Author's Note: Well, I had this all written up and ready to post on Lunaescence for Gokudera's birthday, but the site is still down and being worked on by the mods. Originally I was just going to wait until Lunaescence was up and running again, but it looks like it's going to be offline for a while.

Anyways, this chapter was a dedication for Gokudera Hayato's birthday. The poor fellow goes through so much nonsense in this update. Bless his soul~

Thank you all so very much for the wonderful reviews! It really helped motivate me to get through this chapter, so thank you all for the outstanding support! I'm dealing with some health issues again, and I've been stuck on bedrest for the past week. It's been frustrating, but at least it gave me time to work on this story. Reviews are GREATLY appreciated, my friends! It helps me get the boost I need to start getting hyped up for the next chapter. Heh heh!

Now, if you find a few format codes in the story, I apologize in advance. This was all prepared for Lunaescene's story formats, so I had to go through the entire thing over and over again to revise it and remove the codes to have it in working order for this site's format.

I've been running on Nyquil, so do be lenient with me if you find a mistake or two in here. Did my best to make sure I got everything though, so here's hoping!

Disclaimer: All Katekyo Hitman Reborn characters belong to their rightful owner, Akira Amano. All Ouran High School Host Club characters belong to their rightful owner, Bisco Hatori. The only thing I do own is Tsuya Sawada.

"I have completely fallen for you.

Everything you do, everything you say, everything you are.

You're my first thought in the morning,

You're my last thought before I fall asleep,

And you're almost every thought in between."

"You…you…" Tsuna could not believe what he was seeing, his eyes frantically darting back and forth between you and Gokudera. The two of you were clad in the pristine silk uniforms of Ouran Academy. The only notable difference of attire, would be that Gokudera's uniform was not as well kept as yours. Instead, the Smoking Bomb's jacket was unbuttoned and crinkled, a clear indication that the rebellious youth could honestly care less about the state of his attire. His white undershirt was not tucked in like yours, and the shirt's collar was loose – just like Gokudera's tie. Naturally, the Italian was still clad in his unique collection of bracelets and rings, easily giving off his trademark flair of being the intimidating delinquent he was renowned for. His skull belt and spiky chains only further added to that incredible 'bad boy' look you were constantly gushing over. Completing the whole ensemble would be the Vongola pin that Gokudera wore religiously, pinned directly over the Ouran Academy emblem.

Tugging relentlessly at his chocolate locks of hair, Tsuna wailed in despair. "You got dragged into this ridiculous mess too?!"

Despite the meltdown your poor twin was experiencing, you could not help but grin in triumph whilst nodding your head eagerly to confirm that Gokudera had indeed been recruited into the madness that was the Host Club. "Isn't it awesome, Nii-san?!"

Tsuna could only facepalm in reply. Slowly dragging his right hand down his face, your disgruntled older brother was not entirely oblivious to the way your eyes sparkled brightly in admiration, gazing upon your Storm Guardian with an abundant amount of adoration and…no! No, no, no, no, NO! "This is getting out of hand!" Tsuna insisted frantically, waving his hands wildly to get his anxiety across to all those gathered in the small entryway of your household.

Shouichi chuckled nervously, immediately having picked up on your beloved twin's rattled emotions. After all these years of having grown up by both yours and Tsuna's sides, it had naturally become second nature for Shouichi to pick up on your wild variety of emotions. You two were like open books to him. Before, it had been much easier to maintain your worries and anxieties since your elementary years were nowhere near the chaotic routine that has now become your daily lives. The moment those dreaded teen years hit, that's when everything went to hell (or so Tsuna liked to put it). After having been drafted into the mafia by a deranged infant hitman, things have just been down spiraling into madness. While Tsuna fought each and every change with outright denial and begrudging tolerance, you had managed to take it all in stride. Granted there were times when you felt the true weight of adulthood that had been thrust upon you and your twin at such an early stage, but that is the price that must be paid in full for being sole heirs to the Vongola generation.

"On the contrary, I'd say things are going exactly as planned."

Reborn made his appearance on the pedestal of your house's stairwell. His deep onyx eyes observed the small group of teens huddled together in the entryway. Lightly flicking up his fedora with a small tap against its rim, Reborn smirked at Gokudera's new attire. There was no keeping the smug tone from entering his voice as the hitman addressed your Storm Guardian. "Heh, don't you clean up nicely?"

Tsuna whirled around on his heel, glaring balefully at the bane of his entire existence. "You honestly can't tell me that you knew Gokudera would be enlisted into that stupid Host Club, too?!"

Reborn shot his pupil an unamused look. "Of course I knew he'd be enlisted. Wherever Tsuya goes, Gokudera follows. It doesn't take a genius to figure that out, No-good Tsuna."

An irritable glare was shot in Reborn's direction by your disgruntled twin. That blasted hitman didn't need to rub it in Tsuna's face, your brother knew full well just how dedicated Gokudera was to you. Though the silverette had officially been dubbed as Tsuna's Right-Hand Man, there was no doubt that Gokudera truly belonged solely to you. Hell, even Reborn had made that connection well before the Vongola had even been established. Tsuna found himself cringing internally, recalling a time when even the dense Takeshi had picked up on Gokudera's love for you. That had certainly been a sucker punch to the gut for your poor twin. Nervously wringing his hands together, Tsuna's frantic gaze locked onto you. If even Takeshi could see Gokudera's unrivaled love for you, then…was there the small horrible chance that you might actually know about it, too?!

"O~oh?"

All heads turned towards the kitchen entrance to find Nana standing there with a ladle in hand. She blinked in surprise at all of the teenagers gathered in the entryway, her eyes naturally drifting over her towards her children first before peering curiously at the two young men accompanying you. Her smile softened at the sight of your childhood friend present (as always). Yet, the moment her motherly gaze landed on Gokudera, Nana's eyes instantly lit up as she excitedly clasped both hands around the ladle and held it by her face, yellow sparkles appearing around her head as she squealed loudly in delight.

"Ah, my future son-in-law is back for another visit!" Pausing for a brief moment, Nana blinked in surprise, her eyes darting between you and your extremely flustered Storm Guardian. "Oh! How cu~ute! You both are wearing matching outfits! Now, wait right there while I go get the camera! I need pictures of this. Imeitsu will want a copy as well!" Nana disappeared back into the kitchen, sounds of her scrounging about through various drawers could be heard, no doubt looking for her camera.

"Mom!" Tsuna was absolutely mortified.

"Found it!" Nana sang triumphantly, quickly rushing back into the entryway whilst waving her small digital device in hand.

Laughter spilled from Shouichi's lips, his eyes twinkling in merriment at the adorable scene transpiring before him. Carefully stepping off to the side so as not to intrude on the photograph that your mother was trying to take, your redheaded friend chanced a glance in your twin's direction. Tsuna looked anything but pleased, his eyes having taken on a jealous glint while his mother fussed over you and Gokudera. Shouichi grinned weakly, not at all surprised by Tsuna's obvious discontent with the situation at hand. A flash of light flooded the entryway, soon followed by your giggles and Gokudera's sputters.

"Now, now. Why don't you two get closer~?" Nana suggested with a playful smile.

Laughing at your mother's silliness, you did as you were told. Moving closer to your flustered companion, you linked hands with Gokudera, catching the poor fellow off-guard. Giving your Storm's hand a gentle squeeze, you peered up at him, gracing him with a sweet smile that immediately had Gokudera's face burning with a dark blush. "Thanks for putting up with this, Goku-chan," the blinding flashes of your mother's camera continued to go off without any signs of relent. "This really means a lot to her."

Instinctively tightening his hold on your hand, Gokudera groaned softly in embarrassment, feeling his ears burn heavily due to his extremely flustered state of mind. Timidly glancing into your eyes, Gokudera's heart stuttered against his chest, mind drawing an instant blank. The mere sight of your beautiful sepia eyes calmed Gokudera's frazzled nerves, allowing the young man's tense posture to fall lax. A smile quirked Gokudera's lips upwards, his eyes softening while staring adoringly into mesmerizing eyes. Gently resting his forehead against yours, your beloved Storm Guardian sighed in content, giving your hand yet another affectionate squeeze. Those blinding flashes and the sounds of your mother's delighted squeals became nothing more than noise in the background. All that Gokudera could focus on right now was you and you alone. Nothing else mattered.

"Anything for you, Princess…"

I talk a lot of (shh) when I'm drinking, baby,
I'm known to go a little too fast.
Don't mind all my friends, I know they're all crazy,
But they're the only friends that I have.
I know I don't know you,
But I'd like to skip the small talk and romance, girl.
That's all I have to say so, baby, can we dance?

"Tsu-chan! Shou-chan! Good morning!"

Your group had barely passed through the entrance gates to the prestigious Ouran Academy when a voice had suddenly called out to you, halting you in your tracks. The familiar voice belonged to none other than Haruhi Fujioka. Standing off to the side, the young woman appeared to have been awaiting your group's arrival. Smiling brightly at the sight of such wonderfully familiar faces, Haruhi jogged over to join your side, coming to a stop just a few inches in front of you. Clapping her hands together, the young cross-dresser flashed you a grin. "I'm so glad to see you! I felt so out of place without you here."

Your airy laughter filled the air, warming your companions' hearts. "Ah, I know what'cha mean. All of these rich folk have such a different air about them. It's unsettling," your statement had garnered a nod of agreement from your female friend. "I much prefer to stick to my own group of friends. Their company is so much better than anyone here." Gokudera could not deny the natural instinct to puff his chest out in pride after hearing your comment. Haruhi's right hand hastily flew up to cover the grin that had appeared on her face after having observed the smitten delinquent's response to your praise. How utterly endearing!

Covering up a chuckle that had unintentionally left her lips, Haruhi coughed into her fist, her little slip up going completely unnoticed. Smiling softly at her silent victory, the young woman lowered her arm to her side. Her calculating gaze locked with Gokudera's own pensive one. The two stared at one another, evaluating the other's presence. Haruhi did not miss the way the young man's face naturally fell to form that infamous scowl that had been plastered on his features during his explosive entrance the other day. His body posture was guarded, hands stuffed into the pockets of his pants. The dynamite attached to his spiked chain was a little concerning, but Haruhi highly doubted that this rebellious youth would be so careless with his weapons – especially with your safety being his top priority. If anything, he'd probably chuck those sticks at the Host Club. Damn pricks have it coming…

"My name is Haruhi Fujioka," the young woman introduced herself whilst performing a bow. Her action appeared to have baffled Gokudera, a feat Haruhi didn't think she'd be able to pull off, yet oddly enough, she did. Could it be that people weren't usually so civil when interacting with this young man? Judging from the intimidating aura emitting from Gokudera, it wasn't too hard to come to a quick conclusion. Not wanting to start off on the wrong foot, Haruhi held out her hand, making sure to have direct eye contact with your Storm Guardian. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Haruhi's hand remained untouched for a few minutes, seeing as how occupied Gokudera currently was with silently sizing her up. The silverette could recall how this young woman had been a part of yours and that nerd's little posse, the errand boys for those sleazy rich pricks. At least, until you were promoted to Hosts. So, that ridiculously large debt had entangled this woman, too? That means she had also probably been roped to entertain these rich women. What was it again? One thousand guests had to request your group, right? Tch! Tilting his head back, Gokudera felt his stomach churn uncomfortably at the thought of you having to flirt with these stuck-up bimbos. He knew from personal experience how conniving and petty these broads could be, and he'd be damned if he let anyone of those fucking bitches have at you – not on his watch. Allowing his peridot eyes to rove over Haruhi's form once more in a scrutinizing observation, the young man grit his teeth, jerking his hand out of his pocket and grasping Haruhi's in a firm and awkward handshake.

