A/N: Still don't own Ouran Highschool Host Club. Thank you once again for continuing to read and I hope you like chapter fourteen.

New A/N 12.2017: I recently rewrote this story to change an important element in Caine's backstory that I wasn't satisfied with. I hope you all are as content with the change as I am and continue to read and review my story.

Chapter Fourteen: Hot and Cold

Despite the events of that weekend, Kyoya was still surprised to see Caine in Host Club that morning. He had been even more reserved in class, contributing only sparsely, and Kyoya had seriously worried he would avoid Host Club just as he seemed to be avoiding Kyoya himself. The raven-haired boy couldn't keep from shooting glances at his seatmate nearly the entire class period, splitting his attention between Caine and the lesson, trying to figure out if there was anything wrong. It could just be that it was a Monday, but with Caine, he had realized, it was hard to tell.

When Kyoya arrived at Host Club, he saw the silver-haired boy reading a book by the window and let out a silent sigh of relief. So he hadn't gone back on his decision to join them–at least, not yet. His eyes were drawn from Caine to the others: Tamaki, Haruhi, and the twins were gathered in the middle of the room, trying to decide what hosting style their new participant should adopt.

Kyoya raised his eyebrows and cocked his head to acknowledge his friend, seeing he had looked up briefly from his book as he entered. Approaching the conversation at the heart of the room, he listened in.

"Shouldn't Caine wear a uniform, like the rest of the hosts?" asked Haruhi, who was a natural, and thus didn't have much of an idea of what host styles there were. Instead, she was addressing something totally unrelated, "I mean, it wasn't until after you guys put me in one that I started hosting."

"That's only because we didn't notice how incredibly CUTE you were until we saw you in one!" shouted Tamaki, who, as usual, didn't seem to notice his volume, both vocally and emotionally, was much higher than everyone else's.

"And the girls seemed to like him well enough out of one," added Hikaru, sounding almost bored.

"Well, I guess it's his choice," replied Haruhi, no doubt wishing she had some choice in the matter too.

"What do you think, Kyoya?" asked Tamaki, noticing him.

"Hikaru's right," he said simply, "and the difference could be part of Caine's style."

"I've been racking my brain, and I just can't think of how Caine can host!" exclaimed Tamaki, almost tearing his hair as he said it.

"That's because you don't know him very well," Kyoya replied dryly.

"Well, you haven't told us very much about him!" replied Tamaki, exasperated. He looked distressed at the realization that he didn't have access to the secrets of the universe.

"Um… Kyo-chan, he's right," said Honey plaintively. He and Mori had come in behind Kyoya, but the older boys had picked up quickly on the other hosts' conversation.

"Mhm," agreed Mori.

"Well, he's originally from America," Kyoya volunteered, finding himself surprisingly reluctant to tell the other hosts much about his friend. Why would he want to keep details about Caine to himself? That was illogical, since they would find certain things out through their acquaintance anyway. And it was certain the other hosts would never garner enough knowledge on the boy to rival his own. Not that should matter to him, anyway.

Kaoru's voice broke through his trance.

"He's a foreigner?" He sounded genuinely surprised.

"Well, yes…" he said, adding, to the side, "and considering his looks, you shouldn't be so surprised to hear it." Casting a glance in the silver-headed American's direction, he continued, explaining, "he was born in America, but came to Japan when he was very young."

"Oh…" echoed everyone.

"But I'm foreign too," said Tamaki, "and…"

Kyoya cut him off, "I don't think Caine will have a style the least bit like yours." As he had expected, the blond boy sunk to the ground in his depression.

Suddenly, Caine was at his side, kneeling down gently next to him. His eyes were full of concern, unused as he was to Tamaki's sudden slumps. Kyoya looked at him in surprise: he hadn't even seen him put down his book or come over. Naturally, the other hosts, who were less perceptive, were even more shocked.

"Calm down, Suou-kun. You really shouldn't worry so much over something so little," he said.

Instantly, Tamaki brightened up, turning to face Caine. The boy looked slightly startled Tamaki had flipped his emotional compass so quickly; he wasn't used to the blond host's wild mood swings.

"You have to call me Tamaki!" the amethyst-eyed host insisted, but that clearly wasn't his focus. He almost glowed with excitement, his discovery (or mad invention, thought Kyoya) shining in his eyes, "that will be Caine's style! Hot and cold!"

Caine moved away from him, his pale blue-grey eyes chilling and narrowing.

"I don't think it's quite like that," Kyoya said, filling in the words he knew Caine wanted to say in a voice chilled through with ice.

"But he does have a point," said Haruhi, her voice surprising everyone, "I didn't think you were even paying attention to us, reading that book across the room. But the moment Tamaki-senpai collapsed, you were instantly at his side."

Yet again Kyoya was glad Haruhi had become part of the host club. Her insight was uncanny, and she seemed to be able to find the sensible argument in Tamaki's outrageous suggestions.

"Maybe it could be warm and cool," she added hesitantly, "that's a little better than hot and cold, isn't it?"

"So I just read a book or listen to music and help people when I see they need it?" Caine asked, seeming confused by Haruhi's proposal's simplicity, "I guess we could try it out."