sat down in their respective chairs next to each other.

"Like I'll explode at any given moment. How about you?"

"About the same. But it's just one night, and then it'll be over."

"Over? Wouldn't think so, do you have any idea how crazy every-"

He took her hand under the table to calm her down.

"Breathe." He ordered calmly. "We have each other and we're strong. Even if the world would turn on us, and they won't," He quickly added at her panicked expression. "we can do this together, okay?"

She took a shaky breath, but nodded.

"Alright."

"You… are totally plotting something over there." Aiko pointed at them with her table knife.

Thankfully, they were interrupted once again, though this time it was because the show started.

They continued to hold each other's hands throughout the evening at the same time as they drowned themselves into the entertainment that the show had to offer. Famous actors and comedians performed and made funny sketches and as the show went on awards were handed out to different people from different movies.

Kyoko was absolutely beyond herself with glee when her best friend got up on stage to get the prize as best supporting actress, which Aiko only found mildly insulting as she was also nominated, but she also knew that the two were the best of friends, so she didn't mind it terribly. Also; a nomination was never a bad title.

Though their table was soon to cheer as they got the prize for best music, film editing and popularity. They got the last one undoubtedly because of the lead actor, or that's at least what Kyoko thought. If she only understood her own popularity in this country. The fact that she was sitting right there and then should have been enough.

Half way in it was time for some musical entertainment, and even though Kyoko had known what was coming she didn't feel prepared. When Sho stepped onto the stage, people roared all over the place, and she… felt nothing.

He was just a person performing among the others, no other feelings attached. Kuon studied her expression carefully, as if she would have a hidden bomb somewhere under all that calm. In reality, he was probably more emotional about this than she was. While she felt absolutely nothing, he was still mad at the boy, though he knew he had already won.

None of them listened to a word he sang, but the crowd seemed to love it.

"He truly has quite some talent! And handsome too…" Aiko sighed when he started to move off the stage. "Maybe I should try to talk to him after the show…"

"No." The pair and Yashiro stated in the same stiff voice.

"Why?" She asked, baffled.

"I like you too much to risk you get involved into something like that. Just don't." Kyoko replied with a neutral voice. Even though she didn't care for him anymore in that way, she still knew what he was capable of doing. She truly didn't wish any of that upon anyone she cared for.

"Alright…?" Aiko looked at her with a slight furrowed brow. "Oh, now the most exciting part of the show begins!"

Just as she said it, Takarada Lory stepped onto the stage.

"Good evening, everyone!" He was dressed strangely normal, being him that is, in an old fashioned English suit with a top hat to – no pun intended – top it off with. "I have to thank the Academy for inviting me to come and present one of the most exciting awards this evening. Only because all the nominees come from my agency. Not that I want to brag, or maybe I do." He started to laugh and almost everyone, the people from LME, let out an exaggerated sigh.

"Anyway, the nominees for best lead actress are…"

He counted them all, and Kyoko blushed when she heard her name but had to keep her act up when the cameras focused on her face. When they no longer had their full attention on her she relaxed and shut everything out. It's not like she would-

"You got to get up, Kyoko." Someone, Kuon, whispered in her ear.

She looked up in shock and to her great surprise she was yet again the focus of the cameras. Aiko practically jumped in her chair as she clapped her hands in glee.

"I didn't…?" She looked at him.

"Indeed you did, but you better go up before they think you don't want it."

He shooed her off while clapping his hands and she prayed that she wouldn't trip over her gown as she walked towards the stage.

Lory took her hand as she walked up the stairs and gave her the prize, congratulating her at the same time. He wore the smile of a proud father.

She was handed the microphone, but her words seemed to have disappeared from her head.

"I… I literally don't know what to say. I would never have guessed in a million years that I would get this prize. I'm so new and… I don't know… To my great shame I have to say I don't have a speech prepared." She paused (while some people chuckled in the audience) and gazed in awe at the prize in question for just a moment. "Really, thank you everyone with all my heart. I don't know how to thank you. Especially everyone in the crew of our movie and… and my friends, without you this would never have happened. And thank you for believing in me."

