Archive of Our Own

A woman's heart was precious above all other things.

On it would be etched the name of the one she loved. They would hold it, treasure it, protect it, care for it, and as long as they did so she would feel joy above anything else on earth.

A man's heart was his greatest weakness.

It was elusive, concealed by pride and strength to hide its delicate fragility. On it would be carved the name of the one he loved. They would hold it, hide it, protect it, and as long as they did so he would have a peace and joy that nothing else could provide him.

The heart was the cored of true happiness.

Mogami Kyoko had been taught this since she was very small. She heard the horror stories, of course. Of hearts with names scratched out, of chinks and dents in poorly cared for hearts. She had heard the achingly wonderful stories of hearts with more than one name, where a partner had died and their remaining lover had found someone else to carry them through the rest of their life.

But best of all, Kyoko loved to hear about the Perfect Hearts. Only those who found True Love after the sorest of trials could have a Perfect Heart. Unblemished, shining, these were beacons of pure happiness, eventually becoming family heirlooms that stood as a reminder of how perfect a love could be.

Kyoko looked over her shoulder, her eyes resting on her prince. Fuwa Shotaro was rambunctious even for a seven year old, and was being scolded by his father for throwing rocks at guests. But her cheeks warmed as she looked at him and she smiled in spite of his behavior.

He was her world, that Sho-chan.

"Really, I don't know what I'm going to do with him," Sho's mother sighed as she glided gracefully to stand next to Kyoko. "He needs someone to be watching him constantly."

"I'm sure he'll grow out of it," Kyoko answered softly. She received a warm smile in return.

"If he doesn't, he's going to need someone very special to take care of him. Someone who can reach his heart, even through all that selfishness."

"He isn't that bad," Kyoko retorted, still speaking softly. She was given a tired smile in answer.

"You're going to what?" Ren sighed over his lunch, absently poking at the barely touched food. Yashiro tried again. "Please repeat what you said. It made no sense. I must not have heard you right."

"You certainly misquoted me," Ren sighed smiling politely at his senior. Yashiro snorted at the smile and jabbed his chopsticks at Ren.

"That smile works on other people, but I know how little respect you're giving me. Honestly, you need to treat your seniors with more sincerity. I'm your senpai you know."

"Oh exalted senpai," Ren intoned in mock seriousness, "please don't misquote me at the office. Our beloved, and oh so exciting president might hear you."

"Oh fine. But seriously, what happened?" Ren sighed again.

"I was just walking to dinner yesterday and I saw a girl walking with some guy. I noticed him first, really. Then she smiled and I…" he drifted off, too embarrassed to say again the thought that had run through his head. He was trying to figure out what evil demon had prompted him to confide in his senpai in the first place.

Oh right. The evil demon that worked upstairs that said he needed to make friends. Why was his life so complicated?

"You thought, 'I'm going to marry her,'" Yashiro finished.

"'I want to marry her,'" Ren corrected, then winced at Yashiro's smile. "It was just a random thought," he continued casually, striving to keep the defensive note out of his voice. "It doesn't mean anything."

"What doesn't mean anything?" Both men at the table blinked as the third seat at their table suddenly filled with the illustrious and gloriously flamboyant company president. He smiled broadly at his employees who were trying to figure out how he had made such a discreet entrance. Not that he was discreet. Dressed as an Egyptian pharaoh with his aide in attendance, he drew plenty of attention. But that he had come in without a parade was unusual.

"Good afternoon, Takarada-shachou," Yashiro bowed from his seat. Ren, insolent and irritated, nodded a silent greeting. Lory raised a brow, but Ren took a large bite of food and continued in silence.

"Hello, Yashiro-san. What is my young protégé up to today?" Ren smiled blindingly at his boss.

"Sir, I'm hardly worth your attention. I'm only a junior employee after all. Isn't this a bit conspicuous?" Lory snorted.

"Tell me honestly that all eyes in this room weren't already focused on your table and maybe I'll feel bad."

"Are there any men in the room?" Ren asked pointedly.

"Sitting at tables with women looking at you, yes. Those would be the murderous glares that are building up the heat on the back of your head."

"Oh joy," Ren grumbled, taking another reluctant bite of food.

"I still say you should have been a model," Yashiro mumbled around a mouthful of his own lunch. "You would have been voted the Sexiest Man in Japan."

"He can always make a career change," Lory noted. "What doesn't mean anything?"

"Ren found a girl," Yashiro answered before his kohai could deny anything. Lory's face lit up in excitement. "Well, saw a girl," he amended apologetically.

"Well that's certainly an improvement from a girl pouncing on him and dragging him into a relationship," Lory conceded, still slightly deflated. "What did he say to her?"

"I'm still here," Ren pointed out coolly. He was ignored.

"He didn't say anything. There was another man with her." The sparkle was back in Lory's eye.

"Boyfriend? Brother?" Yashiro looked to Ren, unsure. The younger man considered not answering and simply walking away from the table, but he had the feeling that he would be mobbed and a scene would occur that would be humiliating and risky.

"They didn't look related," he said calmly. "They weren't… intimate in any way. They were just walking together, and she smiled at him."

"Smiled?" Lory asked with a quirked brow.

"Like he was the only thing in her world," Ren added with a touch of asperity. Yashiro shifted uncomfortably, but Lory ignored the tone. A relationship of too many years was built between the president and this relatively new employee to expect Ren to treat his boss with the same ingrained cultural respect that others showed. Too many years in foreign lands to boot.

"Sounds like you've got a challenge," the older man mused, leaning back and steepling his fingers. "What's your plan?"

"Well, tomorrow, I will wake up and go to work. I will work until evening, when I will go home, probably read a book, and then go to bed. The next day, I will do the same thing, and the next day, and the next, and the next, barring the weekend when I will most likely-"

"Don't," Lory interrupted with an expression of acute pain, "for love's sake, tell me what pathetic plans you have for your weekends. My poor heart couldn't take it."

"Then we're done talking about this?" Yashiro winced this time, and Lory decided to give Ren a warning frown. He looked a bit worried, but schooled his features quickly enough. "Sir?"

"You give up way too easily," Lory grumbled, unrepentant when Ren's eyes flashed. "Don't you want anything badly enough to fight for it?"

Lunch.

The bane of his existence at noon every single day of his life. Ren wondered what the point of food was. In order to escape Yashiro's pestering (a full week and the man had not let this unidentified girl drop), he had escaped from the office as quickly as he could saying there was a new place he wanted to try out and he would report back on it later.

Problem. He now needed to find a new place to eat.

Systematically examining restaurants as he walked along, he realized he would need to head fairly far out to find a place to eat that was not known to his coworkers. Resigning himself to a short meal and two long walks, more to his taste than eating anyway, he kept a casual eye on where he was going and turned down a random street.

Fifteen minutes later, much shorter than he had expected, the scenery had changed. Tall business buildings shrank to neighborhood style shops. And food was looking fairly scarce. Things were going to get interesting if he tried to explain to Yashiro that he had gotten lost, which meant he needed to hurry and find something, anything, to eat.

