I will be posting another fic called, "Something Called Luck Excerpts." This piece will basically include all the little scenes that didn't make their way into the main story. Hope you all enjoy!
Chapter 9
There are moments in time that change lives—moments that end up defining a person, who they become, and who they want to be. These moments are essential, naturally, and receive a lot of publicity. The memory seems to have a perfect account of every second, and whether the third button of your soulmate's shirt was really fraying or not doesn't really matter when you recall the scene.
There are moments in time that change lives—and there are moments in time that aren't as dramatic.
That are fun.
Hilarious.
Forgettable.
These moments may not change lives, but they are what makes up life.
"Constipation!"
A scowl and a shook fist.
"Constipated burglar!"
Laughter as Hikaru's face turned the color of puce and he flapped his arms vigorously.
"Constipated parrot!"
"What's with you and constipation?" Hikaru demanded, forfeiting the round as he turned on his hysterical twin, "It was a ballerina, dumbass."
He growled as Kaoru fell onto the floor. "We'll see who's laughing when I rearrange your face," the older twin threatened, diving after Kaoru with a pillow.
"You'd think twins would be better at this game," Kichi said archly, as the two rolled around, "Haruhi and I will totally kick your butts."
"Oh, yeah?" Hikaru said, looking up from the ground, "We'll see!" He smacked his brother over the head. "Kaoru, we can't lose!" His twin sobered up, wiping his eyes as he shook off the last traces of merriment.
"Don't worry, Hikaru. Ten answers in two minutes isn't exactly a failure. We beat Honey and Mori, didn't we?"
They glanced at the cousins. Honey was sleeping, leaning into Mori's side as the taller boy maneuvered himself into a more comfortable position. "We beat Honey and Mori because Honey spent the entire two minutes trying to show 'carnival' by eating cotton candy."
"We're really only competing for second place anyway," Haruhi pointed out, "I think Kyoya-sempai and Masumi-sempai set some kind of record."
"I think they cheated," Hikaru grumbled, "Or bribed the prompt-maker. I've heard he's a corrupt idiot."
"Couldn't have, doppelganger," Tamaki said cheerfully, "I wrote all the prompts myself." His face twisted in confusion, and then darkened, "You devilish twin! What do you mean, corrupt idiot?"
"Don't give up, Haruhi!" Kichi said as the blonde began chasing Hikaru around the room, "We're the smartest first-years at Ouran, and I play charades with Yumi almost every day. We'll domnate." She wiggled excitedly, energy leaking through her pores as if she could barely hold it in.
"Yeah, good luck beating thirty-seven," Hikaru grumbled, "We don't even have that many prompts left—" a light went off in his eyes and he smirked, whispering something to Kaoru. Turning back to the rest of the group, he spread his arms, "Let's take a break so Tamaki can replenish the prompts basket."
With a grin, he and Kaoru latched onto the blonde's arms and in a flash, they were gone.
Kichi wondered if she should go after them and put a stop to whatever mischief the twins were undoubtedly up to, but decided against it. She'd beat them despite their meddling and claim bragging rights for the rest of the trip.
We'll see who breaks the record after we tear your butts right off.
Suddenly, a thought struck her and she turned to Haruhi. "You have played this before, right?"
The other girl nodded. "Dad loves this game. I used to play with him every day when I was in middle-school." She jerked her head at Kyoya and Masumi, who were shooting them smug looks. "Who would have thought they would work so well together?"
Kichi laughed. "Masumi would call it a 'connection.'" She winked, "Don't worry, though, Haru-chan, we have a connection too!"
Haruhi smiled back. Kichi had been initially hesitant after her natural hair and eye color had been revealed and Masumi had ordered her to "be herself," but Masumi's insistence coupled with the twins' talent of making her lose her temper had drawn her out of her discomfort.
Now, with the excited grin on her face and the barely suppressed anticipation making her fidget, Haruhi found the younger girl an endearing picture—a child advertisement in a rosy blouse and white shorts. "You really like this game, don't you?"
