Hello all. The last chapter was a little shorter than I anticipated. The kiss was unexpected too, it just came to me and I went with it. Also, thanks for all the great reviews. Some people have left comments about how the story works well with certain songs they listen to as they read. Ironically, I've never heard any of these songs until after posting and I surprised as all hell when it does work out.
The usually disclaimer: I don't own Ouran.
Ch. 10 - Chasing and Confessions aka In which there is a lot of running and verbal/mental chess
Haruhi and Kyoya made their way back to the headquarters in the second floor music room, their fingers entwined. Haruhi had a peaceful smile on her face and Kyoya actually looked serene. As they entered the music room they were met by Renge, Kaoru, and Hikaru. The twins were quick to notice Haruhi and Kyoya's closeness.
"What's up with this PDA?" Hikaru asked with a smile.
"Yeah Kyoya, people might get ideas if they see you two walking around touching each other like that," Kaoru continued his brother's teasing.
"It's so sweet and chivalrous," Renge mused, her eyes glazed over showing that she was in her personal mind theater.
Kyoya and Haruhi merely shared a glance before shrugging their shoulders. They separated and began to go about their business for the afternoon.
The rest of the school day consisted with the Hosts keeping tabs on and/or harassing Tamaki. More than once Mori would silently appear behind Tamaki in a lonely hall and give a sharp glare. Though the twins refrained from using their water guns anymore, they still managed to irk him with their mocking. Renge would assist them sometimes and once she went in for a solo attack with her own personal verbal attacks using key words such as "false prince" and the like. Honey merely needed to be cold and distant while Nekozawa would do the reverse and become overly friendly to complete the act.
Once classes were done for the day Haruhi joined Nekozawa and the rest of the Black Magic Club on the roof that was set aside for the fireworks display.
"Are you sure you're ready to go through with this, Haruhi?" Nekozawa asked from beneath the many folds of the cloak which he had tightly wrapped around him to deflect the sun's rays.
"Part of me thinks what we are doing is cruel," she mused as she watched a flock of birds fly by, "But at the same time I don't want to stop, because he needs to learn something from this."
Though the cloak hid it, Nekozawa smiled. He held out his hand to her, "Then let's get going."
A few floors below the rest of the Host Club convened for a closed door meeting.
Kyoya sat at the head of the table and fought to keep the amusement out of his face as the twins kept checking their watches.
"Anyone else want to join the pool on how long it will take the idiot to get here?" Kaoru asked as Hikaru glanced down the sheet with the current bets.
"It's now six minutes past the hour, which means you're out of the running Renge. Thanks for playing though and better luck next time," Hikaru said playfully, holding his pencil as a game show host would hold a microphone.
Right as he finished the announcement the doors flew open, revealing Tamaki. His gaze went right for Kyoya and he didn't even notice Renge's muttered curse or money being handed over to Honey.
"There you are!" He thundered at the Shadow King. "Where have you been all day? I've looked everywhere for you. How dare you. First you say all those things to me last night. Then you just leave me there in the rain without a second glance. And today you avoid me like I'm diseased!"
Kyoya stood up calmly at the end off Tamaki's rant. His head shot up quickly, his glasses shining suddenly with both their glare and the token Low Blood Pressure Demon's fire. "For your sake you better rephrase that." It was said cold and dangerously.
"Kyo...Kyoya?" Tamaki stammered. He suddenly realized that he had crossed some line and unleashed something in Kyoya he had never seen before.
Kyoya suddenly shifted and Tamaki countered, trying to keep the distance between him and Kyoya even at all times. Before he even realized it, Kyoya and he had switched places.
"This was a closed door meeting," Kyoya said, his voice reverting back to its controlled calm.
"Then what is he doing here?" Tamaki pointed at Kasanoda. The gangster tried to leap out of his chair at that, only to be held down by Mori and Hikaru, who sat on either side of him.
"Kasanoda is a member of the Host Club, therefore required to be at all meetings."
"And I'm sure you are able to provide a decent reason as to why there are no open hours today?" Tamaki challenged.
"Yes, as a matter of fact, we can."
