Ouran Ghoul
Ever since Haruhi joined the Host club, Kyoya had been eating more. Unlike most ghouls, Kyoya and his siblings had been brought up around humans. He had been taught from an early age how to control his hunger and how to ignore the delectable aroma that only came from human flesh when he was not hunting.
His fellow club members all had their own unique smell that Kyoya could easily recognize and ignore. Honey Sempai smelled sweet, whereas his cousin Mori Sempai smelled bitter. The twins' scent was spicy, but it was Tamaki who had the most interesting scent. The princely type carried a scent of tangy orange. Each members' scent would provoke Kyoya's hunger when they first came together. However, as time went on he was able to keep his ghoul instincts at bay. As long as Kyoya remembered what he had learned growing up, he was able to live alongside humans. He had everything under control...until Haruhi came along.
Haruhi's scent was so overpowering that it took all of Kyoya's strength not to lunge at her and devour her whole. Hers was a scent that was so intoxicating and delectable that Kyoya would unconsciously lick his lips whenever she came within a close proximity to him. Haruhi smelled of an enticing mixture of herbs and spices, she smelled like a meal sold at a gourmet restaurant. Kyoya had never wanted flesh as much he wanted hers. When he got home the day they first met, he devoured most of the flesh in the Ootori kitchen. When his hunger was finally satisfied, Kyoya experienced a tidal wave of emotions; disgust with himself for his behaviour (he had never binged like that before), a deep feeling of embarrassment for how he had behaved and anger towards Haruhi. Who was she to make him lose control like that? Him an Ootori, the son of one of the greatest families in all of Japan? He came from a long line of powerful ghouls. Most of his life had been spent controlling his urges and perfecting the human disguise he worse so well, and the sudden appearance of the scholarship student had nearly shredded that flawless disguise.
Once he had come to his senses and calmed his pounding heart, Kyoya pushed his glasses up and took out his laptop to research the new student. Now that she had broken the vase they planned to sell at the auction and had been forced to pay it off by working for the club, Haruhi and Kyoya would be spending a lot of time together. He would have to learn as much as he could about her if she was to be the new bain of his life he would have to take care where she was concerned. Kyoya's father had taught all his children that although ghouls were superior to humans in many ways, despite what their diet consisted of, they still had to be wary of humans, after all, they were the ones who dominated this world.
Haruhi had been with the club for now and her scent was just as overwhelming and irresistible as it was the first day. However, due to an increase in his portion sizes, Kyoya was able to keep his flawless human mask in place.
"Kyoya sempai, are you sure, you're not hungry?" Haruhi asked one afternoon. "You didn't eat anything at lunch."
"I appreciate the concern Haruhi, but I had a big breakfast and didn't feel the need". Kyoya replied noncoherently before walking away, as her scent was becoming too much for him to handle.
"Don't worry too much about him. Kyoya sempai had never had a big appetite. He pretty much just lives off coffee." Hikaru explained.
"Well, that can't be healthy. Come to think of it I don't think I've ever seen him eat." Haruhi said as she tried to recall a time she had seen the Shadow king eat something.
"My eating habits are none of your concern Haruhi. If you really need something to occupy your thoughts you are more than welcome to start cleaning up." Kyoya said from his spot at the far end of the music room.
Haruhi groaned as she started to clear the teacups and plates away. Kyoya watched her as she worked. Although very few people know about the existence of ghouls (most of which were consumed after they made their discovery), the Ootori family had always been cautious when interacting with humans. If Haruhi had noticed his lack of appetite, he would have to do something to ease her suspicions. No matter how painful and inconvenient it would be for him.
The next day, Kyoya mentally and physically prepared himself for what he was about to do. He ordered a small lunch so the ordeal would not be too painful. The club sat at their usual table in the centre of the cafeteria. The eyes of the whole student body were on them, but they pretended not to notice.
While the others purchased their lunches Haruhi pulled out her boxed lunch she had made that morning. While his fellow hosts admired the beauty and simplicity of Haruhi's lunch, Kyoya was repulsed at the sight of the meal. He could feel himself dry heaving at the sight of the perfectly arranged meat and vegetables. His own lunch consisted of a bland looking noddle soup and a small bowl of rice. He started to chew and as he did he cursed Haruhi's observant behaviour. The experience was unbearable, it didn't matter how many times he did this, Kyoya had to use all his strength to not throw it all up there.
Once he had finished, Kyoya excused himself claiming he had work to do. As he calmly made his way to the bathroom, Kyoya felt like his insides were being torn to pieces and his eyes watered. Once he made it to the bathroom and away from the prying eyes of his classmates, Kyoya emptied the contents of his stomach. He stuck his fingers in his mouth in order to make sure he got everything out. The back of his thought burned from the stomach acid and his knees buckled, He collapsed onto the floor and closed his eyes, taking deep breaths.
