Waking Up in Vegas

BY: MYLiFE'SBOAT

Summary: What Mei starts--simply gets worse. And this time, Haruhi and Kyouya are the ones to suffer. They wake up in Vegas . . . and hell breaks loose.

2/2

"Dammit, Kyouya!" Haruhi has never been THIS hysterical. After wrenching the door open and slamming it to his face, she stamped her feet heavily and marched her way out of the hallway. She reached the elevator and slid inside. Kyouya was behind her. "How could you do this to me? We were supposed to be . . . friends! Do friends do this to each other, you friggin' bastard!"

"I think you should keep your voice down," he told her. They were the only people inside and her voice made his ears bleed.

"The hell I care!"

"Haruhi," Kyouya was calm and it irritated her. Of course, natural instinct would tell her to feel angry. "We're both adults and I think you should keep in mind that we should act maturely." He waited for a second of silence to pass. "Are you calm now?"

"You violated me," Haruhi accused.

"We were both drunk last night and we were not in the right state of mind to think what was logical and not," he explained. "And if you think it was a mistake then I feel sorry for you. But I don't regret what we've done."

She turned to him. Haruhi was angry, he couldn't deny that. In a way, he should feel at least a bit guilty for what she was feeling right now. He did. But to all honesty, he didn't regret anything that happened last night.

"How can you still say that, you bastard?"

The elevator chimed and with a clanking sound, the doors opened. Haruhi aimed him another curse word before she stepped out.

---

Mei was worried. She called a few times, but she didn't pick up. Haruhi wasn't returning her calls either. Probably once, the line connected and someone picked up but she must have punched the wrong speed dial. The voice was male and the tone impatient. Mei hung up immediately. Of course, Haruhi would never hang out with a guy she just met at a bar in Las Vegas, much less let him answer her calls.

She'd tried checking into the reception to see if Haruhi left for a moment for a midnight stroll but the cute Asian receptionist told her she hasn't seen any bubbly girl with brown hair and large hazel eyes. Maybe he saw a girl with a dark-haired man walk out of the lobby a couple of hours ago but Mei doubted it was Haruhi.

So when Mei's phone hummed a loud tune Darth Vader's Imperial March and the caller ID told her it was Haruhi, she almost dropped her mobile on the marble floor.

"Haruhi! Where have you been? You do realize how worried I was, no? Get your ass back here immediately!"

"Pack up," Haruhi's voice on the other line was shaking and Mei didn't miss it. "We're leaving."

"Are you all right? What happened?"

Haruhi hung up.

---

Mei didn't ask what happened and told Umehara not to dig something up as they settled to the airport. Haruhi had been quiet since she arrived that morning and Mei knew better than to stick her nose to her best friend's business. She respected Haruhi as much as Haruhi respected her. It was a regular drill in their friendship, when such problems arise, that they would let a few days pass before they talk about helping each other out.

As Haruhi stared out of the window to watch the clouds, the plane tilled downward. After three long days, they were back in Japanese soil.

---

"So, what happened?" Mei asked as Haruhi flipped her portfolio quietly. They were in Haruhi's office at lunch, four days after their three-day trip in Las Vegas.

Haruhi looked out of the window. The weather was humid and the clouds hid the sun. She predicted rain.

"Kyouya-senpai showed up," she explained. Mei straightened up so suddenly.

"You mean Ootori Kyouya? Your senpai back in high school."

Mei was fully aware about the feelings Haruhi had hidden from her senpai since high school. It must have been unrequited because Haruhi never voiced out her feelings, afraid that the friendship might end the moment she did so. She didn't want to end the only bond that kept them together. Mei wasn't sure if Haruhi's feelings were still alive but she didn't understand why her emotions right now are completely out of the context. She should be feeling happy, right? They haven't spoken in over a decade and she must have missed him so much.

"We--" Her voice was caught on her throat. "Something happened that night."

Mei didn't miss it. "Well, isn't that interesting? Haruhi, you've waited for this for so long."

"That's not the point Mei," Haruhi argued weakly. "Kyouya-senpai is the last thing in my mind right now."

"Then why did you mention it?"

"Because you asked."

"Haruhi, if you don't want to talk about it, you would naturally evade the question. You didn't."

Mei irritated her. "You know, this is your fault! If you hadn't pulled me to this stupid trip to Vegas, I wouldn't have come across him. I wouldn't have to put up with this . . . this--ugh! This is all your doing!"

She buried her face on her hands and sighed while trying to compose herself. She knew she wasn't mad about Mei. She knew she just wanted to blame someone on what had happened. She knew she was wrong.

Haruhi had kept it all to herself. The pent-up emotions, the hidden feelings . . . When she heard about the wedding on newspaper clippings and TV interviews a few years back, she knew her feelings were needed to be kept inside a large box and be kept there forever. Things were better off the way they were and the last thing Haruhi wanted was to cause trouble and make things complicated.

But she knew she was only lying to herself. Haruhi didn't mind. At least she had law school, Mei and Ranka-san. It was enough.

And then suddenly, the wall she built around herself to keep everything associated to Kyouya away, was suddenly broken down in just one instance. She hated him for it.

"Why do you keep on denying yourself, Haruhi? What's wrong with you?"

"You don't understand!"

"Tell me," Mei rose and banged her fists on the desk unceremoniously. "That night you were with him. You got drunk, you kissed under the moonlight, and you made love. Look me in the eye and tell me if it didn't trigger any emotions you kept in the past."