Kichi shrugged, lowering her voice as she stepped closer to the sitting Haruhi, "It's more that I never really got to compete before. I'm supposed to lose to Yumi so she doesn't feel bad, and I think Tachi always lets me win."
Her eyes shadowed. "I wonder how they're doing without me?"
Haruhi nodded sympathetically, "I used to wonder the same thing about my dad. Did he forget to wash his clothes? Is he eating right? But when I come home, he's always fine. Yumi and Tachi have the entire Sakura staff to wait on them. They'll be fine."
"We're back," Tamaki called as he reentered the room, the twins snickering behind him. Haruhi noticed the slight blush on his cheeks and concluded that whatever the twins had been up to—it wasn't good.
Kichi, however, didn't seem to notice. "Ok," she said, spinning around, "Let's start!" Tamaki handed her the prompts basket wordlessly, only to have it snatched away by Hikaru.
"So eager to lose?" the twin inspected his fingernails in apparent boredom as Kichi rolled her eyes.
"You know, the more you open your mouth now, the worse it's going to look when I beat you like a drum."
"How about a bet, then?" Kaoru sidled up with an innocent smile, "You lose, and you'll be our servants for, let's say, a week."
"And if you win," Hikaru said, suddenly on her other side. His warm breath tickled her ear as he bent down. "We'll be your servants, Kichi-san."
Alarms bell went off in Haruhi's head. "Don't do it," she warned, "They probably—"
She was stopped by a hand over her mouth. Masumi's eyes bored into hers. "Haruhi," the otaku said breathlessly, "This is serious. Potentially life-changing. It's—exactly like a scene out of my favorite manga!" The last bit was spoken in an excited whisper, and Haruhi caught a glimpse of Kyoya's amused smirk as he unashamedly listened from behind her.
"Whichever way this goes will be a plus," the older Sakura continued, grip over Haruhi's mouth tightening, "I can see it now, Kichi in that adorable maids outfit, or the twins in matching butler uniforms—kawaii!"
And yet she has such a connection with Kyoya-sempai.
Kichi shot them a look, as if unsure about what exactly was going on. "We only have to beat your record? Ten prompts?"
"Yup."
"And this doesn't involve Haruhi, right? She doesn't get punished?"
"We'll even let her share in the benefits," Kaoru promised.
"If you feel like sharing," Hikaru gaze was downright filthy, and Kichi blushed.
"Ok."
The twins exchanged high-fives.
Sucker.
OHSHCOHSHC
10
"Go!" Tamaki said, and Kichi unfolded the first prompt.
There was two seconds of complete silence, and then she exploded into action, flipping on her hands and walking around.
"Gymnast!"
9
Kyoya drew Hikaru over. "I assumed you'd rigged the box."
Hikaru gave him an innocent look. "What, us? You wound me, sempai."
Kichi puckered her lips and ran over to Tamaki, ruffling his blonde hair.
"French kiss!"
8
Hikaru smiled sheepishly at Kyoya's raised eyebrows. "Uh, Tono wrote that one?" At Kyoya's skeptical look, he caved, "Ok, we may have added a few—more interesting prompts. You know what Tono's like. It was getting boring."
"And you wanted to win the bet."
"That too."
A small squeal from Masumi made them turn back to the scene. Kichi grinded into empty air as both she and Haruhi glared at Kaoru—who was doing his best to ignore their scathing looks.
"Lap dancing."
7
"They're actually doing really well," Hikaru whispered to his brother, "Do you think we'll—"
"I'm more worried about the looks they've been giving us. If we win, I think Kichi might try to poison our morning tea or something."
Kichi, who'd just opened another prompt, shot them another glare, and Hikaru smirked back as she moved her hips, slowly pulling up her blouse. He caught a glimpse of a toned stomach before Haruhi understood.
"Stripper."
6
Kichi smiled in relief as she opened the next prompt. Luckily, it seemed that the twins hadn't managed to pervert every prompt. She held an imaginary microphone to her lips and fist-pumped.