"That should keep her quiet for a while." Kyoya thought as he wiped the sweat from his brow. "As if her scent wasn't causing me enough trouble."
Later that day, as the hosts entertained their guests, they overheard some of the conversation between Haruhi and two of her customers.
"Haruhi, is it true people are going missing in your neighbourhood?" One customer asked.
"Yeah, there have been a few. My dad is calling me all the time to make sure I'm okay and he's getting new locks." Haruhi answered.
"It must be pretty scary." Another customer said as they sipped their tea.
"Those poor commoners." The first customer said as they took a bite of a piece of cake. "It is a pretty dangerous neighbourhood. Best to avoid it altogether."
" My mother says it's probably the result of gang behaviour and that the people who went missing probably owe money or had drug problems. Nothing one should focus too much time on, they brought it on themselves she says. It's just that kind of area" The second customer said with a casual wave of her hand. It seemed that she had forgotten that the area in question was Haruhi's home and the so-called gang members and druggies were her friends and neighbours.
Haruhi tried her best to hide how annoyed their questions and comments made her. The way they were talking about the disappearances made them sound like casual conversation, small talk like they were talking about the weather. As nice as they were, these girls would never understand how hard life could be for people from Haruhi's social class. They would never understand the paralyzing fear that people were feeling. Haruhi had seen mothers keeping a firm grip on their children as they walked the street, the same mothers who the other week felt safe enough to let their children run a block or two ahead of them. She had seen people run straight from their cars into their homes for fear of being the next victim. The streets were no longer safe to walk in the evening, unable to take her daily evening walk after dinner and before studying, Haruhi felt like she was suffocating in her tiny apartment.
Haruhi wanted to yell at them, slam her hands on the table and walk out. She wanted to tell them that they knew nothing about life, how they wouldn't last a day without the security their names and families gave them. If she was honest with herself, Haruhi was appalled at these girls and would love nothing more than to walk away, but she reminded herself that that would be highly inappropriate behavior for a host, so she kept quiet and poured some more tea.
Closing time couldn't have come sooner. Once the guests all left and Haruhi had finished cleaning up, the twins approached Haruhi.
We heard your clients say people have been going missing where you live and we were wondering if there was anything we could do?" Hikaru asked,
"We don't want anything bad to happen to you". Kaoru said. Haruhi could see there was a look of genuine concern on his and Hikaru's' faces. Before she could answer, Kyoya spoke.
"We wouldn't want to lose such a valuable asset to the club such as yourself." He had said it so calmly, just as her customers had when they talked about the disappearances, that Haruhi decided she couldn't take it anymore.
"Screw you Kyoya, you're so clueless, everyone is so clueless." She yelled, shocking the other hosts and completely forgetting the genuine concern the twins had shown. Kyoya's words had just reminded her too much of the words of her clients." I mean
just because it doesn't affect you doesn't mean you have the right to act so cold about it."
The other hosts were in shock. Haruhi had a reputation for staying calm and collected no matter how crazy the others made her. However, after the long day she had had, the inconsiderate remarks from the customers and Kyoya's coldness, Haruhi had decided she had had enough.
"I don't know why I expected any different. You don't even seem like you can stand to be in the same room with me, so it's no wonder you don't care. God, you would have thought I smelt bad or something. Haruhi grumbled as she packed her bag and left the music without saying goodbye.
Kyoya watched as she walked out and sighed as he pushed his glasses up.
"On the contrary Haruhi, you smell delicious." He whispered.
Just because Kyoya didn't have to hunt for human flesh didn't mean he didn't know how. The Ootori family came from a long line of powerful ghouls who were renowned for their abilities as hunters. The scent that emanated from Haruhi's flash was especially potent that day, (perhaps it was due to the passion of her anger Kyoya thought). Kyoya needed a release from the hunger and frustration that her scent stirred within him. The packaged flesh they had at the mansion wasn't enough. He needed fresh flesh...straight from the bone.
Kyoya's chosen hunting ground was twenty miles from his home and a rundown area that would be the last place anyone would expect someone of his class to be. That was what made it perfect. There was hardly any light as most of the street lights out of order, the night air was filled with the stench of smoke and gasoline. In the distance, the sounds of yelling and glass smashing could be heard.
