I am SO sorry this chapter took some time! I got really busy because two of my cousins were getting married one day after the other so we had to rush everything! Not to mention, my younger cousin decided to follow me home and completely took over my computer for the entire week! Basically, I finished two pages in one night..

I hope this chapter can make up for lost time, it's longer than chapter one and hopefully..better. Enjoy.


Kaoru hums to himself as he dresses one of his mannequins to show his mother. After he graduated university, Yuzuha had proposed she'd be his mentor in the world of fashion until he can stand on his own. Kaoru had been too happy to have her by his side, even his little sister, Ageha would help design the children's wear once in a while. Hikaru on the other hand would sometimes drop in to bring him lunch or simply cuddle.

Thinking about Hikaru, Kaoru could feel his heart sank a little. He's never one to keep secrets from his brother but his relationship with Kyouya is another story entirely. As much as he doesn't want to hide something, he doesn't have any option.

His reverie is suddenly broken when his phone rang. Flipping it open, he could see Kyouya's name on the screen. Happily, he answers without hesitation.

"Hey, Kyouya," Kaoru answers warmly. He could hear the older man's chuckle on the other side as Kaoru fiddles with one of the needles. He then realizes what he's doing and places the needle back in its container.

; Hello Kaoru. How's your work doing so far?; Kyouya asks warmly. Kaoru had anticipated this call for hours now. Kyouya would sometimes call him either in the morning, afternoon or evening just to check up on him everyday. Kaoru found it sweet that the ex-Vice President of the Host Club cares so much about him.

"I'm fine, I'm just preparing the lines for my mother to check up later. Are you doing fine there? Your brothers and father not bothering you?" Kaoru asks a bit worriedly. He knew that Kyouya's family would sometimes pester him, making the older man agitated and in an overall bad mood most of the time.

There's a slight chuckle on the other side before Kyouya answers Kaoru. ; No, they're not. My father have an important meeting going on right about now, and my brothers are not even in this country, each have their own business outside;

Kaoru sighs minutely and smiles even though Kyouya couldn't see it. "That's good to hear, you're always so stressed out, I'm worried," Though he didn't want to sound so worried, Kyouya would be able to detect it anyway. They've been able to sense each other's emotions for quite a while now ever since they got together.

; Kaoru...; Kyouya sighs out on the other hand. His voice changes from warm to loving in an instant. ; I have you, you know I'll never feel anything but joy and love whenever you're around. You don't have to worry too much,;

Kaoru fidgets a little bit but smiles in the end, a little blush coloring his cheeks in a rosy pink and making his skin glow brilliantly in the sunlight. The two talk a little more before Kyouya had to reluctantly cut off the connection since he has clients to call. Kaoru too was a bit crestfallen but he understood how Kyouya's work would keep him busy for hours and he cuts off the connection.

"Who was that? You seem quite happy chatting with them," Yuzuha's cheerful voice suddenly sounded from the doorframe. Her pale pink satin dress flows airily behind her as she walks and the pearl decorations on her wrists, ankles, neck and ears made her look like she's a mermaid who just surfaced. "Was that a girl?"

Kaoru nearly screamed in fright and jumped to the ceiling when his mother appears but he managed to calm his racing heart. Thinking quickly, he shook his head and turns to face his mother. "No, mother. That was Kyouya-senpai, we were just talking about stuff,"

Yuzuha watches her son with a motherly smile but deep down, she suspects something quite wrong. Her instincts had never failed her before and right now it's screaming that her son and Kyouya are up to something.

"Is that so?" she asks nonchalantly. Kaoru merely nods his head and gulped slightly but when Yuzuha doesn't press any further, he relaxes completely. Ignoring what had happened, Kaoru proceeds to show his mother his line as Yuzuha comments and critiques what Kaoru should and should not have in his line.

