Sorry this chapter is so late! I was backpacking (with no service, obviously) then I had surgery but now I'm back. Here's an extra long chapter for you guys, please enjoy!
It was halfway through the lunch period by the time Emi and Kyouya made it to the cafeteria. Emi shied away from the strange looks many students were giving her.
Kyouya looked indifferent and even flashed a few host smiles much to Emi's dismay.
After grabbing lunch the duo sat down at the Host lunch table and dug in.
"Sooooooo..." Kaoru started,
"What were you guys doing half of lunch?" Hikaru finished and both boys flashed a mischievous grin.
"Critiquing our presentation from history." Kyouya answered calmly, not even batting an eyelash at the Twins' curiosity.
"But Mommy your presentation was perfect! And Auntie that poster was amazing!" Tamaki said dramatically,
"If you want to be successful in business you have to criticize everything, especially your successes." Emi added, relieved that Kyouya had such a good excuse.
Tamaki grumbled something before returning his attention to Haruhi.
"By the way Emi, you still owe us a tour of your art collection." Hikaru said, another sly grin growing on his face.
"You wouldn't want your little secret out, would you?" Koaru added,
Emi froze for a moment, her mind racing trying determine what they were talking about.
~Oh! They saw my first sketch of Kyouya, that's right.~
She glanced up at Kyouya and saw that although he wasn't looking at her, a smug grin hung on his lips.
Emi felt her cheeks warm ever so slightly in remembrance of the recent hallway scene and turned back to the eager red heads.
"He already knows and if you spill to anyone you will never see another piece of my art ever again." She quipped happily,
Their mouths dropped and they grumbled something under their breath,
"What was that?" Kyouya asked, his glasses flashed and everyone at the table jumped a bit.
"D-deal." The twins stammered, clutching each other in fear.
"I'll bring something Monday, what medium do you want?" Emi said with a warm smile that reversed the threatening glance that Kyouya had just given.
"Oil paint!" They crowed loudly, before erupting into a long babble regarding their request.
Emi listened intently and eventually pulled out a piece of paper to take notes. Haruhi slipped her a pen before she even asked.
By the end of lunch Emi had a list of details from the twins and had not even touched her food.
"You need to eat." Haruhi said stubbornly, "You can't pay attention in class on an empty stomach."
Emi sighed and took a bite of a roll before dumping her tray into the trash.
"Satisfied?" She asked,
"No." Haruhi retorted and began digging through her bag. After a few seconds she pulled out a granola bar and handed it to Emi.
"I always have a couple snacks handy, if you need more just tell me."
"I want snacks from Haruhiiiiii!" Three voices rang out and Haruhi was grabbed by Tamaki, Kaoru, and Hikaru.
Emi made a move to help her but Mori had already plucked her from their grasps and placed her behind him.
Satisfied with Mori's actions, Emi slipped around him and looped arms with Haruhi.
"Thank you, I will eat it right away." She said, pulling her away from the crowd of hormonal boys. When they had reached a safe distance (about fifty yards) down a hallway away from the other hosts Emi leaned over to Haruhi.
"By the way, Mori is awfully protective of you, do you think he likes you?" Emi whispered,
"You're such a girl." Haruhi responded in her traditional indifferent tone but Emi spotted the faint glow of red on her ears.
Forcing a snicker down she squeezed Haruhi's arm closer then began to pull away.
"Wait, can you come over for dinner tonight?" Haruhi asked,
~As if I have a choice.~ Emi thought.
She opened her mouth to answer but was cut off harshly,
"I want to eat at Haruhi's! Why don't you ever invite Daddy over?" A voice whined from behind them.
Haruhi and Emi deadpanned. Slowly they turned around and saw the entire host club shushing Tamaki as they attempted to hide around the corner. Mori stood off to the side, not trying to conceal himself, and shrugged at the girls questioning glances.
Kyouya stood up and walked over to the irritated hostesses, "I fear Emi is not available tonight."
"I'm not?" Emi asked,
"No, we are dining together."
"Good to know. Are you going to tell me where we're going?"
"No."
"Fine. We're taking Olivier then."
Kyouya raised an eyebrow, "Why do you refuse to ride in a limo?"
