Katsumi stood in front of a full length mirror in Kaoru's room, trying to figure out how she felt about the dress that Kyouya senpai had sent over for their date. The dress was beautiful. It was a strapless floor length dress made of black silk. She was surprised that the dress was so formfitting and still so comfortable. There was a slit on the right side that went all the way up to the top of her thigh, revealing her whole leg. This dress was definitely a little bit over the top for her, but at least it was black.
"You look amazing!" Kaoru remarked, circling around her to get a better look. Kyouya senpai had also sent over a pair of black heels and a necklace that Katsumi was sure was diamonds and sapphires. It must've cost a fortune.
"That does look awesome on you" Hikaru remarked from the other side of the room. "Kyouya senpai has quite an eye." He was leaning in the doorway that connected his room to Kaoru's.
"Oh, thanks Hikaru." She gave him a wide smile. She was beginning to realize that Hikaru really didn't like her. She figured that he thought that she was getting between her and Kaoru. Biting her lip, she tried to think of a way she could win Hikaru over. She definitely didn't want to cause a rift between the two brothers. "I'm just not sure what to do with my hair."
"I have an idea" he said, approaching her. "What if we made your hair into a braid crown?"
"A what now?" Katsumi turned to face him.
"A braid crown. We would create a braid on the side of your head and then wrap it around the top of your head, like a crown." Hikaru's hands deftly moved through her hair, trying to show her a little bit of what it would look like.
"Yeah, that sounds nice. But I wouldn't know how to make it."
"I do. Kaoru and I help Mom style her models for her shows all the time. She's trying to train us to be fashion designers." Katsumi was surprised Hikaru was being so nice to her. Maybe he figured that if her date with Kyouya senpai went well, that she'd leave Kaoru alone. Staring at herself in the mirror, Katsumi wondered what Kyouya senpai had planned that required this type of attire.
"Yeah, okay. Go ahead and work your magic" she said.
"Kaoru, will you grab me a chair, and some bobby pins? We'll definitely need some."
"Yeah, sure, no problem."
"Thanks Hikaru, I really appreciate this" she said, smiling up at him after Kaoru had left.
"It's no problem." Looking up into his eyes, she couldn't quite read his expression. He was keeping himself carefully guarded.
"I know you're jealous of me. You don't have to be. I'm not trying to take Kaoru away from you. You guys share something special, and I'd never want to ruin that. I just want to borrow him every once and a while." She decided the safest method was to open up and tell him how she felt, rather than just beat around the bush.
"But he wants to be with you more than he wants to be with me!" Hikaru snapped, losing his carefully concealed nonchalance.
"No he doesn't. Kaoru loves you. He's my friend, but you're his brother, his twin. You're two parts of a whole. Though you are complete people on your own, you two come together to create an entirely different whole. I could never completely take Kaoru from you, even if I tried. And I never would. Both of you would be incomplete." Hikaru was a little taken back by her. His mind flashed back to the events of this past summer. He'd felt this same jealousy before, when he had to learn to share Haruhi with her old friend Arai. He'd known something like this would come one day, he just didn't think he'd have to learn to share Kaoru so soon.
"Hey, I'm back with the chair" Kaoru said, walking through the door, lugging the chair behind him. He glanced from Hikaru to Katsumi, then back to Hikaru. Something had happened while he was gone. "What's up guys?" he asked.
"Nothing. Just talking" Hikaru said flatly. "Now get that chair over here so I can fix her hair before Kyouya senpai shows up." Kaoru's brow furrowed in confusion for a moment before he moved the chair in front of the mirror. If it was important then Katsumi or Hikaru would tell him later.
"Now hold still" Hikaru ordered.
A half hour later the doorbell rang. Katsumi took a deep breath. Was she ready for this?
"Hey, it'll be fine" Kaoru offered, silently trying to hold in his own jealousy.
"Yeah I doubt he'll try anything" Hikaru said.
"Oh I don't think he will. Haruhi told me that he's really a nice guy deep down. I would tend to believe her. I'm just hoping he'll let his walls down without me having to force my way through his facades."
"Come on, don't want to keep the Shadow King waiting!" The twins said in unison, pushing her out of Kaoru's room and down the hall.
"Have fun!" Kaoru yelled.
"Bye bye now!" Hikaru exclaimed. Katsumi turned around to say something to them, but they were gone. Sighing she nodded to the butler, who opened the door.
