A/N: Props to AiramLove for previewing most of this chapter! Glad I could make your day! But now for the story!

PREVIOUSLY ON AFFLICTION:

Moriya pinned Kyoko with a direct look, "I gave Mr. Tsuruga my card earlier, so if you think of anything, please do not hesitate to call me."

Kyoko struggled inwardly to not fall into a complete dogeza under that steely glare. She swallowed once and replied, "Of course, Detective. You'll be the first I call."

"Hmm..." The detective wasn't convinced and left shortly after. Kyoko shut the door with a soft click, turned and was met by the furious Demon Lord, whose searing gaze pinned her on the spot.

"So," he crooned softly, making her blood run cold, "why exactly are we lying to the police?"

Immediately, Kyoko fell into a complete dogeza on the floor. She gasped involuntarily at the sharp, stabbing pains in her ribs and bruised flesh, "I am SO sorry, Mr. Tsuruga! Please forgive your worthless kohai! I did not mean to sully your pristine and sparkling reputation! I shall call Detective Moriya at once and plead your innocence! I-"

"Kyoko!" Ren said sharply as he knelt down beside her, "Settle down. Now let's get up and go to the couch to discuss this like adults. I'm sure that dogeza didn't feel too good with your injuries."

Kyoko remained where she had fallen with her forehead touching the floor. "It's no less than I deserve, Mr. Tsuruga! I deserve to be beaten all over again for my despicable manner! I've no right to stay here and have you harbor a criminal! I-"

"ENOUGH!" Ren exclaimed, snapping Kyoko out of her self-deprecating diatribe. "Hush now," He continued in a softer tone. He placed a hand on the convex curve of her back and felt her flinch. His brows furrowed in dismay when she trembled visibly and she curled in on herself as he purposely brushed his hand from her shoulder blade to mid-back.

Ren sighed and moved his hand to her bicep, "Let's go sit down on the couch. C'mon, I'll help you up." Gently, he grasped her arms and provided the support she needed to unfold herself up off of the floor. They wandered over to the couch and sat sideways facing each other.

Ren paused for a moment while he composed his thoughts. There were just so many questions he had that he didn't even know where to start. His eyes and manner softened when he saw her curled into her corner of the sofa. She was nestled in the corner of the back and arm of the couch facing him. However, she'd tucked her legs up underneath her and silently watched her wringing hands in her lap. Judging by her earlier reaction, and the way she was acting now, he surmised his initial thought.

"You never reported your attack to the police."

That brought Kyoko's gaze up and locked with his. In those turbulent amber eyes, he saw that he was right. That realization evoked twin torrents of rage and concern to pour through him. What had scared her so much that she'd felt that she couldn't go to the authorities? He ground his teeth a moment before loosening the unconscious fist he had made in his lap. "Why didn't you?" He growled out.

Kyoko paled at his tone and looked back down to her lap. When she answered, it was in the smallest voice he'd ever heard from her, "To protect Darumaya."

Ren wasn't expecting that answer. Why would she have to protect Darumaya? Unless there was someone connected to the restaurant? Not the Taisho, he'd always been protective of Kyoko, "I don't understand. What happened?" He kept his voice soft and his manner relaxed. Anything to keep her comfortable and most importantly, talking. He watched her closely as she fidgeted on the couch, her gaze locked on her hands which lay limply in her lap. He honestly didn't think that she was going to answer him. But quietly and slowly she began to talk.

"We had just closed for the night. Taisho was going to put the money in the safe, so he asked me to take the trash out. I've done it countless times before, so why not? So I wrestled the bags out the back door and made my way to the dumpsters. They made such a racket when I threw them in!"

Ren listened as her voice gained in momentum as the tale unwound, but it lacked all emotion. It was almost as if she were reading off of a cue card. She spoke of the guys coming down the alley. He almost cracked a smile when she had tried to use manners to get through the group, but he felt all humor and levity leave him when 'Silky' grabbed her wrist. Her gaze had lifted as she had spoken, but she stared unseeingly straight ahead as she continued. Her voice now trembling with fright, her hands involuntarily clenched tightly in her lap.