"I enjoy independence. Plus you would have to drive me back to school to pick Olivier up which is just a headache." Emi replied steadily,
Kyouya sighed, "Okay, we should head to class. I don't want to hack the attendance the list again."
Emi shook her head chuckling and turned back to Haruhi.
"See you at club." She said, finally letting go of her arm,
"Eat your bar." Haruhi replied in a tone that Emi could only describe as motherly.
The day dragged along slowly but uneventfully. Club continued on in the same theme. By the time the guests left all of the hosts were exhausted.
"Why are Friday's so long." Kaoru whined,
Emi was too wrapped up in how cute Hani was while sleeping that she hadn't moved in half an hour. Haruhi had not allowed her to help with distributing refreshments until she was forced to get more instant coffee but once she returned Emi was commanded to return to her couch. Now that club was over Haruhi still refused Emi's request to help. Rather than argue, Emi conceded, knowing that she wouldn't get through Haruhi's stubborn nature.
~She's so overprotective. Shouldn't it be the other way around?~ Emi thought,
"Why is Haruhi being so nice to you?" Hikaru asked from across the room,
"Haru-chan has been so careful around you Emi, are you okay?" Hani asked sleepily, rousing from his nap and crawled into Emi's lap to snuggle.
Emi, now used to the host's behavior, sighed and started running fingers through Hani's hair.
"I don't know." She lied,
~I can't exactly tell them that she saw how busted up I am and now thinks I'm some fragile piece of art.~
She spotted Kyouya eyeing her but brushed it off.
"Did something happen?" Kaoru asked,
"Not that I know of."
Mori gave her a questioning look and she shrugged in reply.
"Our reservation is soon, let's go." Kyouya said stiffly from behind her,
~What's his problem?~
Emi extracted herself from Hani and gathered her things.
"Bye Haruhi, don't work too hard!" Emi called as she exited the room.
Kyouya followed after and the pair walked to the student parking lot in tense silence.
Emi unlocked the car and settled in her seat before confronting him,
"What's wrong?" She said softly,
Kyouya turned his stormy eyes from his phone to her then looked away,
"To avoid future problems in this relationship I assume it is best to be open with... *feelings*" Kyouya said, practically spitting the last word out.
Emi nodded slowly, confused with his weird actions.
"I prefer if you don't act intimate with others." Kyouya blurted out, refusing to meet her eyes.
~Oh god.~ Emi started feeling a laugh bloom in her chest. ~Hold it in!~ She felt her face pucker and redden in effort to control herself.
After a few seconds she had to let it out. She laughed so loud that Kyouya visually jumped and she kept laughing until her sides were sore and tears had formed in her eyes. Kyouya stared at her with an irritated look on his face, not commenting on her outburst.
When she controlled her breathing Emi reached over and grabbed his collar, pulling him into a kiss.
After a few seconds she release him, "I never knew you were the jealous type." She said before taking his phone with the GPS set up and started driving.
Kyouya didn't reply but took one of her hands in his.
The restaurant was an upper class italian diner equipped with private rooms. Emi was wary of the set up initially but after noticing all of the Ootori private police lurking around she relaxed.
Dinner was pleasant, the pair chatted and laughed, releasing all outside stresses and instead choosing to relish in each other's company. Before Emi knew it two hours had passed and the sky was darkening.
"There's a park around the corner, care for a walk?" Kyouya asked,
~Secluded area open to the public with many potential threats? I shouldn't.~ Emi thought but allowed Kyouya to grab her hand and lead her out of the eatery.
The orange sky was slipping into a sleepy purple when they reached the park. They walked in silence for a few minutes before stopping at a metal bench and resting.
"I never asked officially, and I'm sorry for that, but will you be my girlfriend?" He asked suddenly, leaning back and staring at the changing sky.
His thumb was rubbing circles on the back of her hand which to many would be very soothing.
Emi was far from soothed. Her mind was going a mile a minute attempting to comprehend and form a coherent reply to his question.
