"P1/T1=P2/T2," Kyouya called out emotionlessly as he gazed at the textbook in his lap.

"Mmm," Haruhi said, tapping her pencil against the floor. "It's that weird one, uhhh . . . Gay-Lussac's law?"

"Correct," Kyouya stated, pausing for a moment to flash Haruhi a congratulatory smile.

They were in one of Kyouya's many living rooms. Just as Haruhi had expected, she had been slightly unnerved by the sheer, unnecessary size of Kyouya's mansion. But it was rather tasteful, Haruhi had to admit. It had a very modern feel to it. At the moment, Haruhi was lying on her stomach, on top of white carpeting that was almost softer than her own bed, much to her chagrin. Kyouya was a couple feet away, sitting with his back against the wall. And scattered between them was an array of notes and textbooks and CliffsNotes.

"CliffsNotes?" Haruhi had asked curiously when she saw it.

Kyouya had merely adjusted his glasses and replied, unperturbed, "Not for cheating purposes, I assure you. But they're good for last minute cramming, don't you agree?"

Haruhi had laughed then, because she never would have guessed Kyouya would own something like that.

"Hey, whatever method works," Kyouya replied with a shrug. "Intelligence means you use your resources."

The sound of Kyouya flipping through the chapter brought Haruhi back to the present. She glanced over at him just as he was clearing his throat. "Alright, name the four characteristics of the kinetic theory of gases."

"Let's see," Haruhi mused thoughtfully, and she rolled over onto her back, gazing at the spotless ceiling. Really, there weren't even the smallest hint of cobwebs, not even in the far corners. Haruhi wondered if the maids got on ladders every morning to clean the ceiling. "Hmmm, well they have to be in thermal equilibrium with its container. The gas molecules always collide elastically. Uh, the net velocity of all the gas molecules is zero, and . . . oh shoot. What was the last one? Hold on, I think it's the one where the molecules are separated by distances much larger than their own diameter. So there's a lot of space. Right?" Haruhi asked, glancing over at Kyouya when he didn't respond right away. But then she realized that he was staring at her, a glare on his glasses shielding his eyes.

"What?" Haruhi asked, feeling self-conscious.

Kyouya finally snapped out of it, and he let out a sigh. "Honestly, Haruhi." Kyouya reached over and tugged the hem of her shirt down so that it covered her slightly exposed belly. "Let's keep our shirt down, shall we?"

But when his fingers accidentally brushed against her skin, Haruhi jerked back with a giggle. Kyouya cocked an eyebrow at her while she clapped her hand over her mouth, flushing in mortification. "Are you seriously that ticklish?" Kyouya asked.

"No!" Haruhi said a little too quickly. She rolled over on her side so that she was facing away from Kyouya. "Jeez, Kyouya. Was my answer right or not? I really need to study."

Blankly, Kyouya lifted his hand, and then he jabbed Haruhi in the side. Haruhi jumped and let out a squeal.

"Kyouya, stop it already!" Haruhi protested as she scrambled into a sitting position. But her wide eyes slightly dampened her anger. Actually, her little pout was sort of cute.

"Aww, is someone getting a little frustrated?" Kyouya mocked playfully as he scooted closer.

Haruhi frowned, and her eyebrows knitted together. "You wouldn't dare," she said slowly.

Kyouya flashed her a crooked grin before grabbing her. Haruhi gasped and struggled to get away, but Kyouya only dragged her back. He tickled her without mercy, and Haruhi squirmed and laughed her head off.

"Kyouya, why's it so loud in here?" a beautiful, black haired woman called as she walked in the living room. But then she caught sight of Haruhi, pinned underneath Kyouya.

No one moved for the longest time as a blanket of awkwardness smothered the scene . . .

But naturally, Kyouya was the first to recover. He cleared his throat and said, "Fuyumi, what are you doing here?"

Fuyumi didn't answer. She eyes traveled back and forth between Kyouya and Haruhi quizzically.

"We were just studying!" Haruhi stammered, feeling flustered and hot. She shoved Kyouya off of her, who relented without a word.

"Studying what, I wonder?" Fuyumi said, a touch dryly. "And please don't say something cheesy, like Chemistry."

"Physics, actually," Kyouya said, sounding just as dry as he fixed his askew glasses.

There was another lapse of uncomfortable silence. But then Haruhi's ringtone went off. Haruhi immediately jumped up in relief. "Excuse me," she said with a hasty bow before walking out of the room, pulling out her cellphone.

Once Haruhi was gone, Fuyumi let out a sigh and sat on the couch. She crossed her legs and smiled at Kyouya. "Well, well, little brother. It's not like you to bring girls home. Don't tell me the hormones are finally starting to kick in," she teased.

"You really should do something about that vulgar mind," Kyouya stated coolly as he gathered up Haruhi's notes and books into a neat pile. "Let me ask again. Why are you here? It's not often that your husband lets you out of the house."