"Feh, nice to meet you," Gokudera tried his best to keep the low growl from his voice. Quickly releasing the young woman's hand in a motion that made it appear like her appendage had been made of acid, the disgruntled Mafioso shoved his hand back into his pocket.

The awkward grin that Shouichi graced Haruhi with hinted to the young woman that this was most likely the tamest form of greeting she'd ever get from this irritable youth. No matter, Haruhi mused to herself with a small smile. The fact that Gokudera had even bothered to shake her hand had spoken volumes to her. Judging from that ethereal glow you currently had about your features, this was a rare occurrence indeed.

Clapping your hands together to express your obvious joy, your eyes shimmered ever so brightly, flashing between your beloved subordinate and your one and only ally at Ouran Academy. "I'm so glad you could properly meet Goku-chan!" Your smiled widened the moment that cherished nickname fell from your lips, also sending poor Gokudera into a tizzy, much to Haruhi and Shouichi's personal amusement. "It was so crazy yesterday, you two weren't able to truly meet up until now," Your eyes locked with Haruhi's, glistening with an abundant amount of pride. "Isn't Goku-chan just the coolest?! His dynamic entrance totally blew everyone away! Ah, I'll never forget that look on Ayanokoji's face – Goku-chan totally put her in her place! He's so fucking amazing!"

Shouichi could barely stifle his laughter. Your vocabulary had certainly taken on a colorful twist ever since Gokudera had stormed his way into yours and Tsuna's lives. It was no secret, the enormous influence this rebellious youth had on you. You had always been outspoken and brash, that was what separated you from your meek and timid twin. Gokudera had full-heartedly accepted that part of you. The two of you were an unstoppable force, easily complimenting the other for their flaws and balancing one another out. Both you and Gokudera were the calm to your storms. It was not an easy feat to tame such wild and unruly personalities, but the two of you made it look so natural. There truly could not have been a more perfect match made in heaven. You and Gokudera were simply meant to be – if only Shouichi could just convince that stubborn fool of a mechanic friend of his to agree.

Haruhi took immense delight in watching that horrendous scowl be wiped entirely from Gokudera's visage, only to be replaced by the darkest blush she's even seen on a person. In a frantic attempt to hide his flustered appearance, Gokudera buried his face into the palms of his hands, sputtering indignantly.

"Goku-chan è così meraviglioso! Lui è solo il più grande!"

Ah, you got overexcited, Shouichi noted in amusement, grinning widely at the sound of you naturally slipping into another language. This tended to happen whenever you get worked up during your rants about a certain silver-haired Mafioso. You had eagerly taken a crash course in learning Italian with Shouichi after Gokudera's heritage had been revealed. Though you were still relatively new to the language, and your pronunciation could be tuned up here and there, you had a basic understanding of it and a habit of blurting out particular sentences and phrases that complimented your beloved subordinate.

Poor Gokudera could not prevent himself from swooning. The young man fell to his knees, his eyes glistening brightly with so much love and adoration. Clasping his hands together, the rebellious youth did not care in the least about the dark flush that was currently coating his face. Dog ears and a fluffy tail sprouted to give Gokudera that renowned look of being the loyal dog that he was to the Vongola family. Reborn often liked to tease the Storm Guardian over his puppy love for you, but in this instant, that hitman could not have been more correct with his crazy assumptions.

"Ah, la mia principessa, sei così di talento! Così carino, così carino, così carino! Oh, sono così fortunati ad avere te come mia principessa!"

Gokudera's declaration had managed to capture the attention of quite a few ladies. Heads had whipped around, feet scrambling to rush over towards the source of these women's sudden infatuation. Though there was now a large crowd surrounding your group, squeals filling the air, hearts flying and bursting like fireworks – nothing could possibly shatter the illusion between you and Gokudera. Holding your hands out, your Hurricane Bomb Hayato instantly intertwined his fingers with yours. The two of you shared identical grins, cheeks stained with light blushes. Shouichi and Haruhi had to cover their ears to protect their eardrums from the deafening shrieks of the female students. Good grief! How did this not faze you?! The volume increased tremendously, earning a wince from Shouichi. Glancing in your direction, your childhood friend could now determine the main source as to why all these ladies were currently going overboard. You and Gokudera were putting on quite the show; with the delinquent on his knees gazing up at you as if you were the most precious thing on this earth, you smiling so brilliantly at the young man, causing Gokudera to mirror your happy expression. Your interlocked hands and touching foreheads was the icing on the cake, effectively sending these poor women into such a crazed twitter.

Placing a hand on her hip, Haruhi observed the scene before her. "I'm starting to believe that getting one thousand guests to request our group isn't going to be such an impossible task," the young woman mused with a smile, sharing a knowing glance with Shouichi. "If all it takes to blow these ladies away is just a few simple interactions between Tsu-chan and Gokudera – we'll be out of debt in no time at all!"

Shouichi could only shake his head and laugh. With the way you two danced around each other, your playful flirting would be more than enough to satisfy your guests. If they were suckers for the Hitachiin twins' act of Brotherly Love, then heaven help them all when these ladies bore witness to Gokudera's aggressive overprotectiveness and constant worshipping of you, particularly when he was feeling threatened by other males' presences. Releasing a small snuff of air, Shouichi adjusted his glasses.

This was certainly going to be an interesting first day of having Gokudera working with your group in the Host Club.

Here we go again, another drink I'm caving in,
And stupid words keep falling from my mouth.
You know that I mean well,
My hands were meant for somewhere else.
Your eyes are doing naughty butterflies

"What.the.hell."

Gokudera had to do a double take after entering the Music Room. Clearly there had to be some fucking mistake, the silverette thought to himself, his right brow twitching in irritation. There was no logical response for this…this… shaking his head to clear his jumbled thoughts, Gokudera absorbed the sight before him once more to see if he could actually process it the second time around. It was like your group had entered the Amazon. Lush, tropical trees and foliage inhabited the room. The air was humid, the perfect temperature to please the butterflies that were fluttering about. Toucans and other rare birds not native to Japan were occupying the treetops. Their excited chatter bounced off of the walls and echoed throughout the room. Beautiful red hibiscuses stood out prominently amongst the foliage. Gokudera's fingers twitched anxiously by his sides, wanting nothing more than to reach out and grasp hold of one of those stunning flowers so that he gift it to you. His face heated up at the thought of his flame color being represented in the hibiscus, pinned right above your ear in your silky locks of hair, a silent claim that you belonged to the Storm. Slapping a hand over the lower half of his face in an attempt to hide his flush, Gokudera focused his attention on the group of boys gathered in the center of the room.

Those fucking prissies were donned in attire to match the environment. Clad in the finest silk and expensive jewelry, all chests were bare, more than likely a ploy conned up to draw more female customers, Gokudera deduced with an irritable frown. Che! How disgusting was this?! Your eyes should not be subjected to such…such shameless, vulgar bullshit! Subconsciously moving to stand in front of you, Gokudera grit his teeth, his stomach roiling angrily. Do you seriously have to work the entire day with these damn guys while they are dressed like this?! Hell to the fucking NO!

"—Welcome!" the Host Club chorused together, sparkles appearing over their forms and nearly blinding your group with its sheer luminosity.

Silence was met with their greeting, your group staring incredulously at the sight that lay out before you.

"Oh, it's you, Tsuya," the Hitachiin twins acknowledged, their voices bland and uncaring – just like their gazes. You bristled slightly, shooting a glare in their general direction. You had a terrible urge to flip them off, but that gesture was put on hold, seeing as how Gokudera had grasped a hold of your hand. Clearly he had picked up on your uneasiness, silently showing you his unwavering support with a small affectionate squeeze. His gesture had effectively captured your undivided attention, the two of you sharing a look that had the Hitachiin twins seething. How dare you ignore them?! Not wanting to be denied your attention any longer, Hikaru spat out his next words. "You're late!"

Whipping a small schedule book from her pocket, Haruhi flipped through the pages, her eyes darting from the little book to the outrageous surroundings of the Music Room. "According to my calendar, this is definitely still early April."

Shouichi glanced outside the window, taking notice of the Sakura blossoms on the trees. "No doubt about that."

"Huddling under a kotatsu table, fearing the cold weather would be nonsense!" Tamaki whipped out an exotic paper fan, twirling out of his seat with grace, the silk fabric of his elaborate costume flaring out with each spin he performed, "Why else would we have this perfect heating and cooling system?" Roses exploded behind his form, startling Shouichi before the flowers burst in a spectacular show of dew and sparkles, the petals dancing elegantly around the King to give him an overdramatic flair that was wholly unnecessary.

Writing away on his clipboard, Kyouya could not keep the smug smirk off of his lips. "Do you have some sort of criticism of our club's policies? Tsuna-kun, whose group owes us a debt of eight million yen?"

"Tch! My Princess can think whatever she wants of your stupid club!" Gokudera growled, his body snapping to attention the instant you had been addressed. Glaring daggers at the raven-haired male, your Storm Guardian desperately tried to fight off the urge to blow this motherfucker to smithereens. There was something unnerving about this guy…he gave off the same uncomfortable feeling Gokudera got whenever he was in the presence of that fucking Mist bastard. Gotta keep an eye on him… the silverette Mafioso cast one last scathing glare in Kyouya's direction before focusing entirely on you.

Lightly tapping his pen against his paperwork, Kyouya's glasses reflected the lighting of the room, blocking all from viewing his devious expression. The files attached to his clipboard were jam-packed with both typed and handwritten information regarding one infamous Gokudera Hayato. The delinquent's picture could be found clipped to the upper right portion of the paperwork, that infamous scowl of his captured perfectly on camera. Tapping the photograph three times with the tip of his sheathed pen, Kyouya allowed a quick quirk of his lips before once again wiping the emotion clean off his face.

"Fine men do not bundle up in bulky clothing," Tamaki purred, slowly trailing his left hand down his chest, his right fanning himself, "It may be a chilling early spring out in the world, but in our club, we welcome our chilly little kittens to warm, south tropical aura!" Snapping his fan shut with a flick of his wrist, Tamaki pranced over to your form, only to hastily make a retreat when Gokudera snarled dangerously at him while holding his ground in front of you in a protective stance. Making a beeline for Haruhi instead, the King pretended as if he had not just been scared shitless, throwing his arm over the young woman's shoulder, Tamaki gestured grandly to his club, bright yellow sparkles flashing flamboyantly about his lithe form. "Yes! Today, this place is supreme paradise, a hot, hot island of everlasting summer!"

