A quick note before you get started. Please remember that this fic is T rated so there will be some thing (angst/violence/language/mild adult situations) that might make you uncomfortable. However one thing is for certain, there will be NO LEMONS in this story and hence the T rating. I respect authors that can twist the storyline in such way that a scene is not only raunchy but believable but I just cannot do it myself. Tried? Yes. Succeeded? Nope. As for making the story believable, the beauty of "Ouran Host Club" is that often stuff that happens is completely off the chart bonkers but yet great fun. So you may expect that here, from time to time. I have not decided on the pairing yet because it is just so difficult! I love all of the guys but Kyoya, Mori and Kaoru are just so difficult to choose from. You are welcome to suggest a pairing but maybe we will just see where the story takes us.
Oh and if anyone spots any mistakes please tell me about it! Thank you.
Enjoy!
~F-M-N~
Ah Ouran Academy. The school for the privileged for only the richest and the most influential could attend. A playground for those with far too much time on their hands and little to do with it. All in all, to roam the corridors of such an institution, one would have to be either filthy rich, exceptionally clever or ridiculously powerful.
So, you can of course understand that Kagome Higurashi – no – Kagome Taisho had no idea how the hell she had ever managed to get into such an establishment, no doubt she had Sesshomaru's money and influence to thank for that, who with a 'hn' for a blessing and a pat on her head kicked her out of the house this morning as he conveyed his wish for her to start her schooling as of this day.
The school was impressive, she had to admit. The courtyard alone was as big as the Higurashi shrine and the land attached. But no matter how beautiful and refined it may have appeared to everyone else, in her humble opinion everything around just seemed to be far too ostentatious to be likable.
'I mean what's up with the peeing cherub?'
Hearing the bell toll, she sighed in exasperation, moving down the corridor. All around her students murmured as they discussed the new guy, some pausing in order to scrutinize the handsome student. She was glad that she could pull off the look, albeit with the help of Shippo's glamour charm – a simple silver ring on her thumb with the insignia of the House of the Moon. The illusion concealed her assets without the need of binding her breasts and, with her hair pulled back into a low ponytail, the crescent moon mark on the back of her neck playing peek-a-boo as her hair swished from side to side as she walked, she knew she would never go unnoticed but at least no one would ever doubt her being a boy.
Kagome didn't really care enough to listen to what the students said in any case, after frolicking about in middle school uniform in the time when flashing a bit of ankle was scandalous; she was quite used to having people whispering behind her back. A group of girls stampeded past in an ever so subtle attempt to get a better look at her.
"Who is that?" a blonde prodded her friend, making the brunette stop in her tracks.
"Ooooh! He is so handsome!" the brunette squealed, clutching her bag closer to her chest.
"I know!" Should we talk to him?" the blonde took a step forward, a determined look on her face.
Kagome stopped. She knew that look all too well, that was a look of a girl on a mission. Quickly browsing through her Sesshomaru-worthy arsenal of glares, she selected a particularly lethal one that was fit for the occasion. Blue eyes settled on the girls, the scathing look making them gulp in fear and… swoon.
"So mean!"
"So cold!"
"I can't stand it, it's just too much!"
Kagome blinked at the two melting into little yellow puddles of feminine goo, her brow crinkling. What the hell was wrong with these two?
"Ridiculous," she muttered flicking away the cutesy hearts that hovered too close, pausing in front of the door to look up at the sign.
"1A. That must be the one," she murmured, walking inside.
Once again, all eyes were on her, the students sizing her up silently as they waited for the teacher to finish his announcement.
"Ah, so you must be the new student," the man acknowledged Kagome as he regarded the new boy through his glasses, "Please introduce yourself."
"Kagome Taisho."
The teacher nodded for the young man to continue with an encouraging smile, but Kagome was evidently finished. The man cleared his throat, opening the register to write down the new name.
"Taisho-san, I will have someone show you around the school. This," he pointed to a boy sitting at the first desk to the right, "is the class president representative, Kazukiyo Soga, and," he gestured towards a short boy towards the back, "that is our honor student, Haruhi Fujioka. They will show you around after class."
