Disclaimer: I don't own Host Club.
A/N: I've been dying to write this for so long. It may be a little OOC, but it'll be intense. The Host Club characters needed a little soap opera in their lives. XD
It's funny that she worked, so coincidentally, at a firm under the Ohtori umbrella. A budding young lawyer surrounded by high expectations, Fujioka Haruhi graduated top of her class at law school, and headed straight for the big times. Imagine his surprise when she came to help him with a lawsuit as an assistant to his lawyer.
"Haruhi?"
"Kyoya-senpai?"
Much blinking and open-mouthed shock followed this sudden meeting.
"Ohtori-sama, you know Fujioka-san?" The older lawyer asked with mild surprise.
"Yes, she was a kohai of mine when we were in high school." Kyoya explained, sitting a little straighter in his desk, clicking his laptop to a close. "We were… in a club together."
Kyoya gave Haruhi that smile and Haruhi coughed to cover up the laughter that nearly overcame her. Oh yes, they were in some club together.
"Well, then. It's a small world, isn't it?"
"Indeed, it is." Kyoya and Haruhi's eyes exchanged playful looks as they shared a private joke.
It's not as if they had been strangers all those years, but their meetings had always been overwhelmed by Tamaki and the twins' excessive personalities. They were on polite speaking terms, occasionally bouncing a sarcastic joke off each other, or helping each other tease Tamaki.
But it was the first time in years that they had seen each other without another Host Club member present. It was slightly strange, but comfortable, of course. They hadn't known each other since high school for nothing.
It became increasingly common for them to see each other, too. It seemed whenever Ohtori Kyoya needed legal help (which was often), the two of them would wind up in the same spacious office together. As Haruhi climbed the ranks and impressed her superiors, they were often alone.
It was odd. Maybe it was the suffocation of the office room, or the stress of work, but each time there would be a little exchange of teasing glances or a subtle twitch at the corner of their lips. It was always unsaid, but always present. Never love, but something cruder than that. It finally came crashing over them under the slight influence of alcohol. They were buzzed, at most, but comfortable enough.
Business parties always had a stiff attitude that was stifling to the two in question. Seeing as they were in their twenties, an age too lively for such events, Haruhi and Kyoya could name many places they'd rather be and many people they'd rather see. But, of course, the practical duo always put work before enjoyment, and that may just be what wound them up in that little predicament in the first place.
"Fujioka-san, you're taking the bus home?"
Several of the high-class people that attended such a party were scandalized at the thought of public transportation. Haruhi tried to wave them away with a light laugh. "Oh you know, I just got out of college not long ago, haven't gotten myself a car yet."
One of her boss's wives had taken a liking to her and was trying to convince her to get a ride home with her and her husband. Her boss said nothing and just stood by their BMW looking very awkward, and Haruhi heavily disliked the idea of being caught in such an awkward circumstance.
So Kyoya decided to lend some assistance.
"I'll take you home." He offered, and Haruhi took up his offer very quickly, laughing airily about how they were old friends with much to catch up about.
The two scooted into the backseat of the limo and let out identical sighs of relief.
"Thanks for that. I really can't imagine getting a ride home from my boss—it's just too weird!" Haruhi started pulling off the fancy cocktail dress as Kyoya's lips parted slightly in surprise. She was wearing a tank top and shorts underneath. How typical. Kyoya pressed his lips to a close and licked them.
He chuckled. "You're still pretty masculine under all that, aren't you?"
"Oh no, Kyoya-senpai. I assure you that under this," she slid her finger tauntingly under the strap of her tank top "I am fully female."
Kyoya smirked and pulled off his jacket, and then his tie. Finally, he unbuttoned the first few buttons in his shirt and stuffed the discarded items unceremoniously by his feet. They shared a short silence now—there was only so much undressing you could do in the backseat of the car without a little awkwardness.
"You tired?" Kyoya asked casually, resting an elbow on the door.
"Not really." Haruhi shrugged in return, undoing the clips in her short-cropped hair.
"Want to go for a drink? I could use one right about now." Kyoya offered.
"You and me both."
That was all that needed to be said before they changed course and landed themselves at the nearest bar. They looked pretty strange, with Haruhi wearing something that looked like she just crawled out bed, and Kyoya looking like he'd just come out of a funeral, but really, the couldn't care less. They chatted, reminisced, and above all, had some nice hard liquor.
Neither of them drank too much, of course. They were both much too practical for that. If Tamaki had been with them, perhaps they would have been goaded into taking a little more alcohol than they could handle, but with just the two of them, there was no need. They scooted back into the limo laughing a little too loud, but still walking in a straight line.
