I've just been thinking about Ren's internal battle, as well as that night he—as Cain—made Kyoko—as Setsu—sleep next to him and this is what happened. I hope you all enjoy it!

Also, I realize that this is a very long one-shot. I just couldn't stand to break up the story with chapters.

Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat!

Comfort

The end began with a simple phone call.

Kyoko stared at the door that was definitely a bad idea to open. After Yashiro's frantic phone call half an hour before, she had practically flown on her bike to the expensive apartment building, launching herself into a familiar apartment without thought. All that had been in her mind was worry over the man who owned it and scenarios of what might have happened to the actor.

Now, however, she paused. She'd seen the empty bottles on the counter, all of them completely dry. The living room looked like it had been torn through by a burglar: the coffee table was turned over, the couch cushions all over the room and losing their stuffing. Even the large screen TV was lying face down on the floor. Small bits of glass were strewn everywhere, though she wasn't sure where it came from. If she hadn't been aware of the incredible security in the building, she might have thought that he was actually hurt and she might have not stopped at his bedroom door.

But she couldn't. Not only had he yelled at Yashiro that he didn't need his help, but he'd drank an excessive amount and destroyed his entire living room. Whatever had happened, it had deeply upset him. Did she want to invite herself into that situation? What if he didn't want her to be involved?

Could she just ignore it though? Hope that he got better by himself?

Except Yashiro had warned her that he needed to be at work the next day. He was worried that the man he managed wouldn't show up, would forget about it. And how would he feel when he woke up to a pig sty in the morning?

Cursing herself for her cowardice, Kyoko turned away from the bedroom door, moving into the living room. She found the source of the glass: a broken bottle that had been thrown against the wall. After cleaning up the glass and taking care of it with only a small cut on her left pointer finger, she righted the television set, grateful to find that it had only fallen not broken. She picked up the extra fluff from the couch cushions, fixing them to look as natural as possible before she placed them back on the couch. Gently righting the coffee table, she froze when it hit the floor with a loud thunk, hoping that she hadn't bothered the man in the bedroom. She wanted to give him time to calm down before she went to him, even if she had to pretend like she had just "stopped by".

In the kitchen, she washed the dishes in the sink and threw away the dry bottles. Though she wasn't sure why, she wanted to prepare the apartment for him in the morning. She didn't want him to dwell on whatever had happened that night that could have caused such raw emotion from him.

Then she cleaned the entire apartment, knowing that she was just stalling. At some point, she was going to have to return to the bedroom and actually talk to her sempai. She couldn't just sneak out after scrubbing his home until it shined without potentially upsetting him.

Almost three hours after she'd arrived at this "bachelor pad", she stood in the hallway, wiping sweat from her brow as she gazed at all her hard work. It was beautiful to say the least.

Still, she hadn't heard a peep from the bedroom. Maybe she could just...

No. She had to stay. She had to help him through whatever had happened. Because she owed him for all the times that he had helped her when he didn't have to.

And something else that she wasn't going to acknowledge.

Kyoko took her time preparing herself outside of the door, staring at the wood as if she might learn life's great purpose there. Her hand slowly moved to the doorknob, feeling the cold bite of metal against her palm and fingers. She needed to do this. It was for him, after all. This is nothing. We've shared a bed before.

But only as Cain and Setsu!

Taking a deep breath, she opened the door, peeking only her head inside. Her eyes were immediately drawn to the bed, but they had yet to grow accustomed to the dark. All she could make out were the the bumps of the pillows and the sheets balled up to one side. She sighed before moving her body fully into the room, closing the door quietly to keep the light from waking him. If he hadn't spoken yet, demanding why she was there, she was sure that he must have already fallen asleep.

"Tsuruga-san?" she murmured to the darkness, wanting to let him know that she was there. "Tsuruga-san, it's me. Mogami Kyoko." There was no answer from the seemingly empty room. As her eyes adjusted, she realized that there was no Ren-shaped lump on the bed. She glanced around the room, worry coming back to the pit of her stomach. Where could he be? Had he, perhaps, been kidnapped?

No, that wasn't possible. Even though Cain Heel was a separate character from Tsuruga Ren, the actor had to have the abilities that the character possessed. She'd seen him take down his enemies with only a punch; there was no way someone could have forced him to go anywhere.

As a million scenarios flashed through her mind, Kyoko couldn't stop her eyes from tearing up. She should have checked on him the moment she got there. What if he was hurt somewhere and had been there since she'd gotten the call from Yashiro? He could need to go to the hospital!

With that thought in mind, she spun around, determined to go out and find him, no matter where he was. She would drag him to the ER if that was what it took.

