Bonjour, everyone! Sorry for such a late update, been so busy lately…XD This is the 8th piece, dedicated to all of you, my dear friends! ^^

Firstly, the theme is:

~First visit to Ayuzawa's House~

Chapter 35 ~ Usui accidentally helped Minako Ayuzawa, Misaki's mom, to pick up apples at the train station and ended up invited to dinner at Ayuzawa's house. Hinata, who was visiting Misaki's house at the same time, accused him of planning the whole scene beforehand. However, Misaki didn't think it that way, but she was bothered by the way Usui was acting that day.

Well, I guess it didn't only confuse her, but I (and probably some of us) also felt the same way. So the question is:

Why did Usui act strangely that day at Misaki's house?

Only one question to be answered, but why do I feel that I need to put a lot of thinking over this? Oh yeah… it's our favorite perverted alien's mind we are talking about here! It's supposed to be tough XD So, with this limited amount of imagination of mine, I hope I'll manage to reveal a corresponding answer to the question in this piece.

Here we go!

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Disclaimer: Although my birthday is approaching and I was hoping that I can have Maid-Sama as my gift for this year, but unfortunately it will never happen…. Maid-Sama still isn't mine, so are the characters….

The evening breeze felt so cold on Usui's face as he walked down the street in Misaki's neighborhood. He was on his way home from Misaki's house, having invited to dinner by her mother earlier. He was supposed to be happy because that was the first time he was invited to Misaki's house and had the chance to meet her family. But instead, after taking a look closer to her family life, he suddenly felt so far away from her. The distance between their worlds had never felt that real before.

There were traces of her childhood all over the house, making him able to imagine just what kind of memory she had when she was a child. And the warm atmosphere that he felt in the house was a completely new thing to him. The sight of them having light conversations over dinner and the way they spoke, laughed and argued with each other shown him what a real family really meant. He had never imagined that a house could be such a heart-warming place to be.

He never knew that.

Up to that point, a house for him was just a place to be, because there was no other place he would go, nothing more than that. If he looked back to the memory he had about his family and the houses he lived in, the only thing that he could remember was the cold feeling that he knew so well.

Loneliness.

He spent his whole life with the absence of his parents. But the feeling of being abandoned and ignored was mostly learned from the way the rest of his family treated him. Ever since he could remember anything, he was already living in a huge family house in the countryside with no relatives, only the people they assigned to take care of him.

Even when his family came to the house once in a while, they didn't come to visit him. They just simply had other business to take care of. No exchange of words whatsoever, as if he was never there. He spent the days of his life being home-schooled with a lot of instructors in that huge house. That would partly explain why he was so knowledgeable and skilled despite of his young age. So the time went by just like that, without family, without friends.

He could see clearly what kind of family he had. He was a brilliant kid, in fact, he was outstandingly genius. Even when he was too young to understand things, he already knew that to his family, he was nothing but an outcast. Everything he did has no impact to the way they judge him.

He was incredibly talented. He excelled in everything he learned even without putting in too much effort and time. Every instructor they assigned to teach him, who was the best in their field, didn't need much time to acknowledge it. They had no doubt that he was destined for something big. The level of talents he had was too much for one person to handle, but yet, it was all fused perfectly in him. He received numerous exceptional praises in every aspect of his study from his instructors from time to time. Still, it didn't make his family love him, or at least care a bit about him. Therefore he didn't know what to expect, because no matter what he did, nobody would care. Yes, that was the first lesson he remembered the most.

Never have expectation.

So, when he learned the real history behind his existence from his family, he didn't flinch for even a bit. It was nothing surprising, because he had nothing to expect from the very beginning. He didn't know how to react when his family finally told him about it in a random occasion with such a cold manner. As if it wouldn't hurt his feelings. But he knew it wasn't because of it. The real reason was the second lesson he learned from his family.

Nobody cared about his feelings.

He knew it. Even before that day, he already knew it, but that one event made it so clear to him. So from then on, he decided not let himself to be consumed by something as absurd as feelings. He thought of it as a burden. That's why it never clouded his judgments. Hiding his true feelings always helped him to survive in his world. It put a mask on him so that people wouldn't be able to see his inner being, his weaker side. He thought of it as an ideal way to face this fake world he lived in.

