Disclaimer: I love Skip Beat!, but that doesn't mean I own it. Pure fan love here.
Story: An accident causes Kuu Hizuri to lose his beloved wife and his memories. Kept safe and secret in Japan, Kuu is lost and alone. That is until he is assigned a caretaker by the name of Kyoko, who looks at him with such pained eyes.
Set as an AU, what if? universe.
Spoilers: Yeeeessss. Yes, yes, yes. Beware?
Warnings: Hm, I need to think about this time.
Pairings: Kuu/Kyoko

Comae Berenicids Falling on Winter
Chapter Two: Loud Inside My Head (Words I Should've Said)

Her hands were anxiously wringing together on her lap as she was driven to President Lory's. There was this terrible, terrible throbbing in her chest, as if her heart was about to fall out of it and fall to the floor in front of her. All she could do was sit there, feeling a strange agony.

She didn't think she could feel any more in pain than when Sho had betrayed her until she saw her mother on TV and refusing to acknowledge her existence. She was surprised that it seemed as if she was being proven wrong again, and all she could do was beg anyone and anything that could hear her that her sensei and his wife were okay.

A hand patting hers knocked her out of her vicious cycle of thoughts, and she looked to her right to see Kuresaki looking forward as he drove.

"I won't tell you it's fine because I know it might not be. But there is chance that it will, so look to and hope for that," he told her softly and she felt calmed for the moment.

Because Kuu was someone she knew had spirit and fight in him and from what little he'd told her about Juliena, she was too beautiful a person to die like this. She had to keep hope, even though a part of her was still cynical and pessimistic enough to know that bad things can still happen to good people.

"I didn't know you spoke English," he said suddenly and she had a feeling he was trying to keep her mind busy.

"Ah, yes," she looked to him tiredly. "I learned it when I was younger. I don't know any other language though."

"It's well spoken," he complimented her. "If you ever go on to have a career in America, it'll be useful for you."

For a moment, she'd stared at him in shock and wondered if he thought she was actually good enough to have a career as an actress in America. Then she remembered Kuu as an actor from America and it down spiraled from there, as she morosely thought that she'd wanted to act with him, and it would've been nice to have done a movie with him in America.

'It's not too late. He's still here. He's alive. You have to believe in that,' she told herself, struggling to stay positive.

Above all, she just wanted him to be okay.

Giving Kuresaki a brittle smile, she looked forward as well and tried to steady herself mentally.

"That's a nice thought," was all she said.

She stayed quiet for the rest of the ride, trying her best to keep positive and not break down in his car.

It wasn't long until they made it to LME and at the front was Sebastian, President Lory's personal assistant.

"It is good to see you, Kyoko," he said warmly, and she tried to smile and look fine even though she was decidedly not. He looked to Kuresaki. "Kuresaki-san, a pleasure to meet you. We're sorry it is at a bad time. Will you be taking your leave now?"

A hand laid itself on Kyoko's shoulder and steadied her, and she hadn't even noticed how she'd been swaying and looking to be toppled over at any moment.

"I will be accompanying Kyoko-san," Kuresaki said quietly and she felt a little bolstered by the support.

A brief look of surprise and hesitation appeared on Sebastian's face, before it disappeared as if those emotions had never been there. He took a step back and opened the door and Kyoko started walking forward mechanically. Once inside, Sebastian took the lead again and started forward, leading them quickly through the lobby and to some elevators, where he pressed a button and then the three of them waited tensely in the elevator.

"Has there been news?" Kyoko tentatively brought up.

Sebastian looked at her and gave a small smile. "Unfortunately, no. However, a doctor promised to call Takarada-san as soon as he had more information."

"Regarding Hizuri-san, I'm guessing this is being kept quiet for now," Kuresaki said and Kyoko was caught off guard, both at what he said and that he knew who she'd been panicking about. Then again, she remembered talking about Kuu to President Lory on the phone, so obviously he'd overheard her, especially since she was just talking in Japanese.