She took one step towards where she supposed the door must have been, only to be stopped when she hit something warm and solid...and naked. Her hands immediately came up next to her head, pushing her away from what she had hit. But she was kept close by two cuffs coming around her wrists.

Head swinging up, she found herself staring into the bluest eyes she'd ever seen. They were narrowed on her and there was something behind them that drew out the demons from her Pandora's box. Swirling around the two of them, they mumbled appreciatively, causing the hair on the back of Kyoko's neck to stand.

"What are you doing here?" She knew that voice. It was definitely Ren, but weren't his eyes brown? Why did he sound so angry that she was there? The features she could make out of his face were drawn tightly together, annoyance etched into his forehead and mouth. She had never seen his handsome face that way and it frightened her. What had happened? Had she done something to upset him?

But then that smile crossed over his face, the one that warned her of the Emperor of the Night's appearance. Before she could make a sound, he pulled both of her wrists up so she was forced against him, his eyes glittering with something she didn't want to see.

Yanking against his hold, she whispered, "Tsuruga-san, stop! I just came here to check up on you for Yashiro-san. Please, let me go!" True fear was working its way through her, even though she knew that Ren would never hurt her. But it was the feeling that was coursing through her that was so frightening. She wasn't supposed to ever feel this way for a man, whether it was now or thirty years down the road. She'd sworn to herself that she would remain pure for the rest of her life, focus on her career and never worry about a man.

So why did she suddenly want? She knew what this Ren was offering; it was just like at the Dark Moon party. She was feeling a split second of want and soon she would come to her senses.

Right?

It had helped that she had been in a public place, that it had felt like so many people were watching her. Now, though, it was just her and Ren in his bedroom, standing close enough for her to feel his every breath and movement. If she wasn't careful, she would forget her vow. She had to start thinking straight again, find a reason why this couldn't happen.

He's drunk.

Though the smell wasn't pouring off him as it had other drunk men she'd encountered, there was a slight scent of it coming off his breath, though not enough to make him seem drunk. No, she couldn't even be sure that he was, unless she had seen the evidence. Which she had. And she couldn't take advantage of this situation, no matter how much she wanted.

He just kept watching her with those strangely blue eyes, reminding her of things that she was never going to have. Shouldn't she focus on the fact that she was still only eighteen? And Ren was twenty-two! She needed to start thinking straight! She needed to remember the real reason she was there!

"Tsuruga-san—"

"That's not my name." His voice was low, the smirk gone from his face, but not the look in his eyes. He was watching her intensely, as if she were the last life preserver in the ocean where he was drowning. Even though he didn't sound angry, his eyes flashed as he spoke. "You never call me by my name, do you? Despite how long we've known each other, how well we know each other." He pulled her arms until she was impossibly closer. A smile spread across his face at her gasp. "Is it because you don't like me? Or maybe because of how much you like me?"

She knew that he was in full on Emperor mode at this point, but she didn't know how to snap him out of it while protecting herself. Slowly, she started to pull away, making sure to do it in small increments so as not to alert him. "You're my sempai and I'm you're kohai. I show you respect because of that." Keep calm. Get out of the bedroom. Away from temptation.

Her plan to ease away might have worked...if Ren weren't the one she was easing away from. His gaze narrowed and he said, "Ever the professional, aren't you?"

Head lowering, he captured her lips before she could react.

She was frozen for a moment, disbelieving that Tsuruga Ren, Japan's number one actor, was kissing her, a girl who couldn't even be loved by her mother. This was different than Sho's kiss. Where Sho had been determined to win, Ren was teaching a lesson, punishing her for the slight of not using his name.

As his mouth moved against hers, however, she couldn't help responding. When he let go of her wrists to wrap his arms around her waist, bringing her closer, her arms naturally went around his neck. Unlike Sho, Ren wasn't forcing her mouth open with his tongue, but easing it, allowing her to do it herself. To choose where she hadn't had the ability to before. And how could she not respond? He was giving her an experience she had never had before.

But she needed to come to her senses. At some point, at least. Right now, she just wanted to let him kiss her.

Except he didn't seem okay with keeping it just lip contact. His hand at the small of her back forced her closer, bringing her stomach into contact with an area of him she had never thought she'd touch. Just as she gasped against his mouth, he started forcing her backwards, towards that too large bed that called to her with a terrifying voice that made her want to run away.

As they took step after step backwards, she pulled away from him, only to find his lips trailing down the side of her face to her neck. "Ren," she said without thinking, hands flattening on his shoulders to shove him away. "We...we have to stop. You...don't know what you're doing." She wasn't very convincing; her voice was weak and breathy, no conviction behind it. Because she was losing her thoughts to the strange feeling spreading through her body.

