Happy Holidays, Everyone! I hope you all have been having a wonderful time with friends and family. This time of the year is always incredibly busy, but thankfully, I managed to find some time to start on a new story that I have been thinking about for a while now. Thank you so much for clicking on this link and reading my latest work. I hope you like it!

Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat or any of its characters.

It was funny how even after all this time she still felt nervous, like everything in the last year had never happened and she was still the young girl waiting for her date to arrive. Kyoko couldn't help it. Just thinking about him made her feel all weak in the knees, as if every bone in her body had turned into jelly. She kept her hands clasped tightly together upon the linen tablecloth, nibbling on her lower lip while her stomach did a hundred somersaults per minute. Were the butterflies ever going to subside? Was her heart ever going to stop jumping out of her chest from the mere anticipation of seeing him? Will her love for him ever stop growing?

Looking down at the silver ring on her right hand, she suddenly felt a small smile curve at the corner of her lips as her head moved in reply. "No, it won't."

She slipped the band off of her finger and held it within the palm of her slender hand. Instinctively knowing the exact placement of the engraving, she rubbed her thumb over the cursive words and closed her eyes. She traced each letter of his name with care, as if it was his skin she was now caressing.

It had been so long since the last time they had spent time together. With his growing career and her multitude of acting roles, alone time was a luxury the two of them couldn't afford often. But no matter how long, Kyoko could still recall the clean smell of his skin, the warmth of his large hand wrapped around hers, and the low timbre of his voice as he murmured sweet words of adoration against her hair.

Upon opening her eyes, Kyoko held the delicate ring between her two fingers and brought it closer to the candlelight upon the table. It shimmered in the warm amber glow like the silver moon, as a symbol of his unwavering promise to love her and only her. Kyoko was never one of those girls who needed that kind of devotion from a man, but when she thought back to the look in his eyes as he slipped the promise ring onto her finger, it felt like nothing was holding her down to reality except for him.

Kyoko thought she knew what it was like to be in love. To love was to selflessly give yourself up to another person, to give them the greatest happiness you could possibly give. And although she would give up just about anything for him, there was also a selfish side to her now as well. Suddenly, he wasn't the only one who mattered. It was also about how much she wanted him, how much she needed him, and how much she loved him.

It was so unlike Kyoko to be so self-centered, but he made her feel like she was the only woman in the world, and a girl couldn't help but feel spoiled after treatment like that. A tiny laugh bubbled up her throat as she gave her head another shake. "I wonder if he knows what kind of monster he created," she murmured as she moved the ring back to its rightful place.

"On the contrary, I believe the only monster in here is me—"

Her head whipped up in surprise.

"—for keeping such a lovely woman waiting."

Without the slightest bit of hesitancy, she jumped up from her plush seat and launched herself into his already outstretched arms. Kyoko didn't even think twice about the waiter standing behind him who could barely contain the smile upon his face at the sweet exchange before he closed the door silently behind him. She only pressed her face into the strong curve of his neck and relished in the strength of his embrace as he lifted her feet straight off the floor.

"You're here," she murmured as she felt his arms tighten possessively around her.

"I'm sorry I'm late."

Shaking her head, she leaned back and felt her heart throb at the sight of his beautiful eyes. "You're worth the wait."

He placed a gentle kiss upon her lips once before slowly lowering her down onto the floor. A dark blush bloomed upon her cheeks as she watched his eyes run across her face, lingering on her lips. She could only hold his gaze for so long before the embarrassment got to her and she had to shyly turn away.

But he couldn't stop reveling in her beauty. They had been together for awhile now and he still couldn't believe that she was truly and utterly his. The threat that this was all a delusion of his mind was great, but in such close proximity to her tenderness, he could have cared less. Let this be a dream that he will never wake from and he will happily sleep until the end of time.

She raised her hand and ran it through his hair, the blond tresses tickling the sides of her fingers as his green eyes sparked with passion. It was one of the many things she did that chipped away at his self-restraint. Kyoko could already feel his fingers digging through the lace of her backless dress, showing just how much he wanted her. Kyoko laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck. "This is hardly the place, Kuon."

He flashed a bright smile. To the rest of the world, he was Tsuruga Ren, the eligible bachelor whose heart seemed to be immune to all women. But to her, he was Hizuri Kuon, the man too broken and scarred to love until she came and saved him. It was only with Kyoko that he could finally drop his guard. She should have run away as soon as she was aware of his treachery and the lie he made her believe for so many years. But instead of leaving him, she only held onto him tighter, reassuring him that she was in love with him, regardless of whatever he identity he chose.

