A Birthday Journey

Author's Disclaimer: No, I don't own OHSHC. All rights go to their respective owners. I just want to ship Kyoya and Haruhi together, as well as wish Kyoya a very happy (belated) birthday! Here's my story to continue the birthday tradition. Work has kept me super busy and tired of late, so apologies to those hoping for an update on What You Want (I'm rereading and editing it right now) or Little Ouran. I've been listening to Christmas music and wishing for snow (yes, I'm weird like that), so that has influenced this year's story just a little. I hope you enjoy!

~~~-KHKHKH-~~~

It was just after eleven o'clock at night, and Kyoya was going to bed early.

After all, the next day was his birthday. He deserved to sleep in and enjoy more rest on his "special" day, as Tamaki always said.

He had just finished talking to Haruhi, trying to firm up the plans they had for the next day. Since Haruhi had flown all the way to Boston to visit him while he went to college there (he had grown to love the area after Haruhi studied abroad there), he was looking forward to some (quiet) quality time with his girlfriend. It was still very satisfying to hear and call Haruhi that for Kyoya.

Then, he would be ready for whatever dinner plans Tamaki had concocted for the group. He was lucky everyone was so caught up in their studies, so that Tamaki did not go overboard with planning something. Last year had been enjoyable despite the large amount of boxes that appeared on his doorstep (it was impossible to move or leave his apartment), not to mention having to wait until their skype time for everyone to watch him open said gifts. With four different time zones to reconcile, Kyoya had been impressed.

Everyone decided to come out and visit him once Haruhi declared that she was going to see her boyfriend. Haruhi just wanted to spend time with him since she missed him so much.

In a small hotel room across town, Haruhi looked at her phone and saw that Tamaki had finally arrived in Boston as well. He was the last of the group to arrive, and now that he had made it safely, she decided to go to sleep. She heard her group text message ringtone go off, but she ignored it, assuming that Tamaki wanted to give final details for the next day.

When she woke up early (especially compared to other friends of hers who had stayed up late plotting) and checked her group texts, Haruhi was out of bed and rushing to Kyoya's apartment as fast as she could. She had to at least try and save him from his impending doom. Apparently, Tamaki had way too much free time on his hands while on the plane, and Kyoya would not like what transpired.

Haruhi did her best to stand still and think of ways to hide Kyoya from their friends while she rode the subway. If she walked out in the fresh snow, she was liable to take longer, and time was of essence. By the time she arrived at his apartment, armed with her own personal key, Haruhi had a slight idea of what to do, and that she had approximately an hour to get Kyoya out of his bed and apartment.

She hoped that was enough time.

Kyoya had three sets of keys made: one for Haruhi, one for Tamaki, and one for his servants who had traveled with him. They gave him his privacy, and Haruhi had never abused her key privileges (not that she had had them for much longer than six months). Tamaki had already abused his privileges, but that was why Kyoya was still friends: they both cared about one another.

Haruhi felt bad using her key to wake Kyoya up on his birthday, but it was absolutely necessary. He would thank her, eventually. At his bed, Haruhi gently tried to wake up Kyoya, sliding her hands along his shoulder and pushing hair away from his face. His hair was always soft and fine, and this was one of the few things that Haruhi liked about him being rich. Everything felt better. It was not worth the money in her eyes usually, but she had grown to appreciate all of it with her friends.

"Kyoya, it's time to wake up," stated Haruhi, until she saw his eyes open slowly.

As the light flooded his eyes, he blinked, trying to figure out who had disturbed him, on his birthday no less. An angry aura started to appear.

"Whatever it is, it can wait," he said, about to hide his face in the pillow when he heard Haruhi's voice.

"No, it can't, Kyoya. Besides, it's your birthday. We should enjoy every second of it together."

A slow smile crept over Kyoya's face as he groggily acknowledged that Haruhi had appeared, eager to spend time with him. In his mind, there was no point in wasting time with Haruhi when there was a perfectly warm, queen-size bed around, and he was still tired.

Reaching out a hand, he said, "Then come and join me here, Haruhi."

Haruhi took his hand in hopes of dragging him out of bed, but before she could, she found herself instead being dragged into his bed. The silk sheets and down comforter he had welcomed her, almost as much as Kyoya did. He happily pulled her back to his chest, sleep making him more eager for touch, and he put his arms around her waist. She was warm and smelled like cinnamon, and he enjoyed burying his face in her short hair.