"I know exactly what I'm doing," Ren murmured against her skin, but there was something different about his voice. He wasn't in control; some other part of him was. Kyoko couldn't be sure if it was a new character of his or something much deeper. But he wasn't acting the way that Tsuruga Ren would. He was someone much different than himself.

She swallowed hard, squeezing her eyes closed as she tried to take control of her body. She needed to get through to him; she couldn't take advantage of him the way that she was. Just because he was the reason the locks were coming off her box again, her body was convinced it was okay.

If what was happening continued, how would she ever be able to face him? The locks would never go back; they'd be broken forever. She'd be lost in him, completely immersed in him. And she would never get away from him as she had with Sho.

Sho.

She clung to the thought of the blonde menace, the object of her revenge. If there was anything that could give her power, it was the memory of when he'd torn her life apart. Everything that she had known had fragmented at that moment. The anger and overwhelming sadness gave her strength.

"Tsuruga-san," she said, voice cracking with unshed tears. Clenching her eyes closed all the tighter, she hissed, "Enough!"

That seemed to catch his attention much more than the hands now slamming against his shoulders, shoving with all her might. His head rose, blue eyes catching hers, which only served to bring more of her reservations to the surface.

But he still wasn't Ren. Whoever was inside of him and in control had a vise-grip on him that wasn't going to let up any time soon. He stared down at Kyoko as the Emperor, a smirk stretching across his mouth. Bringing her closer, he leaned down until their faces were only centimeters apart. Her heart stopped at the look in his eyes as they locked with hers, at the complete sincerity and conviction in his tone. "I don't think you really mean that, Kyoko." The intimacy of how he said her name was enough to send shivers up her spine and he most definitely noticed. "In fact"—another step that brought her closer to the bed, keeping her as tight against him as was possible—"I think you'd be more upset if I did let you go."

Again, her lips were taken by his, but the urgency was gone. Now, he was taunting, easing responses from her by stoking her anger. He was determined to bring out everything within her that would work to his advantage.

Such as Natsu, who was willing to use any means necessary to get what she wanted. As Kyoko desperately wished for a way to have Ren, to be with him without losing herself, to give in to the want, Natsu was mocking her in her head. She called her weak, pathetic—letting him just take, take, take. It was time to give him back some of his own medicine. Whether he woke up from whatever trance he was in or not.

Struggling to control her created character, Kyoko didn't realize how far he had gotten her across the room until the backs of her knees hit the edge of the mattress. Her shock as she tumbled backward—followed closely by the body of Ren—was enough to give Natsu a brief moment of strength, the power to break into Kyoko's consciousness.

Practically purring in anticipation, her control over her host's body made a hand go to the back of Ren's head, tangling slender fingers in thick brown hair, forcing his mouth closer, if that were possible.

With that, the urgency returned. A snarl seemed to be torn from the intoxicated actor's mouth, his hands flying to the back of the orange-haired girl's thighs, bringing them just far enough apart for him to wedge his hips against the core of her. Still not completely in control of herself, Kyoko gave a small gasp before a cat-like smile curled on her lips. When he rocked against her, rubbing the tell-tale sign of his arousal to try to calm himself, she cried out.

The unfamiliar feeling was enough for Kyoko to shut Natsu back in her corner of the young actress's mind. Panic filled her, though it wasn't fear of Ren that assailed her.

He'll never forgive me.

He'll tell me that he never wants to see me again.

What if I'm no good?

He'll just break my heart; he doesn't love me back. And then I'll never be able to fix myself again.

Acknowledging her feelings was enough to give him the upper hand. No matter what she thought, whether he loved her or not, she couldn't make herself fight. Even as his lips once again left hers, even as his hands skimmed up and down her sides before unbuttoning her blouse, she couldn't stop him from taking what he wanted or herself from wanting to give it to him. She just wanted to love him; she wouldn't be able to make him love her back.

"So soft," he breathed as his hands cupped her breasts through her bra, his mouth tracing the line of exposure. "So pale." His voice was husky, still holding that almost violent undertone, though it was fading quickly. She squeezed her eyes closed as he froze, knowing that he would snap out of it soon, that he would yell at her, kick her out. Then he groaned an apology before he somehow tore the bra from her, the shirt quickly taken from her body to meet the tattered remains beside the bed.

His lips latched onto one of her nipples, one of his arms hooking underneath her hips to lift her and drop her down in the middle of the bed, her head cushioned by downy pillows.

