Perhaps Love

Part 7

Author's Note: I actually wanted to bring something up that StoryWeaver1 said: "It just seemed, to me, that she regretted chewing out that jerk that hurt her friend because it made Kyouya upset". I'm pretty sure other people thought this as well; even I did, if you just look at the story of what has been released so far. I tried to preserve Renge as much as I could in this story, and I admit that it's kind of hard to see, with the chapters separated as they are. But how about this: this isn't the last time we'll see Adrian Scripp. Website is updated, of course. The link is on my profile, so please go on and have a look around!

Kyouya felt his head pounding in response to the entire ruckus. He sat quietly as they were all gathered in Hikaru's and Kaoru's studio. They sat, waiting patiently as their identical maids served the guests tea and cakes. Mori, Hunny, Tamaki and Haruhi sat at the round table alongside Kyouya. The twins moved back and forth between their workspace and table, alternating between drinks and fabrics.

"So are you and Renge-chan still getting married?" Hunny asked before putting a piece of cake in his mouth.

"A sad, sad situation," Tamaki muttered, thoughtfully cradling his chin in his hand.

Kyouya and Haruhi exchanged looks. They knew that look; the way Tamaki's eyes moved to the side before closing meant one thing: he was planning something.

"You have to still be engaged," Hikaru said, unraveling a bolt of satin powder pink fabric.

"Yeah. We already started Renge-kun's dress," Kaoru said, pinning eggshell colored tulle to the dressform in front of him.

"How about we design a suit for you as well?" Hikaru pulled out a measuring tape. "It'll be our present to you, just like for Renge-kun."

Kyouya said nothing, only lifting an eyebrow at them.

"But if you don't marry Renge-chan, won't that cause problems?" Haruhi asked. "Between your fathers, that is."

"True," Kyouya answered as he dissolved a sugar cube in his teacup. "It may cause problems, but I'll remedy the situation if needed."

Haruhi watched him with careful eyes.

"If this match is broken, it may be for the best," Kyouya said and took a sip of his tea.

A sudden sound of Tamaki's hand to the table echoed in the room. "I see…" he brushed his bangs aside. "After all these weeks of loneliness, you try to be indifferent. However, you try to not show your pain, masking it from everyone around you! But whether you will admit to it or not, you two are perfect for one another!"

"Uh, Tono…" came two identical voices.

"Her fiery personality compliments your cool demeanor!"

"Ooh! Tama-chan's on fire!"

"And two beautiful people belong together! Right, Haruhi?"

"Don't bring me into this."

"Kyouya, mon frere, I will pull you from your hidden depths of despair!" Within seconds, Tamaki pulled out a large white board. The existing header "Formation A – Keep Haruhi's Gender A Secret" was crossed out in red and replaced with "Rekindle Kyouya's Passionate Romance".

"Where did he get that board from?" Haruhi asked out loud, not moving from her seat at the table.

Kyouya only shrugged. For a moment, he recalled all the unnecessary attention the club showed on their female member back in high school. And for a while, he sympathized.

Takashi, Hunny, and the twins were assembled in a straight line, all facing the detailed board. "Now!" Tamaki began. "We must help our fallen friend woo his lady love once more! Hikaru! Kaoru! You will make that dress and his matching suit! And a matching dress for their cute Pomeranian!"

"Roger!" they both saluted him, with Hikaru's shoulders covered in pink cloth and Kaoru's covered in tulle.

"Mori-senpai!" Tamaki pointed to the kanji "hana" (flower) on the board. "Find three hundred long stem red roses!"

The very tall man nodded.
"What about me?" the short blond jumped up and down with enthusiasm.

"Hunny-senpai, please find the finest box of chocolates money can buy!"

"Gotcha!"

Haruhi finished the last of her cake piece. "Aren't you going to stop them, Kyouya-senpai?"

Kyouya shook his head and reached for the chocolate strawberry cake. He inserted his fork into the ganache but paused, recalling a memory a few weeks old.

Kyouya looked up from his coffee and watched Renge pick off her strawberry from the top of her chocolate cake, and left it aside on her plate. "You don't like strawberries," he pondered.

Renge looked up at him from her task. "Oh, not with chocolate." She took a forkful of the mousse and ate it. "With the chocolate being so rich, it dulls out the sweetness of the strawberry. You can't even taste the fruit." She paused for a moment, and then leaned forward. "Do you think that's silly?"

"Everyone has his or her own taste," he answered, leaving it at that.

