To Meet You Again
A/N: I do not own Ouran. I hope you like this story; this idea just came to me while I was reading other Ouran stories.
As a child you are always curious, no matter what house hold you are brought up in.
Especially if you are the youngest.
The sun was shining, not a cloud in the sky, as a group of rich spectators stood outside of a brand new hospital, a familiar logo upon it's sign. That logo was of one of the most respected families in all of Japan, maybe even in the world. The wealthy people watched as a man was giving a speech, a pair of shining scissors in his hand, every word leading him closer to cutting the velvet red ribbon, to signify that their family was getting stronger in wealth and status even though they really didn't need to. Near the talking man, stood several business men all wearing hardhats like the construction workers, though it was all for show. Off to the side of the platform, three young boys stood, each wearing a tailor made suit, each fitting them to a tee.
The youngest stood there, his eyes looking through his glasses upon the crowd of several families that he knew, and then several people he had never seen before. Kyoya stood as straight as he had been taught, his hands to his side and ignoring his urge to push up his slowly slipping glasses. He had been taught that doing so should be done at the last possible second, especially in social situation where several people could be judging him. He could feel random stares in his direction, and he made sure his stance was as straight as it could be.
This was not a normal situation for an eight year old boy, far from normal. Kyoya was an Ootori, the son of the man opening this new hospital for the entirety of Japan, to become one step ahead of everyone else and everything was for profit. If you have nothing to gain from doing something, the Ootori simply didn't do it, at least this had been drilled into young Kyoya's head. He was not a normal child, and he knew it.
Kyoya glanced at his brothers, and then turned his attention back to his father. Even though he was an Ootori, he was still a young boy and young boys got extremely restless. As the cutting of the ribbon caused an eruption of applause and calls of approval Kyoya did something he had never done in his entire life.
He acted like a normal child and walked away from the group and not one person noticed the little boy leaving and no one tried to stop him.
Kyoya had been through the entire city of Tokyo, but walking through the streets was completely different than riding in either a limo or a luxury car. There were smells that he had never smelled, sounds he had never heard, and things he had never seen. Tokyo was a colorful and busy place, something he wasn't as use to as he would think. People walked passed him quickly, several people sipping coffee as they hustled through the streets and rarely there were a phone in a person's hand. This told Kyoya that they were of business, for his father had one that he talked on all the time. This made him curious about the average social standings of people in the city, and it made him want to observe people more closely.
Kyoya found himself against a wall of a shop, watching as people walked by him. He noticed business men and women walked quickly, their clothes more tailored than the average person. There were average workers who seemed to walk slower than the business class, but still walked with certain urgency. Their clothes were from local shops, some more high class than others. There were the private school children, with the classier uniforms, and then there were the public school children with the affordable uniforms. Then there were the poorer families. These were the slower walkers, the ones who seemed to be more connected with each other and their children. Their clothes were either worn or from low end shops and everything they wore were either well worn or downright ugly. These people made Kyoya shiver and thank the heavens that he was not a poor person.
In Kyoya's term, a poor person was different than an average citizen; they were a broader range than what an average person thought. Most people to Kyoya were poor, and the more he watched people, the more he felt disgusted and started to dislike his watching game all together. Commoners did not make Kyoya feel comfortable, and he knew this pretty well.
Kyoya slowly pushed himself from the wall when he noticed a young girl without a parent stop and look at him. In his terms, she was poor, but she wasn't dressed as badly as a poor person could. Her brown eyes locked on his, and her expression turned to worry. She put the list in her hand in her cloth bag, and she walked over to Kyoya. She seemed to be younger than him, not by much, but younger, and with her approaching him, it made him feel uncomfortable and not safe. He thought this fear silly, for she was just a young girl and he was a boy, but it still made him feel like he was unsafe. She stopped in front of him and tilted her head a bit.
"Are you lost?" she asked, her young voice curious and held a bit of worry in it. The question struck a chord with Kyoya and he felt his body go stiff.
"No," he said, his glasses starting to slide down his nose. "Now if you please."
"You look like you're lost," she said, his last statement being forgotten. "I could help you find your parents if you want." His glasses slid down more as he felt himself take a step back.