"Nice to meet you."
"Hn," Kagome inclined her head in acknowledgement, moving to sit in an empty seat in front of Haruhi.
"Now that that is settled, let's continue, shall we?"
~F-M-N~
Kagome opened her eyes to the sound of chairs scraping against the floor as the students got up to leave the classroom.
'Damn, when did I manage to fall asleep? The last I remember is trying to solve that equation...' Rubbing her eyes warily, she looked at the said equation, still unfinished and mocking her with its mind-blowing complexity. Kagome stifled a sigh. What else could she expect after as good as missing out a year of school?
"Kaoru, Hikaru, get off me!" Haruhi growled at the twins, Kagome's eyes slanting in their direction. Taking in the twins' red hair and matching smirks that reminded her so much of Shippo, she dismissed them as pranksters.
Haruhi swatted Kaoru's hand away only to be pulled into Hikaru's chest, the male quickly embracing her from the other side. No matter how much their favourite plaything resisted, they knew that deep down, she loved the attention. After all, who wouldn't want two of the handsomest boys in school sandwiching them in such a way?
"So Haruhi, are you going to wear the outfit we prepared for you today?"
"It's one of our mother's designs, so if you like it-" Kaoru rubbed his cheek against hers, eliciting giggles from their blushing groupies that were always on their guard, ready for moments such as this.
"-you can keep it," Hikaru grinned, mirroring his brother's movements to perfection.
"I will be late today, I got to show the Kagome Taisho around, remember?" Haruhi tried to wriggle out of their hold.
"The new kid? Just ditch him," the twins rolled their eyes, completely ignoring the male in question, who now turned to face them fully.
"Didn't you hear Haruhi? Get off," Kagome narrowed her eyes to cerulean slits as she stood up, flicking her ponytail back.
"Or what? Are you going to make us?" they taunted with a devilish glint in their eyes.
"Yes."
The Hitachiin twins looked away from their toy, sizing the guy in front of them up. He was short for a male of their age, just a few inches taller than Haruhi. But, being friends with Honey-senpai, they knew not to judge someone by their size. For all they knew, this boy, with his glacial, calculating eyes could be just as vicious as Mitsukuni when provoked.
"Fine," Kaoru shrugged, pulling away.
"Whatever. We will tell Tamaki that you'll be late," Hikaru ruffled Haruhi's hair.
"So, you must be the notorious Kagome Tiasho," Kazukiyo Soga chose that moment to make his presence known as it was clear that he was not about to be noticed otherwise.
"And how long did you take you to figure that one out?" Kagome mocked, making the boy gawk at the rude remark.
"For your information, I have been nominated class president representative two years in a row. See the portrait?" he pointed to the wall, his fingers grasping the blue-eyed boy's blazer. The male squeaked in pain as his fingers were suddenly clutched in a painful grip.
"Touch me again and they will have to add a nice black ribbon onto that portrait. Got it?"
"Um… HARUHI! HELP!" the boy yelped, trying to push Kagome away with his free hand. It was as if trying to push against a concrete wall.
"Taisho-san, why don't show you around?" Haruhi intervened, the twins staring wide eyed at the new guy who had managed to break at least five of the school's rules in the last half an hour.
Kagome smirked, making the girls that were still in the room flush, little pink hearts sprouting all around them and floating through the air.
"Yes, but let's ditch that guy. His breath stinks," Kagome shoved the male away roughly, making him topple over a desk with a loud thud. Soga laid perfectly still for a few moments, looking up at the ceiling until his view was blocked by the vice-president representative.
"My breath doesn't stink, does it?" he finally spoke with a dazed look.
"Um… well…"
"Never mind," he deflated, choosing to stay as he was for a moment.
~F-M-N~
"So, why are you in this school?" Kagome spoke suddenly.
"Huh?"
