Disclaimer: If you've read the manga, you know which characters are not mine. Therefore, I don't really own all that much...

Woohoo! I'm updating, guys! And it's only been a couple weeks, right? Or close to it, at least. [/totally tried to get it out earlier] I was on vacation this past week, and I was helping my friend out with her KaoruxOC story since Sook's made an entrance and she wanted to make sure she got her personality correct. :) But I finally got this thing done. It's about 22/23 pages long (I think) so I hope you guys enjoy it! We finally have TsuKyo, though! It's official! (Er, sort of. I don't know if it ever gets decreed as completely official in this story since Kyoya's an ass.) But anywho! I don't have all that much to say this time around since I'm sure you guys wanna get to the actual story. (Btw, I said Fuyumi and Tsuki's chat in the last thing would happen in this chapter. I still didn't get the chance to fit it in, so it should be in the next one. [/is a horrible person]) One last note before I move onto review responses: this chapter is set in the last week of October. So the beginning is on October 24, and the last section is October 31 (so basically Halloween). I dunno if I addressed it, but since I think I did not, I thought I'd tell you. o;

TartPixie, I've already answered you, but in case some others had the same questions, I thought I'd give a brief answer here. First, welcome to my story! I hope TsuKyo can continue to be a coupling you can believe and like~ It makes me really happy to know I could make Kyoya fall for someone without completely killing his character. (His character might seem a little iffy in this chapter, but I don't want to make him totally immune to her charms or anything 'cause that would be boring.) "Mr. Fantastic" should have been brought down a peg (or at least a half of one) but let me know if you don't think so. Though I've told you this before, Tsuki is not in an arranged marriage with Kyoya. Yet. If ever, actually. Her father and his father would probably love it, but Tsuki and Kyoya would probably purposely cause issues if things seemed to be picture-perfect with their parents' plans. Lol. You'll see Akito in this chapter, and you'll understand my reticence to make him and Sook possibly be in such a situation. (It wouldn't end well, in short.) And the OC guy at the beginning of this story will play more of a role in the sequel to this, though it won't be actively.

Wonderwomanbatmanfan, holy cow, what a name. I had to double and then triple check it to make sure I didn't mess it up (and even then I still might have). [/winces] Apologies beforehand! I'm glad you think it's getting good. xD Hopefully this chapter will make you smile, at least. I tried to incorporate some stuff, so... yeah. We'll see how this goes, no? Thank you for your lovely review, and welcome to the weird place inside my mind!

slashingfruit101, your name makes me think of the game Fruit Ninja. [/is shot] Hullo! I love love love love the fact that you took time to review my story~ I've finally updated! It's taken a while, but there's been quite a lot going on with school and character appearances in another person's story. I hope this chapter does not disappoint you, m'dear! ;)

Echo, my lonely guest reviewer, thank you for taking the time to leave a review! I really appreciate it much more than you could ever know. ;D I'm glad you like it! I tried to make the relationship between Tsuki and Kyoya more realistic, and I'm dying to get to the next chapter since it's going to be a fun one. (Hint: it's in November.) I love Kyoya, too; he's definitely my favorite character~

Brix8, well, howdy! O; Yes! She realized! I was so excited, too, and I even knew it was coming! xD [/totally doesn't act her own age] Haha; you thought the tackling thing was adorable? I wasn't sure if people would like it, but it was something just totally... Tsuki. I'm not sure if there's anything "adorable" in this chapter, but there is some legit TsuKyo~ :D [/is shot]

Well, as always, thank you to everyone who reviewed, favorited, and followed! I greatly appreciate all of it! Now, onward to the story~

chapter xi

I sighed heavily, leaning back against the wall beside the door to classroom 2A. I let my head fall back against it lightly and closed my eyes, bringing a hand up to cover my yawn. I had just arrived home again after missing an entire two weeks of school, and I was absolutely exhausted. Unfortunately, I didn't really have the luxury of sleeping since I really needed to attend school when I was home. Currently, I was waiting for the "class change" so that I didn't interrupt the teacher near the end of her lesson, and everything in me was telling me to just give up and go home and sleep since I hadn't really slept more than an hour in the past three days. I had hoped to get some sleep on the plane ride home, but I had been seated near some kids who knew who I was, and sleep had not really been an option with them.

I had nearly fallen asleep while standing when I heard the school bell chime. I startled out of my near-sleep stage and turned to open the door. Of course, the moment the students all heard the door open, they turned to look at me, and I offered them all a slight smile before apologizing to the teacher for being late. The woman took a good look at me and told me I needed to get more sleep, but she didn't get onto me for missing her class, which I thought was a little odd, but I shrugged it off and headed to my usual seat.

"Tsuki-hime, you're back!" Tamaki exclaimed, barely allowing me to set my stuff down before he crushed me into a hug.

I didn't even have the strength to attempt to fight him off, so I simply hugged him back before answering, "Yeah, I got in this morning. That's why I'm late."

Tamaki must have noticed something was off because he released me without having to be told, and he looked at me with concern clouding his features. "You got in this morning?" he repeated. "Then why are you here?"

I sighed and resisted the urge to rub at my eyes. "I can't afford to miss any more classes than I already do, so I decided I'd come in today since I've missed two weeks' worth of classes already," I explained as I slid into my seat. I chanced a glance at Kyoya to see him studying me, and I shook my head at him. "Don't, Kyoya. I've dealt with worse, and I stopped and ate something before I came here. Now, what did I miss this morning?"

Kyoya's jaw ticced, and I assumed he'd barely stopped himself from snapping at me. "We were reviewing for the test tomorrow. Can I assume you read the book, or will we need to hold a review session this afternoon?"

I frowned slightly, hating myself for the slight jab of hurt I felt over a remark I knew wasn't meant to be caustic. "Kyoya, you don't have to keep doing this. I can find someone else to help keep me caught up," I murmured, avoiding looking at him.

"You know that is unnecessary," Kyoya retorted. "Now, will you answer my question? Would you like a review session this afternoon?"

I blinked in slight surprise at the sudden change of tone, as well as the sudden wording change. I shifted my gaze onto him, my brows furrowed slightly, but his face was its typical mask, and I knew I wouldn't be able to figure it out. "I would like one, yes, if it's not too much trouble."

"Will you stop worrying about that?" Tamaki suddenly interjected, his tone a little exasperated though he smiled to show he wasn't irritated. "You say that every time. Kyoya wouldn't offer them if it would cause any problems for him. So do us all a favor and quit worrying about it. You're still managing to take most of the weight of the work, so it doesn't bother either of us to provide you with notes or homework assignments, and if you're worried about not knowing all the information you should, it's not an issue to ask to be quizzed on it."

"I told you the very first day that I was willing to help you as long as you were willing to do your assignments and keep up with the reading. You've held up your end of the bargain, so I have no problems with keeping up mine," Kyoya added. "Tamaki's right; you need to stop worrying so much about relying on us. We're already taking the notes, and it's not hurting us to get an extra sheet of paper or text you the problems of an assignment."

I felt my face flush slightly, and I nodded to show I understood. "All right," I replied. "I'm sorry; I'll try to stop."

Kyoya shook his head, his lips twitching as he fought back a smile, and Tamaki shook his head with a grin. "I guess that's all we can ask for," the blonde sighed as he slid back into his seat.

"The next one is, 'O, there has been much throwing about of brains.' Who said it to whom?" Kyoya asked.

I stifled a yawn and had to blink a few times to keep from falling asleep. For some reason, Kyoya had decided to conduct our review session on one of the couches in the back part of the room, and it wasn't helping to keep me concentrated. "Guildenstern said it to Hamlet, right?" I answered.

"That's correct," Kyoya replied, putting a check mark beside it. "This one's a bit tricky. 'The croaking raven doth bellow for revenge.' Who said it and during which act and scene?"

Try as I might, I honestly could not remember that quote at all, so I simply guessed, "Was it Hamlet?"

