Chapter 11

Kyouya did not know which of them was more tight-lipped. Mori was of course, the silent type after all. He had no qualms against Kyouya, but he certainly was a man of honour. The man could not go back on his word no matter what. It was how he was brought up, especially with such discipline in his family and judo.

Yet to go after Victoria… was too much of a risk. Their relationship was shaky as it was. He had irritated her enough. Although seemingly shameless, Kyouya could not help but have that twinge of guilt inside of him. He had to admit that he was quite the pest to her. As well, he couldn't stand being speechless in front of her again. He was an Ootori. He had a name to uphold.

So he took it to his own hands once again. The man exited the banquet hall and made his way towards his villa, among the few villas that were rented out to the guests of the wedding, courtesy of the Suoh Corporation of course. Stepping through the door, Kyouya loosened his tie and took off his blazer. His laptop sat untouched on the table by the window.

He heard the murmuring of a voice outside. Kyouya paid no attention to it, sitting down at the table as he waited for his laptop to start.

Are you serious? No. You don—stop. Yes, I did. I'm sorry, but when a client does this there has to be a reason. I don't care if I'm halfway across the world; I am going to fix this. Ha, okay, if you had it under control, you wouldn't be calling me.

Kyouya's ears perked up at the sound of the voice. He poked his head outside the villa only to find the Victoria pacing back and forth. Her hands moved up to her hair, tying the bright strands up into a messy bun before going into a daze. She was thinking. Kyouya dared not to disturb her.

Even the woman had times when she was at her wits end. Kyouya oddly did not take pride in seeing her this way. For some reason he was fascinated by her, watching her from afar as she fidgeted with the fringe of her hair and snapping her fingers as she muttered things to herself. Her bright brown eyes looked forward and back, her head shaking occasionally. Not good enough, she would sometimes mutter.

She threw her hands up in the air and walked back inside the villa, not noticing Kyouya at all. She must have been extremely engrossed in whatever it was to completely ignore her surroundings. Kyouya wondered if he should walk back inside as well, seeing as there was nothing to observe. A part of him felt ecstatic to know that they would coincidentally end up side by side.

Kyouya sat patiently out on his patio, having a clear view of the neighbouring villa. He had brought his laptop outside. The warm sea breeze along with the calming sound of the seas… it was quite the atmosphere to get some work done.

Victoria too, made her way outside to the patio. This time she had changed out of her pale pink dress, into something much more comfortable. She sat in a chair by her on the patio which faced the sun with her shorts and loose fitted shirt that showed off her sharp collarbones. No laptop, just her phone.

Kyouya looked up from his laptop, watching the woman again. She began speaking to herself. What a peculiar… habit.

Flattery doesn't work. Bribes are out of the question. Don't even bother with approaching someone close. These don't work. There must be a way. There has to be a way.

The Ootori smirked, amused by her inner dialogue that she spoke aloud. There she was, Victoria Alistair completely raw. No mask, no walls. Just her, in her purest form as the gears of her mind worked endlessly to solve whatever it was. Kyouya was not interested in the problem. He was captivated by the woman.

You can't pull the sincerity card. He interprets it as a sign of weakness…

She took a deep breath. Victoria picked up her phone off the patio table and stared at the screen for a moment before putting it back down. She shook her head.

Kyouya wondered what made the woman stop.

Suddenly the expression of Victoria's face changed. That contemplative face turned into one of determination. Those doe eyes narrowed as she picked up her phone again, dialling the number without any hesitation this time. She stood up from her seat, pacing once again around the deck.

Victoria Alistair. Yes. I understand it's late. But I heard. I'm not calling to beg you, or to ask for you to stay. But until you take that offer, I am still your attorney.

Kyouya deducted that perhaps she was speaking to a client that wanted to leave the firm. He tilted his head in confusion. The firm represented the top names of the country, what was it that made Victoria fight so hard for this particular client?

I have never been off my game, you and I know that. You're exploring your 'options'? Let it be known that I am the best option. Not exactly arrogance if it is true. When have I ever let you down?

He saw Victoria take a quick breath as she listened to the other line speak.