And then, there was divine intervention.

A small restaurant, tucked between two larger buildings, an intimidating daruma painted in black next to the name on the sign above the door. Walking in, he was met with the equally intimidating stare of the taisho behind the counter. Rather than taking a seat there, Ren decided to find a nice corner to hide in. He was already getting stares from other customers. Trying to avoid looking anyone in the eye, he felt rather than saw the waitress approach.

"Welcome. What can I get for you today?" Ren looked up and froze. "Sir?"

"Oh." He looked down quickly, trying to regroup his thoughts. It was her. "Sorry. I haven't decided yet."

"Would you like a suggestion?" He glanced up and was instantly caught by her expression, helpful and earnest. He was smiling back, he realized. Like he had not smiled since he had come out here.

"Please," he accepted, watching with no small amount of amusement as she colored slightly, but held her composure.

It was the best lunch he had ever eaten.

"You saw her again!" Yashiro's eyes glinted with barely repressed glee. Ren wondered what force of nature had prompted him to confide yet again in this insane, dare he say fangirl, of a senpai.

"I happened to have lunch at the place where she works," he stated casually.

Instead of dropping the subject, Yashiro's smile turned sly and glanced at Ren sideways before asking archly, "Ren, did you stalk her?"

The thought had not even crossed the younger man's mind.

"No. I don't even know her name. How could I possibly stalk her?"

"You didn't ask her?" His senpai looked stupefied.

"There wasn't a good reason to," Ren answered defensively.

"You want to see her again," Yashiro countered. Ren felt compelled to stay silent. He did want to see her again, but that was not a good excuse to act like a lovestruck idiot.

"She probably has a boyfriend," he finally answered. Yashiro snorted.

"Or she doesn't."

"It doesn't matter. She's probably in high school."

"And you're ancient."

"I'm too old for her," Ren stated with a chilling smile. Yashiro shivered, but ignored the warning.

"Ren, girls grow up faster than boys do. And if she's working while she should be in high school, she probably doesn't have an easy life. She's probably older than a cushioned gentleman like you."

Ren did not answer. Let Yashiro misunderstand. It was easier than admitting the truth.

"You said you wouldn't call anymore." His voice was tight as he tried not to growl into the mouthpiece. It was times like this that he was not sure who he was anymore.

"Kuon, your mother and I are worried about you-"

"You have no idea how Mom feels. The only reason you are calling me is probably because she still won't talk to you." There was silence from the other end.

"You left so suddenly…"

"For a reason. I didn't need to be harassed into hesitating. I'm doing fine. Work is simple. Would you leave me alone?" He could almost feel the pain coming from the other side of the line. He had kept his temper so much better before, when he had had to see his parents face to face. Lying had been easy then. Now, a continent away, the bitterness he felt towards himself leaked out and made him irritable. He loved his parents. He loved them more than anything. Why could they not just leave him alone? They deserved better than to be tainted by him. Their perfect love did not need him. "I'm sorry, Dad. I'm just a bit tired. This isn't a good time."

"When is?" The voice was not perky, but held a trace of hope that Kuon felt guilty quashing.

"Never, Dad. I need space."

"There's an ocean between us!" Pain and frustration. Why did he do this to them. Why did they let him hurt them so much?

"Sorry, Dad. I just… want to forget it ever happened." He could feel his father sagging, imagine him leaning against the couch, burying his face in his hand and remembering those painful weeks after the accident. Ren struggled to the surface. "I want to forget that Kuon Hizuri ever existed."

He hung up. He did not need to hear father start to cry.

"Sir, are you alright?" Ren, Kuon had decided, was a masochist. He had barely slept after his conversation with his father, and had decided that today of all days he was going to further torment himself by trying to see this girl again.

"I'm fine," he answered with his most gentle smile. She frowned, her hands clenching tightly on the tray in her hands. He got the impression that she did not believe him.

"Is… there anything that I can do for you?" Ren immediately discarded all of Kuon's answers, glancing at the taisho to remind his more volatile self that it would be dangerous as well as stupid. Her earnestness touched him again. Something tight inside of him eased slightly.

"No, but thank you. I'll be just fine."

"Alright. Let me know if you need anything."

You. But he could not say that. It made no sense to. "I'll be fine. I just need a good lunch." She smiled brightly at that.

"Taisho is the best. We'll make sure you have an excellent meal!"

Ren made an oath then and there that he would not tell Yashiro how much he had wanted to kiss her just then.

"Since you won't tell me where that girl works," Yashiro began, ignoring Ren's ignoring him, "I found another place to eat. We should go some time."

"Why?" Ren asked after he had swallowed his bite of food.

"Are you even Japanese?" Yashiro demanded. "I'm your senpai. That's why."

"I thought drinking was traditional for associating outside of work."

"I don't drink very much," Yashiro admitted quietly, looking out the business's café window to avoid Ren's questioning gaze. "It's too expensive."

Ren blinked.

"You have a stable job in one of the most affluent companies in the country and are head of your division. In what universe is drinking too expensive for you?"

"I kill all my electronics," Yashiro told him with a serious look. Ren stared.

"What, do you drop your phone into your cup every time you get a bit tipsy?" Yashiro's nose went into the air.

"Hardly. I'm perfectly capable of holding my alcohol."

"Then what's the problem?"

"I forget my gloves."

Ren decided that he did not want to know.

"Your father called me." Lory held a cigar easily in one hand. Ren did his best to not wrinkle is nose. Quitting smoking had been a challenge. He now had a very powerful aversion to cigarettes as long as he did not have one in his hand. But to reach this point, second hand smoke had become beyond repulsive to him, and sitting in a room with Lory Takarada meant he had to smell smoke. "He's… worried about you."

"He always worries," Ren answered, careful not to let the slightest concern show on his face. "Did you really need to call me up here to tell me that?"

"What did you say to him?"

"Aren't my conversations allowed to be personal? I called him at home, on my own phone. Well, he called me there. I've disconnected the number now. I only really need a work phone. Maybe he's worried because he can't reach me."

"I hope so," came the calm reply. "Although, that hardly warrants him asking me if I think you're suicidal."

It was a battle of wills that Ren was not sure he was going to win. Lory knew him well enough to see right through him if he was not very careful. And he had not realized that his father would be so impacted by what he had said.

"I assume you told him I was perfectly fine," he answered in what he hoped was an amused and slightly incredulous tone.

"Oh I did. Although he seemed worried enough that I told him you had found a girl you were interested in. He seemed to think that made you safe."

Angry barely covered what Ren felt just then. Livid seemed to work well, though.

"You told him what?" He smiled. He made sure he smiled, because Ren would smile, and Kuon was determined to prove that he was Ren now.

"I told him you had an interest in a girl. Smart thing, disconnecting your phone, by the way. I told him you didn't talk about it, and that I didn't know very much, so I imagine he is still trying to reach you. Have you checked your old email address?"

"I shut it down."

"Then he's probably getting lots of dial tones and error message emails."

"I can't believe you told him that."

"He's my friend. He was worried. I comforted him."