Because of Kyoko, he could now look into the mirror and not feel shame that he was alive. Because of her, he was now able to embrace every part of himself, both the bad and good. Because of Kyoko, he finally allowed himself to be happy.

Their relationship was certainly complicated to say the least. Loving a man with two identities meant they had to be careful, besides the fact that they were also well-known celebrities. And although he was more than willing to keep Kuon away, Kyoko had out-rightly refused, believing that he had holed up that side of him for far too long for it to be healthy. Therefore, they both decided that Tsuruga Ren and Mogami Kyoko would not be romantically involved, seeing that it was much too soon for the public to know about the great mystery of Ren and Kuon without causing a huge uproar.

But that didn't stop the suspicions from making front page news. In fact, so many people were sure of their love that even Kyoko was starting to worry that she was losing her touch. But these rumors were quickly put to rest when a picture of Kyoko and a mystery blond man was taken and published in every magazine all over the country. Although the two didn't plan for such an incident happen, that one tiny slip-up had now persuaded the whole country that Kyoko's heart belonged to someone else—who, of course, they were still trying to figure out.

Although this made it easier for them to be seen together in public, as Ren and Kyoko, they still had to continue the charade, smiling and interacting like friendly co-stars, and nothing more.

It was only here in the dimly lit restaurant of Alexander's, where celebrity privacy is upheld to the highest degree, that Kyoko and Kuon could let their love flow free and enjoy the time they had with each other without a single worry. So with his hand placed on the small of her back, he led her to her seat and placed a gentle kiss upon her temple before taking his own.

"How was work today?" Kyoko asked as she laid the thick napkin over her lap.

"Good, but hectic. The director wanted to finish the fight and car chase scene today. But one of the stuntmen called in sick so—"

"YOU DID IT?"

Kuon looked up from his lap and saw her holding the tartar-filled fork an inch away from her mouth, open in horror.

He smiled sheepishly. "I didn't have much of a choice, sweetheart."

"How about rescheduling the scene?" she said, placing the fork down onto her plate with a resounding clink. "Or waiting until someone else arrived? I'm sure those were logical solutions as well. Need I remind you the last time you filled in for a stuntman?"

Kuon grimaced inwardly at the thought of his cracked rib when the guy he was sparring against, who was so scared of hurting him during the scene, had actually indeed hurt him. Although, the next two weeks did consist of Kyoko fretting over him and staying at his place until he was completely healed, so maybe getting injured wasn't a terrible consequence.

Noticing his train of thought immediately and with a skill that only true actors possessed, she manipulated the mood within the room so quickly that even Kuon had to raise his hands in complete surrender as she growled his name.

"Kyoko, it really wasn't that bad," he reassured with a guilty smile. "I barely had a scratch."

"SCRATCH? What scratch?" she exclaimed, reaching across the table for his hand.

Gently turning his wrist around, he laced his fingers through hers and gave them a gentle squeeze. "Sweetheart, you would do anything for your role, wouldn't you?"

"That's not fair and you know it. My roles don't require me to jump off buildings or partake in dangerous car chases."

"True, your roles only require you to kiss and hold other men while my poor heart has to watch."

"You never said it bothered you before!"

"Well, I can't say it pleases me either."

She narrowed her eyes. "So you're telling me that because I kiss fellow actors, you can continue to put your well-being at risk?"

"No, I'm saying that there are times when we will both be uncomfortable with what the other one is doing, but in the end, we trust each other enough to know that the other will do the right thing."

Kyoko frowned. "Must you always be so rational?"

"That's the only way I win, darling," he answered with a wink.

She smiled, her shoulders relaxing in defeat at his easy-going expression. "Just promise you'll try to be safe," she insisted in a softer voice.

"Scout's honor."

"You weren't a scout," she accused with a laugh.

"And what makes you so sure?

"Father never told me about it and I know ALL of your childhood stories."

"Even—?"

"—the one about the pool party?" she continued, casually spearing a crab cake and feeding it to his already open jaw. "Yes, even that one. Those poor swimmers, you didn't even give them any warning…" She smirked from underneath her long lashes.

"I'm going to kill him," Kuon growled as he bit down on the crispy pastry.

"In his defense, he only told me because Mother brought it up."

