A/N:
Yahoo! I'm alive again!!!
Thank you to everyone who's waited so patiently for me to get off my lazy ass and update my stories! My thanks goes out to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, I know I wasn't able to answer you all personally as is my SOP, but please know that your kind words have encouraged me to keep plodding on! :D
Anyhoo, I'm thinking that if all goes well, the succeeding two chapters will be my last. :) I wanna end this story as I came across one on the site with the same title and it's kinda annoying me. lol! And harboring negative vibes isn't something I need right now because I am currently carrying a life inside me.
Haha! Yep! I'm going to be a mommy in a few months and I only want happy sappy feelings surrounding me at the moment, so I plan to end this story with a bang soon, as that would make me ecstatic!
So there. I'll shut up with my useless prattle now. :D
Hope you enjoy this update! As always, drop me a line as I would be tickled pink to hear from you!
Ja ne!
"We've arrived Fujioka-sama." Tachibana stated in a low tone.
"Eh" she mumbled groggily, rubbing the sleep from half-closed lids.
"We've arrived," he repeated patiently, politely waiting for her to 'wake up' so to speak.
Haruhi owlishly blinked sleep-fogged eyes and blearily took in the nearby surroundings. Her gaze widened imperceptibly as she realized the area was totally unfamiliar to her. She hastily shot out of the door Tachibana so graciously held open for her. A faint salty scent assailed her nostrils as her skin made contact with the balmy breeze.
"Where are we Tachibana-san?" Haruhi queried again, despite already resigning herself to the fact that she still wouldn't be getting any answers. Either way, she had her own suspicions about the matter if the air was anything to go by. She just needed a verbal confirmation of the thought lurking in her mind.
"We've arrived in Ootori-sama's seaside villa, in Okinawa." He replied deferentially before continuing, "Now if you please, let's head on inside and get you settled Fujioka-sama."
"Umi? Okinawa…" she repeated stupidly, before reality set in. "How long was I asleep Tachibana-san?" Haruhi demanded heatedly. "How is it possible that we've… that we've gotten this far without my realizing it?" she sputtered indelicately.
Tachibana cleared his throat, smothering a small chuckle. "Gomen Fujioka-sama but you've been asleep for a good two and a half hours. You were sleeping so peacefully I didn't have the heart to wake you." He finally ended with a smile.
Haruhi could do nothing but stare at him, mouth comically agape. Umi… Okinawa… Umi… she thought numbly, the words going around and around in her head in mindless circles. She stood rooted to the spot, unmindful of the wind that was slowly picking up in speed.
Tachibana took in the dazed form of his reluctant ward with something akin to pity in his eyes. For the second time that day, he felt sorry for the tiny slip of a girl who he was gently pushing towards the open doorway of the mansion looming before them.
***
The others stilled as Honey finally voiced out the nagging question at the back of their minds.
"Where's Haruhi, Kyou-chan?" he repeated once more, this time a hint of steel edging his tone.
"She's…" Kyouya paused to take a deliberate sip from the steaming cup on the table before continuing, "I believe she's home; unless there's someplace else you think she should be?" He quipped with an enigmatic smile.
Kyouya looked around at the expectant faces before him, and slowly crossed one leg over another, letting his twisted sense of humor get the better of him and purposely being vague.
"Stop jerking us around Kyouya-senpai!" Hikaru snarled viciously. "We're not stupid you know, we've already checked her house and no one was there, not even Ranka-san!"
"Hai, we're not idiots senpai, that's one of the first places we looked. Besides, you wouldn't have bothered with this cat-and-mouse game if things were that simple." Kaoru added, in a slightly more level but no less hostile tone.
Tamaki was looking at him with watery eyes, biting his lip indecisively as he watched the exchange between his best friend and the two red-haired devils. True to his trusting nature, he wanted to hear Kyouya out first before blurting out the things he wanted to say— a rare display of restraint and prudence from the usually over-zealous and high strung host.
It was all Kyouya could do to keep from rolling his eyes. It was typical of Tamaki to be so transparent. He could practically see the gears turning between the idiot's ears.
Too easy, Tamaki. You're too easy to read he thought scornfully.
"We know she was with you Kyou-kun," Mori intoned softly, cutting through the rapidly escalating tension like a knife.
Kyouya glanced at him and merely shrugged, reiterating his earlier statement. "Like I previously stated, Haruhi is home Mori-senpai," he drawled indifferently. He raised a brow at their incredulous faces and decided he could be magnanimous and throw them a bone, thus he continued. "While it is true she was with me this afternoon," and the better part of the whole morning to be precise he conceded wickedly. "Gomen but I already had Tachibana-san take her home— you're too late, I'm afraid." He ended with an insincere smile.
Only, to whose home is the real question.
Hikaru clenched his hands in an effort not to throw a jab into his senpai's gut and smash that smug look from his face.
Kaoru exerted a tad bit more pressure on the limb he was holding on to, clearly understanding that Hikaru was just about ready to let his arms fly given the opportunity.
He sighed inwardly, what did he expect from his volatile twin— surely not a semblance of self-control? Asking that would have been too much given that one look at Hikaru's contorted visage had him sighing again, this time loud enough for his brother to hear.
Hikaru swung a startled gaze in his direction, "Eh, what's with that undignified noise Kaoru?" he demanded irritably.
Kaoru gave him a pained look then pointedly turned his attention back to their dark-haired nemesis.
"You expect us to believe that, Kyouya-senpai? I for one, find it utterly low that you'd even try feeding us such garbage," Kaoru chided almost pleasantly, as if is hands weren't itching to do the same thing his other half was raring to do. "You expect us to meekly accept your lame excuse after the hellish ordeal we've gone through today?" He shook his head. "Not bloody likely." He muttered grimly.
