Hey, guys!

I know how much you've been patiently awaiting part two of this! I know tha it's a little early, but Friday's pretty jammed for me, so I won't be able to post it then; but . . . here it is! Hope you guys like it!

Oh, and I want to tank everyone who's reviewed my story thus far. I've gotten over 50 reviews already! So, here's my thanks: Thank you Thank You, THANK YOU guys sooooo much! This really means a lot to me!

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I know that some of you were worried about the second part becoming a little lemony; but trust me, that's not what I had in mind from the start. (If it were to become lemony, I would've changed the rating . . . Duh :P. Besides, K.C.'s chained with Kyoya, not the twins, so you all can just relax . . .)

Anyway, now that that's aside, let's get on with the story.

Disclaimer: I don't own Ouran, or anything Ouran-related.

Claimer: I own all of my OC's! :D

Bound for Trouble

Part 2

Everyone had already left the school, which meant that Kyoya and I remained in the clubroom. He had already finished up his notes and finances, so all that was left to update the website, or whatever he did on his computer. The evening was moving by so slow that I nearly fell asleep to the tapping of the keyboard every time Kyoya pressed a key down. I assumed that the reason why the twins were first to leave was because they either A: Wanted to get home and find that key, or B: Didn't want to return home with black-eyes and some teeth missing. Well, hopefully those two learned their lesson, especially research how to get out of a trap in case something goes wrong.

It had already been decided that I would stay over at Kyoya's mansion for the night, and hopefully only tonight. I didn't want to be wearing the same uniform for the entire weekend, and I assumed that the twins got the message that the quicker they were at finding that key, the less likely they would have to endure a few weeks of school walking on crutches.

My arms were crossed and rested on the table, while I set my head on top. I had been staring at the same, pastel pink wall for who knew how long, so I decided to change my view. Of course, the only thing I could see when I turned my head as the base of Kyoya's laptop, while his long, nimble fingers swept over the keyboard, pressing each button in sequence. Sometimes, he would pause, to use his mouse, clicking on a document, or opening some important file.

My gaze soon trailed up his long, thin arms up to his fair-skinned, flawless complexion. The light from the computer screen reflected off his spectacles, as he kept his glance glued onto said screen, and illuminated his flawless face. Glare from the screen or not, I could catch a glimpse of his eyes as they scanned over the screen, checking over his work in case there was any miscalculation of spelling error.

That was the one thing about him that I found the most interesting: His eyes. Gray may be the dullest color known to artists, mostly used for shadowing, or gloomy storm clouds; however, I could see that his eyes weren't a solid gray, they were more of a deep pool, showing that they were filled with intelligence. I'll never forget gazing into his eyes the night he kissed me. At times, they may be piercing, or seem like they're scanning your soul, but that night, I saw that they were gentle and filled with kindness.

A smile spread across my lips as I gazed up at him. No matter how much he irked me, I still couldn't get over the fact that I may be in love with him. I still assumed that he wanted me to fall for him just so he could use me for something; but as I thought over it, I was a commoner, so what good would I do him? Maybe, he didn't like me. But, if not, then why would he kiss me? It all just didn't make sense.

I released a deep breath and sat up in the chair. I just had to know. "Hey . . . Kyoya-senpai?"

"Yes?" he answered, not taking his gaze off the computer screen.

I stared at him for a while, unsure of how I would ask him. "Listen . . . I've been wondering . . ."

I trailed off, afraid to ask him; and then I glanced downward, piecing my words together. I always thought that if one of the guests at the Host Club had "feelings", for a certain host, the host would have to turn her down . . . gently. What if that host had feelings for the girl as well? My heart just began to break as I heard Kyoya's voice in my head: "I appologize. I'm flattered that you have these feelings, but it just won't work out between us, Katherine-san . . ."

That calm tone of his echoed in my head when he said my name. "Katherine-san."

I snapped my head up to face him, realizing that he actually was saying my name, and he had stopped his typing and was gazing down at me. Staring into his eyes, I realized that they were deep with concern, which was rare for the Shadow King.

"Sorry, senpai," I spoke. "I think I may have dozed off for a minute."

Kyoya only grinned as he turned back to his computer screen. "It has been a long day."

I nodded in agreement. "We'd both probably be at our own homes by now, if the twins hadn't ruined everything."

"Everyone makes mistakes," the Shadow King spoke, moving his mouse around and clicking a few things.

Suddenly the light from the screen turned off, while the reflection disappeared from his specs so that his eyes were perfectly visible. Kyoya closed his laptop and began to pack it away in his bag, while I grabbed my satchel from beside the table before standing up and slinging it over my shoulder.

"I guess I'll give Hikaru and Kaoru mercy . . . this time," I muttered.

Kyoya gave a week chuckle as he stood up with his own satchel with the strap over his shoulder. Once we were ready, we exited the clubroom turning out the lights on the way and then began walking down the hall. The trip through the school corridors was a chat-less one, but I still couldn't manage to take my mind off of wondering about Kyoya. Did he like me? If so, then he would have to gain something from it. But, what would he gain from a simple commoner?

