Strings Attached

by

dancingfingers

Disclaimer: Never own anything

Chapter 1

Tokyo, Japan

December 25, 2008

Kyoko bit back a moan when she felt his hot lips leave butterfly kisses on her collarbone and suck it gently. He pulled away from her, looking at his handiwork and smirked in satisfaction. There, right above her left breast, a red mark decorated her milky skin. His forest green eyes darkened more, almost changed to black as he looked at her flushed face, swollen pink lips, and hazy golden eyes – the one thing he loved the most about her. He knew from the first day he looked at those mesmerizing golden eyes and from drowning helplessly in them that he couldn't... he never wanted to be saved from those eyes…

"Kuon? What's wrong?"

Her soft, almost melodical and husky voice snapped him out of his trance. She stared at him, her golden orbs were full of concern. He grinned at her and shook his head, dripping sweat from his blonde hair as he did so. "Nothing." He rolled her over so she was on top of him. He held her hips and sat up, leaning back at the headboard. She threw him a puzzled look but he still said nothing. Shrugging, she ran her long fingers on his perfect chest and leaned forward, crushing her soft lips to his. Just when she moved to pull away, he deepened the kiss and roamed her body with his fingers... working his magic on her body all night long.

Kyoko grabbed her cellphone tightly as she listened intently to the person she spoke to. Her eyes closed, unaware of men's stares at her. She was wearing a simple white T-shirt and skinny, faded blue jeans with her new 3 inch red platform shoes. Her long, straight, midnight black tresses fell loosely to her slim waist. Her plump pink lips curved upwards slightly, drawing men's gazes to her lips. Even without her make-up, she looked naturally beautiful and dazzling.

She finally opened her eyes and found a tall figure hovered above her. Quickly ending her conversation she hung up and glared at him.

"What?" She snapped, her golden eyes flashing dangerously.

Yes, she might be seen as a vulnerable and gentle woman, but no. She was far from it unless she was in front of people she knew.

"Oh, feisty one, I see." The man chuckled.

Kyoko had a strong urge to punch him as she looked at his darkened blue eyes full of one thing: lust. She knew the look well. It meant that men were after her body and she hated it. There was only one person now who was going to touch her in that way. Kyoko's heart clenched painfully from her memories of him, the one she'd spent many nights with. She smacked herself mentally, she needed to get away from here. Anywhere. As long as she didn't have to face this annoying man. Throwing her cell phone into her red purse, she started to get up from her seat.

"Well, well, where are you going, honey?"

His sickly sweet voice made her want to throw up as she cursed under her breath. If only she had accepted Kuon's offer to go home with him...

"Not your business. Move."

"No, no..." he whispered huskily and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Hmm... how about I go with you, beautiful?"

'That's it!' She opened her mouth to retort but stopped.

Her eyes caught another tall figure before her. The golden locks she loved to run her fingers through, his forest green eyes she loved to stare at, those lovely lips she loved to kiss, his perfect, muscular chest she loved to hug, and those strong arms she loved to have wrapped around her petite body only belonged to one man. Kuon Hizuri.

The said man pursed his lips together into a thin line and frowned in annoyance. Who was that man holding Kyoko like that? How dare he touch her? He was shaking in rage and it surprised him. Not that he loved Kyoko, it was just... helping a friend in need.

'Yes, that was it,' he convinced himself, though it seemed like a lie to him.

Kuon strode over to them quickly and yanked Kyoko to his side, holding her protectively with his strong arm. Giving the man a deadly glare he growled,

"Don't you dare to touch her like that, you filthy bastard!" With that said, Kuon grabbed her hands and dragged her out of the building.

The car ride to her apartment was deafeningly silent. Kyoko's mind was elsewhere and she didn't notice Kuon's deadly grip on the steering wheel, his knuckles were white. She thought about her last conversation with her long lost friend on the phone. She was contemplating whether it was a good choice to visit her, it had been almost 10 years since the last time she saw her.

"Kyoko."

Also, she needed a long, relaxing vacation badly. She never went abroad except for work. She didn't want to end up being a workaholic like the man beside her now. He was a popular actor, and what a great one he was. He almost never had any days off, if his manager didn't make him.

"Kyoko."

And what she'd learned weeks ago, she needed to have some time alone. Not even him, her ex-boyfriend and also her ‒ what people called these days ‒ sex buddy. Or even her best friend, Kanae. This might be a perfect chance to escape for a while. She only needed to call President and reschedule with- No. She only needed to c-

"KYOKO."

She jumped. "Yes?"

He sighed. "We're here."

He watched her blink several times and stifled an urge to laugh at her funny expression, forgetting his anger. Kyoko was always adorable without even trying. He always teased her about it and she would get riled up easily and make such a cute, flushed face, making Kuon want to kiss her pouty lips. He didn't know why she hated to be called "cute" or "adorable".

'It was one of her charms.' he thought.

"Oh." She grabbed her purse and kissed his cheek. "Thank you, Kuon. Be careful."

"You too."