To her surprise, his mouth felt...good. The pressure sent pleasure pulsing through her, making its way to the center of her, where it mingled with the strange—but not unpleasant—feeling that had accompanied his first thrust against her. Throwing her head back, she couldn't help but bury her fingers in his hair, holding him closer as she let loose moans that she would never be able to hold back anyways.

She could feel his smile against her skin, making her shiver in awareness. Those long, strong fingers were skimming down her exposed stomach, each touch bringing goosebumps in their wake. Unerringly, they made quick work of her jeans, undoing the button and zipper faster than lightning. That same hand snaked beneath the material, staying above her panties, but in no way proper at all.

Two fingers pressed against her most private part through the thin barrier of cotton, the only part that no one had ever felt before, except for her. Where Sho might have grabbed at her chest, taken her first kiss, and grabbed her multiple times by the arm, Ren was going to take the only thing that she had kept sacred.

As if he knew her thoughts were sneaking away from him, he rubbed against her quickly, with just enough pressure to catch her attention. Her back arched in shocked pleasure, her breast forced deeper in his mouth, her core into his hand. He chuckled, as if he were pleased with her reaction, the sound muffled against her skin.

Moving to the other nipple, his finger circled a bud of nerves just above her entrance, shoving aside the material between them.

The pleasure was...intoxicating. She had always wondered—from what she'd learned about giving birth and having sex for the first time—why women would still do it, why they wouldn't simply forgo it. And now she knew. If she wasn't careful, she would definitely become addicted to this feeling he was giving her, to the knot tightening in the pit of her stomach as it became harder and harder to focus on anything other than where he was touching her and what it was doing to her.

Her eyes flew open when she felt his finger press against the opening to her, forcing itself inside her tight sheath. A moan tore itself from her throat, her hands—which had both gone into his hair at some point—tightening. That was when his lips left her skin, his head lifting so his eyes could catch hers.

She could see that he wanted to watch her every reaction, soak in every emotion that passed over her features. For once, she couldn't make herself care. It was too hard to as his finger slipped further inside her, careful to be slow.

It was surprising that she had actually gotten so...wet. Of course, she wasn't an idiot; she knew that was what was supposed to happen. But never before had it happened to her. Now, it was hard to ignore the liquid seeping from her entrance, no doubt dampening his hand and definitely his finger. Even though the feeling he was drawing from her was a huge factor to the dampness she felt, the dirty thoughts running through her head were helping.

Looking into those blue eyes that she had long since gotten used to, she almost didn't catch the predatory flash in them, the possessiveness that transformed his features.

Her heart clenching in fear, Kyoko tried to think of reasons to stop him, despite the feeling he was wringing from her. She had to find the strength, once and for all, to force him away, to end this dream-like night. It was one thing for him to realize that he was with her, but she couldn't stand the thought that he might be thinking of the girl he was in love with, the girl he'd told Bo about. Wasn't that only reason he would look at her in such an owning way? He wanted to be with her, but would make do with Kyoko.

She was done with people making do with her.

"Tsuruga-san," she breathed, trying to keep her body from tightening around his finger as it slowly began thrusting within her.

He smirked, saying in a taunting voice, "Not my name..."

Finger plunging harder into her, careful not to go too far where he would meet her virginal barrier, he watched as she tried to form words, her hands clenching on his shoulders, her eyes squeezing shut before flying open moments later. She tried to hold his gaze, a deep flush of arousal spread across her face. "R...Ren...Ren," she murmured before crying out as his thumb circled once more around that bud of pleasure once again.

His smile only widened as he leaned forward to give her a reward—a kiss against the crook of her neck, making her shiver all the more. "Good girl," he rumbled just before he pulled his finger nearly all the way out of her.

Whimpering, Kyoko caught eyes with him, her breathing ragged, her face blushing beautifully. "P-please d-d-don't stop!" The last word ended on a shriek as she fell back, one of his fingers joining the other inside of her.

Something was wrong. That strange knot in her center was tightening too much; soon, it would have to burst open. But could she handle anymore of this pleasure? Wouldn't her body simply combust if he gave her anymore? No matter how she worried, however, she couldn't keep herself from forcing her hips down, bringing his fingers more firmly within her, his thumb against her. Oh, God, if she could just have a little more...she would gladly die for this kind of feeling. Forever she would be reaching for that peak that she knew he was hurtling her towards, ready to push her off the moment she got too close to the edge.

And, sure enough, he did. As she started to clench around him, her moans growing louder and louder, he was more forceful, easily moving faster and faster until that feeling within her exploded.

Crying out, her body felt like it would lift from the bed and float away, pleasure spreading through her like warm blood. Her mind was wiped completely blank as she searched for the power to return to Earth, grasping blindly for gravity.

