Author's Note: This is a Haruhi and Kyoya love story, but it wouldn't be any fun if they fell in love the easy way! I always love the idea of Kyoya's or Mori and Honey's brothers getting thrown into the mix, and so here is a fanfic featuring the Ootori brothers.

Haruhi and an Ootori

Chapter 1

Haruhi took a deep breath as she prepared herself for the onslaught. It was never easy, and over the past eight years she still had not gotten used to it. She steeled herself, and then she carefully stepped out of the limo, summoning every ounce of poise she could muster to make a graceful exit without tearing her dress, which was a Hitachiin original, of course.

Cameras were flashing in her face almost immediately, and she could not pick out a single word in all the questions being thrown at her by the reporters. It was like this anytime she went to an event centering around one of the old Host Club members. Tonight, Kyoya was the center of attention. His father had decided a month ago that Kyoya was ready to take his place as the official head of the Ootori Group.

She smiled politely at the photographers and said hello to the reporters. She had almost made it to the ornate staircase that led into the grand ballroom when an all too familiar voice reached her ears.

"Haruhi!" Tamaki cried. Haruhi flashed him a warning glare before he could forget himself too much. It would not do for the Vice President of Suoh Industries to smother his best friend the way he used to, back in their Host Club days. Instead, he walked down the staircase and pulled her into a gentle hug. "You're late!" he said with a laugh. "I don't know why I expected any different after eight years, but for some reason I still thought you would have arrived just a little bit sooner."

Haruhi smiled at him. "I'm only thirty minutes late, Tamaki," she said. The Club members had stopped using honorifics with each other shortly after the twins and Haruhi had graduated from university. "Besides, I got a bit hung up at work. Don't worry, it's good news."

Two more cries of delight were heard as Tamaki and Haruhi entered through the large double doors. Without much warning, the twins were upon her, their arms snaked around her waist and shoulders.

"Hey, Haruhi," Kaoru began.

"We missed you!" finished Hikaru.

"We saw each other yesterday afternoon. You guys gave me this dress, remember?" Haruhi said with a laugh.

"Oh, yeah," Hikaru said. He pulled Haruhi closer to his side. "You look great in it!"

Haruhi just smiled and let herself rest a little against Hikaru's shoulder. She was exhausted after everything that had happened today. And besides, the twins were actually allowed to maintain their devilish playboy image after high school. The media loved the idea of the Hitachiin twins taking high fashion and high society by storm with just a flash of their mischievous grins.

Hikaru and Kaoru picked up on Haruhi's tiredness and allowed her to lean against them. They had gotten all too used to it during university, which Haruhi spent the better part of perpetually exhausted from preparing for her various law exams. Now, she was assistant lawyer to Kisa Shiromi, one of the best public defenders in Japan.

In no time at all, Honey came bounding over to the four hosts, Mori a little ways behind him.

"Haru-chan, Haru-chan!" he called out. "I'm so glad you're here! Takashi was worried you might forget. He said you got called into a big meeting with your boss. What was it about?"

Mori worked with Haruhi sometimes. Part way through university, Mori had changed his trajectory. After speaking with his family, he had decided that Satoshi would take over the Morinozuka dojos and that he would start his own protection agency. Working from the ground up, Mori had created a company that worked to insure domestic safety. He had worked with Satoshi to open dojos specializing in self-defense, had worked with Haruhi and the Office of Public Defense to help people know their legal options, and had created a small police force dedicated to protect those who needed it.

Haruhi smiled slightly at Mori in reassurance. "Don't worry, it wasn't anything bad. I actually got a promotion!"

"Wow, Haruhi, that's great!" Hikaru and Kaoru said simultaneously, squeezing her in-between them. Tamaki beamed like a proud father while Mori ruffled her now shoulder length hair.

"Cool, Haru-chan! What do you do now that you've been promoted?"