"You do realize that when I don't contact them in the next few weeks to tell them I am engaged, they are going to come out here and ruin everything."

"I'll keep them at bay. Trust me, Ren. I want you to succeed as much as they do."

"Thanks." His tone was scorching dry.

"It's what I'm here for," came the cheerful answer. "So, what's this about you stalking this high school girl?"

Ren promised to kill Yashiro.

"You're here again." She seemed delighted to see him, and he tried to ignore that this was because regular customers were what kept a place like this in business. He had been coming every other day since his father had called. She was not there every day, but he liked the atmosphere here.

"It's close to work and I enjoy the food here."

"Taisho is amazing," she sighed happily. "Would you like your usual, Tsuruga-san?"

"You know my name?" She turned pink.

"It's on your planner," she said quietly, glancing at the innocuous volume on the table. Ren had been using the wait time while his order was prepared to set his schedule. Apparently she had been watching him more closely than he thought. This delighted him, but he tried to keep his smile merely polite.

"I see. I guess I just felt strange because I don't know your name."

"Oh, my name isn't important," she stammered, straightening into a stiff posture. "I'm only your server."

He had the feeling he needed to be clever about this. "It doesn't seem fair, you knowing my name and not telling me yours." She blanched and bowed suddenly, a scrambled apology pouring out of her lips. Since the rest of the customers only chuckled and shook their heads, Ren assumed this was not too unusual.

"I'm so sorry!" she gasped at last, pausing to take a breath.

"You didn't need to apologize so much," Ren told her, grinning. "I'm not the sort of guy who holds grudges against someone who apologizes sincerely the first time." Well, not anymore.

"Oh." Her look of relief was hilarious. Really, this girl.

"But," he continued, "I would like to know your name." She hesitated for a long moment.

"Mogami Kyoko," she said at last. He resisted the impulse to call her Kyoko with some difficulty. Stupid Japanese customs.

"Mogami Kyoko," he repeated slowly, enjoying how it sounded. "Thank you for telling me you name, Mogami-san."

"I- I need to take Taisho your order," she mumbled, almost as though she were slightly dazed. Ren's smile, already brighter than he even knew he could produce, lingered as he considered this new development.

Mogami Kyoko. Her name was Mogami Kyoko.

What on earth was he going to tell Yashiro?

"I saw Kyoko-chan again today," Yashiro announced as he approached Ren's work desk. "Was your Mogami-san at the Darumaya?"

"Are you in love with that café waitress?" Ren asked mildly as he sorted the papers he would be taking home. Work seemed to be piling up over the past few weeks.

Yashiro chuckled. "No. Unlike you, I actually am too old to take an interest in a high school girl. But she's cute. Kind of like the little sister I always wanted."

"To call you Onee-san?" Ren asked, earning a grumble from his superior.

"I am perfectly and completely male," Yashiro told him, following Ren out to the parking garage. Ren was not sure how it had happened, but he had adopted the role of chauffer for his senpai. "Just because I still read comics-"

"Girl comics. And you watch high school dramas. I know the entire plot of Box R and I've never seen a single episode."

"Well, Amamiya Chiori is an actress with impact. Her portrayal of Natsu is interesting."

"And then there's that other drama you are addicted to…"

"Usegi Hio is a child prodigy in acting," Yashiro declared forcefully. "And Kotonami Kanae is a genius actress. They say she can memorize a script just by glancing through it once!"

"I'm noticing a trend in the females that you pay attention to," Ren noted.

"They're actresses?"

"They're in high school. What kind of older brother figure did you plan on being for this Kyoko-chan?"

"You have a dirty mind," Yashiro grumbled. "I'll bet you think a brother figure is some kind of obsessed freak that spoils his little sister rotten and drags her around all over the place, pouting if she looks at another man."

"Well, at the very least, you've missed you calling in life. You should have been a manager in the entertainment industry." Yashiro shook his head.

"I couldn't handle it. I wouldn't be able to make calls."

"Why?" Yashiro looked up at Ren, almost hurt.

"You honestly haven't noticed that I never touch the work phone? And that I don't even own a computer?"

No, he had not noticed. Ren felt a bit guilty. "Why?"

"I break electronics. If I touch them with my bare skin for more than ten seconds, they just stop working. And they can't be revived. I have to use rubber gloves to pick up my home phone or turn on my television."

Something tickled Ren's memory. "That's why you don't drink? Because you forget the gloves and touch things?"

"More or less." He changed the subject suddenly. "So when are we going to have lunch together again?"

"Yashiro-san-"

"You're going to make that taisho suspicious if you keep coming and getting Mogami-san to take her break and have lunch with you. He'll think you're toying with her feelings or something."

"And he will come at me with a cleaver," Ren agreed. "Such is my fate."

"Killed for love, and before you've even confessed," Yashiro smirked as he slipped into the car. Ren rolled his eyes and slid into the driver's seat.

The image on the television was painful, but Kuon did not look away. It was his parents twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. Since he could not be there, the least he could do was to watch the official celebration. It was the one thing about his parents being celebrities that was beneficial. If he was ever feeling anxious or nostalgic, he could easily keep up with their lives.

While most of the party would be private, there was a public portion which included a presentation of their life together. Pictures of the time when they had first met flashed by, and Kuon smiled at those. His parents had both recounted how hard it had been to move from being friendly coworkers to lovers. His mother had been chased by all sorts of men for her beauty and his father had been harassed for his popularity in the acting world. It had taken cleverness and several agonizing months for his father to figure out how to show Julie that he was sincerely interested in her as a woman. And another few to chase all the other desperate men out of her life. As the pictures moved into their very brief engagement, the smiles he saw on the screen were blinding in their brightness.

But it was the pictures after their marriage that sent stabbing pains into his heart.

He had thought that after his abrupt exit from his parents' lives, his father would have stopped being such an oya-baka.

Clearly he was wrong.

Picture after picture of his family together from the time he was young until just before he left. And the pain lurking in all of their eyes as his own life slowly fell into the abyss. The last picture was perhaps the worst. His parents were standing alone in their home in front of a large display over their rarely used fireplace. The display held two glowing golden hearts. His parents' hearts. Perfect Hearts radiating True Love.

He could remember his father laughing as he had told Kuon he had put up the display to tell the rest of the world that Julie was his forever. It fit his father's demonstrative nature, Kuon had thought at the time. He had wished his father was less demonstrative as time had gone on.

That less than perfect picture was haunting. The love that he could never obtain framed behind the people whose hearts he had wounded. The pain in their eyes condemning him even as he sat a continent away.

When the program ended he stayed there, frozen on the couch, staring blankly at the television until the sun crept up through the window behind him.

"Tsuruga-san, are you sick?"

"No," he answered instinctively. His head throbbed just then and he winced, ruining the effect. She fluttered near him, clearly worried.

"Is your throat scratchy?"

"Scratchy?"

"Kind of itchy and hot."

"A little…"

"And your head hurts? And your appetite is worse than normal. And you ordered different food. And you're looking flushed." Her conviction was convincing, but he could not bear to think that he was actually sick just because he had stayed up all night long. How many all-nighters had he pulled as a teenager and been just fine?