Suddenly, I felt Kyoya take his hand in mine, and my heart began to race as I halted to a stop. As cold and heartless as he may seem, he sure had a warm, gentle touch. I hadn't felt his hand over mine since the night I broke his glasses. Glancing down at our hands, I gave a quizzical glance up at him, wondering why he had taken my hand. Did he truly have a fondness for me?

Kyoya didn't say a word, only pointing towards something in front of me. I followed his hand, trailing the indication until I realized that I was about to run into a table with an expensive-looking vase on top, filled with an assortment of flowers. I stared at it for a while wondering why I was such an idiot and not paying attention, and then I stepped out of the way. Glancing back up at Kyoya, I gave a sheepish smile; however, he only adjusted his glasses and released my hand. I sighed as I followed him. The handcuffs would tug on my wrists whenever I was too far from him, and I eventually kept myself awake and synchronized my pace with his.

"You seemed rather absent minded, Katherine-san," the Shadow King commented.

"Sorry, senpai," I spoke, glancing away. "I'm just . . . just a little tired."

"Don't worry, you can rest once we get to the estate," Kyoya spoke.

With that, he pulled out his cell phone, dialing who I assumed was his chauffeur to pick us up at the front gate of the school. While he spoke, I still couldn't keep my mind off of him. His voice was just so calm, when he spoke that I nearly melted. Of course, it all depended on if he had that grin on his face, or his piercing eyes. I looked back down the hall as we descended the wide staircase. I sure wasn't going to daydream while walking down these!

Once we made it to the bottom step, Kyoya stopped to finish up his conversation with his driver, and then he flipped the cell phone lid closed before shoving it into his pocket. "It'll be fifteen minutes until the limousine arrives," he spoke, "Five once we make it to the front of the school."

I nodded understandingly, but didn't say a word. I was still a little humiliated that I was daydreaming and nearly knocked over a vase. That wouldn't add to my debt if broken, I would most likely become expelled because of that. At least Kyoya was able to stop me in time before I bumped into it. He probably didn't want me expelled because I brought in the money the club would've lost paying for those desserts.

"You were going to ask me something earlier," Kyoya spoke calmly, not even glancing down at me.

"Huh? Oh, yeah . . ." I spoke. I stammered for a while, trying to piece my words together carefully. "I was just wondering . . ."

My voice trailed off, as the words became jammed in my mind. I couldn't tell him. What if he didn't feel the same way? It was a 50-50 chance, so he may or may not. Of course, maybe I should wait until mid-term before asking him a question like that. Kyoya was still waiting on me to say something, so I sighed and glanced away.

"I guess zoning out made me forget," I lied.

Kyoya didn't say anything to add to that, so I kept my mouth shut for the rest, until we made our way out the door. Five minutes until Kyoya's diver would arrive to take us to his mansion, and I began to grow nervous. I would be going over to a boy's house, and we weren't "together". Literally, yes, but not like the boyfriend/girlfriend. What would his servants say about us? Would they pass on word to his parents saying that we were "together"? I shuddered at the thought.

It was awkward standing outside in the chilling autumn breeze. Neither of us said a word, mainly because I wasn't sure what to talk about. Eventually, though, the silence began to bug me, and I just had to say something. "So, uh . . . It's nice out tonight . . ."

There was no reply from the Otori boy. He only ignored me, either that or he was just doing that thing where he doesn't make eye contact with anyone during a conversation. I trailed off, glancing down the road. No headlights. Great, stuck in this awkward silence again . . . I sure hoped that Kyoya was ignoring me this time, because I felt like a total idiot. When I glanced up at him, I found that he was still staring down the school driveway.

Eventually, a pair of headlights soon appeared at the front gate, moving closer as the limousine pulled up to a halt. Kyoya began to walk forward towards the vehicle, while I followed, figuring that this was his ride. His driver tipped his hat while he held the door open for Kyoya and I to climb into the vehicle. Once we had slid into the seats, the door was closed, darkening the inside of the car. The engine purred as the limo started and began to pull out of the front gate, traveling down the road to the Otori estate.

I wrung my hands together out of nervousness, unsure of what to do once we got to his mansion. I mean, his servants would be there, wouldn't they? So, if they saw us together, they would most likely assume that we were a couple. My face flushed a deep red at the thought, but thank goodness that it was dark inside the limousine, so Kyoya could most likely not be able to see it.

Speaking of the Shadow King, he didn't say a word at all. I know that he's been silent most of the entire day, probably because he was still livid with the twins for being stupid and cuffing us together. Hey, I wouldn't blame him. Hikaru and Kaoru had gotten on my last nerve when they made me chase them around the room on Monday, and now they had cuffed me to Kyoya. I'd let them have mercy for the whole handcuffing trick, but I would definitely set up some kind of trap for messing around with my camera.

I still couldn't keep my mind off that question. Did he like me, or was the whole kiss thing just to make me fall for him so that he could use me later? Taking a deep breath, I released it.

"Kyoya-senpai?"

"Hmm?"

I wrung my hands tightly. "I . . . I remember what I was going to ask you."

"What?"

"D-Do you . . ."