December 31, 2008

Two long legs walked quickly down the crowded hallway, ignoring the confused and scared stare given by people who saw his face. He was mad, no, scratch that. He was furious. Very, very furious. He never knew this day would come! Hell, she promised him she'd stay, she'd never leave him despite their strange relationship. She was his personal pleasure. Whenever he needed her, she would be there and fulfill his...needs. She gave him her all and never wanted anything else.

He remembered when they talked about their so-called friendship ‒ or rather, friends with benefits, that led to the talk about her low self-esteem for being one of the many in his "circle of friends." It was on one of the many nights they spent together in bed, after amazing sex in his apartment. Kuon had left Tokyo for two weeks and he missed Kyoko so badly that he picked her up as soon as she'd been done with her jobs and dragged her to his place. He almost couldn't keep his hands to himself on the way.

"You know perfectly who I truly am, Kuon. My horrible past... You know it all. I don't want to taint your reputation with such a girl as me. Maybe... maybe we should stop this." she said with a shaky voice, her lips trembling slightly.

Kuon stared at her, studying her expression. Yes, he knew who she was. Yes, he knew how people talked about her. Yes, he knew the consequences of being near her. But he never cared. Not at all.

"It doesn't matter to me, Kyoko," he mumbled into her honey-scented hair. "I know you. And I know you are an amazing, beautiful, smart, talented, sensitive, caring-"

She rolled her eyes. "Sweet-talker."

"What? If you ask my parents, they will say the same things too!" He sat up and didn't bother to cover his bare chest. Kuon put his hands on her cheeks as he rest his forehead on hers. "Promise me, Kyoko... Promise me you'll never leave me..."

"WHAT?"

"I need you. Even though our relationship is like this," he said slowly, "I need you. We might not be a couple, but you are one of the best friends that I've ever had since Rick. Don't leave me. Promise me, Kyoko. Promise me you won't leave me."

She bit her lip. "I- I don't know, Kuon."

"Kyoko. Please."

She sighed. "Fine. I promise."

'Promise me, my ass.' He fumed. 'Then why are you doing this, Kyoko? Why? Where are you?!'

"Kuon? What are you doing here?"

He shot his head up and realized that he was already inside her office. He needed to know where Kyoko was, and this was the first step to finding out. She was an orphan and she already cut off all her contacts, including her legal guardian, Takarada Lory, making it hard for him to get a hold of her. Kotonami Kanae was the only one left, and he was determined to know.

"Where is she?"

Kanae froze, but only for a second that went unnoticed by Kuon. She knew he would come here to look for her, and she'd already practiced her answer when it came to Kyoko's whereabouts. But she wouldn't make this easy for him. After all, he was the man that broke her best friend's heart. The same man Kyoko loved deeply for years and kept it hidden. She, being as good of an actress as Kuon, put on an indifferent look and asked softly.

"Who?"

He glared at her but Kanae ignored it and stared back at him calmly. He got angrier at her calm demeanor and roared,

"Don't 'who' me, Kanae! Where is she? WHERE IS KYOKO?"

She sighed as she rubbed her temples, feeling more annoyed at his attitude. "Kyoko? Obviously Kuon, she's not here."

"DAMMIT KANAE. TELL ME WHERE SHE IS!"

She shrugged. "I don't know. Call her."

"I can't!"

"Her apartment?"

Her calm voice irritated him. "KANAE!"

She sighed heavily. Talking to a mad Kuon was useless. She opened one of her drawers and took out a white envelope. She handed it to Kuon, who was now panting and red with anger. "She left it with me, said that if you look for her here, I must give it to you. And no," she cut him off as he opened his mouth to ask about Kyoko. "I don't know where she is, Kuon. I'm sorry."

It was true. She didn't know where Kyoko was, and after threatening her in any way she knew how, Kyoko stubbornly sealed her lips tight. Kanae could only wish for her safety and happiness, wherever she was.

He plopped down on the nearest couch and ripped the envelope open. He gripped the letter inside shakily as he read it carefully, his dull green eyes glued to the three words and eight letters there.

I am sorry.

Hello :) I've been around FF for a quite while and yes, I decided to publish one of my stories. I still have a doubt if I could write a... passionate, intimate and um, steamy scene here (and damn, I pick the Friends-for-Benefits-thingy as the idea) but hell, I'll just take it as a challenge.

I want to use Kuon here, not the Tsuruga Ren. Why? Because I don't want to write the cliche Ren-confessed-his-past-to-Kyoko scene yet, and I decided to make Kyoko's past darker than you knew in Skip Beat. And maybe, no Sho here, I'm afraid so. I just couldn't put him anywhere.

Please review, minna-san!

-dee

Updated on 22.08.2013 (at least here in my country). This is beta-ed by Roshelle Diall (thank you!). When I read it again, the differences between this chapter and my latest chapter (at this time, it's chapter 11, although I have yet to post it. It's still on regulusgal's possession now) is so far! I feel rather silly to write like THAT and I have every intention to rewrite it again when this is all ends.