AN: Oh wow, it's been a seriously long time since I updated this and it's been nearly two years since I published this story. I haven't forgotten about it. I've just been super busy this year and until now Skip Beat wasn't inspiring me. I'm glad to be writing it again though.

Chapter Thirteen – Disappointments

As Kuon returned home, he remembered to put his bag in the closet after he had removed the script he was working on. Kyoko was right, he did feel exhausted from work but work also motivated him. He got to do something that a lot of people didn't. He got to live his dream and make enough money through working to support his wife and children. He walked over to Kyoko who was sleeping on the sofa. She must have been tired from the pregnancy. He was glad that he didn't have to be the one with the aching back and large belly but he did want to make sure that she was okay.

Sitting down beside her, Kuon watched as she slept. He opened his script and started whispering his lines. Kyoko was the only one he could practice in front of. She had always been his cheerleader but now she could point out things he was missing as well.

As he continued to read them, Kyoko yawned and stretched an arm out. She watched him lovingly for a few moments and then let her fingers go over his hair. He turned to her and smiled, putting down the script. "You really are the best actor in all of Japan," she told him with a hum and he laughed, shaking his head.

"You're flattering my ego, not such a good thing in concept," he joked with her and Kyoko rolled her eyes. She leaned forwards and kissed his cheek, barely moving from the sofa. She sat up slowly before starting to stand up. Kuon immediately stood so that he could help her and she sat down again.

"Are you okay? Did you want me to get you something?" he asked her and Kyoko smiled.

"You always work so hard," she commented and Kuon smiled. Yes, he worked hard but he had a reason to. He wanted to support his family. More than being an actor who was able to work internationally, he wanted to support and take care of his loved ones. He had considered paternity leave but hadn't yet discussed it with Kyoko. If she wanted to return to work, he didn't mind staying home with the kids until they were a little older.

"I love acting but I love you more," he replied and Kyoko grinned feeling extremely lucky that he was here with her.

"Come on, I want to show you what I worked on today," she said and Kuon raised an eyebrow. He was always interested in projects she had. She had been sewing a lot and had made some toys and clothes for the children. He loved seeing the different things that she had designed. Their children would be extremely lucky.

Kuon let her pull him up the stairs and to the nursery. His face paled as he saw that it was completed without him being there. He had missed it? He hadn't been working for that long. He had even booked some time off from work so that they could do it together. He felt a stabbing pain in his chest and his face went neutral, his smile fading and his eyes didn't seem to be making contact with anything.

"What do you think?" Kyoko asked proudly but Kuon didn't respond, he just kept looking around the room feeling upset that he wasn't a part of this and couldn't share in this story. He hadn't told her that he had made sure with Yashiro that he had a couple of days so that they could spend some time and do this together. That was his fault. He knew her intentions were good and that she was only trying to help him but he had wanted for this to be a special moment.

"Great," he laughed weakly and Kyoko tilted her head to the side. He appeared upset and she wasn't sure why he felt that way. "It's great."

Kyoko blinked, his words weren't matching his expression. She really hoped that he would have been more excited about this. She looked around. Everything had been set up. The walls were painted in the colors that they had decided upon together. There was the changing table. There was the bookcase with the books that they had talked about. She didn't know why he had that distant expression on his face that usually meant he was upset about something.

"Kuon?" she asked as she took his hand and squeezed it. "Corn?" she said as she tilted her head to the side. "Sweetheart? Is everything -"

"Yeah, it's great," Kuon lied and Kyoko could tell that he was upset about what he was seeing. She wasn't sure why. Everything within the room was what they had agreed upon and Kuon had been so excited to talk about the color scheme and the furniture. Wouldn't he be excited to see the completed room?

"Are you sure?" she asked and Kuon turned away from her, breaking the hold she had on his hand. She blinked, he wasn't going to talk to her, was he? "Would you talk to Bo?" she tried and Kuon stood with his back turned to her.

"I'm fine. It's fine," he lied and Kyoko took a look back at the room. There was something he didn't like about it but he wasn't telling her. She hated when he would become gloomy and sulk especially when he wasn't ready to talk to her.

"Is the color okay?" she asked and Kuon nodded, still not turning to look at her.

"Of course," Kuon nodded. Kyoko grabbed his wrist and he pulled out of her touch again. She felt a pain through her and she stood back with her arms crossed.

"What?" she asked before trying to take a deep breath in without crying but she felt terrible about what was happening. "Kuon! I'm not going to let you walk away from this," she said and Kuon looked up at the ceiling, trying to control his emotions so that he didn't get angry at her.

