After my shower, I had resigned to calling Tamaki instead of Kaoru or the local salon. My brothers wouldn't be home for another few hours and I didn't really feel like going to the market. They wanted food? They could go and find it! Not that hard…
ANYWAYS! As Tamaki arrived at my really… humble (it was small compared to his estate… which wasn't the main one) abode I was just patching up the last of my shoulder's newest wound and covering the now purple skin on my jaw with a pale concealer. After throwing on a long-sleeved jacket, I answered the door with a smile only I could fake.
"Yo, boss!" I greeted, "You got the goods?"
He nodded, an unsure look on his face. In his hands were two things; a bag, and a box of dye.
"Uhm… Youko – are you sure you –"
"Tamaki Suoh! (Boss flinched) … Of course!" I finished sweetly. Tamaki was so much fun to fluster!
Oh… and there he goes – more mushrooms.
"Tamaki… C'mon, let's hurry. I want Kaoru to come over afterwards while… not everybody is breathing down my throat, mkay? Its… noon? Now? Yeesh… Anyways – just dye it already."
And so that's how the albino-i-sation of Youko Makumoto began.
"Hey you! Wh – whoa…" I yelled… and then stuttered hopelessly. Standing at the gate was Hikaru and Kaoru – dressed in oddly normal clothes. And behind them? The rest of the Host Club. Equally as normal and as scary.
"My darling daughter Youko! We've come to take you to the parrrrk!" …
'Why does boss insist on flashing the fact that he is CLEARLY a wizard from Hogwarts?' I thought, mentally sweatdropping and sighing as my Boss twirled and disappeared from one place to another.
"Yeah…" Haruhi mumbled – I noticed she was dressed in a cute little yellow top and a pink skirt… who knew the girl could dress as one!
"Soo… uhm… why exactly are yo-"
"My dearest Youko, we are here to escort you and your brother to the water park that Kyouya's family owns!" Tamaki-sempai included a few twirls in that one.
I sighed, but without further struggle, clambered into the limo with the twins on either side of me. Their bored faces did nothing to help me feel… less awkward.
"Hey, Ko-chan!" Hani-sempai's voice carried over Tamaki's flustered shouts of Haruhi's despondence, and the way he sat like a cute little child just made him… too cute. And it looked like he was chewing on the ear of his Usa-chan, but who knows? He may have been.
"Yes, Hani-sempai?"
"Where is Yuu-chan? Does he not want to have fun, too?" he said, pouting his lower lip out.
'I'm so soft…'
"He's… not feeling well today, Hani-sempai," I said somewhat uneasily.
I didn't fail to realize that Kaoru's gaze had shifted to me, and was now glaring at me with a look that demanded an explanation. I glared right back, maybe a little bit more harsh than I had intended it to be, because Kaoru's head dipped to where I couldn't see his eyes anymore.
Rich people are so easy to fluster and anger. Aren't you glad you aren't one of them, Youko?
'When did you materialize? That way, I can go find a magic car, speed back in time, and prevent it from ever happening!'
All those wars raging inside my mind were going to be the death of me one day.
The Ootoris really had decided to drabble in just about everything the medicinal avenue of work had. Apparently, his water park was just as thrilling as it was relaxing. Which was good. I didn't need thrilling in my life, apparently.
Of course! Because the thrill of not knowing if you're going to wake up or not is an amazing rush of adrenaline that everyone needs in their life!
'What are you? My inner Yuu?'
The whole club – minus Yuu – had split up and was wondering around the park. It had long since opened to the public and people were bustling all over the place – tourists included.
As Haruhi, Tamaki, and myself were strolling along a particularly wet path, Tamaki had spotted something off in the distance.
"Let's ride that one! My daughters, don't you think this will be just wonderful?" He spun around and took one of our hands in his before batting an eyelash… gosh… he's gay. Maybe. I looked from him to Haruhi, and gave an apologetic smile.
"Uhm… you guys go on, ok? I think I'm going to go find lunch…" I muttered to Haruhi, who smiled knowingly and (reluctantly) ran off to make sure that the Host King didn't… kill someone. Or himself. That whole magic disappearing act could wind up back firing one day.
As I wondered around the park by myself, I instantly regretted choosing to be dressed up by the twins. I had become their play-thing over the course of the two months I'd been in the Host Club. In the after-hours of the club, they would either split and one take Haruhi and one take me, or target of us both at the same time and attempt to primp us. We had turned into regular dolls to them. And today? No different. It was either agree, or disagree and watch them pout (even though it was cute as hell) and then eventually get pounced. Hikaru and Kaoru had chosen to put me in some strappy two-piece that was white with red Celtic crosses and other designs on it… and even though I liked it, I was awefully self-concious. The scar on my shoulder had just started to heal well enough to not have to wear long-sleeves. Other scars lingered on my stomach from cuts and… other instances, and the longer, jagged scar from my surgery two years ago.