When they had first started out dating, Kyoya had been content with the occasional bit of hand-holding, and a kiss now and then. But as the long distance got to him, the more he wanted to touch her. He missed her. He missed her smile, her conversation, her cooking, her peculiar outlook on life, and even her nicknames for him. He did not care how rich he was, as long as he was hers.

He was not jealous, so much as he was surprised (and maybe a little humbled and proud all at once) that she so easily called him hers after only a month of dating. She had never referred to Tamaki like that when dating, so he considered himself fortunate. At the time, he was interning for the summer back in Japan, and he saw Haruhi a couple times a week. They were trying out a new sushi place, and Kyoya insisted upon trying the large sampler dish for them to share. Haruhi shook her head and mumbled something about him being rich.

It was a long-standing joke between them, as he had heard her call everyone that on numerous occasions, but he still enjoyed bringing it up whenever she tried to whisper it to herself. Kyoya locked eyes with her and stated, "What's that, Haruhi? Something wrong with being rich and using it appropriately sometimes to enjoy the finer things in life?"

"No, Kyoya. But now there's no point in coming back again and again if we like it since we'll have tried everything."

"It's saving money in the long run if we like it. Then we'll know exactly what we want," he said, waving his hand about as though it were the most natural thing in the world. "How does that make me a rich bastard?"

"It's the casual way you say and do these things that cost so much," replied Haruhi. "You'll never stop doing that, and that's why you're my rich bastard."

Kyoya had never been so pleased to belong to someone, especially someone so independent like Haruhi.

After a few moments of enjoying Haruhi's presence in bed, Kyoya murmured, "Now this is the perfect birthday gift. Let's just stay here all day."

Haruhi sighed. As much as she wanted to honor Kyoya's wishes, she knew she could not. Not if she wanted him to escape the "big idea" of Tamaki's.

"Kyoya, we can't stay long here. We need to get up and leave the apartment. The sooner, the better."

"Nonsense. That wasn't what we agreed on," said Kyoya, slowly falling back to sleep.

Haruhi decided that a few minutes would not hurt. Perhaps twenty minute power naps would work on Kyoya. She snuggled into Kyoya, enjoying the feeling of being close to her boyfriend at last. She had wanted this, and now she had it. She set her cell phone's alarm in resignation.

When her alarm went off, Haruhi almost missed it since Kyoya grabbed the offending device and silenced it immediately. She started to speak, and he shushed her.

"Haruhi, what could possibly be better than this?"

"You not being sucked into Tamaki's great birthday idea that he had last night on the plane," she said, hoping that hearing the reason would change his tune.

She was right.

Ten minutes later, Kyoya had changed, made coffee, and eaten breakfast.

Once they were outside, Haruhi led him towards the subway and explained what had transpired after both of them had gone to sleep.

"It turns out that Tamaki had heard on the plane that Thanksgiving is coming up in a few days, and so that got his mind thinking," said Haruhi.

"But we've celebrated Thanksgiving before," replied Kyoya, shoving people aside so that he and Haruhi could stand next to one another on the subway.

"Well, it turns out that Tamaki happened upon this 'great deal' for groups where you could learn the true history of Thanksgiving and celebrate it just like the Pilgrims did. Considering that it was the perfect way to celebrate Thanksgiving and your birthday at the same time, and it's less than two hours from here, Tamaki got everyone excited about it. If I had been awake, I would've said something. I know you told him you wanted something low key this year, so I knew I didn't have much time to help you escape. I sent a text to them telling them that it wouldn't work, so they were warned."

Kyoya shook his head as he listened to Haruhi's phone ring for the third time, no doubt one of the guys calling and asking where she was. He was very grateful that she had pushed him to wake up. At this point, they were somewhere downtown, with signs about historic Boston all around.

But then the issue came to his mind that he was not far enough away. He had been to other parts of Boston, but not this part as much. It was still crowded.

"Haruhi, where are we? And shouldn't we get back on the subway and go further?"

"I'm not sure, Kyoya, but it's far enough away, and looks more quiet and historical. Let's check it out. Besides, the guys won't look for you in big crowds. Let's sit on this bench. I should give you your gift because you look cold."

