So this will probably be my last post until the semester is over so enjoy! Hopefully more to come in December!

Kyouya made it home around five thirty that evening and found his way to his guest's room where she had been occupying herself with a game of chess with her doctor. "Checkmate, I win Yuuichi-san," the brunette smirked and crossed her arms. "I believe that makes three games in a row, are you sure you're not letting me win?"

Her doctor shook his head and ran a hand through his hair with a perplexed look on his face. "Believe me, if I were letting you win you would have beaten me seven games in a row. You are quite the strategist, Tsukiko-san."

"Why thank you, you're not so bad yourself," she replied setting the pieces back in order. "Another round? I'll go easier on you this time."

"I would love to, but it seems my replacement is here," he declined politely, standing up.

"Fine, another day then," she accepted, seeing Kyouya in the doorway. "How about you, Kyouya-kun? Care for a game?"

"I'll be back later tonight to check on you, but you are recovering very well," Yuuichi said as he nodded to his younger brother and left the room.

"Well, Kyo-kun?" the sick girl beckoned. "The pieces are all in place, I just need an opponent."

"Looks like you're almost all better," Kyouya said, sitting down. "Did you call me Kyo-kun?"

"It's what I used to call you when we were kids, right?" she answered moving her first pawn. "Why not call you that now?"

"Then why were you so adamant about me not calling you Kiko?" he asked moving another pawn.

"What are you talking about?" she raised a brow.

"Last night, I called you Kiko because that's what we all called you back then, and you said that it wasn't your name," he continued as they multitasked.

"No I didn't," she replied.

"Yes, you did." A pawn was taken captive on Tsukiko's side.

"Well, technically it's a nickname not my name," she replied, taking on of his pawns. "I was delirious last night, most of the things I said didn't make sense."

His mind subconsciously went back to the comments made that suggested she had been called a slut before, but didn't bring it up. "Do you want to call me Kiko?" she asked, another pawn captured.

"Not necessarily," he answered indifferently. A knight stepped to the plate. "It was more of a slip of the tongue."

"Well, if I can call you Kyo-kun, you can call me Kiko," she replied. His knight had been captured.

"You are good," he smirked.

"Why thank you, I have you to thank as my teacher."

"I taught you how to play chess?"

"Another memory you have forgotten?" she gave a sigh as their game progressed.

Pawns taken, bishops moving, knights defeated, and finally a king is threatened. "Checkmate, sensei," Tsukiko beamed.

"Tsugoi! Imouto-chan is amazing!" The exclamation came out of nowhere and the two players turned to see none other than the host club standing in her doorway.

"What are you all doing here?" Kyouya asked, unsure whether to be surprised, angry, annoyed or all three.

"We told the ladies that we needed to end club activities early to visit a sick friend," Kaoru replied.

"And the girls grumbled but praised us for being so generous and caring for a friend," Hikaru finished.

"And our senseis asked me to bring you the work you missed," Haruhi added with a smile.

She had this planned all along, Kyouya concluded with a glare. Well played, Haruhi. Well played.

"Well, at least I won't be left behind when I go back to school tomorrow," she sighed but gave a smile. "Thank you, Haruhi."

"Are you sure you'll be well enough to go back to school?" Kyouya raised a brow.

"My fever broke long ago, my stomach has been settled for hours, the tests your brother took came back fine, I'm sure it was just a twenty-four-hour bug," Tsukiko shrugged as Haruhi placed the work on her bed.

"How dare my little Imouto-chan have to suffer through such pain!" Tamaki exclaimed flinging himself across the room.

"Thanks for your concern, Tamaki," she replied with a giggle. "But as unpleasant of an experience it was, I have had worse lasting much longer."

"Can we change the subject?" Hikaru asked.

"Will you really be back at school tomorrow?" Honey asked, as Usa-chan seemed to cock its head.

