"So you're heading out already, Kyoya."

It wasn't a question.

Pushing down his surprise, Kyoya glanced over his shoulder. "Ah. Good morning, father." He greeted politely, before returning to easing his shoe completely over his heel.

The Ootori patriarch cocked an eyebrow, eyes scanning his son's unusually spry expression for whatever ungodly hour of the morning it was. "You're up rather early. If I remember correctly, just last month you refused rather vehemently to be awake any earlier than ten on a weekend."

A rueful smile rose on his features. "Yes, well, circumstances change. Unfortunately, my presence is necessary rather a lot earlier than before."

Yoshio took advantage of the momentary silence, glasses flashing. "I suppose you'll be at the Fujioka residence once again?"

"Hm?" Kyoya's head raised from his bag, attention split between keeping a mental tally of everything he needed, and his father's obvious prying. "Oh, yes. Ranka-san finally has a day off, so naturally Haruhi would rather have our usual study session be held at her house, where she can spend more time with him." He paused, slyly. "I trust that isn't a problem?"

His father acknowledged the challenge with a tilt of his head. "I don't believe so, no."

And when Kyoya ducked back down, assuming the conversation was over, the lecture began. "Make sure you remain polite and courteous, as is expected of you. And do remember to thank Ranka-san for allowing your intrusion so frequently. You seem to spend more time there than at home these days."

His hands stilled.

For a long moment, no words were exchanged.

Then Yoshio addressed the elephant in the room. "I gather you're still not at liberty to explain the situation to me?"

"I'm afraid not." Kyoya answered delicately, continuing to thumb through the textbook in his hand, mostly to keep himself busy. "I believe it isn't really my place to divulge such matters without Haruhi's permission. If she would prefer for it to remain a secret, then I will do my best to oblige her wishes." His voice lowered to a distracted mumble. "I'd rather not upset her again."

(Aside from the fact that an angry Haruhi was quite a sight to behold, if any of the others hosts had caught onto her foul mood, Kyoya was sure there would have been five shovels at the ready to bury his body.

Five, because when it came to Haruhi, best friend solidarity meant absolute shit.

In fact, Tamaki would probably be the first one to arm himself.

Somehow, Kyoya felt as though he should be insulted.

He wasn't).

"I see."

These pauses were becoming far to awkward for Kyoya's liking. He was just short of shooting a text at Tachibana to put him out of his misery, bulldozer the front doors down, and drive the car over him, when his father spoke again. "Assuming that you're courting her would be too much to ask, no?"

Miraculously, Kyoya didn't choke on air. He was, however, forced to smother his amused snort.

"Courting her?" Kyoya, being an observant little shit, as Haruhi liked to put it, certainly noticed the implication that his father wouldn't object to said relationship. "No. No, we're just friends. Haruhi is a very dear friend to me; I merely wish to protect her, that's all."

The elder accept this with a short nod, and that was that.

Or so Kyoya thought.

"It was a surprise," His father said, evenly. And when he was met only with confusion, he explained, still cryptically, because apparently Yoshio liked to screw with his sons now. This development was both alarming and intriguing. "Your sudden interest in her."

Kyoya cocked his head, wary. "I don't quite understand what you mean."

What followed was a rather intense staring match, before Yoshio shook his head, and conceded. "Nevermind. The young Fujioka is doing well, correct?"

His eyes remained narrowed, observing his father suspiciously. "Yes, that's right." He confirmed, slowly. "Why?"

His father ploughed on, ignoring his question. "Yes, well. Under the circumstances, I will ignore your mobilization of those select few Black Onion Squad members, but in the future I'd much rather you inform me first before using them again." His gaze turned severe. "Word does reach me eventually, you should have known that little taskforce of yours would be uncovered sooner or later."

Of course it would.

It wasn't like Kyoya hadn't bothered to hide it too well in the first place, lest his family become even more concerned with his actions. The last thing Kyoya wanted or needed right now was a well-intentioned moron poking their nose into his business.

"To be perfectly honest, I never intended it to be functional for so long. But with the select window of time in which they can operate, and some added unforeseen complications, work has proven to be rather slow."