But when he was there at Misaki's house, he was stunned by how different they were. It wasn't a fake smile he saw on their faces. It weren't fake sweet words he heard from them, it wasn't fake laughter they shared. It was incredibly sincere that it made him uneasy. He had never faced that kind of situation before. All of them would explain how it shaped up Misaki's one of a kind personality that he cherished so much. But seeing it in front of his eyes, he couldn't help but feeling so out of place. He felt like he didn't belong there, a person like him wouldn't fit being there.

And Hinata's presence made it even clearer. The way he talked about the childhood memories he shared with Misaki hurt him inside. Those memories were the only thing that he thought he couldn't intervene. Moreover, he felt a certain inconvenient feelings growing inside of him as he saw how Hinata managed to blend in to her family so easily.

Anger.

He kept asking himself why should he be so different from them. Why couldn't he cope with such a normal situation? Why did it feel so hard for him? As if there was an invisible wall between them. Although he kept asking himself such sort of questions, he certainly knew the reason from the start. It's because he was him. It was always because of him. And the fact that he couldn't change anything about it made him even angrier. Gradually, doubt was building up inside of him. Would he be able to face those differences and be a part of her world?

But he didn't plan to show those feelings he had. Despite of the certain deep thought stirring inside of him, he managed to keep himself intact to decent conversations while he was in the house. He didn't let those emotions came out to the surface, which he somehow did without effort. He was an expert in hiding his feelings, because he had been doing it for his whole life, and nobody had managed to decode him. People around him thought of him as an invincible person, never troubled by anything, never reacted to anything, never interested in anything, barely even showed any kind of emotions. Simply a person who was almost impossible to read.

He was fine with it. He was used to it anyways.

Over the years, he thought that he could live with it.

But the truth was, he was at his limit. Deep inside of him, he wanted to be caught on guard. He wanted to be understood. He wanted to take off his mask, to be just him. He was tired of being someone he didn't want to.

So that's why he was attracted when he first noticed Misaki. She was a student council president who was also a man hater, but at the same time she also worked as a maid in the café that required her to serve male guests. First time he found out about her secret, he thought that she was just like him, wearing a mask to deceive people. He was curious to know which one was her real self. Seeing her reminded him of his own situation somehow.

Therefore he kept watching her. But as he gradually learned new things about her, he found out that she was nothing like him. In fact, she was quite an opposite of him. She wasn't intentionally hiding her feelings, instead, she couldn't even hide it. He was able to read her like an opened book. The fact that she was able to pull out different characters in some certain situations was simply because she put her all in everything she did. It wasn't an act. It was her trying her best in everything. He was amazed by her, and so he decided to take a closer look at her.

During his intense observation, unexpectedly he discovered something more about her in the process. The other reason of why she was able to be a man hater and a maid at the same time. It was because she had both characters in her. Inside her strict and fierce side, he could see a sweet and caring side of her. This new finding marked the most important moment in his entire life. He couldn't deny that he was deeply allured by her whole personality. And before he knew it, she had invaded his heart in one blow. He found himself in love.

He couldn't believe that he could finally experience that kind of strong feelings. He who considered feelings as a burden. But it was too strong that in the end he couldn't resist it. He was deeply attracted to her. Someone who was so pure and sincere, unlike anybody he knew in his world. Being around her made him feel like he was really alive. The way she put her all to everything she did and her hard working nature gave him the strength and faith to face everything. As time went by, and as he learned more things about her, he couldn't deny that her presence gradually became essential to his life. Then undeniably, he found the place where he thought he could stay for the rest of his life. At Ayuzawa Misaki's side.

So he stayed, trying to adapt to her life. And tonight, unexpectedly he was brought a lot closer to her life. But why in turn, doubt had come to his senses again?

Usui's deep thought was interrupted when he saw a deserted playground not so far away from Misaki's house, the place that he didn't bother to notice before. But suddenly he felt like taking a closer look at the place. He smiled as his thought stirred back to Misaki. I wonder how many great memories she had in this place… aside from her house…

As he thought about her, he abruptly reminded to the last conversations they had at the gate of her house before he said goodbye to her. She asked him what he was thinking that day. He was a bit surprised by her question. It meant that she sensed something more about him than what he showed them. Nobody had managed to go that far before. He was glad that she was the one who did, but he wouldn't want to trouble her with his problems. No. It would be the last thing he would do.

