A/N: This story is going to be 3 chapters long…I think. I've been known to be wrong before, but until it's done, this is the only story I'm working on because I really want to finish it before Christmas. I will also be coming up with a couple of Christmas rumors for my Rumor story. So be on the lookout for those as well. Enjoy!

Chapter 2 – Green is the Color of Jealousy

As Hikaru and Kaoru shoved him into his hairy green costume, Chika wondered if he had crossed an invisible line somewhere with Haruhi, and thinking back onto his conversation, he decided she had just been too sensitive. He was only being blunt and honest. Maybe it was too much for her to take, or maybe she didn't want to see the truth before her. Did that give credence to the theory that she really was with Tamaki? Possibly.

And if that is how things were going to be, if she wanted to be with an overly happy guy with too much sunshine shoved up his ass, then so be it. Chika didn't need her. He didn't need any of them!

"Woah, Yasuchika!" Kaoru jumped back slightly from doing the younger man's makeup upon seeing an expression of pure anger and hate appear. Where the hell had that come from?

"Yasuchika, we know you're playing the Grinch, but save the acting for the stage," Hikaru teased in an attempt to lighten the atmosphere in the dressing room. While it was true that they had practically – actually, no, they had completely forced him into do the role of the Grinch – twisted his arm to do their bidding, neither twin had seen this particular expression darken his features. Never before did they feel they were in the presence of something truly malevolent. Glancing at his brother out of the corner of his eye, Hikaru knew Kaoru wondered the same thing: were they going to die today?

His glare fell upon the twin second years before him and he snapped, "Just finish your job so we can get this farce over with!" Maybe embracing his part, embracing the Grinch, is exactly what he needed to do.

Hikaru had always been a bit of a hothead and didn't appreciate the tone the younger man took, "Now wait just a second! I know that you may not want to do this, but it's too late to back out! You're not even a member of this club, so don't take that attitude with us. We're only helping you!"

The glare intensified, "Who said I was backing out? And secondly, I don't want to be part of your damn club! The only reason I'm here is because I was forced into being here and none of you would let me leave! Do you really think I want to be here? Do you think I'm here of my own free will? All of you are fucking idiots and the last thing I want to catch is your baka disease! As for helping me…you were the once that helped wrestle me into this costume when you knew I didn't want to have anything to do with you, your club, or my brother!" He was fuming now…not that he wasn't a moment ago.

The twins huddled together afraid. They could practically see smoke coming out of Chika's ears and off of his body. It was probably a good thing that the costume was flame retardant.

"N-N-Now Yasuchika, we know that you didn't want to help, but that doesn't change the fact that you're here," Kaoru attempted to reason with him.

"Yas-u-chi-ka!" Satoshi growled, annunciating each syllable when he entered the "Grinch's" domain. He swung, but quickly realized his hands were empty.

"What's going on in here?" Tamaki stepped into the room behind Satoshi.

The one man Chika didn't want to see at the moment had just arrived, and if he could have gotten away with it, he might have murdered him in that second. Briefly, a few seconds maybe, he wondered how easy it would be to kill everyone in the room and disappear, but he knew it wasn't possible. Instead, he glared daggers at the blond and sneered, "Get out! If you want me to act in your stupid play, get out!"

"MOMMY! Why is he looking at me like that?"

Appearing behind his best friend, Kyoya pushed up his glasses and smirked, "I believe it's because you and the others coerced him into being the Grinch." He knew the cause and reason were so much more though.

"But…But…"

"You don't deserve her," Chika shook his head in disgust.

"What? Who?" Tamaki was more than a little confused.

"You are a wimp who probably can't even wipe his own butt."

"What? I don't know what or who you're talking about, however, your language is vulgar and unbecoming a gentleman!"

"Maybe I don't want to be a gentleman!"

Stumbling back, Tamaki felt as if the younger man had stabbed him in the gut, "Not want…not want to be a gentleman?"

"Tamaki, need I remind you that not everyone carries the same ideals as you do?" Kyoya spoke up. To him, this just got more interesting because regardless of what Chika claimed, he would never be overly rude or misbehave in front of the wrong people. It was who they were bred and raised to be.

"How did a whimpering idiot like you win her over?" Chika just couldn't understand how something like that happened.

Still confused, Tamaki cried out, "Who?"

"What's going on?" Hunny entered the room with Mori close behind him. He had been trying to stay away from his brother knowing that if they were confined to a small space together, they would end up fighting…even if they were attempting a truce for this night only. Seeing his brother in costume with most of his makeup done, he exclaimed, "Chika-Chan! That looks amazing! Doesn't it Takashi?"

"It does," Mori responded, but he could feel the tension in the room and was on his guard in case he needed to stop something before it got out of hand.