After a long moment of silence, his father spoke once more. Slow, smooth, the way he always did when edging on a topic on which he didn't know where he stood. "Kyoya, should I be made aware of this situation? If it threatens your safety, or that of the Fujioka girl you're so fond of, acting rashly could prove to be a very unwise decision."

The words hit him like a punch to the gut.

He was already well aware of that fact, thank you very much. His utter failure at defusing the situation was still fresh in his mind, ready to pistol whip him across the face with the reminder when he least expected it.

Still, he forced his expression into one of collected calm, and quietly shook his head. "Not for now. I have it under control, but I do admit that that could be subject to change in the near future. In any case, I'll discuss the matter with Haruhi once more."

The answer did not seem to please his father at all.

Alas, he couldn't do anything but disapprove strongly from the sidelines until Kyoya cracked. Any and all attempts to discover the truth himself would be revealed, and would only lead to Kyoya completely shutting himself off, which was exactly the opposite of what Yoshio wanted.

The man sighed, resigned to his fate. "I hope for your sake, this won't continue for much longer. Your absence from events will soon ignite rumours, families are already talking."

Just perfect. Unflattering gossip was just what he needed right now. Could this day get any better?

"While it won't especially affect The Ootori Group as a whole, your club, on the other hand, will likely suffer. I advise you to keep that in mind."

"I will."

Kyoya's phone buzzed in his pocket. It was likely Tachibana, questioning the young man's whereabouts.

"I let you be on your way, then." He said, gesturing towards the door. Kyoya scooped his bag up, and gave a short nod in lieu of a goodbye. Of course, he should've expected that the lecture wasn't quite over yet, his father's voice making him slow to a halt. "Oh, and Kyoya? Call your siblings once in a while. Yuuichi has been quite concerned about you."

("Concerned" was the understatement of the century. According to Tachibana, Yuuichi had phoned every day for the past week, absolutely frantic about being updated on his little brother's wealthfare. Of course, the sensible thing would be to Call Kyoya Himself Like A Mature And Responsible Adult, but like all Ootoris, pettiness was his life force.).

"Oh, for heaven's sake." Kyoya sighed, heavily. "If I recall correctly, he was the one who refused to speak to me until I stopped being such a quote stubborn brat unquote. It's hardly my fault if he won't return my calls."

Behind shielded frames, steel eyes narrowed. "That wasn't a request."

"Yes, sir." The boy unconsciously straightened up. Damn him and his power moves. "I'll be sure to do so."

With that, he escaped into his awaiting car, slamming the door closed and trying not to pout.

"I take it you were lectured by Ootori-sama?"

Kyoya rolled his eyes and clipped his seatbelt in with more force than necessarily. "First Yuuichi, now father? It's beginning to get tiresome. Do strike me down if Fuyumi ever feels the need to exercise her sisterly duties."

"They're just worried about you." Tachibana remarked, with a smile.

"Yes, well. I'm not a child, they should know I'm capable of taking care of myself."

"Those words sound familiar." Grey eyes snapped over to his bodyguard/chauffeur/substitute father.

He did not.

Oh, he did. The knowing twinkle in his eyes made it perfectly clear that yes Tachibana was indeed reminding him of his mistake so he could become a better person blah blah blah…. but it was mostly just for the shits and giggles. Seeing as though the man had been present in Kyoya's life since before he could even walk, he naturally earned a free pass on literally everything.

Up to and including taking the absolute piss out of his young charge.

Sometimes he regretted formally introducing the man to Haruhi. They got along like a house on fire, and found no greater pleasure in life than teasing the boy.

"Oh, be quiet." He huffed, choosing to stare out of the window, and no he most certainly the fuck was not sulking.

Tachibana merely chuckled, and the rest of the journey passed in companionable silence.

The day was clear, crisp. He bide the man goodbye, and let himself into the Fujioka apartment. Ranka called a distant greeting, poking his head out of the kitchen door to smile welcomingly.

"Morning, Ranka-san." Kyoya returned, stifling a yawn. "Where's Haruhi?"

"She went out for a walk."

Kyoya missed the chair he'd been attempting to sit on. He was sure the impact had caused his soul to ascend to the astral realm. "whAT-"

And. Okay, yeah, that was not Kyoya's proudest moment. At all.

