[Skip Beat] fic: Faux Fairytale
Title: Faux Fairytale
Fandom: Skip Beat
Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat.
Word count: 2860
Notes: written for Mellish (scratchmist) in the 2008 Yuletide challenge.
Summary: Kyouko stresses over being Bo and finds herself acting in the most ridiculous fairytale ever (with the guy she hates). Cameos by Bridge Rock.
Archive: yuletide
When she entered the idol world, she had never thought she'd have jobs like this one. She dreamed of rubbing her success into Shou's face, openly laughing down at him in her elegant makeup while former fans of Shou's cheered for her. Reality was quite different however, for she was sitting on the bench after another night with Bridge Rock, dressed up in a full chicken suit complete with a chicken head that concealed her identity. Not a lot of people knew about this side role of hers. She needed to keep it a secret, specifically from those two whose photos she had pinned to her wall. This wasn't a job that was going to bring her fame or glory, but she found that Bridge Rock was a lovable bunch. It was so easy to relax around them, to meld in with the group when she was hidden behind Bo's persona. But there lay the root of her present worries. Apparently, she hadn't given her Bo persona enough thought. Bo had come too easily for her.
She was guilty of using Bo to get to know Tsuruga-san better...he always showed a much different side to Bo than to anyone else. What was Bo to her? Surely not just an escape or a means to talk with Tsuruga-san? Hikaru-san and the rest didn't want much out of Bo. They just wanted a witty mascot to represent them, but she had even been letting Natsu bleed into Bo's personality. She had successfully separated Natsu from Mio. She couldn't believe she had overlooked Bo.
"Kyouko-chan, don't forget we're doing charity at the orphanage tomorrow," reminded Ishibashi Hikaru, the leader of Bridge Rock. When Kyouko didn't answer immediately, he knelt over, his hands resting on his knees. "Are you all right, Kyouko-chan?"
Kyouko sighed, leaning her feathered head on the wall behind her. "I can't believe I scared off the technician. Bo is charismatic, but he wouldn't give people the cold stare."
"It's all right. I doubt anyone will remember that."
"But I will," exclaimed Kyouko. "It's unacceptable! Bo is Bo! I've been unfair to him."
She continued telling Hikaru-san her worries about Bo. He nodded a lot, despite not understanding completely. He was the host of a variety show, not an actor. His role was entirely different from Kyouko's.
In the end, Hikaru patted Kyouko's hands.
"Just be yourself. That's enough."
Kyouko blinked.
"But Bo's a guy!"
"Er, be a masculine Kyouko then..."
Kyouko bit her lips, wishing she could enlist Tsuruga-san's help. She couldn't though. She couldn't let him know that she was the one behind Bo. He would murder her for not speaking up about it. After all, she had led him to confess private things that he was unwilling to tell anyone else about.
-----
The next day dawned bright and cold, the sun glistening off the white snow. Bridge Rock trudged through the thick snow clad in their winter coats and scarves. Kyouko was glad for her warm chicken suit that was protecting her from the cold, but her plump chicken foot sunk into the snow the moment she took a step foward. The snow immediately seeped through the fluffy material.
"Hm, this won't work," commented Yuusei as he rubbed his hand through his spiky hair. "Want me to carry you?"
Kyouko shook her head and waved her wings furiously in front of her. "No way! Bo doesn't need to be carried!"
With that said, she ran across the snow, her feet sinking in with every step. By the time she finally got to the entrance, both her feet were soaked through.
"You should have let Yuusei carry you," exclaimed Shinichi, who looked entirely in place with his beanie and long boots among the cold. "You're going to catch a cold like this."
"I'll be fine-"
Before Kyouko could even finish, she was surrounded by pouncing kids.
"It's Bo!" they exclaimed in chorus. Soon, Kyouko found kids hanging off her arms, her back, her shoulders...
The other members of Bridge Rock snickered as they tried peeling the kids off her back.
Hikaru leaned over. "See? There's nothing to worry about. Everyone loves you."
He had to mean that everyone loved Bo. Kyouko did too, but not enough. She had to learn how to appreciate Bo just as much as she felt for Natsu and for Mio.