But he wasn't about to give her time to recover. In a flash, his fingers were out of her, her jeans and panties joining the rest of her clothes on the floor. With only his pajama pants to worry about, Ren easily shucked them, grabbing her hips immediately afterward to bring her closer to where he was kneeling between her spread legs. There was no time for her to take in his powerful physique—or any other part of him for that matter—before he was kissing her senseless, taking himself in his hand to line up with her entrance.

Too big, was her first thought as he pushed against her, demanding to be let in. Despite his kiss, terror began to set in and she pushed futilely against his shoulders, trying to force him away once again. We won't fit. It's going to hurt.

His urgent kiss instantly became one of coaxing, reminding her of all the times he had protected her, when he could have hurt her but hadn't. Comforting. That was what he was doing. Though he'd been rough since he'd caught her, he wasn't going to hurt her. He was going to do everything he could to keep her from feeling any pain.

But could he do that? In the end, wouldn't he just leave her?

Still, his kiss was intoxicating. She was beginning to forget about anything relating to pain, any possible problem that might arise. She couldn't care less if he didn't fit, if it hurt; her mind wasn't able to even think of it as a possibility. All she knew was that this was Ren, her sempai and protector, who would never let anything happen to her.

Then he was forcing himself inside of her, stretching her with slow, measured thrusts. She had to break away from the kiss to catch her breath as it stuck in her throat. He lifted his head, watching her intently, keeping his eyes locked on her face, as if he were drinking in every feature to memorize.

As he moved deeper within her—slowly, allowing her to adjust—she knew that pain was crossing over her features, that there wasn't a chance that he didn't notice it. Not with the way he was watching her. She clenched her eyes closed once more, wishing that she could make herself invisible that way, that he wouldn't see the pain that was clear on her face. She had to bite her lip to keep from crying out as he worked more of himself within her, not wanting to ruin the moment as they became...joined.

Gentle lips were once more on hers, his rasping voice murmuring against them. She heard the encouragement, the apology. It would only hurt for a moment; he was taking care to hurt her as little as possible. If she would just trust him, he would keep the pain from amplifying, he promised.

Then they both paused as they felt it. Kyoko peeked one eye open, hoping to see what Ren was thinking as he touched that thin barrier that kept her from being fully his. He was holding himself up with his hands on either side of her, staring down at her, jaw tight as if he were doing his best to hold himself back.

"God, Kyoko, I'm so sorry."

With those words, his lips were back on hers, one hand lifting her hips as he forced himself the rest of the way inside of her. She cried out, her eyes filling with tears at the sharp pain, though it wasn't nearly as bad as she had been led to believe. He groaned against her, unable to stop the second thrust he gave at the feeling of her around him, wet, hot, tight. In his mind, there had never been anything better. Every woman before was nothing compared to this moment he had with the orange-haired girl that had stolen his heart.

But he controlled himself after that, shaking with the effort. He had to wait until her pain subsided, until she could once again move without hurting. Luckily, after realizing how real this was and who he was with, he'd managed to gain some control over the monster that had taken over his body. Still, Tsuruga Ren had little more control than Hizuri Kuon when it came to this girl.

"R-Ren," she breathed a few moments later, the movement causing her walls to rub against him. Please, God, just stop moving. I can barely control myself as it is; don't show me that face that will just undo everything I've done.

Yet he looked up at her, panting with the need to move, to continue thrusting inside this part of her that was his alone.

She swallowed hard, murmuring in embarrassment, "You...you can move again. If you w-want."

Those big amber eyes staring up at him, full of trust...in him. She trusted him. As hope bloomed in his chest, he couldn't help himself. Enough was enough and his control was gone anyways.

With a growl, his mouth went back to hers, resting his weight on his arms as he pressed fully against her. One solid thrust, then another, and another. He couldn't help it; he started moving faster, harder, listening to her moans against his lips for any sign that she might be in pain. When nothing came, he gave himself over to the feeling, welcoming it.

And she was caught once more in that tidal-wave of feeling. Everything was rushing through her, the pain forgotten, and there was nothing for her to grab on to. The rapids were leading straight to that waterfall and there was no way she wasn't going to go over. In fact, it was going to be sooner rather than later if he kept up that perfect rhythm, hitting her somewhere deep inside that she hadn't known existed.

Then it was happening. Her body tightened, clamping around him. The strength of it made him shudder in response, growing harder for just a moment within her before both of them hit that peak, were thrust over the edge and into the deep water.

The feeling of her rippling around him was too much; he couldn't hold back.