888

Ootori HQ,

Yoshio sat there in his office, his meeting with the ambassador had gone pretty well and he had made a nice connection with him, but that thought isn't what's lingering in his mind. For years he's been watching Kyouya, monitoring his movements and grades, even to how he looks at people, but this is the first time he had seen something other than deceit and trickery.

The way he looked at Kaoru is something else, something he had once looked at his wife before she ran away, unable to stand his ways. The look in Kyouya's eyes is pure warmth, care and love. This raises much suspicion.

Closing his eyes, Yoshio recalls back to the time he was in his second high school year where Rokurou Osamu had threatened his connection with Kaoru. Kyouya did a splendid job, but something must've happened then.

Picking up his phone, he then proceeds to call Yuzuru, hoping to get some bit of lead. The mystery that happened years ago will be unraveled, and this time Kyouya better be prepared.

; Haven't you get over your paranoia already? ; The older man answers wryly after being called. Yoshio could feel his veins throbbing when he heard the lazy drawl of the Suoh chairman.

"If you care to listen, I'm actually quite calm about this demeanor. I simply call you because I needed to talk to you about Ouran's archive, if your memory still serves you that is," Yoshio grins mischievously knowing Yuzuru would react if someone talks about his memory, or looks, or both.

The reaction was instantaneous; Yuzuru's voice hitches and Yoshio could tell he had hit a nerve.

; I'll have you know, my memory is still as good as Tamaki, or perhaps better than that. You want to know about the archives? Go ahead, I'll tell you what I remember, and yes, I can remember since Tamaki is in his first years; Yuzuru snaps back.

Yoshio grins since he knew Yuzuru's memory is still very strong, especially if it involves his school, or Tamaki and Haruhi.

"I need to know the records after Kyouya sent Rokurou Osamu away, there's something I need to check," Yoshio says, his grin disappearing and replaced with a serious frown. Yuzuru didn't answer immediately but Yoshio could hear a soft sigh on the other side.

; So you're still paranoid, huh? Fine, I'll tell you, but you won't be interested anyway because nothing interesting happened; the older man answers after some shuffling of papers. Yoshio takes a deep breath so that he doesn't snap at his friend and tries to level his voice as he possibly can.

"It's fine, I just want to know if there are any leads to what I'm searching. You can never be too sure, Yuzuru. The Hitachiin twins are notorious for their tricks, and my son is capable of hiding his own tracks while making them. I tend to start from the bottom regarding this, so that they're not suspecting anything," Yoshio says with a hint of malice in his voice.

Yuzuru didn't say anything, only recalling back what he had heard and seen what happened all those years ago. ; Fine then, I'll tell you. The children may not know this but when Kyouya returned to Ouran after sending Rokurou away, I was watching from my hidden perch. He simply walked in, talked to a few students on his way and walked towards the Host Club room. I heard some screaming, but I thought it was nothing; Yuzuru answers lazily.

"Don't you have surveillance cameras all over Ouran? I'm sure you even have one, or a few in their club room," Yoshio asks back defiantly. There is no way things would've gone through normally like that. He had seen Kyouya talked to Kaoru during the fiasco and even noticed his son taking a liking to the younger Hitachiin twin, but never to this point.

; I don't know, but if you ask that girl, Hoshakuji Renge, she might know because she's the self-proclaimed manager of the club. I saw her rising from the floor multiple times using her powered motor, and in a timely manner too. So she must've recorded something; Yuzuru answers with a slight whine in his tone.

Yoshio could only rub the bridge of his nose in an exasperated manner. Renge is now all the way in France, busy with her father's company and adding her own line there, there's no way she would even have the time to search for her old videos back in high school. But, he won't get anything unless he asks.

Thanking Yuzuru for his time, Yoshio leans back a little in his seat as he thought about how to coax the young woman into giving him the tapes. He knew Renge would guard them with her life if she knew he'd do something to them, the thought of it makes the older man think that it's not even worth it. But Kyouya's involved, he can't ignore that fact.