Throughout the morning, the members of Bridge Rock helped out around the orphanage. They recounted stories about variety shows, helped out with the decorations, and even held a mini show there with the kids. Kyouko was the center of attention here. Everyone wanted to hear about Bo. She was learning about him along with everyone else.
Her day was going great until all the kids leaped off her back and stampeded towards the door to welcome the idol who had just arrived. She stretched her wings out and rolled her shoulders, glad for the break. She had heard from the workers that there were other idols who were coming today to help out. She hadn't paid much attention, since she only interacted with Bridge Rock while she was Bo. She didn't know anyone else.
When he came into her view decked in his black trench coat and leather boots, she felt herself freeze despite her warm outfit. He wasn't supposed to be here! She squawked and immediately covered her beak with her wings. She had to hide!
She scuttled behind the Christmas tree, hoping that the large tree would hide her bulky body. She stood still, crossing her feathered fingers in hope that she wouldn't be found.
"Where'd Bo go?" asked Hikaru as he glanced around the room. He spotted her feathered form peaking out from behind the green bristles. "There you are, Kyo-"
Kyouko flew out from behind the tree, muffling Hikaru-san before he could finish his utterance. "Shhhhhhh!!!!!!" she hissed.
The room fell silent at her hiss.
She cursed inside her head, turning around in dread.
Shou had noticed her.
She couldn't tell what was on his mind, but he was staring straight at her. He looked like he wanted to say something to her, but in the end, he spoke to Hikaru-san.
"So, Bridge Rock," he began, "Did you ever find a regular for that rooster?"
Hikaru-san clapped Kyouko on the shoulder. "Why yes! We did! Bo here is-"
Kyouko stepped on Hikaru-san's foot.
"Ow!" he exclaimed in hurt. His complaints died when Kyouko's demons appeared in front of him, circling around him, daring him to out her secret.
"Well, this here is Bo," he finished lamely, trying to inch away from Kyouko's simmering aura. He hadn't remembered in time that Kyouko seemed to have a grudge against Shou, if the first variety show with them had been any indication.
Shou made no comment, but his mouth curved upwards in a predatory grin.
He knew. He had to know already. In that case, Kyouko wasn't going to hold back.
...or so she had thought. She pretended to trip in order to splash her glass of juice on Shou. It worked, but the kids ended up being the ones cleaning up the juice from the floor. She tried to trip him but instead tripped one of the workers there, and the poor worker fell into the Christmas tree. The entire room screamed as the Christmas tree came crashing down, the ornaments smashing into the floor. It was a disaster. Kyouko apologized profusely to them for ruining their holiday cheer. This was not the place to have her battle with Shou. Even if she embarrassed him here, the only audience was these sweet kids.
She sat glumly by the wall, banished to the corner of the room to stay out of trouble. The party had to be postponed because of the mayhem she had caused. She always lost her mind when Shou was around. Before, she had been blinded by adoration and warm fuzzy feelings. Now, she was overcome by fury and vengeance that made her blood boil. She had lost sight of Bo once again.
She consoled herself with the fact that Shou was still suffering. She watched him as he commanded the kids to pick up all the ornaments that were still intact. He was terrible with kids, and it showed. He was all right with the girls--that damn playboy--but he wasn't getting along with the boys at all. She laughed openly, pointing her feathered finger at Shou when one of the boys insulted him. When he turned over to glare at her, she raised an eyebrow, her costume surprisingly expressive.
-----
After the fallen Christmas tree was cleared up, the head of the orphanage suggested acting out a play. The girls immediately voted for Shou to be the prince. Silently, Kyouko seethed in the corner. Shou was no prince!
Shou smirked, his eyes gleaming. "I don't mind, as long as I get to choose who Cinderella is."
Kyouko snorted. Shou was so going to break the hearts of these innocent little girls. He really wasn't a prince. Even the role of the big bad wolf would be too gracious of a role for him. He needed to be taken down a few notches-
"...the rooster over there."
Her head snapped up. Wait, what? What had she just missed?