"Mogami-san, I can safely say I have never been sick before in my life."

"Then how would you know what it's like to be sick?"

She had a point, but he simply shook his head. If he really was sick, he would deal with it.

Yashiro had had to be almost thrown out of the car. He had told Ren he had better be careful to not get pulled over because he looked almost drunk.

"Get some medicine and go to bed," had been the order, and Ren felt strange enough to want to comply. The only problem he had run into as he had stopped at the nearest convenience store to hunt down cold medicine was that he had no idea what he needed. And his vision was just blurry enough that he was having a hard time reading labels.

"Tsuruga-san?" He closed his eyes and prayed he had heard wrong. "Is it really you?"

"Good evening, Mogami-san." He tried to greet her normally as she approached, but turning put him off balance and when his dizzy spell had subsided he found himself being mostly supported by a very slight and straining female.

"You are sick!" she was scolding. "What are you doing up and about! You should be in bed! What were you thinking?"

"Medicine…" was all he managed to get out before he coughed twice. "Why are you here?"

"Picking up some food before I head home," she answered calmly. "You need help. Do you have someone at home to take care of you?" His smile was bitter.

"I live alone."

When he woke up the next day he was feeling much better. His head hurt less and things did not spin quite so much. He only stumbled slightly as he made his way out of his bedroom towards the bathroom to shower. He felt disgusting and sticky.

When he at last emerged, clean and with only a scratchy throat and minor headache as reminders of his horrible day yesterday, he nearly tripped as he stepped into his living room to be greeted by the smell of food and the sight of Mogami Kyoko sitting in his living room at his coffee table in front of his television, setting a glass of the most dangerous looking liquid he had ever seen down next to a bowl of soup. She looked up and smiled as she spotted him.

"Good morning, Tsuruga-san. You're looking like you feel much better. Why don't you come have your breakfast?"

Ren stared at her blankly.

"Why- What are you doing here?" He watched her shift uncomfortably.

"Do you… not remember?"

"Vaguely. I met you at the store, but after that…"

"You said you lived alone and that you'd never been sick before. We… agreed that it would be a good idea for me to come home with you. So I made you some food, gave you your medicine, and then you went to bed. You told me to use the guest room. And the bath. Thank you, by the way."

"We agreed to this?" He was confused more than angry, but she seemed to recoil at this, and looked a bit guilty.

"You were… a little confused. And you didn't seem to mind too much," she told him, looking up at him sheepishly. Well, he could not deny that there was something fulfilling about seeing her in his home, but still…

"I don't mind. I'm just sorry to have caused you so much trouble."

"Oh, it wasn't any trouble at all. Besides," she added seriously, "you really weren't in any condition to be left alone. It was a miracle you made it home in one piece."

"I'm surprised you got in the car with me," he teased calmly, coughing once as he sat down at the table.

"Well, you were fairly lucid as long as you were talking. It wasn't until you got home that you collapsed."

"I'm sorry. That must have been difficult." Why was she looking away from him? Were her ears red? Was she blushing?

"Well, once you were conscious again it wasn't too bad. I told you to get ready for bed and by the time you had I had finished making dinner."

"I'm sorry. It sounds like you had to do a lot of annoying things for me."

She smiled brightly. "Oh no. I'm used to taking care of people. My situation at home is like that."

"Really? They must have missed you last night then. Did you call them and let them know you were alright." This time her face fell as she looked away. Ren felt something tighten in his chest.

"No. I wasn't expecting- There wasn't any reason too- My… housemate was on a business trip."

It was the way she evaded his question that made him suspicious. Like she was hiding something important.

"Don't you live with the owners of the Darumaya?"

"Oh no! They've told me I'm welcome to stay with them, but… the person I'm living with really can't take care of themself. I'm much better off where I am."

One person. A sudden vision of the boy he had seen her walking with assaulted him. Was she living with her boyfriend? That did not seem like her, but the thought seemed to stick with him unpleasantly.

"Well, in any event, you've helped me. Is there anything that I can do for you?"

"Nothing at all! I'm just glad I was able to help. It would have been horrible if you had been left on your own."

"You're probably right. But if you ever need anything, please let me know. I'd be glad to repay you."

As long as he was behaving oddly, he might as well abandon his normal spot. He had skipped lunch today and had come by the Darumaya for dinner instead. He was feeling reckless and instead of reverting to his old pastime of picking fights, he decided sitting in front of the taisho would fulfill his "need for danger" quota without endangering anyone but himself.

"The usual?" It was a gruff question, but Ren did not mind. He could understand taciturn man a little better now. And he knew better than to pick fights with overprotective father figures.

"Please," he answered, trying to ignore the looks he was getting from a teenage girl on the other side of the room who was there with her family. At least her mother was not staring too.

"Kyoko-chan isn't here tonight," the taisho noted as he began preparing Ren's food.

"I noticed."

"She said her friend would be home tonight and she wanted to be there to make dinner for them."

"Oh."

"Has she told you anything about her friend?"

"No."

"She never talks about that person. Like she thinks they're shameful or bad."

"Oh."

"She talks about you." Ren looked up at that.

"Does she?"

"From time to time. She worries about you. And she's not ashamed of you."

"I see." He did not really, but he did not think he should admit that.

"I've been talking to Kyoko-chan," Yashiro announced.

"You always talk to Kyoko-chan," Ren grumbled. "I think I know every possible thing about her that she's told you. Like how she ran away from home and is living with her best friend. And how the boy she loves is a musician who never has time for her. And that she has to work a half dozen part time jobs to survive here in Tokyo."

"I feel bad for her," Yashiro sighed.

"I've noticed."

"Why are we having lunch here again?" Ren asked as he slid into the chair and winced at the elegant, somewhat effeminate surroundings. Yashiro might fit in a place like this. Ren even might have if he were alone. But two guys coming here together for lunch? They were getting some very interesting looks.

"Because Mogami-san told you yesterday that she would not be at work today, so I figured it would be a good day to introduce you to Kyoko-chan."

"Am I here to give my blessing?" Ren had a hard time keeping the sarcasm out of his voice. He already knew a Kyoko and was just fine with knowing just the one. He had avoided telling Yashiro her first name so that his senpai would not be able to make awkward suggestions about them being the same person. Because they were not the same person. Kyoko and Mogami Kyoko were very different people working in very different places and Mogami Kyoko was not in a dire situation that Ren could not resist trying to save her from.

"No."

"Then are you trying to set me up with her?" Yashiro chuckled.

"Not really. She doesn't strike me as your type. But I figured it would do you good to know that rational and decent females exist in the world."

"The president put you up to this, didn't he?"

Yashiro shifted slightly. "He might have mentioned that it would be a good thing to do for you."

"I don't need to be saved from some misplaced notion of females, Yashiro-san. I know there are good girls in the world."

"Well, maybe I think it would be good for her too. This guy she's obsessed with doesn't strike me as being very good for her."

"So you're recommending me instead? That seems a little cruel."

"Why? You won't lie to her, or lead her on, or hurt her in any way. I don't really expect her to fall in love with you, just out of love with him."

