Author's Note: Once again, comment, review, offer ideas, the usual. Please forgive any errors or typos, sometimes I don't catch them all and I don't have anyway else to check over my work for me at the moment, so it'd be a great help if you'd point out any you see for me! I don't have much to say now, so I'll move on to the Disclaimer. I do not, sadly, own Ouran High School Host Club. I do, however, own my OC-Atari. Onward to the story!

Chapter 1: Enter the Dragon

The cool type host sighed as he approached the Ayash family mansion. "You've been chosen specifically, Kyoya my boy," his father had told him coldly that morning, "Don't mess this up or it could cost you dearly."

What benefit could the Ootori family possibly have from helping this family? Sure, they dabbled quite a deal in medical fields and published great medical books, but their main focus was a toy company.

Nonetheless, if it was his father's wish, who was he to question the man's motives? Especially when the decision of the matter of inheriting the family business was in his father's hands.

Kyoya knocked politely on the Ayash family mansion's door, and was greeted by a maid.

She had short brown hair and kind-yet tired-brown eyes. She looked to be about in her early to mid twenties.

"Ayash-sama would like to speak with you in the tea room." she ushered him there without a word, or so much as a glance at him. Kyoya was rather surprised at this, most women couldn't stop looking at him.

The maid knocked politely on the door before entering, the cool type host close on her heels.

"Oh, Ootori-san." Mrs. Ayash greeted upon seeing him. Gesturing for him to sit, she waved her maid off to prepare tea.

Seating himself across from her, he spoke, after flashing her his best host smile of course. "You wished to speak with me?"

She nodded, folding her small hands in her lap. She was a thin, frail looking woman, Kyoya noted, though she held herself with grace and confidence impossible to miss. "Yes. As you know, my husband and I hired you to...help our daughter, Atari."

Mrs. Ayash had hired Kyoya to try and help Atari, though how he would be of any help in this situation was unknown to him. She was, according to Mrs. Ayash, shy and anti-social. On top of that, Mrs. Ayash had enlightened him that she quite frankly "hates people." As the only heir to the family companies, however, Mr. and Mrs. Ayash had to fix her-as best as possible-to be fit to run them.

That, apparently, was Kyoya's duty starting today.

"Well, I just wanted to warn you: she is extremely difficult and stubborn. She will fight you to the death and drive you up a wall." she stopped and chuckled fondly. "But please, be gentle. She's so sensitive and frail. I'm afraid if this fails she will only shatter into smaller, unrepairable, pieces. Take care of her, Ootori-san."

Yes, Kyoya was definitely not fit for this task. Tamaki or Haruhi would do a much better job. Nonetheless, he responded, "Of course."

"That's all. My maid's already shown you where her room is located, I trust you recall?" After a nod from Kyoya for conformation, she continued, "All right, go there now then. I'll check on you all in a while."

Kyoya nodded and excused himself. This will certainly be interesting, Kyoya mused.

~.~.~

Atari leaped from her bed-jostling a great many stuffed animals and dolls in her wake- to the desk placed in front of the French windows.

She opened her notebook and quickly began jotting down her newest idea for her book.

"'You and I, we're much the same.' said the demon, holding out a hand to the girl." Atari spoke out-loud as she wrote, her voice transforming from her own soft-spoken one to the voice of the demon speaking. She was so enraptured in her work that she had not noticed someone knock and enter her room.

"'You see,' continued the demon, 'We're both wounded by the cruelty that is humanity. Our hearts are frozen over, now immune to all feeling. I see it in your eyes, brighter than any flame-it is the burning for revenge!' the demon knew he almost had her-" Atari stopped speaking as she heard footsteps approaching her. Her writing lingered until after she had finished the scene, and then she turned to the intruder.

"W-what do you want." her tone indicated that her statement was a command rather than a question. She slowly skimmed over the appearance of the intruder. Smoky gray eyes, deep like tide pools, slightly tousled black hair, and glasses that were reflecting the light from her desk lamp. She noted he was still in his school uniform. So he goes to Ouran, Atari thought with mild interest.

"I am Kyoya Ootori. Your parents sent me." he replied, seeming not to be phased from her cold tone.

"I don't want nor need your 'help.' However, if you'll pardon me," Atari gestured to her duck patterned pajamas, "I need to change." Without waiting for his reply, she stalked off to her closet that was about the size of a commoner bedroom.

Atari's closet was also a changing room, and a place she used frequently to hide from the world. She closed the window before changing into a light pink dress. The sleeves were ruffled on the ends, and the collar was made of white lace. The dress stopped and puffed out around her knees.