I keep the best interests for my client. Right, and if you hadn't listened to me, you would have been bankrupt by now. So what is making you change your mind to… what is it you said? Explore your options?

Kyouya smiled at her small banter with the person on the other line. It was quite… entertaining. She spoke firmly, but was always careful to keep her voice from rising to anger. That tone of sarcasm hidden underneath her words along with that sense of fearlessness. Something about that made Kyouya nod in approval. He was actually impressed by her way of taking charge.

Listen, I'm still your attorney. Pass that offer onto me, and I'll skim it through. If it is what it is, I'm happy to let you go. Why? What do you mean why? You've trusted me time and time again. This is no different. I still have your best interests, nothing more and nothing less. I do my job.

The golden sunlight from the sunset shined onto her pale skin, illuminating her figure as Victoria finally stood still. His eyes moved up to her face, where she bit her lip lightly as she waited for a response. Her eyes darted from left to right, her feet tapped impatiently.

When will that be? Tomorrow morning? Not an issue at all, e-mail the files to me. Of course I can get it done, who do you think I am? No strings attached, I promise. Yes. Tomorrow. Goodbye.

Victoria took the phone from her ear and hung up. A headache began to form. She did not just ask to review a whole offer in less than six hours and somehow find a loophole within it. It didn't just have to be a minor flaw, it had to be huge. One enough to tip the scale. She was not about to lose a client.

Losing one client meant dominoes. If one left, the others will consider and possibly fall through.

Kyouya watched as the woman crouched down to the ground, rubbing her temples and finally standing up again. She finally noticed, completely frozen at the sight of him. Kyouya could not help but to smirk at the sight of her paralysed. It was quite an interesting experience to have the other party experience what he had felt with the speechlessness, the shock…

"Did you just…" Victoria tried to piece her words together.
"Yes," Kyouya nonchalantly replied. "Every word. Every second of it. All the way down to your breakdown."

"That was hardly a breakdown," she called out. "Do you always stalk people? How did you even end up here?" Of all places, the man just had to be in the villa beside her.

"Pure chance, Victoria," Kyouya shrugged. "I see you're… caught in quite a mess."
"No. I'm never caught in a mess. I'm called to fix things and I do my job. Now if you'll excuse me I have work to do."

Victoria disappeared, pretending that the Ootori had seen nothing. Her pride was on the line. And for the Ootori to see her freak out for a minute was not on her list of things to be self-conscious about, nor was it on her list of things to do. Work over personal matters, always.


Kyouya still sat outside on his patio, skimming through the files on his laptop. A part of him hoped that perhaps she would make her way outside again, just… because.

He longed to see her again. To see her frustrated, to see her finally lose her cool and frantically get things done. He wanted to see how completely imperfect she was under that exterior she kept up so flawlessly. He wanted to see her the same way she saw him. He wanted to see her flaws like she had with him.

Kyouya was never a computer genius, but he certainly had a few skills up his sleeve. It didn't take much to take down the wireless internet network of anything at any place as long as he got into the system. His devious mind began plotting a plan to get the bear out of the cave. Surely anyone couldn't work without the internet. If the woman was smart enough, she'd know that the Ootori always had access to the internet, anywhere around the world using whatever method.

The Ootori played the waiting game, smirking while he continued on working on his laptop. He heard the doors of the neighbouring villa open. The reception wasn't good indoors.

What do you mean the network is still up and running? There is nothing wrong with my computer.

Success.

Victoria turned around to see the Ootori still working on his laptop on the patio. He coolly looked up from the screen, raising an eyebrow as if to ask what the issue was.

"You still have internet?" Victoria wondered.
"Why yes, I do," Kyouya shrugged. "Is there a problem?"

The woman crossed her arms.

"My computer was cut off from the network," she explained. "And I need the internet to work. I don't have my books with me for reference, nor do I have any f—" Victoria stopped herself. "Apologies, I must be bothering you. You surely wouldn't care about my troubles."

The lawyer stopped pacing back and forth and made her way back into the villa. She was stopped when the Ootori made an enticing offer.

