Sorry for the long wait, college is murder lol

~ Chapter Nine ~

~ A Luxurious Day at the Ootori Spa Resort ~

I sighed, so content was I that I hadn't noticed Kyouya had been speaking to me.

"I'm sorry, what?" I asked kindly, the helicopter scenario and thoughts of being debt till graduation (if I made it there) gone from my mind for the time being. The message therapist pressed his thumbs into my shoulder blades and I had to stifle a moan. My face was in the table, looking through the hole and at the floor, I couldn't see Kyouya close his eyes and reopen them.

"How are you enjoying your stay as of far?" he questioned again.

"Gee, do you really have to ask?" A shudder followed my mildly sarcastic remark, the therapist chuckled.

"I'd say she's enjoying it fairly well, Ootori-san," I would've purred in agreement if I were a cat, but since I wasn't, I had to rely on casual conversation.

"Yes, I love it here," I said, confirming what I was sure was going through Kyouya's mind.

In the distance I could hear Hunny and the twins' battle cries, they were playing beach volley ball. Not sure where Tamaki and Haruhi were at (certainly Mori was playing alongside Hunny). Kyouya had been lounging, scribbling onto his clipboard, adjusting his glasses occasionally.

"You should try it," I continued, trying to keep the conversation going.

"Do not worry about me Tsuyu," he said, the message therapist gave me one last rub down before heading into the back, but not before telling me in another twenty minutes I was free to call on him again.

"Close your eyes," I ordered, Kyouya didn't need telling this, as he was as much of a gentleman as the rest of the hosts (the twins proved questionable) but complied to my wishes anyhow. Straightening up and covering myself with the white towel that had originally lay strewn across my backside, I told him he was safe to open his eyes again.

"Have you done anything since we got here? Well, besides changing," I asked, when we had arrived at the Ootori Spa Resort, we had been urged into the changing rooms. Haruhi and I had already been prepared for and were given free bathing suit samples – very nice samples too.

Thankfully I was given a sweet and simple tankini, emerald in color to bring out my eyes with a cute floral, pink pattern embroidered along the edges. An equally pink sash was tied at my waist and the remnants hung limply – when I had it on. Currently the bathing suit was lying folded in one of the message changing rooms.

"I've done plenty," Kyouya replied evenly, content just sitting there writing what he was writing in the plush armchair. I loved how he wasn't in his school uniform – it gave me a whole new perspective on the Ootori genius. In a pair of black swimming trunks with a folded towel draped around his shoulders, Kyouya gave the world a splendid view of slim, pale body. It was an eastern trait I suppose, men in Japan are not known for their body-building musculature. Not even Mori, without a shirt, gave much of a hint he's a kendo champion.

"Unless your idea of fun means looking the same as you do balancing the host's finances, you need to be out and about, not recording statistics!" I was never sure if that was all he did, but I remember Hunny once telling me all Kyouya does for the club during our last café visit.

Kyouya gave me a brief glance, then looked back at his clipboard, but his pen had stopped writing.

"You have an interesting way of putting things, out and about?" he was teasing me and I knew this.

"C'mon Kyouya! This resort has a ton of stuff – even a beach (of which I still can't believe is in the middle of Japan) and you're not enjoying any of it!" I stood up and went toward the changing rooms in the back.

"When I come back out you better be prepared to hit the sand! If I'm here for free I'm going to milk it for all it's worth," I left with that hanging in the air, but once I closed the door to the changing room I paled significantly.

I hope I didn't just give him leverage! My mind cried, probably using the word 'free' wasn't the best of my choices. Then again, Kyouya was the kind of guy who would twist your words, not go back on his own. He claimed I was invited here as a special guest, surely there couldn't be some sort of loophole I overlooked could there?

When I returned fully clad back into my tankini, Kyouya was nowhere to be found.