My words became jammed in my throat as I found my voice trailing off. Why was it so hard to ask him? Well, it was kind of a silly question, but now may not have been the right time. Plus, it wasn't such a good week for either of us, so I would wait until a day when Kyoya was more . . . chipper. Of course, I knew that Kyoya wanted an answer from me, so I had to figure out something else to say.

"Do you . . . have a plan?" I inquired. "You know, like how we're going to pull the whole "handcuffed together" thing off?"

Kyoya adjusted his glasses with his free hand. "Since it's late and most the staff has probably gone home," he answered, "we could head on to the bedroom and rest for the night. As for tomorrow, we'll have to keep everything on the down low until the twins arrive with the key."

"And you said your dad was on a business trip, right?"

Kyoya nodded. "From what I know, he's already left, so the whole mansion is empty for the night."

~ . . * . . ~

"Kyoya, my boy. You're home awfully late."

"Father, I thought you left already."

"I meant to call you about that. Because of weather conditions, I won't be able to leave until tomorrow morning."

Kyoya and I both stared in surprise as his father descended down the staircase and made his way to meet us, and we moved our cuffed hands behind our backs, hidden from view. Mr. Ootori was a tall, lean man (just a few inches shorter than Kyoya though . . .), and looked to be in his late forties or so. He owned thin, jet black hair with a matching mustache and beard on his chin. He stood proud, like the owner of the Ootori Company he was, as he stopped in front of us.

"And, who might you be, young lady?" his father inquired, gazing down at me.

"Uh . . . Katherine Johnson, sir," I spoke, rather intimidated by his looks.

"I see. So, you're the scholarship transfer student from American then?"

"Yes, sir."

"What business do you have coming here?"

I was hesitant at that part as a small sweat-drop rolled down the back of my head; however, I quickly came up with something: "Kyoya's tutoring me in . . . mathematics."

His father raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Funny. For a scholarship student, I'd suspect you'd know all the material."

"You must understand, sir. The studies here in Japan are far more advanced than the studies back in America."

Mr. Ootori stared down at me for a while with that intimidating look of his. Now I know where Kyoya got that from. Eventually, though, his face softened as he gazed down at the two of us.

"All right," he spoke. Then, he turned and began to walk away, but not before glancing over his shoulder at Kyoya. "See to it that Katherine has a ride back to her own home once you two are finished."

"Yes, sir," Kyoya answered.

His father then began striding down the hallway, while Kyoya and I watched until his figured disappeared in the shadows. I sighed with relief. That was close! For a second there I thought that I was going to faint from a panic attack. And I thought Kyoya could be intimidating, but not as much as his father was.

"Tutoring in mathematics?" Kyoya questioned flatly, glancing down at me.

"Hey, your dad seemed to buy it," I shrugged. Then, I smirked, "And you said I was a terrible liar."

Kyoya adjusted his specs. "Come on. Let's head up to my room."

With that, he began walking towards the staircase while I followed close behind him, wary not to fall back and trip on the way up. Eventually, we came to his room, which I at first thought could be the living room considering that there was an entire sofa in there! Scratch that . . . two sofas. Heck, there was even a giant, flat-screen television in here! It was hard to believe that this was Kyoya's room, and I was struck speechless; however, I did manage to blow out an astounded whistle.

"So," I spoke after a moment of silence, "I guess we're going to turn in for the day?"

"You can," Kyoya replied simply, "but, I have a few more things to finish up."

I stared up at him while we walked towards his bed. It was nearly midnight, and Kyoya still had work to do? Geez, he can't learn to take a break, can he? Of course, as tired as I was, I wasn't sure where I would sleep for the night. Not with Kyoya in his bed, because that was wrong on so many levels. So, I decided to come up with my own plan.

Turning in a different direction, I tugged Kyoya along while I walked towards an armchair placed in the corner of his room. Grabbing a hold of it, I hauled it towards the side of the bed, while Kyoya watched me with a raised eyebrow.

"What are you doing?" he inquired.

"I'm moving a chair," I answered flatly. "What does it look like I'm doing?"

Once the arm of the chair touched the mattress, I climbed into it, while Kyoya crawled onto his bed beside me. Setting his book bag down beside him, the Otori boy sat cross-legged on his bed and began to take out his computer, while I took out my math textbook and began to work on my lesson.

"You aren't taking the whole tutoring thing seriously, are you, Katherine-san?" Kyoya inquired.

"No, I just do math when I can't get to sleep," I answered. "Besides, it's yesterday's lesson, so I don't have to worry about flunking it."

"You were tired when we left the school."

"Well, I'm not anymore. Not yet anyway."

Neither of us said a word after that. All that could be heard was the scratching of my pencil against the notebook paper, and Kyoya's fingers busily typing away on the keyboard. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door, and I froze as Kyoya allowed whoever it was in. Thank goodness it was just one of his butlers and not his father. I wouldn't know how to stand up to him again.

"Kyoya-sama," the servant spoke. "Your father wishes to speak with you privately."

"Tell him I'm on my way there," Kyoya answered, not taking his eyes off the computer screen.

His butler nodded, bowing at the waist, as he exited the room and closed the door behind him. It was a good thing that the chain attached to the cuffs was hidden under the hardback cover of the textbook, or else there might be word from the servants that could spread to Kyoya's father.