"What I mean is, you seem to take your work seriously, unlike the rest," he added. Haruhi was one of the few students that actually listened to the teacher in class. Kagome could barely understand half of the things that the man said, having missed most of her last year in middle school, so instead she opted for looking out of the window and eventually… sleeping. She knew better, but what else could she do? Her poor little brain just could not take in so much at one time. Haruhi, on the other hand, seemed to know what she was doing alright.
"Look! Isn't that Haruhi with Kagome over there?" Kagome rolled her eyes at the girls that stopped whatever they were doing in favor of looking at them with starry-eyed expressions.
"Oooh male bonding time!" one squealed, sending the rest into a fit.
"Maybe he will join the host club too?"
"We can ask Kyoya…"
"What a great idea! Let's go girls!"
Well, she had to give them some credit for their determination, but there was no way in seven hells that she would join any stupid club anytime soon. Especially one that would most likely be based on entertaining mindless, shrieking harpies. So if they thought that this Kyoya whoever could talk her into it, they had another thing coming.
"Rich bastards…" Kagome grit out, making Haruhi laugh.
"Yeah, but once you get to know them, they are not so bad," she offered, although she couldn't agree more. Rich bastards indeed.
"You mean they are not pretentious, annoying, egotistical and completely unaware of the real world?"
"Um… well…" Haruhi stuttered, rubbing the back of her head, "over there we have one of the southern school gym. Do you want to go inside?"
Recognizing her attempt to change the subject for what it was, Kagome nodded, following her guide.
~F-M-N~
"So… Kagome, how do you like Ouran so far?"
"It is… different."
"You'll get used to it," she smiled warmly, clearly trying her best to make Kagome feel welcome, "I was a little overwhelmed at first, but now I learned to block them out if they get too much."
The male just shrugged, walking slowly to match Haruhi's pace. Brown eyes slanted to him as they walked up the stairs. Kagome Taisho seemed to not care about anything around him, but Haruhi saw certain awareness in his azure eyes that gave away that he was cataloguing everything about everyone around him in his mind.
'Kinda like Kyoya, he too doesn't let anything get past him,' she noted.
They were nearly the same height, Kagome being taller than Haruhi by a couple of inches. Now that she thought about it, Kagome did look a little too feminine for a guy and yet there was a certain air about him that said 'look, but if you touch..'
"Kagome Taisho… Where have I heard that last name before?" she mused out loud.
"Sesshomaru Taisho."
"Excuse me?"
"I was adopted by Sesshomaru Taisho." Kagome supplied nonchalantly. She already knew that gossip started spreading through school like hot, unrelenting wind as soon as she has set her foot into the building. Might as well make sure that they will get some facts right.
Haruhi's brown eyes widened prettily at that.
'Adopted… I wonder what happened to his family?' she thought with a frown.
"You don't like to talk much, do you?" she said instead of voicing her thoughts.
"No." Kagome answered. A year back or so there was no shutting her up, at least according to Souta and Inuyasha. Her jaw clenched at the bittersweet thought. Ever since it happened, she did not speak much at all. Not even to Shippo. Kagome Higurashi – the cheerful, happy-go-lucky time travelling airhead was no more. Lost somewhere 500 years in the past most likely. In comparison, Kagome Taisho was distant, cold and almost cruel. As Inuyasha eloquently put it, she was becoming more and more like 'the bastard' each day. She did not really want to be this way, but she did not see a reason for putting on a cheerful front when it would only be fake.
"Any reason why?" Haruhi interrupted whatever turn Kagome's unhappy thoughts were about to take.
"Look, Haruhi, I like you," Kagome adjusted the strap of his bag on his shoulder as he stopped, "I admire that unlike ninety nine percent of the students in this school you actually seem to have brains instead of some foie gras mush. That, together with the fact that you seem to put up with the idiots that surround you 24/7 without breaking a sweat is a hell of an accomplishment. But," the male slammed his hands onto the wall on either side of Haruhi's face, effectively caging the girl in and blocking all routs of escape, "that doesn't mean that I am about to be all buddy-buddy with you. Are we clear?"
"Y-Yes," the girl stuttered, shocked at the sudden outburst.
"Good," Kagome took a step back as if nothing happened.