Kyoya nodded. "Yes, it was Hamlet. What about the other?"

I shook my head. "I seriously have no idea. I had to guess about Hamlet."

Kyoya chuckled, holding out his copy of Hamlet. "Try to find it before I tell you where it is."

I frowned slightly as I took the book from him. There was no way I'd find it, but I supposed it wouldn't hurt to humor him. I tried to think of what instance could possibly have involved that. I briefly flipped through the first act, searching for Hamlet's name when he was talking to the ghost of his father, but I never found anything close to what Kyoya had said. I then flipped to act three, scene four where Hamlet killed Polonius, but I didn't find it there, either. "Kyoya, I honestly have no clue where he would have said it. I only had two ideas if it was Hamlet, and they were both wrong."

Kyoya took the book back from me and flipped to scene two of the third act. I frowned and leaned over, resting my head against his shoulder as he searched for whatever it was he was looking for. His actions paused shortly when I didn't move away, but I was too tired to pick it back up. (1) He didn't comment and instead turned a couple more pages before pointing at the line he'd quoted to me. "He says it during the play the Players are putting on. He was speaking to Ophelia to begin with, but he directed that to the Players in order to get them to continue."

"That makes sense, I guess. It's kind of like he wants them to continue so he can get back at his uncle and his mother by showing them he knows what they did to his father. It's part of his revenge on them," I murmured.

I felt Kyoya nod slightly before he proceeded to the next quote. "Who said, 'Now cracks a noble heart. Good night sweet prince: And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest!' and during which act and scene?"

"Horatio," I answered immediately, smiling slightly as I closed my eyes. "He was my favorite character. And he says it in act five, scene two after Hamlet dies."

"That's correct," Kyoya answered softly, and if he said anything else after that, I didn't hear it.

The next thing I knew, I was being lightly shaken. I stirred enough to swat at whoever was shaking me before curling up more, determined to go back to sleep. I heard slight laughter before my name was spoken. "Sook, c'mon. Wake up. It's time to go home. You can't sleep here." I made a noise of protest, refusing to move. "Why don't you try to wake her?" the same male's voice asked, somewhat muffled since it wasn't directed at me.

I heard some shuffling of feet and then a different voice was speaking. "Tsukiko, I know you're awake. Your breathing pattern has changed. Club time is past over, and we have to leave now. Are you going to get up, or is one of us going to have to carry you?"

I made another noise in protest, pulling the blanket (that someone had apparently covered me with) up and over my head. "'m sleepy..." I muttered.

I honestly didn't think someone would actually do it, but I was suddenly scooped up from the couch and cradled against someone's chest, blanket and all. Normally, I would have protested, but I was honestly just that tired, and as such I simply just snuggled into the person who was carrying me. The arms supporting me tightened their hold around me, securing me more firmly into place. The next few minutes were rather hazy for me as I drifted on the edges of sleep since I was in a nearly constant state of semi-awareness. I could hear soft, masculine voices as well as the sounds of footsteps echoing down the hallways, and the person carrying me made an obvious effort not to jostle me as he walked.

I roused myself slightly when I heard my name being called and managed to poke my head out from beneath the blanket to glance at the group and wave in response before resuming my original position (though this time without the blanket over my head). A nice scent tickled my nose as my cheek rested against the material of the school's blazer, but my sleep-addled brain couldn't really make the connection of whose scent it was.

"What would you like me to do with her?" The voice was male (which wasn't a surprise), and I felt the vibrations of the chest I was cradled against, which led me to believe the person holding me had spoken.

"I'm not sure. If I didn't know she'd get angry, I'd just say one of us should take her to her place. And even if she didn't get mad, seeing a boy carry a girl into a hotel would likely get a call to the police," another male answered, and it carried a trace of amusement. I was almost positive it was Hiroshi. "Her father and Nobuyuki are not in town right now, so I don't think she'd feel too comfortable sleeping there. Which leaves my place, possibly your place, or maybe even Honey's or Mori's if needed."

The person holding me made a humming sound, and he adjusted his hold on me. "I don't think we should bother Honey-senpai and Mori-senpai. It wouldn't be a problem to have her stay with me, but I believe she'd feel more comfortable staying with you." My mind finally caught onto the timbre of his voice, and I forced my eyes open momentarily to confirm that it was Kyoya who was holding me before I let my eyes slip closed again. On any normal given day, I probably would have been protesting and demanding to be put down, but I had to admit I kind of liked being held by him. It was oddly comforting, and he was really warm.

Hiroshi chuckled. "I don't know about that. Sook's pretty open to sleeping wherever as long as she feels like she's wanted there. I heard about the last time she stayed over—her main issue with it was that she didn't think you wanted her to be there and that you were simply asking to be hospitable." He paused before adding, "In fact, I think she should stay with you. Maybe you can get her to sleep."

"I don't believe sleeping will be an issue," Kyoya retorted. "She's slightly awake right now, though only barely enough to hear what we're saying, but she'll probably fall back to sleep easily."

I heard Hiroshi snort. "Don't kid yourself. She's been living off of barely any sleep the past nine years, and never has she slept throughout the entire night. When she crashes, it's usually during the daytime, and she really needs some sleep tonight. She's never slept the entire night with me, so I hardly expect her to do that tonight."

"If it's been a problem for that long, I don't see how it could be different with me," Kyoya replied.

Hiroshi sighed, and I imagined he was probably shaking his head and crossing his arms. "Just humor me, would you? Unless you just don't want her to stay with you, in which case I'll take her home with me."

It was quiet, and I fought to try and stay awake so I could hear Kyoya's response. It was only when I was slipping back to sleep that I heard him murmur, "I'll take her with me." (2)

The next time I was woken up, I felt marginally better and didn't feel like immediately passing out again. I blinked groggily at Kyoya and rubbed at my eyes as I pushed myself up into a sitting position. "What time is it?" I asked, my voice sleep-coated to even my ears.

"It's almost ten," he answered, studying me. "Do you know where you are?"

I furrowed my brows as I looked at him. "I assumed I was at your house," I answered, looking around me and having my assumption confirmed since I was in the wing of the house Kyoya stayed in.

"So you were awake enough to remember that," Kyoya murmured, more-so to himself than to me, so I didn't feel the need to comment. "I woke you so that you could change into something more comfortable, and so that you could eat."

"That sounds fantastic. I'm starving," I admitted, placing a hand on my quietly-growling stomach. "And I wouldn't mind changing out of this dress since it'll probably need to be cleaned for tomorrow."

Kyoya chuckled, crossing his arms. "Would you prefer to eat first?"

I debated over it for a moment before shaking my head. "No, I think it'd be better for me to go ahead and change. I don't want to keep anyone awake too late just to clean my uniform."

"All right; follow me, then," the black-haired teen stated before he started walking off in the direction of the bedrooms in his wing. I scrambled up to my feet before falling in step slightly behind him. I was slightly surprised when he led me into his bedroom, and I stopped kind of awkwardly in the doorway to his room as he opened a drawer and rifled through it. He pulled out one cream-colored article and one black article of clothing before shutting the drawer and walking back to me. "You can change in my bathroom. I'll wait for you in the hallway."

I was too startled to do anything but accept the clothes, and I moved to the side so that he could exit. I walked into the bathroom and placed the clothes on the counter, leaving the door partially cracked. I didn't really examine what he'd handed me until after I'd pulled on the cream-colored top. I was slightly surprised to find out that it was a plain sweatshirt (much like the one I'd been given the last time I'd stayed here without a change of clothes), but the material was extremely soft and it was obvious it was well-made. I had to slightly bunch the sleeves up so that my hands weren't swallowed by them, but the rest of the hoodie was actually slightly well-fit, even though it was a little long. I picked up what appeared to be a pair of black pajama pants, and I had to roll the bottoms up after I put them on so that I wouldn't trip over them, which wasn't too surprising considering Kyoya was a lot taller than I was. Overall, the clothing didn't look too bad, but it was extremely obvious it wasn't mine.

