Stepping into the dark seat, She slid in to the plush interior of the Ootori family limousine and leaned her head against the back rest as Kyouya slid into his seat. Once the door was closed for them by the driver, her eyes snapped open to look at him.

"Why did you offer to let me stay at your house? What's in it for you?"

He smirked, his head turning to face her directly.

"Whatever you saw on my laptop will not get out. You will tell no one about it. I have to keep you where I can keep an eye on you."

She nodded, catching his drift. In an instant, her red lips slipped into a smirk to rival his.

"I might have to talk to your father about 'K.O'-"

As soon as her phrase had left her mouth, she squeaked as she suddenly found her back pressed to the seat and his chest pressed to hers.

"You will not utter a word to anyone much less my family. Everything that you saw, everything, will stay between you and me."

She scoffed, bringing her knee up to force his chest away from her. Making him sit up, she crossed her legs, which were now across his lap.

"What is in this for me, 'K, O'?"

He scoffed, glaring down at her before pushing her legs off of him.

"You get to stay in my house."

She would have countered, but she couldn't as the car stopped, the door was opened, and Kyouya had pulled her up by her elbow. He stepped out and held her hand as she did as well. She gasped as she looked up into the largest garage she had ever seen. She was still marveling as she was led through a door into what she saw as the largest reception room she had ever seen. Before she could speak her amazement, a lady with long wavy black hair had come from around that corner and simply tackled Kyouya in what she viewed as a choking hug.

"Oh Kyouya-kun! I missed you so much – who is this?"

She jumped, moving to hide behind Kyouya as the woman advanced on her. She was too late, however, and the woman's hands were clenched onto her shoulders in order to look at her.

"Kyouya-kun! You never told me that you had a girlfriend!"

Kyouya sputtered a bit before he found his voice to object.

"She is not my girlfriend!"



"I am not his girlfriend!"

Kyouya cleared his throat before speaking again.

"Fuyumi, she is a friend from school and is going to be staying with us for awhile. Get her situated in the guest room at the far end of the hallway. "

As far away from my room, he thought wryly as he waited for his sister to hurry along.

"Oh silly Kyouya! All of the guest rooms are being refurbished except for the one across from your room that we did last month. "

He sighed, shaking his head. He looped his arm around hers and pulled her away form Fuyumi and up to the stairs. He boots didn't make a sound on the marble, much to his surprise. Once they were on the correct floor, he pulled her down the hall and opened the door to the room on his left. Letting her walk in, he handed her a yukata that used to be his sister's before he closed the door behind her and went into his room to change as well. Stripping into his boxers, he sighed and took his glasses off to place them on his dresser.

Not bothering to turn on the lights, she stripped and folded her blue kimono and leggings into a neat pile. Putting on the Yukata and tying the sash, she marveled at how the seemingly small dress covered her C cups. Putting her boots by the door, she flicked on the lights only to freeze, her eyes getting wide. Screaming, she backed up into the door in her shock. Fumbling with the door handle, she managed to get out of the room through her fit of violent shaking. Nearly falling on the rug in the hall, she pressed against Kyouya's door; her heart rate racing to add to her shaking. Bursting through his door, she ran into his chest.

"Kyouya!"

Crying, she clung to him as he jumped; he stared down at her in shock. His arms naturally locked around her tiny waist as he looked out into the hallway to see what was wrong. Looking down at her shaking frame, he let his arms move on their own to guide her head to his shoulder. Laying his chin on top of her head, he held her as her tears flowed freely.

"Nyoko, easy; don't hyperventilate. You're safe, I'm here. Nothing is going to hurt you."

She began to breathe in a more regulated pattern as his hand rubbed her back soothingly. Opening her watery eyes, she looked up at him. Her eyes mirrored honest fear as he looked back down at her. His sister took that moment to walk through the door with a clown ventriloquist dummy in her arms.

"Kyouya look! I found one of your brother's old dolls in the guest room! "

She held the doll up for him to see clearly, the dolls head lolling to the side. Nyoko turned her head towards the source of the noise, only to tense up again. Shouting, she would have pushed past him to run, but Kyouya once again instinctively wrapped his strong arms around her. As she fought him, he looked to the clown doll as realization dawned upon him.



"Fuyumi! Get that thing out of here!"

He ordered as his hand went up to the back of Nyoko's head while she sobbed into the crook of his neck. Fuyumi blinked for a moment, dumbfounded, before she shrugged and walked out of the room. He pulled Nyoko backwards to his bed and let her curl up in his lap when he sat down. He pulled one of his blankets up around her when he noticed her shaking again.

"It's okay Nyoko, The clown doll is gone; I'm here. It's okay. Easy."

She wiped her eyes, looking up at him with her wet gaze. Energy drained, she laid her head on his shoulder; his eyes stayed locked on hers as he wiped a tear from her pale cheek.

"You have Automatonophobia."

He said quietly, her breath hitching slightly from her crying. He hadn't expected her to talk, but she did.

"Uncontrollably; and Coulrophobia, and Pediophobia. Yes, I know that I am pathetic."

"No, you aren't pathetic. Haruhi has Brontophobia."

She closed her eyes, some color that she lost in her fright returning to her skin. He didn't think that she had noticed his obvious lack of clothing as she was still leaning on him. He tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear as her breathing became regular again. Looking into the hallway again, the door to her room had swung open, and he could see the clown wallpaper, bed set, and the rows and rows of clowns and dummies from his brother's lost collection days. Grimacing, he looked down at her as she relaxed. He couldn't make her sleep in that room; After all, he had just witnessed what happens when she saw just one clown/doll. Sliding his arm under her knees and his other around her shoulders, he stood up and walked around the corner of his bed to the side. Making sure that her yukata was pulled down to cover her thighs, he laid her down in his bed; pulling his plush comforter up to her chest. Her eyes snapped open when the warmth that had been around her disappeared, her hands grabbing for him.

"Don't leave…..Please."

He stopped, his eyes softening; an act that he would never admit to. He weighed the risks and possibilities of sharing the bed with her, and decided that it would be fine. Walking around the bed again, he slid into the other side and fluffed the pillow for himself. As soon as he had lain his head down, he felt a pair of small hands curl around his arm. Opening his eyes and turning his head towards her, he registered that she was already asleep, more than likely from lack of energy. A small smile formed on his lips, and he gently took his arm from her to curl it around her. Closing his eyes, he drifted off to sleep with the scent of Gardenia blossoms and Wisteria.