All right, what are you scheming? I thought a little nervously as I exited the message area. Sand greeted my feet and a soft breeze coursed through my dark hair. I peered up at the sky, remembering there is climate control within the transparent dome situated around the entire spa resort. The sunlight beamed through it, but the dome kept it from heating up the sand and thus, kept it comfortable to walk in without burning my feet.

"Tsuyu-chan! Come and play!" Hunny cried, spiking the ball onto the twins' side, they both jumped out of the way. I understood well now, that going up against Mori and Hunny in a physical sport was not a wise idea, that ball hit the ground and created a sort of explosion. Koaru and Hikaru only just turned away from it in time, having their backs take the brunt of the sand.

"I'll have to pass Hunny-senpai," I declined politely, before Hunny could even give me puppy eyes Mori cut in.

"Ah, Usa-chan must be lonely." That sentence was all it took, Usa-chan, who had been sitting on a rock by his lonesome, had been propped up to 'watch' the game.

"Oh you're right! I'm sorry Usa-chan!" Hunny cried out as he raced over to the stuffed bunny, I gave Mori a grateful nod.

"Thank you Mori-senpai," I said happily, he reached out and mussed up my hair.

"Ah," with a gentle smile he turned away and caught the volley ball Hikaru and Koaru served over, hoping to get a point with Hunny and Mori occupied.

"Ahhh!" they groaned from the other side.

I inwardly laughed, my fingers trying to fix my hair, in the end, I pulled out the hair band and let my dark tresses fall to my shoulders. Brushing my bangs to the side of my face I looked around, scanning my surroundings.

We were in the middle of Japan, but I could swear the helicopter flew us to Jamaica. Palm trees and a salty lake complete with waves overtook the spa resort, places such as the message tent and restroom area dotted the tropical landscape, the dome arched high above us keeping the cooler air out.

It was times like these I found it hard to believe I was here with the Host Club (that I was in debt to my eyeballs with) and not on a rare outing with a group of my closest friends. I sighed, vacations were limited with my hard-working parents, that's one of the reasons living by myself was easy – there wasn't a whole lot of difference.

It must be nice to have so much free time to make spontaneous trips to all-expanses paid resorts, much less make it a surprise for unknowing participants. Don't get me wrong I love it here, but I remember that it took years for my parents to plan for a trip and two times out of three ended up cancelling at the last minute because of a business crisis.

As for friends, I thought bitterly to myself, these people are all I had that came close to that for a long time.

The irony of the situation is that it took a floor polisher and a debt for me to get them.

I sighed through my nose, not that I was antisocial or anything, but when it came to friendships, work and studying were top priority to me, even as a young kid. When I had made the attempt to make friends, I would forget about them in the process of completing schoolwork and helping out my parents. I would forget their names and eventually their faces were just those I passed in the halls.

Maybe I was heartless, maybe there were those who sought me out to be friends, but I didn't even care enough to remember their names.

I couldn't even work up nostalgia looking through scrapbooks my parents made professionally just for me. Pictures of kids I had hung out with once or twice, names beside them that I couldn't recall.

I dodged a stray ball from the twins' side, they stuck out their tongues and laughed merrily, I shook my head at them as I picked up the ball. When I went to hand it to Mori, he motioned for me to serve.

"Oh, okay," I would play as long as I wasn't playing against Mori or Hunny (or better yet the both of them).

I punched the ball over the net, happily bouncing off of one of the twins' heads. The other quickly caught it with his forearms and sent it back over to Mori and I. This time Mori setted it, Hikaru or Koaru were brave enough to intercept this one and send it back.

I jumped and spiked it, nearly taking the net down with me.

The twins, who were completely caught off guard by my move, stood by helplessly as I managed a point.

"One-zero," I cheered, they stuck their tongues back out at me.

"We're bored," they said in unison, suddenly appearing nonchalant about being beaten by me, squashing my victory.

"Hey!" I growled, they smirked.

The afternoon came and went, the authentic breeze churned the leaves of the palm trees and coconuts clanged together. It seemed like days since we were at Koen Gardens, it felt like the Host Club and I had been mingling at the spa resort for hours when it had only been a couple.