"Yes, Honey-senpai, I'll be back causing as much torture to Kyouya-kun as possible," she replied with a wry smile.

"Yay" The eldest of the group cheered.

An hour or so had gone by and the club had left leaving the ill girl to try to make a dent in her mass of homework. "And that would be the end of history, now for math," she decided as she switched books, her companion had left her company a little while ago to finish his own homework or whatever. Not that she really minded, after being babysat for two days straight, she was actually glad for some alone time. Even if it was spent completing homework.

However, the doctor whom had cared for her had other things on his mind as he entered his younger brother's abode. The teenager could be found typing at his desk. "I would greatly appreciate it if you knocked first, Tsukiko," he called not even turning his head.

"It's me, Kyouya." The deep voice startled the young man and he turned around. "And your door was open."

"Yuuichi, is everything all right?" It was rather unusual for his brother to disturb him during his homework. He was about to stand up when Yuuichi held a hand to stop him.

"Don't get up," he said and paced his way over to his brother's desk and leaned against it to the point he may as well have been sitting. That was most certainly not like the brother Kyouya knew. Something was bothering the young doctor, but the question remained. Would he let on about it? "What did Tsukiko eat that night?"

Kyouya gave a perplexed look, hadn't he asked this the night before? "We both had the steak, I told you last night, remember?" he answered.

"Was tea served?" he completely bypassed his brother's question with another.

"I did not have any ad to my knowledge neither did she," he replied, seeing his brother's confused face. "There was a period of time that she wasn't with me, she might have had some tea then."

"Would she have put honey in it?"

This only confused Kyouya further. "I'm not sure, I've never seen her put honey in her tea before." Yuuichi nodded at this information and let out a breath with a shake of his head. "Is there a reason you're asking me these questions?"

As the questioning had gone on, Yuuichi was inching further and further onto the desk, by now he was sitting on it. What had gotten into him? "I probably shouldn't be telling you this, but I ran the tests on her blood sample as well as the vomit sample I collected yesterday." He began to explain. "Traces of Rhododendron and Azalea nectar were found, an extremely potent form of it. Now it is highly possible that she had some tainted honey, but-"

"That wouldn't explain why no one else suffered from poisoning," Kyouya continued for him, leaning back in his seat and crossing his arms. "Do you think she was intentionally poisoned?"

Yuuichi shrugged. "That seems to be a possibility, but can you think of a reason why someone might try to poison her?"

"She's about as annoying as Tamaki, maybe even more so," Kyouya chuckled, then thought about it for a moment. "But, she's a nice girl at heart, she's not out to get anyone. Maybe she's out to annoy me to the point of insanity but I can't think of a reason why anyone would want to hurt her."

"That's what I thought," the doctor said, standing back up. "Well, seeing as she's fine now, we'll just keep an eye on her for now. This could very well be a random occurrence, so it's no use worrying over it. If you'll excuse me, I'll retire for the evening, good night, Kyouya."

"Good night," Kyouya replied as his brother left the room. Something about that conversation just didn't sit well with the teen and the fact that the subject of that conversation was just a few doors door and most likely unaware, only make it worse. "I have a bad feeling about this," he commented to himself, but nevertheless, he continued his homework. Some battles could wait, especially if there was not enough information. This was one of them. Homework was not..

Outside, Yuuichi headed for his room, but couldn't help but recall his conversation with his father's petite guest.

"We need to have a chat, Mizushima-san."

"Call me, Tsukiko," she answered, grabbing her brush from her nightstand and making an attempt to brush out the rat's nest that was now her hair.

"Well, Tsukiko, I have the results of your tests," he resumed, his face becoming grim. "I hope you might be able to shed a little light on the situation."

"And what kind of light would you like me to give?" she countered.

"I'm very aware of your situation and the reasoning that my father had in inviting you to stay here. Also, in order to keep this as quiet as possible, I am your regular doctor during this situation, so I would appreciate it if you told me everything," the doctor continued, crossing hi legs. "Traces of Rhododendron and Azalea nectar were found in your system, do you know how that might have gotten there?"