"That idea strikes me as incredibly stupid." Yashiro sighed.

"Still no respect for your seniors," he bemoaned artistically. Ren rolled his eyes.

"Oh, Yashiro-san, you aren't alone toda-" Ren froze as he recognized the voice of their waitress. "Ts-Tsuruga-san?" He smiled as best as he could.

"Hello Mogami-san. I didn't realize that you worked here."

"Only on some days. Normally if I'm not at the Darumaya I'm working at a fast food joint." She seemed very nervous, looking between the two men anxiously. "Can I take your orders?"

"She's in high school?" Lory asked, more than slightly amused. Ren counted to ten in every language that he knew to keep from screaming while Yashiro answered.

"High school age. She doesn't have time to take classes with all of her jobs. She's never said it outright, but I think the friend she lives with is the guy that she likes."

"Wow, it looks like you might have already lost," the president sighed as he gave Ren a smirk. Ren looked up from his notes to glare at the other two men.

"We're supposed to be discussing important business," he reminded them calmly. "This project-"

"What is a more important business than romance?" Lory demanded. "Ren, you're falling in love with a woman who's barely noticed you in spite of all your advantages! This is important. She's important."

"If I agree with everything you have said would you please get back to work so that I can go have lunch."

"Why would you care about lunch? You hate food."

"Kyoko-chan's working at the Darumaya today," Yashiro noted.

"Business," Lory agreed, picking up papers and attacking them with his pen.

"Mogami-san, are you alright?" He watched her jump, startled, from her seat across from him. He had managed to convince her to take a break and join him for lunch today. It did not happen often, but the taisho had almost forced her this time. Ren could understand why. She smiled at all the customers, but something was wrong.

"I'm fine. Everything is perfect!" She was just too cheerful.

"Is your… roommate sick?" Her shameful flush worried him, but she shook her head.

"I don't think so. The truth is I- I moved out yesterday. I'm living here now."

"Oh." He should not feel so much joy when she was in so much pain. But he could not help it. "Did something happen?" She was silent. "Can you not talk about it?"

"I- I was just stupid. I- imagined things. Thought that I understood. Now I understand." The heartache in her tone made him reach out and carefully cover her hands resting on the table.

"I've had that kind of problem," he told her softly. "I think I can understand a little." She pulled her hands onto her lap.

"I just… had this dream that life would happen a certain way. And it didn't. Now I don't really know what to do."

"Do you want to talk about it?" She shook her head.

"Not today."

"Alright. But let me know if you change your mind. I'd be glad to help." She smiled then, still sadly but more honestly, he thought.

"You're a very nice person, Tsuruga-san." He repressed a wince.

"I've been trying. I really wasn't before." Well that was an incredibly stupid thing to admit. Why was she giggling?

"I don't see you being very angry," she told him. "It's hard to imagine."

"You have to care about things to get angry," he answered. "More than trying to be nice, mostly I try not to care too much. You're probably one of the few exceptions." She looked shocked and he tried to think how he could take back that statement. By the time he left he was still thinking.

"I found out who Kyoko-chan was living with," Yashiro announced as he walked past Ren's desk.

"Good for you," he mumbled, pretending to still be focused on the computer in front of him. A piece of paper with a name scrawled on it fluttered past his face.

"Seems like a real Casanova," the senpai added before disappearing to his own work. Ren managed to ignore the paper for a full ten minutes before he looked at the little white slip. On it was written Fuwa Sho – pop star. Twenty minutes and a few websites later, Ren had a pretty good idea of who Fuwa Sho was. He was the guy that had been walking with Kyoko that day, and he was also apparently becoming fairly famous. The few girls he was rumored to be in relationships with were nothing like Kyoko.

It took several deep, cleansing breaths and the reassurance that she was no longer living with this guy to convince Kuon to stop trying to figure out ways to hunt him down. But Ren, finally back in control, closed down his internet browser and went back to his paper shuffling. She never had to see the jerk again. He was out of her life and done hurting her. That was enough.

Right?

Ren was confused when he entered the store and the okami-san approached him. He could not see Kyoko anywhere and both the taisho and his wife seemed subdued.

"Hello Tsuruga-san. Your table is open. Will you be having your usual?"

"That was the plan. Is Mogami-san alright? I don't see her." The okami-san smiled sadly.

"She wasn't feeling very well. I think she's still upstairs, resting."

"I see."

"When you're finished you should go up and see her." Ren stared at the taisho in shock. "She could use encouragement."

Ren was too stunned to manage more than a, "Yes sir," in response. When he had finished his small meal, he was directed to the back of the store to a set of narrow stairs. Having been told that Kyoko's room was the one on the right, he found himself hesitating at the bottom of the steps. What on earth could he do for her? Was he actually going to invade her personal space? Her room?

Scolding himself for behaving like a kid, he moved upstairs and paused outside her door, listening. If she was not feeling well and she was sleeping, he did not want to wake her. Instead of silence, Ren heard sobs. He knocked twice, firmly, before easing the door open a crack.

"Mogami-san?" He heard a little gasp as he peered into the semi-darkness. The curtains were closed and the lights were off. In the dimness of the room, he spotted her, kneeling on the floor hunched over, cradling something in her hands and staring at him with wide eyes, a few stray tears still sliding down her cheeks. "I'm sorry. The owners told me I should see you. Are you alright?"

Rather than give her an opportunity to throw him out, he knelt down next to her, wiping one of the tears away and hoping that he did not seem too intrusive. She seemed a bit shaken still, but she took a deep breath and held out her hands to him, showing a pile of broken glass glowing a muddy gold. It did not take Ren long to figure out what it was.

"I didn't realize I had let him get so important to me," she whispered, still cradling the pieces. "I didn't think it was this bad. I thought I was going to be okay. That the sadness would stop. But when it didn't get better I decided to check and see what had happened and…"

Ren sat quietly next to her, trying to justify being a part of this very personal experience. He could appreciate the significance of her trauma. A broken heart was a heavy burden to carry. His was only damaged and he had long ago given up on experiencing any significant joys in life. He was not sure how best to comfort her.

He put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her gently against his side. She stiffened and tried to pull away, but he held her firmly in place. He slid his free hand under her own and closed her fingers over the pieces.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled. "This is pathetic. You shouldn't have to put up with this."

"I don't mind," he answered.

"You're too nice to me," she grumbled. "I don't deserve it. You shouldn't have to do this."

"Didn't I tell you to ask me for help if you ever needed anything?"

"I don't think you were thinking of taking care of something like this," she retorted. "It really doesn't have anything to do with you."

He knew that. She did not have to say it. But he kept holding her until the taisho came to remind Ren that he still had work, a cleaver in the chef's hand.

"How did you get his number?" Kuon demanded. "I already told you I don't want-"

"Then hang up," was the tired reply. "I had to call in some major favors to manage this, just so you know. There's no reason for you to stay so isolated. It's not like you're in the public spotlight or anything. You can afford to call us from time to time."