~You have to tell him no. It's what's best for him. And hey, if you play it right you might still be able to have whatever *this* is. Wait. I can't do that! That's so selfish, we aren't friends with benefits! He obviously has feelings invested in this and, sadly so do I.~ She thought,
"Yes, of course I will." She said automatically,
~Idiot you were supposed to say no!~
But she couldn't continue internally berating herself because Kyouya had pressed his lips to hers. His touch made the world slip away and the only thing going through her mind was the spark created by his skin on hers.
The sky was deep navy with only a sliver of pink and stars began to appear, shining like diamonds down on the couple. Wind whispered through the trees and leaves licked the path running by the bench. In the darkness on a hill the two students sat locked in each other's embrace, so focused on each other that only when the park lights came on did they remember where they were.
Kyouya drew away first, finally breaking the kiss and panting lightly,
"Shall we?" He asked as he stood and offered his arm.
"We shall."
Oooooooooooooooo
Kyouya was buried deep underneath pillows and blankets when his bedroom door opened. The beam of light did not affect his slumber, nor did the muffled sound of voices.
A light laugh managed to penetrate his unconscious state and he turned over in his bed.
"Kyouyaaaaa," An angel sang out and he almost convinced himself to open his eyes. Almost.
The sheets were pulled away slightly and he growled and pulled them back. A giggle was his reply. The area by his stomach was suddenly warm, really warm. He reached out and grabbed the warmth, wrapping himself around it.
Faintly he heard intake of breath but he was already falling back into REM. A hard knock on the head drew him back into consciousness in a heart beat.
"Who dares wake me." Kyouya says gravely, black aura beginning to emanate around him.
"You really are a horrible morning person. Here's your glasses drama queen." He felt his glasses being pushed on his face and blinked to clear his vision.
He became aware of his surroundings and felt his cheeks heat up. Emi was sitting in his bed staring down at him but that wasn't the bad part. He had entangled his legs with hers and burrowed his head into her lap where he still remained.
"And what's with the 'Who dares wake me?' thing? Are you a cartoon villain or something?"
Overwhelmed with her closeness he tried to push away from her and gain some space but instead of managed to fall off his bed.
With a scowl he hauled himself up to the edge of his bed and paused to regain control of his rapid heart rate.
Emi sat laughing at his demise,
"Not the best wake up call Emi." Kyouya gritted out,
Emi stopped laughing and crawled over to him and planted a kiss on his lips.
"Better, Kyouya?" She asked,
"Better." He murmured, his heartbeat spiking again,
~It feels good to call each other by our first names, without honorifics.~ He thought.
Last night as Emi dropped him off at his house after their first date she had called him Kyouya without the -san, "just to try it out" as she put it. He replied in kind and somehow they had reached new level of intimacy without consciously trying. That night Kyouya had trouble sleeping because he couldn't rid his mind of her and their official relationship. As a result he was sleep deprived and was planning on sleeping well into the afternoon.
"You had plenty of beauty sleep, it's ten o'clock so let's get to work." Emi said cheerfully, hopping off his bed to grab her backpack.
Kyouya grumbled and dragged himself to his dresser where he grabbed a soft v-neck and shorts. He turned back to his girlfriend ~It feels so good to call her that~ to find her immersed in a textbook. She was laying on a couch next to his desk wearing a baggy long sleeve shirt with lace trim and leggings.
"You realize it's May, right?" Kyouya said as he settled down in his desk,
Emi didn't even bother looking up from her book, "I like long sleeve shirts, I get cold easy."
He stared at her for a second, unconvinced.
She sighed dramatically and turned over, "I don't make fun of your suits, don't make fun of my long sleeves."
"I'm not wearing a suit."
"Not currently but if we went out you would."
"We've never gone out on a weekend, how would you know?"
She pouted for a second, "I just assumed, especially because your closet is *only* suits." She gave a pointed look to his slightly ajar closet which, as she said, was filled with only suits.
"I have other furniture you know." Kyouya said plainly, "Plus I am currently wearing lounge attire."
"Fineeeeee," she dragged out, "You win. But to prove it you have to take me out on a weekend." She grinned widely, pleased with her outcome.
"Finish your homework and maybe I will." He replied with a smug,
She giggled and turned back around.
Three hours later and Emi shut her last book. Kyouya had finished his school work and moved on to business a while back, enjoying the feeling of content that Emi brought him.