"Good evening Katsumi" Kyouya senpai said, smiling smoothly at her. "That dress looks marvelous on you."
"Yeah, you chose really well. The necklace is too much though. I can't accept it." Katsumi thought that he had known that buying fancy things wouldn't win points with her.
"You can and you will. It's an Otori family heirloom. I didn't spend any money on it, I promise you" Kyouya insisted.
"An heirloom?" Katsumi's hand went up to brush the necklace around her neck. Why would he give her something so precious to his family?
"Are you ready to go?" Kyouya senpai asked her.
"Mhm." She nodded. Kyouya offered her his arm, and she gently took it. He handed her into the car before taking the seat next to her. "So where are we going senpai?" She had to admit that she'd been curious all day, ever since her dress showed up on the Hitachiin's doorstep.
"Dinner. And drop the senpai. Just call me Kyouya."
"Okay Kyouya, where are we going to dinner?"
"You are a persistent one aren't you? Don't worry, I have it all planned."
Katsumi grumbled, leaning back against her seat in the car and crossing her arms.
"Oh come now, I can't surprise you?" Kyouya shifted in his seat so he was facing her.
"I don't really like surprises, especially when I know they're coming" Katsumi pouted.
"Well you're just going to have to deal with it. You'll enjoy this surprise, trust me." She was really curious now. What could he be planning? "I don't want to talk about my plans though, I want to talk about you."
"What about me do you want to know?" He was treating her like one of his guests, making everything about her and not about him. Maybe she could change that up a bit.
"Well for starters I want to know what you think about me." She was surprised by his line of questioning. Why did he care what she thought?
"Well, I think you're determined. You follow after the things you want, no matter what."
"You don't have to be nice, you know. I want to know what you really think about me."
She raised her eyebrows at him. Alright, he asked for it. "I think you hide behind facades so you can manipulate others. You want to appear detached. You play games with people as your pieces, not caring who you hurt. You may be a nice guy deep down, but you're desperate to hide that from everyone around you. You put up walls to keep people from knowing the real you. If you want a queen, she has to know her king and the moves he's going to make. If you want someone like me, you have to let them in, let them know you, not just know them from the inside out."
Kyouya sat there for a moment, absorbing her words. He did want to appear detached so he could change things to his advantage. He definitely tended to manipulate others to get his way, hiding his kind side. He thought it made him weak. His walls were nearly impenetrable, so much so that hardly anyone ever saw that he put them up. He took great pride in that. He believed that he could see through any façade, but that no one could see through his. His mind flashed back to when Tamaki called him out giving up on his dream to be his family's heir and to when Haurhi called him out on being a nice guy. Katsumi was only the third person to see right through him. His normal facades wouldn't work with her.
He had been really nervous before this date, pacing his room trying to figure out how he could win her over. He'd come to the conclusion that he would have to let her in, to let her see the real him or he would lose her forever. He had to make an investment. He couldn't stay distant.
Kyouya took a deep breath before answering. "You're right. About all of it."
"Well duh. That's all pretty obvious. That's part of why I didn't want to go out with you. I knew you wouldn't let me in, you wouldn't let your walls down. I want to see the nice guy Kyouya, not the mask you put on for everybody else."
"Sure I'll let my walls down. You put it nicely, if I want you as a queen, I have to let you know me and the moves I'm going to make." Katsumi looked at him surprised. Did he really mean that? "So, what do you want to know?"
"Well for starters you can tell me about your family. I know next to nothing about you."
"I have two older brothers and an older sister." Kyouya began.
"What're they like?" Katsumi asked him, genuinely curious.
"Fuyumi cares very deeply about me. She's always trying to help me, even when I don't need it. My brothers are rather remarkable. My eldest brother has already graduated from medical school and is assisting my father at one of our hospitals. He's training to take over as the family patriarch. My other brother has finished his medical degree and is studying business so he can assist my older brother." Katsumi raised her eyebrow. This was all very rehearsed, except for the part about his sister. He seemed genuinely fond of her.
"I thought you wanted to be your family's patriarch."
"That's not possible. I am the third son. I have two brothers ahead of me. I accepted my position long ago." He was still keeping his distance from her. She frowned.
"How does that make you feel? That must be frustrating. What are you planning on doing if you don't run your family's business?"
Kyouya thought for a moment before replying. This was his chance. She was giving him an opportunity to open himself up and really talk about what his plans were.