Kyoya's meal was a homeless man who smelled of sweat and alcohol. They were so drunk that there was no resistance as Kyoya snapped his neck like a twig and began to eat. The man's flesh was chewy and had a stale taste. It wasn't the best, but it had come from a body that had had blood pumping around it moments before he took the first bite and this added to the taste, making it softer and made it easier for him to swallow the drunks' tainted meat. As he feasted, Kyoya felt the ace that had plagued him become unnoticeable until it was completely gone.
Once he had finished all that was left of his meal was some bloody clothes, a few scraps of bone and a hollow abdomen. Kyoya quickly collected his leftovers and disposed of them in a nearby trash can. Once the deed was done Kyoya licked his hands clean of the blood.
Sometime later Kyoya found himself standing on a rooftop staring at Haruhi's apartment. He saw one light was still on. He knew her father would be working late so she would be alone. He then started to wonder what it was like to be home by yourself. The Ootori mansion was never empty, what with the servants, business associates of his father, friends of his mother and the frequent surprise visits from Tamaki. Kyoya wondered if Haruhi was ever scared to be home by herself, if the slightest creak or bump would cause her heart to race and make her jump out of her skin. He quickly dismissed this thought and concluded that she must have been too used to being left alone to be scared.
"Haven't seen you around here for a while." A voice said from behind. Kyoya didn't bother to turn and see who it was, the voice was too familiar.
"Joker, as always it's a pleasure," Kyoya said, not taking his eyes off the light. A tall figure moved to stand next to Kyoya. They wore a clown mask and had long auburn hair that was tied in a braid.
"What do you know about the disappearances in this area?" Kyoya asked.
"At least two people a night three times a week for the last two weeks". Joker replied.
"Are the Doves on the trail?" Kyoya asked.
"I don't think so, some of the others and I did some investigating and followed the scent to where some of the victims went missing. We only found blood splatters." Joker said. "If this is a ghoul they're eating everything."
"No leftovers means no evidence of a ghoul attack so there would be no reason for the Doves to get involved." Kyoya thought out loud.
"One human can keep a ghoul going for about a month. Six victims a week for two weeks, that means a dozen victims. Whoever this is their appetite appears to be insatiable." Joker explained." This has to be the biggest binge eater I've ever seen."
"What are the ghouls like in this area?" Kyoya asked, turning to face Joker for the first time since they arrived.
"Like you guys, they blend in. Most of them have moved away, they say it's only a matter of time before the Doves catch on and most of them are families with kids so they won't risk it." Joker explained.
"Are you and the others patrolling the area?" Kyoya asked.
"Absolutely, whoever is doing this is giving ghouls a bad name and we didn't have a good one, to begin with. Not all of us are total monsters." Joker said. Kyoya didn't have to see their face to know there was a scowl on it.
"If our existence was known, the rest of the world would argue against that. We are monsters." Kyoya said, turning his attention back to Haruhi's window.
"Some more so than others that's all I'm saying. Why are you so interested? Does it have something to do with that light?" Joker asked, now Kyoya was confident their scowl had been replaced with a smile.
"Do me a favour and keep a special eye on the Fujioka family," Kyoya said. His tone did not make it seem like he was asking for a favour, it was more like he was giving them an order and they both knew it.
"I'll do my best". Joker said as they checked their watch. "I'll see you around. I'll let you know if I find anything. I'll be discrete of course, can't let it be known that an Ootori associates himself with a peasant ghoul like me." Joker said with a small laugh before they jumped off the roof and disappeared into the night. Kyoya stayed on the roof for another two hours, he didn't leave until the light went out.
"Goodnight Haruhi." He whispered before he to disappeared into the night.
Kyoya did not come into direct contact with Haruhi until two days later. Before then he continued to avoid her. He would only talk to her from across the room and would avoid eye contact as much as possible. Tamaki observed this behaviour and came to the conclusion that Kyoya was acting this way because he had feelings for her that he was too afraid to act.
Tamaki called an emergency meeting of the host club and made sure that Haruhi and Kyoya heard nothing about it.
"Alright, I'm sure you're all wondering why I called you all here". Tamaki said with a dramatic wave of this hand. He dropped his hand to his side when he saw none of them seemed to be paying attention. The twins were on their phones and appeared to be bored. Honey was too busy with his cake and Mori was too busy making sure Honey didn't get cake on his uniform.
"Does it have anything to do with Kyoya sempai and Haruhi?" Hikaru asked without looking up from his phone.
"The boss thinks he likes her". Kaoru said, he too didn't look up from his phone.
"I don't think, I know". Tamaki yelled as slammed his hands on the table, causing the others to face him. "Now listen, those two clearly have chemistry. Kyoya is so shy about how he feels that he won't even look at her."
"Are you sure it's not because he just doesn't like her." Hikaru offered but this time it was Tamaki who wasn't listening.