"I told you, I want to forget it all. It's nothing personal, I just-"

"But Kuoooon!" How did a grown man whine like that? "How are you ever going to introduce your girlfriend to us for approval if you don't tell her who you are?"

"Dad, I'm not dating anyone. It isn't an issue."

"But what about that girl? The one Boss mentioned?"

"He was being stupid. There isn't a girl. I'm not seeing anyone."

"So who's Kyoko?" He was going to kill Lory. That man was way too busy with other people's business.

"A waitress. My senpai visits the same café frequently and is always served by the same girl."

"I though she worked at a Japanese restaurant."

"What has he told you?" Kuon grumbled, rubbing his face and trying not to curse Yashiro and Lory into a fiery abyss. "Because I am seriously not seeing anyone right now."

"Nothing! No one tells me anything. Is she pretty?"

"She's female. She's underage. Does it matter?"

"She's really sixteen? I thought he was joking about that."

"Dad."

"I'm sorry Tsuruga-san! I didn't mean to keep you waiting!"

"Who's that?" Kuu demanded, excitement coloring his tone.

"No one, I'm busy, I'll talk to you later," Kuon answered quickly before hanging up. He had been waiting outside a train station to meet with Kyoko when his phone had rung and he had picked up instinctively, thinking it might be her. "Hello Mogami-san. It's alright. I haven't been here very long."

"You were on the phone. And you looked angry!"

"That was someone else," he told her soothingly. "Someone called my work phone on personal business. I've told them not to."

"Oh, I see. Then, shall we get going?"

"Yes. Thank you for helping me, by the way. I'm not really an expert on young girls and Maria-chan is my company president's granddaughter. I would hate to get her a bad present."

"Is he really holding a companywide birthday celebration for her?"

"For her getting through two months with the same at home tutor, actually. Her birthday is December twenty-forth. He just wants an excuse to party, really."

"The twenty-forth?"

"Yes. But she doesn't like to celebrate it anymore. Her mother died that day in a plane crash."

"Oh."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you."

"Oh no! I was just thinking it was a little sad. I've always loved Christmas because my birthday is the twenty-fifth, and it would be sad to have the whole season ruined because of something so sad." Ren tucked away this piece of information for later use and considered what she had said.

"It is kind of sad. I don't think it helps that she doesn't have a good relationship with her father anymore because right after the accident he blamed it on his daughter and she never really forgot that."

"It's hard being alone," Kyoko agreed sadly. Ren's hand twitched but he kept it at his side.

"You aren't alone," he said calmly, smiling reassuringly as she looked up at him. "You have your landlords who take very good care of you. And I'm here, aren't I?"

It was worth the stomach churning at his corny lines to see her smile.

"Thank you again for your help," Ren said as he took another bite of food under Kyoko's critical eye. "I think Maria will like the present."

"I'm still not sure about it. That brand is really expensive, even though the ribbon is really cute. And just because I thought it was cute-"

"Maria dresses in a style that will match this very well. I'm sure she'll love it."

"Well, that's fine. But it didn't really seem like you needed my help," Kyoko noted worriedly. "You seemed to have a pretty good idea of what she wanted." Ren gave her a sardonic smile.

"Yes. But if I had walked into any of those stores alone, I would have mutilated my manly pride." Kyoko giggled.

"I suppose that would be bad," she smiled. "And it was a lot of fun. I've never been to most of those stores before. They don't exactly fit my budget. And it's not like I'll ever really hold a very good job at this rate…"

"Did you drop out of high school? I thought I understood from Yashiro that you had."

"Yes. I didn't think it would be a problem at the time. I thought things were going to work themselves out and I wouldn't need to hold a job for the rest of my life." She paused then, frowning. "No. That isn't true. I thought then that I would still go back. I thought that after he had accomplished his dream he would go back to his parents and we would take over their business. He could still have been a musician; I was the one who really knew how to run the place." Ren sat in silence as her face darkened, waiting for a further explanation. When none was forthcoming he reached across the table and touched her hand, startling her. "Sorry. I was drifting off there."

"That's alright. Are you okay?"

"Oh, yes. Sorry. It's just…" She drew her hand out from his and placed it elegantly on her lap. It struck him again how precise and sophisticated she could be so unconsciously. "I was raised by a family that owned a ryoukan and grew up hoping I would marry the son. I think his parents expected that as well because they trained me in all the practices I would have needed to know to take over someday. I even learned the tea ceremony." Ren raised his brows.

"That's impressive. Can you still do it?"

"Oh yes. It's not something that is easy to forget once you really learn it. But the truth is the only skills I have are the ones I learned there. It means that I can work at the Darumaya, but unless I were to try and marry into some other family-run ryoukan, I can't really use the skills I have."

"Why not? I would imagine there are dozens of practical applications for those kinds of skills, particularly in high-class restaurants and hotels. In a place like Tokyo with so many foreigners who want to experience an authentic Japanese culture you could probably find a position in dozens of places."

"Not without official training and recommendations. And while it would not take me very long to get through training and have some kind of recommendation, I don't have enough money to go to high school, much less a specialty school."

Ren pondered this. He was hardly an expert on Japan, in spite of all his training, lessons from his father, and the several years that he had lived here. But it seemed silly that she could not find a job anywhere. Especially since even he had found a job in Japan.

"Have you tried contacting the family you used to live with? They could recommend you, couldn't they?"

"Sho cut all ties with his parents when they signed the papers for his contract with Akatoki. They invited me back then since he had a job finally, but I said I would stay until he was making enough money to support himself. I haven't heard from them since."

"Do you think it would be useless to try and reach them now?"

"It's more like I wouldn't know what to say," she admitted with a shaky laugh. "I mean, they figured since I was living with Sho things had gotten serious between us, and I don't know what they would say if I approached them now."

"I see."

"Ask, Ren."

"It's not pertinent to the meeting, sir."

"You've been opening your mouth to ask me a question every two minutes since you came in here. Ask."

"Is it about Kyoko?" Yashiro demanded. Ren sighed. There was nothing he could do to convince his senpai that the golden-eyed girl was not the only thing he thought about. Not that he did not think of her often…

"I was just wondering…" How did you ask your boss who had more or less saved your life and you were incredibly indebted to that you needed his help finding employment for the girl you liked but still only really barely knew and were not dating.

"We don't have all day, Ren," Lory sighed, relaxing back in his chair. "What does Kyoko-san need?" Ren glared.

"I didn't say anything about Mogami-san."

"You would rather die than ask me for something for yourself. Seriously, what is it?"

"What kind of job could a girl get if she had classic Japanese training but no technical credentials to practice?" Lory blinked in surprise.

"That would honestly depend on who she knew and why she wasn't already married off to someone who needed those skills in a wife. And how good she was."

"She only knows me, Yashiro, and her employers and doesn't have the money on hand to get official training. And she would probably loath me if I tried to pay for her training for her."

"Does she need a job that badly? You said she's employed."

"Her living expenses were more than halved when she moved out her last apartment, but she still has to work three part time jobs to keep up with cost of living here. Her landlords are her employers, but she isn't the kind of person to take advantage of that, even though I think they practically consider her to be family."