"We have the semester vocab test next week, want to study?" Emi asked,
Kyouya finished his email then turned to her with a mischievous grin on his face,
"Only if we play a game."
Emi gave him a confused look but agreed.
Kyouya led her over to the bed and sat down.
"If you answer correctly, you get a prize. If you answer wrong I get a prize and vice versa." He said,
Emi laughed and folded her feet under her, "You're so weird when we're alone."
Kyouya smirked and said the first word. Emi got it correct so he leaned in and gave her a kiss on the forehead. She blushed before saying a tough vocabulary for Kyouya to answer.
~Going for the hard ones, I see,~ Kyouya thought as he recited the definition and spelling, ~Two can play at that game.~
He replied in kind with another complicated word.
She answered correct again with a smirk.
Kyouya answered his second word correct again and as Emi leaned in to plant a kiss on his cheek he held up his hand.
"My prize, my choice."
Emi rolled her eyes but didn't protest when he beckoned her over to him. She settled down in his lap and Kyouya curled in around her. Now that he held her he realized just how small she was in comparison to him. Sure, she was taller than Haruhi but her form was slender and thin. Despite her small frame he could feel the wiry muscles through her shirt and knew she was much stronger than she appeared.
~We're a perfect fit.~ He thought as he rested his head on her shoulder comfortably.
"You better not cheat." Emi warned, a ribbon of red appearing on her cheeks and moving up to her ears.
"I won't." He mumbled in her ear.
He asked her another difficult word and instead of an immediate reply the room filled with silence.
"Well?" He asked after a few moments,
"Uhhhh I don't know, what is it."
He smirked and gave her the answer. "Now for *my* prize." He purred into her ear, moving his hands under her shirt.
"I am dating a gentleman and if he is replaced with a pig I will leave." Emi said sharply,
"I'll be gentlemanly." Kyouya said, keeping his hands under her ribcage. They trailed around her stomach and to her back. The soft, warm, skin suddenly gave way to something hard and rough. Surprised, he trailed his fingertips around it lightly,
~It's a scar.~
No sooner had the thought passed through his head did he find himself falling off his bed for the second time that day. He sat up and saw Emi scrambling to her feet,
"I'm so sorry, I just, I don't know what came over me. I-I should go." She made a break for the door,
~I will not let this happen again.~
As she reached for door he clamped his hand firmly on her wrist.
"I didn't mean to scare you." He said, tugging on her arm lightly and pulling her into a hug. "But I need you to let me in. You aren't alone anymore, you can tell me anything. I promise."
Her arms tentatively wrapped around his back and clutched onto his shirt,
"I don't know how." She whispered,
He led her back to the bed and sat down. She refused to meet his eyes and stared at her hands clasped tightly in her lap.
"Emi," he said, but received no response,
"Emi look at me." He tried again, again she didn't move. Thoroughly frustrated he thought he might as well get his message across.
In one fluid movement he had pushed her on her back and crouched over her, staring into her eyes.
"I don't usually push for answers but I will not allow you to hurt yourself on my behalf." He said darkly.
He was surprised to find her completely content with her situation and staring back at him with lifeless eyes.
~I guess normally I wouldn't be able to do this...~ Kyouya thought, remembering her display of strength with Kato-san the day before.
"I'm sorry Kyouya." Emi said sullenly,
Instead of responding Kyouya grabbed her hands and pressed them into the bed and launched himself into a passionate kiss. He was completely on top of her and using his weight and position against her. After a few seconds of reluctance she began responding to his touch. A few minutes passed before Kyouya pulled back so they could breathe.
"Please." He said, surprising himself with how weak he sounded, "You are too precious to me."
Emi looked at him for a second, studying his face. She pulled one of her hands out of his and cupped his face.
Her eyes showed fear now, but not the kind he was expecting. She wasn't scared of him, she was scared *for* him.
"Everyone has a dark past." She whispered, rubbing her thumb on his cheek. "I try not to bring mine up, it's easier for everyone."
He closed his eyes and propped himself on one arm, pressing his hand over hers on his cheek.
"I can't pretend to understand but I'm always here. Always, Emi."
"Kyouya, I lo-"
"MOMMYYYYYY!"