Around five I grew lazy and found myself a comfy lawn chair to lay on, I was out in minutes.

Sleeping under a large umbrella had it's uses, for one thing it kept the sunlight from bleeding through my eyelids, another it created some much needed shade.

Now normally it was difficult for me to fall asleep in anything other than a bed, never had I fallen asleep in a car or a plane and most certainly never the train I rode to and from Ouran. After the dream I had under that umbrella, I came to discover why it was best not to fall asleep in unfamiliar places.

My dream was littered with fast-revolving images of money burning in a fire with acrid smoke, it stung my eyes and made me cough and sputter. These images spun into pictures of Ayanokouji, her smug face smirking at me with wicked interest – she had Kira-chan in one hand, a stuffed koala bear clutched in the other.

The redhead began to reshape, her teenage visage developing into something younger, her age dropped a good ten years and the two stuffed animals were being shoved into my face. Whenever I reached up to grab them, she swiftly snatched them away.

"They're mine now!" she hissed happily, I shook my head.

"No, they're not! They're mine!" I wanted to say, but the words wouldn't come out. A sound reminiscent of Ayanokouji's expansive shoes grinding that white rose into the floor echoed in the back of my mind.

The redhead vanished all together and next came more burning and melting money.

"I'm so sorry Tsu-chan, we just can't afford it…"

"You'll have to settle for another school…"

"No, I'll pay for it myself!"

"But the Ayanokoujis-"

"My test scores were better than Kameko's! They HAVE to accept me!"

"They said-"

"I'm going to Ouran!"

I woke with a start, Antoinette, who had taken to laying on me, leaped off and landed neatly on the sand. She shook herself before looking back at me questionably, her tail wagging slightly as if in hope she would be allowed back up.

"Whoa," I muttered, rubbing my eyes frantically and gently slapping my face. That dream, no nightmare, felt so real. I looked around, Mori and Hunny were at the message tent, Takeshi (the therapist) happily talking to them about something. Tamaki was with Kyouya near the volley ball net. Haruhi was building a sandcastle not far from them with the twins mocking her efforts.

The sun had moved, I idly wondered how long I had been out. Once I moved to stand up, Antoinette bounded over to Tamaki, standing in Kyouya's lap in the process, effectively knocking the boy's glasses off his face.

"!" Kyouya put his clipboard down behind him as he tried to push Antoinette away.

"Tamaki!" Kyouya growled when Antoinette wouldn't move, I laughed at the scene as I approached them.

"Did you wake Tsuyu-chan up Antoinette? Hm?" Tamaki cooed to the golden, I picked up Antoinette by her stomach and lifted her hind legs out of Kyouya's lap.

"Here," I said, spotting Kyouya's glasses then handing them to him as Antoinette's tail had knocked them a good few feet away.

"Thank you," he replied casually, I frowned.

"You should put them in their case Kyouya, being so close to the water and all." With this said, Kyouya glanced at his glasses, eyeing how sandy they had gotten with their impact with the beach and thought it over.

"That would be wise," he admitted, pulling out a waterproof case hidden in one of his pockets, sliding his glasses in then sealed the case. He would clean them later.

"Tsuyu-chan!" A blonde blur threw his weight into me as he had sprinted at top speed from the tent he and Mori had been occupying. I felt my body fall, I hit water and swallowed some of it in my gasp for oxygen.

I sputtered like the floor polisher when it hit grass when I emerged, Hunny was wading beside me, looking slightly ashamed.

"Sorry Tsuyu-chan," he apologized, his eyes large and bulbous.

"I'm fine, but please don't do that again," I said after my coughing died down, then I went to knock water out of my left ear and spit out more salt water from my mouth.

"Nasty stuff," I growled, I spotted Mori approaching us, looking like a giant as Hunny and I were sitting down in the calm surf. In one hand Mori held a floating tube, of which he gave Hunny.