I picked up all the articles of my uniform, holding them with one arm, and exited the bathroom. When I walked out into the hallway, Kyoya looked up from where he seemed to be texting on his phone. His gaze drifted over my form, and I resisted the urge to shift awkwardly on my feet. Suddenly, his gaze shifted up to meet my eyes, and I thought I saw his cheeks pinken. "I forgot to give you socks," he stated, spurring into action and moving around me to head back into his room. (3)

I opened my mouth to tell him that a pair of socks wouldn't be necessary, but he had already gotten to his dresser and was opening a drawer, and it would have been pointless. So instead I kept quiet and waited for him to return with a pair of black socks. He held them out to me, and I took them with a murmured, "Thank you, Kyoya."

Kyoya nodded in reply and motioned blindly to the clothes I was holding. "I can carry those for you."

I had half a mind to tell him that he wasn't going to be able to carry anything when he seemed to be avoiding looking in my general direction, but I bit back that remark since I didn't really want to piss him off. So instead I held them out to him and explained, "If you'd just hold them while I put on the socks, I don't mind carrying them after that."

Kyoya took the clothing carefully (though I wasn't entirely sure why since it wouldn't hurt it to be wrinkled) and waited patiently as I slipped on the socks. Once he noticed I was finished, he started walking down the hallway. I smiled to myself and shook my head but easily followed after him.

When we were nearing the kitchen, I decided to break the somewhat awkward silence around us. "You know, I know my way around here; you don't have to worry about escorting me everywhere," I teased lightly.

Kyoya chuckled, glancing past his shoulder at me (finally). "I have no doubt you know how to get to at least the kitchen. However, I would not be a proper host if I did not insure your comfort," he replied easily, his tone tinged with just a little amusement.

I laughed and shook my head. "Sometimes I wonder which 'host' you mean when you say that."

Kyoya lifted one shoulder in a shrug. "Either one, I suppose. Neither host would allow a guest to be uncomfortable."

I didn't really have a response to that, but it didn't matter since Kyoya found a maid just a little ways from the kitchen. I didn't wait for him as I slipped into the kitchen, and I had almost made it to the pantry when I heard a male's voice ask, "Who are you?"

I managed to bite back a scream so that it only came out as a squeak, and I whirled around to see there was a man in his mid- to late-twenties seated at the counter, his fork positioned as though he had been in mid-bite before he'd seen me. His hair was dark brown, and his eyes were gray. His face was slim, but even when confused, he seemed to have a rather cocky air about him.

And he'd asked me a question. Right. "My name's Tsukiko. I'm... I'm a friend of Kyoya's," I managed to answer with only a touch of nervousness. "Who are you?"

"Akito," he answered, as though that should have been enough for me. "Where's Kyoya?"

Said male thankfully walked in at that exact moment. "Akito?" The black-haired boy sounded surprised to see him. "What are you doing here?"

Akito never looked away from me as he replied, "Yuuichi and I were both asked to come here this evening by father; it's business. Yuuichi went home, but I'm staying. This girl said she was your friend."

"I am his friend," I retorted, crossing my arms over my chest.

At the same time, Kyoya replied, "She is my friend."

Akito's brows shot up, and his lips curled into a smirk. "Oh, that was cute," he teased, rather unkindly. (4)

"Tsukiko, why don't you find something to eat?" Kyoya suggested in a tone that I knew was really an order. Since Akito was (I assumed) Kyoya's older brother, I didn't want to interfere with the matter and possibly get Kyoya into trouble, so I turned around and walked into the pantry, flipping on the light.

I could hear quiet voices as I looked, and I could also feel eyes on me for the majority of the time. I didn't like it at all, and I was definitely going to say something to Kyoya about it. It took me a few minutes, but I finally found Fuyumi's secret stash of chicken-flavored ramen noodles and pulled out two bags of it. By then, Kyoya and Akito had finished their discussion, but I could feel Akito's eyes on me when I emerged from the pantry.

"Ah, so she found Fuyumi's ramen," Akito announced when he saw what I was holding, but I ignored him as I fished around in the cabinets for one of the microwavable bowls. I was too hungry to deal with boiling the water in a pot, so when I found the bowl I was looking for, I broke up the dry ramen noodles while they were still in the package before opening both packages and pouring them into the bowl, setting the chicken flavoring packets to the side. I then added water and sealed the bowl with the lid before placing it in the microwave and setting it to cook for three minutes.

The entire time I felt eyes on me, and it was starting to get unnerving. When I turned around to see Akito was still watching me (the rest of his food untouched), I finally cracked. "Ootori-san, I find it extremely unsettling when people watch me, and you have yet to finish your dinner. Perhaps you should focus more on eating?" I suggested politely with only a touch of irritation.

Akito chuckled, his gaze never wavering. "Please, call me Akito-san. 'Ootori-san' is how people address my brother Yuuichi. And I apologize if my staring unsettles you. You just look rather adorable in my younger brother's clothes." I took note that his gaze did not move from my face like it should have, which meant he was lying. His lips twitched into a rather malicious smile. "And you say you are friends with my brother? I must say I find that rather difficult to believe."

I went rigid at what I believed he was implying, and I was fairly certain I saw red.

"Akito," Kyoya hissed. "Tsukiko is a guest."

"Of course," Akito replied, waving a hand. "My apologies, Miss Tsukiko." His eyes glinted slightly as he asked, "And what was your last name again?"

"I didn't give it," I snapped. "But before I do tell you, I want to say that you'll probably wish you hadn't been such a pompous asshole. My last name is Nakamura. As in Nakamura Industries. You know, one of the possible business partners the Ootori Group is trying to gain? My father's name is Shirou, and he's actually quite close friends with yours."

I saw the moment that Akito registered the name and the significance, and I felt a sick sort of satisfaction as his face paled. It was at that moment that the microwave beeped. I turned around and pulled out the bowl, grabbed up the two packets of flavoring, and swiped some chopsticks from the nearby drawer. Flashing Akito a fake smile, I stated, "Well, it was just a pleasure to meet you, Akito. Have a good evening." I didn't even wait for a response before I turned on my heel and stalked out of the kitchen.

I made it back to the wing of the house Kyoya stayed in in record time, and I barely refrained from slamming the bowl onto the table as I seated myself on the floor. I ripped open the chicken flavoring packets and poured them onto the noodles before angrily stirring them so that the flavoring was mixed in properly. I was so intent on trying to keep from doing something stupid that I would regret that I didn't notice Kyoya had arrived until I heard him chuckling. I blinked up from my position on the floor to see him leaning against the nearby wall with a hand covering his eyes, and my eyes widened as his chuckles developed into laughter. My breath caught in my throat slightly at the sound, and I watched him incredulously because really, no one should be allowed to have such a cute laugh—and it was just so odd and... refreshing to hear. And it was coming from Kyoya. (5)

It didn't last very long—at most about ten seconds—and then he was back to normal, though his lips were curved into a very cute smile that made my heart beat faster. His gaze landed on me, and he quirked a brow. "What?"

I must have still looked dumbfounded from when he was laughing, so I told him the truth, "I've never heard you laugh. It was..." I cleared my throat and tried not to blush as I continued, "It was cute. And highly unexpected given what just occurred in the kitchen."

Kyoya tilted his head up so that his glasses caused a glare, and I tried to refrain from frowning at the fact that he felt the need to hide his expression from me. When he finally answered, he lowered his head again, his expression schooled. "Akito and Yuuichi have always thought they were better than everyone else. Yuuichi will at least attempt to hide it, but Akito typically does not unless he knows the person he is speaking to is one of the Ootori Group's clients." Though his voice was mostly neutral, there was an odd sadness in his tone. "As you just witnessed, it does happen to get Akito into troublesome situations. However, no one has ever done what you just did." Kyoya's voice took on a fond amusement as he crossed his arms. "I cannot express how satisfying it was to see you calling Akito a 'pompous asshole' and see his reaction to it all. It was amusing," the black-haired boy explained, his lips twitching slightly as he fought back a smile.

