Kyoko's Fear: My co-star is scary. (A Skip Beat! Fanfic)

On the road.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

For the first night since arriving at Ren's apartment, Kyoko slept in the guest bedroom, the close encounter and the worry she had been feeling all day about someone telling her how inappropriate her behaviour was made her weary of being caught again. She kept Kuma with her and when she got into bed she called him up beside her, hugging him tightly. It just wasn't the same as being in Ren's arms. Even though she no longer feared Kuma and she felt safe in his presence he didn't offer her the same undeniable feeling of security and safety that Ren did. After a few hours tossing and turning she finally slept.

Ren lay awake in his king sized bed. Until this moment he had never really thought about how big his bed was, but lying there now alone in the large, empty bed in the large, empty room he felt the size and scale of everything. Why did it feel fine before? He knew the reason, he knew it was because she wasn't there. Every sound he jumped hoping it was her, hoping she would come back to him. But after a few hours when he drifted into an uneasy sleep his mind reeled 'She never came.'

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

They were up at 5am the next morning and at LME by 5:30am. Their luggage now stored beneath the coach they all boarded and went to their respective seats. Kuma was given the entirety of the back seat to himself where he lay fully stretched out as Kyoko and Ren laughed. Chiori and Kanae both went back to sleep and Yashiro said he would try to do the same. After a few attempts at getting comfortable Kyoko gave up, sitting up straight she looked over at Ren who sat staring out of the window at the passing scenery.

"Can I sit with you?" she asked as he looked at her and nodded.

"Of course Kyoko-san, I'd be grateful for some company." she sat on the seat next to him and they talked about a whole range of things together: acting, movies they had seen, and parts they would love to perform. The topics were so varied neither of them had a chance to think about much else, though they did ask the driver twice during the six hour journey to pull over so they could allow Kuma to relieve himself. The other three still slept, all the staff and Saya had already gone ahead the day before and Nick would be meeting them there tonight as he had work to do before he could commit to the five day shoot.

They were a little over halfway there when their conversation died to a companionable silence. After about half an hour Ren felt a small weight on his shoulder and looking down he saw Kyoko had fallen asleep. Leaning both of their chairs back into sleeping positions, he allowed her to remain on his shoulder as he gently brushed her hair from her eyes and kissed her forehead. Not five minutes later he was asleep as well, their hands meeting in sleep entwined as they found the closeness they both had missed the night before.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

"Sssshhusshhh" Saya hissed as she snapped another picture of the sleeping pair. No one wanted to wake them as they looked so sweet and peaceful together. Saya just had to get some pictures before exiting the coach again and then Kanae and Yashiro woke up the loving couple.

Kanae sighed as they made their way to wake them up and Yashiro grinned,

"What's wrong, Kanae-san?" he asked as she looked at him with a half-hearted expression.

"They look good together." she said as they neared the sleeping duo.

"Is that a bad thing? I thought you wanted them together?" he asked as he watched the beautiful young woman's face.

"I did...I mean I do its just that...it kind of feels like I'm losing my best friend." she admitted. She wouldn't have said this to anyone else but as Yashiro was in the same boat she was hoping he would at least be able to understand what she meant.

"See, you just have to look at it a different way Kanae-san. I don't see it as losing a friend I see it as gaining more friends. I hope you will be one of them." he smiled at her sincerely and moved forward to wake Ren and Kyoko giving Kanae time to digest his words.

Gaining more friends...I suppose Glasses-kun is right.

She thought using Saya's nickname for the tall manager. Kyoko watched him as he gently touched both actor and actress, telling them kindly they were here. His shoulders filled his suit jacket perfectly. His legs were long and he was a good height, not as tall as Ren but not short either. Kanae smiled at her own judgement.

"Come on Kyoko-chan, or I'm going ahead without you." she called as Kyoko jumped up, excused herself and ran after her best friend. Ren looked at Yashiro and saw a fangirl moment coming on. Sighing in resignation as he knew he would never stop him, he kept Yashiro on the coach until his feverish excitement at seeing them sleeping together and even holding hands had settled. Ren never denied anything Yashiro said he was too happy to care. He had slept badly the night before, but from just being with her on the coach he felt he had slept for days, the best sleep he had ever had. He was now completely refreshed and ready to work.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

They sat through the briefing and meeting with the staff. The schedule was all done. They would start filming at 1:00 so they had time for lunch first, all of them choosing to eat together. Ren introduced them to all the people he knew from Rmandy who had come to help. Never leaving anyone out he made everyone feel welcome, but Kanae noticed how neither of them were ever far away from each other as they chatted with the staff.

"So any big news I need to know about?" Saya asked as she stood next to Kanae looking out of the conference room window at Mount Fuji

"Did you hear about the attack?" Kanae asked not looking away from the view before her.

"Yes I did, how is she coping?" Saya asked honestly worried for the young girl.

"Even though I hate to say it, she needs him, more than she even needs me right now. She has started to realise her own feelings but that doesn't mean she won't deny them with all her might." Saya nodded in approval as she bowed to the girls knowledge of her best friend.

"So what do you suggest?" she asked as Kanae finally turned to her.

"I'm still working on it."