She undid her braid and her red hair-deep red, instead of the more common ginger-fell to her lower back in soft curls. She wiped over her blue-green eyes, about the color of the water at the bottom of a murky pond, with her hands, removing any sleep evidence or dried tears. After slipping her feet into white flats, she returned to her room to find that the intruder-Ootori-san-had seated himself at the tea table.

Casting a glance at her notebook to make sure he didn't snoop, she seated herself across the table from him.

"Quite the creative room you have." he commented lightly.

Atari's room was filled to the brim with toys,-dolls, stuffed animals, figurines-and it was only fitting as her parents did own a toy company. The walls were a light pink,-not too overpowering-and the floor was made of hardwood that squeaked horribly. Lining all of the walls were tall bookshelves, most all of them filled to capacity. In between two large French windows, that opened out onto a balcony, was Atari's canopy bed, overflowing with toys. On the right of her bed by the window was a desk, with a computer, where she did all of her work.

Before Atari could answer, someone knocked on the door and came in. It was Mina-one of her close friends, though a maid-rolling a tea cart.

"I've brought tea and sweets." She said with a smile.

"No need. Ootori-san's just leaving." Atari said with nary a glance at him.

"Atari, play nice." Mina said as she poured them both tea. Atari had insisted Mina leave off the honorific as she thought highly of Mina.

"I don't play well with others." Mina bowed and excused herself, saying nothing more. Atari did, however, hear a quiet giggle as Mina shut the door.

"It is awfully late to still be in your school uniform." Atari commented, attempting to be civil and strike up a conversation. She didn't look at him, instead choosing to stare into her tea cup.

"I came here directly after club hours." Ootori-san replied monotonously.

"Clubs end that late?" Atari was privately tutored, so her knowledge of how schools operated was scarce.

"I am assuming you do not attend Ouran, then."

Atari was shocked by his deductiveness, though she didn't show it.

"Nope."

"Is there a reason why? Your family is wealthy and rather well-known."

Ootori-san's question was met with silence and a weak glare from Atari. "Mind your own business. You're lucky I haven't had you thrown out yet." She answered after downing the remainder of her tea.

Ootori-san smirked at her. "Oh? Could it be you're interested in me?" He leaned forward, slightly, across the table, his chin resting on his hand.

Atari stood from the table and wandered back to her desk, wanting to distance herself from him. Her hands were quivering slightly, as was her voice when she spoke. "No. You weren't bothering me until just now, and Mother would be upset if I threw another one out so soon." Atari opened her notebook and continued writing from where she left off. "Get out."

"What are you writing?" came Kyoya's voice far closer than she was comfortable with.

Atari sprang from her chair and shoved Kyoya forcefully in the chest. "S-stay away from me!" she shouted, her entire body shaking now.

"Are you all right?" Kyoya inquired, taking a step toward her. He treaded lightly, like a hunter would so as not to frighten his prey.

Atari flinched back. She grabbed a large stuffed bear from her bed and clutched it to her chest. "G-get out!" she grabbed a doll from her bed and hurled it at him. It hit him in the chest and bounced onto the floor. "Mother!"

Atari's mother came rushing in. "My apologies, Ootori-san. Please come with me." She and Ootori-san left the room, leaving Atari still clutching the bear, tears streaming down her face.

~.~.~

Kyoya stood outside the girl's room and down the hall, watching Mrs. Ayash and waiting for her to speak.

Finally she said, "I'm sorry...she just needs a little time. She doesn't take well to strangers." Mrs. Ayash smiled sadly up at him. "You must be something, though, for her not to have booted you out within the first five minutes. Would you mind coming back again tomorrow? I think you might actually be able to help her, if only she'll let you."

Kyoya nodded and excused himself politely, not at all looking forward to returning.

~.~.~

Atari's day dragged on slowly. She had fallen asleep during lessons-a first-and had gotten rapped harshly on the knuckles by her Sensei. After lessons were over, she opted for a nap rather than starting on her homework.

Atari stretched, yawning, and rolled out of bed. She adjusted her wrinkled green dress and brushed over her hair. Grabbing her violin from the case, she stepped out onto the balcony and placed her violin in playing position.

She gazed at the sky-turned orange by the setting sun-before closing her eyes and beginning to play. Atari moved the bow slowly over the strings, dancing across it lightly as a feather. She let her feelings flow from her heart to the bow; it produced a sad, haunting song. She thought of her past, and the song sped up and became angry.

A knock on her bedroom door disturbed her music. She set her violin and bow gently down on the bed before opening the door.

"Oh. It's y-you." despite not wanting to deal with Ootori-san today-or any other day-she stepped back to allow him in.