I frowned slightly at his explanation of his two older brothers. He'd never really spoken about them to me before now, so I had known there had to be some sort of issue between them, but I had never been able to guess the nature of it. Now that I had a slight inkling, however, I wished I didn't. He'd spoken as though he'd had first-hand experience of his brothers' dickheadery, and I had no doubt that it had to hurt. The only family member I had ever seen treat him with any sense of respect was his sister, and though I knew that was better than nothing, it was obvious he wanted to be seen as someone worthy of praise by more than just his older sister. And that really made my heart ache for him.

But there was no reason for me to address any of that since I knew it would only make Kyoya irritated. So instead, I chose to comment simply with, "Well, I'm glad that was amusing for you. If possible, though, I'd like to have a warning that he's here whenever I come over. I can't promise I won't snap at him again if I run into him unexpectedly..."

Kyoya smirked with a nod. "I will do my best to let you know, but sometimes I don't even know when he and Yuuichi are expected."

I took a page out of his book and smirked. "Yeah, I noticed," I teased, and then I promptly proceeded to scoop up some of my ramen and start eating. I glanced at Kyoya to see him shaking his head with a slight smile on his lips, but he didn't reply. He did, however, move to sit on the couch across from me, and I tried my best not to feel self-conscious about eating while he watched me. In the midst of scooping up some of the ramen, I murmured, "Did you know that peanuts can be used to make dynamite because of the oil they secrete?" (6)

Kyoya looked slightly confused by the statement before he smirked. "I was not aware of that," he answered, his voice laced with amusement. I half expected him to shoot back a random fact, but he didn't.

I tried to eat more quickly without looking odd, but it just didn't work. After another long moment, I spoke again. "You also can't swallow without your tongue touching the roof of your mouth."

"Huh," Kyoya intoned, and there was no doubt that he was highly amused by what was occurring. I wanted to throw something at him. He knew I hated being watched.

I was nearly finished with my ramen when I couldn't stand it anymore and stated, "A lemon has more sugar than a strawberry."

Kyoya chuckled, and I felt my face heat up. "Is that your nervous tic? Spouting random trivia?" he queried, his lips quirked in a smirk.

I didn't respond and promptly finished off the last of my ramen. I pushed myself up into a standing position, grabbing my empty bowl as I did, and then turned to return down the hallway to the kitchen. I didn't make it very far before I was stopped by a hand grabbing my arm. I was slightly startled, and I blinked up at Kyoya in surprise. His brows were furrowed slightly, and he was staring in the direction of his hand for a couple of seconds before he abruptly let go of my arm.

"Akito is probably still in the kitchen. You can leave the bowl here, and someone will pick it up," Kyoya stated, and I could only nod in response. He was acting rather strange, and I wasn't entirely sure what to make of it. The next thing I knew, the bowl I was holding was being taken out of my hands, and Kyoya had walked back to the table and set the bowl on it. "Are you still tired?" he asked suddenly.

I frowned and shrugged a little. "I'm kind of tired, but I don't know if I'll be able to go back to sleep."

Kyoya didn't say anything for a long moment before asking, "Did you need any help with any of the other class assignments? You seem to know enough about Hamlet for the test."

I bit down on my lower lip as I thought about it before I finally asked, "Could you help me with what we just learned in Physics? I'm having trouble understanding the concepts."

Kyoya nodded, and he finally looked at me again. "Of course. Follow me."

That was how, nearly half an hour later, I was sitting quite closely beside Kyoya.

...on his bed.

I'm not entirely sure how it happened, actually, or why, though I think part of it had to do with Kyoya trying to make me feel like going back to sleep. All it managed to do was make me feel a little awkward, though, so his plan didn't seem to be thought through very well. I didn't have that many complaints about it, but it was a little difficult to concentrate on Physics concepts when he was sitting so close to me with his scent tickling my nose. And I couldn't help but think that, if I was in this situation with anyone else, we probably wouldn't be studying Physics.

"Tsukiko, it would be helpful if you were listening," Kyoya stated with a slight note of irritation.

I smiled sheepishly and fiddled with the too-long sleeves of the hoodie I was wearing. "Sorry, Kyoya. I'm just more easily distracted the later it gets," I murmured, glancing up at him. It was the truth—I did get distracted a lot more easily the longer I stayed awake, and I could still feel the effects of sleep deprivation, but I wouldn't have been anywhere near as distracted had we been seated across from each other at a table like we usually were during these sorts of sessions.

Kyoya sighed, though it sounded less irritated and more amused. "Yes, I noticed that during your German tutoring sessions last semester. You never did tell me what your grade ended up being."

I couldn't keep myself from laughing. "I figured that would have been obvious, given my placement on the list in our class," I teased, considering I'd scored second in our class (and our grade, actually) by a couple points' difference for Kyoya's first place score. "I made a high 'A' in that class."

"I can't say I'm surprised. You were rather adept at learning the language," Kyoya answered.

I grinned and shook my head. "No, actually, I wasn't."

Kyoya studied me for a moment. "I don't follow," he admitted.

I sighed slightly, leaning back against the headboard. "I'm surprised you didn't figure it out along the way. Not many people can learn a foreign language that quickly and easily; nor can they keep up with a class when they are supposedly that far behind already." I paused, letting my words sink in before stating bluntly, "I've been speaking and writing German fluently for the past two years, Kyoya."

The black-haired boy didn't respond for a long moment, and then I heard him chuckling. "Well, I must say I underestimated you, Tsukiko. I should have noticed at some point, but I did not think you would come up with an excuse like that in order to find out what you wanted about the Ootori Group."

I bristled slightly since I wasn't entirely sure how to take his statement. "I didn't think you would put up with it for the entire semester. I honestly thought you'd figured it out and were just humoring me halfway through. And I'm not ready to believe that you didn't use it for your own purposes with Nakamura Industries."

Kyoya glanced at me to ascertain my reaction. "I did not mean to offend you, Tsukiko. It was actually meant to be a compliment."

"Will you stop calling me that?" I snapped before I could stop myself. "I can't stand it."

Kyoya's expression was a mixture of hurt and confusion before he controlled it, and he closed the Physics book in his lap, picking it up as he slid off his bed. "Of course," he replied, his tone striving to be even. "I believe it's obvious we should call this session to a close."

I furrowed my brows, frowning slightly. "Kyoya, w—"

"Nakamura-san, you may not be tired, but I currently am," Kyoya interrupted, and I was slightly shocked. "So unless you plan on sleeping in here, I will lead you to the guest room we have prepared for you."

"But Kyoya—"

"Where—"

"Damn it, Kyoya Ootori, do not cut me off!" I exclaimed, slamming my fist against the headboard (though not enough to break it or something akin to that). Kyoya looked startled, but he quickly schooled his expression, his jaw tightening. "You really irritate me sometimes, you know. You get mad when others jump to conclusions, but you jump to your own conclusions, too. I've dealt with you calling me 'Tsukiko' for nearly three months now, and I've said before that I hate being called by my full name. That's why everyone calls me some shortened version of my name. I don't care if you call me Tsuki or Kiko or whatever, but I swear if you keep calling me 'Tsukiko,' I'm not going to answer you."

His eyes widened slightly, and when he spoke, he sounded confused. "You are angry because I address you by your full name?"

I sighed and slumped back against his headboard. "That's what I just said, isn't it?"

"Why do you dislike it?"

I frowned and shrugged. "I don't know. I guess because I got used to everyone calling me by some sort of nickname. All my friends do that, and so do most of my family members. The only people who don't do that are people who don't really know me, or people that I don't like enough to give permission to call me by a shorter name. So I've come to associate 'Tsukiko' with people whom I want to keep distanced from me." I realized belatedly that my last sentence might make things awkward, but I'd said it, and if I tried to amend it, things would just get worse.