The Ootori boy set his laptop to the side and slid off his bed, while I busily added negative and positive integers together. Of course, my hand was soon jerked to the side, creating a long black line of graphite along the paper.

"Hey!" I exclaimed, glancing over at Kyoya.

He only stared down at me, and eventually the mental message process through my mind. We were handcuffed together . . . Duh. So, I had to go wherever Kyoya went, despite the fact that his father ordered to speak with him privately.

"Oh, right . . ." I muttered.

Turning my body around, I stood up off the chair and followed Kyoya out of his bedroom and down the long hallways of his mansion. Every time we turned a corner, I always met with the eggshell-colored walls that stretched up about fifteen feet or so to the ceiling. Eventually, Kyoya stopped at a door, which I presumed was where his father was, and then he turned to me.

"You stay out here," he spoke calmly.

I nodded, and then I watched as the black-haired boy knocked on the door, and then slipped into the room once his father allowed him. Once in the room, however, Kyoya stayed at the door, with his cuffed hand behind his back so that the chain ran through the crack. I couldn't overhear much of what was going on, mainly because my mind was beginning to zone out again; however, my ears perked up at one thing his father said.

"You've got a long road to travel, Kyoya," he spoke. "You've kept your grades high all the way through Elementary, Middle, and now High School. This year is your last chance to give 110% to obtain the company from me."

Sheesh, Kyoya's got a lot of pressure on him . . . I thought to myself.

"You have a slight chance of inheriting Ootori Medical, but it's not a definite possibility," his father continued. "I still have high expectations for you, son. You understand that by now, don't you?"

"Yes, sir," I heard Kyoya reply.

"Good," spoke Mr. Ootori. "Now from here until graduation, you can't allow anything to stand in your way. If inheriting the family company is your number one priority, you can't allow yourself to be distracted by anything. Understand?"

"Yes, sir."

"Very well, then. You're dismissed."

I took that as my cue to step to the side and to allow Kyoya to step backwards out of the room. Once he closed the door and took his place beside me, Kyoya began walking back wordlessly towards his room. I refrained from asking his any questions about their conversation, mainly because it was none of my business; nevertheless, I couldn't help but think back on what Mr. Ootori told his son. He sure was strict, especially since he had high expectations for Kyoya. As much as I wanted to talk with Kyoya about it, I knew that it wouldn't be the smart thing to do, since eavesdropping wasn't the right thing to do.

Once we entered Kyoya's living-room-like-bedroom, he made his way over to his bed and took his former seat, cross-legged with his computer on his lap. I, on the other hand, decided to pack my textbook away and catch up on some well needed rest. Setting my book bag down on the floor beside the chair, I reclined sideways in the chair, with the side of my body against the back of the chair and my legs hanging over the arm.

"Well," I spoke, stretching my limbs out, "It's time for me to turn in. See you in the morning, Kyoya-senpai."

"I've told you before," he spoke calmly, with his eyes glued to his laptop. "You don't have to refer to me as 'senpai' when we're not on school grounds."

"Oh, right . . . forgot," I spoke, blushing somewhat. Then, it disappeared as a smirk spread across my face as glanced over at him. "Well, then . . . Night-night, Kyo-chan."

Kyoya stopped typing, and then he gave me a sideways glance. I couldn't tell if he was either irritated or embarrassed that I addressed him with the name Hunny gave him; however, I only giggled at him before turning my glance away from him and nuzzling my head into the cushion on the back of the chair. The Ootori boy sighed, and then resumed his typing. Kyoya kept the light on, probably to be able to see his keyboard, but I wouldn't blame him. It was unhealthy to stare at a bright screen in the middle of darkness anyway.

Eventually, the light tapping of the keys on the laptop soon put me to sleep.

~ . . * . . ~

I groaned as I tossed my head over to the side. I couldn't quite remember the dream I had, but it seemed A LOT shorter than my dreams would typically last. Opening my eyes, I found Kyoya, still on his bed, typing away on his laptop. Had I only been asleep for ten minutes? Glancing over at the clock on his nightstand, I found that it read 3:32am. I sighed to myself as I rubbed the blur from my eyes with my free hand.

"Kyoya . . ." I spoke groggily.

"It's not morning, if that's what your wondering," he answered.

"It is morning actually," I spoke with a small smile. "The sun just isn't up yet."

The Shadow King didn't add anything to my comment, instead, he ignored it (at least that's what I assumed), and continued to type away on his laptop. The glare from the computer screen illuminated his face and reflected off of his specs as he continued to work on whatever it was.

I sighed and reached my free hand over, slightly pushing down the lid of his laptop. "Kyoya, it's late," I spoke. "You shouldn't work yourself into overdrive like this. Besides," I added with a smile. "It's the weekend."

Kyoya stayed silent for a few moments, but then, he pushed the lid of his computer back up. I frowned at him as he clicked on a few things. Why did he have to work himself to the edge like this? Sure, his father told him to put in 110%, but, still, it was the weekend, and everyone would be relaxing and taking a day off. I sighed and turned away from him.