Shouichi sighed in exasperation, his shoulders sagging. "You say that, but I, on the other hand, feel a chill in every sense of the word."

"The Host Club is now open for business."

"What heartlessness! Even with my lustrous skin, like ivory, and my outfit, like that of a Balinese king, all too fitting for me," Tamaki purred, lightly dragging his right hand over his elaborate outfit, the Host King put on the entire works whilst wooing his customers, easily pleasing them with his sugar-coated words. Lighting grasping his brunette customer's chin, Tamaki tilted her face up, gracing her with a seductive smile that had all of the women swooning. "I am no more than a slave before my goddess, kneeling, and swearing my loyalty."

"Tamaki-kun…"

"Tamaki-sama…"

"Fantastic!"

"Tch…" Gokudera's right brow twitched irritably. What kind of nonsense was this?! Not wanting to linger any longer than he had too, the silverette roughly slammed down three glass drinks of tropical smoothies for the female guests occupying that dumbass' table. Lifting the now empty circular platter up, Gokudera used the dish as a fan to wave away all of the hearts floating about, appearing like an endless stream from the love-struck women.

Tamaki shot a coy glance in the delinquent's direction. That rebellious fellow had been so quick to overtake the chores that Kyouya had originally assigned you. Despite all of his curses and insults, Gokudera was quite efficient with his work. A task he more than likely took seriously so that you would not have to be burdened with any blunders. It was almost like that delinquent knew just how petty Kyouya could be. So, to avoid any additional work or debt that might be dumped onto you, Gokudera carried out each task flawlessly, much to the Shadow King's delight and annoyance. Tamaki spared his raven-haired companion a knowing look, watching Kyouya as he silently observed Gokudera and waited with baited breath for any kind of slip-up that might occur. He's enjoying this a little too much… Tamaki sighed in exasperation.

"I never would have thought you'd agree to wearing this attire~" Tamaki teased, flashing your Storm Guardian a smirk. "Honestly, I had thought you'd fight us tooth and nail before we'd ever be able to get you to cosplay."

Gokudera snarled at Tamaki's taunts, whipping the platter back to hold by his side in a shaky grasp. It took every ounce of self-control he had not to chuck it with all his might at the fucking fool's face. The stunning gold bracelets rattled softly against Gokudera's shaking hands, gleaming brilliantly in the artificial lighting. The gold arm bands glinted brightly, drawing attention to Gokudera's biceps which flexed naturally whenever he was irritated or angry. A stunning gold collar necklace embedded with dazzling red jewels hung around Gokudera's neck, giving a brilliant view of the pale skin of his shoulders. The silky white fabric of his outfit only covered the left side of his upper torso, leaving the right half bare. A gold belt with increate designs was attached to his slender waist. Unsurprisingly, Gokudera had selected one that had been covered with skull carvings. A dark red silk was the material used for his knee-length skirt, wrapping elegantly around the white fabric and tied to hang loosely around his waist. Gold gladiator sandals adorned his feet, the stunning designs of the footwear coming up to reach just below his knees. Various rings littered the delinquent's fingers, gold material, white crystals and red jewels mixing together to create a stunning display.

"Che! Don't look so fucking smug, you damn bastard!" Gokudera bared his teeth, eyes flashing angrily at the Host King. "The only reason I'm wearing this outfit is because my Prince asked me to!"

The way your beautiful eyes had lit up the moment you had seen the exotic outfits that the Host Club had gathered for today's event, how in the hell could Gokudera possibly ever deny you anything when you looked at him with those big, pleading eyes?! Tch! It wasn't like he was eager to put on the damn costume just so he could watch your entire face take on that ethereal glow he loved so much, or hear those gushing compliments you gave him that never failed to leave him weak in the knees, and it most certainly did NOT have anything to do with wanting to please you in any way that he can, damn it! Ugh. Who the hell was he kidding? He'd fucking don anything you'd ask him to without a single compliant. Screw everyone else! Your happiness was the only thing that mattered to Gokudera in the end.

Tamaki chuckled softly under his breath, his eyes dancing with mirth after hearing your subordinate's retort. That certainly was the case, wasn't it? Whipping his fan open once more with a quick flick of his wrist, Tamaki hid his coy smile behind the accessory, not wanting to further evoke this delinquent's wrath any more than he already had today. Gokudera was a ticking time bomb, and the only way to diffuse him quickly and efficiently – would be by using you. Alas, since you were not within arm's reach at the moment, perhaps it would be for the best if Tamaki did not push his already straining luck.

Casually flipping his silky locks, the Host King smiled brightly at his three customers. "Oh yes, next week, Ouran Host Club will be sponsoring a dance party."

A dance party? Gokudera narrowed his eyes, casting that idiotic blonde a wary glance. Just what the hell was this retard up to now? If going all out to elaborately decorate the Music Room for just a mere afternoon session was Tamaki's idea of a fun fleeting binge, then mercy help you all if this guy decided to put together a fucking dance party.

"What will you be doing at this dance party?"

Gokudera turned his attention towards the Hitachiin twins' table, curious to see how they would respond to the young woman.

"We're renting the large hall in the central building…"

That's the older twin, Gokudera silently observed, his eyes scanning over the eldest of the Hitachiin brothers. It had been difficult before, defining what separated the two twins from one another. However, after observing yours and the Tenth's twin relationship up close first hand for the past few years, Gokudera had come to realize how easily it truly was to differentiate between the two. The hard part for most people would be having to take the time to actually notice these little quirks. After having been exposed to the true entirety of yours and the Tenth's special bond, it was so easy for Gokudera to piece together just which Hitachiin twin was which.

"…and throwing a big main event there."

Definitely the younger one… Gokudera silently confirmed, tilting his head back slightly as he observed the quirky twins known as the Hitachiins. You had personally warned him about the 'unusual' relationship ruse those two would partake in during Host Club hours. So far, it didn't seem too terribly off –

Hikaru had suddenly taken on a more dominating posture, leaning over Kaoru whilst gently tipping his younger sibling's chin upward, their noses barely brushing as the older twin purred out his words. "Although, I really wanted to spend time alone with you, Kaoru~"

Leaning into his older twin's touch, Kaoru glanced off to the side in embarrassment. "Don't say that Hikaru… I'm the one who really wanted it…"

"WHAT-THE-HELL-IS-THAT?!"

The metal platter had fallen out of Gokudera's hand, hitting the floor with a loud 'bang'. Jaw hung open in obvious disbelief, Gokudera hastily snapped it shut before a look of pure repulsion overtook his handsome features. His body was shaking in anger, fucking pissed to infinity and beyond with the fact that you had been exposed to such…such…WHATEVER THE HELL THAT is! Baring his teeth, Gokudera released a dark snarl, his hands twitching anxiously out of reflex to reach for his dynamite. Just before his fingers even had the chance to brush against the material of his trademark weapon attached to the chain on his hip, Gokudera found himself blinking in surprise, his once tense posture immediately relaxing upon feeling a familiar hand grabbing hold of his. Peering down to his right, Gokudera was graced with the sight of your exasperated expression.

"Told you those two are wackos…"

Your small form was clad in an outfit almost identical to your Hurricane Bomber's. The only notable differences would be instead of the vibrant color red, you were garbed in stunning orange silk. Fire opal accompanied your jewelry, and Gokudera could not hide his grin at the fact that there was still traces of red mixed in with your trademark color. White bindings were visible on the section where your chest was to be bare. Gokudera had nearly lost his sanity when those fucking twins had suggested that they could personally assist you with making sure that your bindings were well in place. Thankfully, that damn nerd and Haruhi had immediately intervened before Gokudera could blow up the dressing quarters (more than likely adding to their ever growing debt). It had taken a bit of time to calm Gokudera's immense rage, but after you had snapped at those lecherous twins that your Storm Guardian would be the only other male - aside from your childhood friend and the Tenth – who would ever be allowed to help you with your chest bindings, Gokudera had instantly been calmed (though, he did have a horrible nose bleed to tend to after that). However, the one piece of your attire that stood out like no other, would be the beautiful red hibiscus tucked delicately behind your right ear.

Gokudera hummed softly in agreement, all of his negative emotions immediately draining from his body the moment he looked into your marvelous sepia eyes. Gently rubbing his thumb against the back of your silky hand, the Hurricane Bomb Hayato felt entirely at peace in your presence. Having been far too wrapped up – in silently worshiping you – Gokudera was oblivious to Kyouya creeping on you two from the sidelines. Smirking deviously at the love-struck expression on the delinquent's face, the Shadow King quickly jotted down a few notes, quite pleased with his current findings.

"A little moderate exposure is popular," Kyouya spoke up, taking great delight in the fact that he had personally popped the 'lovebirds' bubble. Allowing his lips to quirk up to form his signature smirk, Kyouya met Gokudera's scathing glare head on.

Shouichi had hastily made his way over to your side, having felt Gokudera's growing anger from three tables down. The sheer look of animosity coating the handsome Italian's face was a dead giveaway to Shouichi that your Storm Guardian was close to cracking and going off on a wild tantrum. Wheezing slightly from his mad dash, Shouichi nervously adjusted his glasses, quickly throwing out his words in an effort to dispel Gokudera's rage by changing the subject. "Did you come up with this plan, Kyouya-senpai?"

The raven haired male let out a small snort, his glasses suddenly reflecting off the artificial light when Kyouya tilted his head back, effectively hiding his expression from all. "I have no decision making authority," he admitted in a dismissive tone, "The club's policies are all laid out by the King, Tamaki." Taking a small pause to adjust his glasses with his middle finger, Kyouya's gaze was visible once more. His deceitful grin was made obvious to all, becoming even more menacing with the sudden visual of a python coiling its way around the tree behind him. "Although, I may have found it worth the effort to casually slip a photo book of Bali onto his desk."

Cold shudders enveloped your group. This eerie feeling was no stranger. You had all felt this chilling air when in the presence of your notorious Mist Guardian. The uncanny resemblance between Mukuro and Kyouya was downright worrisome! Wary glances were thrown in the cunning raven-haired male's direction. This guy is the Shadow King.

"Ta-da!" Honey squealed happily, thrusting his arms out whilst puffing his chest to show off the beautiful camellia lei he was wearing. Bright yellow sparkles flashed vibrantly behind this adorable youth, sending his two female customers into hysterics as they shrieked loudly in delight.

"Honey-kun, you're so cute!"

"Hee hee, these are Balinese flowers. We had them flown in," Honey explained with a smile, gently holding up the bottom half of his tropical lei. His attention was effectively captured by the sight of Mori walking by with a pineapple in hand. "Ah, Takashi!" Throwing himself onto the taller male's form, Honey expertly climbed his way up so that he could place an identical lei over Mori's head. Grinning triumphantly at his accomplishment, Honey leaned his head on Mori's shoulder. "Look! Now we match!"

