Omake! (Bonus scene 2)

A/N: This scene is probably one that you all wanted at the end of chapter 2. Ren's perspective. :D

I almost included this in the final version of Chapter 2, but I liked the ending of Chapter 2 combined with the beginning of Chapter 3 too much—it made it humorous rather than serious. As you'll shortly read, this scene very nearly turns into angst and that wasn't the tone I was going for. Fair warning for, um, hickey making... though I still kept it as in-character as I could.

Ren had thought that if he kept his thoughts on Fuwa, on that kid's inevitable reaction to seeing this mark on Kyoko's neck, that he would be able to keep control, to treat it as professionally as he had every single on-screen intimacy he'd ever performed.

He was wrong.

The first taste of her skin was warm and sweet like butter and caramel. Her nails dug into his biceps, her pulse thundered beneath his mouth, and he knew he was going to break, knew that his trembling hands were going to seize her, knew that his mouth would soon travel from her neck to her lips and crush them against his own with bruising pressure until neither of them knew who they were. His left hand, which was currently cradling the back of her head, prepared to tilt her backward and in his mind he was telling himself to stop, to not break that sacred trust which he had painstakingly built over months and months, but he couldn't—

A timid knock sounded on the dressing room door.

Ren tore himself away from the trembling girl in his arms, dragging the back of his hand across his mouth, and stalked to the door, all without looking at her. He put his hand on the knob and paused.

"Ready, Setsu?" How was his voice so steady? If he wanted to maintain his sanity, he couldn't look at her right now. He had to trust in her professionalism as he had to trust in his own.

No response.

"Setsu?" He squeezed his eyes shut.

"Ready, brother." Her voice was husky but otherwise normal. Ren felt an odd twinge of disappointment. Had she not been as affected as he was? He gripped the knob. Focus.

He flung open the door and glared at the nervous makeup artist standing there, looming over her in a way only someone of his height could do.

The girl squeaked something incomprehensible.

Cain continued to stare. Setsu sidled up beside him, casually ducking under the arm that he'd been leaning on the doorjamb to stand next to him. "She said she needs to finish your makeup," she said in English, her voice bored.

Cain moved his hand to cradle her against his side, all without dropping his stare from the woman, who seemed as frozen as a mouse caught by a cobra's gaze.

"Is that so?"

"Uh huh."

Cain grunted, which Setsu took as an assent, and they both stepped aside so the makeup artist could enter.

"I'm going to the bathroom," Setsu announced. "I'll be right back."

Ren didn't reply as he sat back in chair again, didn't even look as she left. He didn't think he could bear to see the fear on her face that was surely there.

Closing remarks: Ren got way angsty in all the scenes I tried to write from his perspective and so I'm glad I didn't really add this in.

I know that some of you were scratching your head that Kyoko didn't freak out more about the hickey. She is—internally—but I feel that her accepting physical affection as a character like Setsu is the next logical step in Cain and Setsu's relationship. Consider that she's used to giving and accepting casual touch as Setsu already. Not to mention she was the one who initiated a bite and a hickey on Cain herself (I just double checked: bite first, than hickey). It's not hard to imagine that she—at least—has been preparing for the moment when Cain would make a move. Especially since he already tried to and she only stopped him at the last minute in chapter 196. If she'd been Kyoko at this moment, she would have flipped out, but she's a much better actress than she was several volumes ago and managed to keep it in her mind that it was Cain giving affection to Setsu, not Tsuruga-san.

Anyway, this concludes all the little extras I had for this story. Thanks again for reading and reviewing. I always appreciate constructive feedback. Since some of you asked, no, I don't have plans for a sequel. But I do have another story in the works. As soon as I finish it and polish it a little, I'll start posting. In the meantime, I still get fast ideas for drabbles in "No Business Like Show Business" so check that out instead. :D