Kyouya smiled thinly, the light not quite reaching his eyes. "Ordeal?" he questioned levelly. "I would have thought you— at the very least, would appreciate the creativeness of this whole production. After all, is this not what we hosts do best? Play games and whatnot?" He murmured, looking inquiringly at the Host King from the corner of his eye.
"Mind games are the most entertaining after all, are they not Tamaki?" Kyouya turned sideways, focusing his attention on the wide-eyed blonde who had yet to speak since the whole conversation started.
Tamaki looked into the shuttered face of his best friend and thought that this was probably how a rabbit felt when staring into the eyes of a king cobra. He gulped audibly.
Mildly annoyed at his friend's stupefied reaction, his next words came out more sharply than he intended.
"I merely thought that today's fiasco would be amusing, is all. Too bad that you all performed below par and it ended up a waste of my time. Completely without merit." Kyouya remarked coldly. His glasses glinted dangerously as he pushed them up an aquiline nose.
He looked at the seething twins and a ghost of some undefined emotion flickered across his features. "Though I have to admit that you were the exception Hikaru." Kyouya stated blandly. "I didn't expect you to be able to break into my personal files so quickly, and so easily— quite commendable really. Remind me to pay you back for the effort," he added, "one of these days," a scary smile curving his lips.
While this was going on, a mini drama was ensuing within a certain person's head.
TAMAKI INNER MIND THEATER 2
"Don't be fooled by his pretty words you wretch, he's not your friend— he's your enemy! Your enemy you hear!" Devil Tamaki shouted heatedly.
"B…bbb…but that's not possible," Tamaki wailed piteously. "He's my best friend. If he says Haruhi's home, I should believe him, right?" he queried uncertainly.
"Of course you should, he wouldn't lie to his mon ami." A white-robed and haloed Tamaki stated piously.
A loud snort filled the air, followed by a rough poke from a blunt-tipped pitchfork.
"Itai! That hurt!" Tamaki cried loudly, furiously rubbing his abused posterior.
"My friend this, my friend that… blah… blah… blah." Devil Tamaki mimicked in a sing-song fashion. "While you're here playing in lala-land that fiend is about to get away with murder."
His face took on a contemplative set, "Kyou-kun would probably make a splendid devil," he mused to himself. "He has the guts to go after what he wants," he coughed and let his gaze land on Tamaki who was curled up in a corner. "Unlike some people…" He muttered, letting his sentence trail off.
Angel Tamaki rushed in front of the pitiful ball and brandished a flaming sword at the black-clad and horned being. "Quit torturing him, he's already suffered enough." This was said in a protective rush.
Devil Tamaki favored them with a bored look. "No need to be so crotchety. I'm done with that pathetic excuse of a man," he replied nonchalantly. "And as for torment, he'll feel that soon enough."
His eyes glittered coldly. "Friend or not, in this game Kyou-kun has set into motion you are being outplayed and outclassed milord." Devil Tamaki averred mockingly. "And it's a sad but true fact that if you continue as you are, you really will lose her— for good." He ended cryptically.
"Get thee gone you spawn of Hades!" Angel Tamaki spluttered, outraged and going into an apoplectic fit.
Devil Tamaki merely roared with laughter, and the laughter remained long after he faded from view.
It was that heinous mirth that jolted him out of his stupor.
Blue-violet eyes raked in the scene playing out before him. Mori-senpai was holding on to a murderous Hikaru squirming frantically in his clasp and hurling expletives at the bespectacled host. Honey-senpai was jumping up and down like a mad bunny, riding out a sugar-high.
Kaoru, as usual was playing mediator amidst the frenzied teens.
And Kyouya… the damned bastard was calmly taking everything in stride, as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening.
It was too much to take and the fragile chain keeping his feelings in check finally snapped.
"Kyouya!" Tamaki bellowed unconsciously.
Everyone stilled at the sudden, uncharacteristic outburst. They all stared at him with stunned expressions, as it was unheard of for the Host King to raise his voice in any other tone but a ridiculous one.
Normally limpid pools were sparking with suppressed ire. "I demand an explanation for your actions today, Kyouya. If your answer satisfies me, I'll let you go with only a minor punishment." He rumbled imperiously, as though addressing a commoner.
Kyouya rolled his eyes skyward, then schooled his face into the usual expressionless mask.
"What's there to explain? Weren't you listening when I said that this was all just a game— and a boring one at that," he responded icily.
"If it's just a game, then where is Haruhi?" Tamaki looked him squarely in the eye as he asked the question.
If possible, Kyouya's voice dropped several degrees lower and he answered in glacial tones. "This is getting tiresome Tamaki, I already told you that she's home."
Kyouya crossed his arms over his chest, and leaned against the nearby mantel languidly. Despite the deceptive laziness of the pose, his obsidian eyes glittered dangerously— promising unholy retribution should one more idiotic remark fall from the lips of their king.
"So what's it going to be Tamaki," he questioned tersely. "If you are unwilling to believe me, what then?" Kyouya demanded mockingly, an unspoken challenge glinting in dark orbs.
Refusing to be daunted, Tamaki stared back stubbornly, sharp eyes probing and taking in each square inch of his opponent's face, hoping to see a crack in the other's armor.
He found none.
Locked in a stalemate, darkness and light continued their mental battle while the other hosts were left with no other choice but to stand by in helpless fascination as the silent war waged on.
A/N:
Sama, san - Japanese honorofics
Senpai - upperclassman
Gomen - Sorry
Umi - Sea/ ocean
Itai - Ouch
***
By the way, there really is an Izu peninsula. :D I googled it! LOL!