As he gave a shout and warmth began to fill her, her feelings only amplified, becoming all the more mind-blowing.

He couldn't stop himself from dropping his entire weight to her, his head resting just above one of her shoulders, his breathing shallow and fast. His head spun with the fact that she was there with him, that he had finally taken the woman he loved without hesitation.

If his mind wasn't so full of other things, he might have remembered the one thing that they—he—had forgotten, something that could cause many problems in the future.

But as he rolled to one side, pulling her into the circle of his arms, he couldn't help pushing all thoughts from his mind, allowing her to curl into him before they both drifted off to sleep, small smiles curling their lips.

She had done the unthinkable, but couldn't bring herself to face the consequences.

Kyoko woke several hours later just as the sun began to rise over the horizon, black giving way to blue, then purple, then red, and finally orange and yellow in the sky. She was warm, comfortable, nesting in the arms of the man she loved. There was absolutely nothing that could have gotten her out of that bed.

Except guilt.

As memories of the night assailed her, she remembered how she had taken advantage of the drunk state her sempai was in, how she had willing taken the spot of the girl he truly loved. There was no mistaking it; in her selfishness, she had done things with him that he would wake up to regret. Then her worst nightmares would come true and she'd be left broken; no amount of tape and glue would put the pieces of her heart back together.

Opening her eyes, she saw his beautiful face just above hers, looking peaceful and happy. He seemed so...calm in sleep, innocent. She wanted nothing more than to let the backs of her fingers run down his cheek, to make sure that he was real. Had Ren ever seemed so content before? There were no worry lines or creases in his face; he was just happy.

And when he woke he wouldn't be.

Panicking, she started to pull away slowly, not wanting to wake him. If she could just get away, maybe he wouldn't remember. If she could pretend like it never happened, he might just forget about it and not abandon her.

With a rumbled complaint, Ren tightened his arm around her, still asleep but obviously waking. He rolled to his back, taking her with him so she was stretched across his chest. She gasped as she felt something prodding her, just as it had last night when he'd rubbed against her.

The memory brought a shiver of awareness through her, that wetness returning, though not in the same amount. No, no, no. I have to leave. I have to.

Gently disengaging herself from him, cringing at the small twinge of discomfort between her legs, she stood at the side of the bed, scooping up her clothes under her arm. She was careful not to make a sound as she crept out of the room, keeping herself from looking at his sleeping form again.

She disappeared into the bathroom, quickly dressing, though her bra was useless. She'd have to bring it with her; she couldn't leave any evidence of the night before in his apartment. It would just be a memory in her mind—her heart—and that would be that.

Breathing a sigh of relief when she stuck her head out of the bathroom and found he was still asleep, she tiptoed to the kitchen, taking out a piece of paper and a pen. He would know that she had cleaned up; a small lie wouldn't hurt, right? She had to explain why she'd been there and keep any suspicion from what had actually happened.

As she heard him starting to shift more and more in his bed, she hurriedly wrote a note, leaving it on the counter for him to find should he be able to leave his room.

Sempai,
Yashiro-san called me last night, telling me that you might need me to come over. I cleaned up for you and left out a few aspirin and some food for when you wake up. Also, I set your phone's alarm so that you aren't late for your filming today.
Please feel better, Tsuruga-san.
Mogami Kyoko

Putting down the letter, Ren snarled in anger, the sound echoing slightly in his now-empty apartment.

He'd awoken after what he had assumed was a dream, one that he had never wanted to leave. He was barely able to hold back his disappointment at the thought that it had all just been made up by his mind, taunting him.

But there was definitely some things that made him realize that it might not have been a dream at all. First, after lifting the blanket, he'd found that he was, in fact, naked, though he never slept naked, not even when he drank as much as he had the night before. Another tell-tale sign that there was something up was the fact that the bed was still warm next to him and there was a definite hand-print just above his heart, created by body heat. Not to mention the little bit of blood on his sheets, which had nearly frozen him on the spot.

Her cringing beneath him as he tried to control himself, to protect her from anymore pain.

Jumping from his bed, he'd quickly yanked on his pajama bottoms, calling for Kyoko as he searched his apartment. She was no where to be found, at least not in his home.

Then he'd found the letter.

Now, he was furious.

Was she trying to pretend as if nothing had happened? Did she think that he would just let her get away that easily? Even if she hadn't entirely wanted to be with him, that didn't mean that they didn't have to talk about it. What he had forgotten the night before hadn't slipped his mind this morning and he knew that they could have a very real problem soon, if the timing were right.

Going to his phone, he quickly dialed her number, listening to it ring once, twice, three times. Then it went to voicemail.