Ren could only listen helplessly as she revealed the assault in every minute detail. He dared not touch her-fearful that it would break the spell and cause her to quit speaking. She needed to let it all out. Someone else needed to carry the burden of this awful thing that had happened to her. He didn't think she realized that hot trails of tears streaked down her cheeks. Ren wanted to cry with her. He wanted so many things right then. He wanted to find those fuckers and kill them. He wanted to find out who was behind Kyoko's harassment. But more than the rage, the frustration, the sadness and the fear, there was his desire. He longed to do nothing else at that moment than to simply draw her into his arms and hold her. He needed to reassure her that she was not alone, and to reassure himself that she was safe. And he would keep her that way! But one look at her defensive body language and he realized that she wouldn't welcome his embrace. Not when the memory of the attack was so fresh in her mind.

He sat there, barely breathing, as she told her story. He inwardly let out a sigh of relief when she revealed that Taisho had come to her rescue. He sent a prayer of thanks that the older man had arrived in the nick of time. He even felt a small smirk grace his lips as Kyoko told him of Okami-san's fussing over her. Ren closed his eyes and sent another prayer of thanks for the kind hearted women's presence. He was thankful of the older couple in Kyoko's life. Without them, her story would have ended completely different.

"Mr. Tsuruga?" Kyoko's voice was thin and he looked up from his musings to see her red-rimmed, tear filled eyes looking at him.

"It's Ren, remember?" He responded very quietly, all the while leaning forward slightly to indicate she should say whatever she had on her mind.

He watched as a light blush graced her pale cheeks, and she absently swiped a cheek with her hand to get rid of tears. She met his gaze once again and Ren was concerned that her eyes had filled with tears once more, "Ren, I…I was sure…that…I was gonna be…" her voice broke off as emotion overwhelmed her.

Ren couldn't take it anymore, "Ah hell," he ground out softly. And quicker than she could follow, he had swiftly gathered her into his arms and onto his lap. He had heard the unspoken part of her sentence, 'I was sure I was gonna be…raped.'

He felt her go rigid as he tucked her head into the crook of his shoulder and neck. "Shhh…relax, Kyoko. I'm not going to do anything. I just couldn't let you sit there by yourself anymore. I had to hold you. You are not alone. So just relax. Listen to my heartbeat. You know I won't hurt you, right?" He crooned softly and kept his hands still as she came to grips about being on his lap.

Kyoko didn't know what to think. She was sitting on Ren's lap?! He'd moved so quickly that she hadn't even realized what had happened until she'd felt his arms bracketing her, holding her down, and she instinctively wanted to fight them off. Then with her nose right at the base of his neck, she took in a deep breath and the scent of his cologne-of Ren- relaxed her like his words never could. This was Ren Tsuruga. He was right, he would never hurt her. She watched in mute fascination as his pulse visibly beat under his skin. Despite his calm demeanor, he was as nervous as she was. She could feel his heartbeat under her hands that rested lightly on his chest. She was sitting crosswise on his lap as he reclined slightly into the couch. Both of her arms were lying loosely on his chest in front of her. Ren's left arm bracketed her back and left hip and his right arm relaxed along her legs with his hand on her thigh.

They just sat there in silence for a few minutes as Kyoko became accustomed to being this close to Ren. If she was honest with herself, this was the closest she'd been to anyone, really. She slowly relaxed her body against his chest, letting it go slack. She even nuzzled her face closer to the base of his neck so she could keep breathing in his calming masculine scent. She let out a long sigh and simply surrendered to the moment, propriety be damned.

Ren meanwhile was having trouble breathing. He never thought for a second that she'd relax so completely in his arms. Especially not right after telling her story. He kept his touch as light as possible as he kept her secured on his lap. His right hand itched to reach up and play with the chestnut strands of hair that were tickling his jaw and neck, but he dared not move. He didn't want to break the spell. He contented himself with the realization that she was finally in his arms.

Kyoko looked at her hands splayed on Ren's chest and she idly played with a button on his shirt. She knew she had to finish explaining. "Darumaya is a small, family run establishment. If word got out that a girl was…assaulted…there, the business would suffer. We did place an anonymous call to the police reporting three suspicious figures out back in the alley. But to lodge formal charges would tarnish Darumaya's reputation—and Taisho's. I couldn't do that to them. They were kind enough to take me in when…the situation arose." She finished lamely.

Ren knew exactly what she was going to say, 'when no one else would.' He clenched his jaw once more at the thought of fucking Fuwa's abuse. He willed himself to relax once more and focused on the matter at hand. "So that's why you lied to Detective Moriya." Her reasoning was classic Kyoko: Take the brunt of the responsibility in order to protect those around her. "I'm not saying I approve of the decision you made, but I understand why you did it." He took a risk and leaned his cheek on the top of her head and indulged in the scent of her hair. He was happy that she didn't seem too agitated by his gesture. Maybe there was hope for him yet.