It didn't help that the twins had refused my (perfectly reasonable) plea for swim trunks.
Nor did it help that people were staring.
As I sat down at a smaller table, I noted just how much a sandwich was at one of these stupid parks. Six dollars. For a sandwich. I could buy enough supplies to make twenty sandwiches for five dollars!
'God… rich peoples are so flamboyant about their money. Guess I won't be buying anything to eat.'
That's right, be-
'Shut it. Now.'
I rolled my eyes and leaned back in my chair, making sure to cross my arms to that they covered both my boobs and part of my scarred stomach. Gosh, I felt like a mother who has had a c-section. All the scarring… even though most were just fine, white lines… there were a lot of fine white lines on really pale skin. So that's like… blinding white stripes on porcelain skin.
My self-consciousness was acceptable.
"Mmffha!" I cried out as a towel suddenly came into contact with my face. I ripped the offending cloth off my face and glared at a young man a few feet away from me. He was laughing and joking with two other oafs – clearly at me – and I seethed.
Visibly.
With a loud and angered sigh I stood up, knocking over my chair. It took all of three steps to reach the three men and, with little to no effort, I swung my arm around and connected it to the perpetrator's face. I wasn't in a particularly pleasant mood, what with the inevitable taunting from both twins, the yelling I was to get from Kaoru as soon as we were alone (for running off by myself. He taken it upon himself to ensure that I was never alone when the Host Club went out on their weekly excursions) and also from wearing this God forbidden bikini!
"What the hell, bitch? You wanna start something?" He said in a very bad American accent. Must be from the south.
"No, I'm not starting anything, baka, you did. With a towel. Hasn't anyone ever taught you how to treat a lady decently? Oh, and do you have a passport?" I asked in rapid succession. Dodging (barely) an attempt at striking me down with his fist. He had really big hands…
'Where's Kyoya? Or one of his two hundred policemen. Either would be nice…' I thought as one of the offender's buddies began to laugh.
"You're a feisty little whore, ain't ya? How'd you get all those scars, anyways?" I went to slap him, but only managed to get myself trapped between the other accomplice and the perpetrator.
Well damn, I was screwed.
I smiled at the memory. The three were legally able to go to jail, and go to jail they did. Hani and Mori had arrived soon after I was punched (twice) and whipped all three clear off their feet. Kyoya had them arrested, and I do believe that the three are still in jail for sexual harassment. And their passports were taken.
But I sure as hell got a mouth full of it from Mori… or as much of a mouth full Mori could manage.
I stood, still seething, and Mori silently checked me over to make sure I was alright. I checked out all clear.
"You should've called for one of us."
I nearly balked visibly. I hadn't heard Mori-senpai speak very much… and now he was scolding me? Bah!
"Uh… but I don't –"
"Kaoru isn't the only one worried about you."
Oh. So that's what this is about? Fine. I could show him!
"Mori-senpai, I don't need your help all the time! I would've been fine, They'd have gotten bor-"
"After how long, Youko?"
"Who are you now, Kaoru? My father? Helloo~! My father's dead!" I growled out.
Mori didn't say anything after that.
I hated yelling. I really did. But when someone goes on about how helpless I supposedly am, what was I gonna do? Stand by, nod, and agree? No. Because I wasn't helpless. I'd made it sixteen years without help! I could make it another fifty!
"Uhh… Youko?" I heard. I snapped my head up, spraying a little bit of white on Tamaki's black shirt.
"Oops! Sorry boss! (queue sheepish grin) What happened? Are we done? I'll clean that up la-"
"It's fine, Youko. (queue dazzling smile ((that wasn't affective on me.))) Time to wash your hair, though. I need you to stand."
"Oh…"
And so we proceeded to wash my hair, and then Tamaki cut it. That's what I was nervous about. I'd rather have Kaoru cut my hair. At least he seemed to know what he was doing. Although Tamaki wasn't nearly as spastic as he normally was today, he still seemed a little like a bumbling fool.
Let's just hope I wouldn't regret the decision.
A/N:
Well, that took forever. And its not even long. :( I'm so sorry. But I have marching band practive every stupid day. And then I'll be at flipping football games after that. Color guard is soooo tiring.
BTW: There are two other fics that will go along with this XD. But I need you to tell me something (HOLY SHITE MY LEGS ARE IN THAT REALLY BAD PART OF AWAKENING FROM SLEEP) really important.
Would you rather have one about Mori, or Kyouya?
Either way, they'll probably be OOC...
TELL ME WHAT YOU THIIINK!
S.