I do not own Skip Beat, obviously, and I hope you'll enjoy my story!

"Oh no…" She said breathlessly as the rain came down like a piece of concrete falling from a rooftop JUST as she was getting out of the cab. A lightning crossed the dark sky, followed by a deep rumble and blinded Kyoko for a moment before she started to run.

When she'd first left her home the weather had looked nice enough, so she didn't bring a raincoat or an umbrella, which she was harshly punished for only fifteen minutes later, just about fifty meters away from LME's entrance doors.

Now I can imagine you saying: "Hey, that's not far, why don't you just run the rest of the way?", but then I'll tell you this; to run in this rain would about as smart as jumping into a river. And since Kyoko would like to have somewhat dry clothes, she thought it was necessary to find shelter. Fast.

She spotted a garage opening to an apartment building, ran as fast as she could, and managed to get in there before she looked as if someone had pushed her into a lake… now it just looked like as if she'd stepped into the shower in full blast for eight seconds and then out again with her clothes on.

She groaned as she looked out in the rain, seeing the light from the entrance she was aiming for. She was so close! At the same time she noticed that there were people everywhere under door frames and other garage openings, everyone as frustrated and desperate for shelter as Kyoko. She wasn't even surprised when she realized she wasn't all alone in the garage opening she was in. Some guy was standing on the other side, glaring out in the sky, equally pissed as Kyoko.

"Some weather, huh." She said, not looking at him so he wouldn't recognize her and shook her head. She got even more annoyed when drops of water rained from her hair, even though she wore a hat. That was that hairdo. He grunted as an answer and continued to glare out in the sky and she chose to ignore her fellow prisoner. Instead, she picked up her phone and noticed there was a message waiting for her. She smiled as she realized who it was.

Some weather, huh. Please tell me you're not standing somewhere out there under some random roof, soaking wet and cold. Next to some guy I don't know

Kyoko glanced over the guy on her side and had to giggle when she noticed he'd chosen her exact words.

Trust me Ren, I truly wish I could. And how did you know? Are you psychic or something? I'm sorry, but I think we'll have to wait this rain- The sky growled once again, right after a huge lightning - and thunder out, before we can go anywhere. Besides, my hair and makeup is pretty much ruined.

His answer came soon after, there was no doubt he didn't have any more work for today.

Nope, not psychic, I just know what happens to you on daily basis. If he comes near you, call me and I'll be there in a second. Or even better, leave your current location. Where are you by the way?

A little rain can't destroy your beauty; you're just as beautiful no matter what you wear or how you look. Kyoko blushed and had to smile even more. She was happy he didn't see her right now, or rather, she was happy she didn't see him right now; she knew the smile he would give her. But yes, this kind of ruins our plans.

She made a face at the first comment. She felt the urge to argue, but judging from her history she knew he was sadly right in his teasing, though she wasn't worried about this guy over there since he seemed to take very little notice about her; he was still looking angrily towards the sky.

She sighed. They had been planning on having this picnic in the sun, enjoying some free hours just the two of them. It would take place in Takarada's huge garden since they would both have to disguise themselves if they went to a public park (go figure), and neither of them wanted to be someone else. They were free to come and go as they wanted; this was a little gift from Lory to his two most hardworking and well, stalked actors.

And it got even worse since they got together; people were suckers for celebrity romances, especially when it's about Japan's two most successful actors suddenly hugging on the front page of any newspaper you could find. They could barely leave their house without getting recognized. So Kyoko had taken on a huge risk by walking out so openly.

But now that that plan was ruined, they had to come up with another idea, and there was no way she would go home without at least seeing him. Kyoko bit her lip and hesitated just before she wrote the last part of her next message, red starting to color her cheeks again.

Now that's just mean. I'm in the garage opening to the big apartment building right across LME's entrance. Don't worry, he's not even looking this way. Can't we just go to your place or something?

She actually got two replies about ten-fifteen seconds later. 'Geez, he's a quick writer.' She thought as she read the texts with mixed feelings. The first one read:

No, it's not okay. You can never know who it is.

Kyoko felt a bit bad for the guy a few meters away from her. What if Ren would've been there? She replied that he was being ridiculous and read the next text:

Sure, I absolutely love that idea. Suddenly I wish for this storm to end even sooner than before.

Kyoko did her best, she really did, to imagine him saying that with that angelic smile and comfortable voice. Instead the image of a smiling face that was more devilish than angelic, with a low more sinful voice popped up in her head. The image was so clear in her mind she gasped when she read the text. She knew him too well to be able to fool herself.

'Honestly, that face can't even leave me alone when I actually AM alone?' She thought and then muttered in a very low tone. "Stupid overly beautiful man, with his stupid drowning eyes and stupid evil smile…" She took a deep breath and looked up at the angry sky. It never seemed to come to an end, it even seemed like it got darker by the minute. "And stupid rain and stupid clouds and-" another flash of light blinded her "- and stupid thunder from preventing me from going to my stupid beautiful man."