With a tinkling laugh, Ranka swooped down to check on him. "No need to fret. One of those nice men from the overnight watch is accompanying her." A perfectly manicured finger tapped thoughtfully against his lips. "Aijima-san? I think that was his name."

The story checked out. Aijima had indeed been stationed outside last night, so Kyoya relaxed. The dark void in his chest began beating normally again. With a sigh, he ran a lazy hand through his hair. "Of course. She should be fine, then."

Ranka, on the other hand, was completely oblivious to his musings. With a loud tut, the man seized a nearby comb and planted himself behind the boy, carefully running it through the boy's barely tamed bedhair.

"Look at all these tangles." Ranka clicked his tongue disapprovingly, attacking his hair with new vigor. Kyoya was briefly reminded of grizzly bears grooming their cubs. "Kyoya-kun, you have to take better care of yourself."

Stiff with confusion, Kyoya's head was straightened each time he attempted to glance back. "I… I didn't have time."

"That's no excuse." And here he was, getting scolded again. "You have such lovely hair, it's a shame to let it get so messy."

Resigned to his fate, Kyoya closed his eyes and allowed the action. Ranka was incredibly gentle, slowly working out each knot as painlessly as possible.

"I feel like a child."

"You are a child." Ranka replied, not unkindly. It was not belittlement in any sense, merely a reminder that in that grand scheme of things, a total of seventeen years was still quite young. While mature and wise beyond his years, the fact remained that Kyoya was still a minor.

Sometimes, it was hard to remember that.

And sometimes it was even harder to accept it.

"My mother used to do this," Kyoya murmured, eyes half lidded, remembering the soft melodies that clung to him like golden strips of light. "When I was very young, she'd brush my hair for me. There was an alcove where she would sit, and we'd all wait our turn. Father was never the affectionate type, so when mother..." He paused shortly, before releasing the breath he wasn't aware he'd been holding. "Nobody has really done this in a long time."

The man hummed an acknowledgement. "Haruhi is the same. She stopped letting me brush hers once she reached middle school. Argued that I had more important things to spend my time on."

"How very Haruhi-like. She always puts others before herself."

Kyoya would be lying if he said this wasn't somewhat awkward, but Ranka was all too welcoming, and seemed nothing but eager to become a trusted parental figure in Kyoya's life. And the boy would also be lying if he claimed he didn't appreciate it. Ranka provided a feeling of safety and comfort that Kyoya needed, but couldn't always necessarily receive from his family, or extended family for that of his three bodyguards.

He would be forever grateful for it.

"You know, you're becoming more open, Kyoya-kun."

Grey orbs blinked. He thought for a moment, before frowning. "I don't think I've changed at all."

"Not changed," Ranka corrected, lightly. "You haven't necessarily became a different person, you just seem more willing to share things than before. And you smile a lot more, it's nice."

And here was Kyoya, missing the entire point of the conversation, because ew, feelings and wholesomeness and he would not be forced to acknowledge that he had a heart, goddamn it. "I used to smile."

That earned him a laugh. "I work at a bar, Kyoya-kun, I know a customer smile when I see one."

Diversion attempt: FAIL.

There was a silence for several minutes. Ranka was focused on the bespectacled boy's hair, Kyoya on his quiet contemplations. "I suppose I see your point." He relented, eventually.

"And you're okay with it?"

He was.

"Are we watching a movie?" Kyoya asked drowsily, a damp towel draped across his hair as he re-entered the room. The bath had been warm, refreshing, and left him vaguely tired.

"You can stay the night, Kyoya-kun." Ranka offered, hopefully, getting settled into a comfortable position, trying not to jostle his daughter too much. Haruhi was satisfied with lounging against the man, quietly setting up a film. "I haven't had much of a chance to chat with you."

(Haruhi had barreled through the door with a pink nose and beaming smile, saving Kyoya from having to mercy kill himself, lest he was forced through another personal crisis).

The bespectacled boy blinked, and quietly took out his phone, scrolling through his contacts. Kyoya missed Tachibana's a grand total of three times, before finally selecting the correct name.

Kyoya: You don't need to pick me up tonight.