But then again, his thought was interrupted as he heard footsteps drawing near from behind him. When he turned around, he saw the object of his thought already standing in front from him, panting. Misaki was still in her school uniform and she was carrying a plastic bag in her right hand as she tried to catch her breath.

"Ayuzawa?" Usui asked with a surprise look in his face.

Misaki didn't say anything, still trying to catch her breath. He waited for her to steady her breathings while she took out something from the plastic bag. She then offered him a box of cute looking slices of apple which was peeled in a certain way that resembled a rabbit.

"…You came all the way here just to give me this?" Usui asked her.

"…Tch… My mother made extras. If you don't want it, I can bring it back home right now!"

Usui laughed at her coercive answer. "How demanding."

"Sh… Shut up!" Misaki said, suddenly feeling embarrassed by her own words.

Usui then took one slice of the bunny apples and started to eat it without saying anything further.

Misaki looked at him and couldn't help but feeling annoyed by his unusual behavior. I said shut up and he simply obeyed it? That's really unusual… As I thought, there is something wrong. Then she decided to ask him directly. "…Hey, you… are acting strange."

"…Really?" He looked at her with his innocent surprised face.

"…Honestly… What are you thinking about…" Misaki started to worry, she felt something was off.

"…Nothing." He paused while licking his fingers as he finished eating slice of apple he held. "…Just that… These stories about Ayuzawa… It's really fresh to me." He added while unintentionally his expression saddened.

"…What do you mean by that?"

"Knowing that Ayuzawa grew up in that kind of environment… I can finally understand various things." He chuckled, but unlike his usual.

"So… So what if it is! What's that, that cold laugh!" Misaki snapped, and waited for his usual teasing afterwards, but when there wasn't any reaction from him beside those troubled expression she had never seen from him before, she spoke again. "…Hey…" She paused, considering the right words to say.

"As I thought, you are angry about something…?" Misaki added, asking him the thing that she came to ask him for.

Her words surprised him. "…I am? About what?" He hesitantly asked, trying to measure how much she had discovered.

"About what... Probably… This is the only reason that I can think of…" Misaki scratched her back head, conflicting inside her mind whether to tell him or not.

"I… Is it because I always hang out together with Shintani?" She finally added, after she decided to just said it straight.

Misaki's words streaked him hard in the heart. His eyes widened by the surprise.

"If… If it's not then just forget about it…" Misaki felt embarrassed and also surprised by his stiffened expression, thinking that she was being too fussy.

But a complete opposite thought ran inside Usui's mind. For the first time, he felt like he was seen through. Although it wasn't the exact reason of why he was feeling that way, but he was startled that Misaki was aware that he was troubled by her closeness to Hinata. Moreover, she paid attention about how he was feeling that she came all the way there to check on him. For him, such concern was a very precious thing, especially when it came from her. His expression softened as he felt a huge burden being lifted from his heart. Ayuzawa… After all this time, I'm still so amazed by the way you make me feel… Honestly… How can I thank you enough?

Usui silently took the meal box from Misaki's hand and to her surprise, he took a slice of the rabbit apples and offered it in front of Misaki's mouth to feed her. For a moment she didn't move, but as they exchanged looks, she couldn't help but being allured by his charming emerald eyes. Unconsciously, she remembered when he feed her before at the Yumesaki's festival, and as the memory of that day came back at her, pink blush successfully dominated her cheeks. That habit of him feeding her was starting to get to her. Before she could think of anything, she opened her mouth and took a bite of the apple.

Seeing her obediently eating the apple, Usui couldn't help but smiling. "How can you be so cute like that?" He said while releasing an honest and open smile for the first time that day. He felt like his depressing thought disappeared at once, replaced by a warm feeling in his heart.

Misaki was taken aback by his sudden change of expression. Why did he suddenly smile like that? Am I missing something here? Not that I don't like it when he finally got rid of that confused expression before, but now I lost track of him again… I don't understand… Am I being tricked or something?

"Are… Are you treating me as an idiot?" Misaki yelled, annoyed by his confusing behavior.

"Why do you say so?"

"Why… I'm the one asking the question here!"

"Question? What is it?"

"Like I said, today you—"

"Yup, I was a little angry about something." He interrupted her before she finished her line, and Misaki didn't manage to say anything anymore.

"…But I've forgotten all about it now." He added while smiling and then he ate the rest of the apple that he feed her with before.

"Forgotten? You…" Misaki's anger reached the top of her head, she felt like a fool for worrying about him before.