In just that moment, Kyouya was able to break Haruhi's own self-preservation.

"You're an ass," Haruhi told Mei. "Get out."

"Fine," she shrugged in exasperation and clucked her tongue. Mei turned to her heel and slammed the door behind.

Haruhi knew she wouldn't be seeing her in a long time.

---

Okay, so she knew she was at fault here and she had to apologize. She was acting rude the other day and she had taken all her anger on Mei. She didn't even know why she was angry in the first place. Haruhi knew she had to say sorry.

She rang the buzzer twice and Mei was stalling on purpose to prolong her torment as guilt clawed her alive. It was working, Haruhi had to admit. After a few more moments, the doorknob clicked and the door opened quickly.

"Hey," Haruhi started as Mei appeared grumpy as usual. "I'm sorry I yelled at you the other day."

No apology flowers? No cards? Mei was disappointed.

"And?"

"Sorry for blaming you," Haruhi said. "But you have to realize it's really your fault."

"And?"

"If you're expecting me to say sorry for calling you an ass, I'm not going to do that."

"I knew it," Mei told her, disappointed. "Have you settled down?"

Haruhi contemplated for a moment before she spoke. "I've settled my feelings down."

"How did you reflect on it?"

"I was overacting."

"Yeah, I think you've learned your lesson."

o - o - o - o - o

He must be crazy, Kyouya thought so himself when he realized he had been thinking about her. Once he found himself drawn and entertained to the heavy downpour outside as it pelted the large windows of the conference room. The board was in the middle of a meeting at that time and he suddenly said to the man next to him, "Nice weather we have today, isn't it?" Kyouya actually smiled before turning his focus back to the meeting as a heavy rumble of thunder grumbled outside.

Yes, he IS crazy.

And yes, his feelings for her were never gone. That night in Las Vegas, as they made love under the bask of flickering lights of the busy district of the city, Kyouya's feelings were reawakened.

He was still in love with her. For the first time in years, Kyouya felt himself happy again. He didn't know why but he was just happy. Period. No one had to question about it.

Kyouya stood in front of her apartment door without warning. She would be surprised but he didn't care. He enjoyed making surprises and he'd be glad to do it for Haruhi. He rang the buzzer once and the door opened quickly. She appeared on the threshold, her face beaded with sweat and her hair pulled back on a ponytail. She must be cleaning the house.

"Hi Haruhi," he greeted so out of character. She slammed the door to his face.

He knew he would startle her but he didn't figure she'd be that surprised. She opened the door again.

"What the hell are you doing here?" she demanded.

"I have no plans tonight," he told her.

"Well, I have. Please go."

"I have lacrosse game tickets, front seat."

"I don't think lacrosse games are played at night, Kyouya-senpai."

So she's not angry anymore. That's a good sign.

"But it's a shame if I don't use them. The game's tonight."

"I'm not particularly interested with the sport," she said while crossing her arms and dabbing her sweat with a towel.

"You don't have to," Kyouya assured her with a brief smile. "I'll pick you up at seven."

Haruhi slammed the door to his face for the second time that morning.

---

She was dressed with no more than a clean pair of shorts, a loose tank top over a fitted t-shirt and a pair of running shoes. Her hair was let loose on her shoulders and it spilled like dangerous hot chocolate milk. Kyouya tried to look for the best shirt he can find in his wardrobe but most of his clothes were suits and Fuyumi was a little help. He ended up wearing a dress-shirt, a pink tie, a pair of slacks and slick black leather shoes.

"I was in a meeting," he excused himself weakly but Haruhi shrugged and stepped out of the door.

They arrived at the stadium through train and one bus ride. It was already full and the seats were almost all occupied. Kyouya and Haruhi found a comfortable spot on the front row and the game started at once. Haruhi, despite not knowing the procedures of the game and the popularity of the teams or which one was doing better than the other, cheered at the right moments and boo-ed at the appropriate fouls. It amused him.

For ten years they were apart, Kyouya found this small time they were having something he could use to make up for the past decade.

They settled for a family restaurant a few feet away from the stadium. It was a small table at a private corner and Haruhi ordered spaghetti, fries and chicken. She was hungry. Kyouya, after she had suggested, resolved for a taco and diet soda. He watched her dig in.

"Haruhi," he started as Haruhi nibbled on a fry. She looked up and acknowledged him.

"Can we talk about that night in Las Vegas?"

She shrugged and looked away from his eyes.

"It wasn't really a nice . . . welcoming gesture for two friends who haven't met for a very long time, huh?"

"Not really," she said.

"But it was something I didn't regret either," he said.

She stopped and looked at him and there she saw it: the sincerity of his words. It was a part of Kyouya she had never seen before. She's never used to this part of him but that's probably for the better that he's changed.

"I don't think I regretted it either."

Kyouya smiled. Her words were enough for him; his heart swelled. Silence consumed they but they were comfortable with it.

"I might have fallen for you, Haruhi," he told her.

Might? Who was he fooling? He had fallen for her entirely.

Haruhi blinked once. Twice. She batted her eyelids until Kyouya's words sank in. He continued, "I think we should try and get this relationship work. I don't want to lose you."

She sat across him, her lips tugging to a smile. Haruhi sighed with ease and relaxed on her chair. She might have to thank Mei about this. Her mistake had led her and Kyouya to something much, much more--to something much, much deeper and better than she had expected,

It was what she wanted and what he wanted all along.

. . .

end