"It's very frustrating" he began. "To be honest, I'm determined to become the patriarch of my family. I think I'm better suited to the job than either of my brothers. My father… he's constantly dangling the company in front of my face, like he's taunting me with it, taunting me with the fact that I'll never have it. I get lectured for accomplishing the same things my brothers did, as if that wasn't enough. He calls it 'standing in their shadow'." He clenched his hands on his lap. "I don't know what more I can do to gain his approval. I'm not sure what he wants from me."
Katsumi looked up at Kyouya. She could see the rage dancing behind his eyes, the anger at never being good enough. He was baring himself to her, showing her part of the person he really was. She rested her hand on her arm.
"From what I've seen of you, you're pretty remarkable. You're the top of your class, right?"
"Yes but according to my father that's not enough" Kyouya growled. "My brothers both did that before me."
"I don't know what to tell you" Katsumi said softly. "I want to tell you to not worry about what he thinks and just go for what makes you happy, but if you want to be your family's patriarch, you'll need his approval. I think you can do it though. Just don't give up." She suddenly had a realization. "What about me? I doubt your father would want you to have anything to do with a commoner like me."
"You are the one thing I am willing to defy him for." Kyouya's eyes met hers, a definite softness present in them.
"So tell me a little bit about your father" Katsumi probed. She was curious about this mysterious man that had Kyouya running ragged just to please him.
"He's egocentric… much like myself. Everything is driven by what he has to gain in any given situation. Part of my job as his son is to uphold his reputation. He puts a lot of stock in my brothers, but insists it will take more than my brother's accomplishments for me to impress him. He's logic driven, much like myself. I can't remember the last time he was ever emotional." Kyouya paused. It felt strange talking about his father like this. He'd never said a word against him in his life, and now he was telling this girl how much he disliked him, parading his flaws around for her to see.
"I know what it's like to have a distant and demanding parent. My mother…" she touched her bruised eye.
"She did this to you?" Kyouya asked. "I had been wondering…" He gently took her chin in his hand, examining the bruise. "So she's why you're with the twins."
"She said the rumors harmed her reputation. She didn't believe me when I told her they weren't true."
"That sounds like something my father would say."
"You know, you're obviously not as logic driven as your father is. If you were, you wouldn't have chosen me." She smiled up at him. His hand still hadn't moved from her chin. "Unless I'm just a toy to you."
"That's an interesting notion, in its own way. I can guarantee you, you're no toy. If I wanted a toy, there are many other women I could've chosen." The silence that followed was filled with tension. Kyouya's eyes stayed on her lips for a moment before leaning in. Was he going to kiss her? Her heart rate sped up and the world slowed down around her as his nose gently brushed hers…
"Master, we are here" the driver stated, opening the door. Kyouya gently backed away from Katsumi, climbing out of the car before helping her out.
"Kyouya… where are we?" Katsumi was confused. It was dark all around her and she couldn't see. She felt Kyouya's hand as he linked their fingers.
"Look up Katsumi." She gasped. The lack of light around her made the stars stand out against the night sky. There were so many, she'd never seen this many stars before. They took up the entire sky.
"It's beautiful" she whispered.
"I thought you'd enjoy this. See that group of stars over there? The three in a straight line?" He raised their linked hands so she'd know where he was talking about. "That's Orion's belt. The Big Dipper is over there. You can actually see the Milky Way here, see how there's a cloud behind those stars?"
"Kyouya this is amazing." She squeezed his hand. She hadn't thought that he would put together something like this. She had expected a fancy dinner at an expensive restaurant… not dinner under the stars.
"You can turn up the lights now" Kyouya said to no one in particular. Katsumi blinked at the sudden burst of light. They were out in a grassy field, surrounded by torches. They were lit one by one, illuminating more and more of the field. In the center there was a small table and two chairs. Two candles sat on the table, which was covered in a pristine white table cloth.
"Here's your seat." Kyouya led her over to the table, pulling out her chair for her to sit down. She sat, watching him move to the other side of the table and sit down. "I thought we would begin with a light salad. You look surprised. Was this not what you expected?"
"To be honest, no. I expected you to take me to a fancy, expensive restaurant."
"I figured that wouldn't appeal to you" Kyouya stated. "I wanted to go with something that you would always remember, something special. Throwing my money around wouldn't be special. That wouldn't take any effort."
