Chapter 2: The Baka King
Tamaki dragged Haruhi to the computer. "Which one is it?" He read the profiles out loud.
"Mikage, Sora. Age 17. Dark brown hair, forest green eyes. 5'5"."
("MY DARLING NIECE!")
("Enough, Senpai.")
"Chinibe, Riiko. Age 18. Chestnut hair, blue eyes. 4'10"."
"Romanov, Cera. Age 18. Silver blond hair, light blue eyes. 5'7"."
("HER HAIR SOUNDS SO PRETTY!")
("Senpai, stop it.")
"Capo, Elaina. Age 17. Dirty blond hair, brown eyes. 5'3"."
"Capo, Natalia. Age 17. Strawberry blond hair, brown eyes. 5'3"."
("OOH, A SET OF TWINS!")
("Tamaki, enough.")
("BUT MOTHERRRRRR!")
"Spinelli, Alexia. Age 18. Auburn hair, black eyes. 5'9"."
"Haruhi, these people sound so...BEAUTIFUL! Mother, do you have a picture of my niece?"
Kyoya pulled up a separate page. "Yes. These were hard to obtain, so do not screw it up...Father."
Tamaki gasped when he saw Sora's picture. "She's very pretty, just like my daughter Haruhi!" He began to swing Haruhi around. "Oh, I cannot simply wait here! We must hurry home and sleep, for come tomorrow morning, my niece will finally set eyes on Tokyo and her uncle and aunt!"
Once more, Kyoya smirked. Aunt? Tamaki, you baka.
Haruhi had had enough. "Tamaki-senpai, put me down!" It was useless to call out for Kyoya, so she was startled to feel arms gently remove her from Tamaki. "Thank you, Mori-senpai."
He grunted. Honey was bouncing up and down with excitement behind him. "Haru-chan, Tama-chan, Kyo-chan! Takashi and I want to see her!" Kyoya moved aside and allowed them to look. "Ooh, Takashi, she's so cute! Kawaii!"
Haruhi glanced up to smile at Honey when her eyes fell on Mori.
He was gazing at the computer screen, a pink blush slowly creeping its way across his cheeks. Haruhi was stunned. Did Mori have an slight crush on Sora, merely by looking at her picture? Quickly, she scanned the other hosts' faces. Tamaki was admiring his "niece," Honey was simply gushing over the young-looking Riiko, and Kyoya was, as usual, indifferent. No, wait. Was it just her, or were Kyoya's eyes snapped onto Sora's picture as well, and every now and then, flickered back to Mori?
No. It was probably just her imagination. Kyoya wasn't cold all the time, but he never truly showed affection towards...anything. And Mori was impassive. Maybe she really was exaggerating things in her mind. No way would the two quiet hosts ever...
"Takashi, are you blushing?"
The group looked over at Mori, but by now he'd turned away, walking to the door. The door that Hikaru and Kaoru were trying to open with a delicate-looking dress in their hands.
Honey was barely closing the limo door when Mori spoke up.
"Mitsukuni," he said quietly. "They must not know."
"Which ones, Takashi?" Honey replied, as Mori fastened his seatbelt. "I think Haru-chan already suspects you."
"But the others must not hear of this." He gazed out the window, deep in thought.
"How come they can't know? It would be so adorable if you liked her."
Mori remained silent.
"And just think: the royal family of Genova! What would your mother say? And Tama-chan would be furious, because he may be just as protective of Sora-chan as he is of Haru-chan. Kyo-chan was looking at her, too, Takashi, so I think you may be right not to.." Honey continued to babble on about Kyoya and Tamaki.
Mori whipped his head around. Kyoya Ootori, the Shadow King (according to Haruhi), crushing on a girl? More importantly, the same girl Mori was beginning to fall for?
