title: i'll always remember...

summary: my highschool years. but these days with her will always be with me.

genre: romance/humor

pairing: kyoya ootori/OC

notes: kyoya stayed in the u.s. to study, so this is completely canon.

story / begin ;;

I'll always remember my highschool years. But these days with her will always be with me. It's not to say that my friends don't compare. That's actually far from the truth. I still always get a call from Tamaki and, as much as I always sound like I don't enjoy getting them, it's a nice feeling to know that your (best) friend always remembers.

But she? She's just so... different.

My second year at Harvard she appeared. She was a first year student, fresh out of highschool, seemingly ready to take on anything. Maybe that's why I was so drawn to her. Already she had half of her credits taken care of, having opted for summer courses. So by second semester, she was in some of my classes, and I actually got to see how utterly brilliant she is.

But that's not the point, I suppose. She was a double major. Music and medical. I also being a double major, business and medical, wound up seeing her in most of my courses. And as such, we talked a bit.

I ran into her at a small cafe one day. She sat there while typing up her essay and downing several espressos, one after another.

"That's not exactly healthy, you know," I interrupted, taking the seat across from her.

Not even glancing towards me, she merely raised an eyebrow as she continued typing. "Your point?" she snapped.

"Well shouldn't a doctor be more health consciencious?" When the waitress walked over, I asked for a hazelnut coffee, black.

"Nothing in it?" asked the waitress.

"No."

"As black as your cold heart," she muttered across from me, downing another espresso. Almost immediately a young man set another in front of her. "Thank you, Matthew."

"No problem. These are on the house."

In surprise, she looked up, glasses sliding down her nose. "Oh, no! I'll pay for them. I got my paycheck the other day." Smiling, it quickly slipped from her face as she returned to her laptop, sliding her glasses back up the bridge of her nose. "Anyways, I've been wondering... what's a guy like you doing in America? You're an Ootori. I did a little research."

"Harvard offered me much as for education. I decided to take the opprotunity. Now, how did you end up in Harvard?"

Placing her cup on the table, she scratched the back of her neck. "Sometimes I ask myself the same thing. I come from a middle class family, so I don't have much money. We're struggling to pay my tuition, even with all the scholarships I recieved." Frowning, she straightened up and sighed. "I have student loans out the door... and I haven't even been accepted to medical school yet. That's why I'm a double major. I can perform with a symphony just in case."

Wrapping my hands around the cup of coffee that was placed before me, I spoke up, "Well it's brave of you to do such a thing."

Laughing, she nodded no. "What planet are you from? This was a selfish decision. I should've gone to a cheaper school and saved my family money. I have a younger brother who's still in highschool. He's a junior and he has yet to go to college. I feel so selfish."

I frowned at her reason. Sipping my coffee, I let her continue.

"As great of an experience this has been, I think I have to transfer out, or get another job. It's become too much for me and my family." Shrugging, she downed the espresso and turned towards me. "But what I gathered from what I saw about you on this fantastic thing called the internet, you're richer than Bill Gates plus all the money he's donated and you're smart enough you could've gone to MIT. Why didn't you go there?"

"I had no interest in enrolling into a college where there are people younger than me already graduating," I replied with a digusted face.

She laughed, saved whatever file was open, and closed her laptop. "How foolish. So many people look for workers that have MIT under their belt. Though Harvard does look nice on a resume, too." Slipping her laptop into a messanger bag beside her, she leaned forwards, propping herself up on her elbows. "Now, tell me about this Host club I saw when I searched your name."

And so that's how we met. There wasn't much more to it. I quickly deducted that she visited the cafe often, so I would meet up with her every Sunday. She was very open with her thoughts, though not as blunt as Haruhi. I learned much of American life and she learned everything she could of upper-class Japanese life.

And somewhere along the lines, it turned into a relationship. I managed to convince her to stay at Harvard, and told her I would pay her tuition. It took a while for her to allow me to, but eventually she let me. And that's how we got here.

Tamaki smiles at me from across the table. "I'm glad you've found someone, Kyoya. Where is she? Do I get to meet her? Oh joy! I get to meet the woman who lightened your life!"

"Calm down, you fool. She's working right now. Despite the fact she lets me pay for her tuition, she wanted to keep her job. We can go visit her if you'd like."

"Hikaru, Kaoru! Guess what! Kyo -"

"Tamaki. Don't you dare tell anyone. I'd like for this to be a surprise."

Suddenly his phone was flipped close and the waitress appeared beside our table. "Welcome to - oh. Kyoya, I thought I told you not to come here while I was working."

"I'd like you to meet Tamaki."

"The idiot prince?"

"The one and only."

"My princess! It's a -"

"Hey. My name's Mary. It's a pleasure." She stuck her hand out for him to shake. He quickly sobered, shaking it and smiling.

"Tamaki. The pleasure's all mine."

The convergance of past and present.

"Now may I tell all our friends?"

"No. You fool."

"Mommy! She's being mean to me!"

"Kyoya! Take your friend and get out! He's causing a scene! Wait, no. He is one!"

"Mommy!"

"Tamaki, shut your mouth."

"Why is she so mean to me?"

"Get out!"

I'm glad I met her.