"I know I sound like a brat," he said as he turned to her and Kyoko felt a shiver through her body. She had expected to see him frustrated but she hadn't wanted to see him this upset. She didn't really understand why he was so depressed. "I wanted to do this with you. Do you think that I'll be that bad a father that I'm not even allowed to do something for my kids."

"This has nothing to do with your…." Kyoko began, she looked at him extremely confused and he felt a pain run through his body.

"I wanted to do this together," Kuon argued and Kyoko blinked. She took a step back. She didn't know that this was so important to him. Moko-chan had even said something to that extent that it would have been important to him but he was always so busy, he always seemed so exhausted after working so hard. She had felt that it would have been a hassle to him.

She took a slow breath. "I'm sorry," she apologized.

Kuon shook his head. "It's fine," he told her and Kyoko frowned as he seemed to be avoiding her. She hated that. They were married, they were supposed to communicate with one another. If he was angry with her then she would prefer that he would be angry with her. "Look, I have to work on my lines."

"I never said that you'd be a terrible father!" Kyoko yelled after him and heard him give a laugh saying he disagreed with that assumption. "I know that you're going to be an amazing dad!" she yelled at him. He looked away bitterly and Kyoko shook her head. She knew that he would pout and sulk and although she accepted that about him, she preferred that he tell her the truth.

"Look, I'm going to go downst—" he began trying to avoid confrontation but even if she was pregnant, Kyoko wanted him to be honest with her. He could yell at her if he was really upset. It was his quietness that made her feel scared. She didn't want him to hurt. She wanted to know what was going on behind that neutral expression.

"Kuon. I'm sorry. I thought I was doing something good for us but I'm sorry. I didn't listen to you. Did you want to paint over it and then we can start all over again!" she yelled at him feeling a need for him to at least express some type of emotion.

"That's not necessary," he told her before facing her. "I thought I told you that I wanted to work on it together. I wanted to do everything for our children together. I wanted to be a part of this. I'm going to be a father. I didn't want you to do this with anyone else. I wanted to be a part of this." He said and Kyoko nodded. She had thought that she was just trying to be kind to her.

She wanted to do something to help him feel better, she wanted him to believe himself to be an equal part of the lives of their children. "Their first birthday," she said as she turned to him and Kuon looked at her confused. What was going to happen on their first birthday? Would Kyoko want him to decorate that room, they could do that together, he wanted them to do things together.

"Their first birthday?" he asked and Kyoko nodded. She just wanted him to be happy.

"I'll let you plan the details for their first birthday," she tried to explain and Kuon looked at her, opening his mouth to argue with her. "The location. The gifts. Who we invite. I'll let you decide all of it," she said and Kuon shook his head. Kyoko blinked through her tears as she watched him. Was that not enough? Would he continue to tell her that he was disappointed but this time in her?

"No. We plan things together," he said and Kyoko sniffed, trying hard not to cry. Kuon walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close.

Kyoko let her cheek rest on his well-toned chest and bowed her head. She just wanted to remain this close to him. She didn't want to do anything that might make him want to spend time away from her. She wanted for them to be together, she needed him. Despite how much she missed his blond hair, she wanted him with her.

"Then their birthday cake," Kyoko argued and Kuon tilted his head to the side. She looked up into those amazing emerald eyes of his. "You can pick the flavor and the design and everything else about their first cake, or it doesn't even need to be a cake, we could do cupcakes or ice cream or anything."

"You know that I know nothing about desserts," Kuon laughed and Kyoko felt comfort as she heard that sound. She really did love hearing him happy, his laugh was like music to her ears and probably her favorite sound in the entire world.

"It doesn't matter," she said as she felt him pull her closer to his body. "You'll know what they like, what they don't like, what flavors they enjoy, what colors they react to the most," she told him and looked up to see him smiling. Maybe it was only a small thing that she was offering him but as long as it made him happy and didn't create tension, she would give it to him.

"You really think I'll be a good dad?" he asked and Kyoko smiled.

"They'll love you. You'll be a world-class father," she said, "Just like the one you had growing up."

Kuon smiled at that and Kyoko took comfort in that smile. She still felt guilty doing something so important to him without him but she had managed to help him realize how he was still important to their family. He was the daddy. He would always have a special place with them.

End of Chapter Thirteen

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Thank you to the reviewers of Chapter Twelve

H-Nala, Kaname671, ladygraywolf