"If you could please leave me…" he stopped when he felt the small girl push up his glasses. He felt his hand slap hers away after she had finished with her task. "Excuse you." He said. He felt a sharp pain on his hand as he automatically held it against his chest as the young girl shook the hand she has slapped him with.
"I was just helping you, you don't have to hit me," she said, a small pout upon her face. "Once your glasses started to slide down your nose, you got uneasy. I think it's because you couldn't see me, but you didn't push them up. You really should push them up once they start to slide down, keep the world in your sights so nothing can surprise you," Kyoya stared at the little girl as she relaxed as she looked at him.
Kyoya was perplexed, no one had ever talked to him like that before, let alone slap him. He could have her family stripped of all their status and their money for touching his glasses, but her slapping him was another story. Why would anyone dare do that to him? Him? A child of Ootori, a child of wealth? He looked at the young girl and he was worried. Her face showed signs of concern, even with what had just happened. What was wrong with this commoner?
"I'm fine," he said as he pushed himself away from the wall. "Leave me alone," Kyoya turned from the girl and walked away.
As he walked, he began to get into parts of Tokyo that he wasn't very familiar with. People began to thin out and more local run shops began to appear. Kyoya was a bit frightened, he had never really observed this part of Tokyo, and was not sure where he was at. He looked at the street sign and noticed it wasn't a familiar one, and this sent him into a small panic. He could just turn around and walk back to the hospital, but then that would end his journey for the day. He wanted to see if his father would worry about him, to see if anyone would notice that he was gone.
Once Kyoya turned around, the same girl stopped and looked away from him. Kyoya felt a bit annoyed and angry, had she been following him the entire time? Had he not noticed that he had been followed?
"Are you following me?" he asked. The girl turned to him and gave a small nod.
"I have a feeling you aren't from around here, so I didn't want to see you get lost, so I followed," she responded, not looking at him. Kyoya was about to tell her that he didn't need her help when a light went off in his head. This girl knew the city well; she had to for she was out and about by herself. She could show him around, keep him away from the hospital, but make sure that they didn't get lost. She could be an advantage to him, something he had been taught since he could walk. This was the Ootori way.
"You are right; I haven't been able to find my father. We were walking and I tripped and fell and then lost sight of him. I was waiting for him by the shop where I fell and that's when you found me. I thought I didn't need your help… But I'm not familiar with this side of Tokyo, so I was wondering if you could help me?" Bending the truth and thinking on top of your head was something Kyoya was very good at, and putting up a sweet and innocent front was easy for him as well. The girl smiled at him as she nodded.
"Of course I'll help."
Perfect.
"What is this?" asked Kyoya as they stood by a small food stand as the girl handed him some hot food.
"Fried octopus. " said the girl as she tossed a fried ball into her mouth.
"Octopus doesn't come in a ball shape, this must be fake," said Kyoya as he observed the food more. The girl grinned.
"No, they take the meat and roll it into ball shapes. Do you really think that they could really serve something more extravagant than that at a food stand? You really aren't from around here are you?" she asked as she tossed another ball into her mouth. Kyoya looked at the fried food and picked one up. He put it in his mouth and slowly ate it. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great. It was commoner food, and it tasted just like that. He wanted to show that he was thankful for the food, even if he didn't care much for it. He put on a fake smile and the girl smiled back.
"It's good," he said, his fake smile getting bigger. The girl smiled, finishing off the last of their snack and grabbed the young boy's hand.
"Let's go," she said and she began to walk away but came to a stop when Kyoya didn't move. He stared at their two hands entangled together then looked at her.
"What are you doing?" he asked softly. The girl looked at her hand then at him.
"Holding your hand, what do you think I'm doing?" she asked with a questioned look upon her face.
"Why?"
"Why?" The girl smiled. "Because if you fall, I'll notice and I won't leave you behind."
And that's when Kyoya felt something crack inside of himself. What it was, he wasn't sure, but it was something major. This girl took to him, a stranger, like nothing was the matter. This girl seemed to care for him, for a child who slapped her hand away and disliked her food. She cared for someone who was using her to gain something out of it, but she did it with a smile. He felt a tug as the girl was trying to walk again.