Sighing, he reaches out for his phone and calls the young woman's number.

888

Main Suoh residence,

Haruhi is enjoying her day off lounging away on the large couch in the main living room with a book in hand. Tamaki is feeding Antoinette and her pups somewhere in the front lawn and wouldn't come in probably in the next few hours. The newly married couple had moved in to the main residence not a few days ago after much persuasion from Tamaki and his parents. Haruhi's dad even insists that she stays with her husband so that she could connect with her in-laws.

"Haruhi," Tamaki calls out in a sing-song voice which snaps her attention back to reality. Closing her book and putting it by the coffee table, Haruhi made her way down the grand staircase whilst tying her now waist-length hair. Tamaki and her friends had insisted she grew them after seeing how pretty she looked during junior high.

"Tamaki? Where are you?" she calls out once she reaches the bottom of the stairs. She then saw him waving frantically at the door and she quickly makes her way outside. "What is it?"

"Look! Antoinette's puppies are really smart! They're following me when I give them the command," Tamaki says enthusiastically. And to prove his point, he whistles and the five puppies line up in front of him. "Alright puppies, follow me!"

Haruhi simply watches wide-eyed at the spectacle. All five puppies actually follows him around like ducklings, trotting and yapping happily at him while Antoinette watches from her perch at the gazebo. The young woman even had to rub her eyes a few times just to make sure what she sees is real.

"This is quite something... How'd you train them to be like this? All I ever see you do is play with them," Haruhi deadpans which made her husband stop in his tracks. Tamaki turns too her and made his way to her side, quickly turning on his Host face.

"My beloved Haruhi, you don't understand how children works. If they see you all the time, they're bound to be attached to you for life. That's what I read in baby books and parenting guides," Tamaki drones out which made Haruhi twitch slightly.

"Baby books? Parenting guides? Tamaki, we've only been married for a few weeks!" Haruhi blushes. The blonde merely stares in a comical disbelief at her, as if the notion itself is absurd to his ears. The puppies which was following Tamaki, simply stares at him in wonder.

"But we have to prepare early! We may have been married for a few weeks and we're still in our honeymoon but that doesn't mean we can ignore the fact that we'll soon have a baby! And before we have one, I want to know all about them!" Tamaki exclaims dramatically while Haruhi's face simply goes redder.

"I don't think it applies to puppies, Tamaki. Babies and puppies are different, and why is it you're thinking this a little too ahead?" Haruhi mumbles out the last part as she tries to cover her face with her hands.

Tamaki seems to realize what she just said and turns to the puppies. "So...what I learnt can't be applied to the puppies?" he deadpans. But not a moment later he returns to his flamboyant attitude and pats each puppy on the head. "I like to think ahead, why do you think I'm such a great husband?"

Haruhi simply blushes and looks away when she recalls all the marriage guides Tamaki had been reading back when they were still in America. It's true that he had read every single book and applied them once they've been married, but they never talked about children before, until now.

"My, my. Are you two planning to have children? I'd love to play with a grandchild soon," came Anne Sophie's voice from the shrubberies. Haruhi jumped slightly when she made her appearance but calms down when she made her way next to the brunette.

Haruhi tries not to stutter but fails when she sees Anne's and Tamaki's puppy eyes. To her, those two can make real puppies shame in comparison. With a sigh and a blush on her cheeks, Haruhi relents.

"I've thought about children, but I didn't expect Tamaki would be so quick at working on it," she said. Anne simply chuckles as Tamaki grins happily. The three talks about children and Anne even went to the length of choosing names, much to Haruhi's chagrin given the fact that she's still enjoying her honeymoon.

They would've continued if Tamaki's phone hadn't ringed. Trotting back inside the house, Tamaki grabs his phone and is quite confused when he sees Renge's name on the screen. Nevertheless, he answers her call without a moment's hesitation.

"Hello? Renge-chan?"