Just when I thought Kyoya would stay up for another hour, everything grew quiet. No noise from the hard-drive murmured through the air, no clicking, or typing was heard either; instead though, there was a rustle, and then a loud THUMP onto the floor. Glancing over at Kyoya, I found that his computer was off the bed and in his bag, which lay on the floor beside his bed. As for the Shadow King himself, he had slipped underneath the covers. I smiled as I watched him remove his glasses and switch off the lamp, darkening the room.

As my eyes adjusted to the benightedness, I continued to stare at Kyoya's perfectly carved face. Quietly sighing, I remembered the night when I accidentally knocked his glasses off his face, and when I looked up at him, he looked like a whole different person. Well, that was most likely because I wasn't used to him without his specs on. Still, I couldn't help but watch him as he slowly fell into a deep sleep.

He just looked more vulnerable. No mask was on his face, hiding his true emotions. His true self was revealed to the world. A boy pressed hard under his father's thumb, and had to work himself to death just to prove his worthiness to him. I understood what he was going through. Well, maybe not me exactly, but Joseph was the exact same way, always trying his hardest to live up to his parents' expectations.

I gazed at Kyoya's sleeping body for a few minutes more, when realization soon struck me. I was in love with him. Every day, I would ask myself why I blushed ever so slightly when he was around me, or when I couldn't come up with something to say when we were around each other. Sure, Kyoya got on my nerves sometimes, but I just couldn't help but allow my mind to wander to the night when he kissed me. Maybe . . . he was in love with me too.

Ever since hosting hours ended, I was worried about asking him that question, and I covered it up with lies, or made-up questions. My head was telling me to wait until tomorrow to say something to him, but my heart kept screaming "Do it now while you still have a chance!"

"Kyoya?" I inquired.

When he gave no response, I knew that he was definitely asleep. Swallowing hard, I slowly leaned forward toward him, making sure not to awaken him from his slumber. After what Tamaki told me about Kyoya's "Demonic State" whenever he was woken up, I shuddered at the mere thought.

Once my face was just inches above Kyoya's, I gazed down at him. His lips were parted somewhat while his gentle, warm breath flowed from his lungs and out of those lips. I smiled remembering when those lips were sealed over mine, and I could still smell the peppermint scent from his breath. I wanted to kiss him back so badly, but instead, I moved my head forward, planting a kiss on his cheek.

"I love you," I whispered.

Then, I slowly reeled myself back into the chair and lounged back with my legs hanging over one arm and my body twisted slightly so that my head rested on my right arm. I opened my eyes halfway to gaze at Kyoya one last time, and then I smiled and closed them back, waiting for sleep to take over me.

It almost did, anyway. There was a tug on my cuffed wrist, and then found myself rolling onto the floor. Well, that completely ruined the moment . . . Groaning, I sat up and peered over the bed to discover that Kyoya had turned over on his other side with his back to me. I released a small sigh of annoyance, but then I carefully lifted his cuffed arm up and moved it back behind him. Then, I climbed back into the chair and lounged myself out again.

This time, there was no interruption, and I was allowed to fall back asleep.

~ . . * . . ~

The familiar sound of keys being quickly pressed down in order awoke me from the middle of my sleep. I groaned as I turned over, trying to relieve myself of my stiff, aching back. Note to self: If you have to sleep somewhere other than a bed, lay in a recliner or on a sofa, NOT A CHAIR.

"Sleep well, Katherine?" the deep voice of the Shadow King teased.

I opened my eyes and glanced over at him. Kyoya was back on his computer, finishing up whatever it was that he didn't finish last night. "Oh, yeah, I slept like a baby," I grumbled sarcastically. "You should try sleeping sideways in a chair for . . ." I paused to gaze over at the clock, 11:03. "Eight hours straight."

I saw that grin creep on his lips. "I'll be sure to out that on my list of things to do."

Sighing, I stood up off the chair and stretched my weary limbs, as well as my aching spine. "Have the twins called yet?"

"Not yet."

"Great." There was silence, and then I turned to Kyoya. "Well, we have all afternoon to wait on them. So, what do you want to do?"

Kyoya didn't reply, just continued to type away on his laptop ignoring me again. Is that all he ever does? I pondered.

"You're wondering if working on my laptop is how I spend my weekends, correct?" Kyoya asked.

I froze in place as I stared at him taken aback. How in the world did he know what I was thinking? Did that genius brain of his allow him the power to read minds? Creepy . . . cool, but still creepy.

"Yes," I answered. "I mean, it's Saturday for crying out loud! You need to get off your butt and do something."

Kyoya adjusted his glasses. "If you do recall, I didn't have the chance to work on the club's finances at all yesterday since I was working with you in the kitchen. Also, I only got part of it completed at school and at home, so I'm just finishing up everything that remains."

"Which will take how long exactly?"

"It varies."

I sighed as I glanced around the room. Great, I was stuck at the Otori mansion with nothing to do but stare at the wall and listen to Kyoya type away on his laptop. On top of all that, neither of us knew when the twins would retrieve the key to the cuffs. Could this day get any better?

"If you'd like, we can head over to the sofa and I could work at the table," Kyoya broke the silence. "The sofa is probably more comfortable than that chair anyway."