He gave her an odd look and sat down, wondering what her gift was. It was then that he noticed that she was carrying a different bag than normal, this one much bigger and padded. She reached in and pulled out a wrapped gift.

When he opened the present, he found ear muffs. Large ear muffs.

"Haruhi, why will these help? I already have a hat."

She grinned and pulled apart the ear muffs, showing him the headphones sewn into the muffs.

"I know you said you have a lot of problems with people bothering you while you walk and study, so I thought these might help. They're noise-canceling headphones, so you can listen to music, and they keep you warm. And there are gloves to match."

Haruhi smiled when Kyoya put the muffs and gloves on. His chest and back relaxed just a bit, and Haruhi considered the hours of sewing well-worth it. Once he was properly attired, he leaned in and gave her a kiss of thanks. It did not last long since they were out in public, but it was enough.

After they separated from the kiss, still breathless, Haruhi asked, "Will you let me lead today? If you keep checking your phone, you're going to worry, and I don't want you to today. This is your day. I want you to enjoy yourself and relax."

"I can do that," he answered, pulling out his phone and handing it to her. "You're in charge."

"Thanks. Shall we walk? We can check out all the cool things around here," said Haruhi, tugging on his wrist to stand up. "I bet they have some good cider this time of year."

Soon they were wandering, and after a while, Kyoya was sure that they had passed a certain coffee shop at least twice.

"Haruhi? Do you know where you're going?"

"No, but does it matter? There's so much history here! I thought I had learned all of it when I studied here, but I guess not. It's fascinating."

"Is it fascinating enough that you'd consider doing law school here?" asked Kyoya, noticing her excitement.

When they were both in Japan, things had been great. As soon as he went back to America for classes, he felt the distance. They had agreed to do long distance until graduation, but truth be told, he wanted her closer now. She could be considered a distraction, but given that she had just as good a work ethic as him, he doubted that she would keep him from completing his studies on time. If anything, she would push him more. She did a fine job encouraging him over the phone and skype, but in person, she was much more persuasive.

Meanwhile, Haruhi lost track of her surroundings and seriously considered what Kyoya had suggested. She had not thought of it until now, but he brought up a good point. They could be closer, and there was a really good law school close by.

Finally, she blinked and turned back to Kyoya, saying with a smile, "I think it's possible."

That pleased Kyoya. Having her closer would be great. After years of hiding his feelings for her, to have a chance at that kind of closeness was something that Kyoya worked toward daily. He knew what he wanted to do when he graduated, and that goal never diminished. Other goals continued to appear and wax/wane as time went on. His desire for Haruhi, however, only grew.

After that small conversation, the two linked arms and continued walking along the path and looking at various signs and monuments. After another thirty minutes, his hands were beginning to get cold.

"Haruhi, we should go inside. I'm starting to feel cold."

"Oh! I have something that can fix that," said Haruhi, remembering her bag. She went to another bench and sat down, pulling a thermos out. "It's your favorite tea, and now it's had enough time to seep," she said.

Kyoya held the warm container graciously, and enjoyed the hot beverage. He saw Haruhi bring out a thermos of her own, as well as two small bentos.

"I had made these for lunch at your place, and I figured I'd bring them just in case," said Haruhi. "Do you want this or something warmer?"

"I'm not hungry right now after that tea, and even so, I'd want something a bit warmer. Let's save those for tomorrow," he said, ready to walk more.

As they walked, snow continued to fall. It would not be more than a couple inches, but it was just enough to cover all the grounds. It was also fresh, so it was still white and unpolluted by the city. Haruhi liked to admire to the snow, and Kyoya enjoyed watching the way the wind played with Haruhi's hair and face, adding a slight tinge to her cheeks and nose. He was quickly losing feeling in his nose.

At some point, she began to hum out of tune, and Kyoya could not figure out what song it was.

"Haruhi, what are you humming? I can't place it."

"Oh, it was one of the Christmas songs we heard near the station, Winter Wonderland. It seems appropriate for now."

"Indeed," he said before noticing yet another coffee shop. "Are you sure we're not going in circles? I keep seeing a Starbucks shop."

Chuckling, she said, "No, we're not. I guess you really don't notice the shops since you always make your own. Why are you so worried about our destination? Haven't you learned from Tamaki that it's about the journey, not the destination. We should enjoy this time together while we're around here."