"Singer!"
Shaking her head, she fell to her knees and began whipping her hair.
"Rockstar."
5
"One minute!" Tamaki called as Kichi froze, arms outstretched.
Haruhi stared at her blankly. "Uh, statue?" Kichi didn't move.
"House? Building? Tree?"
Kichi nodded vigorously, and mimicked biting into something.
"Apple tree."
4
She hesitated over this one, before walking over to Honey, who was still sleeping. She reached out a hand, pretending to shake him awake.
"Uh, suicide?"
The twins snickered, and Kichi shook her head. Reaching out, she mimicked shaking him again before falling backwards in horror, burying her face in her hands in mock despair. At Haruhi's confused look, Kichi sighed and turned away from the sleeping boy.
She mimicked pushing a button and then jerked backwards, waving her arms in a circular motion.
"Oh," Haruhi said, "Human Bomb."
3
"Three more," Kaoru noted, "I never thought they'd get this far."
"I still don't understand how she got, 'human bomb,'" Hikaru grumbled, "I thought that one was impossible."
"We still have our ace, though."
"If she ever chooses it."
Kichi flapped her arms and waddled, puffing out her chest proudly.
"Rooster."
She mimicked crowing.
"Cock-o-doodle-doo."
2
"Thirty seconds!" Tamaki yelled, completely immersed into the competition.
Kichi flipped open the prompt and grinned, flapping her arms and scrunching up her face as she jabbed a finger at Hikaru.
Hikaru scowled as the others laughed, "That was our ace, Karou?"
"Uh, yeah?" Kaoru said sheepishly. He ducked as Hikaru swiped at his head.
"Constipated parrot."
1
"One more," Kyoya noted, "And then one more to win. I wonder what Kichi will ask the twins to do for her?"
"I wouldn't be so sure about them winning," Masumi replied. She smirked, and Kyoya raised an eyebrow.
"Don't tell me you—"
"I may have snuck a few prompts in, but there's no guarantee she'll pick—"
Kichi gave a muffled squeal of frustration as she opened the prompt. Turning to Haruhi, she desperately gestured towards where Kyoya and Masumi were sitting.
"A couple?"
Kichi shook her head, made the sign for "four words" and then imitated striking a flint.
"Fifteen seconds!" Tamaki called breathlessly.
Kyoya didn't bother hiding the fact that he was impressed. "What exactly did you put?"
"Ten seconds!"
Kichi squeezed her hands together as if rolling dough.
"Five!"
She folded her hands, looking up angelically.
"Time's—"
"Match made in heaven!"
"Up!"
The floodgates blew open.
OHSHCOHSHC
"Stripping? French kiss? Lap dancing?" Kichi demanded, eyes blazing. Hikaru swore there was literally fire shooting from her gaze, it was so angry.
"Oh, grow a sense of humor," he said, "It's not like you guys lost, or anything."
"Then again, you didn't quite win, either." Kaoru said cheekily. At Kichi's furious look, he swallowed, "Uh, The lap dancing was Hikaru's idea."
"Traitor."
"I want to know who came up with the French kiss," Kichi said, "If Haruhi hadn't gotten that so fast, that might have turned out awkward."
The twins exchanged looks. "Actually, that one was all Tono's idea."
Kichi's look was beyond skeptical. "Right." She spun on her heel and walked over to Kyoya. "I'm going to see if the camera can really tell us who won."
As she sat down to the Kyoya, who was rapidly tapping into the plane's security system, Haruhi turned to the twins. "You guys really should have known better," she scolded, "You're lucking Kichi didn't pick out some of your other choices. I took a look after the game, and some of them are really—"
"Kinky?" Kaoru grinned. "You know, Haruhi—"
"—there's really something we should tell you." Hikaru finished, a catlike grin on his face, "We weren't lying. Tono really did put in the French kiss."
"All we had to do was tell him that you were the one acting the prompts out."