"I choose the rooster over there to be Cinderella."
Kyouko's beak dropped open in shock as the kids went wild.
-----
She had never ever been chosen as the lead role in a play back when she was in school. She remembered in elementary school how Shou always got chosen to play the prince. She had thought he fit the role so well. In fifth grade when the class put on Snow White, Shou was the dashing prince who saved the princess from the evil witch. Kyouko had loved all the plays, all the fairytales. She longed to be the heroine. Shou would sweep her off her feet, and together they'd walk into the sunset to live happily ever after. She was never ever chosen to play the princess though. Instead, she was always responsible for the props or the costumes, all the behind-the-scenes work. Her classmates praised her for her costumes. She had taken pride in that, even while she secretly yearned to be the princess.
But now, years after they had left those elementary years behind them, months after Kyouko had discarded her innocent self, she was finally cast as the princess. It was her favorite role...but this was not how she had wanted it to happen.
"Oh, how I wish I could be in the ball!" exclaimed Kyouko from inside the rooster costume. She couldn't help herself--she loved fairytales! Her eyes twinkled with joy, the thought of romantic dances and true love kisses rushing through her mind.
If Shou thought he could humiliate her with this, he was so very wrong. When it came time for Cinderella's transformation into a beautiful princess, Kyouko borrowed a tie from Shinichi to signify Bo's change into a sophisticated rooster. Shou almost tripped when she walked into the room like that. He must have thought he'd be able to get her to discard the silly chicken suit. How wrong he was! Kyouko took pride in being Bo. This was for all the kids who had cheered for her.
She watched as the girl in front broke into a wide smile, clearly displaying her two missing teeth. Kyouko grinned and stood up tall, waltzing across the room until she was in front of Shou. She bowed over elegantly and extended one feathered hand.
"May I have this dance, dear Prince? she asked, memories of the last time she had battled with Shou as Bo tumbling through her mind. That meeting had been disastrous, yet it was what had landed her this job.
Shou glowered and turned away, intent on ignoring her. When he did that, he came face-to-face with fifty kids who were holding their breath in anticipation. They were leaning so far forward that one little push from the back would cause them to tumble over like dominoes.
Reluctantly, Shou slapped his hand on Bo's. Kyouko grinned even wider and tugged Shou forward roughly. He fell into step with her, and they danced a crazily fast paced dance that looked more like an exchange of blows. It was entirely out of tune with the slow, romantic music, but Kyouko had known that this was no ordinary fairytale. It was one meant to bring smiles to those kids' faces.
At the end of the dance, both panted heavily.
"Not bad," said Kyouko.
Shou tossed his head. "Of course, what'd you expect from the great Fuwa Shou?"
One of the boys snickered.
"You!" began Shou as he spun around.
The clock chimed. It was time for Bo to escape from the dance, leaving behind a memento of Bo's presence. A glass slipper would have been ideal, but nothing would have fit on Bo's plush foot. Kyouko scrambled to undo her necktie so she could leave it behind, but the girl in the front row rushed over and pulled off Bo's foot instead!
Kyouko gaped as her foot came off, the still soggy thing landing in a thump in front of her. The small girl wiped her hands on her pants as the rest of the kids gasped at Bo's dismembered foot.
Well, that was that. She hobbled away, her left foot cold against the marble floor. She stifled her giggles when she looked back and saw Shou pick up the soggy chicken foot. The thing had been making squishy noises wherever she walked. Shou looked so ridiculously dangling the chicken foot, the only memento that his wild dance partner had left him as a clue.
She thought he would explode right then and there, stopping the play altogether. He hated touching dirty things and looking stupid. That chicken foot was definitely dirty, and he looked so outlandish holding it. But after he blanked out, he seemed to snap back into it. He brought the chicken foot around and had a bunch of kids try it on. Their feet were all too small, causing the thing to fall down in a plump. The kids guffawed at each try. Kyouko couldn't help the small smile that played at her lips at seeing Shou interact with the kids. Even the boys were warming up to him.