Kyoko knew that she should be mortified. She should be freaking out and scrambling out of Ren's lap as fast as her body could carry her. She should be terrified that she had possibly offended the Demon Lord and she should be apologizing profusely and loudly and begging for her Lord's pardon and mercy on her soul. But something held her captive right where she was. It wasn't his arms, they lay loosely on her, gently holding her in place. Rather it was the rhythmic thump-thump of his heartbeat in her ear, the slow rise and fall of his chest as he breathed, the quiet assurance he radiated and silent acceptance of her story. And the death knell to any lingering thoughts of moving she had was the simple gesture of him laying his cheek on her head. All of her grudges had fled to the furthest, darkest recesses of her psyche at that one action.

She wondered at the strange, warm feeling in her chest. Was this what it felt like to be wanted? To be cared for? Someone actually wanted her around and for once not for what she could do for them? Ren was simply holding her in his silent apartment. They had no meetings to go to, no jobs to appear at, and no customers to appease. He seemed to want nothing from her other than her company. It was strangely satisfying, this idleness. The two of them had such hectic lives that she almost felt guilty for just sitting there. The term guilty brought another issue to the forefront of her mind. She was shamelessly sitting in the lap of a man who liked another girl.

"You know, I can almost hear the gears turning in that head of yours." Ren murmured softly, "What are you so frantically thinking about?"

Kyoko mentally cringed, she'd said it before; the man was entirely way too perceptive. She buried her face in the crook of his neck. It was time to take a risk of her own, "A high school girl." She mumbled.

Ren suppressed a shiver as her breath ghosted across his skin, so it took a moment for her words to register. He blinked in confusion, "A high school girl? Is she someone that goes to your school?"

Kyoko shook her head slightly, "She's the girl you like, according to Bo." She reluctantly said. A part of her cringed and was shocked that she was being so direct—not to mention talking about THAT emotion. However a larger part of her liked this new feeling of being in his arms. She had to find out who this girl was, or what his feelings actually were. After all, if he really liked someone else, he wouldn't hold her like this. Would he?

Ren blinked in shock, "Bo…high school…" he thought quickly until the memory of his conversation with the chicken surfaced. He smiled at the thought and soon he couldn't contain his laughter. Oh, this girl! He tightened his hold on her when he felt her stiffen in anger. "Relax, I'm sorry I laughed, but you just caught me off guard." He said in amusement.

"I don't appreciated being laughed at, Mr. Tsuruga," she bit out.

Ren hmmed, and reached up with his right hand to give in to his urge to play with her hair, "Back to formalities, Miss Mogami?" He ventured lightly.

Kyoko stiffened even further, "And I don't like being mocked any more than being laughed at." She said tightly.

Ren ignored her comment and indignant attitude and countered with a question, "Kyoko, who do I normally associate with?"

Nonplussed, Kyoko blinked, "Um…Yashiro, the President, Maria, your coworkers on your jobs…" she listed off.

"Don't forget yourself, Kyoko," he mentioned.

"Oh, I would never presume," she said dismissively.

Ren just couldn't keep his hand out of her hair, "You would never presume, but it's the truth. We do associate in and out of work."

"Okay." Kyoko agreed in a small voice.

"So," Ren continued, "out of that group of people, who is the high school girl that I spend the most time with?" Above her head, he was smiling widely and was glad she couldn't see it.

Kyoko was confused for a moment until she realized that the high school girl in that list was…herself. She felt her face erupt with a violent blush and instinctively buried her face tighter against Ren's neck. She shook her head from side to side in rejection of Ren's words.

Chuckling, he cuddled her closer, "Yes. It's true, Kyoko. You're the girl that I spoke to Bo about. It's funny how I unknowingly confessed to the girl I like. Moreover, the fact that said girl didn't even pick up on it is astonishing! How many girls do you think I hang around with, anyway? Wait. Don't answer that, I don't think I want to know."

Unbidden, the giggle escaped Kyoko, surprising her. It had been weeks since she had last felt like laughing. She pushed and levered herself up and away to face Ren with a teasing smile on her face, "Well you are a playboy."

Ren felt the tension leave his body and his heart swell with tenderness when he saw her shy smile. An answering smirk appeared on his lips, "Only where one woman is concerned, Kyoko." He reached up and cupped the side of her face. His thumb caressed her cheekbone gently as his eyes glanced down at her mouth before meeting her gaze once again, "I'd really like to kiss you, if you'd allow it?" He asked softly.