"Ah… We've had an indirect kiss."

"Don't say that kind of thing so declaringly! Are you stupid?"

"That's because I feel happy about it."

"SHUT UP, YOU PERVERT!" Misaki covered her ears and turned her back on him, as if it would help her to diminish the effect of his embarrassing line on her.

"I can't shut up, because I'm very happy."

"Haa! What are you—" Surprised by his sudden change of behavior, she quickly turned around to face him again, but then she couldn't continue her words as she realized how close they were.

"Ayuzawa came all the way here just because you were concerned about me… I'm happy…" Usui said while shooting her a smile that made her speechless at once.

The rest of her words drifted away from her mind as she looked at those charming feature of him, and she quickly bowed her head, hiding her flushed cheeks. "What… Is that… It's nothing… I just…" Being too stunned, she didn't realize that she didn't deny what he said, figuratively meant that she admitted that it was true.

Usui noticed it and silently smiled, she had no idea how thankful he was.

"Does Ayuzawa know how to make this rabbit apples?"

"…Eh?"

"I wanna eat rabbit apples that are made by Ayuzawa."

"Haa! What are you saying all of a sudden!"

"It doesn't matter what food is it… As long as it's made by Ayuzawa, I want to eat it…" Usui said it with a really soft expression. It felt so sincere that Misaki couldn't say anything to complain. She didn't know why, but she always felt helpless when he exposed his vulnerable side.

"…As I thought, you're acting a little strange today…" was all that she could say.

"Maybe… Unusually too, the Ayuzawa now is very gentle…"

"I'm… I'm not different… I've always been like this…" She tried to deny it, although she knew that it was true, and she felt it too.

"Ayuzawa…" Usui suddenly reached for her hand, and locked it inside his hand. Red color immediately appeared on Misaki's face, but she didn't move.

"…I'll walk you home…" Usui said while tightening his grip on her hand, and he smiled when he heard her answer.

"…Okay."

Misaki bowed her head while they were walking hand in hand towards her house to hide her blushing fits. But when she looked at him through the corner of her eyes, she realized that he was looking at her while smiling.

"Wha… What are you looking at, Usui?"

"I'm looking at your adorable blushing face, isn't it obvious?"

"S… Stop it! You… You're making me uncomfortable!" She stuttered while more heat making its way to her already crimson red face.

"Really? And why is that? Don't tell me you're nervous?"

"Ra… Rather than nervous, I'm annoyed!"

"Hmm… Is that so? Please pardon me then…"

Misaki's eyebrow twitched, noticing his unusual reaction. Unmistakably, he's very odd. Is he really alright? We're already in front of my house, if I want to ask him about it, this is the only chance…

"Hey, Usui… Are you really alright?" Misaki asked him while looking straight into his jade green eyes.

For a second, those charming eyes glinted with surprise. Then he smiled while answering.

"Now that you mention it… If I ask you a favor to help me feel better, will you do it?"

"Mmm… Okay, what is it?"

He was a bit startled by her quick answer. Normally, she would make sure that it wasn't a sneaky request, but she was somehow convinced that he wouldn't ask for something that would cross the line, given the whole situation.

He let out a sigh of relieve and smiled truthfully while he spoke.

"Please stay still for one minute."

"Huh? Wha—"

Before she could say another word, she felt his strong arms around her, and his warmth enveloped her whole body momentarily. She was in his embrace, feeling so comfortable yet troubled by a sudden increase in the thumping of her heartbeats. Her face flushed at once as she felt his warm breathings in her ears. His hand was caressing her head, sending her a pleasant feeling of being loved. It felt so right for her, which made her shiver, realizing how she felt about him. She didn't know how long they stayed in that position, and actually she didn't care. She was so drowned in his cuddle.

After that one minute silence, she heard his voice. "Thank you, Ayuzawa…" Then he slowly let go of her. When she was able to see his face, she was stunned by the way he smiled. It was yet the most charming smile she had ever seen. The second she looked at that smile, she knew that he was alright.

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Author's Note:

Okay, that was it. The end of the 8th piece.

Please tell me your opinion about it. Like it? Dislike it? So many mistakes in it? I'm gladly open to any kind of reviews, so please don't hesitate to tell me anything!

Last but not least, thank you for taking your time to read it!

Have wonderful days ahead, everyone!

-Fin-

Feb 06, 2011.