Kyouya used his fork to cut a bit of the strawberry and also scooped an equal portion of cake. He took a bite and let it coat over the top of his tongue for some time before taking a drink and concentrating on the cake.

"You're not going to eat the strawberry?" Haruhi asked when she noticed he did not touch it again.

"I'll eat it later," he answered.

--

He had been doing that for a while now, Kyouya noticed. What was common to him then, he began to associate things with her. In between classes the other day, he saw someone holding a young girl in his arms as he walked to the children's center. The girl had a large purple ribbon in her hair. While searching through his library, Kyouya stumbled upon an Italian cookbook and briefly paused, remembering how that type of cuisine was not her strong point.

It was nerve wrecking for a while, almost disturbing to him. And it was not because he missed her or anything. No way in hell. Perhaps he had been spending so much time with her that she had begun to enter his thoughts at any given time. Maybe that was why every time he saw a ribbon, a strawberry, coffee, or French food, he would think of her. That was a perfectly reasonable explanation.

He had come home one day after a long lab session, tired, wanting a hot meal. As soon as he stepped through the threshold, he heard the soft playing of the grand piano. Quickly, he moved through the halls, heading towards the sitting area. "What's Tamaki doing here?" he muttered.

However, when he entered the room, it was not his friend sitting at the piano. A petite woman sat quietly as she daintily touched the keys, causing the piano to sing a lullaby. Both his brothers and his sister were seated on the furniture with their eyes closed, allowing themselves to drift away with the melody's spell. Kyouya should have know; Tamaki was a fan of Mozart, and he was positive this was not a work of his.

He could not remember the name of the piece; he had heard it many times before, but never like this. Nocturnes were supposed to sound like soft lullabies, he was told, but the way she played sounded like soft tears.

Renge ended the piece and looked up to her audience, who rewarded her with applause. She stood, said her thanks and then noticed a figure in the doorframe. Her eyebrows lifted for a moment, surprised at his presence, and then she smiled. "Welcome hone," she greeted.

"Aa," was all he said, taking a step forward.

Fuyumi and her brothers exchanged knowing looks to one another. "Shall we go?" she suggested to her brothers. "Renge-chan, will you be staying for dinner?" she asked before they turned and left.

Renge shook her head. "My father is flying back into town. But thank you, anyway."

"Alright. We should really be heading off. See you." Fuyumi waved to Renge and then flashed a smile to Kyouya. Both brothers followed her out of the room, leaving the two of them alone.

Renge remained standing behind the piano while Kyouya was stationary at his spot. He was not sure how to start the conversation with her. However, seeing her there, with her eyes on him, he felt intensely compelled to say something… anything… "What piece was that?"

"Nocturne Opus 9 No. 1 in B Flat Minor," she answered. "Chopin."

"I didn't know you played," he took another step towards her.

"I learned back in France. My home here doesn't have a piano though, so I'm somewhat out of practice." She sighed and her words became to come out. "I was actually taught by a student of Tamaki-san's teacher. Small world, isn't it?"

He did not say anything and he cast his eyes to the floor as he walked towards her, until he stood at the piano's side. He stared down at the piano's insides, towards the exposed strings and hammers.

"Kyouya."

He looked up at her, noticing the absence of the usual honorific.

"If I promise to do things right, can we continue?"

Kyouya had to think for a moment. In the end, it was not all her fault, was it? Somewhere between the announcement and the fundraiser, she had become completely attached to him. It could have been because of his careless displays of affection or constant outings… either way, something must have caused her to change so drastically within these past few months. Still, Kyouya knew he had to be careful. He knew dealing with her was risky. If he upset her, it may also affect whatever business transactions they were both involved with… But she sounded sincere. So, as long as Renge was willing play by his rules, he would keep her content. He nodded.

She smiled and sat back down.

"Spicy food," he said quietly out of the blue.

"Excuse me?" Renge asked, looking back to him.

"You asked me a while back if I had any favorites," Kyouya turned slightly away from her, crossing his arms. "I'd have to say that I prefer spicy foods."

She continued to look out at him, her eyes slightly widening with amazement. "Alright," she smiled wider. "I'll keep that in mind." She sat with her fingers over the keys. "Any request from the audience?"

Kyouya shook his head. "Whatever you choose."

Renge began to play again. Kyouya could not help but notice the piece she played then was much lighter and upbeat compared to the last one. Still, he stood quietly, watched and listened.

--

Renge arrived him to find her father waiting, sitting at a small table with afternoon tea set out. "Otou-sama!" she smiled. "You're here already?"