"Would you like to use mine?" he called out before she stepped indoors.

From his peripheral vision he could see the woman stop dead in her tracks. Yet, the woman did not lose any time to contemplate over the offer.

"Can I?"

Kyouya shrugged in response. In a few minutes, the woman moved her workspace over to his table. Her laptop, her notepad and phone were suddenly placed across from him. He looked up to the woman who only glared.

"Call me desperate, but whatever strings attached to this offer I'm afraid I have to take it."

The man only smiled deviously.

"You should also note I won't be sleeping and I'll be using your internet for likely the rest of the night."
"Not an issue. I will be doing the same."
"Nocturnal or just an insomniac?" Victoria questioned while she opened up her notepad to where she was before. Kyouya saw notes scribbled on the page, not wasting a single space.
"A bit of both," he replied.

She nodded in response while quickly getting back to work.

Victoria was careful not to read things aloud, especially as she was working beside another client of hers. She of course, still had to protect each client's privacy. She heard Kyouya type on his laptop, not wasting a second either. A part of her wondered what he did all day on that laptop but she had no time to speculate.

Kyouya decided that he liked seeing the woman with her glasses. Those dark square frames made her look… he stopped himself from staring. She was much closer and his stare was probably much easier to detect now. He looked back down to his laptop, busying himself with meagre tasks.

What Kyouya hadn't noticed before was the calculator being used by Victoria as she tapped the keys with such speed. Victoria looked up from her calculator to find the man confused.

"You've never seen a calculator before?" Victoria teased.
"Who brings a calculator to a wedding?" Kyouya asked.
"One who is never off the job," she replied. "Unless… specified."

She was always cryptic. Unless… specified. What an odd phrase. Did that mean she was on the job, 24/7? When would she specify that she wasn't? How would he know if she suddenly was "off the job" and required her? She was so strange, yet so alluring with only two words.

Hours went by with her frantically scribbling, and scrolling down on her laptop. Victoria was at a dead end.

"This can't be possible," she murmured.
"Hm?" Kyouya looked up from his laptop, finally seeing her face again.

Victoria shook her head.

"Perhaps I can be of assistance?" he offered.
"Confidential files," Victoria explained. She couldn't tell him the details, nor would the man be able to help anyway. He wasn't a lawyer after all.

The woman tapped her fingers on the table, making a drumming sound that distracted Kyouya from working. Her nails were cut short, but the rich emerald colour on her nails certainly caught his eye. Her thin fingers were perfectly curved over the surface. She let out a sigh of frustration.

"Okay," she said.

Kyouya turned back to the woman. Was she speaking to him? He sat patiently, waiting for Victoria to continue.

"If…" Victoria bit her lip. Technically she wasn't giving any information out. "Hypothetically," she clarified.

"Alright," Kyouya nodded. "Hypothetically…"

"You were offered a deal. Perfect win-win situation, perhaps not even win-win but it certainly benefited you more than the other party. Would you take it?"
"What are the circumstances?" Kyouya asked.
"Just think of the perfect and the most ideal situation."
"No losses?" he clarified.
"None at all."

Kyouya sat back. An interesting case-study, he thought. No one had ever proposed something like this to him. If something was perfect, would he take it? He was always given the options of A and having to give up C. Or gaining B, but giving up A and C and so forth.

"It must be too good to be true," the Ootori decided.
"But you would certainly be swayed?"
"Not without your advice," Kyouya smirked.

Victoria rolled her eyes, though she did not say anything to refute the sly compliment.

"If I wasn't there and if I didn't exist. Would you take it?"
"I would be swayed," Kyouya admitted. "But also contemplative."

Victoria looked back into her notes. "You said it was too good to be true."
"Indeed," Kyouya nodded.

Her lips slowly curved upwards as she shook her head. "I've been missing the flaw the whole time. Thank you, Kyouya."

The woman picked up her phone and dialled a number while typing away on her laptop. Victoria made sure to password protect each file, just in case. The laptop had important documents that even the Ootori was not allowed to see, no matter how curious he was. She turned to her notebook and ripped out the pieces of paper she used.