"Yay! Thank you Takashi!" Hunny cried as he bounced away, Mori following close behind as a loyal lifeguard. Left alone and suddenly fighting the urge to jump around myself, I turned my attention back to the shore.

"Hey! Antoinette~!" I yelled, having an evil idea glinting in my imagination. The golden's ears perked, her muzzle jerked away from Tamaki and pointed toward me, her tail began to wag again and promptly caught Kyouya in the face again. Sand sprayed out from beneath her paws as she took to the surf, her golden fur slick with water. She barked happily as she paddled out to me.

"Good girl! Now…" I scratched her behind the ears, Tamaki had been left feeling abandoned where Antoinette left him.

"…where's Tamaki?" I asked, knowing the dog would run back to the blonde.

She didn't disappoint, in fact, she body slammed poor Tamaki and had him drenched in her salty coat.

"No! No! Stop An-Antoinette! Kyouya! HELP!" Tamaki cried, he was on his back battling against the furiously giddy dog, Kyouya had, however, scooted away.

"Yeah! Go Antoinette!" the twins cheered, now on their feet, Haruhi watched on completely deadpanned.

"C'mon everybody in the water! It's great!" I shouted over Tamaki, when no one made for the water I shrugged then proceeded to float on my back.

Kyouya had been right, this was so relaxing, my body was floating so well I could close my eyes without worrying about going under. If I weren't in danger of drowning, I would fall asleep again right here.

I burst out laughing randomly when a pair of hands tickled my stomach, losing my composure on the water.

"Hikaru! Koaru!" I sputtered as I regained a standing position, the redheads smirked.

"It was so tempting! We couldn't resist!" Without warning I threw myself at them, successfully throwing all three of us completely under water. We emerged laughing, but I quickly got out of the way as Hikaru or Koaru tried to return the favor. The other twin latched onto my arm and the other caught my free one, I was trapped and visibly paled.

"No more dunking you two," I said, trying to sound terrified in hopes they wouldn't do it, but I gave them too much credit. Little devil horns came out of their hair.

"Say please!" one of them laughed and they forced me down, I grabbed the back of their heads at the last minute and forced them to come with me.

"Me next! Me next!" shouted Hunny, but the twins couldn't catch him and once Hunny was perched on Mori, they couldn't pull him down either. Something swam beside me and when I looked over, I found Antoinette doggy-paddling, her owner and Haruhi right behind her.

"Welcome to the party," I greeted enthusiastically, Tamaki looked around.

"What party?" he asked.

"Never mind,"

"I hope I don't fail Biology tomorrow," Haruhi groaned under her breath, apparently not caught up in everyone's euphoria with the water.

"You won't! You're too smart for that! Oh! That reminds me!" I gasped as I sloshed through the water and made my way out of the surf.

Kyouya sat alone on the beach, surprisingly his clipboard was still where he left it after Antoinette bounced into him.

"Hey Kyouya, I have a favor to ask?" I dropped down to my knees, comfortably sitting in front of him. Without his glasses he had to squint and better yet, he couldn't hold an impressive display of Shadow King intimidation.

"Hm? What is it?" He asked.

"How's your vision without glasses?" I asked out of the blue, not at all what I had intended to ask, he shrugged.

"Not the greatest without them I admit, didn't you have a favor to ask of me?" I felt like he was the one interrogating me instead of the other way around, I guess I could blame that on my random question.

"I did, I just couldn't tell if you looked better with glasses on or without them." I confessed, trying my hardest to sound casual, the slightest note of a different emotion would set off more reeling gears in the back of his head.

He grinned in spite of himself, closing his eyes, my eyebrows rose into my hairline – this time for a different reason.

Oh kami, he's cute, of course I knew this since I attended Ouran, but spending more time with him must be taking its toll on me. I shook my head, collecting my thoughts.

Hunny and Haruhi are cute, Kyouya…sophisticated? Or downright handsome? How could he be sixteen and be both? My mind was still processing my thoughts when Kyouya replied.

