Ainedamdz: Hello, everyone. I'm the other collab writer. Although the previous chapter didn't seem much, this one's got more substance so I hope you enjoy reading. Until the next chapter, which will be released sometime this week, hopefully. Happy R/Ring!


Chapter 2

Pump boats and luxurious yachts litter the sparkling blue ocean of a private beach. On the white sands where the waves are tossed in succession, beautiful women and dashing young men recline on lounges made up of the finest silk and satin while their maids and butlers stand by to keep the supply of champagne and caviar flowing. It is a hot day with the sun shining at its highest peak, but the whole beach is cool and breezy because of the gigantic canopy and the stage fans installed to simulate a beach outing in mid-September. In the midst of all this glorious chaos, the Ouran High School Host Club holds its current session.

Its leader, Tamaki Suoh, is lathering sun block on a few customers' backs, all of whom have fainted due to such close proximity and his gentle touch. The airy club president doesn't seem to notice though; he just keeps lathering and making small talk despite the lack of a response. His melodic laughter resonates around the pseudo beach like the song of a siren entrancing unaware sailors to their watery graves. Kyouya sympathizes with those now, he feels exactly the same. If he can just tie himself to a pillar to keep from falling deeper into Tamaki's spell, he will, but he reckons being tied to a coconut tree in the middle of the beach would draw unneeded attention and weird stares from everyone, not to mention the twins would jump at the opportunity to deplete the club funds while he's...tied up.

"Tama-chan! Catch-iiii!" Honey shrieks as he throws a giant beach ball into Tamaki's direction. The said ball travels with unexpectedly high speed and hits Tamaki right in the face. He blinks dumbly at the aftershock. Beach balls aren't supposed to hurt, he thinks before he doubles over in pain. Everyone gasps in chorus. Clearly the cute and childlike exterior makes people forget that Honey is actually a master martial artist.

Kyouya winces inwardly and takes a step towards Tamaki at the same time Mori walks over to retrieve the missile disguised as a beach ball, but then Tamaki rises and jumps about unflustered, "I'm okay! I'm okay!" he waves at both of them. Everyone lets go of the breath they've all been holding and resumes about what they've all been doing. Tamaki trots off to get the ball that has rolled off into the water.

It's when Tamaki is rising out of the pretend ocean, waist deep in the water, ball successfully secured under his arm, golden locks wet and clinging to his temples, lithe muscles rippling under slightly tanned skin, looking every inch like a male Aphrodite rising out of the sea foam, that Kyouya notices Tamaki's nose is bleeding. Kyouya panics.


"Stay still, will you?" Kyouya is getting quite annoyed with Tamaki's refusal to stay in a corner until his nose stops bleeding. What's making him lose his cool this fast though, is that Tamaki won't stop looking for Haruhi, and Tamaki wanting Haruhi to tend to his wounds, and Tamaki whining that he wants Haruhi to comfort him. Haruhi this, Haruhi that. Why can't Tamaki feel even just a little grateful to him for caring enough to stick a tissue up his bleeding nose?

"Haruhi! Haruhi!" Tamaki's shouts echo throughout the expanse of the beach. His highness jumps up and down on the sand, straining his eyes for the one person he is looking for. He sighs in defeat, where is his precious daughter? The beach is teeming with semi-nude guys who are surely bound to prey on the cuteness of his sweet Haruhi. Upon this thought, an image of Haruhi in a two-piece pink bikini running around and saying "Papa! Let's play!" dances in Tamaki's mind. A drop of blood from the already saturated tissue stuffed in his nostril trickles down his lips and chin.

WHACK!

"Ouch!" Tamaki exclaims, kneeling down to his knees and clutching the back of his head. The blood drenched tissue gets dislodged out of his nasal cavity. He looks up to see the silhouette of his best friend Kyouya and squints his eyes against the sunlight. "Kyo! That hurt! Why did you hit me? I'm injured you know~"

Kyouya looks down at Tamaki from the bridge of his straight nose and adjusts his glasses. "You're better off not thinking about perverted stuff again, Tamaki. Or else I may not be able to resist calling social services and report about a certain father who is sexually harassing his own daughter."

