Chapter Two:
Kyoya stood in the condo's living room. He was on the phone with his father. "Kyoya, I'm sure there are other places you can stay."
"I've checked. This is the closest to the campus," Kyoya sighed. "This building had security as well. Every other place would allow for unwanted guests." He knew that this would move his father to accept the living arrangement. Albeit begrudgingly. Kyoya had come without his security force, wanting to separate and not be followed.
"But you'd be living with a woman."
Kyoya picked up a framed photograph of Bobby kissing a guy. He had shaggy brown hair. "She's seeing someone. They seem really close."
Kyoya heard his father sigh and he knew that this father-son battle was his. "Are you sure that you can make this work?"
"I can make anything work," Kyoya smirked as the lights hit his glasses.
0o0o0o0
Bobby was hiding in her bedroom as she talked to her father in Irish. Her grandfather was a die hard Irishman and his father had taught him the language and then each generation passed it on to the other. Bobby loved the language and often times used it when she was frustrated, or if she didn't want a strange Japanese guest to listen in. "Daddy, really it's no big deal," she said. "You forget, I'm seeing someone. Bradley's a great guy."
"You've never lived alone with a man before. How you expect this to work?"
"Quite simple really," she smiled as she used her normal catch phrase when it came to explanations. "I just have to remember not to wake him up before ten."
"If your grades fall, you kick the boy to the curb. Understand?" her father grunted. He was paying for a foreign private education just for her to grow interest in men.
"Yes daddy," Bobby sighed. "I have to go. I love you."
"I love you too."
Bobby hung up her phone and sighed once more. "Daddy, you're such a worry wart."
She stood up and walked over to her flight of stairs. Directly above them was another flight that led up to Kyoya's room. At least she hoped that he would be taking the room. She entered the living room just as Kyoya hung up with his father. "Had to chat with dear old dad?" she asked switching languages once more.
Kyoya stared at her. Did she just speak Japanese? A small part of him jumped in joy as he realized that he wasn't stuck speaking English all the time. "You speak Japanese?"
"I had to take it in primary school. My mum wanted me to learn another language. Well one that was actually spoken outside the family. Apparently Japan is where future is headed. I was in Japanese immersion in London."
"Smart mother."
Bobby shrugged. "I tend to think so, others might disagree," she said. "I'm going out. Feel free to get yourself settled in. I'm meeting my boyfriend to get some dinner."
"Why don't you live with him?" Kyoya asked.
Bobby shook her head as if the idea wasn't even a possibility. "Too scandalous. I could never do that. What would my parents say? I'm not that intimate with the guy."
"But you can live with me?" Perhaps Kyoya didn't understand her reasoning.
"Well I'm not dating you," Bobby said as if it was obvious. She grabbed a bag that hung off a dining room table, and a coat from the entrance closet. "Good evening Mr. Ootori. Your set of house keys are on the table. Remember to lock up before you leave."
Kyoya watched as she sashayed out the door. He walked over and turned the lock before heading up to see his new bedroom. The doorway opened up to a large room with a queen-sized bed. It was brand new and had a packaged set of expensive sheets. He wondered if Bobby had bought them herself in an effort to sell the pre-furnished room. Empty dark wood bookshelves sat on either side of a cherry desk.
Kyoya looked in the bathroom and found the shower and bathtub suitable and wondered what Bobby had in her bathroom. The more he thought about it, the more he wanted to take a peek. However, he was going to be a gentleman and wait to go into her room once he had been invited to do so.
Kyoya picked up the packaged sheets. Did this mean he had to make the bed on his own?
0o0o0o0
Kyoya woke up two days later to the smell of bacon and eggs. He buried his face in his pillow in an effort to get just the slightest bit more sleep when the intoxicating smell of expensive coffee drew him out from under the covers. He looked at the time as he crawled out of bed: 11:30.
He walked down his flight of stairs in his blue pajamas and bound Bobby standing at the stove in a short silk black robe. He studied her figure and found it pleasing. The way her hair had been pulled up into a messy bun had caused a few strands to fall around her cheeks perfectly framing her green eyes.
Bobby turned around and caught him staring. He blinked and gave an innocent smile. She smiled back. "Good morning sleepy head. Help yourself to some coffee. I'm sure you need it to function and what not. I know I do."
"Thank you," Kyoya nodded. "Where are the cups?"
"Two cupboards in bottom shelf. This particular brew is from Kenya. I got a box of it from my dad after he came back from Africa. He told me that if I was going to make it through the school year I would need my caffeine fix," she laughed at her own personal memories of her and her father.
"What does he do?" Kyoya asked as he pulled a mug from the shelf.
"He's an accidental tourist. He writes books on all the amazing places he's been to," Bobby answered.
Kyoya looked at her as he poured himself some coffee. Well that was a very clever lie she just told. However, he would let it slide. He knew that most families weren't like his. Perhaps she was trying to hide the fact that she was poor. No matter, as long as she stayed out of his way, which she had, their living arrangement didn't have to be anything but civil. Like his roommate last year. He didn't even talk to James now.
Bobby took off her robe and draped it over a chair revealing her pink short pajama bottoms and a grey tank top. "You made breakfast this late in the morning?" Kyoya asked.
Bobby nodded as she stared at an egg as it bubbled on the hot pan. "I make breakfast every weekend. I do it to relax after a week of stress. I'm either at school or I'm at work. So making breakfast is a way to unwind before I start on the mountain of papers called homework."
Kyoya looked at the bacon as the fat popped. His mouth began to water as he thought about eating the scrumptious meal. He could appreciate a simple American breakfast. Especially if bacon was involved. It was admittedly his one guilty pleasure since he had started going to school in America.
"It's almost done. How do you like your eggs?" Bobby asked as she flipped an egg in the pan with a flick of her wrist. "Awesome I did it! I've been working on that trick for a couple weeks now."
"Over easy," Kyoya said.
"Okay," Bobby nodded as she opened a drawer of silverware. "Why don't you set the table for two? I'll get your plate set up. Limp or crisp bacon?"
Kyoya mentally smirked. She was making him breakfast. He could get used to this. "Limp."
"You got it."
"Did you do this with your other roommate?" Kyoya asked as he only grabbed two forks, two knives, and two spoons. How commoners could only eat with only one fork astounded the young Ootori. Weren't they worried about contamination?
Ten minutes later, the two of them had sat down and Bobby had grabbed extra forks. "Why did you choose Harvard?"
Kyoya slid his gaze up from his food. He stopped cutting the white of the egg away and set his fork down to speak. "Harvard's business school is one of the best," he said.
Bobby took a bit of buttered toast. "But it's not the best," she stated simply.
"Why did you choose Boston University?" Kyoya asked changing the topic to focus on her.
"My mother got her Ph.D. in Music there. I plan on getting my English degree and going to grad school for publishing." Bobby answered simply. She didn't fool around. "If I remember correctly, Stanford has the best business school. I have a friend there."
"I have my reasons for picking Harvard."
Bobby smirked. She's seen through his guise of the confident third son. "Trying to get as far as you can from dear old daddy's power?"
Kyoya just stared at her as he reminded himself that he needed a place away from the giggling fan girls. He would handle Bobby.
Maybe.