; Tamaki-san...something strange just happened and I think you'd want to hear about this;

Tamaki got curious and worried when Renge sounds like she has a problem. He talks to Renge a little more and he just couldn't believe the news he just heard. His honeymoon might be turning to another game now that he knew what Yoshio is up to.

888

Haninozuka mansion,

Reiko and Hunny are sitting by the mansion's huge traditional porch, simply enjoying their time together and the evening air. After marrying Hunny, Reiko had opened up a bit and her hime-cut hair now styled long and tied into a loose ponytail. She still has her crystal ball which she uses to see into things but other than that, she's a normal but shy young woman.

"Reiko-chan," Hunny's voice pipes up, startling Reiko from her calm and light meditation. She looks down at him to meet bright but concerned brown eyes. "You look a little tense, are you okay?" he asks.

Reiko quirks a brow when she finally notices that her heart is racing and her forehead is sweating a bit. Curious, she pulls out her crystal ball which she hid between her long dresses and concentrating into it, she gazes deep into the image and her eyes widen in shock. Hunny, now curious, peeks in but he couldn't see anything other than his own reflection.

"Hunny, I fear something is about to happen that not even the crystal could show us," Reiko whispers out raggedly as her eyes grew wider. Hunny, now concerned for his wife, tries to calm her down only to make her whimper even more. "The ties between Kaoru-san and Kyouya-san are being tugged by a third party,"

"Someone's going to mess with Kao-chan and Kyou-chan? Who?" Hunny asks sharply once he heard her words. She only shook her head, indicating she doesn't know who the third party is. Slumping in his seat, Hunny can only sigh angrily and shook his head. Someone must've found out.

888

Kyouya's office,

The raven-haired male is typing away on his laptop for quite some time now to the point where his eyes are runny and hurting and his fingers pop from the strain. As much as he'd love to stop, he just couldn't. There are too many formalities to be done and a lot of numbers to count.

'I'll take a break soon enough,' he thought as he rubs his sore eyes. Kyouya was about to continue when his phone went off. Glancing at the screen, his exhaustion immediately left him when he sees Kaoru's name and he quickly answers it. It's quite something that the younger male would call him; normally it'd be the other way around.

"Kaoru, nice to hear from you," he purrs out contently. Hearing a giggle on the other side, Kyouya knew Kaoru's in a good mood and he had made it better. "To what pleasure do I receive such a call from a beauty?"

; Kyouya, you flatter me. I simply call because I'm currently free. My mum just approved my line and she gave me a slight break, so I thought I'd call just to prevent you from overworking yourself to the floor; Kaoru replies with a hint of amusement in his voice. Kyouya grins when he heard that knowing full well Kaoru would know he won't take a break.

"Smart boy, I was just about to continue working if you hadn't called," Kyouya chuckles through the phone. The two exchange jokes and light-hearted conversation before Kyouya had to get back to work. Reluctantly, they cut the connection and Kyouya sat there in his office longing for Kaoru's voice again.

'Might as well get my work done now that I'm fully refreshed,' Kyouya thought with a happy smile on his face. Stretching a little, he made himself comfortable and starts typing again, completely and utterly oblivious to what his father is about to do or that his relationship with Kaoru is going to take a dramatic turnabout.

888

Ootori HQ,

Yoshio sat back with a malicious grin on his face. He had successfully gotten his hands on Renge's videos and even scared the wits out of the young woman. Working quickly, he turns on his laptop and quickly writes a mail to one of his guards to retrieve the video tapes and memory chips from France. All he has to do now is wait in silence.

You can hide a million information from me boy, but you can never hide your true self, not after I spent years of training you.


Well? How was it? I hope it's fine and met your expectations, I'm trying to untie the story slowly and not make it too confusing or too fast. If I'm doing either or both, tell me. Oh god I'm having a migraine attack... Anyways, the next chapter is already in production and I'm going as fast as I can. Holiday season and all...

I'll see you in the next chapter, need to take some aspirin now...