"If you must stay to pester me, we can sit on the balcony today." Atari said as she put away her violin.

"You play beautifully." Kyoya said as Atari sat down at the table on the balcony.

"Don't say something unless you mean it, Ootori-san." Atari spoke quietly, looking up at the clouds.

"Ayash-san-"

Hearing that last name, Atari shuddered. She wanted nothing to do with it; it only reminded her of what happened to make her who she was. "Atari," she said, "Just call me Atari."

"Then I'll request you call me Kyoya."

"Why are you here again?" Atari asked rudely without looking at Kyoya.

"Your parents asked me to help you, and that is what I plan on doing." he spoke simply, and-like yesterday-in a monotone.

"You cannot help someone unless they want to be helped. I...I don't want to be helped." Atari fiddled with a stray strand of string on her dress.

"You do realize if you continue on with your social habits, your parents' companies will be at stake."

Atari laughed, a bitter, clipped, laugh. "I don't care. In fact, I don't even want the companies! I want to be an author."

"Authors still need communication skills to converse with editors and fans." Kyoya countered strategically.

Atari's face formed a pout in realization that he was right. "I'll be a musician then. I don't have talk to anyone that way."

"Not necessarily, but your career wouldn't go very far without connections. All careers depend on connections with others to allow it to prosper."

Atari sighed. "Well then. I suppose I'll just have to be a hermit, lonely old lady with a bunch of cats." she laughed weakly.

"Atari-san, I'm here to help you, but you have to let me." Kyoya said gently.

Atari sat silently for a long while, and then said, "All right. I'll let y-you h-help me. But it isn't because I want the family companies, or because I like you! I'm doing this for me because I'm tired of living this way!"

Atari heard Kyoya chuckle. "But of course."

"So what now, oh wise Sensei?" Atari joked, but her heart wasn't in it.

"Sit up. You're slouching." Kyoya commanded.

"What does this have to do with anything?"

"Slouching is a sign of inattentiveness and sloth. No one will take you seriously when you're slumped in your chair."

Atari wanted to protest, but did as bidden.

"Look up at me. If you don't make eye contact then the person you are addressing will automatically know you are unsure of yourself and in your actions."

Atari continued to stare down at the table. It wasn't that she didn't want to try, but Kyoya had the same eyes as her father, and she wanted nothing more than to forget that memory altogether. Atari lifted her head so that her eyes were level with his neck. There, Atari thought, I made an attempt.

Kyoya made a sound of impatience. "Atari-san, if you aren't going to attempt to work with me-"

"I am trying!" Atari nearly shouted. "I never chose this! I didn't /choose/ to hate and distrust people!" Atari's breathing was quick and shallow, her hands were trembling from anger.

"To love or to hate someone is a choice." In comparison, Kyoya's voice was calm and quiet.

Atari looked out over the balcony. The clouds were gone and replaced with stars, the sky was a clear, deep blue.

"I'm sorry. It's getting late, and you probably have other things to do, as do I. You should go."

Kyoya nodded and stood from the table. Atari followed suit, looking down at her feet.

"K-Kyoya-san?" she hiccupped.

"Yes?"

Atari lifted her head, slowly, so that her eyes were level with his chin. A little higher and she was level with his mouth, his nose. She lifted her head the rest of the way and met his eyes. Atari quickly flicked them back down, blushing.

"Atari-san. Look up." Atari was about to protest, but Kyoya cut her off. "Not at me, just up."

Atari looked up, and saw Kyoya smiling at her.

"I'm proud of you." Kyoya said, and without another word he sauntered out of Atari's room, leaving her on the balcony speechless.

~.~.~

Atari's mother was waiting in the hallway when Kyoya stepped out.

"Wow, you've held out longer than any other I've hired, and you aren't covered in bruises either." Mrs. Ayash commented lightly with a laugh.

Kyoya recounted the previous events to Atari's mother, and her face would light up at every one of her daughter's meager, in Kyoya's eyes, accomplishments.

Kyoya, ever the strategist at increasing club profits, said, "It will take a great deal of time to help Atari-san, time I'm not sure we have to spare. To speed up the process, I recommend enrolling her in Ouran and having her associate with the Host Club; they'll have her 'out of her shell,' so to speak, in no time."

"I'll keep it in mind." Mrs. Ayash replied. "See you tomorrow, and thank you Ootori-san."

Kyoya left the Ayash mansion, heading home to do a bit of "research" on Atari.

Author's Note: Hope you liked it, see you next chapter! Also, this chapter is 2nd priority out of two stories, so updates will be a bit slower than my other story. But I'll try to remain faithful to this story too, since I love Kyoya!