Tamaki waited a few moments before realizing Kyoya wasn't going to offer any more information. "And?"
A wicked smile formed on Kyoya's face. "And if you were still a host, you would know. But since you are not, I do not have to explain myself to you."
"Way to go new Tono," Kaoru muttered.
"That's it! What has happened to all of you?" Tamaki snapped, "Using the club to get out of class, playing wretched games, calling him... " The blonde suddenly let out a gasp.
She was standing in the doorway. Everyone else had their backs to it and he was the only one who saw. She seemed startled and bolted down the hallway. "Haruhi?"
"What the hell are you talking about?" Hikaru barked.
"I think I would know if I called him that," Kaoru glared.
"No, no," Tamaki shook, "She was right there just a second ago." He dashed away before anyone could say anything else.
The room was silent for a few moments before Kyoya went over to his computer to access the security camera's live feed. "Lets hope that gave Haruhi enough of a head start."
Tamaki raced down the hallway, finally stopping at an intersection. He panted heavily. No matter how fast he had taken off, Haruhi had already vanished by the time he had made it out of the music room.
"Chasing after ghosts, Tamaki?" a voice asked from the shadows of a dark doorway. Tamaki leapt away, previous fatigue forgotten.
"Nekozawa? What do you mean ghosts?" His curiosity over ruled his fear and it held him rooted to the spot in the hallway.
"There have been strange occurrences at the school as of late. I am inclined to believe it is supernatural. More specifically, the restless spirit of a girl you used to know."
"Haruhi?" Tamaki asked. He took a cautious step forward. "Why would she be here?"
"Perhaps her soul is trapped between worlds," Nekozawa mused. "I've been trying to get her to fully manifest on this plane so I could ask her and maybe even free her, but I can't get it to work. Though it might work for you if you have already seen flashes of her," Nekozawa gave him an inquisitive look.
Tamaki gulped. He wasn't sure he liked the look the occultist was giving him."What would I have to do?"
"Nothing much, you just have to be here to talk to her when she is summoned. I've been reading star charts, and according to my calculations tomorrow night would be the best time to do it."
"Tomorrow is the night of the masquerade."
"So it is."
Silence reigned for a few moments before Tamaki bowed his head. "I'll do it."
"Excellent. Would you be interested in assisting in the preparations then? I'll be starting this afternoon."
Nekozawa was certain that he saw a vein twitch in Tamaki's forehead at this offer. "I'd love to Nekozawa, but oh darn would you look at the time," the blonde gestured to his bare wrist, "I'm afraid I have an appointment and no time for terrifyingdarkarts. Bye!" In the blink of an eye he was gone distancing himself from the dark student.
Nekozawa turned to a small security camera in the corner. He knew that the entire exchange would have been seen. He gave it a quick thumbs up before retreating back to his own club.
Kyoya, Hikaru, and Kaoru made their way to the waiting car, checking every direction before sliding in.
"Good job Haruhi!" the twins praised. "We didn't know you were that fast."
"It was close, but you did manage to give Tamaki the slip, well done," Kyoya smiled over his shoulder from the front seat.
Haruhi shrugged off the praise. It was a difficult feat to perform, as she was firmly wedged in the center of the backseat, with Hikaru and Kaoru's arms crisscrossing around her shoulders.
"So," Kaoru prompted after a few moments of silence, "Have you guys figured out what your gonna say to our parents?"
"The truth," Kyoya replied, offering no other explanation.
The rest of the ride past in silence, each teen lost in a world of their own thoughts.
Once they arrived at the Hitachiin house, the group was greeted by Yuzuha. It was not lost on any of the teens the peculiar look she gave Kyoya before her face transformed into a welcoming smile.
"I forgot the Host Club wasn't meeting today, I wasn't expecting you home so soon. And with company. It's nice to see you Kyoya, it's been a while."
"It has been Madame Hitachiin. I hope you do not mind my intrusion," Kyoya bowed his head respectfully.
"Mom," Kaoru spoke up, "Kyoya came over today cause he and Haruhi wanted to ask you and dad something."
"Oh?" Kyoya tensed. In that single syllable he heard both curiosity and a defensiveness. Yuzuha sent him a single short glance, but he understood its meaning perfectly. She had an idea of what he was going to ask and she didn't trust him.