Honey's guests were swooning at the sight, almost toppling right out of their chairs in the process. "You're all in camellias~!"

"Tsuna-kun!"

It took you a moment before you realized you were being addressed. Blinking in surprise, you were startled to find yourself swarmed by a group of flustered girls. Gokudera instinctively tightened his hold on your hand, easing your nerves and causing a smile to appear on your features due to his overprotective nature. Lightly squeezing your subordinate's hand back, you were oblivious to the adoring look he spared you in that moment. Your female guests, however, did not miss the endearing gesture. Their sudden squeals caught you off guard, earning a baffled look from you in response to their overzealous fangirl episodes.

"Tsuna-kun, you look so handsome!"

"I'm so happy that you dressed up in a south tropical outfit!"

"That hibiscus looks so cute on you~!"

At the mention of your hair accessory, you beamed brightly at your female guests, effectively silencing their loud squeals after having witnessed such a stunning expression on your features. "Ah, thank you!" a light flush dusted across your face, "Goku-chan gave it to me," grinning widely in delight, you squeezed said male's hand. "I love it so much!"

Shouichi snorted into his hand, trying desperately to stifle his oncoming giggles. You had not only sent your female guests into a tizzy over your adorable commentary and joyous expression, but you had completely flustered your smitten subordinate into a similar state. Ah, the poor fellow was so utterly whipped when it came to you. Unable to prevent an oncoming smile from appearing on his lips, Shouichi watched the daily routine between you and Gokudera unfold. His heart lurched in joy, an odd but welcoming reaction compared to his usual stomach cramps.

"Ah, my Prince~!"

"Excuse me…"

Gokudera was effectively snapped out of his puppy stage, his peridot eyes glaring irritably at the source who had the audacity to actually try and reach out to place a hand on you. Catching you by complete surprise, Gokudera quickly spun you out of the woman's reach, tugging you close to his side and taking a few steps off to the left for good measure to put some distance between you and that fucking broad. Gritting his teeth, Gokudera took a protective stance in front of you. He had seen this woman before, flitting between Haruhi, Shouichi, and lastly, himself. She had shamelessly been flirting with the new recruits, batting those thick eyelashes of hers in hopes of leaving a lasting impression.

From what Gokudera had observed, Haruhi had been nothing but polite to the female guest, and if he had to take a guess, she was absolutely oblivious to the heavy flirtation that had been in the works. When that blasted woman moved onto Shouichi, it was clear that she had made him extremely uncomfortable. Nevertheless, Shouichi kept his table manners and sat through the session with a strained smile before he finally let his relieved expression slip past his polite façade once the his time with the customer was up. That's when that irritating woman set her sights on Gokudera. The Mafioso made it quite clear from the moment she approached him that he was not fucking interested in her lame flirting attempts.

Keeping his responses to a bare minimum, which ended up being no more than a few grunts and impatient growls, Gokudera wanted nothing more than to tell this dumb broad off. With his anger slowly reaching its peak, the female customer was spared from the Mafioso's unrelenting rage thanks to you entering the scene. Despite how utterly elated Gokudera was to see you, he could not help but feel his stomach coil uncomfortably at the predatory look that damn bitch sent your way. Since then, Gokudera has been working exceptionally hard to keep you far, far, far away from her hungry touch. He had been doing a pretty damn good job of it too, until now, at least. Fucking hell!

"I believe that it's just about time for designee changes," the young woman cooed, flashing a coy smile in your direction. Her bronze eyes flitted over to lock gazes with your Storm Guardian, "Gokudera-kun, you've been keeping Tsuna-kun all to yourself," she teased lightly, earning a small snarl from the silverette in response, "I do believe it's my turn to play with him now~"

"Tch!" Gokudera wrapped his arm possessively around your waist, tugging you ever closer to his side. "If you haven't already fucking noticed, we're a packaged deal," Squeezing your waist as though to emphasize his point, Gokudera tilted his head back, narrowing his handsome gaze at the woman in a silent challenge. Despite his tactics to scare this fucking bitch off, Gokudera bared his teeth in obvious displeasure when that conniving broad actually had the nerve to meet his glare head on with a small head tilt of her own. A dark, saturated red slowly began to overtake Gokudera's vision. A clear indication that his anger was creeping ever closer to its infamous peak. That horrid burning sensation roiling wildly in his lower abdomen halted the moment Gokudera felt you leaning into his touch. Peering down, the Storm was graced with the sight of your bewitching gaze. All that anger, all that rage…it simmered down to the point of being nonexistent. Groaning softly in silent resignation, Gokudera understood what you were conveying to him without speaking a single word. Giving your waist one last possessive squeeze, the Italian allowed his tense posture to fall lax. Gently laying his head atop of yours, your Storm sent a weary glare in the direction of that smug bitch.

Batting her eyelashes at you, the young woman dared to inch closer. "I'm Kasugazaki Kanako, 2nd-Year Class B."

"Hello," you greeted politely with a small grin. Gokudera's grip on your waist tightened naturally, a clear sign that he was not comfortable with how up close and personal this guest was being with you. The low growl sounding from his clenched teeth was his trademark warning to people to back the fuck off. These adorable actions of his quite reminded you of a loyal dog guarding his owner. It made your heart flutter to think that Gokudera's overprotectiveness of you never dulled throughout the passing years. Casting a quick glance up at your devoted subordinate, you could not help but focus entirely on how beautiful his peridot eyes were…

A small frown appeared on Kanako's lips, her brows furrowing together in irritation with the fact that your attention was not directed entirely onto her. Instead, you were gazing at that delinquent with such a…such an adoring look. The mere sight left Kanako's stomach roiling uncomfortably. Why couldn't she get anyone to look at her like the way you and Gokudera gazed at one another?! Quickly brushing away her pessimistic thoughts, Kanako took another step forward, her right hand jerking out so that she could grasp a hold of your chin and forcefully turn your head to look at her and only her.

"You're even cuter than the rumors," Kanako purred, flashing your enraged Storm Guardian a coy glance before focusing once more on your adorably bewildered expression. "I've decided," the young woman smiled brightly, not at all deterred when Gokudera suddenly slapped her hand away and hastily hid you behind his back. Clasping her hands together, Kanako flushed in delight, "Tsunayoshi-kun, I'm going to make you my new favorite."

Oh, oh, one more drink and I should go,
Oh, oh, but maybe she might like me though.
Oh, oh, I just can't think of what to say,
Should I go, should I stay?
Just can't let her slip away.

The Host Club was now closed, giving the members a small break of relaxation from their busy day. Rays of the setting sun streamed into the room, basking it with a beautiful red glow. Having changed back into your Ouran Academy uniform, the hibiscus that Gokudera had gifted you with was pinned delicately over the embroidered logo of your jacket. Said male was currently stewing in anger, glaring balefully at Tamaki and snarling imminent death threats under his breath. Your beloved Storm Guardian had placed full blame on the Host King for Kanako's sudden infatuation with you. The moment the Host Club's entertaining hours had come to a close, Gokudera did not hesitate to whisk you away bridal style from Kanako's greedy presence. His exit with you had left quite a bit of commotion with the twitter-patted guests, leaving Kyouya to calm the overzealous fangirls and gently usher them away.

Shouichi stood by your side, watching Tamaki drown his sorrows in a bowl of instant ramen. Honestly, that man had no trouble with going through your group's things so that he could dabble with the products and food supplies of the 'commoners'. Allowing a small sigh of exasperation to leave his lips, Shouichi crossed his arms over his chest and watched the moping blonde devour what had originally been his lunch. Thankfully, you had kindly offered to share your bento box with your childhood friend, making sure that he did not go hungry. Gokudera had put up little resistance to you having to share your meal with Shouichi, instead, the silverette directed all of his anger at Tamaki. It was a nice change for your redheaded friend, not to be the sole source of Gokudera's turbulent emotions.

"I can't accept this," Tamaki garbled through a mouthful of noodles, earning himself a few disgusted looks from his peers in return.

"Sir, stop eating that commoners' ramen and come help us with the dance party planning," Hikaru groused in annoyance.

Kaoru shot Tamaki an unimpressed look. "Is Princess Kasuga taking a liking to Tsuya really bothering you that much?"

The twins shared an irritable glance with one another. Personally, neither one of them were too thrilled with the fact that someone else had set their eyes on you. It was hard enough as it was to try and get a rise out of you with their playful taunts, what with Gokudera breathing down their necks and intercepting them whenever they had tried to approach their new favorite toy. Clearly that delinquent was having none of it, and if the Hitachiin twins even tried to chance a glance in your general direction, they were instantly met with Gokudera's seething glare. There's was no denying the fact that the imbecile left Hikaru and Kaoru highly unsettled. What with him parading around with those blasted sticks of dynamite on display for all to see. Clearly he had no sense of moral when it came to other's safety, that delinquent only had eyes for you. It was aggravating and downright disgusting! How the hell where the twins ever going to get around to toying with you if that idiotic delinquent remained glued to your side like white on rice?!

"Her illness isn't something that just started, right?" Kyouya noted in a monotone, seated at the small round table and typing away furiously on his laptop.

Haruhi blinked in surprise, glancing towards the Shadow King with a look of concern on her face. "Illness?"

"Wandering host-hopping disease," Hikaru gave a careless shrug of his shoulders.

"Otherwise known as never-the-same-boy-twice disease," Kaoru finished his older twin's sentence.

Kyouya continued typing on his laptop, eager to get the dance party plans underway so that he could get an estimate on the total cost and how he could easily reign in more money from the whole event. His right eye twitched irritably, the feeling of Haruhi's gaze locked on his form finally wore him down to further elaborate Kanako's 'condition'. "Usually our regular customers designate the same host in perpetuity, but she tends to change her favorite on a regular basis."

"Up until last time, she was with Tama-chan, right?" Hunny's sweet voice piped up. The small boy was currently coddling his pink bunny plush, staring at said moping friend of his.

Haruhi sighed loudly, tiredly rubbing her face in the palm of her hands after having finally come to a full understanding of the situation. "Ah, this is because he had his guest taken from him," the young woman grumbled, shooting the overdramatic blonde an exasperated look. A startled shriek suddenly left Haruhi's lips when Tamaki suddenly appeared before her in a flash and shoved his face mere inches in front of her own, screaming out his denial over the matter. Feeling her chair tipping back, Haruhi flailed her arms frantically, trying to regain her balance. Thankfully, Shouichi came to her rescue and quickly latched his hands onto the back of her chair, halting her from hitting the ground and slowly pushing her back up. Haruhi shot her redheaded friend a thankful glance, earning a shy grin from the male in return.

"I'm at my limit of patience!" Tamaki screeched in despair, tugging relentlessly at his golden locks. Pausing for a moment, the overdramatic male appeared to come to some kind of conclusion with himself. Jerking himself into an upright positon, Tamaki pointed in yours and Haruhi's direction. "Tsuya, Haruhi, start dressing like girls!"