Fuyumi pouted. "What's this? Do you not want your beloved sister around?"

"I'm just surprised is all."

"Because you were in the middle of something?" she asked with a glint in her eye, which earned her a dangerous glare from Kyouya.

Fuyumi laughed it off and said, "Relax, relax, I'll be a good girl now. Anyway, Father called the house. He said that he wanted to hold a family dinner tonight."

Kyouya blinked in surprise. "Tonight? I thought he had an important meeting tonight."

"That's what I had thought too, but apparently the prime minister is sick with the flu. So the appointment was postponed." Fuyumi rested her chin in her hands. "But it's better this way, isn't it? After all, Father's birthday is in a few days. Now we actually get to celebrate it as a family before we actually have the real party."

"Please. Celebrate it how exactly?" Kyouya muttered. "Dinner's just going to be a strain as usual." He took off his glasses a rubbed his face, suddenly feeling tired. "Damn, I was counting on everyone being gone for the rest of the evening."

"Oh really?" Fuyumi replied in amusement. "By the way, that girl . . . she's not your girlfriend, is she?"

"And if she is?" Kyouya said offhandedly.

There was a short, grim pause. "Does Father know?"

"The only one who knows as of right now is you. So let's keep our mouth shut, shall we?"

Fuyumi whistled. "You're being awfully daring, little brother."

Kyouya didn't comment.

Fuyumi got off the sofa with a sigh and walked around the room. She examined a particular oil painting on the wall with exaggerated interest, even though it had been hanging in the same exact spot for well over five years. Meanwhile, Kyouya just flipped absent-mindedly through the books, wishing Haruhi would hurry up with her phone call.

"Maybe this isn't my place to say this," Fuyumi mumbled after a while.

"Just let it out. You know I value your opinion," Kyouya stated, never lifting his eyes from the book.

"I think you should break up with that girl at the next most convenient moment."

With his jaw-clenched, Kyouya casually replied, "And what makes you say that?"

Fuyumi turned around abruptly, her face worried. "Oh, don't take it that way, Kyouya," she pleaded. "You know I've always wanted you to be happy, but doesn't this seem a little wrong?"

"I'll protect her. Why else do you think I haven't told anyone?" Kyouya stated with a slight edge to his voice.

"Don't talk as if nobody could ever understand. I've gone through the same exact thing as you. Falling in love with a nobody. It's a wonderful feeling, but no matter how hard you struggle, eventually word gets out. And when it did, Father did everything in his power to ruin my beloved's life. And now I'm married to man that I barely knew before the wedding. I've heard rumors that the man I used to love, he grew so depressed that he committed suicide. Do you want that for that girl?"

"Look, her name's Haruhi," Kyouya sighed, running a hand through his bangs. "Her name's Haruhi. Not 'that girl', Fuyumi." Then he added, mostly to himself, "I would have thought that you of all people would be most supportive."

"You know that Father has already started looking around for a girl suitable for you, Kyouya. Before you know it, you'll be going to matchmaker dates!" Fuyumi insisted, her voice starting to rise.

"I've already told myself that I don't care about all of that anymore."

"Why?"

Kyouya looked away, narrowing his eyes. "Because I don't want to let that idiot win. I'm tired of letting him win all the time," he said quietly. Kyouya got up and walked out to find Haruhi. Fuyumi watched him go miserably, feeling a knot of apprehension lodged in her chest.

~*~*~

"And I really wanted to surprise you too, since I got off of work so early. Just where are you anyway, Haruhi?" Ranka whined.

Haruhi hesitated before confidently lying into the phone, "Hikaru and Kaoru dragged me over to their place as usual. They wanted me to try on some designs they created themselves. It's no big deal. I didn't tell you because I thought I'd be home before you got back."

"Well, come home soon. I'm even cooking dinner! It's all of your favorites!" Ranka exclaimed excitedly.

Haruhi smiled softly. "Alright, Dad. I'll be there soon."

She hung up and let out a breath. It felt weird lying to her dad like that. There really had been no reason to. Why had she done it?

"Never mind. I have to get back to Kyouya . . . and explain myself to Fuyumi," Haruhi said to herself, wincing in reluctance. But then she got a good look at the dim hallway . . . and the several hundred doors lining it. Haruhi sweat-dropped. "Just where did I come from again? This excess is so ridiculous."

Haruhi crept down the hall, wearing a perplexed frown as she tried to search for some familiar mark. "Ummm, I think it's this door," she said, tentatively opening it and slipping inside. She flicked on the lights and sagged in disappointment. No. Wrong room. It was just a study. Haruhi was about to turn to leave, but then she noticed the several bookshelves in the corner. Curiously, she walked over and examined the titles. A lot of them were thick nonfiction books, dealing mainly with the medical field. But there were also some pleasure books. Haruhi smiled when she recognized some classics. She even spotted, to her amusement, a romance novel wedged mercilessly between two encyclopedias.