She looked around the room with her mouth open as if to say something more.

"I… I'm really not good at this, am I?" She smiled sheepishly and now the entire room seemed to laugh loudly. With her, not at her, to her great relief. "So just… thank you. That's really all I can say, thank you for everything."

She got a very big round of applause and just when she was about to move away from the spotlight, Lory subtly grabbed her arm.

"There's been a slight change in the program. Please stay on the stage." He whispered in her ear, and even though this confused her, she remained where she stood. Though it became quite clear what was going on just a few moments later.

Lory was about to present the nominees for best lead actor, but when he reached into his jacket he didn't seem to find what he needed.

"But… what is this? I can't seem to find the envelope with the winner's name in it. Huh, oh well, looks like we'll be without a male winner this year."

"You're looking for this?" The envelope he had been looking for suddenly turned up in front of his face, and the audience started to scream like never before.

The hand that held the envelope belonged to none other than Japan's huge movie hero and star Hizuri Kuu, with his lovely wife on his arm. Kyoko thought she was going to faint right there and then; this was certainly not something any of them had planned on.

"Really, you should keep better track on your stuff." Julie huffed and shook her head and everyone laughed as Lory pretended to get mad.

"That's really funny, now, give me that thing."

"Nope," Kuu pulled it away and out of the president's reach. "Finders, keepers."

"Fine. Just read the damn thing." Lory sighed dramatically, crossed his arms and turned around with a disappointed pout. Kuu actually had to wait to open it because of the excitement within the crowd.

And when he did, Kyoko could only focus on one person, and that person was at this moment heading to the stage, masterfully covering his undoubted shock.

He stopped a second by her, officially congratulating her in front of the camera, but in reality he just stopped to gain some strength. She gently squeezed his hand as he walked up to his parents to receive the prize.

Though it was filmed by dozens of cameras and thousands of people were watching, only the five people on stage understood the connection the three shared on that stage at that very moment. As Kuon, masked as Ren, received the prize and shook hands with the international super star they both agreed that he had done it.

Only three months ago had he received a big offer as a lead role in a major picture in the States that would most definitely change his life more rapidly than any of them could have imagined, and this was now a way for the father and son to agree that they both had done well, and that they both was very independent away from each other. Kuon especially.

Though they still had decided to wait with revealing who he actually was to the world until he had actually finished the foreign movie, in private he had already reached the goal he'd come to Japan to gain. He'd proved to himself that he indeed was good enough.

He did his thank you-speech, definitely much better prepared than Kyoko's, and while he did, the famous pair walked over to Kyoko to congratulate her. At the same time as they did, out of reach for the microphones, they thanked her for everything she'd done for their family. Kyoko had to do everything that was within her power to not start crying in the spotlight.

Kuon stepped back and Lory took over the microphone once again.

"Now there's only one last thing we would like to share with you before we send this wonderful actors off the stage. Something that is going to affect MILLIONS of men and women all over the country, possibly the world." He motioned for the two to step forward on each side of him and looked from one person to the other. If the room had been louder than ever just a moment ago, now they could have dropped a needle and the sound would echo throughout the room. "So if everyone is prepared, why don't we just simply drop the bomb?"

Lory stepped back and with a smirk he watched how Kuon, or Ren in the rest of the world's eyes, grabbed the smaller girl by her waist and kissed her full on the mouth. Even though Kyoko knew that something like this was coming, it didn't make her less embarrassed or surprised.

They had been together, though secretly, for months and she was still not used to his kisses. And to do this in public no less! I can't, however, say that she was slow to respond to his affection. The room remained completely silent for less than a second, and within that second she could swear she heard Aiko shout "I knew it!" before a deafening roar occurred in the building.

When they broke away from the short kiss, that seemed to drag on forever, they saw how Kuu and Julie clapped their hands, while both, mostly the man, cried.