"All right," Kyoya answered. "What would you like me to call you?"

I smiled slightly, lifting one shoulder in a shrug. "It really doesn't matter, so long as it's some sort of derivative of my name." I quickly thought through the list of names people called me and abruptly added, "But not 'Tsuki-hime.' It's bad enough that the rest of the hosts call me that. Even Mitsukuni's starting to do it. I didn't think Tamaki's nickname would stick."

Kyoya chuckled, crossing his arms. "Then I suppose I will simply call you 'Tsuki,' if that's all right."

"That's what most of the school calls me," I replied. "So that's fine." We were quiet for a long moment before I finally murmured, "Kyoya?"

"Hm?"

I did my best to fight back a blush as I looked over at him. "I'm not exactly ready to be left alone. These past two weeks were... difficult in regards to my mother. I apparently told her something she did not wish to hear." I managed to smile weakly at him as I continued, "I know you said you were tired, so you don't have to stay awake. I just..." I trailed off and looked away from him before laughing sheepishly. "Ah, nevermind. That's not something I should ask of you. I can show myself to my room."

Before I could move, I felt the bed dip down slightly, and Kyoya sighed, "Don't be silly, Tsuki. It's not a hindrance for me to stay awake." I blinked at him, and my face must have shown some sort of incredulousness because he chuckled lightly. "What's with that look?"

I felt heat steal into my face, and I looked down at the comforter on his bed. "I... I just don't understand, I guess. You've been doing all these things for me recently because I can't be at school, and now you're willing to deal with my weird anxiety. But... what are you getting out of this?" I turned my head to peer up at him with a frown. "Is all this really worth getting a business deal with my father?"

Kyoya closed his eyes and chuckled, though it sounded melancholic. "Hikaru and Kaoru are right; you really are oblivious," he murmured after a long silence, slowly opening his eyes to glance over at me. He looked like there was more he wanted to say, but he stopped himself—as had become the ritual. It was starting to get slightly irritating, actually. I didn't understand why he felt the need to keep things hidden from me, especially if those things were supposedly so "obvious" to everyone else.

"Kyoya, why do you do that? You start to say something, and then you stop yourself before saying it."

The black-haired boy smiled slightly. "Because you're not ready to hear it, or you would've noticed it," he answered simply. "For now, you will have to be satisfied with my inability to answer, though you have my permission to believe it's only because a business deal with your father's company would be prosperous for the Ootori Group."

I stared at him silently before finally shaking my head because there was no way he could be alluding to what I was thinking. "You are making no sense," I muttered.

Kyoya smirked. "On the contrary, I am making plenty of sense. Perhaps you are simply too mentally exhausted."

I surprised even myself when I laughed. "Your not-so-subtle hint has been received, Kyoya. But please don't expect me to fall asleep." I smiled at him as I shuffled off the bed and picked up the Physics book he'd discarded earlier before moving back to my original spot on his bed. "Go ahead and get some sleep, Kyoya. I'm going to study this for a little bit more."

He glanced at me quizzically as I settled back down comfortably. "A few months ago you were refusing to be in the same room with me when I wanted to sleep. Now you're willing to sit in the same bed?"

I coughed delicately and shrugged, opening the Physics book so I was distracted enough to not blush. "As I recall, I was anxious from being in a silent room with your sister. This is an altogether different situation," I retorted, flipping through the pages to find out where we left off. Thankfully, Kyoya didn't comment anymore, and I was barely aware of him taking off his glasses and settling down beneath the covers.

Somehow I was capable of relaxing enough to pay attention to what I was reading, and I only stopped when my eyes started feeling tired. I rubbed at them slightly before glancing over at Kyoya. I wasn't sure how he'd managed it, but he had actually fallen asleep. His breathing was even and shallow, and he looked peaceful. I smiled to myself before turning back to the Physics book, but I could only concentrate on it for a few minutes before my eyes started blurring the words together again.

I sighed softly, letting my head fall back against the headboard, and then proceeded to close my eyes.

I wasn't entirely aware that I had fallen asleep until I was opening my eyes because I felt something tugging at my hands. I blinked wearily, making some unintelligible noise.

"It's just me. Lie down, Tsuki," a voice ordered quietly from my left, and I heard the sound of something quietly thunking against something else.

I shook my head, even though I was still half asleep. "Not my room," I mumbled vaguely.

"Tsuki, it's fine. Just lie down," the same voice ordered, and it was a measure of how tired I was that I actually followed it, slipping further beneath the covers and resting my head on the pillow. "Just go back to sleep."

I closed my eyes, burrowing beneath the covers a little more and rolling onto my stomach. I had no clue what time it was, but I knew it was still dark outside.

And it honestly felt like seconds later I was waking up again, but there was a little bit of light filtering in through the windows by then.

I turned my face back into the pillow, bringing a hand up to my mouth to cover a yawn. I pushed myself up into a sitting position and stretched, and that was when movement caught my eye. My head whipped around in the direction of the movement, and I felt blood rush to my face. I had actually slept in the same room as Kyoya. Hell, not only in the same room, but even in the same bed. And that definitely made me feel awkward.

Kyoya sat up, peering over at me in slight confusion. Everything in me was telling me to scramble off the bed and run out of the room, but I sat still, frozen like a deer in headlights.

Kyoya's expression slowly altered into recognition, and he smiled slightly. "So you slept through the night." It wasn't a question; he sounded slightly happy about it.

I found myself smiling back involuntarily. "Yeah, I guess I did," I answered, pushing a hand through my brown locks. I knew my hair had to look messy, so it wasn't going to make it look any worse. "What time is it?"

Kyoya turned to glance at his alarm clock. "Almost seven," he replied, looking back at me. "You should have time to bathe if you'd like. I can check on your uniform in the meantime."

I smiled and nodded. "That would be great, actually. I can leave the door to the guest room unlocked so that it can be laid out in there."

"That would be best," Kyoya agreed.

It was awkwardly silent for a moment before I spurred into action. "All right, then. I guess I'll see you in...half an hour?" I hazarded a guess.

Kyoya nodded. "That should be sufficient time for you, correct?"

I hummed in agreement as I quickly made my way to his door. I felt his gaze on me as I left, and I didn't allow myself to relax until I was in the guest room, my back against the closed door. I'd slept the entire night in Kyoya's bed. There was no telling how indecent that probably was, but what worried me the most was that I'd managed to feel comfortable enough to sleep with Kyoya so close when I couldn't even manage that with Hiroshi.

"You should stop fighting it, Tsuki-hime," Hikaru sighed as he and Kaoru practically carried me into the area in which they all had changed into their Shinsengumi outfits. (7) They hadn't chosen to wear wigs, but they chose the "English" attire so that it was easier to differentiate between which characters they were cosplaying. Hikaru and Kaoru were dressed as Shinpachi Nagakura and Sanosuke Harada, respectively. Takashi had been dressed as Souji Okita and Mitsukuni as Heisuke Todo while Tamaki had been donned in Toshizo Hijikita's outfit, and Kyoya was dressed as Hajime Saito (which honestly seemed to fit his character quite well).

"Yeah, because Kyoya-senpai ordered this, and he said you still owed him a favor," Kaoru added.

That didn't keep me from struggling against them. "That doesn't explain why you're talking about dressing me. I can do it myself!" I exclaimed.

They both shook their heads. "We know not to let you see what you're changing into since you'd be defiant," Hikaru replied calmly.

"Don't you trust us?" Kaoru asked with a slight pout.

I exhaled heavily, frowning at them both. "You're guys! I don't care if you don't see me like that; it's still awkward and totally uncalled for."

"Which is why we brought a few of our maids here," they both answered with mischievous smiles, motioning at the young women who appeared out of nowhere.

I sighed as I was finally set down on my feet, and then I had something being tied around my head and over my eyes. "Isn't this all a bit much for asking him to eat a single bite of cake?" I muttered.