She refused to say boyfriend. Not because it was embarrassing in the love kind of way, but because she hated the word. Boyfriend was something you called a guy when you're a dumb teenager with a temporary relationship with a boy you "love". And if anyone said she and Ren dated, she would flat out deny it and protest. They did NOT date. Date was also something you did when you weren't sure whether it was going to hold or not. For Kyoko, it sounded like a love test. Idiotic and unnecessary.

What they had was something more, something stronger than the average relationship. They didn't need to send a thousand hearts and smilies in one text to prove that they loved each other. And they didn't need to call the other sugary sweet nicknames all the time either. They knew the other one loved the other just as much anyway. And they did not date, they were together as one.

The funny part was that Ren thought the same, when his manager squealed about the two of them dating, Ren and Kyoko had silenced him in an instant and left the poor man very confused until they explained. Ren never called her his girlfriend. Soul mate or heart, sure, and he planned to call her something else in a near future, but that doesn't belong to this story. But he never called her his girlfriend.

But now back to the flustered girl in the garage opening.

You can't say that. I don't know how to answer to such a comment. Kyoko eventually answered after pouting and not coming up with a good retort. His first answer was to the first text saying he wasn't being ridiculous, he wanted her to move to another place. Then this came:

Say what, Love? When they actually called each other something different from their real names, it gave more impact. 'Love' was Ren's absolute favorite word to use when he spoke to Kyoko.

The faint blush still staying on her cheeks, she huffed in frustration. Sure, try to play innocent. I know what you're doing. Don't even try. I'm not saying anything more. And yes, you're being silly, and overprotective. I won't move, I've had enough water, thank you very much.

You think so?

Yes.

You sure?

Yes!

She started to get annoyed, she didn't want to discuss this any further. She just wanted the rain to stop so she could go.

Then suddenly, she stiffened. Her heart stopped as she realized the guy on the other side was staring at her. She must have been recognized. With a shaky hand she held her phone tight, ready to press the little green phone.

He took a step towards her, and she pressed the little 'call' without a single hint of hesitation, and was just about to run when she heard a familiar tune.

She froze.

"No… freaking… way. You're kidding me right?" She said to the figure in front of her. The tune continued and the guy in front of her started to shake… from laughter, and he stepped closer, so she could see his face.

She gasped.

"Ren! What… no wait, how…? When…?" She was so baffled she couldn't speak properly.

Ren stepped closer, still laughing, taking her phone and shutting it off right before he wrapped his arms around his shocked girl. Looking straight into her eyes.

"I've been here all the time. I'm surprised you didn't notice!" He laughed. "I didn't see that it was you at first, but when I heard your voice there was no doubt. You were so busy reading and replying to my texts that you didn't notice me doing the same." Then his smile turned into a frown and he groaned as he said "You need to stop making those lovely faces around other people, especially around strange guys in a garage."

It wasn't until now Kyoko realized that she'd been standing in the spotlight of a streetlight. She'd automatically assumed that if she couldn't see the face of the guy on the other side, he couldn't see hers as well.

"But why did you… how did you…?" She said breathlessly, and embarrassed by knowing he'd been staring at her all this time.

"Why and how I got here? Well, I was on my way to LME from the garage I always park in, when this monsoon rain decided to come down from nowhere, and I had to find somewhere to hide."

He then lifted his one hand to her face and took a piece of her wet hair between his fingers.

"And when I was about to get angry, you came in. As breathtaking as ever." Was his only comment as he gazed over her with those wondrous eyes.

Of course she couldn't reply to that since she was still learning how to breathe again. A normal person would wonder how he could have stayed so cool, and act so different when she showed up. But hey, he's an actor.

He then inched down close to her face, and just when she was about to close her eyes and got ready for the contact, a playful smile appeared on his lips.

"Do you really think the thunder is so stupid now? It's the one thing that brought you to your stupid overly beautiful man…" He caressed her cheek while chuckling.

Her eyes widened and she moaned as her cheeks burned. She pressed her face against his wet shirt against his neck instead, hiding. Ren started to laugh again as he gently rubbed her back.

"You heard that, didn't you." She said in a humiliated voice.

"Obviously. But I've got to say I'm flattered, in a weird way." Chortle.

She muttered something inaudible as a reply.

"What did you say?" he smiled, putting his one hand under her chin so she was forced to look at him.

"You're not stupid." He stared at her. She confessed he was beautiful. Though he knew that's what she thought all along, to hear it every once in a while made his day.

He then broke into that smile she loved more than anything, and once again pressed her against his hard frame and brought her face close to his.

"Promise me this though, love." He whispered against her mouth.

"Anything." She put her arms around his neck.

"Next time you get stuck together with someone you don't know. Go."

She smiled, closing the small distant between them. "I promise."

A lightning passed unnoticed on the sky above them.

A/N: … What? I like writing stuff when it's raining/storming outside. The atmosphere is perfect. And yes, I hate the words date and boyfriend/girlfriend. Don't mention them.

And this was actually inspired from a couple of weeks ago when I was stuck in a garage opening because of a stupid thunder and a shower I wasn't prepared for. -_-

So this was my second fanfic, I hope you like it!