"She's underage and a high school dropout, right? That might complicate things."

"I just think she should have a chance to do something for herself. I think it would encourage her."

"You got me an interview?" Kyoko asked in an almost scandalized tone. "I didn't ask you to do that!"

"I didn't get you an interview. My company president is ridiculous and wealthy-"

"I think you mean ridiculously wealthy."

"No. Anyway, he has a habit of spending his excess money on elaborate costumes from various times and places and training an entourage to follow him around to make the atmosphere authentic. He knows people, and has some experience with your skills. He wants you to come and demonstrate the tea ceremony to him and see if he could use you at a particular business meeting. If you did that and it worked out, he would consider recommending you to some other people that he knows. It may go nowhere, but he needs someone to do this anyway and Yashiro and I both know you and thought you might be interested."

"How would he test me?"

"I think he plans on using his granddaughter and a few other close friends as the guests, and you would be at his home. The official meeting will take place at the office, but he says he already has a room stashed away somewhere on one of the floors that will work."

She considered for a few moments before accepting the offer.

"After all, it can't hurt," she told him. "You really did have to do this for me, though."

"I know."

"Onee-sama was really amazing," Maria smiled, startling her grandfather. "Are you going to invite her over to play again?"

"Mogami-kun? Did you like her?"

"Yes! She was really nice while we were having tea and we had a good talk about irresponsible parents afterwards when you were saying goodbye to people."

"Really?" Lory had not expected this added benefit from getting to know Ren's crush. She had been an excellent hostess and he had thought her an adorable and suitable companion for the boy Lory had known for twenty years. "Well, maybe we should invite her over again some time."

"Yes!"

"…And then I'll get to teach a couple more people the tea ceremony this weekend for a movie they are prepping for. Most of the jobs only have me working for a day, but they pay really well and it's kind of fun," Kyoko rattled on in the seat next to Ren. He listened in silent amusement. "And Maria and I had lots of fun again today. I think we're both really improving at the doll making, though Maria thinks mine are better. And Takarada-shachou says that I can come by again next week to work on my online classes while Maria is studying."

"Sounds like you have a full schedule."

"Yes. Thank you so much for taking time to drive me home. I know that Takarada-shachou has drivers, but his cars are so, so…"

"Embarrassing," Ren supplied. She smiled sheepishly and nodded. "I know. I don't mind. Between both our schedules we don't have as much time together anymore."

The comment went straight over her head.

"Are you not eating lunch again? You can't keep skipping meals! You're too big to eat so little."

"I eat plenty."

"Processed foods and packaged rice! Space food! You have to cook sometimes. Vegetables and meat!"

"But I can't cook." There was a stunned silence.

"At all?"

"For the most part. I can make Maui omurice." She gave him a blank look.

"That isn't real food," she accused.

"My father would agree with you."

"Are you sure you don't want seconds?"

"Mogami-san, I told you already, I don't need to eat very much. You should know this by now."

"Well, I just keep hoping if you eat regularly enough you'll develop a normal appetite again. How many times have I cooked for you now?"

"A couple dozen. I'm sorry to keep you out so late."

"It's fine. You're a really big help with my English homework. And I like cooking."

"That's good." He watched her for a few minutes as she collected the dishes. They would clean them together later, before he drove her home, before eleven as per the taisho's orders. There was a kind of pattern to his life now that included a person who was not a work associate or his parents. And as much as he knew he needed to take things slowly and carefully with this girl, he still found himself planning on adding Kyoko to his life as a permanent fixture that he could claim as his and his alone. "How are you feeling?"

It was a normal question. He asked from time to time, grateful when she answered honestly and confided in him and as patient as he could be when she was less honest and less open.

"A little worried. I feel happy most of the time, but I feel like there's still something I'm missing." She hesitated. "I'm… trying to put it back together. Piece by piece. I guess I'm hoping that someday I can try again, and maybe get it right this time."

"You deserve that." The answering look was sad and a little scared.

"Are you sure?"

"So, how are things going with Kyoko?"

"Mom, I agreed to talk to you on the condition that we did not discuss my non-existent love life. Or me coming back."

"I know. But I had to ask. Your father is debating whether or not to have her investigated since you won't tell us anything about her."

"Do me a favor and tell him to knock it off? She does not need a stalker on top of everything else."

"Is she really having a hard time?" This was the problem with talking to his mother. She had her crazy parent moments, but she was more likely to press and dig and make him say stuff that was cheesy and personal.

"She's recovering. There was another guy and he really messed her up. He never touched her, he just…"

"Led her on?"

"I don't know. That's what it sounded like to me, but she keeps saying it was her fault. I say he was a loser and didn't appreciate her."

"Is she pretty?" Ren took a slow breath, considering that question. Did he find her attractive to the point of distraction? Oh yes. Was she cute? Undoubtedly. Was she like any of the other girls he had dated that his mother knew about? Not at all.

"She's very normal looking," he started slowly. "Very traditional kind of Japanese girl. She might be a bit on the slender side, but really, just normal. So yeah, I would say pretty. Most girls are pretty."

"Kuon…" He remembered that tone. It was a very compelling tone after all. It had promised shopping trips like things out of horror stories if he did not shape up right now.

"It's hard to explain," he hedged. "She really is just normal looking. I can't really compare her to you or anything. But…"

"But?"

"She has these faces…" And just like that, he knew his mother understood. He heard a little chuckled and could imagine the exact look on her face, the look of amusement that she had used to have all the time when he was a child and discovering the world for the first time. She knew what he was saying, even if he could not say it.

"She's the most beautiful woman in the world, isn't she?"

"Well, next to you, yes." There was a giggle from the other side of the line. "I'm sorry I haven't been back, Mom."

"It's alright. You're still getting yourself grounded. But would it kill you to call a little more often?"

"Well, the problem isn't if you pick up…" There was an exasperated sigh.

"Your father. Well, I was the one that married him. That isn't your fault."

"And you love him."

"I do. And I know that you do too. And I know it must be hard to forgive us-"

"Forgive you? Why do you need to be forgiven? I was the screw up!"

"Kuon… All of us were at fault. Your father and I chose our careers over taking care of you. We had already isolated you from so many people. Even with Rick-" But she did not continue. The atmosphere was suddenly too tense for both of them. "I'll tell your father you called. Take care, Kuon. I love you."

"I love you too, Mom."

"Give Kyoko a kiss for me!"

"Mom!"

"You dyed your hair!"

"I just wanted to try something different, more modern," Kyoko said anxiously, looking down at the floor. "See if it changed anything." Ren exchanged a glance with the taisho, who looked as disappointed as Ren felt.

"But your long hair looked so nice," he pointed out, trying not to sound offended.

"I can always grow it out again," she growled defensively. "It's just hair!"

Ren sighed, not wanting to fight with her over this. He dyed his own hair, right? "It looks good," he told her. "I was just surprised."

"That was the point," she answered. "I wanted to change."

He spent the rest of his lunch trying to figure out how to tell her that changing her hair would not help her change herself without giving himself away.