The great thing about Kyoya's driver was that he had a "don't ask, don't tell" policy. Meaning, he didn't ask anything, and he never told anything. Basically, he might as well have not been there at all. So he asked no questions as Haruhi directed him to her apartment, or when Kyoya followed her upstairs. The building was surprisingly close to Kyoya's own residence, easily commutable. Of course his sleek bachelor's pad was much more expensive than Haruhi's cozy two room dwelling.
Kyoya commented that it was smaller than he'd expected, and she gave him a piercing look. "Well I'm sorry I don't meet up to your classy tastes."
"Well, you do." She raised her eyebrows. He shrugged. "You just seem better suited for a classier place."
"Like your apartment?"
"… Yes. Something like that."
They became suddenly aware that the door was locked shut and they were standing quite close.
"Care to show me the rest of your apartment?" Kyoya asked, scanning the dining room, living room, and kitchen, all crammed into one big area.
"Well there isn't much else… except the bedroom." Haruhi said slowly, walking toward the only door that wasn't a closet.
"Is it small?"
"Probably smaller than yours."
"Well, why don't we see?"
Haruhi opened the door carefully and entered the room, which was fairly immaculate for a young person's bedroom.
Kyoya leaned against the doorframe behind Haruhi, his socked foot brushing against her bare ankle as he did. "Yes, I am not surprised to see that it is smaller than mine." He was now standing so close his breath tickled the back of her neck.
They stood still like this for another long moment, as the clock ticked through the silence. Haruhi started to turn around to face him, but Ohtori Kyoya was not a patient man.
He seized her shoulders and spun her around. "Damn it, how long are you going to make me wait?" Before Haruhi could offer a retort, he smothered her with a kiss.
It was building up for a long time. Both of them had a quite a bit of tension building between them, especially since neither had been in a relationship in quite some time. It wasn't love, or even the slightest hint of affection. It was just a mess of hands and legs and body parts melting into each other.
Just pure, unfettered lust.
At first they thought it was just a one-night stand sort of thing. They lay side-by-side on Haruhi's slightly lumpy mattress, Kyoya lighting a cigarette, both laughing about what the hell they had just done.
"I hope you're not very attached to me." Kyoya said finally, following his speech with a long drag of his cigarette. He didn't remember when he had started smoking, but his roommate from college had been a chain smoker, and eventually he found himself having a light or two every now and then.
Haruhi didn't mind the smoking. She was used to it, since there had been a lot of cigarette smoke wherever Ranka worked. She laughed and shook her head. "Don't flatter yourself Ohtori-sama. You're not my type."
"And you're not mine." He smirked and reached for his glasses. "Now that we've come to this agreement, I'd like to assert that this was quite fun. When did the holy virgin of the Host Club learn to do that?"
"College is a place where you learn a lot of things, it seems." Haruhi gave the cigarette a meaningful look.
"Oh yes." Kyoya took one last drag before putting out the cigarette on a ceramic coaster left lying around on the nightstand. He leaned over and teased her neck with slight nips. "A lot of things." There was a moment of silence filled once again with just clock ticking, although this time accompanied by the occasional creak of a bedspring.
"We both lead fairly stressful lives." Kyoya murmured, still kissing Haruhi.
"Nn… yes…" Haruhi managed through slight gasps as Kyoya's fingers wandered.
"So, in order to… relieve our stress…" His breath caught a moment as Haruhi brushed teasingly against him. "… We should do this more often."
"Agreed." Haruhi whispered into his ear, before the two of them were lost once again, tangled in each other's limbs.
So, this became a repeated offense. It cured their boredom and sexual frustrations, and with no strings attached, they could still maintain a friendship without the complications and attachments of a relationship. It was, in essence, friends with benefits, and neither had a problem with it. It was just something that happened every few weeks, sometimes a month, after the stress of work got the better of them. However, they agreed that if either of them were to be in a relationship, they would stop. It was the unquestioned promise.
The doorbell resounded through Haruhi's apartment, and Haruhi pulled away from Kyoya in surprise. It wasn't that late at night, so someone could have easily decided to drop by… but it was rare. The two struggled to button anything that had ended up unbuttoned and straighten themselves up in a frantic rush as Haruhi headed towards the door. Kyoya quickly placed himself in the kitchen area and poured himself a glass of water.
Haruhi unlatched the door and pulled it open to see a cheerful blonde smiling at her, still in a suit and tie.
"Tamaki-senpai?" Haruhi sputtered in surprise.