You and Haruhi blinked in surprise, staring silently at the Host King in bewilderment from his sudden outburst. The two of you chanced a quick look between one another before redirecting your gazes back to Tamaki. Your lack of response only seemed to further drown Tamaki into despair. "Why do you two have to be so popular with the girls, when you yourselves are girls?!" Stamping his foot childishly against the floor, Tamaki flailed his arms about. "To put it bluntly, the only ones who know that you're girls are in this club!"

Hikaru and Kaoru slid into view behind their enraged King. Holding their hands up high while blurting out comments about how you and Haruhi had managed to keep your true gender under-wraps for so long.

"They opted out of taking any gym classes."

"Attendance numbers are mixed between boys and girls, so no one can tell."

Quickly running off in whirlwind much like the Tasmanian Devil, Tamaki vanished from sight for a moment before suddenly reappearing with a giant chest labeled King's Private Property'. Throwing the lid open, Tamaki's knees hit the ground as he threw his upper body inside the chest, digging around for something your group could not see. "Daddy…Daddy…" Tamaki's pathetic whimpers could be heard from inside the chest, only to amplify once he jerked himself out with a large golden framed portrait in hand. A startled yelp left your lips, your body stumbling back, only to be caught by Gokudera's protective grip as your Storm Guardian held you securely in his hold with his trademark scowl plastered upon his handsome features when Tamaki suddenly slammed the portrait down in front of you and Haruhi. "…wants to see you the way you were back then!"

There, blown up in high resolution were self-portraits of you and Haruhi donning your old feminine looks before joining the host club. The sight left the two of you speechless, gapping widely at your personal photos. Shouichi felt his stomach churn uncomfortably, tightly grasping the material of his shirt in his hand. He could honestly say he felt just as offended as you and Haruhi currently were. This was such an invasion of privacy! Where the hell did Tamaki even get such photos of you two, anyway?!

"What the HELL are you doing with photos of my Princess?!"

Your Storm Guardian's rage was at its peak. The rebellious youth had lunged forward to strangle Tamaki, but you were quick to react by wrapping your arms around Gokudera's slender waist, trying your best to hold him in place despite his erratic movements. The sound of his ignited dynamite sent the surrounding host members into motion, frantically scrambling away from the dangerous explosives. Gokudera's frame was trembling, a clear sign that he was so very close to blowing Tamaki away to kingdom come. Wanting to ease your subordinate's unbridled fury, you gave a gentle squeeze of your arms, the motion having an immediate effect on Gokudera, stilling the angry youth the moment he felt you squeeze his waist. The fuses on his dynamite naturally went out in seconds, much like the anger that had once been coursing hotly through Gokudera's veins, only to disappear the moment he felt you hug him from behind. Peering down at your smaller form, Gokudera felt his heart stutter at the sight of your beautiful sepia eyes filled with nothing but concern for him. Feeling his arms go limp by his sides, your Hurricane Bomb Hayato conceded to your wish. The brilliant smile you flashed his way was the reward he was graced with for his submission. Feeling his face heat up with a dark blush, Gokudera hastily slapped a hand over his face to hide his bashful expression from your adoring gaze.

Oh, you had him absolutely whipped, Shouichi mused with a grin.

"The more I look at this, the more I marvel at it," Hikaru admitted, completely taken with the old photograph of you with your long flowing locks. It looked so soft and silky, the eldest Hitachiin twin blinked in surprise at the sudden thought that had just passed through his mind. Trying his best to ignore the oncoming blush he felt burning in his cheeks, Hikaru jerked his head in your direction, shooting you an unimpressed glare. "How is it that this can become that?"

This time, you willingly let Gokudera escape from your grasp, watching on with impassive eyes as he lunged forward to strangle that blasted moron. How rude! Placing your hands on your hips, you snorted irritably at Hikaru's extremely crude comment. "For your information, you jerk," you sneered, a smirk slowly forming on your lips at the sight of your beloved Storm Guardian shaking the dickens out of that goddamn prick, "It was my home tutor's suggestion to cut my hair. He said I'd never pass off as Nii-san if I didn't have the same hairstyle as him. So~ chop, chop." You shrugged your shoulders lazily while your index and middle fingers mimicked the motion of scissors cutting.

"The day before the entrance ceremonies, I had some gum stuck in my hair from one of the children in my neighborhood," Haruhi explained her version, running her fingers through her short locks, "It was such a pain to get out that I cut it off. I didn't really care if I looked like a boy."

Tamaki wailed loudly in despair. "Girls should not be passing themselves off as boys! It's not natural!"

Seeing as how he was not eliciting valid responses from either you or Haruhi, Tamaki turned on his heel to face the original members of his club. With tears streaming down his face, Tamaki pointed accusingly in yours and Haruhi's direction, "Mommy! Haruhi and Tsuya are using bad words!"

The host members watched their King whip out a handkerchief to bury his face in whilst dramatically falling to his knees. Silence reigned over the males before Kaoru peered questioningly up at a highly unamused Kyouya. "Who's 'Mommy'?"

The Shadow King crossed his arms over his chest. "From a club position standpoint, I guess I am."

Haruhi shook her head at all of the nonsense taking place. Honestly, what was the big deal, anyway? This was being blown way out of proportion. Besides, it shouldn't matter to anyone that she and you preferred to disguise yourself as the opposite gender. Placing her hands on her hips, Haruhi directed her attention back to the sobbing man at her feet. "Well, after all, Tsuya and I can pay back more of our debt before we graduate by being designated hosts, than we can by being errand boys. This makes much more sense."

With the help from his younger brother, Hikaru had finally managed to jerk himself out of Gokudera's bruising hold. Stumbling back a few steps, Hikaru made sure to put a good amount of distance between him and that fucking delinquent. Carefully rubbing his right hand along his sore neck, Hikaru winced at the painful contact against the red skin. No doubt that'll leave a mark, the young man thought darkly to himself while shooting a hostile glare in your subordinate's direction. He was met with a menacing glare from Gokudera, silently challenging Hikaru to just try and step out of place again by insulting you and see how far that got him. Cracking his knuckles to emphasize his threat, a vicious snarl left Gokudera's chapped lips. Subconsciously taking another step back, Hikaru locked his angry gaze on you.

"Do you even have any experience in social dancing?! It's essential for the party, you stupid idiot!"

"Huh? No, but the party has nothing to do with our quota, right?" Shouichi stammered nervously, easily intercepting Gokudera's attempt to knock the lights out in a certain Hitachiin twin for having another jab thrown your way. "W-we're not really interested in going to social events, so if we could be excused…" Your redheaded friend's body went rigid, his face sweating bullets when Tamaki suddenly appeared behind his frame with eyes gleaming brightly like a predator who had just spotted his prey.

"No, social dances are common practice for a gentlemen," Tamaki gloated, smirking widely in delight at having found out this crucial tidbit of knowledge that you and Haruhi had no idea whatsoever on how to properly waltz. Spinning on his heel in a full circle, the Host King pointed directly at you, grinning deviously in delight at the mortified expression splashed across your face. "If you want to walk the path of a host that badly, then you will have to show us how far you are willing to go, Tsunayoshi-kun."

You had not missed the taunt Tamaki had thrown your way by addressing you with your Nii-san's title, egging you to take the bait if you wished to remain in secret with your true gender. "Y-you can't be serious…"

Tilting his head back in an obvious display of pride at having befuddled both yours and Haruhi's plans to remain as proper hosts, Tamaki lips quirked up to form a devious grin. "If you cannot master the waltz in one week, and demonstrate it to us at next week's party – then I will expose the fact that both of you are girls and bust you back down to errand boys!"

I talk a lot of (shh) when I'm drinking, baby,
I'm known to go a little too fast.
Don't mind all my friends, I know they're all crazy,
But they're the only friends that I have.
I know I don't know you,
But I'd like to skip the small talk and romance, girl.
That's all I have to say so, baby, can we dance?

"Y-you're being blackmailed…again?!" Tsuna sputtered in disbelief, his sepia eyes locking on your form before darting towards Gokudera and Shouichi for confirmation. The four of you were currently gathered around the small coffee table located in the center of yours and Tsuna's bedroom. Tsuna's frantic gaze was met with his friends' sympathetic glances, confirming that you were indeed being blackmailed – again. Groaning loudly to vent his anxiety, Tsuna tugged at his brown locks, a personal tick that triggered whenever his nervousness happened to get the better of him. "I don't understand…how does this keep happening?!"

A low growl sounded from Gokudera's throat, his fingers drumming anxiously atop of the table. "Those fucking pricks just don't know when to back the fuck off! You'd think they'd get the hint," the Italian snarled, his right eye twitching irritably as he recalled all of the times those goddamn morons missed or outright ignored his heated warnings to stop involving HIS Princess in their idiotic nonsense. "Che! If those fucking pricks think they can harass my Princess any more than they already fucking have-" Gokudera cracked his knuckles, starling Shouichi with his extreme aggression and unsettling evil grin, "-Then I think it's high time to blast 'em to fucking pieces."

Raising his hands in an effort to try and somehow ease the growing tension within your group, Shouichi tried his best to be the voice of reason. "I-it's really not as bad as it sounds," the redhead stammered, locking gazes with your distraught twin, "Really, it isn't! Tsuya just has to learn to waltz before the big dance party next week. I'm sure she can master it by then. Have a little faith…"

"That's easier said than done!" Tsuna was quick to interject. "How the heck is she supposed to learn how to waltz?! We don't know anything about it, much less anyone who actually knows how to do something so fancy!" Before your twin could spout any more pessimistic thoughts, he was halted from his speech when your little Baymax figurine was suddenly chucked at his head.

"Quit babbling like an idiot and take a moment to actually think, Dame-Tsuna!"

All heads whipped around to face the source of Tsuna's inflicted pain. Sitting comfortably in his hammock hung over your desk, Reborn stared at your group with an impassive expression on his face. "After all you've been through, and your first instinct is to panic like an imbecile. Honestly, have you learned nothing at all through your training?"

"I've learned that you can still be such a blasted, infuriating jerk!" was your brother's biting response, carefully rubbing his right hand over the spot on his head where Reborn had pelt him with your figurine. "Geez, Reborn! Quit chucking things at my head! You're so mean!"

Snorting softly at his student's pitiful retort, Reborn gave a small shake of his head. "Still the no-good pathetic Tsuna as you've always been. Not much has changed," turning his gaze towards you, Reborn's pensive onyx eyes flickered between you and the silverette seated beside you. "The answer is so obvious. Just take a moment to actually think about it. Who do you know that has grown up in a high standing social lifestyle? He's been taught all of the proper etiquette required for a gentleman, and he is the perfect candidate to pass all of this knowledge onto Tsuya."