"We must bring them together somehow". Tamaki said as he tapped his finger against his chin.
"Haruhi doesn't seem like she has feelings for Kyoya sempai". Kaoru said, again Tamaki showed no sign of hearing him.
"It must be bold yet subtle and it must look like an accident." Tamaki continued to plan.
"He's not listening. We might as well go along with it." Mori said. The hosts exchanged a look and nodded before turning their attention back to their king who was so deep in thought he didn't see that he had lost their attention.
"Yes, that is how we will bring our comrades together gentlemen." Tamaki proclaimed.
"Great idea Boss." The twins cheered as they both gave Tamaki a thumb up (of course they had no idea what he had said).
It turned out that Tamaki's plan was indeed bold but it was not exactly subtle and in no way, would it look like an accident. Of course, when the others pointed this out, their criticisms fell on death ears.
"Everyone in position?" Tamaki asked over the walkie-talkie.
"I still don't like this, but yeah we're ready". Hikaru said as Kaoru kept a lookout.
"We're ready Tama-chan." Honey said happily.
"There he is. Your move Boss." Kaoru said. Tamaki took a deep breath and came out of his hiding place and walked towards his friend.
"Kyoya could you do me a favour?" Tamaki asked as he pushed Kyoya down the hall without waiting for an answer.
"What do you want?" Kyoya asked in a tired voice as he was too used to his best friend's quirks to stop him (he would get him back later).
"I need you to do an inventory of the tea sets". Tamaki replied.
"Isn't that Haruhi's job?"
"Yes, but she went home, and no one will be able to do it as efficiently as you". Tamaki said quickly as shoved Kyoya into the storage room and locked the door behind him.
"Hey Boss, we have eyes on Haruhi, we're moving in." Hikaru's voice said over the walkie-talkie.
"Perfect bring her in". Tamaki said. " When this is over they will be telling their children of our heroics and how we brought them together.
"Okay, Boss". Hikaru said before turning to face Kaoru. "Or they will be explaining to our parents how we all wound up in full body casts."
"Tagashi and I have a chance but you two and Tama Chan are as good as dead." Honey said.
"Thanks, Honey-sempai." The twins said with glum faces. "Let's just get this over with."
The twins came out of their hiding place and approached Haruhi from behind.
"Hey, Haruhi," Hikaru said casually.
"Hey, guys". Haruhi said.
"Before you go home can we ask you something?" Kaoru asked.
"Okay, what is it?" Haruhi asked as she stopped walking.
"How do you feel about Kyoya Sempai?" They asked. Meanwhile, Tamaki facepalmed and signed deeply.
"What are you two doing, that's not what the script said." He groaned.
"Well, I respect him professionally but on a personal level not so much". Haruhi replied in her usual honest manner. The twins exchanged a look. They suspected this would be the case, but it was too late to back out now.
"Look, Haruhi we just want you to know we were against this from the start". Hikaru said.
"And we completely understand if you get mad at us." Kaoru continued.
Before Haruhi could ask what, they were talking about, Hikaru wrapped his arms around her waist and Kaoru grabbed her legs. They ignored her kicking and screaming as they carried her to the storage room that Kyoya was locked in. When they reached the door, Tamaki unlocked the door, so the twins could toss Haruhi in before quickly locking the door again.
"Mission accomplished men. Now they may try to climb out the window, so Honey Sempai and Mori Sempai are to guard the window and make sure they don't go away." Tamaki said over the walkie-talkie.
"You can count on us Tama-chan." Honey said before switching off his walkie-talkie and turning to face his cousin. "Do you think this is a good idea?" He asked.
"Not one bit, but you know what he likes when he gets like this. It'll be better if we just go along with it." Mori said as he turned his attention to the window.
Meanwhile, in the storage closet, Kyoya was plotting how he was going to kill his so-called best friend. This would not be the first time someone close to the family had gone missing, it would easy to arrange everything, so it looked like an accident. He was halfway through concocting a plan when Haruhi spoke.
"Sempai can you give me a boast?" She asked.
"Why?" Kyoya asked as he turned to face her.
"There's a heating vent. If we crawl through we can get out in another room." Haruhi explained as she pointed to the heating duct that was just out of her reach. Kyoya looked at the vent and then turned his attention back to Haruhi before turning to the vent again. He could already feel his hunger building up inside him. They would be extremely close in a heating vent and would most likely end up perspiring which would only make Haruhi's scent more delectable. However, this plan would get them out and away from each other quickly which was what needed to happen before Kyoya did something he would regret.
"Fine." Kyoya signed as knelt down and cupped his hands. Haruhi removed the cover and crawled through the opening. Kyoya was not far behind her. The two crawled in silence as they made their way through the vent.
