A/N: Even though I support Tamaki/Haruhi, Kyouya is still my favorite Ouran character. So, here is a chapter dedicated to him. Hopefully I can do a few more chapters on all the hosts.

Don't ask what possessed me to continue this, seeing as how I may delete this story anyway. However, I may change my mind, because I like to exercise parts of my writing that need work. This story was to practice my simple writing, because lately I've been using too many big words in my stuff and it just makes my writing choppy. They sometimes say, "simple is better," and I'm willing to give that a try. At least for a while.

All characters © Hatori Bisco

In Repose

II

.

"Sorry I'm late," Haruhi said as she briskly pushed open the door to the third music room. "I—mmph!"

Two hands were quickly clamped over her mouth, preventing the freshman from saying anything more. Haruhi looked up, astonished, at Hikaru and Kaoru. The two looked frantically over their shoulders, then back at her with wide, hazel eyes.

"Shh! Do you want to get us killed?" Kaoru hissed under his breath.

"Mmlp?" Haruhi inquired before realizing that the twin's hands still rested over her mouth. Removing them, she continued in a skeptical whisper, "What's wrong?"

Hikaru leaned in closer. "Kyouya-senpai is sleeping," he murmured ominously.

Haruhi immediately went rigid. This was worse then the time when Tamaki had spilled tea on Hunny-senpai's Usa-chan during one of the senior's afternoon naps. Yes, this was much worse. Haruhi had seen Kyouya-senpai in a snit before, and she did not wish to relive that experience. Hunny-senpai would bite you if you woke him up. Kyouya-senpai would exile you.

"Ah, welcome, Haruhi!" Tamaki strode over and greeted the female host in an ardent whisper. He beckoned to the three standing by the door. "This way, this way."

The Host King led Haruhi and the twins to the far side of the music room where the others were, away from the table that seated a sleeping Kyouya.

"Kyou-chan's been exhausted from overwork," Hunny-senpai remarked sadly, pulling his stuffed bunny closer to him.

"Ah," Tamaki agreed hushedly. "It's rare for Kyouya to fall asleep here, especially during the daytime." His indigo eyes fell on the Shadow King with a second of pity before taking on a frightened look.

"Best not to wake him," he said. The others nodded and went about their work for the afternoon, tending to the few scattered guests that came in quiet tones.

Occasionally, Haruhi would pause a moment whenever she passed Kyouya, yielded by some unknown curiosity. The Ootori's glasses were neatly folded and placed on the table where they gleamed resplendently. His face seemed pale and somewhat naked without them, and two little pink patches lay on the bridge of his nose to signify where the glasses had once been. His thin chest rose and fell steadily, the notebook facedown in his lap moving with his breathing as well.

"Oi, Haruhi, what are you doing over there? It's dangerous!"

"Eh?" the girl blinked and turned to Hikaru, who was frantically signaling her to return to safe waters on the other side of the room.

Tamaki grabbed the sleeve of her blue Ouran jacket and dragged Haruhi back. "You don't want to wake the Low-Blood-Pressure-Demon-Lord, do you?" he asked, frowning.

Haruhi raised an eyebrow. "Was kind of name is that?"

"Yes, what kind of name is that for my Prince?" Renge miffed as she walked by, eating a banana (and as we all know, bananas in the Host Club are a fatality).

"What are you still doing here, Otaku?" Kaoru asked the girl. "Don't you have some sims game to go play?"

Renge sighed. "I'm taking a break today. Honestly, you people aren't good enough to hang around Kyouya-sama." Chomping off the last of her banana, she tossed the yellow peel onto the classroom floor and returned to her underground base.

"Oi, Renge-kun, don't be leaving your garbage here!" Tamaki hissed as he ran to catch the Otaku before she descended completely into subareas of the room. "Take this bananaaAAAA!"

"Senpai!" Haruhi cried as a monkey stuck its head out and Tamaki slipped on the peel. He flailed his armed and tumbled gracefully until he came into contact with Hunny-senpai's snack table. Hunny jumped out of harm's way onto Takashi's shoulder, but his table was not so fortunate. As Tamaki fell into the coffee table he knocked it over, porcelain plates crashing and breaking in an earsplitting cacophony of broken glass.

For a minute everyone just stared at the mess as Tamaki sat up and rubbed his head. He too, froze, as he realized what the real danger was. Six pairs of eyes fell on Ootori Kyouya, who was…

Still sleeping.

"A-are you kidding me?" Hikaru whispered to no one in particular, softer than ever. "Did he die or something?"

"No one could possibly sleep through that," Haruhi awed, her brown eyes wide. "What in the world is he?"

Tamaki gave a sigh, fully recovered from his spectacular fall. "He's the Low-Blood-Pressure-Demon-Lord," he replied. "Now, more importantly…"

"Kyou-chan will not be happy if he finds out we have to import more china plates," Hunny said miserably. Mori-senpai nodded taciturnly.

"Everyone, let's get to work cleaning this up before Kyouya wakes up!" Tamaki whispered enthusiastically. Everyone nodded and began to lift the table. "And remember, not a sound!"

So the Host Club became the Cleaning Club, taking care of the broken plates and glass. All the time they kept one eye on the sleeping Shadow King, who had begun to stir after a while.

Everything was going quite smoothly for a while, until Haruhi accidentally stepped on some broken glass. Her eyes went wide and glassy, but before she could cry out Mori, quick as the wind, had clamped his hand over her mouth. "Shh," he warned.

Haruhi gave a nod and waited for the pain to abate. Tamaki examined her foot and found that the glass had not cut it too deeply. He hastily put a bandage over it, looking mournful, but not a word escaped his lips. The mess in the music room was just about gone, and Kyouya still hadn't woken up. Things were looking auspicious.

But then, Murphy's law reared its ugly head.

Tamaki began to feel it just as he was putting the last piece of broken china into the garbage bin. A slight prickling in his sinuses. It was a little tickle that didn't seem to be going away. Tamaki frowned and rubbed his nose absently, heart thumping as he realized what was going to happen. He was going to sneeze, and loudly.

The other hosts looked up as they saw their president giving them a panicked stare. Haruhi raised her head and saw Tamaki standing rigid, index finger oscillating rapidly under his nose.

"T-tono?" Kaoru mouthed, looking stricken.

"No, Tama-chan!" Honey whispered tremulously, realizing immediately what was wrong. "Don't!"

Tamaki managed a shake of his head and furiously covered his mouth and nose with both hands, blue eyes watering. Haruhi and the others stood frozen in place, only able to watch with sinking hearts. But, Tamaki hadn't lost the battle yet. He held his breath, counting backwards from ten, and pinched his nostrils shut with two fingers.

After a moment that seemed to last for eternity, he let go and exhaled, smiling. The rest of the Host Club felt their hope restored as Tamaki gave a thumbs-up and discarded the last piece of porcelain. They had survived.

"I thought we were goners there," Haruhi said, massaging her heart and looking frazzled. "Let's get this garbage bin out of here, before sleepyhead wakes up."

Nodding, Mori-senpai and the twins hoisted the bin up and walked towards the exit. They were almost to the double doors when Tamaki suddenly felt that itch come up upon him yet again, this time with such intensity and speed that it took him completely by surprise.

"Ah-choo!"

Kyouya's grey eyes opened slowly at the sound, and he reached over to put his elliptical-shaped glasses on. A sadistic little semi-smile formed on his lips at the spectacle before him.

"My my, what is it we have here?"

End.