You followed Reborn's gaze, peering to your left where Gokudera was. Ah! That's right! Your beloved subordinate had been raised with the elite. He knew everything there was to know about dealing with these ridiculous social events thrown by the rich folks. "Goku-chan!" your cry of delight startled your male companions (excluding Reborn, of course), all eyes locking onto you as you stared admiringly at your Storm Guardian. "YOU can teach me how to waltz, can't you? You're amazing! I know I can learn it if you teach me!"

"A-ah," Gokudera sputtered, his wide eyes unable to look away from your adoring gaze. Feeling his cheeks heating up with the telltale sign of a dark (and more than likely permanent) blush, the Italian could not help but swoon. "O-of course, Princess! I'll teach you everything I know! "

Clapping your hands together to express your joy, you smiled brilliantly at your beloved Storm Guardian. "I knew I could count on you, Goku-chan! Thank you so much!"

Tsuna watched on silently, his eyes darting between you and his Right-Hand Man. There was a certain glow about you two, one that's luminosity has been growing brighter and brighter with each passing day. Tsuna recognized it. It was almost identical to that special glow that would occur whenever your parents reunited and got swept away with their overwhelming love for one another. He had been trying his best to ignore the growing bond between you and Gokudera, but that friendship was slowly developing into something more serious…more pure. Wringing his hands together nervously, Tsuna bit his lower lip and tried to quell his growing anxiety. Just how much further were going to going to drift from him? It was already bad enough that you were going to an entirely different school without him, and hell, it had taken him a few years to actually even warm up to the idea that Gokudera had become a person whom you had placed your undivided faith in aside from your own twin and childhood friend. This was all happening too fast!

A hand placed itself on Tsuna's, halting his nervous tick and causing the eldest Sawada twin to stare at the owner. Shouichi shared a tired, knowing grin with his old friend. It hadn't taken him that long to figure out the source of Tsuna's anxiety. Yours and Gokudera's growing relationship had always been an extremely sensitive topic for your twin. There was no doubt that Tsuna wasn't ready to acknowledge what was happening. He had preferred to turn a blind eye, pretending whole heartedly that everything was as it should be and that nothing was changing. Of course, deep down, Tsuna knew. He always had. He just wasn't ready to let you go yet, so for now, he was going to continue to hold onto you for as long as he possibly could.

Giving your older twin's hand one last reassuring squeeze, Shouichi turned his attention towards you and your smitten subordinate. He had to admit, it was hard, watching you slowly come to terms with your feelings for a certain particular bomber. Despite the oddity of you venturing outside of your tightknit group that you, your twin, and Shouichi had originally formed back in your toddler days, it was reassuring to your childhood friend. That you could truly depend on someone other than himself and Tsuna. So long as you were happy, that was all that really mattered to Shouichi. Judging by that ethereal glow that you seemed to have whenever you were in Gokudera's protective presence, Shouichi had no doubt that the rebellious Storm was your Prince Charming. Smiling softly to himself, your childhood friend returned his undivided attention back onto you and Gokudera, content with watching you two exchanging excited banter.

Reborn observed everyone's interactions with a watchful eye. Gently tugging his fedora down to hid his smug expression from view, the Sun Arcobaleno turned onto his side, intent on taking a nap before supper. "…Gli amanti della stella attraversato iniziano il loro viaggio."

I was nearly in, but then came the pushy friend,
Killed the vibe and took my perfect ten away.
You know I need you, girl,
My heart's not made for someone else.
So save me here 'cause I can barely stand.

Shouichi was trying his best not to grin so obnoxiously – really, he was! Hastily covering his mouth with his right hand, the redhead then propped his left arm underneath his right to give off the illusion that he was deep in thought and not inwardly fangirling at the adorable scene occurring before him. His cheeks were stained with a delighted flush, his eyes glistening brightly that in no way concealed just how truly happy he was in this precious moment.

There, smack dab in the center of the room, Gokudera Hayato – the fierce delinquent that sent just about everybody running for the hills – was currently teaching you how to waltz. His trademark scowl was completely absent from his face, instead, a look of complete adoration was donned on his features. Those peridot eyes of his were just shimmering like stars, his lips forming a gentle, loving grin. Gokudera's left palm was gently encasing your smaller right one, and his right hand was placed delicately on your shoulder blade. He was so gentle with his approach, guiding you with soft instructions and movements.

"With your left foot, we're gonna take One: step forward, Princess," Gokudera's voice filtered in your ears. You could almost hear the smile in his voice if you hadn't been so focused on staring at the movement of your feet. Your rapt attention to his instructions only further delighted your subordinate as he gave your right hand a small, affectionate squeeze before continuing with his lesson. "Two: step to the side with your right foot. Three: close your left foot to your right foot." Neither one of you noticed Shouichi whip out his cellphone, a red light suddenly flashing to indicate that he was recording. "Now take a step back on the right, side left, close right foot to left foot."

Gokudera's heart palpitated wildly, his face staining with a smitten blush after hearing you make a small noise of happiness after realizing that he had just walked you through the basic waltz step. "That's it~" Gokudera praised with a grin, opting to ignore his erratically beating heart as he lead you once more through the dance. "One, two, three~ One, two, three~ One, two, three~"

Standing off to the side with a dark glower set upon his face, Hikaru silently observed the scene, watching intensely as that delinquent of a fool led you flawlessly through the box-step, allowing the two of you to glide elegantly across the polished wood floor. Tch! It almost looked like the two of you were dancing on thin air. Why the hell were you guys so familiar with each other, anyway?! What kind of freakin' background did the two of you share to be so damn comfortable in the other's presence? The way you let that…that delinquent handle you without so much as a bite of sass and indifference like you did him left a bitter taste in Hikaru's mouth. Having been so hell-bent on glaring daggers at your adorably pitiful form, the eldest Hitachiin twin was completely oblivious to the knowing look that Kyouya was gracing him with over the top of his trusty clipboard.

You followed Gokudera's lead, mimicking his graceful steps and easily engraving the waltz into your memory. The happy fluttering of your heart sent a light flush to your cheeks, your lips forming a bright grin that had Gokudera mirroring your happiness. You only had one second of warning, if that mischievous look flashing briefly across Gokudera's face was anything to go by. Before you realized what was happening, you were suddenly being spun around. A surprised squeal left your lips, only to be met with Gokudera's delighted laughter. The rebellious youth easily reigned you in after having spun you around, bringing you back to his side so that he could lead you through an entirely new waltz that he knew without a doubt you'd love.

Kaoru blinked in surprise after hearing an odd noise come from his right. Turning his head, the younger Hitachiin twin was met with the sight of an extremely overemotional redhead. Arching his brow before then furrowing it in confusion, Kaoru observed Shouichi's unusual behavior. The young man had tears pooled in the corners of his eyes, his face stained with a light blush. Was he getting sick or something…? Kaoru eye's locked onto the cellular device located in Shouichi's tight hold. The red light was flashing, clearly indicating that Shouichi was recording something. Moving his gaze towards the direction that had Shouichi so dang flustered, Kaoru felt his jaw drop. Gliding so effortlessly across the floor in such a beautiful, no, no, no. That term didn't quite fit well with the rude brute who had blasted his way into their precious Host Club. Elegant – no, that's not right either. Breathtaking – NO! Delicate – none of these words fit that delinquent! Kaoru tugged on his ginger locks in frustration, having grown irritable for not being able to come up with a fitting term for the heartwarming dance that delinquent was currently leading you through. How on earth did that barbarian even know how to waltz, anyway?!

Shouichi could barely contain his excitement, and the nervous jitter of his body was a dead giveaway to his overwhelming emotion. Ah, this was just too cute! Biting his lower lip to prevent himself from squealing out loud, Shouichi hastily grabbed his right hand with his left to help add support to the shaking limb. He didn't want to jar this precious recording, after all, this was living proof that his dedication to this personal ship that he had created was well on its way to sailing itself at this point. Ha! Spanner would now have irrefutable documentation that Shouichi was 100% right about his obsession with shipping you and Gokudera. Oh, he's had a few theories here and there to spout at his mechanic friend, but now…now he had PROOF! Pausing for just a moment, Shouichi had an image of your twin flash through his mind for just a moment. Ah, that's right. Perhaps…it would be best to not indulge your overprotective twin with this tidbit of information for the time being. Glancing back towards your form, Shouichi's heart stuttered joyously at the adorably happy look that had overtaken your features after you had finally come to realize exactly which waltz Gokudera was currently leading you through.

Oh yes, Shouichi thought with a watery smile, immediately returning his full attention to recording this unforgettable moment. It would most certainly be in everyone's best interest if Tsuna wasn't made aware of just how close you and Gokudera had truly become.

Tale as old as time
True as it can be
Barely even friends
Then somebody bends
Unexpectedly

Your heart nearly imploded on itself the moment you heard Gokudera softly sing those words. His voice was as sweet as honey, a trait you never knew your renowned Storm Guardian could possess since he was usually so gruff and intimidating with other people. It was rare, these moments when Gokudera would lower the barriers surrounding his heart when it was just the two of you. It was such a humbling experience, to know that this rebellious youth trusted you so completely, so full-heartedly, that he would grant you access to see a whole other side of him that others' have not yet had the blessing to see. Those rough hands of his, the ones that have been used to beat up countless opponents and smack away idiots dumb enough to try and be even remotely intimate with him, handled you so delicately – like you were the most precious thing he's ever touched. His body, a guarded form that usually just screamed at others to 'back-the-fuck-off' from just his posture alone, was so lax and welcoming when in your presence. As if to prove that theory, Gokudera gently tugged you closer so that your chest rested intimately against his. Peering up, you were graced with the sight of Gokudera's beautiful peridot eyes sparkling with an emotion you couldn't quite place. His lips quirked upwards to form that charming grin of his that you loved so much, yet another trait he rarely shared with others – if at all.

Just a little change
Small to say the least
Both a little scared
Neither one prepared
Beauty and the Beast

"Goku-chan," your silky voice filtered through his ears, causing his heartbeat to increase its frantic pace from having heard the endearing nickname you had bestowed him with. Giving your hand a small squeeze, a soft hum left his lips, indicating that Gokudera was listening as he continued to guide you gracefully across the floor. "I didn't know you could waltz until Reborn hinted it. When did you learn how to dance?"

Gokudera snorted softly, subconsciously tightening his hold on you while his memory went back towards his early years back at his father's mansion in Italy. "Tch. My stupid old man thought it would be beneficial for me to learn all sorts of stupid proper etiquette so that I would represent him well during all those ridiculous parties he was hosting," the young man grumbled, his right brow twitching in annoyance upon remembering all of those horrid lessons he had to endure. "Personally, I think that old man just wanted to hook me up with some of his friends' daughters so that they could form an alliance between the families."

Your heart clenched painfully at the thought of your beloved Storm Guardian dancing with other girls, much less being considered to actually marry one of them. Tightening your hold on Gokudera, you tried your best to ignore the frantic palpitation of your heart. What is most important right now, is the fact that this incredible Mafioso was here with you. Gokudera had been the first member to be recruited into the Vongola, and you certainly had no intention of losing him anytime soon. This was where he belonged. With people who loved and appreciated him for who he was – not the wealthy family he came from. Besides, Gokudera had made it explicitly clear to all that he was forever going to remain by both yours and Tsuna's sides. The thought spread immediate warmth throughout your body, also calming your erratic heartbeat so that it slowed its pace down to a gentle lull.