(A couple of weeks ago, Tamaki had changed his contact names.

Kyoya, not being a moron like a certain blond-haired best friend of his, did the simple thing of actually reading through his goddamn messages to figure out who was who, which took him all of five minutes, much to Tamaki's disappointment.

Some he changed back.

Kyoya, funnily enough, rather much enjoyed living with all his limbs attached. Switching his father's contact from "Satan" was of the utmost importance if he wanted to keep it that way.

The twins, however, had been labelled Devil Spawns #1 and #2.

That he could live with).

Dad #2: I'll inform your father. Expect Hotta and I to be there 11 sharp tomorrow to collect you. Have fun :)

Kyoya would never understand Tachibana's obsession with emojis. The man swore on everything holy, all the gods he could name (and a few he made up on the spot) that his niece was entirely to blame for it.

Which was of course utter bullshit, and they all knew it.

Dad #2: Aijima wants you to thank Haruhi for some cookies for him? ? His wife loved them, apparently.

Dutifully, Kyoya relayed this message to the girl, and then rolled his eyes as she commandeered his phone to reply.

("You have his number, why don't you text him yourself?"

"Your phone is closer."

…

He couldn't really argue with that logic).

Kyoya: It was no trouble at all, I'm glad she liked them! Expect some more next weekend, this time there should be more than enough for you and Hotta-san as well -Haruhi

Phone stashed safely in his pocket, he was very quickly accosted and brought into the big cuddle pile by the excitable redhead. Haruhi, from where she was lying back into her father, grinned and wriggled her fingers in his direction. "Run while you can."

"I believe all my internal organs are crushed. I'm in no state to go anywhere."

She shot him a devilish smirk, and played the movie. "Suffer."

Kyoya dozed off somewhere during the middle of the film, leaning heavily into Ranka's side. She must've drifted off at some point as well, for the next morning, Haruhi woke to warm sunshine and low voices in the next room.

The sweet scent of pancakes enticed her out of bed, where she cracked the sliding door open and peeked out. Kyoya was already awake and miraculously not acting like the spawn of Satan. He'd claimed the fluffiest blanket at the Fujioka residence to swaddle himself up in, and looked positively soft with his sweater paws and sleepy yawns.

It seemed almost impossible for strong, collected, indifferent Kyoya Ootori to look so open, so unguarded, glasses pushed up into his hair, balled up hand absently rubbing over his eyes. A bad sleep again, she guessed, sympathy rising. But there he was, framed with pale morning light, in all his messy-hair-and-comfy-sweater-aesthetic glory.

And there, tucked up on the other side on the coffee table was her father, who had dug out her baby pictures, and was pouring over them with vigor.

The bespectacled boy merely listened, chin propped up on his hand, smiling and humming, and asking questions in all the right places. Every now and again he picked at his plate, syrup dripping from the perfect squares of pancake he'd cut.

She crossed the room in two seconds flat, well and truly scaring the life out of one Ranka Fujioka, while Kyoya watched on, suitably amused.

"Dad!" Haruhi complained, flipping the book closed. "What have I told you about traumatising the guests?"

"But Haruhi-" Her father whined, petering off when she glared at him.

"Sorry, Kyoya-senpai. I hope he didn't bore you to death."

"I don't mind," Kyoya's smile took on a teasing tilt. "In fact, I thought you made quite the cute little- mph!" Haruhi took advantage of his food-laden fork, easily silencing the boy with a mouthful of warm, sugary goodness.

With that done, she rounded on her father. "Just how much did you show him?"

Kyoya answered for him, having swallowed the pancake with a triumphant gleam in his eyes. "Oh, not much." He assured, slyly. "Just up until your middle school years."

Haruhi was hit with the sudden, striking realisation that she was never living this down. Kyoya was smirking at her like a cat who'd got the cream, only in this case, the cream was blackmail material that he would hold against her for all eternity.

So, she did the only logical thing, and snapped a picture of him, all cosy and endearing- the perfect leverage.

Yes, Kyoya did try and wrestle the phone back to delete the picture, and yes, he failed miserably.

Karma sure was a bitch.

A loud, awkward thudding sounded at her door, disjointed and strange to her ears.

Instantly, she was wary.