The twins laughed. "Technically, Kyoya-senpai's favor is only that you help out with the Halloween event we're doing," Kaoru retorted. "We don't have enough time to act as hosts and waiters, so we needed your help with serving the clients."

"He gave us the job of taking care of your costume. That included getting you into that costume. Don't worry; they're all really quick and efficient. Just let them do what they want, and you'll be out in no time," Hikaru explained.

"All right, jeez! Now will you two get out? I don't enjoy being blindfolded," I muttered sourly.

Hikaru and Kaoru laughed. "Duly noted," they stated in unison. "Don't give them too much trouble." I heard their footsteps walking away before several footsteps started walking towards me.

"Miss Nakamura, you're about to feel hands on you," a female's voice warned.

I smiled. "Thank you for telling me."

The process was actually rather quick. They had me out of my school uniform in basically record time, and I simply followed their instructions as they started to dress me in whatever costume the twins had chosen. I could tell the fabric was soft, which was a plus, but there was quite a lot of it. I also knew whatever it was had gloves.

"There's a chair behind you. Sit down, please," one of the maids ordered, and I cautiously moved to sit down. The moment I did, they were pulling stockings on me, and then my feet were put into shoes. The next thing they started on was my hair, and they argued about that for several minutes since some of them wanted it put up while others said it would be pointless since it wouldn't cover my ears.

Thankfully, my hair was left down, but they still ended up doing something intricate with it, and I felt weight settle atop my head on both sides. I kept quiet the entire time, and finally I was ushered back up. This time they started fiddling with the back of my costume, and I felt more weight settle roughly around my waist. There was a lot more maneuvering done, and then finally I had the blindfold taken off. I didn't look down at myself just yet, since I didn't know if they were planning on doing anything regarding makeup. They seemed satisfied, however, and they all grinned at me before motioning for me to look in the nearby mirror that was set up.

What I saw made me gasp and blush at the same time. I was wearing something that looked like a cross between Tokyo Mew Mew and Kaichou wa Maid-Sama. (8) The ensemble was more intricate than I could have ever imagined, and I didn't know entirely how to describe it. The "dress" part of it was rather short; it barely hit my mid-thighs, and even then that was only because of the underskirt they'd put on me. The top half had white, puffy sleeves that didn't even reach my elbows, with cream-colored bordering at the ends of the sleeves. There were dark pink ribbons tied around the cream bordering, done in a bow-like fashion. There was a hot pink tie with a dark pink heart at the bottom of it, as well as a dark pink line that went down in a "V" fashion like the tie. The collars were white, and directly underneath was another stretch of cream cloth, also bordered with dark pink ribbon. The area over my breast was covered by the same white cloth as the rest of the costume, and there was a dark pink apron-looking vest arranged over the rest of my torso. There was a large, dark pink bow that adorned the back of my outfit, and the skirt of the dress was hot pink. Near the hem of the over skirt was the same cream bordering with the dark pink ribbon. Both the gloves and knee-high stockings were white with the cream bordering and dark pink ribbons, and the shoes I had been given were basically dark pink Mary Janes. What struck me the most, however, was that I had fox ears and, upon turning slightly, a fox tail. They weren't the normal shade typically associated with foxes; they were slightly less dark than my hair and tinted with a little red. The tip of the tail was still white, of course, and I did a few experimental turns to see that it was definitely secured very well. My hair didn't look like it had been tampered with, but it was styled to keep my ears from showing at all and was probably hiding some sort of headband that helped support the ears.

Overall, I thought it looked cute, but it was definitely not something I would ever optionally wear. Nor did it look like an ensemble that I could have put on myself.

"I think our costume choice was a success," I heard Hikaru comment, and I quickly turned towards him to see he and Kaoru were posed against each other with smug smiles.

Kaoru's smile turned into a slight frown as he shifted out of their pose and walked towards me. "They didn't turn on the ears, though," he murmured, reaching out and fiddling with the headband. I closed one eye since he was applying pressure to that side of my head, and he made a happy noise when something clicked. "There we go." He stepped back a few paces, and I felt (and slightly heard) the ears on my head moving.

"Much better," the twins both commented as I looked up at them.

I felt a blush cross my cheeks as I asked, "How long is this event supposed to last?"

They both shrugged. "How would we know that?" they queried.

"The boss is the one who makes those decisions," Hikaru elaborated.

Kaoru nodded and added, "So ask him if you want to know."

"But right now, we need to go," they both stated, nudging me along. The moment we emerged into the club room, I ran into someone and made an embarrassing squeaking noise.

"There you are. I was just..." Kyoya trailed off as he looked down at me, his eyes widening while a light dusting of pink spread across his face.

Hikaru and Kaoru slipped their arms across my shoulders, and they gloated, "We did a great job, right? Doesn't she look adorable?"

Kyoya didn't answer them; instead, he simply turned around and walked towards the area they'd sectioned off for their event. (9)

"Guys, I feel kind of out-of-place," I mumbled to the twins. "You guys are basically wearing army uniforms, and I'm wearing something totally opposite. You couldn't have just put me in something close to what you guys were wearing?"

"Don't worry about that. We have some other girls pitching in to help serve, as well. They jumped at the opportunity when they saw the costumes and heard you'd be doing it, too. Not all the costumes are the same, but they're close to it," Hikaru explained.

"Mostly, it's been done based on hair colors and animals," Kaoru added. "None of them have ears that move, though."

They both grinned at me, speaking in unison, "That was done specially for you, Tsuki-hime~"

I sighed and shook my head, smiling slightly. "Thank you for the thought, you two. Now go ahead; I'm sure your customers are waiting on you." They both chuckled before sauntering off to one of the tables that had been set up for them. I watched them link their arms together as they got closer, and they both made their arrival noticeable by leaning over one of the girls and toying with her.

"We would like for you to mostly tend to Tamaki's tables and my tables." I was startled by Kyoya's sudden announcement since I hadn't know he was there.

"I can do that," I answered, nodding. "So I'm acting like a waitress?" I inquired, wanting to verify the information I'd gathered.

"Yes, to an extent. Also, keep an eye on the others, in case they need assistance," Kyoya ordered.

I nodded and smiled up at him. "Would you like anything to eat or drink, Kyoya?"

Kyoya blinked and looked away, shaking his head. "No. I don't partake in food or drink during club activities like this," he answered. "But thank you." He then walked off towards his first table, bowing politely to the guests before sitting down.

I watched him for a short moment before I started doing my assigned job. It actually ended up being pretty simple since most of the girls were too excited by the costumes and just the overall atmosphere. They all tended to order the same drinks and snacks, so there weren't many things I had to worry about remembering. I received compliments about my costume by just about every girl at the tables I waited on, as well as compliments from other girls as I passed by them. It ended up being a lot of fun, and the time passed by quickly. The hosts were on their last round of their tables when Kyoya put a hand out to stop me from walking by. His fingers curled around my bare forearm, and I felt my heart rate pick up at the contact. His hand was warm, and his fingers easily wrapped around my arm.

"Did I forget something, Kyoya?" I asked confusedly, frowning as I looked around him to check on the drinks and snacks the girls had ordered. They were all watching us intently, and I tried not to shift on my feet nervously as I directed my gaze back to him.

"No. These ladies have requested your presence for the last few minutes of the event," Kyoya responded.

I blinked in surprise, acutely aware of the presence of his hand still on my arm. "Um, okay... Is that allowed?" I asked quietly.

Kyoya chuckled, lightly pulling on my arm. "Of course it's allowed. We are here to please our customers."

I nodded, allowing him to pull me up beside him. His hand finally released my arm, and I smiled at the girls seated around the table. "Good evening, ladies," I greeted, clasping my hands together in front of me.

"Will you let us take a picture of you with Kyoya?" one of the girls (a black-haired girl with her hair up in a messy bun) requested.