"Why don't you two come with me then? We can discuss this in my office. We'll catch up with you boys in a bit," she told her sons. They nodded and retreated to the back garden.
Once they were settled at a table, the two read heads looked about before pulling out a set of small speakers and wires from their pockets.
"Do you think he knows that we bugged him?" Kaoru asked?
"Hopefully not," Hikaru muttered as he rearranged the various wires. "It's our only way of knowing what's going on in there."
Both stilled when the speakers crackled to like and they could hear the distorted sound of ruffling cloth. Mixed into the noise they heard their mother's voice, "Please have a seat."
The two shot each other matching cheshire grins before hunkering down over the speakers to not miss any of the upcoming conversation.
Kyoya sat down stiffly across from Yuzuha. Her usually natural smile was just a front now, and Kyoya had witnessed enough negotiations to know that the following conversation would not be easy.
"I'm sorry my husband can't join us right now. He is going to be at work for a few more hours. So what is it that you two wanted to talk about?"
"Madame Hitachiin," Kyoya spoke up, his voice showing none of his uncertainty, "I wanted to formally ask your permission to take Haruhi to Ouran's upcoming Masquerade Ball. As her legal guardians, I recognize that it would be best if we ask for your blessing before we attend such a public event together."
"I see. You said that this was the first time you would be attending a public event together as a couple, does this mean you have already met together on private occasions?"
"It does Yuzuha," Haruhi spoke up. The older woman turned her attention to the girl sitting at Kyoya's side. There was a smile in her eyes as she heard Haruhi use her first name. It had taken a few days for Haruhi to become accustomed to doing so when she had first started living with them. "We weren't trying to go behind your back. We have only had a few meetings, and each one was casual and in a public space like a park or cafe."
Yuzuha smiled at the future lawyer, "I trust you, Haruhi. However, I have a few questions for young Kyoya here that I would like to ask him in private."
Haruhi glanced at Kyoya and he nodded in consent. The girl stood and left the two alone. As the door closed behind her, she went off to find her two brothers as quickly as possible. If anyone knew what was now going on in that office, it would be them.
Inside the office Yuzuha looked directly at Kyoya intending to not miss any of the boy's reactions to her following questions. Kyoya returned her gaze. He had realized the moment she had asked Haruhi to leave he would be entering some form of a verbal chess match.
"So, young Ootori you want to court Haruhi?" She noticed he stiffened at the direct question.
"Yes." It was a simple answer and they both recognized it. It answered the question but revealed little else.
"I see. Now, are you asking to do so on the orders of your father or anyone else within the Ootori Corporation?"
His eyes narrowed. "My father has nothing to do with this." It was a negative response, but not a direct enough answer.
"Actually he does, Kyoya. Your father approached my husband and me at the start of this school year. He wanted us to agree to arrange a marriage between you and Haruhi." In the garden, eyes widened as their owners listened to the 'private' conversation.
Kyoya struggled to control his emotions at this revelations. He was seething internally. That bastard called his father had meddled when he had Kyoya he wouldn't. He had tried to use Haruhi like a pawn, the one thing he had tried to keep from ever happening. He hadn't been able to protect her, like Ranka had asked months ago.
Anger, bitterness, defeat; Yuzuha watched all of this play across the young man's face in a matter of seconds. This information had shocked him and made him drop his professional mask, even if only for a few seconds.
"I was never aware of this," he finally said quietly. His fists were tight in his lap and Yuzuha noted that his voice was solemn now. "If I may ask, what was the outcome of this meeting?"
"We declined your fathers offer." The gray eyes were no longer making contact with her own. "You care about her." The read headed matriarch mused out loud. "Would you try to continue this current arrangement even if I did not approve?" She asked as she walked over to a window that overlooked the gardens.
He hesitated. Though she was no longer watching him, she knew he had lifted his head. She also knew that if she were to look at him now she would see pure determination in his eyes. "Yes."
"What if I threatened to disown Haruhi should she continue to see you?" Her voice was steady, never betraying her true thoughts or motives.