The sound of ripping paper resonated in the empty place as Kyouya curiously watched the woman's actions. She placed the phone down when the other party did not answer.

"One can never be too careful," Victoria said.
"Who would want to read your notes anyway?" Kyouya scoffed.
"That isn't the point. Confidentiality is important." The lawyer, although on the beaches of Hawaii, was still professional. Kyouya could not help but to stare in awe. Victoria snapped her laptop shut after sending the e-mail and gathering her things. She dialled the phone number again and luckily she got through.

Victoria made sure to walk away from the Ootori to keep her voice low.

Kyouya couldn't hear much except for murmurs. He respected this particular boundary, knowing that she would have done the same for his own company if it had been in the same situation. The man could not help but to be relieved in his choice of trusting the woman. She truly was remarkable in what she did. Whatever happened, Victoria seemed to have solved it in the nick of time.

The woman walked back to the seat, but did not sit down. Her hair was finally let loose from the messy bun she had earlier. The rich colour flowed down one of her bare shoulders. She looked calmer. Kyouya glanced at her for a few more seconds before asking if she needed anything.

"On the contrary, I thought it was you who would want something seeing as it is nearly 2 AM and I've been using your internet since sundown."

Kyouya nodded, remembering that he could hold her accountable to anything he deemed fit to repay the debt. It was such a foreign feeling to have power over her. It wasn't often that this happened.

"Are you busy tomorrow?"
"Busy sleeping," Victoria answered. "And I wish to not be disturbed, if that is not too much to ask."

Kyouya shrugged. "That is understandable." He didn't like to be woken up either. "Do you have any plans?"
"Yes," she said but nothing more. Victoria only hoped for one day to herself. She was flying back to New York the day after. Whatever she owed the Ootori, she wanted it to be repaid after.

"Hm." Kyouya wondered what plans she would possibly have. He nodded, as if to say she was free to leave if she wished. Victoria gladly took his offer and nodded her head as well to be respectful.

"Good night," she courteously said before leaving with her things. The Ootori watched her figure disappear. She walked with such grace and elegance, even in such casual clothing. There was no gala or social event. There certainly was no need for it. It must have been a habit of hers, though Kyouya wasn't quite sure when or where she would develop such a thing. Perhaps it was natural. Those light footsteps, straight posture and the slight bounce she had as she walked back to her own place… it was almost like she danced her way everywhere.

Kyouya stared in awe of the woman before she was gone for the night. He was only left with the sound of the waves and the moonlight.


Warm breeze, long beaches, the stunning scenery and the beautiful sunshine.

Those were never incentives to get up.

The man was woken up by the loud banging on his door by his so-called friends. The Twins' voices were distinctly heard as they yelled for the man to get up and come play with them. Neither had the guts to actually wait for the man to open the door, knowing theirs heads would be off if they waited any longer. The two were full grown adults, but still felt the need to play pranks as they longed for the thrill of mischievousness.

Kyouya's eyes reluctantly opened. The sunlight immediately made him dive back into the covers. Unfortunately, the man could no longer sleep. He forced his body up from the soft bed and got himself ready for the day. Nothing was planned. Kyouya took a few days off knowing that Tamaki wouldn't have liked to have his best friend leave immediately.

He wondered what there was to do on the islands. Surely something was there to do but the Ootori was not interested in whatever the Twins had in mind. Perhaps he would spend the day as usual, on his laptop and working from his patio.

His stomach growled while he brushed his teeth. The Ootori decided to go get some brunch, seeing as it was already 12:04 PM before diving back into his work. There were no business meetings, and likely no one important would be running into him. The resort was very private; many business magnates had their own places to stay in Hawaii anyway. Accommodation from the Suohs was rather unnecessary, even if the Suohs offered. Very few guests of the wedding stayed at the same resort.

He walked out with a simple white t-shirt and swimming shorts, grabbing his aviators along the way.