"What's that?" Kyoko shrieked as jumped forward, nearly slamming into the counter. She had been taking a while cooking dinner and Ren was curious what she was up to. A small, floppy object fell onto the floor and Ren only got a brief glimpse of it before she had snatched it back up.

"Nothing! It's nothing!"

But Ren had seen just enough. "Was that a doll of me?"

"No!"

They did not get much done that night before he had to take her home. He was having too much fun teasing her.

Something was wrong. She was too quiet. Too subdued. Her eyes kept drifting away from him, towards the floor, the ceiling, the window. She was not even scolding him! He did not think it was possible.

"Mogami-san?"

"Oh! I'm sorry. You were saying this sentence was wrong?"

"No. I was saying that you've put a line through the whole paper letting your hand slide like that."

"Eh? Eh!" She scrambled about looking for her eraser. He held it in front of her face, watching in amusement as she started and grabbed it from his hands, almost scorching the paper in her frenzied efforts to remove the mark. In the process, she managed to remove most of the work she had done as well. "There!"

"You have a very clean piece of paper," he agreed calmly. "Almost like you never used it at all." A look of absolute horror and chagrin came then, despair leaking from her in thick, black tendrils. It was almost cute, he thought.

"What have I dooooone!" Her hands clutched desperately at her hair and came perilously close to tearing out large chunks. He decided it was time to intervene.

"It's alright, Mogami-san. Since it will just be a review this time, we can go through them all again and see if you can get them right this time."

"But… it's so late!"

"Call you landlords and tell them you'll be here late. Explain what happened. I'm sure they'll understand."

"But I can't have you drive me home so late. We might crash."

"You got in a car with me when I was so delirious with fever I couldn't even remember bringing you with me the next day. I think we'll be fine. And if you're really worried about it, you can always use the guest room again."

"Are… are you sure?"

"Of course. It isn't any trouble." Aside from him trying to ignore the fact that she would be sleeping and vulnerable down the hall from his own room. But she did not need to worry about that. It was his problem, and he would not make it hers.

After she had gained a very reluctant permission from the taisho to stay the night if it got too late, they went back to working on the homework. He could tell she was struggling to concentrate, but simply went slowly and helped her through the parts she could not seem to concentrate on. When they were finally finished she leaned back and let out a long sigh.

"You're really good with English," she complained. "It's almost scary."

"I've had lots of practice," he hedged. "How are you feeling?"

The silence was long and Ren began to really worry as he watched her face drain slowly of all emotion. She held up her hand, and showed him stoically a shimmering piece of glass, heart shaped, cracked, and glowing a soft gold.

"I put the pieces back together, but in the end it still just looks like this. No matter what I do it's defective. If I'm not careful with it, it falls to pieces again. I think-" She swallowed, closing her eyes as a tear escaped. "I think I should just throw it away."

"Throw it away?" Ren was stunned. That was her heart. Her feelings and happiness. All of his hope for the future. "Mogami-san, you can't!"

"It's not like I really use it. Even when it was all broken I've been able to get along with Maria and with you. I can be happy without this. And it's not like anyone would take it while it's like this."

But he would. He would do anything for that broken heart. He would give up anything for it. For her.

"You can't be sure of that. You have your whole life left. Anything could happen. Do you really think that you'll never fall in love again?"

"I don't know," she answered slowly. "But even if I do fall in love, I can't offer someone a heart like this. It wouldn't be right."

"He might not care," Ren suggested, trying to keep the desperation out of his voice. "And this isn't something that you can go back on. You can't change your mind later and magic up a new heart."

Well, I'm still thinking about it," she admitted. "I just… I don't think I can handle being hurt like this again."

Ren placed a blanket over Kyoko's shoulders and tried to shift her so that she would not have a crick in her neck when she awoke. This was made doubly difficult by the hand she had draped on the table, still holding the fragmented, fractured heart she had been staring at for the past several hours. Kyoko had reached no conclusion to her predicament and had fallen asleep staring at the thing not too long ago. Rather than moving her and disrupting the delicate heart, Ren decided to cover her and make up a bed for himself on the floor next to her. After all, it would be rude to sleep in comfort while his guest was still at his coffee table.

With all the lights out the heart's glow was brighter than before, winking at him as he tried to find a comfortable place on the floor. It reminded him of the nights he had spent in the living room when his parents were gone, sleeping under the protective glow of their love until he finally drifted off to sleep.

She could not get rid of it. That much was certain. No matter how badly she wanted to stay safe, she could not give up her whole life for this. Ren- Kuon- whoever he chose to be, wanted that heart and would give anything for it. Anything.

And that, he realized, was the answer.

After all, there was only one thing that a person was really expected to give when they took someone else's heart.

With a brief thought Kuon found himself looking down at his own battered heart, glowing slightly less brightly in the dimness. It was whole, but nicks and chinks covered the surface, giving it a pockmarked look. He winced at it, realizing what he was offering was not really any better than what she had. But if he could protect her, then he would do this.

Biting his lip, he tightened his hand around the delicate object, swallowing a scream as it buckled and shattered in his palm. He put the pieces together as quickly as he could, ignoring the tears on his face and the burning sensation in his chest. Then came the tricky part. With the utmost care he slid his fingers under Kyoko's heart and lifted it as gently as he could, dropping his own heart onto her palm. It took more effort to absorb her heart than it would have his own, but he managed it.

A feeling of contentment settled over him. There was still pain, but it was slowly being eased. He drifted off to sleep with the happy thought that even if she never loved him and even if she threw his heart away, he would be able to let her be happy. For now, that would have to be enough.

Kyoko woke when her arm started complaining that it was not getting any blood. She was jolted from a very awkward dream where she had fallen down in Ren's kitchen and he had caught her in a very uncomfortable and intimate manner. Thankfully, her protesting arm had woken her up before he had actually kissed her.

Her suddenly movement sent the heart in her palm skittering across the table, losing tiny pieces as it went. She gasped and scrambled to collect them all, holding them between her palms and forcing them back together as best as she could. When she had finally fixed it, she sat looking at it for a moment, suspended between her hands. She sighed with despair as portions started breaking off the edges. She would have to fix that in the morning. She was too tired to try again tonight.

The sound of light snoring startled her and she looked down to see her host on the floor nearby, curled up under what must have been the comforter from off of his bed. She realized there was yet another blanket around her own shoulders.

"He was protecting it," she realized slowly as she pondered over this strange behavior. For the sake of this broken, useless object he had stayed by her side and taken care of her. She was not quite sure why he had not bothered to wake her, which would have been the smartest option. But his misguided sweetness made her smile softly, then wince and shake her head.

Looking down at the shattered thing in her hand Kyoko felt a pang of guilt. She did not really want to throw it away. Not yet. Maybe?

Well, she could always change her mind later, right? With a frown and an unusual amount of effort, Kyoko called the heart back, shivering with unexpected delight as its abnormally heavy weight settled inside of her. Beside her, Ren stirred in his sleep, but she did not notice. She felt calm, peaceful, light – like something solid gold was shimmering inside of her.

Maybe she could keep it for a little longer…