Chapter 25

With me still on the ground, holding my cheek, and Mark still leaning over me in a rage, Mr. Ootori opened the door without the courtesy of knocking, giving both him and his son front row seats to the little display.

Mr. Ootori raised an eyebrow, but he didn't look surprised. "Is everything alright?"

Mark collected himself much quicker than I could. He reached down and grabbed my arms before helping me up. "That was quite a fall you had. Did you hit your face on the steps?"

Stumbling slightly, it took Kyoya rushing forward to help support me before Mark could release his hold on me. I knew Kyoya could feel me shaking. He wasn't stupid. They could probably hear the sound of him slapping me as they approached the door. Looking up at his face, I could see the anger blooming in his eyes and had to squeeze his hand tightly to calm him down. Confronting Mark on his behavior in front of his father would do nothing but get us both in trouble.

Brushing his fingers on my cheek, he reluctantly let go of all of me but my hand. "Are you alright?"

I nodded. "Don't worry."

Mr. Ootori smiled that ice cold smile of his. "Well, now that we know her little tumble didn't do too much damage, I've actually brought a little gift for you, Miss. Yukimura."

I turned to Mr. Ootori, shocked. "A gift?"

I noticed then that he had a square jewelry box in hand. It was a black velvet one about seven inches high and four wide. Holding it out to me, he lifted the lid and I gasped. The box contained a circular black diamond the size of a peach pit. It was surrounded by diamonds set in a half circular, half square shape with a string of diamonds as the chain.

"This is the crown of my jewel collection. Think of it as a symbol of who you will one day become." He sat the box in his son's hands and took the necklace out. Walking around me, I froze in place as he brought the necklace around my neck and fastened it in place. It was a choker and it, surprisingly, fit almost perfectly. As he pulled his cold fingers away from my neck, one brushed against the pulse point of my neck, making me shiver in slight repulsion. "You will wear this for tomorrow's press conference."

I nodded. "Yes sir."

The heavy moment was interrupted then by Mari. "Pardon me. Dinner is served."

Still in a state of shock at the fact that I was wearing a massive black diamond on my neck that was given to me by someone who gave off a terrible vibe, Kyoya had to link arms with me and escort me to my seat. When he had taken his place beside me, I finally looked up at him, gauging his reaction. He seemed pensive.

"Considering the momentous occasion, I've pulled out a bottle of my best wine and a bottle of my best cognac." Mark told Mr. Ootori as two full decanter bottles were placed on the table with some glasses.

"Perhaps we should let the children try a taste? It is their engagement after all." Mr. Ootori recommended. Before either of us could say a word, he picked up the decanter with wine in it and poured two glasses for us. I accepted mine with a little more caution than Kyoya did, who I already knew was accustomed to things much stronger than wine.

Kyoya gave me a hard stare when he knew neither his father or my brother were paying attention. "Don't drink too much."

Nodding, I took a polite sip and sat the glass on the table. When the first course was placed on the table as well, things seemed to relax a little more. Instead of the traditional Japanese food Mark insisted on serving here, he arranged for some French cousine for tonight. Eating some, I took another sip of the wine and then another.

As dinner wound down and dessert was served, the drink total for the table was one glass of wine for me, one glass of wine and a half glass of cognac for Kyoya, three wine and a cognac for Mark and five wine and three cognac for Mr. Ootori. It was obvious that both Mr. Ootori and Mark were drunk. Kyoya didn't seem affected but he didn't drink much and made sure to finish eating entirely before even touching the cognac.

It was kind of fascinating to watch as they used a bowl full of hot water to heat the small glass the cognac is located in before drinking it, filling the dining room with the warm aroma that I wasn't sure if I enjoyed or not. Noticing my curiosity, he lifted his still warm glass and handed it to me. "Try it if you'd like."

Sniffing it up close, I wrinkled my nose and took a quick sip. He smirked a little when he noticed how wide my eyes got. It was definitely an acquired taste and the burn it caused as I swallowed it wasn't pleasant at all. I coughed a little which alerted Mark. He took the glass from me and handed it back to Kyoya. "That's enough of that. One glass of wine and your eyes are already dilated."

I rolled my eyes, not even bothering to acknowledge him. He's already done enough damage for me to ever want to talk to him again. Sinking down in my seat, I could barely eat dessert. As soon as the table was cleared, Mr. Ootori and Mark both lumbered into the parlor with talk of playing darts. I took this opportunity to drag Kyoya away.

I put a finger to my lips. "Follow me."

He smirked as I took his hand and led him up the stairs and to the attic door. Opening it, I grabbed a flashlight and climbed halfway up the stairs before a dizzy spell hit. Swooning backwards, Kyoya had to catch me just as he was closing the attic door. "Maybe you are a little tipsy."

I giggled and righted myself. "The tipsy one is your father."

He chuckled before hushing me. "Don't let him hear you say that. What's up here, anyway?"

"Paintings specifically. That's what I want to show you." Walking over to the far wall, I turned over the paintings and laid them all against the wall for viewing. I shined the flashlight on one in particular. "This painting right here is my dad."