Kyoya typed fast on his laptop. If Tamaki insisted on leaving for Sora's hotel before noon on Saturday, then Kyoya would have to sleep earlier, or risk Sora and her friends turning nasty towards him. The Shadow King had low blood pressure in the morning, so if one were to wake him before noon, one would probably wake up dead, the most horrible fate and oxymoron.
Sora Mikage. Princess of Genova. Eligible bachelorette.
He smirked. Since when did he ever wake up early for anyone, let alone a girl he'd never met. Kyoya had seen the way Mori was looking at Sora, and had studied her face harder. What could the stoic warrior see in this girl? She was more than likely a regular pampered brat. But Takashi Morinozuka never showed any interest in the flighty princesses during the Host Club. If Kyoya was correct in his assumption (and he was never wrong), what was in this girl that could possibly attract someone as impassive as Mori?
A knock on his door tore his eyes from the screen. Who was up at this ungodly hour? Possibly one of the maids, who were just strange in that manner. "You may enter."
Tamaki flung the door wide open. "Mother, Haruhi told Sora we were coming!" he whined. "And now Sora may or may not let me in her hotel! Icannotbebarredfrommydarlingnieceshotel! OH, WHAT SHALL WE DO!"
Kyoya readjusted his glasses. "Well, first you can explain why you're here at two in the morning and who let you into my"
"YOU GAVE ME A SPARE KEY ONCE AND I REMEMBERED IT WHEN WE HAD ALREADY LEFT AND MY DRIVER WAS AWAKE WATCHING GOD-KNOWS-WHAT AND HE DROVE ME OVER HERE AND I WAS RINGING THE DOORBELL FOR FIVE MINUTES BEFORE ONE OF THE MAIDS CAME RUSHING TO THE DOOR AND I COULDN'T SEE IN THE DARK AND ALMOST KILLED MYSELF ON THE STAIRS AND...KYOYA I WANNA SEE MY NIECE!"
The Shadow King rubbed his temples. Tamaki would be the death of him one day if he continued his incessant screeching. "Tamaki, first off, calm down. You're starting to hyperventilate. Inhale and exhale slowly. Secondly, I highly doubt Sora neither knows nor cares who you are. Thirdly, I want my spare key back." If it kept Tamaki from rushing into the mansion at night, then he wouldn't allow him the opportunity.
"BUT MOTHER!"
"Is very tired right now, and if you want me to go along tomorrow in a friendly mood, you'll leave at once."
Tamaki pouted. "Fine, but if we are barred from visiting"
"You never said 'we.' You said yourself. We have nothing to worry about. You do."
"KYOYA!"
"Go."
Scowling slightly, Tamaki stomped out of the room. Kyoya leaned over and wrote down a note to apologize to Tamaki's driver for the young Suou's behavior.
Haruhi examined herself in the mirror. Her short brown hair was clipped back with barrettes, and her large brown doe eyes were angry. She didn't understand why Tamaki had ordered her to wear a dress, but she supposed she had to keep Tamaki happy, for Sora's sake and future.
It wasn't too bad looking: a pale yellow, knee-high, off the shoulder, with a ribbon around her waist. A trim of gold lined the hem of it. The shoes, however, had to go. Kaoru, taking pity on Haruhi when she first walked around in Hikaru's choice of shoes (white high heels), dropped off white ballerina flats, in case she wanted to wear something a little less sophisticated.
Suddenly, Ranka, her cross-dressing father, yelled in delight. "Those handsome boys from the Host Club are here, Haruhi! Tell Sora-chan I said hello!"
Haruhi grimaced. Her father had insisted that Sora stay with them, but after learning that they lived in an apartment, Sora politely declined the offer. "I will, Dad. Oh, and Dad...stop berating Tamaki with emails from work about how idiotic he is and doesn't deserve to be president of the Host Club. He gets so terrified and worried for your sanity, even I try to comfort him. So quit it."
Ranka smiled hugely. "Sure, sure! Tell Sora she's welcome for dinner anytime!"
"Sure thing, Dad."