He stared at her in surprise for some time. In the back garden the invisible listeners froze and waited to hear what the Shadow King would say.
"I would tell her as much and try to discourage her from continuing our relationship until we are graduated. I care too much about her to ask her to compromise her education and future just to be with me. But it would be her choice, not just my own."
A ghost of a smile appeared on his face, "And I would think less off you, Madame Hitachiin. You would use Haruhi as a pawn, something I never want to see. She deserves to be cared for and respected, not used and controlled. Her life is her own. Anyone who loves her would understand that."
Yuzuha turned and found that at some point in his speech that Kyoya had stood from his chair. "You think you understand, boy?" Her eyes were narrowed in challenge.
"I love her."
As the three words crackled through the speaker Hikaru and Kaoru stared at each other in shock. A gasp from behind caused them to snap out of their little world.
"Haruhi?" they asked in unison. They has been so intent on the drama in their mother's office they had never noticed their sister finding them.
"If you let us wait till later I'm sure we'll have a decent excuse for this," Kaoru spoke up quickly, only to be hushed by his brother who was already returning to listening to the dialogue in the office.
"I'm sure," Haruhi dead-panned as she sat down next to them to better hear what was happening.
Back in the office Yuzuha watched a now silent Kyoya. The teen seemed to have shocked himself into silence with his revelation. She had always wondered if she would live to see the day a Ootori was at a loss for words. Apparently she had.
She smiled to reassure him. "That's what I wanted to know. I've made up my mind, now let's go find the others. I'm sure Haruhi has found Kaoru and Hikaru by now."
Kyoya nodded and followed the woman out of the office. As they walked she turned and faced him, "And Kyoya, a word of advice. Don't wait to tell her."
Hikaru and Kaoru had just managed to stash their speakers as Yuzuha and Kyoya came out to the garden.
"Well?" Hikaru asked.
Yuzuha smiled. "Haruhi and Kyoya have my blessing to see each other. Though Kyoya, I should suggest that you find a way to inform your father. I doubt he would enjoy the surprise of finding this out through the gossip grapevine."
Kyoya nodded, appreciating that Yuzuha seemed to have guessed that he did not intend to ask his father's permission.
"I have something in mind," he promised.
The rest of the afternoon passed calmly, with Kyoya remaining at the Hitachiin household until Yuzuha's husband came home. As he prepared to leave, Kyoya pulled Haruhi aside.
"Haruhi, there's something I realized while I was talking with Yuzuha," he paused at this, not sure how to continue. Her dark eyes watched him, prompting him to continue. "That is I... What I mean to say is..." He cursed himself. The three words had been so easy to say before, what was wrong with him now? Taking a deep breath he tried one more time.
"Haruhi, I love you." He watched her face, waiting for a response.
She smiled, "I know." She stood on her toes and wrapped her arms around his thin a moment of silence she said, "I love you too."
He wrapped his arms around her and they stood in silence for a few minutes, each allowing the others confession to sink in. Eventually Kyoya pulled away and looked into her eyes.
"I have to get going. I'm afraid I do have to break the news to my father sometime tonight."
"What do you think he'll do?"
His glasses flashed and the Shadow Kin was once again in his element. "I won't give him the opportunity to do anything."
Later that evening Yoshio Ootori sat alone in his office. His eyes reread the brief email from Kyoya on his computer screen.
-Father, you once taught me to honor my word, especially when it was between myself and say a major stockholder of one of the family businesses. You ended the lesson by saying to go behind this type of prospective business partner's back, even of it could be seen in their best interest, is an act of poor judgment.
I will be escorting Haruhi Hitachiin to the Ouran Masquerade Ball. The consent of her family has been given. -
Yoshio smirked. So his son had found out about the attempted contract and still got the Hitachiins' blessing. He was impressed.
He called his secretary and arranged for a visit to Ouran High School the next morning. He decided that it was time to formally meet the girl who had made his life so interesting as of late.
end of ch. 10.
Well.. The masque is coming up soon. And Yoshio... I just like writing his character. As always, feel free to voice your questions, comments, and/or concerns. I love hearing from you guys.
Your loyal writer -SK