She stiffened. Even she was warming up to him, and that was not acceptable. When Shou finally brought the chicken foot to her, he placed his warm hands on her icy foot to lift it. Shivers traveled up her back. She tugged her foot out of his hands and almost kicked him in the face when she abruptly stuck her foot back into the chicken foot.
"So I guess it was meant to be you," murmured Shou, looking up at her exasperatedly. He sported an easy grin, his eyes dancing in mirth.
What was this? Why was he so happy in this absurd situation?
When Shou extended his hand to her, she pecked him on the head with her long beak and ran outisde the room.
"Ouch!" he exclaimed. "What do you think you're doing??"
"Giving you the kiss that ends the play, of course! Don't follow me!"
She trudged outside into the snow, her feet once again sinking into the snow. Her toes were freezing, even more so than when the chicken foot had been pulled off her feet. She watched the snow fall, wondering what had gone wrong. She had...enjoyed herself. Even with Shou there.
"You're going to catch a cold," came his damned voice. Hadn't she told him not to follow her? He never listened to her. It had always been like this.
"It has nothing to do with you," she said.
"Your feet were cold," he replied as he lightly rubbed his hands together.
"Well I'm not sorry about that."
He snorted. "So, did you enjoy yourself?"
"Enjoy humiliating you? Why yes, I did."
Shou ignored that barb. "You always liked fairytales, but you were never part of one. I thought you'd like to be in one."
Once upon a time, she would have been touched by his words. She had wished so hard to be the princess, to be Shou's princess, just so they could have their romantic fairytale and their happily-ever-after. But Shou had been the one to kill that dream, and even if Shou tried to extend the olive branch now, the only thing they could have was this parody of a fairytale.
"Don't assume you know me, Fuwa Shou." It wasn't like she had ever taken off Bo's headpiece in front of him...and even if he was sure she was the one behind Bo, it wasn't like he knew who she really was. All he knew was the blindingly devoted Kyouko who had no life outside of serving Shou.
Shou breathed out slowly, the door propped open in front of him. The warm air escaped from within.
"Even so, you know me," he murmured. He glanced back at her. "Come back inside before you freeze to death."
With that, he disappeared back inside.
-----
the end
Fandom: Skip Beat
Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat.
Word count: 2860
Notes: written for Mellish (scratchmist) in the 2008 Yuletide challenge.
Summary: Kyouko stresses over being Bo and finds herself acting in the most ridiculous fairytale ever (with the guy she hates). Cameos by Bridge Rock.
Archive: yuletide
When she entered the idol world, she had never thought she'd have jobs like this one. She dreamed of rubbing her success into Shou's face, openly laughing down at him in her elegant makeup while former fans of Shou's cheered for her. Reality was quite different however, for she was sitting on the bench after another night with Bridge Rock, dressed up in a full chicken suit complete with a chicken head that concealed her identity. Not a lot of people knew about this side role of hers. She needed to keep it a secret, specifically from those two whose photos she had pinned to her wall. This wasn't a job that was going to bring her fame or glory, but she found that Bridge Rock was a lovable bunch. It was so easy to relax around them, to meld in with the group when she was hidden behind Bo's persona. But there lay the root of her present worries. Apparently, she hadn't given her Bo persona enough thought. Bo had come too easily for her.
She was guilty of using Bo to get to know Tsuruga-san better...he always showed a much different side to Bo than to anyone else. What was Bo to her? Surely not just an escape or a means to talk with Tsuruga-san? Hikaru-san and the rest didn't want much out of Bo. They just wanted a witty mascot to represent them, but she had even been letting Natsu bleed into Bo's personality. She had successfully separated Natsu from Mio. She couldn't believe she had overlooked Bo.
"Kyouko-chan, don't forget we're doing charity at the orphanage tomorrow," reminded Ishibashi Hikaru, the leader of Bridge Rock. When Kyouko didn't answer immediately, he knelt over, his hands resting on his knees. "Are you all right, Kyouko-chan?"
Kyouko sighed, leaning her feathered head on the wall behind her. "I can't believe I scared off the technician. Bo is charismatic, but he wouldn't give people the cold stare."
"It's all right. I doubt anyone will remember that."