"What, I've been doing that?!" Tamaki's face turns white as he imagines spending life in a small cell away from his beloved daughter - growing old in prison while Haruhi is adopted by a better family with a better father - not being able to see firsthand Haruhi's first day of second year high school, Haruhi's first ballroom gown, Haruhi's first taste of premium grade crab imported from Okinawa, Haruhi's first hot air balloon ride, Haruhi's first date, Haruhi's first kiss... Tamaki snaps, "Nooooo! I don't want to be separated from Haruhi! Be gone, evil thoughts! BEGONE!!"

Kyouya leaves Tamaki mumbling to himself and growing mushrooms on his head under the shade of an umbrella, and goes off to survey how business is flowing. "Tamaki's attachment to Haruhi seems to be worsening," he thought to himself, annoyed at the prospect, "At this rate, it won't be long before he finds out what his feelings for that girl really mean."

A muscle twitches at his forehead when he visualizes about that kind of future. He continues to walk on the seashore, his feet wading through the gentle foam of the waves, immersed in his thoughts.

He remembers when they were still freshmen and the host club had one of its sessions at the beach, too. At that time, he'd been content in being by Tamaki's side. Because he knew that although Tamaki was very affectionate and sprouted lots of lovey-dovey words to their customers, all of those were just empty phrases meant to satisfy the fantasies of the girls who came to them. Tamaki can be absentminded, but he is a good person who cares about the people around him.

Unlike me, Kyouya says to himself. I could never be so open to the others. I can only be myself when I'm with Tamaki.

He clenches his fists at his side. Haruhi. How can a poor and simple girl like that catch Tamaki's attention? It isn't fair. Hasn't he been the first one beside Tamaki, the one who supports him from the shadows and loves him despite his dumb and stupid ways? And now here is a mere slip of a human trying to interfere with everything he has carefully built with Tamaki.

Calm down, Kyouya. Have more faith in yourself. Tamaki may be an airhead, but he's not blind. I'm sure if he thinks it through, he'll figure out that I'm the best one for him after all. He shakes his head, clearing his thoughts. He seems to be more melancholic and depressed these days, and he doesn't want that. Although he yearns so much for Tamaki that his heart hurt, he has a business to run.

It won't do to mess up his integrity as the host's manager and accountant now, since it seems that it was the one thing Tamaki solely comes to him for.

Kyouya marches through beach in search for the other members. It is the beach, and the others are bound to get carried away with playing around.

He spots Honey at the snack bar surrounded by a bunch of female students clad in skimpy swimsuits. He scofs secretly at them, why do girls try to showcase the ounces of fat on their chest so much? Those lumps freaks him out somewhat, as if they are tumours that have forced themselves out of the human anatomy. He very much prefers flat and finely sculpted pecs instead - especially those of Tamaki's.

"Aaaaw, Honey-chan! Do you want another cherry on that?" One of the girls says to Honey, who is seated on a stool with his feet dangling, hunched over a sundae elaborately decorated with wafer, candy sprinkles, and tons of whipped cream. The snack bar, or rather, a "pretend" snack bar of Ouran High School's caliber stands in the middle of the beach. It is fully air-conditioned, with waiters and chefs employed, and cushioned furniture with murals painted inside. Honey stuffs another spoonful of ice cream into his small mouth, and tips his head to one side for a completely "shota" look at which the girls "kyaaa!" at.

Kyouya nods and places a tick on his notepad beside Honey's name. The little chap knows what he is doing, alright. But where is Mori? He is always not far from Honey.

As if on cue, Mori appears behind Honey. The "wild type" of the host club lifts Honey up from the stool away from the sundae, shaking his head disapprovingly.

"Honey, didn't I tell you not to eat too much ice cream? You'll get another toothache."

"Eh?? But, Mori-chan. This sundae is so delicious...and the girls said, they said that they'd give me another one after I finished eating this..."

Mori settles Honey more comfortably in his arms and turns to the blushing girls. "Sorry, I'll take him away now. The sundaes will have to wait."

