Traffic Troubles

Sometimes, she can't help but be a little disturbed by him, when his voice goes to that blasé-yet-deadly tone that tells you - you've just run out of options.

He also has a look that screams inside your head 'Run, run! RUN!' and yet there's no escape.

So when he combined those two things and used them against her, Haruhi couldn't help but shiver with a feeling of foreboding, never mind that he said last week that their lunches and dinners were actually "dating."

"Um, yes, Kyouya-sem… Kyouya?" she asked, mentally cursing her slip of the tongue. Ever since graduation, he had given them those creepy smiles when they accidentally added on the sempai to his name, but his aura was still so intimidating at times that she mentally reverted back to the high school girl who was head over heels in debt.

"Why is my father asking questions about your career?" he asked, and Haruhi wished they weren't in a limo, moving at 100 kilometers an hour. She couldn't very well jump out, even if she were insane enough to consider it.

"I don't know?" she tried, wishing to herself that she had some answer… if just to avoid having to look into those eyes.

She had thought the glasses added to the threatening appearance, but she now had the unfortunate revelation that this was not the case.

The glasses, shading his eyes on those terrifying occasions, kept people from being turned to ash, no matter that the shine alone could make a grown man cry like a girl. Now that barrier, for those times she didn't want to know what he was thinking, was gone.

Right now, only a few strands of hair disobedient to his will hung before burning gray steel.

Haruhi looked back, not fearless, but not stupid. She didn't have anything to hide.

Kyouya sighed, and eased back a little – just enough to let Haruhi sigh, but not with relief.

"It's only been two weeks," he muttered under his breath, and Haruhi tilted her head, frowning lightly at him.

"Two weeks…?"

Those piercing eyes caught her again, then softened.

"No. Never mind." His thoughts seemed to wander, until he noticed her office apparel.

"Are you going to change before we get there?" he asked, slipping away to sit on the seat across from her. "The twins mentioned some new design they had sent you."

She nodded, rummaging through her bag.

"I like it," she said, and his brow rose in surprise. The twins did excellent work for their mother's company, certainly, but Haruhi generally preferred said work on their willing models, not pinned and fitted to her.

She unbuttoned her suit jacket and laid it on the seat, working at the buttons of her shirt next.

When she went to shake out the dress, though, she noticed that Kyouya's gaze was settled firmly on her knees, cheeks just the slightest shade of pink.

"Kyouya?" she asked, and he cleared his throat as though deep in thought. And still didn't meet her eyes.

It took her another moment to realize he was embarrassed, of all things, and glanced down at herself.

"I'm not naked," she said with typical, straight-forward logic, and he grunted in response.

After a moment she shrugged, and pulled the dress over her tank top, wriggling out of her pants once she had done up the dress ties.

"Perhaps it would be wiser for you to change in your office, in the future," Kyouya commented finally, and she gave him a wry grin.

"For convenience's sake?" she asked, grateful that the mood had passed, and he met her eyes, perfectly composed again.

"Of course."

She smiled to herself as they exited the car.