Easily keeping up with Gokudera's lead, you tried to return your thoughts to the waltz you were currently having with him. However, there was a little nag at the back of your mind preventing you from thoroughly enjoying this, so, you decided to just get it out and over with. "Did…did you like dancing with those other girls?"

Ever just the same
Ever a surprise
Ever as before
Ever just as sure
As the sun will rise

Gokudera blinked in surprise. It was not often that you were timid when asking him questions, so what could possibly…? A light bulb suddenly went off in Gokudera's mind, his eyes widening in disbelief while his entire face was stained with a dark blush. You…you…you…! Gokudera's heart was working overtime by performing somersaults, his ears ringing loudly with the deafening sound of his overexcited heartbeat.

The first time that redheaded nerd had pulled Gokudera aside to fill him in about you and the Tenth… Gokudera had been extremely irritable, snapping at Shouichi that it was HIS duty as the Vongola's Right-Hand Man to be able to read you and your twin like open books. That bumbling fool of a childhood friend had no right with claiming to know you two so well. It had taken some time to calm the overzealous Storm Guardian down, but once he had achieved that, Shouichi was determined to let Gokudera know just how sensitive you and your twin truly were.

One trait that ran strongly between the Sawada twins – was their possessiveness. For the longest of time, it was only you and Tsuna against the world. Now, new people were being introduced into your lives, and your world was broadening its horizon. It was exceptionally rare for either you or Tsuna to depend entirely on someone else aside from the irreplaceable twin bond that you two shared. So, when a certain silver-haired Mafioso suddenly appeared in your life, you had begun to depend on someone else – someone other than Tsuna. Thus, the possessiveness to hold onto this new bond. You did not like it when you had to share your twin, and the same can be said when it came to Gokudera.

After having explained the gist of the Sawada twins' possessive streak, Shouichi was beyond entertained by the sudden bashfulness of the Hurricane Bomber. So long as he knew full well just how zealously you'd guard your new friendship with him, Gokudera had been deemed fit by Shouichi to protect his precious childhood friends.

"Whoa!" your yelp flew through the air, effectively catching everyone's attention as all heads now turned towards your form that was currently being lifted up off of the ground and spun around and around by your ecstatic subordinate. "Goku-chan?!"

Haruhi paused in her dancing lessons with Kanako, her surprised gaze locked on Gokudera. The joyous sound of his laughter had completely caught her off-guard. From the few instances she had spoken with the male, he had been guarded, gruff, and short with their conversation. It was clear to Haruhi that Gokudera did not like to converse or even socialize with anyone other than you. While the Host Club (mainly Tamaki and the Hitachiin twins) had been affronted by the delinquent's lack of respect and intimidating personality, Haruhi had been able to look past all the smoke and mirrors when it came to a certain Gokudera Hayato. It was obvious, almost painfully so, just how much you truly meant to that rebel. From the way he would look at you, it was like you were the only person in the room. Giving a small snort of endearment, Haruhi came to the conclusion that was most likely the case when it came to Gokudera. It was so sweet, watching the two of you interact with one another.

I wonder… Haruhi thought to herself, glancing once more in your direction. Do you even realize that you have Gokudera wrapped around your finger?

Tale as old as time
Tune as old as song
Bitter sweet and strange
Finding you can change
Learning you were wrong
Certain as the sun
Rising in the east

Twirling you around once more for good measure, Gokudera grinned widely at the feeling of your arms locked tightly around his neck. His hands were still grasping your petite waist, tugging you against his body after he had carefully set you back down onto your feet. He could still feel the blush staining his cheeks, and it was more than likely going to leave a rosy hue for the remainder of the day, not that the bomber cared in the slightest. Blood was pounding in his ears, his head, his heart hammering in his chest with so much force that Gokudera honestly thought it would break his ribcage. Deciding to ignore the lightheadedness, an occurrence that never failed to act up whenever he was in your presence, Gokudera focused all of his attention on your flustered form. Resting his forehead against your own, the silverette gazed adoringly into your eyes, his grin widening at the sight of your own timid blush that easily matched his.

"Tch, as if I'd ever enjoy those meaningless dances~" Gokudera mumbled softly, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath so that he could inhale your addicting honeysuckle scent. The familiar and calming essence eased Gokudera's soul, causing the young man to sigh contently. Slowly opening his eyes once more, Gokudera locked gazes with you, taking a moment to get lost in those beautiful eyes he loved so much. "I hated dancing," Gokudera admitted, linking his hands with yours and bringing them towards his lips where he then placed a feathery kiss on the back of your hand.

"…Why?"

Your airy question brought a smile to Gokudera's face, his eyes shimmering in delight as he took in your adorably flustered expression. "Hmm…" your subordinate pretended to ponder for a moment, "I suppose I hated dancing…because I never found the right dance partner," Gokudera paused for a moment to give your hands an affectionate squeeze. "At least, not until now," he quietly admitted, flashing you a timid grin before he surprised you with an Eskimo kiss.

Tale as old as time
Song as old as rhyme
Beauty and the Beast

Two simultaneous thuds effectively broke the intimate scene that had been unfolding between you and Gokudera, causing the two of you to jerk in surprise before your heads whipped around to find the source of the interruption. Haruhi had lost her footing and unintentionally pinned Kanako to the floor. The brunette flushed in embarrassment, the dark blush easily spreading to her ears after realizing that her blunder had occurred due to the fact that she had been so absorbed with yours and Gokudera's interactions - she had completely forgotten she was being taught how to waltz. Haruhi sputtered her apologies quickly scrambling to her feet and assisting Kanako up off the floor. After identifying the first cause of a body hitting the floor, you directed your gaze towards the second source, your eyes widening in shock at the sight of your beloved childhood friend completely collapsed in a heap.

"Ack! Shou-chan!"

Gokudera released a puff of air, his heart giving a pathetic thump when your small hands suddenly left his tight hold. The Storm Guardian watched you rush over to your fallen companion where you then immediately began to fuss over his welfare. Tch. Way to ruin the moment… Gokudera thought bitterly, stuffing his hands into his pants' pockets. He clenched his fists, relishing in the gentle tingles that danced across his palms, an after-effect that had been imprinted into his hands after having had the wonderful opportunity to hold yours. Giving a small shake of his head to gather his scattered thoughts, Gokudera felt his scowl melt away when his heart thudded urgently against his ribcage, coaxing the rebellious youth to stop moping and take his rightful place (forever with you) this instant. In just a few quick strides, Gokudera was by your side.

Lowering his body into a crouch, the young Italian silently observed the rigid form of Shouichi. The boy's face was almost as red as his hair at this point – was he coming down with something? Heaven help this fool if he manages to spread his germs to you. Gokudera would personally blast this nerd to the nether world if he so much as passed a cold onto you. Hmph, those black-rimmed glasses which had fallen askew appeared to be fogged up. The hell?! What had gotten this nerd so worked up? Casting a brief glance in your direction, Gokudera's heart seized up at the sight of your worried expression. You were kneeling beside your unconscious friend, frantically trying to snap him out of whatever daze he was in. Releasing a low growl, Gokudera jerked his head back to peer down at Shouichi. Grabbing a hold of the redhead's school uniform collar, Gokudera rose to his feet, dragging the nerd up with him.

"Wake up, you fucking idiot!" Gokudera snarled, mercilessly shaking the poor boy. "Your stupidity is troubling my Prince - so WAKE THE FUCK UP!"

I've been a bad, bad boy
Whispering rude things in her ear,
Please say she'll break,
Please say she'll change
Her mind and bring me back to her place.

Shouichi dazedly stared off into the distance, oblivious to the hot cup of tea placed before him. It wasn't until your hand waved carefully in front of his face that the redhead snapped out of his stupor. "Shou-chan, are you sure you're okay?" you inquired worriedly, waiting with baited breath for your childhood friend to respond. Shouichi blinked in surprise, glancing at you for a moment before his gaze was suddenly drawn towards Gokudera's scowling face. The dark expression warned Shouichi to speak and do it fast lest he wish to be on the receiving end of Gokudera's wrath.

Frantically waving his hands in front of himself, Shouichi laughed nervously, a small bead of sweat running down the side of his face as he felt Gokudera's heated stare burning into his skin. "A-ah, I'm alright, Tsu-kun. Everything's perfectly fine! Just a little lightheaded, that's all!"

"Tch," Gokudera shot one last irritable look towards your childhood friend, "Don't fucking scare my Prince like that again, you fucking idiot. Next time you want to black out, do it at your own goddamn house or in an alley for all I care. Just don't do it in front of my Prince!"

"Ah ha…I'll try to do that next time," Shouichi sighed, slowly reaching for the cup of tea situated before him on the table. The steaming liquid smelled divine, instantly soothing the redhead's rattled nerves as he closed his eyes and took a deep whiff of the aroma. Apples and cinnamon, of course. The spicy scent revealed the identity of your favorite tea. Slowly opening his eyes, Shouichi chanced a glance at the porcelain cups in front of you and Gokudera. Identical red liquid could be seen in the china, a dead giveaway that you had been the one to prepare the drinks. Carefully lifting his teacup towards his lips, Shouichi smiled against the porcelain rim before taking a gulp of his hot beverage.

"Thank you so much, Kasugazaki-san, for letting me practice with you," Haruhi expressed her gratitude to the female guest, standing beside Kanako whom was currently seated at your group's table.

Despite Gokudera's obvious disgust at Kanako having invited herself to join you for tea after your Storm Guardian and miraculously 'revived' your childhood friend, the young woman had seated herself across from you at the table, batting her eyelashes at you in hopes that you would give her your undivided attention. Growling darkly under his breath, Gokudera shot Kanako a withering glare, silently wishing that fucking bitch would self-combust already. Anxiously tapping his left foot, Gokudera had half a mind to stomp as hard as he could on that bimbo's foot, the fucking one that had the audacity to try and play footsie with you underneath the table if it hadn't been for Gokudera intercepting and bitterly kicking her wandering foot aside so that it never ever reached you.

"Oh, that's okay," Kanako giggled, gracing Haruhi with a coy smile before placing her elbows on the table and linking her hands together whilst placing her chin atop, turning her gaze towards you. "I hear you and Tsuna are refraining from entertaining any customers, so that you two can get in some special training, aren't you?" Pausing so that she could blatantly stare at you and get her message across, Kanako cooed her next words out specifically to you. "I'm that much happier to have you all to myself."

"Ah!" Kanako jerked into an upright position in her seat, her wide eyes flashing towards Gokudera's seething form as the handsome Italian had purposefully kicked the leg of her chair with a tremendous amount of force, sliding it back a few inches due to his angry rebuttal. Sneering at the woman's startled gaze, Gokudera gave her seat one last kick for good measure, making sure their eyes were locked so that he could convey his message loud and clear.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," the insincerity in Gokudera's tone was obvious to all. "My leg is restless. Must be from all that dancing. Whoops."