"Perhaps we should go inside one of them and warm up a little? You could see if they have cider."

Haruhi paused at the mention of cider. She had really liked it when she lived in Boston.

Soon after, she said, "Can we go a little further? I'm almost hungry. Then we can eat and warm up at the same time."

Agreeing on that, the two went further into town, both ignoring their phones and placing bets on who had called the most times, and who had left the most voicemails.

A little later, Kyoya was not hungry, but he was pretty sure that he was too cold to feel hungry. Haruhi was still enraptured by the little bits of history, and there were plenty of little tidbits about school and work to keep them occupied for days to come as they walked.

"Haruhi, are you ready to eat?"

When she looked as though she was going to say no, he tried to think of a clever way to change her mind (besides the obvious, it was more fun this way). After thinking about what she had been singing earlier, he thought back to what else he remembered hearing on the radio at the subway station.

"Is there anything good around here?" asked Haruhi dubiously.

"There's only one way to find out," replied Kyoya leading her towards the nearest restaurant.

"It looks expensive," she said, pushing back. "Let's go somewhere else, something more local."

Doing his best to sing in the cold, he sang, "But baby it's cold outside."

At that, Haruhi realized that he was cold, and she pulled him into the restaurant.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner that you were really cold?" she asked.

While he formulated an answer, someone came and brought them to a table. They both enjoyed a hot meal and thawed, and were enjoying themselves a bit when a familiar voice could be heard over the others.

"According to Haruhi's cell phone carrier, she's somewhere in here," said Hikaru.

"And wherever she is, Kyoya's sure to be with her," continued Kaoru.

Paying their bill quickly with cash, the couple ducked under the table.

"Kyoya, keep quiet, and follow me. I know how to lose them," said Haruhi as she canvassed the area. "I've got lots of practice."

Trying to hold back his laughter, he nodded, and the two made their around the group as they tried not to make a nuisance of themselves while they looked for the couple.

When they finally made it to the door, they were about to leave when Kyoya felt a tug at his sleeve.

Looking down, they saw Hunny, grinning. He pushed them out of the restaurant, beckoning toward Mori to cover for him as he did so.

Once outside, Hunny said, "Go quickly. Also, why haven't you turned off your phones? You really should. We had a lot of fun playing hide and seek, though. Can we at least meet for dinner?"

"Dinner at my place at seven," agreed Kyoya. "Thanks."

"Anytime. Happy birthday from Takashi and me."

And with that, the two turned off their phones and found the nearest subway station. Once they were dropped off at the end of the blue line, they found a beach, and began to walk along it, feeling alive after a narrow escape.

"Haruhi, remind me to add you to my cell plan," said Kyoya at last. "I'm not letting this happen again."

"I'm rather enjoying it," said Haruhi with a smile. "I didn't expect to see the ocean while I was here, but I like it. It's a nice contrast to the snow. Let's walk and find more places to warm up. I don't want you getting that cold again."

Kyoya found himself smiling. Despite everything that he knew about Haruhi, she still surprised him. Better yet, she was more flexible than him, and he was starting to appreciate that more. It was something he needed if he was going to appreciate the journey, and there was no way he was taking on that journey of life without Haruhi at his side.

And so the two walked, through the snow, along sidewalks and roads, occasionally going inside shops to warm up. Haruhi even found some nice gifts for Christmas, so she was happy about that. What was better was that Kyoya was enjoying himself and his special day, despite the early start, the cold, and almost being found.

And Kyoya got what he wanted for his birthday, time with Haruhi. It was time well-spent as they walked hand in hand through the snow, and he would not trade it for anything. Now he just had to convince her to move to Boston.

Over the ground lies a mantle of white,

A halo of diamonds shining down through the night.

Two hearts are thrilling, in spite of the chill in the weather.

Love knows no season; love knows no clime.

Romance can blossom any old time.

Here in the open, we're walking and hoping together.

Sleigh bells ring; are you listenin'?

In the lane, snow is glistenin'.

A beautiful sight, we're happy tonight,

Walking in a winter wonderland.

~~~-KHKHKH-~~~

Author's Notes: Happy birthday, Kyoya! There's some fluff in honor, not including the snow. I hope you enjoyed reading it! Thanks for reading, and I hope everyone has a wonderful, safe Thanksgiving!