Another push on his glasses and Kyoya stated, "Kaoru, I believe Haruhi is in need of your assistance for her makeup. Hikaru can finish up with Yasuchika."

On one hand, Kaoru really didn't want to leave his brother alone in that situation, and on the other, he really wanted out of that room. Grabbing the bag he had prepared for Haruhi ahead of time, he raced out of there and silently wished his brother and the others good luck.

As if he just picked up on the animosity flowing out of his brother, Hunny asked, "Is something wrong?"

"It would seem that your brother is accusing the boss of something and hates being here," Hikaru sarcastically answered, his tone clipped and full of irritation.

"But it's Christmas time and we should all get along and be nice to each other!" Declared the shortest host.

Chika's deadly eyes moved from Tamaki to his brother, "Shut up, Mitsukuni! You don't even know what the hell you're talking about right now!"

"Are you jealous of the boss?" Hikaru's arms crossed over his chest and he looked smug…too smug, as if all of the pieces of a puzzle fell into place right before his eyes.

"Why would Chika-Chan be jealous?" Hunny inquired, although if truth be told, he already knew and had decided to play dumb.

When Chika didn't say anything, Hikaru snapped and barked with laughter, "That has to be it! You were asking about the boss and Haruhi the other day. You're jealous of them!"

Jealous? Him? Yes, it was true, Chika was extremely jealous of the blond idiot. Throwing his elbow to the side, he found Hikaru's gut, "Shut up!"

Trying to breathe after that hit was like trying to breathe normally after finishing a marathon – not exactly easy. And yet, he still managed a retort, "Acting like your five just proves my point."

Before another punch could be thrown, this time one that was surly going to do more damage, Mori was at his cousin's side and grabbed both arms pinning them to Chika's sides. "Hikaru, Yasuchika, enough."

"I agree with Mori-senpai. We have a play to get on and the last thing we want is to make our guests wait any longer than necessary," Kyoya clapped his hands and got everyone moving again…everyone except his best friend, "What is it, Tamaki?"

"Who is he talking about, mommy?"

"We can discuss it after the play. Or would you prefer to talk now and keep all of the princesses waiting?"

"NO! We can't do that!"

"I didn't think so." After Tamaki left, Kyoya turned to Chika and said, "Haruhi doesn't like bullying and she certainly doesn't like it when someone talks badly about others. You may want to gather all of the facts before you come to any false assumptions." With a smirk, he disappeared and the only people in the room were Hikaru, Satoshi, Hunny, and Mori.

Once the situation was diffused, Mori turned to his brother and best friend, "Go and finish getting ready." He wasn't quite ready to leave Hikaru alone with Chika and allowing Satoshi to watch him might lead to the same results as allowing Hunny to remain in the room.

"Oh man…" Hikaru began and receiving a glare of Mori, he coughed nervously and quickly swallowed any other words he may or may not have wanted to say.

Chika decided everything about his situation was the worst and he hated Christmas balls, Christmas plays, and Christmas in general.

In a different music room from where the men were getting ready, Haruhi sat impatiently in a chair, waiting for Kaoru to finish her makeup. She was still irritated from her earlier interaction with Chika and still had a few things she wanted to say to him. It wasn't like her. Normally, once she spoke her mind that was the end of it. She could let it go, but not this time. This time, she wanted to teach that Grinch a thing or two herself!

"Will you hold still? You're just as bad as Yasuchika," Kaoru grumbled.

"That guy is such a jerk!" She snapped.

"Well, he won't be winning any congeniality awards any time soon, that's for sure."

That caught her attention, "What did he do?"

"Nothing much. I think he's close to losing it. I mean we did force this on him and everything."

"If he really didn't want to do it, he could have hopped on a plane and hidden in another country. All of you rich bastards have passports, and you can't tell me you don't!"

"We do, but…"

"No buts! If he really hated it that much, there were ways out of it and he knows it!"

Kaoru was silent for a moment before he told her, "Maybe he stayed for a reason."

"Oh, and why is that? To make everyone else miserable?"

"You know, he asked about you and the boss."

"Me and Tamaki? Why?"

"Not sure, but I get the impression he might be jealous."

"Of what?"

"You and the boss." Hadn't he just said that?

"There is no…"

He interrupted, "Does he know that?"

"Who cares? He is just an asshole and acts like a child!" And yet, in her heart, she wondered if maybe he was jealous of what he assumed was between her and Tamaki.

"Maybe he just needs someone to make his heart grow or melt the ice…whichever one it is for this play."

"Grow," she whispered, and then her eyes narrowed, "Why are you sticking up for him?"

"Call it a Christmas miracle or the spirit of the season," he chuckled. A few more sweeps of his brushes and then he turned her towards the mirror, "And now Cindy Lou is ready to meet and conquer the Grinch."