"How many times have I told you to call me Tamaki-kun, Haruhi?" Tamaki corrected, pulling his tie looser on around his neck. "I was just in the neighborhood when I thought of you and decided I'd pop a visit. Sorry I didn't call ahead of time." Tamaki presented her with a genuine smile that she just had to return, and suddenly she felt ashamed of her recent activities. Tamaki's innocence could make a saint feel like he'd sinned.
"Oh, Kyoya, I didn't see you there. What brings you here?" Tamaki glanced up at Kyoya with an expression of pleasant surprise. However, there was nothing suspicious about seeing a close friend of theirs standing in Haruhi's kitchen with a glass of water. Well, Haruhi doubted Tamaki was even capable of suspecting something as scandalous as what had been happening in Haruhi's apartment previous to his arrival.
"I was dropping her off on the way back from a business party, and I came in for a glass of water." Kyoya explained with a perfect poker face.
"… I didn't know you drank tap water." Tamaki looked puzzled, eyeing the water still bubbling from being poured into the glass.
"I don't… I just… didn't want to be rude." Kyoya placed the cup carefully on the counter and Haruhi pretended to be offended.
"I'm sorry I can't afford to drink mineral water all the time." She huffed, smoothing out the wrinkles on her dress.
"You look… great by the way. I haven't seen you in a dress in a long time." Tamaki said shyly, carefully, and Haruhi's face tinted slightly pink at the compliment.
"Thanks… You don't look bad yourself." Her gaze flitted from the floor to his face, and then down again.
"Thanks…"
Kyoya cleared his throat. The feeling of being the third wheel was becoming unbearably suffocating. "I'll be taking my leave then." He said politely, collecting his jacket from the coat rack and heading for the door. "It was nice to see you, Tamaki. And I'll see you at work, Haruhi." He nodded to both of them as he passed.
"Nice to see you too, Kyoya." Tamaki smiled, but his eyes remained glued to Haruhi.
Haruhi looked to Kyoya's back, wanting to say something, but at the same time not knowing what to say. "Bye. Thanks for the ride." In more ways than one… Haruhi thought, and her cheeks burned at thinking such things with Tamaki in the room.
Kyoya paused at the door, but then kept walking out without responding. He shut the door behind him, and Tamaki and Haruhi just stared at each other with small, awkward smiles.
"Hi."
"Hi."
The sound of traffic and a car door shutting filled the silence between them.
"Do you want something to drink?" Haruhi offered meekly, not knowing what else to say.
"Um… c-coffee… if you have some instant coffee, that would be nice…" He smiled, and she smiled. She could imagine he didn't have much chances to enjoy the commoner things he so loved in all the heat of his job managing the Suoh business alongside his father.
She set some water to boil and took out his favorite brand of instant coffee—the one that she regularly drank to stay up late nights and make early meetings.
"It's been a while since I've been here…" Tamaki called from the doorway, now taking off his coat and hanging it. He rolled up his sleeves and joined her in the kitchen. "It's been a while since I've seen you, too."
"Yeah, we haven't gotten together in a while." Haruhi laughed nervously, shifting her weight in front of the stove.
"I've been thinking about you." Tamaki said suddenly.
"… Me too." Haruhi felt a pang of guilt as she lied. With work, and her little escapade with Kyoya, she hadn't thought of Tamaki in a while. But now that he was here, it was hard to think about anything else. It was so different than being around Kyoya. Kyoya made her shift uncomfortably, her body aching with the desire to throw itself against him. Tamaki… Tamaki made her stomach flutter and her cheeks flush with embarrassment, even though nothing embarrassing had happened. She wondered whether this was the difference between infatuation and love.
"So um… there's a play coming out… it's a comedy, and the cast is going to be great… I really want to see it!" Tamaki said quickly, his face shining with anticipation.
"Well… I'm sure you'll get tickets." Haruhi teased slightly, even though she knew what he was leading up to.
"Yes well… I was wondering if you wanted to go with me." He said finally, looking down, his face flushed pink.
"… Sure. I think it'll be fun." Haruhi grinned.
Tamaki's head snapped up and he looked elated. "G-Great. Is next Friday good? At eight?"
"Sounds perfect. But no limos, you know I hate that." Haruhi agreed, nudging him gently with her shoulder.
"Anything you want." With that he leaned over and kissed her gently, quickly on the cheek. It was so innocent and tame, but all the same, Haruhi was sent into an irreversible state of happiness.
The kettle whistled and Haruhi turned away from him to answer it. As she stared into the water bubbling up at her, an image of Kyoya sitting alone in his limo entered her mind. She felt slightly guilty, but she would have to end it with him. It was the unsaid promise. But…
Drama, drama! XD Review please!