I glanced at Kyoya, who seemed to be just as surprised as I was by the request, before looking back at the girls. "Um, if Kyoya doesn't mind, I don't see an issue with it," I replied, willing to be obliging. I looked back at Kyoya, quirking a brow at him in a silent question.

"I don't mind," Kyoya answered, and the girls all made their own exclamations of excitement.

I smiled to myself and looked back at all of them. "Did you ladies have a certain pose you wanted us in?" I queried, smiling cutely at them.

They all glanced at each other, and one short-haired brunette girl finally nudged a girl with curly, blonde hair. The blonde girl blushed and fidgeted with her phone. "Uh, well... We were... We were hoping that you would... maybe sit on the arm of his chair and prop your head on his shoulder."

Well, that was a rather specific request. I was actually extremely surprised. "Why that particular pose?" I managed to ask without sounding too rude. I still saw Kyoya shoot me a slightly reprimanding look, though.

This time the black-haired girl spoke again. "It's a semi-common pose in manga, and it was one of the only two we could all agree on."

So they'd actually been discussing it. I wasn't sure how I felt about that. "You said one of two. What was the other one?" I inquired.

A different blonde girl answered, "For you to sit sideways in his lap with your arms around his neck and his arms around your waist."

Both my eyebrows shot up, and I glanced at Kyoya to see his expression was about as uncontrolled as mine, considering he looked just as flabbergasted. I looked back at the girls and said, "Wow."

"That's why I suggested the other one," the curly-haired blonde stated kindly. "I thought that one was a bit too intimate for you two to allow us to take a picture of it."

I had to resist the urge to say, "And the other one wasn't?" But I knew if I'd said that, Kyoya would berate me for treating their customers badly. Instead, I just decided to play along with them, even though I had no idea what they were saying. I thought of something that would make me blush (and sadly, all it really took was imagining sitting in Kyoya's lap long enough for someone to take a picture) and reached a hand up to rub the back of my neck. "I'm sorry, ladies, but that would be a bit awkward. I don't think it would be a problem to do that first one you suggested, though. Right, Kyoya?" I looked over at him with a smile while cocking my head.

Kyoya seemed to have caught onto what I was doing because he smiled back. "I don't see a problem with it," he agreed. "Have a seat." He motioned to the arm of the chair.

I refrained from laughing since he'd made it sound kind of like a challenge. The girls were once again jittery with excitement, and I honestly didn't want to disappoint them, though I still wasn't sure why they wanted a picture like that. I precariously perched on the arm of the chair, both my legs still dangling over the outside. I crossed them before I leaned over, bending my arms at the elbows and resting both my hands on his shoulder, one on top of the other. I then set my chin down on top of my hands, allowing my torso to relax against him so I wasn't likely to look too uncomfortable (though this definitely felt really weird). "Is this what you were saying?" I asked, angling my head slightly so I could properly see the girls.

There were multiple answers all at once, but I understood that I had done something right. I saw a couple of girls take pictures without even waiting for us to smile or anything, and I chuckled to myself. Kyoya was unnaturally stiff, so I couldn't imagine they would turn out too well. I lifted my head and used my left hand to grab his arm and pull on it. He resisted. "Kyoya, you're too tense," I murmured against his ear. He only went more rigid, but I ignored it. "It's going to make the picture pointless. Put your arm around my waist and relax. I'll get off you shortly after they're done, okay?"

Kyoya nodded once, so I released his arm and moved back into the position I'd been in with my chin propped on my hands. His arm circled my waist, and then he pulled me into him a little more before tilting his head slightly to lean against mine. My stomach flipped, and I felt my heartbeat accelerate. For a moment, I literally couldn't remember how to breathe and heat flooded into my face. I managed to collect myself enough to smile as the girls took several pictures, and when they finally seemed satisfied, I lifted my head.

"We can send you the best ones, if you want," one of the girls spoke, directing the statement towards me.

I had to admit it was rather compelling, and I didn't think I'd be able to live with myself if I didn't at least see the outcome of such an awkward experience. "That would be great, ladies, thank you~" I chirped, grinning at them.

They all beamed back at me, and a redhead suddenly exclaimed, "You two are a really cute couple!"

Some of the girls shot her exasperated looks, as if it were something she wasn't supposed to say, while the others made noises of agreement. I didn't know how to respond to that, since it sounded like she thought we were currently a couple, not just two people who would possibly be a cute couple. I actually opened my mouth to ask her when I felt a squeeze on my hip, and I ended up squeaking instead. I sent Kyoya a sharp look, but he wasn't looking at me as he removed his arm from around my waist.

"I'm sorry, ladies, but that's all the time we have today. Tsuki should be here tomorrow afternoon, and you can decide what pictures you want to send to her. I hope you all have a pleasant evening," he farewelled, completely ignoring the girl's exclamation. I thought it was a rather important thing to be avoiding, but I kept my mouth shut and instead smiled and waved at the girls as they left.

When the door finally closed behind them, I jumped up and rounded on Kyoya, ready to tell him what I thought—but I wasn't given the opportunity to do that since I was pulled back into someone, my back against said person's chest.

"Great job today, Tsuki-hime," Hikaru congratulated, and I felt arms wrap around my waist. "As I thought, you looked great in the outfit we designed for you."

I sighed patiently, tapping Hikaru's wrist as I looked over my shoulder at him. "Arms, Hikaru."

I felt another pair of arms slip around my neck, and I turned to look at Kaoru. "Aw, Tsuki-hime, why are you being so rude? He's only trying to compliment you."

I strove for patience with dealing with the twins since I knew they would only be egged on by an angry response. "It sounded more like he was gloating about the skills you two have in regards to costumes," I retorted, smiling slightly. "Now would you two please release me?"

"Why are you in such a hurry, Tsuki-hime?" the twins asked in unison.

Hikaru leaned over me a little, murmuring, "Could it be that you want to change..."

"...because you don't like your costume?" Kaoru finished with a small pout.

I released another sigh, shaking my head. "It has nothing to do with the costume, guys. I wasn't aware I was going to be dragged into something like this, and I have plans for this evening. At this rate, I'm going to be late."

"But Hiro-chan said you were free!" Mitsukuni exclaimed, and I frowned as I looked over at the blonde boy. He was currently on Takashi's shoulders, and they were both still dressed in their cosplay outfits. Kyoya and Tamaki were further away, and they looked like they were arguing about something.

"Hiroshi doesn't know everything about my schedule, Mitsukuni," I replied. "And I didn't tell him about this."

"Wait," Hikaru and Kaoru stated in unison, releasing me and moving to stand beside each other so they could both face me. "You have plans that aren't with Hiroshi?"

I made a face and crossed my arms. "Not everything in my life revolves around you guys, Hiroshi, Emiko, and Tamotsu. Just because I'm a girl doesn't mean I'm not inheriting a company. I have to worry about clients and potential clients, and I have to go to parties that I'd rather not attend. I also have to attend dinners whenever my presence is requested. I have a dinner this evening that I cannot miss. My father is somewhat decent friends with the man who is coming, and said man is bringing his son because he wants us to meet."

"You don't sound very excited about that," Hikaru commented.

I laughed, "Probably because I'm not. It's basically like a blind date with chaperones."

"What if you actually like the guy, though?" Kaoru queried.

"Yeah, you could meet him and fall in love," Hikaru agreed.

I rolled my eyes with a snort. "Not likely, you two. I don't believe in that 'love at first sight' nonsense. Besides, apparently everyone knows I like Kyoya, given the girls' odd picture request, so I don't understand why you two..." I trailed off the moment the twins smirked, and it suddenly hit me that they'd gotten what they had been aiming for. I had never told any of the hosts outright that I liked Kyoya, though they had all definitely caught on at some point, and I'd never exactly told Kyoya, either, since I had never managed to feel comfortable enough to do it. This definitely wasn't how I'd wanted to do it, though. "Well-played, you two," I congratulated them flatly before turning on my heel and walking back towards the "changing room" (if it could really be called that; it was really one wall and then multiple curtains acting as the other three walls, so it wasn't technically a room).