"Come on," she said, squeezing his hand. Kyoya looked at the hand, then at her, and then he took a step. The girl could feel the change and turned around and began to lead the way. Kyoya fell into step behind her and watched the back of her head, her hand sending warmth through him.
The two of them walked up and down the streets of Tokyo, the young girl showing Kyoya the city through her commoner eyes. Some of the things that he saw fascinated him; some things made him wonder how people could live like that. When they would pass alleys he would see people sleeping between trash cans, their faces dirty and their clothes a mess. He would mention this to his companion, and she would comment that is what happened to people, especially ones that don't have nice homes to begin with.
This began to raise questions in the young boy's head. Was this girl part of one of those not nice homes? She seemed nice, and her clothes were nice but a bit old, but she was by herself, with her own money. Did she have a family? Did she live between two trash cans? The more he thought of this, the more he felt like pulling his hand from her hand and running away, back to the security of his own family. On the other hand, the more he thought about it, the more he wanted to get to know her. He never felt this type of connection with a person, and it scared him. He had always been a distant child, someone who didn't need anyone, but this girl made him feel like he was a person, that he was something more than an Ootori.
This was a feeling he didn't know if he wanted to keep.
"Here, throw this into the fountain and make a wish," said the young girl, handing him a coin. He took the coin and looked at it.
"Make a wish?" he said. The girl nodded.
"They said if you throw this coin into a fountain, you can make a wish and it could come true." Kyoya wrinkled his nose.
"That's a horrible waste of money," he said. The girl shook her head.
"No it's not. Money is money and you can earn it back. Besides, you usually throw low value, so it really doesn't matter. Go ahead, throw it into the fountain and make a wish," she said. Kyoyo held the coin in his hand and stared at it. What should he do?
"Hello little girl, how are you?" asked a voice. Kyoya looked up and noticed an older man standing next to them, his body blocking the sun and sending him into a shadow. Kyoya noticed that the girl seemed to change a bit and seemed to shift closer to Kyoya.
"I'm not supposed to talk to strangers," she said, standing up straight. Kyoya looked at the guy. The expression didn't falter and he continued to smile.
"Don't be like that. I just wanted to know how you were doing. Where are your daddy and mommy?" The man took a step closer and with that step Kyoya smelt the lingering of alcohol upon his breath and body. Kyoya didn't like this; he didn't like it at all.
"I'm not supposed to talk to strangers," the girl said again, stressing every word to the older man. Kyoya looked at her. She didn't seem scared at all, but he could see that her hand was shaking a bit, showing her actual fear. Kyoya turned his attention back to the stranger and he could see that he was approaching closer. Kyoya's mind began to think quickly and he found himself stepping in front of the girl.
"I would suggest that you leave us alone sir." Kyoya stared at the man as he stood there, his back straight.
"What are you going to do? You're a kid." Spat the man. Kyoya smirked.
"Do you know who I am?" asked Kyoya. Kyoya felt himself being grabbed by the suit jacket and being held in the air. He felt his heart begin to beat faster as the man looked him in the eye.
"Let him go!" cried the girl who kicked the man and was pulling at Kyoya's leg.
"Leave me alone you brat!" spat the man. The man dropped Kyoya, who fell hard to the ground and turned his attention to the girl. Kyoya looked up from his huddled position on the ground to see the man hold up his hand to strike the girl when a man came into focus.
"Don't you dare hit my daughter!" A man with long hair ran towards the small group and the stranger looked at the father running towards them and turned around and ran off. Kyoya felt the girl put her hand upon his shoulder, looking at him.
"Are you all right?" she asked, once again concern in her eyes. Kyoya looked into her eyes and held the look for a good second before he nodded.
"Yes, I'm fine," he said softly, looking away. This girl was different than any other person he knew, and this scared him. He didn't like new things, things he was not use to.
"Oh my sweet little girl, are you okay?!?!" squealed the man, grabbing the girl and pulling her into a tight hug.