I stared at him in surprise, but then I agreed. Kyoya stood up off his bed with his satchel over his shoulder, while carrying his laptop in his hands. I followed him, my bag over my shoulder as well, as we descended the staircase into living-room part of his bedroom, and then he set his laptop down on a milk white table and sat down cross-legged, while I sat down beside him. I wasn't tired enough to fall back asleep, as sore as I was; and if I lied on the matching white sofa, all I could do is stare up at the ceiling out of boredom.

Taking my sketchpad out of my satchel, I set it down on the table and took out a pencil and began to doodle. Neither of us said a word to each other, I guess because neither of us wanted to interrupt each other's "work".

However, Kyoya did speak up: "No landscapes?"

I turned to him wondering what he was talking about, but then I realized that he was talking about my drawing. I smirked as I scratched a few lines on the page. "No, it's just my idea for the ultimate pay back I have in store for the terrible-twosome."

Kyoya gave a weak laugh. "I thought you were giving them mercy."

"For cuffing us together, yes," I answered. "This is for taking my camera."

With that, I sketched two stick figures with spiky hair screaming at the top of their lungs as they hung above the ground caught in a net trap. I smiled as I placed a broken trip wire beneath them with the camera lying suspiciously in the middle of the floor on the other side of the net. Yep, that would tech them to never mess with me or my stuff.

"You're a very fascinating person, Katherine-san," Kyoya spoke, interjecting my daydream.

I glanced up at him puzzled. "What do you mean by that?"

"You're always at the top of your class, but you act like someone with an average IQ level," Kyoya rephrased. "You're very intelligent, but you act so care-free."

"So? I'll act smart when I want to act smart. Not many people like a know-it-all . . . no offense, of course."

"None taken."

"But, like I said back at the amusement park, I don't want to become a target for mean girls, you know. I came to this school just to understand what it felt like . . . to finally understand what it feels like to be a rich kid, since I never had that chance." I paused as I sighed, glancing down at my doodle. "Ouran Academy is the only school so far that I've ever been to anyway. I didn't care what school I went to whether it was in America or a boarding school in Europe. But," I added with a small smile, "but I'm glad that I got to come here to Japan. I'm not sure how or why, but I feel like I've changed since I left home."

Kyoya didn't say anything, but I could tell that he was contemplating over what I told him . . . either that or he was ignoring me again. After a few more moments of silence, I went back to sketching, and from time to time, I would twist my body to rid myself from the ache in my back. I am never going to sleep in a chair again, unless it's a recliner.

Once my plot for my revenge against the twins was complete, I stared down at it for a moment and sighed. "Why do you think Hikaru and Kaoru like to mess with us?"

"They mess with everyone," Kyoya spoke.

"I know," I answered. "But, when it's something about you and me, they always try to pair us up, like back at the theme park. I'm still convinced that they planned this whole handcuffed-thing from the start. If not, then they're at least letting us wait while they 'find the key'." I sighed and glanced up at him. "You don't think that they're trying to put us together, do you, Kyoya?"

"Perhaps," he spoke, adjusting his glasses. "Of course, I remember last year when Kaoru asked Haruhi on a date, he pretended to be sick just so Hikaru could go out with her."

Gazing up at him surprised, I thought over what he said. Hikaru likes Haruhi? But, I thought that Tamaki likes Haruhi. What about Kaoru? Doesn't he like her? Maybe that's why the three of them argue around her . . .

"Well," I spoke with a smirk, "I think I may have scared the snot out of them yesterday, so I doubt that they'll want to play matchmaker again."

Kyoya smiled ever so slightly at that, even though he was still staring at his computer screen the entire time. As soon as silence settled in the room again, with only the sound of Kyoya tapping his fingers on the keys, I went back to doodling. My back was still killing me, so I decided to stop the sketching for a while and rest. Slipping my shoes off, I climbed onto the white couch and stretched my body out.

"You're going back to sleep again?" Kyoya inquired.

I nodded. "And I'll be sure to have a good sleep this time and not wake up aching." Then I turned over on my side, facing Kyoya. "If the twins call, just tell me when I wake up."

"All right," he answered.

I smiled as I gazed at him. So, this was the boy that I had fallen in love with? It was hard to believe at first. I mean, I probably would've never grown to love him if I hadn't began working for the Host Club, and that wouldn't have occurred if I hadn't broken Kyoya's glasses, and that wouldn't have happened if I didn't begin visiting the club, and, of course, that wouldn't have happened if Kyoya had invited me. In fact, he probably wouldn't have invited me if I hadn't accidentally traveled to the third-year division. Were we destined to be together? Who knew? Only time would tell.

As I continued to gaze at Kyoya, my eyelids soon began to sag, and I fell into a peaceful, and painless, slumber.

~ . . * . . ~

My eyes fluttered open, and I stared ahead, allowing my vision to focus. Kyoya wasn't at the table where he sat originally, and his laptop had been packed away. Judging by the blue sky outside, I assumed that I had slept only an hour or so. Well, at least I didn't fall asleep in the chair!

"Sleep well this time, Katherine?" a familiar monotone voice spoke from beside me.

I glanced up to find Kyoya reclined against the arm of the sofa beside the one I was lying on. His back was turned to me as he engaged himself in a book.