Haruhi looked at his retreating back as he walked away. Was it something she said? She only wanted to make small talk; there was no reason for him to get almost violent with her.
'But then again,' she hurried after him, 'maybe he is not comfortable with having people pry into what he considers his personal matters.'
The silence stretched uncomfortably for her, Haruhi breaking it only to name the rooms that they walked past. Kagome acknowledged her words by nodding and they eventually fell into a pattern of sorts.
"Well I suppose that that is all there is to see, unless you want to come with me to the host club."
"Host club? Why not?" Kagome shrugged. It might actually prove to be entertaining.
Haruhi smiled hesitantly and turned right. She remembered the way she couldn't get her bearings right on her first day. She would be lying if she said that she knew the place like the back of her hand at this point, but there were certain places that she could locate even in her sleep. The top floor of the South building, at the end of the North hallway, in the music room that is never used.
The door to music room three opened at the lightest touch and Kagome found herself promptly assaulted by rose petals while Haruhi dodged them with practiced ease. Now that was skill.
'Which part of the world 'normal' did Sesshomaru not understand when I asked to be put in a school?' Flicking the petals off her shoulder with a look of disdain, Kagome walked in after her guide.
"Welcome to the host club," the half-dressed males in front of them chorused seductively.
"Aw it's just Haruhi and that new kid," the twins spoke at the same time, making Haruhi roll her eyes at the 'warm' welcome.
"Yeah, the mean and violent one that half the school is talking about," Hiraku added, pulling his brother flush against his chest. "But do not worry; I will protect you with my life, Kaoru."
"Hikaru," the boy turned away from his twin, sporting a bright blush, making the customers sigh at the beauty of their tender, 'brotherly' love.
"The new kid?" the tall, violet eyed man looked up, a slow smile spreading across his handsome face. "So Haruhi brought you here so you would have an opportunity to bathe in my glory, to look upon the infinite beauty that is the king of the host club? How I understand the poor unfortunate souls that were not graced with splendor. Do not be so shy, come closer!"
"You are the king?" Kagome's eyebrows shot up, as she gave the tall blonde man in front of her a once over.
"I am Tamaki Suou and yes I am the king, for my beauty alone outshines-"
"I've seen better," she shrugged.
Tamaki face planted into the floor with a loud thud.
"You've seen better?" he stuttered, his eyes going blank as the Hitachiin twins snickered. How could he possibly go on now!
"Well yes," Kagome continued, oblivious to the way the self-proclaimed king spiraled further and further into the pit of despair, more interested in the toucan that just flew past her ear, "I mean you are ok to look at I suppose-"
"Ok to look at?" Tamaki squeaked, his voice rising an octave higher.
"-but I don't see what the big deal is."
"I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch your name," Kyoya chose to interfere before Tamaki was put into a non-profitable state for the second time this week.
"Kagome Taisho."
Kyoya's eyes widened marginally as he put the two and two together. Sesshomaru Taisho. The mysterious appearance of an heir but a few weeks ago. The same high and mighty attitude, the same cold facade. "I see," he bounced back, his trademark polite smile back in place, "Welcome to Ouran."
Kagome nodded but did not return the smile. Hands in her pockets, she chose to plonk onto the nearby sofa. It was obvious that they were nowhere near finished interrogating her so she may as well get comfortable. She loosed her tie, wondering why the idiots decided to make it so hot in the room. Probably wanted to inflate their already overblown egos by showing a bit of flesh.
"So what are you doing here then? I didn't think that Taisho heir would be so openly gay?" Kyoya said almost to himself, rubbing his chin in thought as he filed the newfound information away in his mind.
"Excuse me?" Kagome bristled, eyes hardening.
"I was just showing Kagome-san around." Haruhi chose to intervene before Kyoya could add the cost of physical damages to her debt. He would probably triple it too, just so she wouldn't bring any more unauthorized guests.
"Well, since you must know, I came here to ask why would a club specializing in males entertaining girls have a female host."