"But I will," exclaimed Kyouko. "It's unacceptable! Bo is Bo! I've been unfair to him."
She continued telling Hikaru-san her worries about Bo. He nodded a lot, despite not understanding completely. He was the host of a variety show, not an actor. His role was entirely different from Kyouko's.
In the end, Hikaru patted Kyouko's hands.
"Just be yourself. That's enough."
Kyouko blinked.
"But Bo's a guy!"
"Er, be a masculine Kyouko then..."
Kyouko bit her lips, wishing she could enlist Tsuruga-san's help. She couldn't though. She couldn't let him know that she was the one behind Bo. He would murder her for not speaking up about it. After all, she had led him to confess private things that he was unwilling to tell anyone else about.
-----
The next day dawned bright and cold, the sun glistening off the white snow. Bridge Rock trudged through the thick snow clad in their winter coats and scarves. Kyouko was glad for her warm chicken suit that was protecting her from the cold, but her plump chicken foot sunk into the snow the moment she took a step foward. The snow immediately seeped through the fluffy material.
"Hm, this won't work," commented Yuusei as he rubbed his hand through his spiky hair. "Want me to carry you?"
Kyouko shook her head and waved her wings furiously in front of her. "No way! Bo doesn't need to be carried!"
With that said, she ran across the snow, her feet sinking in with every step. By the time she finally got to the entrance, both her feet were soaked through.
"You should have let Yuusei carry you," exclaimed Shinichi, who looked entirely in place with his beanie and long boots among the cold. "You're going to catch a cold like this."
"I'll be fine-"
Before Kyouko could even finish, she was surrounded by pouncing kids.
"It's Bo!" they exclaimed in chorus. Soon, Kyouko found kids hanging off her arms, her back, her shoulders...
The other members of Bridge Rock snickered as they tried peeling the kids off her back.
Hikaru leaned over. "See? There's nothing to worry about. Everyone loves you."
He had to mean that everyone loved Bo. Kyouko did too, but not enough. She had to learn how to appreciate Bo just as much as she felt for Natsu and for Mio.
Throughout the morning, the members of Bridge Rock helped out around the orphanage. They recounted stories about variety shows, helped out with the decorations, and even held a mini show there with the kids. Kyouko was the center of attention here. Everyone wanted to hear about Bo. She was learning about him along with everyone else.
Her day was going great until all the kids leaped off her back and stampeded towards the door to welcome the idol who had just arrived. She stretched her wings out and rolled her shoulders, glad for the break. She had heard from the workers that there were other idols who were coming today to help out. She hadn't paid much attention, since she only interacted with Bridge Rock while she was Bo. She didn't know anyone else.
When he came into her view decked in his black trench coat and leather boots, she felt herself freeze despite her warm outfit. He wasn't supposed to be here! She squawked and immediately covered her beak with her wings. She had to hide!
She scuttled behind the Christmas tree, hoping that the large tree would hide her bulky body. She stood still, crossing her feathered fingers in hope that she wouldn't be found.
"Where'd Bo go?" asked Hikaru as he glanced around the room. He spotted her feathered form peaking out from behind the green bristles. "There you are, Kyo-"
Kyouko flew out from behind the tree, muffling Hikaru-san before he could finish his utterance. "Shhhhhhh!!!!!!" she hissed.
The room fell silent at her hiss.
She cursed inside her head, turning around in dread.
Shou had noticed her.
She couldn't tell what was on his mind, but he was staring straight at her. He looked like he wanted to say something to her, but in the end, he spoke to Hikaru-san.
"So, Bridge Rock," he began, "Did you ever find a regular for that rooster?"
Hikaru-san clapped Kyouko on the shoulder. "Why yes! We did! Bo here is-"
Kyouko stepped on Hikaru-san's foot.
"Ow!" he exclaimed in hurt. His complaints died when Kyouko's demons appeared in front of him, circling around him, daring him to out her secret.
"Well, this here is Bo," he finished lamely, trying to inch away from Kyouko's simmering aura. He hadn't remembered in time that Kyouko seemed to have a grudge against Shou, if the first variety show with them had been any indication.