Sebastian nodded. "Yes. Takarada-san decided that it wasn't something that the public needed to know right away, given that he wasn't sure what was going on and he also didn't want the public to be alarmed about his and his wife's condition. He's attempting to control the situation with what information he has, especially for Hizuri-san's sake."

Kyoko hadn't even thought of that. She wondered if it would cause problems for Kuu if everyone found out –would they storm his hospital? Would there be silent vigils? She didn't know if it would be chaos or just sadness. Kuu and Juliena were beloved and she couldn't imagine the impact it would have on those who adored them to know they were severely hurt.

"We're here," Sebastian said as the elevator doors opened. They stepped out to a long hallway and the three of them silently made their way to enormous double doors. Sebastian opened those as well and President Lory was standing to the side of his large office, staring out of his industrial windows with a troubled expression.

"Sir, Kyoko and Kuresaki-san are here," Sebastian announced.

President Lory briefly gave a curious glance to Kuresaki before he came forward to them.

"Thank you, Ruto. You may leave," he dismissed before turning to the two. "Mogami-kun, I'm glad you're here. Kuresaki-san, what a surprise. I'm sorry you had to be here for such an occasion, but if you wish, you can leave."

Kyoko felt a brief moment of panic, because she didn't want to be alone in her anxiety. Though President Lory would be there as well, she knew that he would be in his own panic and grief at the situation, and she didn't want to burden him with her own troublesome feelings.

"I'll stay, if you don't mind," Kuresaki said instead and calmly placed a hand on her arm again, and she felt her breathing slow down. She hadn't even noticed it had sped up again.

She felt like a complete wreck.

"Very well," President Lory said gravely and then gestured to his couches. "Please take a seat."

Then his office phone rang and their eyes were drawn to it. The president headed over to it while Kyoko reluctantly went to the couch, followed by Kuresaki, and they sat down stiffly together. Her hands began wringing together again, and she closed her eyes painfully.

There was still so much she had to learn from him. More importantly, so much she had to say to him still. She wanted to make him proud, show him how much she'd grown as an actress. She wanted to be able to finally call him 'otou-san', like she hadn't been able to before.

She felt hopelessly young and lost. She'd never lost someone like this. Everyone she'd ever lost had purposefully left her behind, abandoning her and not looking back at her cries.

Kyoko wished she could rewind time, call Kuu more often and stay on longer on the phone when they did talk. They hadn't seen each other since the time they'd met, and she wished she could see him right now.

Regrets. All she felt she had were regrets right now.

"Were you close to Hizuri-san?" Kuresaki asked her softly, drawing her out of her hopelessness.

Without warning, two big, fat tears rolled down her face as she looked up at him and she hiccupped as she sniffled. She missed his alarmed look through her tears, but she didn't miss how he'd reached out and grabbed her hands comfortingly.

"Kuu-san is like a mentor," she said, trying to figure out what to say. "I was just on a Love Me assignment to accompany him and cook him Kyoto-styled cuisine. Instead, I met someone who I became very close to and who taught me so much. In some ways…in a lot of ways…he was what I hoped to have had in a father." She wiped at her eyes, taking a shaky breath.

He looked briefly surprised. "I see. I met him a few times and worked with him twice. He's a good man."

She was ridiculously thankful that he'd used the present tense.

President Lory finished on the phone then, thanking whoever he was talking to and then hanging up. He then looked to them, looking shockingly haggard.

"That was the doctor in charge of Kuu. Julie…Kuu's wife passed away," he revealed and Kyoko straightened up, her breath catching in her throat.

She'd never met Juliena, though Kuu had –the few times he'd talked to Kyoko about his wife –waxed as much poetry about her as he had his son. She was beautiful inside and out, and though Kyoko hadn't talked to her –having been told that Juliena had excitedly wanted their first meeting to be face to face – she'd been looking forward to meeting the model. Now she would never be able to.