He shook his head exasperatedly, but even Kuon couldn't hide the tiny smile at the corner of his lips. It always made him happy to hear Kyoko talk about his parents with such affection, especially after his initial hesitation of bringing her home to his mother for the very first time. But it took Julie a mere two seconds to fall prey to her charm and to love her nearly as much as his father did—maybe even more since she demanded that Kyoko call her Mother after hearing her greet his dad.

But Kuon's pleasure didn't last for long as Kyoko continued telling him the MANY stories his doting father shared. Really, that man needed a filter. By the end of dinner, Kuon's cheeks were stained so red from utter embarrassment that it looked like he had one too many glasses of wine. But to see Kyoko laugh with such merriment made the humiliation worth it. If there was anything he loved more than her, it would be her laugh, the sweetest sound he had ever heard.

"I think my stomach is going to burst," Kyoko giggled as she linked her arm through his and walked out into the chill night air. "I don't think I ever laughed so much."

"We need to get you a few embarrassing stories of your own."

"Like what?"

"I'll think of something."

Kyoko glared up at his amused expression, pursing her lips in playful irritation. "You wouldn't…"

He shrugged.

Gasping in horror, she stepped in front of him and placed her hands on her hips. "What do you have planned?"

"So suspicious, sweetheart. What have I done to earn such distrust?" He batted his long eyelashes with an innocent smile that shone so brightly it already proved him guilty.

"Do you really want to war with me, Kuon?" she challenged, her chin raising a fraction of an inch. "This will be a battle you'll lose."

"Is that supposed to intimidate me?"

"Perhaps. Are you scared?"

Yanking her to his broad chest and trapping her arms to her sides, he leaned down until their lips were a breath apart. Kyoko gasped in surprise before a familiar heat settled in the pit of her stomach, robbing her of the very breath she needed when confronting the Emperor of the Night.

"Very," he murmured in a voice so low she could barely hear it above the blood roaring in her ears.

A shiver traveled down her spine as he slowly traced the curve of her ear with his tongue, hitting the very spot that always did her in. She grasped the lapels of his coat for support, fingers digging into the thick fabric. And when he finally kissed her, Kyoko could barely suppress the sensual moan that rose up her throat as she molded her body to his. The kiss burned with quiet passion, waiting to be unleashed when they were alone.

Eventually they broke apart, breaths heavy, but eyes glazed over with the same intensity.

"Can you stand?" he whispered.

Kyoko nodded helplessly. "Why?"

"Because I don't think I should keep the valet waiting any longer."

Blinking rapidly to clear her clouded gaze, she glanced over his shoulder and saw a blushing man wave at her with a set of keys in his hand and the familiar silver car to his back. Kuon chuckled as she quickly ducked her head into his arm.

"See? Now you have a story of your own."

She smacked his chest once, eliciting another charming laugh from him before he turned around and talked to the valet. With her cheeks flamed and hands trembling from the fire he had cruelly ignited within her, Kyoko patiently waited for him by the curb, surveying her surroundings. The streets weren't as busy as they should be on a Friday night like this. There were a couple of people wandering about, but it seemed like most were staying indoors on this chilly night.

A bubbly laugh suddenly caught her attention as she spotted a little boy petting a golden puppy just a few feet down the street. It didn't look like the dog belonged to him since it didn't sport a collar or was on a leash, but the boy didn't seem to mind. He patted the pup's head with a tiny gloved hand, squealing in delight as it jumped up and licked his round face. Kyoko's heart practically melted as she watched him give the dog a bear-like hug.

But a crash from across the street caught the young pup's attention, its head twisting towards the sound. Without warning, it took off like a bullet, leaving the little boy distraught and upset. He quickly jumped to his feet and ran after the puppy onto the street.

Like a rope tied to her body, Kyoko broke off into a jog towards the boy, watching him stumble on the cracked road. Bright headlights flashed out of the corner of her eye as she stepped off the sidewalk, but Kyoko had no intention of stopping. She was aware of his voice crying out her name. It nearly brought her to her knees to hear the panic and fear it held. But all she could see was the young boy's petrified face as he watched the bright lights draw closer.

A horn sounded to her left. Screeching tires clawed against her ears. With outstretched hands, Kyoko threw herself against a tiny shoulder and heard his surprised yelp as his body hit the pavement with a thud. She had a split second to feel a sense of relief that he was out of harm's way before her body collided with cold steel…

…before her nerves exploded with excruciating pain…

…before everything finally turned black…