They headed down the stairs, laughing, while holding each other's hand and the prize in the other as they walked to their seats. The assault they got from the people around their table was ridiculous.

As they laughed and was bombed with questions, Kyoko suddenly noticed something in the corner of her eye.

There, only a few meters away, stood the singer she had shared her childhood with. He was staring at the couple. Not glaring with fury as you might have expected, but rather… just stared with some unexplainable emotion.

They looked at each other like that, though it only lasted a few short moments, with no one noticing the exchange since they were all suddenly focused on the stage again. They had to continue their show after all.

After a while Sho unclenched his jaw, and without a word he nodded. She did the same, and just like that, the bond was broken.

She watched as the boy walked away to his table again, and Kuon gently squeezed her hand. She looked up to him as he worriedly looked down in her eyes; looking for something he was happy to not find. He gently brushed away a tear she didn't notice falling, but she smiled.

She was alright. They would be alright. She didn't need that boy anymore, not when she had this man. She gently placed a kiss on his lips and wiped all of his worries away.

"Oh." She suddenly said after clapping her hands as they watched Ogata walk up to receive the prize as best director, since he reminded her of a very specific time of their life. "I've completely forgot to tell you something."

"What is it?" He asked right before taking a zip out of his drink.

"You know how you puzzled everyone by saying that even chickens can be helpful in becoming successful in your thank you speech?"

He laughed. "Yeah, I can tell you about that later."

"No, you don't understand." Now it was her turn to laugh. "Did you learn that dance after all the trouble you went through?"

He looked down at her with a puzzled expression, but it quickly disappeared as it suddenly started to dawn on him.

"Or…" She could barely contain her laughter as she watched his expression change. "Or do you need someone, perhaps a bird with messed up hair, to help you out?"

At first he couldn't even comprehend what all of this meant, but when he did he found the hilarity in the situation, but he still couldn't resist doing what he did.

He leant down and whispered darkly in her ear.

"When we get home, little princess, I'm going to take an advice I got from a certain someone very seriously." His hand went slightly lower down on her waist than would be considered decent in public. "And there is no way I'm going to let you chicken out."

Kyoko gulped as she realized what she had done for herself.

"Really." Aiko interrupted all of a sudden. "Sure, you're a couple, we get it, but who told you it's okay to seduce her like that in public? There are cameras around here."

Kuon just laughed, and to his delight, so did Kyoko.

They all enjoyed the rest of the evening and then calmly went home, not thinking about the tomorrow. Because little did they know that that kiss they had shared on stage would be the cover of tomorrow's paper, or rather, the magazines all over Japan. People had really gone insane over this fact, but mostly positive to the couple's great relief.

Many journalists referred to them as the new king and queen of the Japanese showbiz industry. The picture surely fitted that image; Ren (or Kuon) looking regal as always in his black designer tuxedo and Kyoko in her beautiful pale blue ball gown she'd got as present number two over a year ago. But the thing that extinguished her the most was what rested on top of her head;

A silver tiara with twelve beautiful, small blue stones decorating the wonderful, twirling pattern of the metal. Combined with her natural beauty, posture and personality it certainly made her look like the royalty she had become in the hearts of so many.

But most of all she was the undying leader, owner and queen of one single man's heart, and it was going to stay that way until the end of time. Christmas gave them everything they ever wanted and needed during those twelve, short days, and it would never once break. For their bond was forever built on the unbreakable trust only true love could bring.

A/N: And cut! Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU! For staying with me through this year. I only hope the length of this last chapter didn't scare you away. ^^"

I still can't believe I've got so much great response from all of you. It's meant more than you could possibly imagine! Since English isn't my native language it's been incredibly scary to upload every chapter, but I relaxed more and more as time went by. Now it's just exciting to see how you respond to my story and I look forward to the next time I decide to write something.

Thanks again for sticking with me, and until next time, enjoy the Holidays to the fullest and I hope you'll have a wonderful new year!
Love/ RDC