Shou made no comment, but his mouth curved upwards in a predatory grin.
He knew. He had to know already. In that case, Kyouko wasn't going to hold back.
...or so she had thought. She pretended to trip in order to splash her glass of juice on Shou. It worked, but the kids ended up being the ones cleaning up the juice from the floor. She tried to trip him but instead tripped one of the workers there, and the poor worker fell into the Christmas tree. The entire room screamed as the Christmas tree came crashing down, the ornaments smashing into the floor. It was a disaster. Kyouko apologized profusely to them for ruining their holiday cheer. This was not the place to have her battle with Shou. Even if she embarrassed him here, the only audience was these sweet kids.
She sat glumly by the wall, banished to the corner of the room to stay out of trouble. The party had to be postponed because of the mayhem she had caused. She always lost her mind when Shou was around. Before, she had been blinded by adoration and warm fuzzy feelings. Now, she was overcome by fury and vengeance that made her blood boil. She had lost sight of Bo once again.
She consoled herself with the fact that Shou was still suffering. She watched him as he commanded the kids to pick up all the ornaments that were still intact. He was terrible with kids, and it showed. He was all right with the girls--that damn playboy--but he wasn't getting along with the boys at all. She laughed openly, pointing her feathered finger at Shou when one of the boys insulted him. When he turned over to glare at her, she raised an eyebrow, her costume surprisingly expressive.
-----
After the fallen Christmas tree was cleared up, the head of the orphanage suggested acting out a play. The girls immediately voted for Shou to be the prince. Silently, Kyouko seethed in the corner. Shou was no prince!
Shou smirked, his eyes gleaming. "I don't mind, as long as I get to choose who Cinderella is."
Kyouko snorted. Shou was so going to break the hearts of these innocent little girls. He really wasn't a prince. Even the role of the big bad wolf would be too gracious of a role for him. He needed to be taken down a few notches-
"...the rooster over there."
Her head snapped up. Wait, what? What had she just missed?
"I choose the rooster over there to be Cinderella."
Kyouko's beak dropped open in shock as the kids went wild.
-----
She had never ever been chosen as the lead role in a play back when she was in school. She remembered in elementary school how Shou always got chosen to play the prince. She had thought he fit the role so well. In fifth grade when the class put on Snow White, Shou was the dashing prince who saved the princess from the evil witch. Kyouko had loved all the plays, all the fairytales. She longed to be the heroine. Shou would sweep her off her feet, and together they'd walk into the sunset to live happily ever after. She was never ever chosen to play the princess though. Instead, she was always responsible for the props or the costumes, all the behind-the-scenes work. Her classmates praised her for her costumes. She had taken pride in that, even while she secretly yearned to be the princess.
But now, years after they had left those elementary years behind them, months after Kyouko had discarded her innocent self, she was finally cast as the princess. It was her favorite role...but this was not how she had wanted it to happen.
"Oh, how I wish I could be in the ball!" exclaimed Kyouko from inside the rooster costume. She couldn't help herself--she loved fairytales! Her eyes twinkled with joy, the thought of romantic dances and true love kisses rushing through her mind.
If Shou thought he could humiliate her with this, he was so very wrong. When it came time for Cinderella's transformation into a beautiful princess, Kyouko borrowed a tie from Shinichi to signify Bo's change into a sophisticated rooster. Shou almost tripped when she walked into the room like that. He must have thought he'd be able to get her to discard the silly chicken suit. How wrong he was! Kyouko took pride in being Bo. This was for all the kids who had cheered for her.
She watched as the girl in front broke into a wide smile, clearly displaying her two missing teeth. Kyouko grinned and stood up tall, waltzing across the room until she was in front of Shou. She bowed over elegantly and extended one feathered hand.
"May I have this dance, dear Prince? she asked, memories of the last time she had battled with Shou as Bo tumbling through her mind. That meeting had been disastrous, yet it was what had landed her this job.
Shou glowered and turned away, intent on ignoring her. When he did that, he came face-to-face with fifty kids who were holding their breath in anticipation. They were leaning so far forward that one little push from the back would cause them to tumble over like dominoes.