Kyouya ate quietly on his own, not caring for anyone around him as he was going to leave right after his meal anyway. The beaches and sunshine didn't interest him at all. In fact, Kyouya had hoped to continue on with his original task of digging deeper into Victoria's past. With the sudden twist of events the night prior, Kyouya couldn't bring himself to conduct research on someone so blatantly when they were right in front of him.

His phone vibrated with a text.

We're waiting for you at the beach!
Hikaru

Kyouya quickly declined their invitation and finished up his meal. He swiftly got out of his seat and walked back to his villa, wondering if Victoria had left. The Ootori made a note to check flights when he got back. Perhaps those were her plans for the day.

His phone vibrated again.

We're scouting for models. Wanna join us? Hot chicks everywhere on the beach, come on.
Kaoru

Kyouya ignored the text and continued walking under the hot sun. Suddenly an arm swung around his neck, and the presence of another body snuck up beside him.

"Really, Kyouya? You don't even want to see girls in bikinis with us?"
"Yeah, sometimes we question your sexuality," the other said in response.

Kyouya glared at the two boys beside him. Their flaming red-orange hair was the first thing he noticed about the two.

"Go away," he growled. "I have to go work."

The two twins smiled devilishly.

"Come on, Kyo-chan," Hikaru dragged out his nickname to annoy the Shadow King even more.
"Everyone is waiting for you," Kaoru commented. "It would be such a disappointment to Tamaki when we promised him that we'd fetch you for him."

Kyouya narrowed his eyes. "What does he want?"
"Your company of course! Who doesn't want their best friend around?" The twins said in unison.

"He just got married. Let him and Haruhi spend some time alone," Kyouya grumbled. "You two are troublesome as it is; no one wants you two around."

The twins rolled their eyes. Always the same grumbling old man Kyouya was. They only shrugged and took him by the arms to drag him towards the beach.

"The more you struggle, the more embarrassing the sight," Hikaru warned.
"Who wants to see the almighty Ootori get physically dragged around?" Kaoru added.
"All helpless, weak…"

The Ootori fended their grips off of him, silently complying with their wishes with an angry glare on his face. They reached the private beach. Although private, there were still plenty of people around. The Twins led him to an area where his friends had been spending their time. They gathered under a large umbrella with beach chairs and drinks.

Tamaki and Haruhi were sitting together blissfully as they enjoyed the beach weather. Honey and Mori played with Tamaki's golden retriever, Antoinette on the beach with a frisbee. The rest of the Host Club gathered around to greet the Ootori who grumbled a hello.

"Mon ami, what do you have planned today?" Tamaki asked.
"Work," he replied. Anyone could tell that the Shadow King was not amused by the turn of events.

Honey and Mori came by to join the crowd, bringing Antoinette along. The dog lovingly licked the Ootori's bare leg to which Kyouya only tried to hide his discomfort. Mori nodded as a greeting to Kyouya while Honey happily said hello. Kyouya glanced at Mori. The Shadow King did not forget about their encounter last night. Kyouya still wanted to know what happened between Mori and Victoria.

The Twins dismissed themselves from the group, citing that they also had "work" to do. Kyouya rolled his eyes at their task in ogling girls on the beach to be considered as work. Tamaki and Haruhi wanted to spend time alone, and Honey wanted to go try the local desserts with of course, his cousin Mori.

"But my dear Antoinette, who will take him?" Tamaki dramatically said, with Antoinette whimpering in the timeliest fashion. Honey offered to do so, but Mori reminded his cousin that animals were not allowed in restaurants. The Twins were already gone, leaving only Kyouya to take care of the large golden retriever.

"No," the Ootori refused before any of his friends even thought of the idea. "I'm busy."
"But, please, mon ami. I beg you to keep Antoinette company for only a few hours!" Tamaki wailed.
"Come on Kyo-chan," Honey chimed in. "It's only a few hours."

Mori did not say a word.

Haruhi gave Kyouya a pleading look. She too, wanted some alone time with her husband. The four of his friends only stared at him to give into their plea.

The Ootori did not budge or say a word. In fact, Kyouya turned to leave the group so he could go back to his villa to work.