He looked it over. "You look quite a bit like him. I can see a lot of him in your brother too."

I scowled. "Please, don't talk about that ass."

My words brought back the earlier occurrence. His expression hardened. "He'll regret that."

Even though he said it softly, the steel in his voice let me know that he meant business. I shivered a little, which didn't escape his notice. He put his arms around me. "Maybe we should head back downstairs? It's kind of drafty up here."

I fell into his arms the rest of the way and held on tight. "I really don't want to go back downstairs."

He chuckled. "Then what do you want to do?"

I shrugged. "You haven't kissed me since the last time you saw me."

He was silent at first before lifting my face up and bringing it closer to his. With only the light of the moon shining through the single window in the attic, it was kind of romantic here. With half lidded eyes, he laid one kiss on my lips, then two and then three. Before I could start to get bubbly, the fourth kiss came in a much more forceful manner. Instinctively, I grabbed a hold of his hair and brought him closer, refusing to let go, which suited him just fine. He kissed me harder before sliding his tongue across my bottom lip. I shivered and complied.

As our tongues battled it out, the flashlight that I had sat on the floor forgotten, his hands moved from my upper back to my hips, bringing me even closer. A rush of euphoria shut through me as I realized that he wasn't ending the kiss before things got too heated this time. Bringing his left hand down to the bare part of my thigh, he ran his fingers up, making shivers go up my spine and tingles wherever he touched.

I realized then that maybe this time, he didn't intend on stopping. He had drank some and so had I and at this point in our relationship, I wouldn't be against it. But would either of us regret it in the morning if we lost our virginity in the attic of my half brother's house?

A thought occurred to me then, causing me to slow down in my kissing. Is Kyoya a Virgin? I read in books all the time about how upper class men always take maids as their lovers for a short while. He also has probably had girls who visit the club offer themselves to him. Maybe he decided to accept one of their offers. I pulled away, causing him to raise and eyebrow and pause his fingers that were nearly to the top of my thigh.

"Is something wrong?" He whispered, lowering his hand down to mid thigh.

I flushed. It was such an awkward question. What was I supposed to say? 'Excuse me, Kyoya, but have you ever shagged a maid before?' Even thinking the word shag made me blush more. "Um... Can I ask you a question?"

He nodded. "Of course."

"H-have..." I began, trailing off. Why was this so hard? I took a deep breath. "Have you ever..."

Realization appeared in his eyes. "Have I ever done this sort of thing before?"

My face heated back up as I nodded. "Yeah."

He looked me right in the eyes. "No, I haven't. Not ever. To be honest with you, being from the family that I am has taught me, above many things, self control."

I nearly sighed in relief, feeling dumb for asking in the first place. "I'm sorry for asking. It's just with you being a host and all, it just seems that..."

"I've gotten offers, I won't lie. There are many girls who would try to put me in a compromising situation for the sake of their family. If anyone thought that I deflowered one of my guests, I'd be expected to honor her."

That worried me. I could seriously imagine someone like Megumi or even Ren trying something like that. "But what about testing? It's the twenty first century. Couldn't a doctor just give the girl a physical and prove her wrong?"

"It's not that simple. Who's doctor do you think will perform the physical? The doctor of the girl's family. The family will bribe the doctor and before you know it, it's their word against mine."

I briefly considered bringing up security cameras as proof but not every room in every building or house will have cameras, even the houses of rich people like Kyoya. "Don't let any girl put you into that situation."

Kyoya smirked. "You did. Nearly every morning since you first arrived in Japan, you've shown up at the club room when I did and spent time with me. Sure, we were just talking but people knew you were there with me and someone could have decided to assume something."

I laughed nervously. "I doubt it. All they would have succeeded in doing is make it look like you impugned upon my honor and then they'd all but secure our engagement."

He looked thoughtful for a moment. "I suppose you're right. But what about what we're doing now? I have you alone in a dark attic. If your brother or my father were to come looking for us, they might find us here alone and then they'd make assumptions."

I shrugged. "I don't really care about the opinions of people like Mark and your father wants us to marry anyway."

I wasn't sure but it looked a little like he was trying to think of something to get me nervous. "Forgetting that there are other people in this house, I still have you alone in an attic. Doesn't that make you nervous? I could just decide to impugn upon your honor."

He said the last part sarcastically, amused with my earlier choice of words. I wasn't buying his tough talk. "You wouldn't."

His smirk became more pronounced as he took a step forward. Grabbing a hold of my hips, he backed me into the wall, his body only a mere inch from mine. Almost as if he realized what he was doing, his smirk wavered before fading all together. He suddenly looked like he was studying my eyes, looking for something in particular. "Would you forgive me if I did?"

His question floored me. Unable to keep his heavy gaze, I averted my eyes, choosing to look to the floor to my right side. "Would I forgive you if you did what exactly? Lost control?"

"I wouldn't do anything to you that you didn't want as much as I did. I wouldn't suddenly lose control in a bad sense." He corrected my misunderstanding, his voice gentle and full of...what? It sounded quite a bit like what I would think desire would sound like. That I wasn't used to at all. The idea of anyone finding me desirable was just...a little laughable.