Reluctantly, Shou slapped his hand on Bo's. Kyouko grinned even wider and tugged Shou forward roughly. He fell into step with her, and they danced a crazily fast paced dance that looked more like an exchange of blows. It was entirely out of tune with the slow, romantic music, but Kyouko had known that this was no ordinary fairytale. It was one meant to bring smiles to those kids' faces.
At the end of the dance, both panted heavily.
"Not bad," said Kyouko.
Shou tossed his head. "Of course, what'd you expect from the great Fuwa Shou?"
One of the boys snickered.
"You!" began Shou as he spun around.
The clock chimed. It was time for Bo to escape from the dance, leaving behind a memento of Bo's presence. A glass slipper would have been ideal, but nothing would have fit on Bo's plush foot. Kyouko scrambled to undo her necktie so she could leave it behind, but the girl in the front row rushed over and pulled off Bo's foot instead!
Kyouko gaped as her foot came off, the still soggy thing landing in a thump in front of her. The small girl wiped her hands on her pants as the rest of the kids gasped at Bo's dismembered foot.
Well, that was that. She hobbled away, her left foot cold against the marble floor. She stifled her giggles when she looked back and saw Shou pick up the soggy chicken foot. The thing had been making squishy noises wherever she walked. Shou looked so ridiculously dangling the chicken foot, the only memento that his wild dance partner had left him as a clue.
She thought he would explode right then and there, stopping the play altogether. He hated touching dirty things and looking stupid. That chicken foot was definitely dirty, and he looked so outlandish holding it. But after he blanked out, he seemed to snap back into it. He brought the chicken foot around and had a bunch of kids try it on. Their feet were all too small, causing the thing to fall down in a plump. The kids guffawed at each try. Kyouko couldn't help the small smile that played at her lips at seeing Shou interact with the kids. Even the boys were warming up to him.
She stiffened. Even she was warming up to him, and that was not acceptable. When Shou finally brought the chicken foot to her, he placed his warm hands on her icy foot to lift it. Shivers traveled up her back. She tugged her foot out of his hands and almost kicked him in the face when she abruptly stuck her foot back into the chicken foot.
"So I guess it was meant to be you," murmured Shou, looking up at her exasperatedly. He sported an easy grin, his eyes dancing in mirth.
What was this? Why was he so happy in this absurd situation?
When Shou extended his hand to her, she pecked him on the head with her long beak and ran outisde the room.
"Ouch!" he exclaimed. "What do you think you're doing??"
"Giving you the kiss that ends the play, of course! Don't follow me!"
She trudged outside into the snow, her feet once again sinking into the snow. Her toes were freezing, even more so than when the chicken foot had been pulled off her feet. She watched the snow fall, wondering what had gone wrong. She had...enjoyed herself. Even with Shou there.
"You're going to catch a cold," came his damned voice. Hadn't she told him not to follow her? He never listened to her. It had always been like this.
"It has nothing to do with you," she said.
"Your feet were cold," he replied as he lightly rubbed his hands together.
"Well I'm not sorry about that."
He snorted. "So, did you enjoy yourself?"
"Enjoy humiliating you? Why yes, I did."
Shou ignored that barb. "You always liked fairytales, but you were never part of one. I thought you'd like to be in one."
Once upon a time, she would have been touched by his words. She had wished so hard to be the princess, to be Shou's princess, just so they could have their romantic fairytale and their happily-ever-after. But Shou had been the one to kill that dream, and even if Shou tried to extend the olive branch now, the only thing they could have was this parody of a fairytale.
"Don't assume you know me, Fuwa Shou." It wasn't like she had ever taken off Bo's headpiece in front of him...and even if he was sure she was the one behind Bo, it wasn't like he knew who she really was. All he knew was the blindingly devoted Kyouko who had no life outside of serving Shou.
Shou breathed out slowly, the door propped open in front of him. The warm air escaped from within.
"Even so, you know me," he murmured. He glanced back at her. "Come back inside before you freeze to death."
With that, he disappeared back inside.
-----
the end