After a long afternoon of sitting around the music room with the others, talking about Kyoya and trying to reason out what on Earth had happened to him, the Hosts were starting to clear out. Honey went first, claiming to be tired and ready for bed, and of course Mori left with him,"We'll see you guys Monday, okay?" That childish voice was so sweet, it usually caused a smile, but in this case, everyone just waved the pair off.

"I'm gonna head out too," Haruhi announced as they closed their textbook, stuffing it into a messenger bag, "I need to get home and start dinner."

The twins raised their hands in unison, waving goodbye, "We'll see you later."

"Be safe, Haruhi," Tamaki advised, watching as they left the room before turning to look at the twins, "What about you two?"

Hikaru shrugged, "We're gonna stick around the club room for a while—"

"—See if Kyoya shows up," Kaoru finished the thought, leaning back against his brother's chest, "Go ahead and ship out, Boss, we'll see you Monday."


A few minutes later, Tamaki Suoh found himself walking home alone. The twins had promised to call if they heard from Kyoya, and of course, the other club members had made the same promise earlier in the day. It was getting pretty dark out by now, and he'd usually have had somebody drive him home, but he needed to clear his head, and he couldn't do that around a bunch of people. This walk would give him a chance to think.

Besides, the path home that he had chosen was a thousand times more lovely than the highway. Cherry blossom trees lined his path, though they weren't in bloom due to the cold weather right now, and the sounds of the outside world were blocked by the gentle wind in his ears. He would have to take Haruhi to see the trees come spring, if he remembered to anyways…

Pulled from his thoughts by the rustling of leaves, Tamaki got about halfway through turning around before he was grabbed by the wrist, tugged off the path as a familiar voice hissed, "Don't scream."

Kyoya!?

No sooner had the thought been made, he was squeaking it as well, "K-Kyoya! You're okay!" Unthinking, he wrapped his arms tightly around the taller male's neck and hugged him, practically clinging to his best friend now that they'd been reunited. He was so cold.. but Tamaki brushed that off as the weather for right now. "What happened, Mommy!? Where have you—"

"—Tamaki, get off me!" Kyoya snapped, quick to push his friend away and stumble back so that his own back rest against the trunk of a tree, "D-Don't get so close!"

"Why n…" Tamaki only got partially through his question before he spotted the scarlet glow in his best friend's eyes, the way he covered his mouth and nose with one pale hand, "Kyoya.. your eyes are… are those contacts?" Yes, surely that would make sense; this was a new cosplay idea! That had to be it!

The Shadow King shut his eyes for a moment in an effort to compose himself, and when they opened again, his usual black hues had returned, "They aren't. Tamaki, I… I'm afraid something terrible has happened while I was away—"

"—Oh, my poor Mommy!" Tamaki squeaked, launching himself back into the other host's arms as though the eye color problem was entirely forgotten. For that moment, it was. "I've been so worried about you!" he whined as he clung to the front of his best friend's shirt, "Y-You're so cold.. are you sick, Mommy? Let's go to my house, I'll have the maids make you some soup and we can—"

"—Tamaki, stop!" Kyoya growled out, trying to be gentle about pushing his friend away again, but that only resulted in the Host Club's president grabbing his wrists in each hands. He could have gotten out of the blonde's grasp, but.. for now, he didn't.

Those innocent purple eyes starred up at the once-again crimson gaze. Now that his friend's mouth was open, he could see a pair of glistening fangs there. Noting that the raven's breathing was a little labored now, he frowned in confused worry, "Kyoya… your teeth…"