"As for Kuu," President Lory started again and Kyoko felt anxiety grip her. "I was told he was currently in surgery. He's stable, but they told me that he at least has a broken leg and femur, and a few broken ribs. It's the possible brain trauma that we're concerned about."

Kyoko, unable to help it, let out a sob and held a hand to her mouth. A hand was rubbing her back, but she couldn't think or pay any attention to anything but the fact that Kuu might have some sort of brain trauma.

A cold glass of water was pressed into one of her hands and she was helped into drinking it. She calmed enough to find that President Lory was by her side and kneeling down in front of her, while Kuresaki was still beside her and had been the one helping her drink the water and had been rubbing her back. She gripped the glass tightly and looked to the president.

"What…what do we do now?" she asked helplessly.

"I will be going to America," President Lory told her quietly. "If you'd like to come with me, I can arrange it."

She did, of course she did. But then…

Both she and President Lory looked to Kuresaki, who immediately understood.

"It's fine," he told them. "I can adjust the filming schedule, so that you don't need to be there for a while. There are many scenes that need to be filmed that don't require you, and you've already performed quite well and filmed plenty of scenes ahead of schedule."

Kyoko gave him a grateful smile. She just wished that as she headed to America, that things would be alright. She didn't know if it would be though, and that filled her with dread.

Kyoko had packed a simple luggage and time seemed to have gone by as if she wasn't even in the present. Everything felt dull and she felt numb. She could barely recall anything happening aside from the fact that after what happened in President Lory's office, Kuresaki had finally left them.

It was silent in the office before the president had told her that she should get at least some clothes packed, and had then called over his assistant. Sebastian –no, Ruto was what President Lory had called him –had then taken her to her home in Darumaya, where she informed the elderly couple of what happened and where she was going. They'd bid her a safe journey and sympathies, and then Ruto had taken her straight to the airport where President Lory was waiting for her.

Then the two of them had quietly walked to a private plane, with Ruto following them, and then had gotten seated before the plane went to quickly lift off.

"You know, I am very glad that Kuu had gotten to meet you," President Lory said sometime into their flight.

She looked at him in surprise, but he just smiled sadly at her.

"He told me that his time with you had been precious and that it had become one of his very cherished memories. He and Julie had been in a very sad and lonely period then, but you'd become a bright spot that had helped, even Julie who had never met you. So thank you for that, Mogami-kun."

She blushed, not knowing any of that. "Please just call me Kyoko, President Lory," she replied with instead, because the thought of being so helpful and valued to those two overwhelmed her.

"Then it's just Lory outside of work," he gently nudged her, smile becoming a little less sad. "Any friend of Kuu's is a friend of mine," he even managed to tease.

She smiled slightly at him before it faltered. "Do you think he'll be okay?" she asked quietly.

The president –Lory –gave her a mournful look. "I don't know," he told her. "I hope so and if I could summon all the love in the world to make it so, I would. But I am just a man and I know that there's very little I can do now, other than to painfully wait for my friend to pull through."

She licked her lips. "He'll be okay," she said firmly.

"You think so?" he asked and she nodded. He smiled brightly and patted her hand. "You're right. He will be. He's a stubborn dog after all."

But the two of them could only just hope there together.

She'd slept plenty on the plane, so when she walked onto the streets of Los Angeles in the early morning of the day, she felt wide awake. She knew jet lag would catch up to her, but for now, she was amazed by all the sights and sounds of the bustling city, though it wasn't quite yet awake due to the hour.

But then someone touched her and she looked to see a solemn Lory by her side, and she remembered again why and who they were there for. The reality of it hit her hard and she gave him a small smile.

Together they waited for Ruto to come around with the rental car, and in the end the both of them ended up tightly holding hands in comfort.

"I-if he's gone…" she began to say, voice crowded with tears. "If he's gone, I never even got to say goodbye to him!" Not like that, not to say how much he meant to her, how much she appreciated and loved him in her own way…

She began to cry and was pulled into a hug, which she reciprocated. Feeling him shaking, she realized that Lory was crying too or at least holding tears back, which made her hold onto him tighter.