Kyoya had left earlier to do some grocery shopping, meaning she had the apartment to herself.

(He'd initially suggested sending Tachibana, and her protests kick-started an argument that only ended when Kyoya offered to go himself.

While she was still pissed that he was keeping her locked inside like some china doll, he was tired and irritable, so she relented, if only for his sake).

So, yes, Kyoya had left, and yes, Kyoya should have been due back a while ago, but Kyoya was also in possession of a key, and so, logically, would forgo knocking altogether.

Unless he forgot his key. Which seemed unlikely, as he never forgot anything.

Cautious, she only opened it by a crack at first, then, with a smile, swung the door back completely. Even she could be wrong sometimes, she guessed.

"You look like a drowned rat."

Kyoya, laden with several shopping bags, was standing outside, shivering, vaguely reminiscent of a cat dunked in water. "I feel like one."

"What happened to your keys? And I thought you took an umbrella with you?"

"My hands were a little too full to use them."

Relieving him of the bags was more of an awkward task that necessary, with him apparently unwilling to use his left hand. Regardless, she dismissed the matter and gave him a little tug to pull him inside. "Go into the bathroom, I'll get you some towels."

She followed in only a moment or so later, with several thick towels. He'd placed his glasses to the side and was only just pulling himself free of his shirt when she entered, the soggy material clinging persistently to his skin. Tossing it to the side, he caught her gaze panning down him.

"See something you like?" His tone was surprised, yet his lashes lowered in that teasing, seductive manner of his.

As always, all it elicited was a roll of her eyes. "Your hair's sticking up-" It was honestly like the spikes of a hedgehog. "- And when'd that cat get here?"

As if responding to her, the kitten gave a pitiful mewl, nestling further into Kyoya's lap. Instead of replying, he tried fixing the bird's nest that was his hair. Haruhi merely dumped one of the towels over his head, ignoring the way he glared. "Wrap up in that. You must be freezing."

"I'm fine."

There was only the smallest bat of an eyelash in the wake of her pressing a slender finger against his arm. Ochre orbs raised to meet ones of a storm grey, holding a victorious gleam. "You're shivering. And you have goosebumps. Try again."

He ignored her in favour of rubbing warmth into the animal's quivering body, his attitude striking her as somewhat more subdued than earlier. She chalked it up to being cold, (Kyoya's absolute hatred of the cold was common knowledge, after all), and only shrugged. "Suit yourself."

A flash of crimson caught her eye. "You're bleeding."

"Oh." His hands were indeed smeared with blood. Evidently, he'd only just noticed himself. "It's nothing. She scratched me earlier." He inspected them more closely. "A lot."

"Okay, swap. I'll take the cat, you worry about yourself. You'll freeze to death at this rate."

Before he could say a word, she'd carefully liberated him of the tiny animal, her hands gently working in smooth circles.

"Get dried up and then clean your hands. I'll find some disinfectant in a bit to take care of those cuts- they look pretty painful. You've got one on your cheek, too." His fingers automatically graced the wound on his face, causing him to wince once the pain registered.

With a resigned sigh, Kyoya swaddled himself up in the towel, expression relaxing into a serene state of content. She was happy to see some colour return to his too-pale cheeks.

Maybe she'd just been seeing things earlier.

After a fair few minutes in comfortable silence, she tilted her head, a little smile forming. "I didn't take you for an animal person."

"What gave you that impression?"

They were so close he didn't need to squint to see her, even without the aid of his glasses.

"Tamaki-senpai's dog. You always seem annoyed around her."

"Oh." A derisive snort. "I just prefer them when they're not causing trouble."

"Who, Tamaki-senpai or Antoniette?"

"Both." His lip curled slightly. "They suit each other, I suppose. That idiot and his idiot dog."

They traded a small look, Haruhi pressing a hand against his lips to smother her chuckle. Kyoya, despite his best efforts, was still smiling, no matter how hard he tried to hide it.

"Where did you find her?"

His eyes blinked open, so vulnerable and open without his usual lenses to shield them. "One of the drains not too far from here. It took a while to coax her out, as you can probably tell."

A thoughtful finger against her lips, Haruhi took a moment to study him. "I wouldn't expect that from you, to be honest."