I tried not to allow myself to dwell on my frustration, but when I realized how impossible it was going to be to change out of the costume without someone's help, I had to resist the urge to punch the wall. As it were, my hands did clench into fists, and I was quite certain I was shaking with the urge to do something. I whirled around when I heard the curtains pulling open, an angry exclamation on the tip of my tongue, but it died when I saw who was standing there. I averted my gaze from the black-haired boy, unsure as to what I should say. I worried my lower lip between my teeth, wondering just how bad it would look if I tried to run.

I opened my mouth and looked up at him again, only to squeak when I saw he was standing way too close for comfort. I stumbled back a few steps out of reflex, and my back collided with the wall. Kyoya moved toward me and leaned over me, bracing an arm against the wall above my head while his other hand grabbed my chin and tilted my head back so that I was looking directly at him.

"I-I'm sorry," I stammered out, worried by the indifferent expression he was sporting. "I should have said something to you sooner, but—"

"Yes, you should have," Kyoya agreed, interrupting me. Even his voice was controlled. How the hell did he expect me to know what to say or do?

I glanced to the side of his head, looking up at the ceiling. "I thought you knew. I mean, I practically tackled you to the ground after I got back from my summer tour..." I murmured.

"You were giving mixed signals. It was better to wait," Kyoya answered, his voice low.

I shifted my gaze back to his and asked softly, "Are you angry?"

Kyoya quirked a brow. "Do I seem angry?"

I released an annoyed huff. "No, but you're controlling your voice and your expression. Unless you really just couldn't care less." The thought that he might actually be totally indifferent to the situation really hurt, and I was fairly certain I winced.

Kyoya watched me for a long moment, and I shifted my gaze off of him. It was then that I felt warm lips against mine. My eyes widened in shock as his lips moved lightly over mine, and I felt my stomach flip as my heart raced wildly in my chest. His thumb lightly traced back and forth over my jaw, and heat curled in my abdomen. He lifted his head far sooner than I would have liked, but my breath was coming in gasps by that point. The kiss had been very mild, but I could feel that my face was flushed.

Kyoya didn't say anything as his gaze roved over my face, and I found myself swallowing back my anxiety. I opened my mouth, intending to ask him a question, but what came out was, "Lips are two hundred times more sensitive than fingertips."

The black-haired teen chuckled, swiping his thumb over my lower lip, and then he suddenly released me and took a few steps away. "You said you have a dinner this evening, correct?"

I cursed beneath my breath and darted around him, gathering my school clothes. "Yeah, my ride's probably outside. I'll just go home in this since it'll take too long otherwise," I rambled, moving towards the curtain so that I could leave.

"Tsuki." I stopped with my hand gripping the curtain, and I looked over my shoulder at him curiously. "Don't be too friendly with that boy."

I raised both my brows at him. "Kyoya, I'm going to head that off right now—if I want to be friendly with a guy, I'm going to be friendly. You can get irritated all you want, but I expect you to believe it won't lead to anything." I let my lips curl into a smirk as I added, "Besides, one kiss doesn't automatically make me your girlfriend. You actually have to ask me to be that." I winked and waved at him. "See you tomorrow, Kyoya~"

Before I departed, I saw him smirk and shake his head.

And if I happened to be in an exceptionally good mood that evening, my father didn't comment.

(1) I realize that this might be something Kyoya would object to, if it were under normal circumstances. They're in the club room, so people are bound to notice them doing this. However, Sook is obviously sleep-deprived, and he knows she probably didn't get much sleep, if any, while she was away and he is not going to reprimand her for it. Plus, he's enjoying it a little himself. She's optionally leaning her head on his shoulder, and it would be something that would make him happy.

(2) This entire situation was an unexpected development the moment I started writing it. Originally, she was going to go home with Hiroshi, and she was going to stay awake the entire night. But then it was altered just enough to where I decided I should have her go home with Kyoya and have her manage to sleep through most of the night. Hiroshi knows Tsuki very well, so it's only natural he would recognize she feels safe around Kyoya. [/shrug] What's a little odd is what happens later when she's actually at Kyoya's house...

(3) The first issue I had with her staying over was Kyoya's reaction to seeing her in his clothes. I've always imagined Kyoya as someone who is very possessive of his things, and I just feel like seeing Sook in his clothes would cause him to feel an overwhelming amount of success. His awkwardness, however, stems from the fact that he's just staring at her for no reason, and he's actually just a little insecure about what her feelings are towards him. It's a little difficult to explain, honestly, but if you don't like it, sorry. It's not likely to happen again. Not like that, at least.

(4) I want to go ahead and address this: Akito is not a character I have studied extensively. Given the information I do know, however, he seems to be quite a spoiled brat and is totally arrogant. He also seems to be constantly jealous of Kyoya whenever Kyoya is praised for anything. So I wanted to have him be malicious since he really doesn't think Tsuki is anyone important. Plus, it makes it that much more appropriate for Sook to hate his guts. :D [/is shot]

(5) And we reach my second issue with this entire "sleepover at Kyoya's." I just don't know, but... I really do think Kyoya would like it that someone was capable of getting back at his brother. And the fact that it's the girl he likes is just far too much for him to handle.

(6) You remember chapter five, when I said there would be something that would become common for Tsuki and Kyoya? This is it. Tsuki spouts off random trivia when she feels nervous. I've debated having Kyoya shoot back his own trivia later on, but for now, it's just her~

(7) Technically, the anime I based this off of (Hakuoki) did not come out until five years after the date in this story. But since those characters were based off of the real Shinsengumi members, I figured I could get away with it. Feel free to look them up, if you'd like. (And I know that there was another character who had glasses that could probably have been better for Kyoya, but... I figured Saito's character fit him well enough. :3

(8) I've been toying with the idea of having Sook be the singer for the opening themes of some anime. She's already been noted to sing the Tokyo Mew Mew one, and I really want her to sing "My Secret" (Kaichou wa Maid-Sama), "Sakura Kissu" (Ouran High School Host Club), and"Special Days" (Special A). Not sure what other ones I can get away with, but yeah. Just something I may do; let me know what you guys think? Also, along with this note, I thought a fox suited Sook rather well, and I didn't want her to be wearing cat ears and a cat tail since that's so cliche. xD

(9) Yeah, so Kyoya wasn't even aware of what the twins had chosen to dress Tsuki in. What she's wearing is actually a bit over-the-top, but it's still something she'd look cute in. Her squeaking and blushing and having fox ears that moved, as well as the nature of the outfit itself, was just too much for Kyoya. It startled him, and he doesn't want to answer the twins' question since it'd be a bit too revealing for his side of things.

DONE. Jeez. This takes so long for me to do. Maybe I should deal with the notes while I'm writing it...

Anyway, I know the ending to this chapter was weird, but it's Kyoya. He's going to act like nothing happened, and because of that Tsuki will, too. They kind of go with each other's flow, lol. And then the last two sentences were abrupt, but I didn't want to have this long, drawn-out thing. Kyoya's not the type to make a confession, and Sook knows it, so she's just happy with the fact that he kissed her. (Then again, who wouldn't be?)

"Hero/Heroine" by Boys Like Girls is the chapter title! I had a hard time finding one that really suited this chapter, but I think it would fit Kyoya rather well. Maybe that's just me, though. Ah, well~ If you're confused, I can try to explain it to you; just let me know. ;)

I'll attempt to have the next chapter out in a couple weeks. AWA is coming up, though, so don't hold your breath. It's possible it will be after it's over. There should only be one more chapter before I start with the episodes, though~ (Debating on having a Christmas chapter after the next one, assuming I don't mash the two together, so it could be two.)

I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I had loads of fun writing it~ As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts, so reviews are seriously appreciated! [/wink wink]

Thanks for reading!

~ DM ;)