"Yeah," I answered, sitting up. "I really needed that rest."

I rubbed my eyes with my free hand, but then I realized something. I couldn't feel my bracelet sliding around as I moved my arm. Opening my eyes, I moved my hand back only to find that my trinket had disappeared!

"My charm bracelet!" I shrieked. "It's gone!"

I checked my other hand, just to make sure that I wasn't mistaken myself, but it wasn't latched around my other wrist either.

Right before I could ask Kyoya if he had done anything with it, he sighed, closing his book. "Relax, Katherine-san," he spoke calmly, pushing his glasses up.

Then, he picked up a long, golden chain from off the table and passed it back to me, without making eye contact. Relieved, I took the bracelet, glad that he had it. I assumed that Kyoya had taken it off my wrist so that it wouldn't become damaged while I slept.

As I took a closer look at it though, I found that it was damaged. Although there were only a few charms, they were all bent, and the thin, golden chain itself was tangled and twisted. How in the world did it end up like this?

"I used it to try and pick the locks on the cuffs," Kyoya, using his mind-reading skills, answered.

Clutching the wristlet in my hand, I held it close to me. I understand that Kyoya wanted to be free as much as I wanted to, but why did he have to do this? That bracelet was the only thing I had to remeber my brother by while I was here in Japan, and now it was ruined. Tears filled my eyes as I looked at the golden inscription beside the latches: "With Love Always ..." I hung my head blinking back the tears so that I wouldn't start crying.

"Why?" I whispered. "Why would you do that?"

"It was the only thing accessible I could use without waking you," Kyoya answered. "If I had tried to grab a hair pin or something, I would have to wake you in order to reach it." Kyoya paused for a minute, but I didn't say anything further. "It's just a bracelet," he spoke. "You can buy a new one can't you?"

Just a bracelet? I shouted in my mind. You don't know the half of it, Otori!

I couldn't stand to hear him talk like that anymore! So, I stood up and approached him as he continued: "I could have another one pre-ordered with the charms and everything. Of course, the price would be added to your debt -"

At that moment, Kyoya turned to look up at me, but he didn't get to finish as my hand swept across his face. All was silent after that, and I glared down at Kyoya, pain and rage burning in my heart. As for the Shadow King, he didn't say a word, just touched the red spot on his cheek.

"You, Kyoya Ootori, are the most selfish, conceited person I've ever met in my entire life!" I yelled at him. "You don't care about anyone but yourself, and the only time when you care about someone is when you gain something from it!"

"It's not like I should care," he answered, standing up and staring down at me. "I have my reasons."

"Reasons for being a jerk!" I shouted up at him.

"Is that bracelet really all that important to you?"

I was about to slap him again, but tears formed anew in my blood-shot eyes, and I glanced down at the floor, trying to blink them away again. "You wouldn't understand."

"I understand that women are fond of jewelry, so I could just have it replaced for you."

I glanced back up at him, throwing my treasured wristlet onto the table. "But this can't be replaced!"

"It's just a bracelet."

"It's not 'just a bracelet' it's -"

Suddenly, a knock at the door interrupted my rant. Kyoya allowed whoever it was to open, and we found that it was one of his butlers.

"Kyoya-sama," he spoke. "You have visitors."

I scowled down at the floor already knowing who the "visitors" were. "It's about time," I muttered.

Kyoya dismissed his butler, who bowed and walked down the hall. In complete silence, Kyoya and I walked out the door. Neither of us looked up at each other or said a word. I didn't want to talk to Kyoya after what just occurred. Why would he do such a thing like that?

We both descended down the stairs as two identical, auburn-haired boys glanced up at us. "Hey, you two," they chimed together as we stood in front of them. "Did you have fun together?"

"Yeah," Kyoya answered flatly.

"Sure, whatever," I added coldly.

The twins stared at us confused; however, Kyoya and I held out our wrists, ready to be free from each other. I was especially ready. I didn't want to be stuck with the Selfish King any longer. And to think that I had fallen in love with him . . . Guess I was wrong.

Hikaru pulled out the key from his pocket and inserted it in the lock. "Sorry it took us so long," he spoke.

"The boss took his real handcuffs from his cosplay home, and he somehow managed to cuff himself to the chandelier," Kaoru added.

"So it was the Super Twins to the rescue!" they chorused together, taking the cuffs from our wrists.

Kyoya and I both muttered a "Thanks" to the two of them, and I rubbed my wrist with my free hand. Then, I realized that I left my bracelet back in Kyoya's room. Well, it was broken now, along with my heart.

"Hey, could you guys drop me off at my apartment?" I inquired.

"Sure thing, K.C.," they spoke with those cheery smiles.

"Good," I answered. Then I glared up at Kyoya from the corner of my eye. "I don't want to stay here any longer."

Hikaru and Kaoru both stared at me with confused expression, and looked to Kyoya for answers. Of course, he gave no reply and shoved his hands in his pockets. There was tension in the air as silence filled the room.

"Well," Hikaru spoke, "I guess we'd best be heading off."

"Sorry about the whole handcuff thing, you two," Kaoru added.