"I wasn't going to leave it there to die." He said, with a shrug. "I'm not that heartless."

"I never said you were."

Silence.

Kyoya stared at her for a long moment, before working out the dampness in his hair. It wasn't exactly an uncomfortable silence. More like the relaxed, familiar kind of silence of two friends accustomed to being in each other's presence, regardless of whether they were talking or not.

"What are you going to do with her?"

"Happy early birthday?"

"Cute. But my landlord doesn't allow pets, so you're all out of luck here."

He considered this for a moment, hands stilling. "Well then… If she doesn't belong to anyone, I'll keep her."

Haruhi's thumb traced thoughtfully over her lips. Kyoya quirked an eyebrow as she studied him intensely. "You know cats are a lot of work, right?" A nod. "She'll be your responsibility. You'll have to feed her, and bathe her, train her, make sure she stays happy and healthy- speaking of, she'll probably have to have vaccines, too-"

He gave a small chuckle. "I know, Haruhi."

She stopped ticking the list off on her fingers and appraised him seriously. "And vet bills are expensive." His hand made a very deliberate you're telling this to me sweep down his body. She rolled her eyes. "Not that that'll be much of a problem for you. Damn rich bastard. What I mean is, if you're not serious about taking care of her, it'd be better to take her to a shelter."

"I know, Haruhi."

They stared at each other for an uncomfortably long time.

"You know what? Underneath it all, you're actually quite nice."

"Repeat that disgusting slander again and you'll be hearing from my lawyers."

At this point, having Kyoya around the apartment felt pretty natural. It was nice having company around, when usually she'd be completely alone. He filled the silence, the space in an otherwise empty apartment, with his complaints and his sarcasm, and his curses on the occasions that he smacked his forehead on the too-low door frames.

They'd fallen into a routine, where they did chores like laundry or cleaning, before settling down to complete homework. Then they would make dinner, leaving Ranka's aside for when he got home.

Haruhi enjoyed spending that time with him.

Kyoya, she knew, did as well, even if he'd never say it aloud. Too proud. Too stupid. Or maybe just a mix of both.

Still, it was a bit different for him to be walking around in her dad's clothes, all banged up, with messy hair and a kitten following his every movement. The shirt already had claw marks from when the newly dubbed Noel had tried to clambour onto his shoulders.

Surprisingly, Kyoya took this all in his stride. Even if he'd almost tripped over the kitten twice within an hour. The sight of Noel curled in his arms, purring up a storm, a bemused Kyoya absently petting her was too pure for words. Apparently, the boy didn't have much experience with pets. But, like with everything, he took to it like a fish to water.

Haruhi still envied his Jack of All Trades status.

Once it started getting late, Kyoya pulled the spare futon set aside for him into the living room, and settled down. He and Haruhi talked through the open doorway until they fell asleep, Noel snuggled next to the girl. (Kyoya, with all seriousness, called the kitten a traitor, which made Haruhi laugh).

Haruhi woke early next morning to find Noel lying over her face, still fast asleep.

As you do.

It felt like a crime to move her, but unfortunately breathing was necessary for Haruhi's continued survival. Shocker, really. Kitten safely deposited in the middle of the futon, she found that Kyoya was already awake, his futon deserted, still messy from a restless sleep.

He was in the kitchen, wearing one of her father's aprons (the one with "Kiss The Cook" sprawled across the front in curly script that was offensively pink), trying and failing to crack an egg correctly. He was too forceful, and the yolk dripped between his fingers. To the side, the toast was burning away, yet all she could do was smile.

"What are you doing?"

A grimace. "My best."

To his relief, she went and saved the toast, before he could set off the smoke alarm.

Kyoya successfully collected most of the egg in the pan, though unwittingly draped a mixture of yolk and white across the handle that made Haruhi squeak when she touched it. Kyoya jumped as she absently wiped it down his front, because, hey, it took less effort than hunting for a tissue.

That, she supposed, was her first mistake.

Very quickly, Kyoya got revenge by accidentally flicking water at her. The cold liquid made her flinch, and when she narrowed her eyes, he only whistled innocently, and went to tend to the eggs. They were busy with their own tasks, dancing around each other for long enough that Kyoya dropped his guard. That, he discovered, was a bad idea. Haruhi was unpredictable and knew full well the advantage of attacking when least expected.