Mori placed a hand on the Ootori's shoulder and silently gave him the leash to Antoinette. It was useless however, as Antoinette was off the leash because they were playing frisbee earlier. Antoinette was an obedient dog anyway, but to keep the dog in their view they still kept the leash just in case.

"So it's settled?" Haruhi chimed in.
The rest of the group agreed and dispersed quickly to avoid the Ootori getting angry and threatening them all with whatever he had up his sleeve.

Mori mumbled something as he gave Kyouya the leash before picking up Honey to leave.

She's here.

That was what caught him off guard. That was what denied him from quickly retaliating against his friends. He was stuck staring at the dog that wagged its tail and had its tongue out. Antoinette was just like Tamaki, happy as could be no matter what was in his way.

Kyouya sighed, wondering what to make of this situation. The dog was still bursting with energy. If he took the animal back to his villa, it would only make it miserable for being confined all day. Kyouya could not stand the annoying whimpering sound of the dog.

Eventually Antoinette began walking around, ushering its new companion to follow him. Kyouya reluctantly trailed behind the dog as they both walked down the beach at a decent pace. All the dog wanted was companionship after all. If Antoinette was pleased with Kyouya walking along the beach with it, the Ootori shrugged and went along with the dog.

The two got to the point where there was open space, less people were around and the beach chairs provided by the resort became sparse. Antoinette barked happily and began picking up the pace. Kyouya grumbled and kept up with the dog, jogging with the animal.

The golden retriever was delighted by the man that began jogging with him, becoming more playful by picking up the pace. Antoinette wanted to play, Kyouya certainly did not. The dog couldn't have cared less, running forward with all its might as if to say "can you catch me?" The Ootori was certainly not pleased by this arrangement. He hadn't jogged or gone for a run for months.

The empty portion of the beach allowed the dog to keep on moving to the very end, eventually leaving Kyouya behind when he couldn't keep up.


Bliss.

Victoria found herself in an area all on her own, underneath an umbrella and with a padded beach chair. Her hair was in a messy bun, her sun glasses were on the side table along with her water bottle. Victoria sat at a comfortable distance from the beautiful waters of Hawaii.

She never liked tanning and being shaded by the large umbrella was always another plus. The weather was beautiful, letting her enjoy the afternoon comfortably. After a stressful night and painstaking work, this was just what she needed. A day to relax before diving back into her workaholic lifestyle the next day. Victoria secretly wished that she could jump on another plane to somewhere else for another month but life didn't work that way. She was grateful to just have a day to herself.

Her thick book stayed in her lap. Victoria was halfway done. It was rare to get a chance to read for leisure.

The woman looked over the thick book to see the water but not before her feet. Her toe nails were a beautiful blue to match with the sea. Her right foot had ink trailing from the side up to its ankle. It was a tattoo of a feather on her dominant foot, keeping true to her dancing roots. Each step had to be light and as graceful as a feather. Even to this day, Victoria admired the art. It was like she had just gotten the tattoo yesterday.

She had another one on her back that was not easily seen by herself, but certainly by others if she turned around. There was a special meaning to the Japanese blossoms on her back. Her thoughts vanished as a dog came running towards her.

Surprised by the sight, Victoria sat still. She wasn't afraid, just… terribly confused. Why was there a dog running towards her out of nowhere? Not even humans wanted to walk far enough to where she was for peace and quiet, what made a dog do so?

The golden retriever slowed down to approach the human, panting and obviously tired from its long run. Antoinette sat underneath the shade of the umbrella, letting Victoria run her fingers behind its ears. The dog felt welcomed by the woman who allowed the dog to lie down on the sand beside her. She stroked its fur, liking the soft texture. Victoria smiled at how the dog sat quietly; dogs truly were a man's best friend. She did not question where it came from, or who it belonged to. She would check the collar later, but for now she allowed the animal to stay.


Kyouya slowed himself down. He jogged at a decent pace, following the path of the beach and going straight. Kyouya figured that the dog wouldn't be smart enough to go in any other direction or go anywhere else. It was like Tamaki after all.