"So why do you think they locked us?" Haruhi asked.
"I have a theory, but I don't think you'll like it," Kyoya replied growled as he went back to plotting the death of the Host King.
"I doubt you could come up with any scenario involving us getting locked in a closet that would make me happy. So just tell me your theory." Haruhi mumbled in frustration as she made her way through the vent.
"Good point. I think Tamaki beliefs I have feelings for you and he convinced the others that this is true." Kyoya explained. Haruhi groaned in frustration as she turned a corner.
"How stupid is he?" She mumbled. The two of them continued to make their way through the vents. When they finally found an opening Haruhi jumped down with Kyoya close behind her. Kyoya took a moment to compose himself. They had come out into a classroom.
"Are you planning on getting them back?" Haruhi asked.
"I'm sure I can come up with something," Kyoya assured her. He was already concocting a plan that involved a camping trip and a bear attack.
"Where do you think they got the idea you liked me?" Haruhi asked.
"I'll assume it's because they've noticed I don't pay much attention to you and took this to mean I liked you. That seems to be the most likely theory but who knows how Tamaki's mind works." Kyoya replied.
He realized he may have sounded cruel and he knew that if his mother heard him she would not be pleased, but Kyoya had to maintain the distance between them. He had no clue what Haruhi's feelings were towards him but during his time with the host club, he had learned that when a girl heard that a boy may like them, they began to convince themselves that they return those feelings. Although Kyoya knew that Haruhi was not like other girls he still felt it was best to nip any affection that could be growing in the bud.
"Have I offended you in some way?" Haruhi asked. She had noticed Kyoya distance from her, she tried not to take it personally, but It did make her wonder if she had done or said something to annoy him.
"No. In fact, the whole time I have known you, you have been nothing but pleasant." Kyoya replied honestly. He tried to keep as neutral a face as possible.
"Then what's your problem with me?" She asked with her arms crossed.
"It's just better if we don't get too close."
"Why?"
"Listen Haruhi, judging by how popular you have become, your debt will be paid by the end of the school year maybe even before then. After that, I will assume you will have no more affiliation with the Host Club outside of the friendships you have made. The others are your friends because they want to be, they can see there is no real benefit to being your friend but that doesn't matter to them. It does, however, matter to me. I see no benefit in us forming any sort of bond." Kyoya responded as coldly as he could.
"You're a bright young woman who I'm sure will do well in life but,
Haruhi just stood there, at that moment Kyoya wished that being a ghoul gave him the ability to read minds. For a moment Kyoya was envious of how blank her expression was.
"You're so full of yourself. It because I'm a commoner isn't it? You're just like those girls who talked about those disappearances like it was nothing. It's nothing because it doesn't impact your perfect life where nothing goes wrong. You don't care because you don't think I can help you push your own agenda. You say there is no benefit to us being friends but that's not why you become friends with someone. You become friends because you understand each other and because you're there for each other. You wouldn't be there anyone if it didn't benefit you…"
"Haruhi." Kyoya said, trying to communicate with his tone that she should stop.
"No, you listen to me. You may play the cool guy for the customers, but I know you. If you were in public school no one would give you the time of day. You wouldn't have your name or your money, you would be just like everything else and you would hate it because you would have the right to act all superior like everyone is just a stepping stone for you to walk all over. All you have is your name and you didn't have to do anything you were just born lucky. You don't know the first thing about real struggle. You don't know what it means to fight for something. You don't…" Haruhi's rant was cut off when she felt Kyoya's hand grip her arm.
Haruhi looked at Kyoya ready to yell but she felt as if her breath had been sucked from her lungs. His eyes were glowing with anger and hatred. The hand gripping her arm tightened, his nails close to breaking the fabric of her uniform. Haruhi's heart was racing and she could feel drops of sweat forming on her forehead.
"You think you're so smart and you are but there are still many things you do not understand. I know struggle and I know how to fight for something. You who I am but you don't know me, and you don't know what I am. If you did you would watch your mouth." Kyoya growled. He could feel the ghoul within him rising. He could smell her fear. He wanted to taste that fear, taste the saltiness of her flesh brought on by the sweat. He would savour the sound of her bones snapping as he tore her apart and crushed them between his teeth. He would lick every drop of blood that was spilt so none of her would go to waste.
"Kyoya, what's wrong with your eyes?"
Author's note: I originally wanted to post this as a long one-shot, but I got really excited about it, so I decided to post what I have already done. Please read and review and if anyone has any ideas of how I should continue please let me know. This story will probably just be two chapters in total but we'll see how it goes.