Smirking, the girl went in for the kill. Feet light, she snuck up behind the boy and ran her fingers from the nape of his neck up, making him yelp and glare at her, absolutely scandalised.

"Yes?" She took on an angelic expression, hip checking him out of her way.

The harmless pranking continued all the way up until they sat down to eat. Haruhi was only mildly disappointed that Kyoya, ever observant, realised she passed him salt instead of sugar for his tea.

(Likely because he had fallen for it the first time, looked her dead in the eye and drank the entire thing just to prove that he was the Alpha.

Yes, she had been suitably impressed.

For all of the approximate four seconds it took for the boy to completely and utterly regret that decision).

Noel tried to steal food off their plates, and was only satisfied when Kyoya slipped her some chicken. Not that it didn't stop Kyoya himself stealing food off Haruhi's plate, which kick-started an all out war, and ended in them going to extreme lengths to protect their breakfast. Kyoya managed to pilfer the rest of her egg, and as punishment, she made him wash the dishes.

He did so with great difficulty, as Noel had decided the leg of his pants made a great climbing wall. At first Haruhi was too busy putting the bedding away, but at his pained voice, she swooped in and removed the kitten, who by then had almost scaled up to his hip.

Haruhi changed clothes in her room. Kyoya's were still slightly damp, so he remained in his borrowed ones, absently playing with Noel as the two of them talked.

Tamaki had texted him. It was his usual good morning text. Kyoya returned the greeting, and then promptly switched his phone off, as not to be distracted. (Or, alternatively, bombarded with pointless messages).

Chatting with Haruhi was always fun, even if she was mostly draped across the table, arms stretched out in front of her, eyes preternaturally huge as she stared up at him. While she slept a decent amount, she didn't feel rested. On the other hand, they both knew that Kyoya had hardly slept at all, yet he barely felt tired, appearing more engaged than Haruhi did.

Their wake-up call arrived much sooner than expected.

Voices emanated from outside. Ranka was home from work, searching for his keys, and, to Haruhi's horror, he was accompanied by their landlady. "Oh shi- hide the cat!"

Kyoya scooped Noel up at a steady jog, and the two of them both looked desperately around for inspiration, but then the keys were rattling in the lock and Haruhi, not knowing what else to do, pushed him into her bedroom, slamming the door shut behind him.

A second later, the two adults entered, and Haruhi, leaning against the door, tried to look as innocent as possible.

"Dad, welcome back."

"Haruhi!" He pounced a hug on her. "Are you alright? Did every go well last night? No problems?"

She accepted the embrace with a fond roll of her eyes. "We're both fine. Kyoya-senpai got caught in the rain, but otherwise, there was no trouble." She bowed her head to the landlady, and smiled. "Good morning." The little old lady politely echoed her greeting.

"Where is Kyoya-kun, anyway? Has he left already? I can imagine staying over two nights in a row might've caused trouble with his parents."

"No. He's um… He's grabbing some textbooks from my bedroom. He won't be too long."

Haruhi could hear movement from inside. Evidently, Kyoya still hadn't found a suitable spot to hide the rambunctious kitten, and was getting a bit frantic.

"I'll pop in and thank him."

Blind to her protests, he went straight in. Kyoya was halfway in her closet, acting as though he was perusing the contents with intense care. He greeted the man with a genial smile, though Haruhi could see how stiff his shoulders were. She could take a wild guess and chance that one of the coat pockets was currently being used to conceal Noel."Ranka-san, welcome back. Haruhi, you did want that white jumper, didn't you?"

"Yes, please. The Math and Science textbooks, too."

Ranka smiled as well. "Thank you for staying over last night, I appreciate you looking out for my precious Haruhi."

"Don't mention it, really. It was nice to have company, I would've usually been bored at home, anyway."

Haruhi noticed Kyoya's flickering gaze, and smoothly cut between them. "You've just got home. Why don't you sit down and relax, I'll make you both some tea."