He reached an isolated portion of the beach, completely empty except for one person who was petting a dog with a gentle smile. Kyouya stopped jogging and walked instead, realizing that he had already found Antoinette. The dog wouldn't bother running around anymore after tiring itself out. Kyouya tried to gain his breath back as he walked closer to the dog; his eyes were still fixated to mysterious person.

Upon walking closer, he immediately recognized the woman. Victoria and her bright auburn hair sat comfortably with a book beside her while she was occupied by the dog that clearly seemed to enjoy her company. Antoinette laid on its back while Victoria patted its stomach, giggling at how much the dog enjoyed it.

Kyouya calmly walked towards the pair, waiting for the woman to notice his presence. When Antoinette turned back onto its stomach and closed its eyes, Victoria stopped playing and looked up. She couldn't recognize the raven-haired man in a simple white t-shirt and shorts. He wore aviators that made it more difficult for Victoria to recognize, on top of that Victoria noticed how toned he was.

"Is this your dog?" Victoria said, trying not to gawk at the person. It would have been embarrassing to keep staring. He was actually quite attractive.
"No," he replied.
"…oh," she dumbly replied, unsure of what to say. Well if it wasn't the man's dog, what was he doing here? Victoria gave him a look of confusion. His hair was slightly wet and she could see beads of sweat dripping down his neck. He must have been exercising and somehow found his way here.

Kyouya took off his aviators and made himself comfortable in the chair next to Victoria. The expression on her face changed.

"Oh, it's just you," she said. Victoria didn't find the man attractive anymore. It was just… him.
"What do you mean, just you?" He was Kyouya Ootori. It wasn't just you.
"
I thought you were someone else," Victoria simply replied. "Are you going to take your lovely Labrador away?"
"It's not mine," Kyouya explained.

Victoria gave another confused glance. "Then…?"
"I'm looking after it for Tamaki."

The lawyer nodded in understanding. "So you're spending your day dog-sitting? You're doing a terrible job of it, by the way."
"Not by choice," Kyouya growled. "It ran away from me."

"You should go for a swim to cool off," Victoria suggested, picking up her book. She wanted to shoo him away while still having the company of the dog. She liked the big Labrador beside her, not the Ootori.

Kyouya looked to the sea, and then back to the woman who tried to ignore him. He took off his shirt, and decided to take her suggestion in hopes of grabbing her attention. He jogged towards the water, and she was right. The crisp cool water that hit his skin made him feel much better. He looked towards Victoria, thinking he'd catch her gaping at him. Who wouldn't? He was Kyouya Ootori and he was shirtless.

Victoria was standing in the sun, throwing a twig for Antoinette to catch. She wore her sunglasses, a light cream-coloured cropped top that exposed a part of her stomach and shoulders with shorts that showed off her long, pale legs. Kyouya found himself staring in awe. She was beautiful, no matter what she wore or what she did. Kyouya could not take his eyes off her as much as he wanted to.

Victoria on the other hand, was glad she had her sunglasses on, keeping her peripheral vision towards the Ootori. Wow. She had no words. How did she not notice him? Perhaps it was because she was used to seeing men in suits, every day, all day. They made no impression on her, but to see the Ootori… raw, without any blazer or expensive designer suit… Victoria felt her heart skip a beat when she noticed the Ootori turn to look at her.

She directed her attention back to the dog that obediently came back with the twig she threw only moments ago. Victoria smiled and chuckled at how adorable the retriever was. She leaned down and held her hand out, to which the dog easily gave its paw. Well trained, Victoria noted. The dog then licked her face, eliciting more giggling from the woman. Victoria threw the twig again, letting the dog go.

Kyouya watched the woman play with the dog, shivering at the thought of Antoinette licking his face. It was disgusting to him. The Ootori walked up behind her as she waited for Antoinette to come back with the stick.

"You like dogs?" Kyouya asked. Victoria flinched, clearly startled by his sneaky ways. She composed herself, turning around to the shirtless man who asked the harmless question.
"When they're obedient and loving, yes," Victoria replied turning her attention back to Antoinette. She couldn't make eye contact with the man, afraid that she would begin stuttering.