"I could say the same about you," I had to wonder if the cool waters of the beach would push down the redness that had spread rapidly across my cheeks, I blinked then proceeded into the conversation in hopes he couldn't see my face with his blotchy eyesight.

"Ah, thanks Kyouya, um…could you…perhaps - helpmemorewithphysics?" I asked quickly, trying to get it out while he was currently in a good enough mood to compliment me.

"I thought we were already doing that while you were visiting the Host Club?" he ventured, I nodded.

"Yeah, I know, but I'm in need of…further assistance…" I finished, feeling lame about it. It's true that my grade had grown a margin since my first Host Club visit, but it wasn't rising fast enough. The first semester was close to its end in a few short weeks and physics was increasing in difficulty – if I failed I would probably drop a class level and have to retake it on top of that!

Kyouya blinked, his brown eyes taking in my embarrassed features, I awaited his reply like a prisoner awaited a jury's verdict.

He's going to say no, I thought sadly.

"You know what it's all right, you're already helping me enough as it is I'll make it somehow," Liar, my mind snarled, but my tongue was too quick for it, Kyouya readjusted his posture on the sand in order to make his back straighter. By doing this, his face rose a little above mine, the same height between us it is when we are standing up.

"We will have to hold more sessions either at Ouran or another place of your choosing," Kyouya finally spoke, I sighed with defeat, obviously not comprehending what he had said.

"Don't worry about it Kyou – wait? Really?" I shot him a bewildered look, my eyes shot over at his clipboard.

"How much?" I said with a sigh, Kyouya shook his head.

"Call it me returning a favor," he said without the slightest hint of reluctance.

"What favor?" I questioned, clearly confused, he glanced at me smartly without answering, as if I would answer my own question just by staring at him long enough.

"Don't you remember the first time you spoke to me?" I blinked, how could I forget?

"Kyouya-senpai!"

"Yes…Miss?"

"It's Ayanokouji who has been terrorizing Fujiouka-san, just so you know."

"You…remember that?" my frown completely vanished from my features, although the Ootori Kyouya didn't know who I was at the time despite being in the same year and class, he recalled our first conversation?

"My information network would have gotten it at some point," Kyouya began, avoiding answering my question, "but without that tip-off you gave me, I wouldn't have had the Host Club send Ayanokouji-san off with a proper farewell at the most opportune time."

I sweat-dropped, even Ayanokouji was a prop to them, I guess I could say that's a little harsh…I shrugged.

"I'm returning the favor, for the help you gave me I shall help you," I gave him a coy look.

"You couldn't do that just by paying for the cleaning supplies your club broke?" with a smirk to rival Kyouya's planted on my face, it slid off when he spoke again.

"I did not pay you for the hint to Haruhi's distress now did I?" he replied smoothly, but not unkindly, I resisted rolling my eyes.

"Touché,"

"Not so, just honest."

"Manipulative," I shot back playfully, "but yes, honest."

Without realizing it I had scooted over to sit right next to Kyouya, we both sat watching the rest of the Host Club splashing in the water like mature parents supervising their unruly children.

"When do you wish to start?" he asked.

"As soon as possible," said I.

A sharp bark brought me to my senses when Antoinette leaped at Kyouya and I, followed swiftly by Tamaki, Hikaru, Koaru, and Hunny.

Kyouya's face darkened into a light scowl as Tamaki laughed in his ear, the twins decided to try and tickle me again.

"S-STOP! HAHAHAHA!" I cried, Antoinette licked my face.

An hour later we were packed into a limo to head back home, with seats on all sides in the vast back of the vehicle, we all sat comfortably. Mori sat nearest to the door with Hunny snoozing on Usa-chan beside him. The twins were glued to the hip as usual, Haruhi was texting her father beside Hikaru.

In the last seat I occupied along with Kyouya and Tamaki, Kyouya in the middle with his arms folded. Tamaki had fallen asleep lounging against the window with Antoinette at his feet napping.