To the relief of both teens, he exited the room, and settled down with the landlady. After trading relieved glances, Haruhi went to play her part as The Distraction™, and play it magnificently she did. A couple of minutes later, Kyoya re-entered, expression the smoothest she'd ever seen from him, several textbooks and a jumper tucked under one arm.

"Took your time." She quipped, half teasing, half serious.

"They were quite hard to find. The organisation of your room is appalling."

"Just because everything isn't alphabetized like your room." She pulled the jumper over her head, and, on instinct, Kyoya flattened down the hair that spiked up.

"I don't see what there is to complain about, it's a very logical arrangement."

She wrinkled her nose. "There's such a thing as being too neat, Kyoya-senpai. It's uncanny."

He only rolled her eyes. "Say what you will. At least I don't have to search half the Earth to find anything."

Ranka was wearing an unholy expression of glee as he watched their exchange. Thankfully, he managed to suppress his inner-fangirl and instead engaged their landlady in conversation, the two teens occasionally chipped in with their own input. Mostly they were content with listening in, Haruhi picking at the hem of her shirt, Kyoya discreetly nudging her in the ribs to get her to stop.

A loud meow permeated the conversation.

Haruhi and Kyoya both froze.

Through the contact of his hand around her wrist, he could feel her pulse quicken. Haruhi even stopped her attempt to tickle him, in favour of trying not to let the panic and guilt show on her face.

"Was that-"

"That was me." Kyoya interrupted, completely straight-faced, before Haruhi could even begin trying to make up an excuse. "The twins must have changed my ringtone while I wasn't looking. I apologise for the disturbance."

Haruhi, the perfect wingwoman, expertly changed the topic. Kyoya made a show of checking his phone with far more interest than would normally be believable, mouthing that was too close at the girl when the adults weren't looking.

They carried an eager conversation about the Ootori business, Kyoya describing the work of his father and older brothers, which definitely impressed the landlady. Kyoya's own scholastic achievements merited the praise of both adults, at which point he smoothly and very deliberately switched the limelight onto Haruhi. They held this up for around ten minutes and were just beginning to relax, before Noel reached her final form, evolving into the unholy offspring of Satan himself, and meowing violently, annoyed at being wherever Kyoya had shut her.

Very slowly, the two looked at each other.

Fuck.

Kyoya hurriedly pulled out his phone, mentally cringing at how pathetically flimsy his excuse was. "That would be Tamaki…. Being Tamaki." As Tamaki's -500 amount chill was common knowledge, this only raised eyebrows from the landlady. "I apologise. He does this… sometimes."

"Oh! Get my phone for me, Senpai. Maybe he's messaged me? You know how he gets when I don't reply."

Kyoya all but flew to his feet. "It's in your room?"

She nodded, and he had to physically restrain himself from running to the kitten. Haruhi covered up the commotion by talking a little louder than necessary, trying to ignore her father's suspicious expression. They talked civilly about school for a little while longer, before Ranka politely excused the landlady on the guise that the two teens needed to revise for a test.

Once she had left, Kyoya arrived with Haruhi's phone, looking calm as can be, if a little windswept.

Ranka turned to the two teens, utterly done. "Where's the goddamn cat?"

A/N: This chapter was originally supposed to be two shorter ones, but I figured I'd speed up the pacing a tad

Now, before I get shanked, yes this is indeed the same Noel from Trials and Tribulations. Please lower your pitchforks and allow me to explain. In the direction I'm taking this timeline, the two do eventually become engaged, this is true. My earlier statement was a fore-warning that there will be no grand love confessions, or realisations in this fics, as well as to put both Haruhi's and Kyoya's actions into perspective

But who says anything against that happening in the future? Certainly not me ;)))))

But hell yes, Noel has finally arrived, the precious cinnamon roll that she is. You do not understand how long I've waited for this, she is the shining beacon of hope in a cruel, cruel world. As well as comfy-sweater aesthetic Kyoya Ootori, you can quite literally pry that headcannon from my cold, dead hands

I'd like to thank everyone who supported the last chapter, every review/ favourite/ follow really brightened my day. Have finally finished and sent off my application to Uni, so treated myself by finishing up this chapter, and writing unholy amounts of fluff

(Kyoya literally has like five dads what is this)

I regret nothing