A butler came over and set two salads in front of them before scurrying off into the darkness. The salad was beautifully arranged, definitely made by a professional chef. Picking up her fork she speared some of the lettuce and took a bite. Man… whatever dressing this chef used was amazing.
Kyouya surprised her. She watched him put a bite of salad in his mouth, chewing carefully. He had realized that she wanted experiences, not gifts. Throwing his money around wasn't going to get him anywhere with her. He even opened himself up to her, talking about his family and his father. He really was after her because he wanted to be with her.
"Will you tell me a little bit about your family business? I'm afraid I don't know much about it" Katsumi probed.
"My family mainly deals in hospital management. We employ a great number of doctors and nurses. We also own factories that create medical supplies and operate some resorts, for people who want a vacation but can't afford to get away."
"I know you want to be your family's patriarch, but is running hospitals really what you want to do with the rest of your life? You didn't answer my earlier question, what are you planning on doing if you don't head your family's business? What would your dream job be… if you could pick anything?"
Kyouya sat there dumbfounded for a moment. That's not anything he'd ever considered. He was so focused on his goal to become patriarch that he hadn't ever considered failure. What would he like to do if he didn't work in the medical field? "I honestly don't know. I never really considered failure."
"Good. I wouldn't want a king that was unsure of his moves." Kyouya smirked at her. It was a trick question. "What about you Katsumi? What career are you planning on going for?"
"I've considered all kinds of jobs. I wanted to be a veterinarian for a while, but I don't think I could handle watching animals die. I've thought about being a psychologist, or a neurologist or neurosurgeon."
"Our hospitals can always use more qualified neurosurgeons" Kyouya remarked. Katsumi picked up on the hint. If she wanted to be with him, that would be the best job choice. She wasn't even sure that she wanted to be with him. This was nice though. She was enjoying her time with him. She thought back to earlier in the car when he almost kissed her. Had she wanted him to? She watched him eat for the moment. His manners were impeccable. He chewed every bite delicately, never dropping anything. The bites were always the perfect size. Yes, she decided, watching him dab his mouth with a napkin. Yes, she did want him to kiss her.
"Do you like your salad, Katsumi?" Kyouya asked her.
"It's delicious. Your chef did an excellent job." Katsumi pierced the last of her lettuce, popping it in her mouth.
"Yes, I did, didn't I?" Kyouya smirked knowlingly at her.
"You made all this?!" Katsumi exclaimed.
"Well, my chef did make the meal, but I helped. I figured you would like it better if I made it." She looked at him wide eyed. She couldn't believe that he stooped to making his own food for her.
"You really have thought of everything, haven't you?"
"I wanted to make a good impression on you. I told you I would impress you." Katsumi laughed.
"That you did. That you did." The next course came out after a moment. The butler lifted the lid on their meals, revealing pork chops served over rice. The meal was simple, yet elegant. Katsumi cut her pork, tasting a small piece of it. It was juicy and tender, cooked perfectly.
"This is delicious Kyouya! Did Haruhi tell you I love pork?" Katsumi accused.
"She may have mentioned it, once I asked." He smiled at her. He really was trying. No one had ever done this much for her before.
"Kyouya, what would your dream date be? What could we do together that would be the most fun for you? I feel like this is all about me. Next time we should do something tailored to your interests."
Kyouya had to think for a minute. He'd never considered that before either. His mind focused on the words "next time". Looks like he had impressed her after all, enough to go out with him again. She obviously wanted him to open up to her again, share his interests with her. It would be the first time he ever let someone in on his interests.
"Next time I will take you to a museum. Perhaps the Tokyo National Museum. Or the National Museum of Nature and Science. Then I'll take you to dinner at my favorite sushi restaurant. It is quite expensive, but I think you'll enjoy it."
"Constantly searching for knowledge, aren't you?" Katsumi teased him. Actually that date sounded fun. "Am I going to have to dress up for this one?"
"Oh yes, I love learning new things. What do you think I'm constantly writing in my black book?" He raised his eyebrow at her. "And no, I don't think you'll have to dress up. Just wear something nice."
"Why did I have to dress like this for a dinner under the stars?" Katsumi wondered aloud.
"Because I wanted you to." He smiled at her, and she laughed. She was surprised by how much she was enjoying her evening with him. He wasn't quite the Shadow King he seemed to be, at least not on the inside. And every Shadow King needs a Shadow Queen. "What about you Katsumi? After the museum where should I take you next?"