Hunny, Tamaki and Antoinette had the best idea, I constantly found myself rubbing eyes. The sun setting in the west happened to be behind us, so it wasn't keeping me awake by shining its light into my face.

A good thirty minutes away from the nearest stop (the Hitachiins), boredom and fatigue were not a good combination for one who wished to remain awake. Even Kyouya, who I spied with his eyes shut behind his now glistening glasses, looked fast asleep.

Across from me, Haruhi shifted her legs.

"Good going Dad…" I heard her mumble under her breath, I cocked my head in question.

"What?" I asked, mildly curious. Haruhi sighed.

"My dad's weird, but then again its his job he was talking about, I just told him we went to another fake beach." Haruhi explained without much interest.

"Another?"

"I think I would prefer the real thing, but I've never been to a real beach before, so I wouldn't know I guess…" Haruhi trailed off.

"Come to think of it, me neither, my family always went somewhere inland." I confessed, Haruhi nodded and we fell into silence once more.

Five minutes later Haruhi hid her face from the sun by leaning into Hikaru's (I know this because Haruhi said his name after he came out of the changing rooms, unlike Koaru, he was dressed in a blue tropical shirt) shoulder. I'm certain she fell asleep. Mori appeared out, like Kyouya, his arms were crossed, although his posture slacked and his head was back against the seat of the car.

I sat there, awake, tired, and alone.

It was hard not to sit and stare at Haruhi and not imagine how comfortable it was against Hikaru's shoulder, I dared a glimpse at Kyouya.

Unlike five minutes ago, his arms had grown less firm and in all honestly, appeared as asleep as everyone else. The idea of doing to him what Haruhi so willingly is doing to Hikaru made me look away blushing like mad.

What if he woke up? How would I explain myself?

Oh right, I 'accidently fell asleep on you' might work right?

No, he's not stupid.

Oh c'mon! He's ASLEEP!

Hikaru and Haruhi are okay with it, but they probably know each other better!

I'm so tired! I wouldn't be comfortable any other way! I peered over at Tamaki, there was drool on the window. I put my face into my palms.

I looked at Haruhi and Hikaru once more, this was ridiculous, it's not as hard as I'm thinking it is – I'm just overreacting because I don't want to give Kyouya the idea that I like him.

The image of Kyouya without his glasses on raced in front of my eyes, something fluttered inside my chest.

I glanced at Kyouya out of the corner of my eyes, his head was now hanging ever so slightly, although he hadn't been in the lake playing with us he looked just as worn out.

He looked so damn adorable!

Screw it! I thought bluntly, trying to be discreet and gentle about it like how I watched Haruhi do it, I placed my head on Kyouya's shoulder.

He didn't stir, my confidence grew and I snuggled further, his soft clothing making up the comfort for the, what could have proven to be uncomfortable, bony shoulder. Unknown to me, I hadn't been the last to fall asleep after all.

Either that or Kyouya instinctively moved in response to lay his head on my own.


Squeal! Any ideas for Kyouya-fluff anyone? I've already been given tons of ideas, but feel free to give more!

Thank you everyone who has read up this far and more thanks goes out to those who have reviewed *hugs*

Go ahead and take a guess what Tsuyu and Ayanokouji's relationship is?

FLONNIE XD has also figured out the cameo I put in a little while ago in...was it chapter 7? I don't remember and I'm too lazy to go and find out, but either way, good job!

Answer: Mitsuru from Fruits Basket, ever wonder who she's talking to when she has to face Shigure? That's my OC, Tsuyu's dad trying to encourage her lol. Okamura comes from her voice actress' name.

Expect a ton of crossover cameos and maybe even some known characters from other stories to appear!

NOTICE: Because Onemanga has shut down (I do not have any of the manga, as much as I would love to have it, as I cannot invest in it at the moment) and it was my primary (only) source of the manga, I will be relying heavily on the anime. However, I will do my research and how out at Borders to get the manga plot twisters and so on to carry out the manga timeline. So BOTH the anime and manga will apply to this fanfiction here on out!