He couldn't help staring at the screen, shocked. She'd ignored his call. As if nothing had happened, as if she were busy.

Hissing in a furious breath, he slammed his fist into the wall, fury eating at him. If she thought she was going to get away so easily, she had another think coming. He wasn't going to let this go, not without a fight. They had much to discuss and he wasn't going to let her cower and hide.

He practically flew around the apartment as he got ready for the day, hearing his phone alarm go off just as she'd said it would. It sounded like the drums of war to him, signaling the battle he was in for. He would take no prisoners, leave no survivors. Even if he had to corner Kyoko, giving her no place to run, he would. If she wasn't going to come to him willingly, he'd take her by force, plain and simple.

She'd done such a good job avoiding him. Until now...

Three days that Kyoko had stayed as far away from Ren as possible.

Three days that she'd ignored his calls.

Three days that she had dodged him, not even bothering to cover up the fact that she was running from him.

The first day hadn't been a problem; her schedule had been so full of LoveMe work that she hadn't had the time to even worry about him being around.

The second day had been much harder; she was expected to do a fan Q&A with the rest of the cast of Dark Moon for a mid-season treat for the loyal viewers. She hadn't missed the looks he'd thrown at her whenever no one had been watching. That was why she'd carefully chosen a seat far enough away from him that there was no chance that he could come towards her.

That was also the day when she'd started to wonder whether he had actually remembered what had happened, if he knew that it was real. But then again, he wouldn't have been so quiet for so long, right? He would have been coming after her much harder, probably following her whether she had to work or not. Right?

The interview had passed quickly and she'd disappeared without hesitation afterward, pretending not to hear the others calling for her. She hadn't wanted to take the chance that Ren might corner her to ask about That Night.

Now, the third day, was becoming very eventful, hwoever.. She was at LME, running errands all over the place for the President and Sawara-san. At first, she'd been glad to hear that Ren was actually at a photo shoot that would probably last the entire day, meaning that she wouldn't even be at LME when he'd be getting off work.

But then Sho had shown up at the office, stomping towards her with clear intent in his eyes. Unfortunately, she wasn't going to take the chance that her running would lead her right to the one man that she actually needed to avoid. So she'd gone toe-to-toe with him, uncaring of anything he might say to intentionally annoy her.

"Why did you ignore my call yesterday?"

Confused, she'd simply crossed her arms over her chest, glancing up at him in annoyance. "Shoutaro, I don't know what you're talking about. I've gotten no calls from you."

An argument had started then, just as they always seemed to when the two childhood friends came into close quarters. After several minutes of going around and around in circles, Sho finally huffed out a harsh breath before demanding, "Where's Tsuruga, anyways? Isn't he almost always your shadow?"

She hadn't been able to stop herself from stiffening, a blush creeping across her cheeks, and she knew that he was going to notice and know that something was up. So she tried to scoff it off, but she was too late; his eyes were already narrowing in knowledge.

Another argument ensued as he growled at her, ordering her to give him answers she had no intention of providing. It wasn't long, though, before he was fed up with that argument as well, intending to trick the answer out of her. Looking up over her shoulder, he said, with a jerk of his chin, "Maybe I'll just ask him what's going on."

Jumping at his unintentional warning that Ren was behind her, she glanced quickly over her shoulder, just as eyes that were once more gray caught hers. Flinching, she hid her fear as best as she could as she looked back at Sho. "Go ahead. I have work to do."

Then she ran, though it wasn't much of a run. If she could lose herself within LME, he wouldn't be able to find her either. And Sho would definitely cause at least a few minutes of pause; especially since he was encroaching on Ren's "territory", so to speak. If she could just get far enough away in that time, there would be no chance that he would really be able to find her.

Somehow, she made it to one of the conference rooms without being stopped by anyone. It wasn't the one that she was supposed to be in, but at least she could hide out for awhile there. And the schedule said that this would be empty for at least another half hour. She could clean it while she waited, say that she must have found the wrong room.

A knock sounded at the door, however, and she answered it before she could warn herself that it might be someone she didn't want to see.

"Kyoko."

She froze, didn't bother looking up into the man's face. She knew exactly who it was, didn't doubt that she was about to get her ass chewed. Anger was thick in his voice and she knew that it was past the point of the scary gentleman's smile. Did she dare to even glance up to check and see?

"We have to talk."

Without thinking, she grabbed the door in both hands, intending to slam it closed, only to find one of his hands pushing it open easily. Inch by inch, despite all of her fighting, he swung the door open, standing just inside the frame with his arms crossed over his chest. He was watching her with obvious intent, demanding she be honest with him. She wasn't sure if she could possibly be in the room with him without acting like a frightened rabbit.