Kyoko's breath hitched. Ren Tsuruga wanted to kiss her?! The thought suddenly brought forth the feeling of tongues laving her face, neck, and inside her mouth. She shuddered as her eyes went wide and her breathing became choppy as she fought the reaction those images caused.

Ren immediately realized his error. She was having a flashback to the other night. "Shh...easy, darlin'. You're all right. You're safe." He had dropped his hand from her cheek and again cuddled her close to his neck. "Shh…" He combed his fingers through her hair, 'I'm so sorry. I should have known better." He muttered to himself.

"No" Kyoko murmured against Ren's neck, "I'm sorry. I was just surprised that you'd want to…kiss...someone like me; then that made me think of those guys." She trailed off when a shudder wracked her frame.

"Easy now," Ren hummed softly, "You've nothing to apologize for. I shouldn't have rushed you. I'm no better than those cretins." He ground out in self-directed anger.

Kyoko heard that and immediately pushed herself up again to look at Ren directly. "No." She said vehemently, "You are nothing like those filthy guys!" Her eyes sparkled in righteous indignation, "You are a gentleman in every sense of the word, Mr. Tsuruga. You're a professional actor and even though I know we didn't start out on the best of terms, you have always been someone I've trusted to help me." She looked down briefly, still feeling the ever-present blush, but looked back up to lock gazes once more, "I still trust you, Ren. Otherwise, I don't think I'd be sitting on your lap so easily."

Ren smiled slightly, "Frankly, I'm also surprised that you're still here and not halfway across the room in a dogeza profusely apologizing about the impropriety of it all."

Kyoko grinned humorlessly, "Yeah, well, I'm fairly certain that propriety and I aren't on speaking terms any longer." She dropped her gaze to stare at her hands splayed on Ren's chest, bracing her body upright.

Ren sobered at her words and he used his free hand to force her chin higher so she would meet his eyes, "What happened to you was traumatic and horrible, but Kyoko, none of it was your fault. You were not sullied by those disgusting men. Do you hear me? You are the same wholesome, wonderful, girl that I fell in love with. Don't let those bastards win and turn you into something less than you are. You are so precious to me and all of your friends."

Kyoko felt her eyes fill with tears as she listened to his fervently spoken words. No one had ever said such things to her. And while she found it hard to believe that he could love a plain girl like her, she desperately wanted it to be true! As she felt the hot moisture slide down her cheeks again, she huffed out a laugh as she swiped at them. 'You'd think with all that I've cried today, I wouldn't have any tears left." She muttered in exasperation, yet fell silent when she felt Ren's knuckles gently wipe away her tears.

"Don't be embarrassed, it's just your body's way of releasing emotion. And I'll be here any time you need to cry." He paused and looked at her with that radiant smile on his face, 'You're beautiful." He breathed softly, and ignoring her gasp of disbelief he continued on in a stronger tone. "And as much as I want to monopolize your time this evening, there are a few things we need to do." He sat up and very gently placed Kyoko on the couch beside him so he could stand.

Kyoko was completely thrown by the abrupt mood change. She blinked owlishly up at him as she shivered at the cold leather of the couch. She was already missing his body heat. "Do?" She asked dumbly.

Ren grinned inwardly all the while keeping a neutral expression on his face. She looked completely baffled at the sudden change. As much as he wanted to cuddle her on the couch, he sensed that she'd reached her limit of heartfelt confessions. So, to keep her off balance and to distract her from the heavy mood, Ren decided that she needed to call Maria. Also, she needed to write out a grocery list for him so he could go retrieve what she wanted for food.

The distraction benefited Ren as well. He had come right out and finally told Kyoko that he loved her. But he wasn't sure that he could handle her rejection, so hence the mood change and tasks to keep her busy. It would ensure that she didn't think too hard on his confession. Underhanded? Yep! Cowardly? You bet! Anything that kept her at ease in his company and not over thinking everything. Besides he had promised Lory that Kyoko would call Maria. He was just taking care of his obligations.

And he realized that while he was rambling internally, he had been standing silently over Kyoko, who was now peering up at him in concern. "Ren? Are you all right?" She asked warily.

He blushed slightly and smiled down at her, "I'm fine. Just got lost in my thoughts is all." He dug in his pocket to bring out his cell phone. "Lory called while you were sleeping and made me promise to have you call Maria when you woke. She's been worried about you and threatened to come over here if I wasn't taking good care of you." He smiled as he brought up Lory's home number and hit the send button, passing the phone to a now smiling Kyoko.