Victoria's hair was tied up in a bun, exposing her neck. The cropped top was cut low enough for the top of her left shoulder blade to be seen. Kyouya's eyes drifted towards it as he saw the small beginnings of what looked like a flower on her back. He moved closer behind the woman, wanting to see what it really was. It was a small glimpse, but Kyouya could not help but to find it beautiful. He reached out to touch the flower…

Victoria turned around just in the nick of time, realizing that the man had probably seen her back tattoo. He was astonishingly close to her. Victoria looked up to his face. His sharp jaw, to his thin pointed nose. The woman could still see his wet hair dripping with water from the sea. She felt his cool breath and she couldn't take it. She stepped back and composed herself.

"What are you doing?" Victoria said. She was back to her defensive mode, the same tone of voice she used when she felt threatened. Kyouya noticed it immediately.

The Ootori was so close. Victoria tried to keep her breath steady, even though Kyouya could tell the woman was terrified. He had ventured into her territory. He had crossed a line he wasn't supposed to cross, and she felt scared. If he had been the same man he was a few months ago, he would have felt triumphant to have conquered her territory.

But all he wanted to do now was to make peace. He wanted to see those eyes glimmering like they had while she played with Antoinette, not the sharp, narrowed eyes that threatened him with every bit of energy she had within her. Kyouya lowered his hand and walked closer towards her. She walked a step back.

"I just wanted to see what was on your back," Kyouya gently said.
"It's nothing," she insisted.

Kyouya smiled. Not in a way to annoy her, or to tell her that he knew. He smiled at her silliness, her stubborn nature that still prevailed under these circumstances. Victoria knew that he knew. As to why she didn't let Kyouya see her tattoo, he did not know.

The Ootori observed her appearance once again, this time from head to toe as he was much closer. There was so much more to the woman than underneath all the formal and office wear he had seen her in. Kyouya never noticed the cartilage piercing on her right ear, and the double piercing on her ear lobes. Her long eyelashes that adorned her beautiful brown eyes, to her thin arms and exposed stomach. A part of her navel showed, with another piercing, and all the way down to her legs with more ink on her right foot. It was a black and white feather that made its way to her ankle.

Victoria noticed the man's eyes move down to her feet. She too, quickly glanced at her feet. It was the feather. Out of impulse, Victoria ran away towards Antoinette. It was a useless attempt, but in a fight or flight situation, her instinct would always be to flee. Antoinette barked playfully, though the pair had no idea which one was chasing who after a while.

Kyouya ran after the woman, unwilling to just let her escape like that. He wasn't about to give up, especially when he had seen her in her true form. The woman and Antoinette eventually made their way back to the umbrella, to which Kyouya cornered the woman.

"You owe me answers," Kyouya stated. He did not force her to say anything. His tone was factual, like the woman could not deny it even if she tried.
"To what?" Victoria childishly buried her feet in the sand, facing the man instead of exposing her back again.
"To my questions."

"I don't owe you anything," Victoria snapped while crossing her arms. Her sunglasses sat above her head now. They were underneath shade after all so Kyouya took his sunglasses off as well.

"You owe me for using my internet," the Ootori reminded.
"I'll repay you after, just not today and not in that method."

Kyouya shook his head. How long was she going to keep this up?

"Are you ashamed?" The man was careful with his tone. The woman was a ticking time bomb, any small movement or any wrong move could result in disaster.
"No," she firmly said. "I'm not ashamed. It just isn't any of your business. You weren't supposed to even see me like this."

Kyouya sighed. He looked at her again, not to observe but just to… admire. He wondered why the woman was so defensive. Never has anyone done that to him, because he was the one that closed himself off from the world. Although unintentional, Kyouya was an open book to the woman. He just wanted the same from her.

"You know," he softly said. "You're beautiful."


A/N: I feel like I'm on a roll haha, an especially long chapter after 5 days of my last update. I had quite a bit of time today so I was able to finish this. I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter. Things are beginning to unfold, and I hope I'm going at a decent pace for Victoria/Kyouya. Thank you for your lovely reviews last chapter and your continued readership. I wish you all a lovely weekend!