"He knows!" Honey gasped, climbing up Mori to perch himself on the tall man's shoulder. The grey eyed male didn't even flinch as his clothes and then hair got pulled, more than used to being a jungle gym.
"How did he figure it out?"
"Well it's kinda obvious," Kagome answered nonchalantly, although Haruhi was doing a good job at hiding it, her aura and general disposition gave her away, "Don't worry, I am not going to tell."
"Cross your heart?" Honey piped in, looking grimly serious.
Kagome looked at him for a moment as she wondered why a kid so young would be in the club in the first place. Honey pouted, waiting for an answer and, despite herself, Kagome found it adorable. Mori blinked in surprise as the corners of the cold man's lips twitched into a barely there smile. From what he had heard of the Taisho heir so far, he would have never guessed that the callous boy would take a liking to Mitsukuni. In fact, he was sure to warn him of Kagome-san's attitude in advance. Apparently, it was not necessary.
"Cross my heart and hope to die," Kagome decided to humor him, making Honey giggle in delight and abandon his tall silent protector in favor of relocating himself next to Kagome and a piece of chocolate cake that sat on the table in front of them.
"I owe them eight million yen," Haruhi confessed.
"That much?"
"Yeah, I broke a vase which they intended to sell at an auction and the rest is history I suppose," she finished with a weak chuckle.
Eight million. Kagome had no idea of what the club made, but it could take Haruhi well until her graduation to pay back that kind of money. Thinking back to the way the brown eyed girl scribbled vigorously in her notebook, the way she hung onto every teachers word, it was obvious that she had a purpose for coming to Ouran. But will she be able to do it now that she had the added headache of being a host? Perhaps, but Kagome knew from experience how annoying and distracting demanding males could be. Take Inuyasha for instance. If it wasn't for him giving her a hard time whenever she had to study or go back home to take a test, she wouldn't have ended up nearly failing all her classes but history.
"I will help you."
"You want to help me?" Haruhi blinked in surprise. First the guy threatens her and as good as tells her to stay away and now he wants to join a place he obviously has no affinity for just to help her pay off a debt? It was surreal.
"If I will become a host you will pay it off quicker," Kagome said as if it was the most obvious thing, ignoring the way the rest gaped in her in hardly veiled disbelief.
"And why do you think we would accept you as a host?" Tamaki finally emerged from his corner as he caught onto what was about to happen, pointing an accusatory finger at his tormentor.
"Oh, so you wouldn't?" Kagome cocked an eyebrow at the almost refusal.
"No offence meant, Taisho-san, but we have got the whole set of types and your rather violent attitude will only scare the guests away," Kyoya tried to play mediator.
"WELL THAT"S WHERE YOU ARE WRONG!" Renge's voice startled them all, making Honey choke on his cake, Mori materializing behind him in an instant and patting the short boy on the back until he coughed it up.
"He would be perfect for the one type that the club lacks at the moment."
"Being?" Kyoya could not keep the skepticism out of his voice.
"The 'bad boy' type! I mean look at him carefully! He nailed the look perfectly. The long non-school-regulation hair! The tattoo on the back of his neck! The I-don't-give-a-damn attitude! And, most importantly, his eyes! Like bottomless sapphires surrounded by thick black lashes." she sighed, pressing her hands to her chest.
"I'm telling you, he's going to be a hit!" she grinned manically, latching onto Kagome's arm.
"Um.. Renge?" Tamaki tried to rescue their lady manager but to no avail. She was far too gone in her fantasy to see that reality was about to hit her with a vengeance.
"Oh the ladies will just adore him! Look at these haughty cheekbones and- and-"
"Renge, was it?" Kagome looked at the girl for the first time.
"Y-yes?"
"I don't hit girls as a rule, but touch me again and I may have to re-think that," Kagome lowered her voice a tone, causing a bright blush to rise on Renge's cheeks. Apparently threats had exactly the opposite effect to what they were meant to round this school.
"See! He is perfect!" she squealed but did abandon her place for a much safer spot on the sofa opposite the violent male, "In fact, I want to request him!"
This story currently does not have a beta so if anyone is interested send me a PM! Thank you!