Planning two dates into the future, huh? He really was serious. "Maybe the zoo. I did tell you that I love animals. I like beaches too, but we're a ways from the nearest one."
"My family has a private beach in Okinawa. Maybe sometime I'll take you there."
"That would be a total blast. I would love that." She gave him a large smile and he felt the gears turn in his head. Perhaps after he was certain she'd have him… after he was certain she'd be his Shadow Queen. Then there was the matter of his father. That was one problem he wasn't entirely sure how to handle.
The empty dinner dishes where whisked away and a large plate of chocolate strawberries was set down in front of them. Katsumi chuckled.
"You're really outdoing yourself. My favorite dessert too?"
"Hand dipped by me of course." Kyouya smirked. "Have I impressed you yet?"
"More than impressed me. I can't believe you did all this for me."
"You're worth it. All of it." His eyes met hers and she could see the truth behind them. "I knew the moment I met you that I wanted you. You're unlike every woman I've ever met. You're not some docile heiress that does what she's told with no questions. You're loud, you speak your mind, you're stubborn, you're an amazing martial artist, and most importantly you think for yourself. All that and more is what makes you beautiful."
Katsumi felt herself choke up. She ducked her head to hide the tears that were threatening to fall. No one had ever said anything like that to her before. He meant it, she could tell. She'd never met anyone like him either. He was so complex. Around her he tried to drop his walls. It would take him a while, but she was convinced he could do it. The fact that he was trying meant everything to her.
"Here Kyouya" Katsumi offered, holding up a strawberry after taking a moment to collect herself. "Open wide."
"Oh you're going to feed me?" Kyouya asked with a smirk before opening his mouth. He leaned forward, taking a decent size bite. Katsumi giggled.
"Come here, you've got chocolate on your face." She gently wiped his face off with her napkin. After she was finished Kyouya caught her hand, placing a gentle kiss on her wrist. Katsumi felt her pulse spike. It was a very subtle yet very romantic gesture. He released her hand, allowing her to draw it back to her lap.
"Shall we look at the stars some more?" he asked her, standing up from the table and offering her his hand.
"Yeah, I'd really like that." Katsumi smiled at him, placing her hand in his. She felt the warmth of his skin against hers. Kyouya nodded his head to their left and the torches began to go out. Staring up, Katsumi watched as she could see more and more stars. It really was beautiful out here. Kyouya took his hand out of hers, sliding off his jacket and placing it on her shoulders. Grabbing the collar she pulled it closer to her, taking in his scent and feeling the warm satin against her skin. She hadn't even realized how cold she was.
Katsumi waited for Kyouya to grab her hand again, but that never happened. She felt a pressure on the small of her back, his hand pulling her to him. His body felt good against hers, strong, warm and soft. Running a finger along her jawline, Kyouya tilted her head up. Her heart pounded in her chest and butterflies danced in her stomach. Was he going to kiss her?
Running his nose along the length of hers, Kyouya felt his heart beating a million miles a minute. His cool mask was breaking, but he honestly didn't care. He'd never been this nervous in his life. Her breath danced on his lips, hot and intoxicating. Not able to stand waiting another minute, he pressed his lips to hers.
Resting her hands on his chest, Katsumi kissed him back. He tasted like strawberries and chocolate, mixed with something musky and sweet that she couldn't identify. He pressed his lips to hers again and again, scrambling her mind. Holding her close, Kyouya ran his tongue along her lower lip before gently moving away, placing another soft kiss on her forehead.
'I'm not letting him get away that easy' Katsumi thought, moving her hand to the back of his neck. She pulled his head down, kissing him again. They lost themselves in each other, holding each other close, only ever pausing to breathe.
'I could kiss her forever' Kyouya thought. There was no way he was ever letting her go now, now that he got a taste. She was all heat and passion, even these soft simple kisses had his blood boiling.
Katsumi was surprised by his gentleness. He wasn't trying to push her to go farther; he was just reveling in her kisses, enjoying everything she was giving him. Kyouya was definitely a gentleman. It was clear she was affecting him, but he was a master at holding himself in line. Pressing her lips to his again, she pulled him in closer. It might be fun to be a Shadow Queen.
Kaoru lay in bed. It was late, why wasn't she back yet? What time was it anyway? He picked up his phone, clicking a button on the side to light up the screen. It was midnight. What the hell were the two of them doing out there? He debated calling her, but he sighed, setting his phone on his nightstand. He'd ask her all about it later when she got home, whenever that would be.