He's incredibly jealous, Shouichi peered cautiously over at his hotheaded companion, gently lowering his teacup to place it back on its platter. Gokudera's glare was still locked on Kanako, angrily warding the woman off from any further attempts at wooing you. Terribly so, Shouichi's gaze drifted towards you, silently observing your expression. Your brows were furrowed in confusion, your eyes darting between Gokudera and your guest. Clearly you were confused by your Storm's hostility towards Kanako, but you whole heartedly trusted his judgement without question. Shouichi hastily lifted his teacup once more to his lips, anxious to hide his cheerful grin at the sight of you reaching out to place your hand over Gokudera's on the tabletop. Your sweet gesture immediately calmed your Storm Guardian, his pensive peridot eyes abandoning its previous task of glaring dauntingly at Kanako so that he could now focus entirely on you.

How adorable! Haruhi hid her smile behind her hand, those beautiful brown eyes of hers sparkling brightly with an abundant amount of mirth whilst watching Gokudera gently lean his forehead against your own, the two of you sharing bashful grins with one another. The sight was absolutely heartwarming! Unable to wipe the joyous smile from her features, Haruhi lowered her hand, deciding there was no harm in expressing her happiness.

A frown tugged at Kanako's lips, her eyes burning with unshed tears at the heart-wrenching scene playing before her. Placing her hands around her teacup, Kanako tightly grasped the delicate porcelain, not caring in the slightest that her hands were being burned by the hot temperature. The pain gave her a small reprieve from her anguish. Jerking her gaze away from the sight of you and Gokudera gazing lovingly at one another, Kanako desperately tried to put a stop to the romantic atmosphere. "Oh, my! You got new cups? Ginori, right?"

Kyouya was not fooled by the female guest's frantic attempt to change the subject. Sparing the woman a small glance, the Shadow King adjusted his glasses, his lenses reflecting the interior lighting and effectively hiding his knowing look. "You do indeed have a keen eye. They arrived only yesterday. Lately, our club has been seeking to improve its tea sets."

"I see," Kanako quietly ushered, her gaze softening. Tenderly running her fingers over the stunning green color of the teacup. "It's a nice color. Very lovely."

Haruhi smiled. "You really like the tableware, huh?"

Kanako blinked in surprise, silently assessing what was just spoken to her. After realizing that she had been spouting about the tea set, Kanako's entire face flushed in embarrassment. Hastily jerking her hands away from the porcelain cup, the young woman frantically waved her hands back and forth in dismissal. "N-n-not really, no, I don't," the words spilled from her mouth in a stuttered mess, quite the vast difference from her previously dignified speaking term. "My word, what are you talking about?"

Shouichi observed Kanako's odd behavior, his brows furrowing together in thought. She does like it. But why would she hide it?

"Hello, I've brought the teacups you've ordered."

You watched Kanako's eyes widen in recognition at the sound of the male voice that had suddenly spoken upon entering the Host Club. Her eyes spoke volumes on what she was truly feeling at this moment, and you couldn't help but stare on in silent fascination at the assortment of expressions appearing on her face before being covered by a mask of indifference once Kanako had regained her composure. Gokudera gently squeezed your hand, his gaze also locked on the female guest and having just observed the same thing that you did. Clearly there was more to Kanako's persona than she was letting on. Could this young man have anything to do with it? There had to be some sort of connection, but what?

Kyouya strode over to greet the young man, a polite smile appearing on his visage. "Ah, thank you. Every item that you choose for us is popular with the girls. It's very impressive."

"That's good to hear," the brunette male sighed in relief, his hands subconsciously tightening its hold on the yellow box held carefully to his chest.

Haruhi joined Kyouya by his side, curious to see what was going on. "Are you a dealer?"

"I'm just a regular student," the young man reassured with a kind grin, gesturing to his attire with a small nod of his head. "I'm wearing a uniform, see?"

A forced laughter filled the air, capturing everyone's attention as all eyes were directed to its source. Kanako's bangs shadowed over her eyes, making it difficult for you to gauge her true expression. "Haruhi-kun, you're so funny," you watched the young woman turn in her seat, lifting her head so that she could smile falsely at the young man. "Still, I can't blame you. He doesn't look like the heir of a first-class corporation, after all."

Her words appeared to have stung the young man, his smile being wiped completely from his face.

"Heir?" you breathed quietly, your gaze darting between Kanako and the young man.

Kyouya sighed softly, turning his body slightly so that he could address you after having heard your quiet mumble. "His family business, Suzushima Trading, is a company whose business centers around the importing of tablewares. Currently, it has the top market share in the country. So whenever anything exceptional comes in, we've asked him to send it our way. That's because we trust your eye, Suzushima-kun."

Snapping out of his daze, Suzushima shook his head, a timid blush appearing on his features. "Oh, no, my eye still has a long way to go."

"Che," Gokudera grit his teeth, his eyes narrowing at the guilty expression that had overtaken Kanako's features after belting out her petty words. So, that was her game, was it? The sole purpose as to why she was flirting so recklessly and set her sights on you in hopes of roping you into her conniving little charade? This was the reason why Gokudera couldn't stand to be around these fucking rich pricks. They always danced around their problems and never directly dealt with the issues at hand. Instead, they dragged everyone they could into their fucking mess and then let the chaos continue to spiral out of control. It was such a goddamn toxic environment, and Gokudera honestly could not be any more pissed at being dragged back into this fucking shit – with you, nonetheless! He had never ever wanted to entangle you in such a low, degrading, two-timing lifestyle. Yet here you all were…for the sake of the Vongola. If it wasn't for the personal gain to further build up his own precious famiglia, Gokudera would have whisked you away without any intention of looking back. So for now, he'd just suck it up and deal with all of this ludicrous bullshit while making damn sure that you were not being used for other people's petty gains.

"Your studying abroad in England starts next month, was it?" Kyouya inquired.

Giving a small nod of his head to confirm Kyouya's question, Suzushima turned on his heel and made his way to exit the room. "Yes. We'll I'll be off."

So that's fucking it? Gokudera's right eye twitched in irritation, his glare locking once more on a sheepish Kanako who refused to lift her head up as she had turned her attention back onto the teacup placed before her. You've got to be kidding me?! She's harassing MY Princess, because she's jealous that guy's going abroad? If she wants his attention so fucking much, quit flirting with MY Princess and go suck it up, you self-centered bitch!

"Are you enjoying the Host Club?"

Tamaki had reappeared, his dreadful moping fit over having not been selected as Haruhi's dancing partner now long forgotten. His gentleman's senses were going haywire, indicating that there was a woman in distress within his prestige club's presence. This certainly won't do! Placing a hand beside Kanako's Tamaki smiled kindly at the flustered guest, leaning close to observe her many expressions.

Haruhi joined Tamaki's side, glancing at Kanako before directing her gaze towards the door where Suzushima had just taken his leave. The question that had been running through her thoughts left her lips before Haruhi could stop herself. "Are you close to that man who was just here?"

"Huh?! N-n-not really, no, I'm not!" Kanako's startled shriek caught everyone off-guard. In her flustered state, she accidentally knocked her teacup off her platter. Thankfully, Shouichi's quick reflexes saved the poor woman from staining her dress. He caught the delicate porcelain and carefully pulled it away from Kanako's still flailing hands. Hastily scrambling to her feet, Kanako's hands worked fiercely to flatten nonexistent wrinkles from her dress' skirt. "M-my word, what are you talking about, Haruhi-kun?!" Stumbling past your group, Kanako fled for the exit. "N-now if you'll excuse me…take care."

The door slammed shut behind your departing guest, leaving your group baffled by the exchange that had just occurred. You barely had a moment to gather your thoughts before your body suddenly lurched forward due to the sudden weight being thrown upon your back. "Gak!" you frantically flailed your arms, not wanting to fall out of your seat. Gokudera came to your rescue, his hands latching tightly onto your shoulders to prevent you from losing your balance. His handsome eyes then shot a scathing glare towards the small boy latched onto your back.

"Tsu-cha~an!" Hunny sang in delight, tightening his hold around your neck. "You know what? Suzushima-kun is Kasuga-chan's fiancé."

"Whoa, wait…" Gokudera growled, this new bit of information finally clicking together in mind. "You mean to tell me they're fucking engaged?!" Well then why the FUCK was that bitch so intent on flirting up a storm with you? She's was already promised to someone, why forsake such a sacred vow just to goddamn mingle with fucking rich pricks?! For fuck's sake! She has absolutely no motherfucking reason to be coming onto you!

Tamaki closed his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest, his lips tugging downward to form a frown. "Kyouya, how long have you known?"

"About him being her fiancé?" The Shadow King flipped open his notebook, his eyes scanning over the information listed inside. "I do, of course, conduct general research on our customers. The two are childhood friends. Their engagement appears to have been arranged by their parents. It didn't particularly seem to be information that we could use, so I just left it alone."

Tamaki shot his friend a look of complete and utter exasperation. "Why you…"

"Suzushima Toru: Outstanding grades, fair social status, ordinary looks, with reliability as strong point. If I had to fault him for anything…" Kyouya trailed off, placing a hand on his hip while continuing to scan over all the information. The Hitachiin twins slid into view behind him, holding up their hands so that they could put in their two cents on the matter.

Hikaru was the first to speak, "Not much presence."

"He's faint-hearted," Kaoru finished.

Snapping his notebook shut, Kyouya's glasses reflected the interior lighting, hiding his bored expression from all. "In other words, he's plain. That's it."

Shouichi stared in disbelief at the callous disregard the male members of this Host Club for Suzushima. They're all but merciless towards other boys…

Mori stood off to the side, supporting his younger cousin on his shoulders as Hunny resting his chin atop of the raven-haired male's head. "Toru-kun is a good boy, right?"

"Yeah," Mori voiced his agreement to his cousin's previous question.

Taking a deep breath to gather his spiraling thoughts, Tamaki composed himself, straightening his shoulders back before stepping into the center of the room so that he could gather everyone's attention. "All right, then…" placing his hands on his hips, Tamaki stood tall. "Let's examine our strategy."

All eyes glanced at the Host King, one question falling from everyone's lips. "Which one?"

Sparkles appeared behind Tamaki's form, illuminating him with an overdramatic flair that he was renowned for whenever a crazy idea managed to pop into his head. This was no exception. Flipping his silky locks of hair, Tamaki locked gazes with the members of his club, a smirk overtaking his lips as he boldly exclaimed, "Ouran Host Club exists in order to bring happiness to the girls!"

I talk a lot of (shh) when I'm drinking, baby,
I'm known to go a little too fast.
Don't mind all my friends, I know they're all crazy,
But they're the only friends that I have.
I know I don't know you,
But I'd like to skip the small talk and romance, girl.
That's all I have to say so, baby, can we dance?