They only separated when Ruto pulled to a stop in front of them, and they both took a moment to try to calm down. They then got into the car and Ruto didn't mention their sorry, miserable states as he started to drive out of there.

The drive to the hospital was a quiet one, where it was filled with uncertainty and a certain amount of dread that filled them. At some point, Kyoko and Lory had held hands again and tried not to let thoughts of Kuu haunt them.

But it was a hard thing, as the very thought of him hung over their heads and they couldn't escape the thought of being too late.

Too soon, they were at the hospital and Ruto left them at the front, while he went to go find parking. Lory held tightly to her hand, looking more and more anxious as he came towards the hospital. Kyoko didn't even want to know how she looked.

He eventually managed to find out where Kuu was being held and had then maneuvered her to there, still holding onto her hand like it was a lifeline. They found the area and was buzzed in, and Lory wasted no time in finding someone and trying to find out where Kuu's room was. But that seemed good, right? He was being held in a room and wasn't in surgery any longer. That meant good things, that he was okay. Right?

Just as they got the room number, they were interrupted by someone who told them he was the doctor in charge of Kuu. Lory finally let go of her hand and stepped towards him, but he did turn to her and give her a reassuring smile.

"Go on. I'll meet you in his room," he said.

She nodded and hurried away, wanting to find and see Kuu already. She found his room number and entered cautiously, not knowing what she'd find.

The room was still dark, blinds close and lighting dimmed down. She hesitated before turning on the lights, fumbling for the light switch. She then stepped further into the room, the door closing behind her as she walked away from it and dazedly towards the still figure on the bed.

Kuu lay on the bed, face darkened with bruises and his nose looked like it had been broken. He was covered in a blanket, but she could still see his leg wrapped up. An IV drip was hooked up to his arm, and there was a machine monitoring his vitals. The beeping coming from it was eerie, the only noise breaking the silence in the room.

There was a pain in her chest as she sadly sat by his side. She leaned closer to him, her hands gripping the metal railing.

"Good morning, Kuu-san," she choked out, trying to act and sound normal. "I came to America to visit you. Finally, right? Even though we talked about it a lot before, I never really got to do it until now. You need to wake up so you can show me around, like you promised. Y-you promised."

She bit down on her lip, not wanting to cry.

Kyoko had really hoped he'd wake up, but he hadn't. Still, she wasn't going to give up on him. She was here now and she had to be there for him.

And when he woke up, she was still going to be there for him and she wouldn't let him heal on his own.

Started 8/4/17 – Completed 8/6/17

A/n: I'm glad to see some people are interested in this. I wasn't really sure if people would, pairing's not all that popular after all, but even just a small amount is nice. This is, though, going to be a long time in developing a relationship, so I hope people are in for the long haul. Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and please remember to review!

(Still hopelessly hoping someone will do this) Request: So I'd gotten back into this fandom because one day I felt like rewatching the anime and seeing certain arcs again, and then I thought about the manga and went to its wikia and ran across the wiki profiles of Kuresaki and Koga, which interested me enough to go and read the newest arc of Skip Beat! (and henceforth skipped all the chapters since I last read the manga), and then end up rewatching the anime for real and then read the manga from where I left off on the anime. I loved the new arc so much I really got back into Skip Beat!, but I was disappointed to come back and find practically no variation of stories with Kyoko other than pairing her with Ren! It's frustrating and part of the reason why I lacked any interest in this fandom before, so I would like to request a story, even if it's a one-shot, pairing her with either Kuresaki, Koga, Director Shingai, Yashiro, Matsushima (the Head of LME's acting department), Nakazawa (the Head of LME's singing department), Kuu, or even anyone not mentioned that is practically NEVER paired with Kyoko. In fact, I'll call this the Rare Kyoko Love Fest Challenge!

Please answer this challenge and do your best to write it!

Anon Reviews:

1. Ns: Thanks! Hope you like this chapter.

2. Guest: Thanks! I love the Hizuri family too~