"Yes dad, I'm fine," said the girl, the tone in her voice making it seem like this situation happened all the time. Kyoya looked up and was fixated on watching the two interact. The father held his daughter close, kissing her all over and asking to make sure she was safe. Kyoya sat up, his glasses slowly falling down his nose. The father noticed the movement and looked at Kyoya.
"Oh, I didn't know you were with a friend. Are you okay?" Kyoya stared at the man, afraid to answer the question. The young girl handed her father her bag and smiled.
"He lost his father, so I was trying to help him." Kyoya felt awkward with both the girl and her father watching him.
"Helping him find his father huh? Well, I'll help you find him!"
"I'm okay on my own dad." Kyoya saw how rejected her father looked with the answer that his daughter gave him. Kyoya felt a small smile come to his mouth as he watched the two of them bicker back and forth. He couldn't let them continue, he couldn't continue to play this girl for his own gain, not anymore. Her father had ruined his plan.
"Father!" cried out Kyoya, stopping the two from bickering.
"Where?!" asked the father, putting his hand up to his eyes, shielding his eyes from the sun as he looked around. Kyoya pointed towards a group of people.
"Over there," he said. He turned towards the girl and gave a bow. "Thank you for helping me. I will not trouble you anymore." As he came up, she was right there to push up his glasses. He felt his heart beat faster as she gave him a gentle smile.
"You were no trouble." The girl's father grabbed her hand and began to pull her along. "Goodbye! Don't forget what I told you about your glasses and don't forget about your wish!" she called as she followed her father. She waved until she couldn't see Kyoya anymore.
Kyoya stood there, the coin in his hand and his body stiff. He touched his nose where he felt her finger push up his glasses and he smirked a bit. An Ootori didn't push his glasses up until the last second, when he was sure no one was paying attention.
Kyoya looked around and noticed that they had found themselves at the fountain closes to the hospital that his father had just opened. The crowd of people was still present and no one had noticed that he was missing. This was typical; the youngest child would never be missed, especially in a wealthy family. If you were not an heir, you weren't as closely watched. Love was something you shouldn't expect as a child in a wealthy family, and anything that meant you could feel or become loved should be put far away from you.
Kyoya began to walk towards the hospital when he felt the coin in his hand. He looked at it then looked at the fountain then wrinkled his nose. He tossed the coin over his shoulder and heard a soft clunk of water and he walked away from the fountain towards the hospital.
"Kyoya! You missed it!" shouted Tamaki as Kyoya walked into the room, pushing up his glasses as he went. His eyes settled upon all the host club members sitting around the small table in Haruhi's house, Haruhi's father seeming to be the center of attention.
"Missed what?" he said dully.
"Haruhi's father was just telling us the story of when Haruhi helped a young boy find his father when she was young! Isn't that wonderful?! My little girl is amazing," cooed Tamaki, his eyes sparkling. Ranka glared at Tamaki and smiled proudly.
"Is that so?" asked Kyoya, glancing at Haruhi. Haruhi had her hands in her lap and shook off the praise from her father.
"It wasn't that big, he was lost and wasn't use to the area, I couldn't let him get lost and never find his father, now could I?" Kyoya shrugged.
"If it were me, I would have let that boy find his own way."
"You are so cruel Kyoya!" cried Tamaki. Haruhi sat there, looking up at the ceiling.
"I wonder if he ever made a wish with that coin I gave him?" she asked quietly, pondering. Kyoya pushed up his glasses as his eyes shot towards Haruhi. His body seemed to go stiff as he felt his glasses start to slip down his nose again.
Yes I did make a wish and it didn't come true because…
As Kyoya sat down and pushed up his glasses he gave a glance towards Haruhi as the twins began to ask questions about her childhood. Inside of him, Kyoya felt something that had been repaired long ago start to crack again.
…I have met you again.
A/N: I hope you enjoyed it. Originally the last italicized sentences were: Yes and it had come true. I have finally met you again. But that didn't seem in character so I changed it. I'm sorry for any OOCness!!! Please review, this is my first Ouran story and I would like to continue to write them if I can. This is a one shot and I do not plan on taking it further, I feel I would ruin it by delving farther into it. Thanks for reading!!