The girls nod dreamily and watch with excited chuckles as Mori walks off, Honey dangling from his shoulders and wailing for his abandoned ice cream.

Kyouya puts a check besides Morinaga's name as well. In a way, he feel a bit jealous at how easy it seems for Mori to hold and hug Honey at any time. He wants to glomp Tamaki like that, too, but he always has to control the urges.

He continues his journey across the beach, this time looking for the twins. It is a hot day, and beads of sweat trickle down his forehead. The sweat fogs up his glasses as well. Kyouya stops and pauses, aware of the girls ogling at him.

He removes his glasses and turns to them, saying, "Excuse me, can someone lend me a handkerchief to wipe my sweat?"

Dozens of handkerchiefs are pressed to his hand, along with a chorus of cries and screams of, "Take mine, Kyouya-sama!"

Kyouya smiles, and places a check on the notepad besides his name.

Then, he spies the twins not too far off playing volleyball with a few students. He comes nearer to observe how they are attracting customers, and most importantly, money which is going into the main (and secret) fund of the host club.

"Hikaru, the sun, it's too hot," Kaoru breathily says as he leans onto the crook of Hikaru's neck, "It's difficult to breathe."

Hikaru, with half-lidded eyes, gently traces his twin's face with his fingers, and looks into Kaoru's eyes, "If that is so, then I shall share my breath with you."

"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA BROTHERLY LOVE!!!"

Kyouya nods with satisfaction, and checks the little box besides the twins' names.

The shrieks are enough to make less experienced people deaf, but being part of the host club has made all the members immune to such instances. The shrieks, too, drown out the crash that is heard when Kaoru's hand accidentally knocks over the tray of refreshments Haruhi was holding as he was fainting into Hikaru's arms.

"Oh! Haruhi! There you a-a-OH MY GOD! Who dares taint my pure and innocent daughter?!" Tamaki turns into a beast when it comes to Haruhi, but Haruhi just shrugs him off and nonchalantly wrings her clothes dry. The twins both freeze up, both wanting desperately to apologize to Haruhi but also not wanting to incur the Dono's wrath.

"I'm okay, senpai," Haruhi looks down at the red stains on her white T-shirt, "I'll have to change my shirt though, please excuse me."

"Haruhi! I will avenge you! Whoever did this will paaaaaaaay!" then Tamaki says to himself, "but it will be best if I went with Haruhi to the changing room, she needs a hero." and happily follows Haruhi.

"Really senpai, I'll be fine, it's just juice."

But Tamaki is already too far gone imagining things. Me and Haruhi in the dressing room, he sighs happily. Of course, Haruhi will have to take off her soiled shirt. A string of saliva drops out of Tamaki's open mouth just thinking about it. But no, I shall be a restrained and protective father, he reminds himself.

Kyouya witnesses all this and boils over. Tamaki is looking so happy and prevertedly aloof, like he's floating with euphoria. Kyouya knows he has to put a stop to it before it's too late to reel Tamaki in. He follows the gloating blonde, who in turn, is following the uncomfortable Haruhi. Tamaki is too far head for Kyouya to pull him in by the ear and give him a good talking to about acting like a pervert. He catches up with them in the dressing room, but just as he's about to round the corner, he hears the two of them talking.

"Haruhi," Tamaki sounds short of breath, "Will it be all right?"

"Um...of course, just get it over with, please."

Kyouya stiffens. He quickly peeks through a gap between the dividers. Tamaki's back is to him, blocking Haruhi from his view, but it's obvious Tamaki is cradling that girl's face in his hands.

"Okay then, here I go."

Tamaki lowers his head, bringing his lips closer to Haruhi's face. Something inside Kyouya snaps. He stops looking before the kiss happens right before his eyes. This is intolerable. He storms out of the room with his fists clenched hardly at his sides, mouth in a grim, straight line.

"Kyo-chan..." Honey is silenced when Kyoya stops and looks down at him with cold, evil eyes, "N-nothing..."

He keeps walking towards the exit. People haven't him get mad. Those people are lucky they haven't, but that girl, Haruhi, she's really testing him.

Tamaki is his and his alone, and he's not averse to using force to keep what's rightly his.