"Well, that would most certainly explain the vomiting, fatigue and the Bradycadia, wouldn't it?" she replied, working through a rather tough knot. "Well, I did have ham at the gala, and I believe there was a honey glaze sauce on it, perhaps it was a case of tainted honey?"

"Perhaps, but there were no other cases at the hospital and none that were reported from the doctors who had made houses calls yesterday," Yuuichi countered. The girl just shrugged.

"I never saw anyone else who ordered ham, and I did have tea with my dessert and I did put a spoonful of honey in it. It could just be a combination of everything, but I'm doing much better now aren't I?" she refuted, her brush now sliding easily down her long hair. "I don't think we have much to worry about."

"Tsukiko-san, need I remind you of the incident two years ago?" He caught the girl off guard with that one.

"Like you just said, that was two years ago, and an entirely different situation. I rather not think back on that one, if you don't mind," she replied, her voice giving a warning tone that almost reminded the man of his late mother. After all both women were sweet unless you push them too far.

"My apologies, I only wish you would be more careful as it would make your life and my job much easier," he answered, reaching to the box on the floor next to him. "To make up for it, why not a game or two? I remember my brother had taught you some tricks years ago, are you still as good?"

"Yes," she responded with a smirk. "Maybe even better."

That child grew up even faster than Kyouya did, Yuuichi noted to himself as he passed said, child's temporary room to find his own. It's a shame, though her reasoning is far more brutal than Kyouya's ever was.

"Finally!" Tsukiko exclaimed falling back onto her bed just a little too fast for her head to handle. "Ow, still not quite better yet." She gripped her head and sat up slowly. "If I'm going to school tomorrow I better just shower now."

"Mizushima-san?" a voice startled the brunette. She turned to see Honoka at the door. "F-forgive me for s-startling you, but, Souh-sama asked me to give these to you w-when the Young Master had left." She handed the teen an envelope.

Gingerly, she opened it. A smile grew on her face as she closed the envelope and its contents. "Arigato, Honoka-chan!" she beamed leaving the envelope on her dresser. "Also would you mind-"

"G-giving you a f-fresh set of sheets?" the maid finished for her. "I'll h-have them put on the bed immediately."

"Honoka, you know me so well."

"A-after being sick, w-who wouldn't want a fresh set of sheets?" the maid chuckled.

She's doing much better, maybe that chat I had with Yoshio paid off, she noted. "Couldn't agree more."

The maid bowed and left the room, Tsukiko made her way to the bathroom for a much-needed shower. She came out to find her sheets changed and an extra blanket folded on the edge of the bed. "She really does know me well," she determined, going to her dresser to hide the envelope and find her most comfy pajamas.

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you," Tsukiko hummed the next morningas she grabbed her school bag and headed for Kyouya's room. "Happy birthday, dear Shadow King. Happy birthday to you!"

"Tsukiko, I think you have your dates mixed up, it's not my birthday," Kyouya retorted grabbing his bag. "And next time knock, if you don't mind."

"I do mind and how can the Shadow King forget his own birthday?" The girl cocked a hip with her hand on it.

"Why would I forget my own birthday?" he remarked, shaking his head. "You have your dates mixed up."

"Oh yeah?" She gave a devilish smirk. "What's today's date?"

"November twenty-first, my birthday is tomorrow." He smirked as well, he was sure of himself.

"Oh really?" Uh-oh. This couldn't be good. "Check the calendar." She pointed to one hanging above his desk.

"I'm telling you, Kiko, the date is-" he stopped short when he saw the date. Tuesday, November 22.

"Happy birthday, Low Blood Pressure Evil Lord," she winked, stepping out of the room with a pep in her step.

"I forgot my own birthday…"

poor Kyouya lol please review and see you next time! :D

Jaa nee!