"I wonder if this is Kyouya's study," Haruhi mused.

She heard footsteps coming from down the hall. Haruhi hurried for the door, thinking it was Kyouya. She wanted to tease him about that particular romance novel. But the person Haruhi accidentally ran into wasn't Kyouya. It wasn't that woman either, Fuyumi. Haruhi didn't recognize him. He wore a crisp suit and towered over her. Maybe he was a butler?

"Excuse me! I'm very sorry," Haruhi apologized, bowing swiftly. Face flushed, Haruhi moved past the man and rushed out into the hall. Luckily, she found Kyouya not too far away. He seemed to have been looking for her as well. When he saw her, his expression turned relieved.

"Where were you?" he asked.

Haruhi laughed sheepishly, scratching the back of her head. "I got a little lost. Is it really necessary to have so many rooms down one hallway? Rich bastard."

They continued to talk as Kyouya led her back to the living room. The man Haruhi had run into watched them from the doorway. He cocked his eyebrow, and his glasses flashed. "Little brother brought a girl home?" the man muttered to himself. He loosened his tie and sighed. "That's something worth checking into."

~*~*~

"I'm sorry I have to leave so suddenly," Haruhi said as she picked up her books. She struggled slightly, since there were so many.

Kyouya rolled his eyes and stole them all from her. "I'll carry those for you," he told her firmly.

"It's fine. I can handle it."

"I insist."

Haruhi frowned, feeling empty-handed and useless. Kyouya's chivalry got to be a little exhausting at times. But then he cocked his eyebrow at her, and Haruhi laughed at his funny expression.

"But perhaps it's better you're leaving now," Kyouya remarked lightly as he lead her through the mansion. "Apparently we're having a family dinner tonight that no one bothered to tell me about."

Haruhi let her eyes wander, only half-listening. But then something caught her attention, and she stopped. Kyouya heard her soft exclamation and realized she wasn't by his side anymore. He turned around and threw her an expectant look, but she didn't see.

"It's another piano," Haruhi said, shuffling up to the white beauty, her eyes shining. She beamed at Kyouya, barely able to contain her eagerness. "Have I told you that I've been trying to get my cousin who lives nearby to teach me? Ahh, but I don't get to practice often, because I'm always so busy with studying."

Kyouya chuckled at her excitement. "Really?"

"Would you like to hear a song?" Without waiting for an answer, Haruhi lifted the cover and prepared herself. Positioning her fingers alone seemed to take all of her focus. Kyouya just smirked and set the books down as Haruhi tapped out a very simple melody with deliberate slowness.

"So when are you going to start playing the song? Or was this pathetic excuse for music what you were talking about?"

Haruhi paused for a moment to stick her tongue out at Kyouya. "It's 'Chopsticks'! Everyone has to start somewhere!"

"Not me. I was playing Beethoven from the minute I was born," Kyouya said, sliding next to her.

"Well, excuse me for not meeting the expectations of a musical genius," Haruhi huffed teasingly.

Then she resumed again, her brow furrowed as she concentrated hard. Kyouya watched her in amusement, occasionally shaking his head in wonder. He gently brushed the bangs out of her eyes so she could see the keys better. Then he leaned in to kiss her soft cheek. The music stopped abruptly as Haruhi froze. Kyouya couldn't resist a smirk; he loved having this sort of effect on her. To Kyouya, it just made Haruhi that much more his.

While his hands slid down the curve of her hips, his lips trailed down the curve of her cheek and found themselves right underneath her jawline. He might have even got a little rougher, but then Haruhi gasped and pushed Kyouya away slightly, her face completely red in embarrassment. But Kyouya would have none of that. He pulled her back into a tight hug, trapping her. "Sorry, sorry," he chuckled breathily in her ear. He rocked her gently. "Too fast?"

"N-no," Haruhi stammered. "But what if someone catches us again?"

"Forget them. Who cares what they think?" Kyouya replied. He kissed the top of her head and added in a low murmur, "I'll never give you up." But nonetheless, after another minute he reluctantly released her. And when Haruhi curiously looked up at him with those big brown eyes, Kyouya felt a gnawing sense of guilt inside.


A/N: Ahhhh, how long has it been? Sorry, I usually don't take this long to update. But every weekend I've had a bunch of crap to take care of, not to mention that my brother's gotten into the bad habit of hogging the laptop all the time. I'd say I'll try to do better next time, but that might be a lie. Because I have auditions and interviews all next week, so the odds of me updating within a week is pretty much nill. I'm sorry. Maybe if I scrounge up enough time, I can post a quick drabble or something to curb everyone's appetites?

And before I end this, I just wanted to thank everyone who's reviewed so far. I don't think I've ever gotten so many reviews before on one story. It really means a bunch, you guys. It would be great if I could crack a hundred reviews before I end this, but (cough) I'm not pressuring you or anything (cough, cough). :P