Kyoya and I both muttered a "No problem", and then the twins, still confused about what was going on, shrugged and walked out of the house, waving goodbye to Kyoya on the way. I, of course, didn't look back at all and just kept walking. I didn't want to look at, talk to or about, or even think of Kyoya. Not after what he did. That selfish jerk!

The twins and I walked in silence towards the limousine parked at the front gate of the Ootori mansion. Hikaru and Kaoru opened the door for me, allowing me to slide in first, and then they filed in, letting their driver know that they were all set. As the engine started, the vehicle soon began to move forward down the driveway; and as much as I wanted to, I refused to look back at the estate. Instead, I hung my head thinking over the events that occurred from this morning up until now.

"Is everything all right, K.C.?" I heard Kaoru ask.

"You look sort of down," Hikaru added.

I glanced up at them, and then hung my head. "It's nothing really."

"Come on, K.C., we all know that's not true," the two spoke taking a seat on either side of me.

I continued to stare down at the floor, not wanting to look up at them. I felt two pairs of arms wrap around my upper body, and then I felt two bodies being pressed against mine. Glancing up, I noticed the twins were mere inches away from my face with saddened complexions.

"Please, tell us, Katherine," Hikaru spoke, stroking the side of my face with his hand.

"We don't like to see our imouto so upset like this," Kaoru added, nuzzling his head against mine.

I stared from the two of them, who only gazed back at me with puppy-dog eyes. It was the first time I had ever heard them call me their "imouto", their "little sister", so I guess they liked the idea of being my substitute older brothers here in Japan. As much as I wanted to smile, I couldn't. Of course, I knew that Hikaru and Kaoru wouldn't stop pestering me until they got me to talk.

"Well," I began. "I fell asleep on the sofa, and I guess Kyoya was a little impatient, so . . ." My eyes grew moist as I thought over what he said to me earlier. "So . . . so he used my bracelet to try and pick the lock, ruining it in the process."

I hung my head trying to blink back the tears that threatened to spew from my eyes, but then the twins hugged me closer.

"It's all right, K.C.," Hikaru spoke.

"It's just a bracelet," Kaoru added.

"It's not just a bracelet!" I exclaimed pushing them away from me. I took a deep breath to calm myself down. "Sorry, guys."

"What's so important about it?" they inquired.

"You see," I began. "My brother gave me that bracelet the day before we moved into the home we currently live in, well, he does now anyway. I get a new charm every time I visit someplace new. You guys already know how close my brother and I are, and that bracelet is . . . well, was the only thing I had left to remember him by."

Unable to hold my tears back any longer, I hid my face in my hands, not wanting the twins to watch my cry. However, Hikaru wrapped his arms around my shoulder, pulling me towards him, while Kaoru bound his arms around my waist and leaned on me.

"There, there, Katherine," they spoke together. "Everything will be fine."

"It's not like you're going to automatically forget your brother," Kaoru added.

"Besides, you've still got us and the rest of the Host Club," Hikaru ended.

I calmed down and lowered my hands from my face. The twins were right. Even though Joe had given me the charm bracelet with love and everything that he was, nothing could match up to the real thing; and, like Hikaru said: "You're with family in the Host Club."

I sniffled. "Thanks, you guys . . ."

"Anytime, K.C.," they spoke together.

"Whenever you need us," Hikaru began.

"We're always there for you," Kaoru ended.

The ends of my lips curled into a smile as I snuggled with the twins all the way back to the apartments. It was nice to know that I had caring friends to look out for me and support me whenever I needed them the most. Hikaru and Kaoru, ever since the day I requested them, have been there for me. Even though they tease me sometimes and mess around with my stuff, they're still the two sweetest guys I've come to know and love like my own brothers.

We stayed like that for the remainder of the car trip; and once the limousine pulled into the parking lot, I thanked the two of them and then exited the limo, heading towards my apartment. I waved to them as the limousine pulled out of the parking lot and drove down the road. Once it disappeared, I sighed and then entered my apartment.

Wow . . . can anyone spell Drama? Like I said, I'm still trying my hardest to keep the humor in here.

So, yeah, I had to split Chapter 20 & 21 up because you guys would've been up all night reading it!

Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed it! R&R!

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

For those of you who didn't get my last message at the end of the previous chapter, I went back and re-edited the curse words, changing them to safer words! If there was any that I missed, please let me know!

Replies to reviews from last chapter:

BravoMonAmi: Yes, those twins are quite a handful, aren't they? Thanks!

silverrain1312: Thanks so much! Wow 2:40 am? That's amazing! If only you knew how great it feels to hear you say that! I've been trying to keep everyone in character, it's easy when it comes to Mori! XD I was worried that Kyoya was beginning to become a little out of character . . . but, I'm glad that he's still in! Phew, thank goodness! I'm glad K.C.'s not Mary Sue-ish, because I don't want her to be that way, but I'm glad she's not. Thanks for reading!

Lock'n'KeyYou'n'Me: Yays! Thanks for tuning in again! I missed ya! ;)

Aurora-16: 9:30! Wow . . . But, yeah, he is pretty smoking H-O-T hawt! True that! Yays! Brownies!

JuliaDeidararoleplayingbtw: Don't worry, I'm not a supporter of that kind of stuff ;)