"Of course, and with our tradition," he said, arms out to the set table. A tiered tray of scones, sandwiches and cakes were assembled, along with a teapot of matching cups.

"So," Renge sat opposite her father as the maid proceeded to pour the tea, "how was Paris?"

"Beautiful, of course," he answered her and reached over to one of the cucumber sandwiches. "Do you remember your friend Celine, from finishing school? Her father says she's getting married."

"Really? To who?"

"Robert Wellington."

"…The British politician?" Renge blinked. She suddenly had the image of her tall, ebony haired, wiry friend on the arm of a large, stout man resembling Winston Churchill.

"No, no, that's Roger. Robert is his son. He's the same age as you ladies."

Oh… well that seemed much better.

"Speaking of marriage…" Houshakuji asked, "How are things between you two?"

Renge swallowed the liquid in her mouth. "You two?"

"You and Kyouya-san. I have to say though that I was concerned when I left last week. It seemed as if you and he were talking less."

Renge smiled gently, as if recalling a silly idea. "Well, to tell the truth, Otou-sama, we had an argument. But-!" she interrupted when her father gave her an astounded look. "We made up."

"Oh," he sighed in relief. "Well, that's good." He refilled his cup as he explained," You know, it's alright for a couple to fight, so long as you figure out the problems together. I remember how happy I was after reconciling with your mother because usually, it meant I understood her more."

Renge's smile dropped slightly. She could see glimpses of a woman that shared Renge's eyes… the memories were old and faded…

"It's as if… with every fight and reconciliation, you mature together."

"Yeah," Renge nodded. "I think so too." She finished the last bit of her tea. "You know, Otou-sama, I really like him. I mean, really, truly."

Houshakuji looked into his daughter's eyes and saw it as clear as day. It was the same look he saw at his own wedding, one the face of his wife over 20 years ago. He knew she had no doubt. "I see… well, he seems to like you as well. I'm glad that you two can be happy together."

Renge kept smiling, determined for her face to not falter.

--

"Okaa-san!" cried the man on the phone. "Otou-san is so happy, he could just burst!"

Kyouya had to keep his phone away at arms length to prevent his ears from being blown out. It never failed to amaze him how his friend held on to their now inappropriate nicknames. "And why is that?"

"Because Haruhi agreed to go to my 20th birthday party and a private dinner afterwards! It's finally coming together! The hero and heroine of this perfect romantic comedy are finally joining together in love's bliss!" Tamaki explained, with tears of joy flooding through the phone. "No birthday present could be greater than spending time with her."

"Are you going to finally tell her the truth of your feelings?"

"Of course! That's the plan. Hopefully. Probably. Maybe." Slowly, Tamaki lost his nerve until more tears, this time of anguish, began. "What if she refuses me?!"

For a while, Kyouya mused, wondering if he should inform his friend that he was indeed safe. But honestly, where was the fun in just telling him? "Considering how long you've been waiting, don't you think it's worth putting your heart out?"

"True, true. Speaking of putting your heart out," Tamaki changed subjects, "how about with Renge-kun?"

What did Renge have to do with Kyouya's heart? "Actually, she and I made up."

"You… what?"

"She came by, we had a quick discussion and now we're still engaged."

"But-but-but--!" Tamaki stammered.

"But what?" Just then, Kyouya's cell phone rang, the caller ID revealing his fiancee's name. "Hold, Tamaki," he placed the phone down and answered the other. "Hello?"

"Neh, Kyouya, would you happen to know who sent me three hundred red roses and a tower of chocolate truffles?" asked Renge. "It says it's from you but the card… it doesn't seem to match."

Kyouya blinked. Did Tamaki really…? "What does the card say?"

" 'Each flower reminds me of your beauty. Each chocolate piece reminds me of your sweetness. I hope, Princess, that you can overlook my crude disregard to your feelings and we can start again. Your wish is my command. Your Prince, Kyouya'." Afterwards, she began to giggle. "It sounds more like something Tamaki-san would say."

… He did! Kyouya could not believe it. "I'll call you back," Kyouya told her and immediately hung up. Forget being nice to Tamaki! It was time to give him some hell. "Sorry about that, Tamaki."

"So, I take it, Renge-kun received your gifts?"

His? Kyouya raised a brow. "Yes, but back to more important matters. If you're going to tell Haruhi that you love her, don't you think you should also get Ranka-san's approval first?" He smirked when Tamaki began to explode in a fit of hysterics.