He let out a shaky breath. His eyes taking in every inch of my appearance. He opened his mouth, ready to say something when the sound of the attic door opening sent him practically flying back. Our hearts pounding, we were relieved when it was just the voice of Mari calling up.

"Miss. Avianna? Are you up here?"

"Yes. I'm showing Kyoya the old paintings. We'll be down in a moment." I called when I had found my voice.

"I suggest you two come right downstairs. It won't be long until his father or your brother come looking for you."

"I know. We'll be down in just a minute."

When Mari' steps were a little ways away. Kyoya and I gave eachother nervous looks. He broke the eye contact first to glance at the stairs leading down. "It's time to head downstairs."

I nodded before reluctantly picking up the flashlight and following him back to the first floor. Peels of laughter were echoing from the parlor, a sign that Mr. Ootori was thoroughly drunk and Mark had found a way to entertain him.

"He seems pleased." I said sourly.

"He's very pleased. You accepted his gift. It's a little unsettling to see you wearing that, to be honest." He told me softly, careful to not let his voice trail to the parlor.

"What do you mean?" I asked. He looked back towards the door before taking my hand and walking back into the TV room on the left side of the stairs and shutting us inside. I tried to ignore the memories the room brought forward. I wonder how different things would be right this minute if Kyoya had succeeded in seducing me that night.

"The pendant around your neck is a very important piece of Ootori family history. It was presented to my sister before you and my mother before her. It has been worth by each woman with a strong connection to my family for the past hundred and fifty years. It's only been a pendant for the past thirty years. Before that, the black diamond was larger and the centerpiece in a fabulous crown worn by Queen Victoria the first the night she met my great great great grandfather.

She bequeathed it to him on her death bed. Because of its history and significant importance my father views it as a binding contract when he presented it to you and so will everyone else when you wear it to tomorrow's press conference. The necklace will belong to you until the first girl is brought into this generation, either by one of my brothers, my sister or...us."

I felt my entire face heat up. Once again, I was being made to realize what it meant to be engaged. At some point or another, once the wedding was out of the way, I'd be expected to bring children into the world. While I wasn't even remotely ready for that, what you had to do to make children was sounding better and better.

He seemed to notice his words had embarrassed me but he decided to ignore it. "When everyone sees the pendant on your neck tomorrow, no one in their right mind will make you another offer in the event that our engagement fell through. If someone did, you'd find that things were suddenly falling to pot for reasons unknown. You realize now what would cause that, yes?"

"Your father would interfere?"

"Exactly. It's how he's assured the future of both of my brothers and even his own to my mother."

I shook my head before going to sit on the leather sofa in front of the TV. "Your father is a sicko, you know that?"

He surprised me by smiling sadly. "I come from a long line of sickos, Avianna. Does that change your mind about me?"

"Not a bit." I answered honestly. "You're nothing like your ancestors."

He took a seat beside me on the couch then and wrapped an arm around my waist. "You look beautiful right now."

As my face reddened, the smile on his lips grew wider. As we sat there in silence, the moment we were sharing was interrupted by Mr. Ootori. "Kyoya!"

We sighed. "I guess that's your cue."

He nodded, grimacing slightly. "Your brother has been given orders to arrive at the Ootori estate with you tomorrow at eight in the morning. You will have breakfast once you arrive. The conference starts at ten at the Red Dragon Hotel. Bring the outfit you plan on wearing with you and you can get ready when you arrive."

"Understood." I nodded my head, taking a deep breath.

"The conference will most likely be over by half past eleven, noon if it runs late. After it's over, my father plans on treating you and your brother to lunch at one of his favorite restaurants. After we eat, we'll return to the Ootori estate where you and I will finally be free to spend the afternoon as we please."

I smiled. "And how will we spend that time?"

"Kyoya!" His father called again, the impatience seeping into his voice. Kyoya took my hand and walked me towards the door until we were nearly up against it.

He leaned in until his lips were touching my ear. "After we're free, we're getting in the car and driving to Ouran. On Sundays, the primary and secondary buildings are locked up. At this point, we'll be free to turn the locker room upside down and even some of the regular lockers in search of the V book. I've got to go now."

He leaned back and opened the door, leaving me feeling both nervous and excited about tomorrow's events. Nervous about the conference and excited about the possibility of bringing the low down scum of the school to justice.

As Mr. Ootori took his son away, I began to feel the bubbling anger over Mark hitting me that Kyoya's presence had kept at bay. Standing at the foot of the stairs, I looked over at Mark, who had pulled his phone out to type something with it. I wanted nothing more than to confront Mark but I felt almost positive that it might end in violence.

"Good night." I said stiffly before turning around and all but running up the stairs. I had just enough time to shut myself in the room before the tears started prickling in my eyes. Mark's such an ass...

Locking the door, I quickly dressed in pajamas and crawled into bed. Taking the black diamond necklace, I placed it on my bedside table and tried to fall asleep.