"Well, I am officially a lead public defender, which means I get my own legal team, with a paralegal, an associate, and everything," she said. She couldn't seem to stop grinning.

All of the hosts congratulated her except—

"Well, I hear congratulations are in order," came a smooth voice from behind Haruhi. She turned around to see the Shadow King, a glare on his glasses and a semi-suspicious looking grin on his face. He was dressed as elegantly as the other hosts, although his suit was a bit more professional looking. "You look splendid tonight, Haruhi, as is expected."

"I'll take that as a compliment, Kyoya," Haruhi said. "And congratulations to you, too. How are your brothers taking it?"

Kyoya gestured for them all to sit down at a nearby table, and so the seven of them sat down. "Yuuichi is fine with it. He is happy as the Chief of Surgery of the two main Ootori hospitals. He truly found his calling as a surgeon. Akito, on the other hand, is a bit more distracted by my father's desire to see him married off to a girl who can benefit the family name. Yuuichi, as you may recall, was married to Elena Marsailles, whose family has a large medical holding in Europe, two year ago, and now it is Akito's turn."

Haruhi looked thoughtful. "I remember Yuuichi-san's wedding. I went as your date. It was right after you'd gotten out of that arranged engagement to that girl whose father owned a pharmaceutical company."

"Ayano Rinchii. Now that would have been an unpleasant marriage. Yuuichi seems to get along with Elena quite well, and she picked up Japanese remarkably fast."

"So, who does your father have in mind for Akito?" Haruhi asked.

Kyoya just gave her an odd look before responding.

Kyoya watched everyone from the shadows; it was what he was best at. He watched Haruhi dance with the Tamaki and Honey. He watched her smile gratefully as the Hitachiins allowed her to lean on them as they took their turns dancing with her.

She was tired. That much was obvious to anyone. He wondered how many hours she had put in to get that promotion. The Ootori Group had some say in the Office of Public Defense. Perhaps he could put in a word with someone after tonight to make sure Haurhi had a proper assistant, one who would look out for her well-being.

He recalled their conversation from earlier. Had it only been an hour ago? He had told her that his father was considering the daughter of one of the Ootori Group's Board members and the daughter of a famous Japanese engineer. He had deliberately neglected to tell her his father's first choice for a future daughter-in-law.

He was lost in his thoughts and almost didn't notice the figure that came up beside him.

Almost.

"Hello, Akito-niisan. Do you have something to say to me?"

"Not really. I just came over here to ask why you weren't trying to woo Miss Fujioka. You have a limited amount of time before father gives up on you and allows me to go after her. He is dead set on having her as part of the family, one way or another. You've known that since high school, of course. He won't wait much longer."

Kyoya fought to keep his eyes straight ahead, his gaze locked on Haruhi and Hikaru dancing. He could have thrown his brother though a wall and walked away without any remorse right then.

"I have to say, though, she is rather attractive, and from what father says intelligent, too. She would definitely be one of the better prospective wives father has thrown our way."

Kyoya's blood was set to boil.

"Perhaps I should ask her to dance. You know, I think I will."

Before Kyoya could grab at his jacket, Akito was off across the dance floor and interrupting Haruhi and Hikaru.

Haruhi smiled as Hikaru told her about how Kaoru had accidentally sewn his sleeve to a dress he was trying to make with his new sewing machine. Apparently Kaoru had spent so long making the dress he didn't want to tear it trying to get his sleeve free, so Kaoru had spent three hours using a thread-puller to detach his sleeve without ruining the gown.

Hikaru had just pulled her out of a dramatic dip that would have made her fall to the floor if it had been anyone but Hikaru when someone tapped Hikaru on the shoulder.

"Excuse me," said a rather tall man with dark hair and equally dark eyes. "May I cut in?"

Author's Note: I will update a few times a week, and I'm on summer break, so I do have the time. I've had this idea in my head for a while, so I know where I'm going. Please, keep reading, and reviews are appreciated!