He took a step closer to her, noting that she was definitely terrified. She was shaking slightly, though only someone very close to her would be able to tell. She was careful to keep their eyes from meeting, instead watching anywhere else around him. But he couldn't help how angry he was, the way he moved towards her.

"I would like to know what exactly happened the night you were at my apartment."

She blanched at the words, but didn't back down. Instead, she seemed to clamor for the power of Mio, finally catching his eyes. Standing up straight, she gave him a small, pleasant smile. "Didn't you get my note, Tsuruga-san? Yashiro-san called me to ask me to check on you, so I went over. I just cleaned up and left."

If he hadn't known her as well as he did, he might have believed her. He might have been able to accept the reasoning she gave him. But there was still fear in her eyes.

She thinks that I don't remember. She's trying to hide it from me.

Smiling darkly in return, he began to crowd her, walking her towards the corner of the room. She backed away from him, keeping the smile in place on her face. When her back hit the wall, the grin only barely wavered, until his hand met the wall beside her head, making it possible to lean in close to her face. Smiling brightly, he murmured, "Oh? Well, you see, I think you're keeping something from me, Kyoko."

Immediately, she froze, unable to move. He knew. He remembered. And he was just about to scold her into the next century. Then leave and never look back.

Tears filling her eyes, Kyoko brought her hands up against his shoulders, ducking her head so that her face was hidden from him by her bangs. Fingers tightening into the material of his shirt, she whispered with a sob, "I'm sorry, Tsuruga-san. I...I let it go too far. I shouldn't have done that. Please don't leave me."

He was shocked. She was...apologizing. She hadn't run from him because she was angry with him; she'd run because she was afraid he was angry with her.

Could she really believe that? That he would be angry with her because he had taken her? Honestly, it wasn't as if she could have fought him that night. Besides, the only reason he was angry now was because she had spent half a week avoiding him, not giving him a chance to talk to her about the fact that they hadn't used protection of any kind. If anyone had the right to be angry over what had happened that night, it was Kyoko, not Ren.

"You...can't be serious," he said, trying to keep nearly hysterical laughter from bubbling up. But he was so relieved that he couldn't help himself. His forehead went to her shoulder as he shook, chuckling silently despite himself. Even though she was rigid under his touch, that didn't stop the happiness that was spreading through him.

He brought his head level with hers, smiling broadly at the anger and embarrassment mingling in her eyes. With another laugh, he wrapped his arms around her, squeezing her into his chest. Burying his nose in her hair, he breathed a sigh of relief. "You have no idea how much weight came off my shoulders when you said that, Kyoko. I've been so worried that you would never talk to me again these past few days. Hearing you say that you don't want me to leave you is more than I could ever hope for."

She was frozen against him. "You...you aren't mad at me?"

Leaning away from her but leaving his arms where they were, he said, "Of course not. Well, not for that. You shouldn't have avoided me for so long. We have something very important to talk about."

The look that came over his face was almost enough to send her running again. His eyes were filled with that predatory lust that had been there before, but it was also mixed with something else, something protective. They dipped low, glancing at her stomach before he met her gaze again. She swallowed hard, waiting for him to explain.

Sighing, he knew that she hadn't realized what they had forgotten. "Kyoko, the other night...we didn't use anything to...protect ourselves." She blinked up at him, still not understanding what he was getting at. He rubbed the bridge of his nose, not wanting to have to spell everything out for her. "You could have gotten...pregnant."

Her eyes went wide, her mind obviously running at a million miles a minute before her hand went to her mouth. "You mean...I...we might have...made a baby?" Both of her hands met on the lower part of her flat stomach, gaze dipping to look at her joined fingers. Then she glanced back up at him from within the circle of his arms, a gleam of disbelieving happiness in her eyes.

She had to stop with the cute, innocent face. Otherwise, even if they weren't pregnant now, they would be soon. He was barely able to control himself around her as it was; now that he'd had her, he didn't know if he could handle this kind of test. And the way that she had asked him? God, he needed to remember that they were in LME and someone could come in at any moment and catch them.

Holding in a possessive growl, he pulled her closer, breathing, "You're going to be the death of me."

They stood there, holding each other, until a knock sounded on the doorframe, reminding them that the door was in fact open. Turning around, they were surprised to find Yashiro and the President standing in the doorway, smiling as if a plan was coming together.

Not that Kyoko or Ren really minded.

Phew. Seventeen pages. Hell to write. But I feel that it needed to be. I hope you all enjoyed this story and I would very much enjoy if you guys would tell me if I should continue this! (: