The Thirteenth Test

I was seated across from him in the small, sleek black limousine. He looked tired, for which I felt certainly happiness about. I suspected that the hosts had something to do with it. Since yesterday morning, I had not been in his presence. I had completely avoided him as though he were the plague itself. The hosts had kept their part of my request –keeping him away from me. I didn't want to be in such close proximity with him, but I had no choice. Before I had left to join him to see his father, I had called my parents to tell them that I would be home by the end of the day.

We had been driving for two hours now and I felt like escaping. But there was nothing I could do to escape his presence. Besides, we were almost back to the city. The hosts wouldn't be leaving until tomorrow. I wondered how well they would get along. It was easier to think of them than my fiancé. With an impatient little toss of my head, I faced my fiancé. I didn't want to. But I did have to start my plan somewhere. Here was good enough. I needed to press him, slightly. Get his guard up, a little bit. Alert him to my obvious plan. I was starting my game now –and the only thing on the line was everything. My feelings for him –our engagement –our relationship.

"Kyoya," I said softly, and he looked over at me with an arrogant look in his eyes.

"Yes Ashia-?"

I interrupted him before I could decide whether or not he was going to add an honorific to my name. "I wanted to state that if our engagement does end, I will miss you." I paused, intentionally biting my lip as though I was nervous, "I'll miss you, and all the hosts." I looked up at him through my lashes, "And the time we've spent together," I added as the obvious hint that I was planning something. It didn't sound right to me, but it didn't exactly ring false.

I knew that he was on guard immediately after I said that. Skepticism lined his face as his gray eyes watched me suspiciously. "Really?" he inquired, his tone tightly controlled. I nodded innocently. "I was under the impression that you currently, could not stand to be in the same room as me."

I was grateful that lying would strike alarm bells to him as it would be quite obvious. "The hosts were keeping you occupied," I said, gazing at him. "I thought that you had been avoiding me."

His eyes narrowed, anger lighting them. "I don't know what game you're playing at," he sneered venomously, "but I will not participate."

I let my irritation at him show through, "You willingly assume that I'm lying at every opportunity," I snapped. "I wonder why I feel so mistrusted."

"Like it's my fault?" he retorted. "I can't help what paranoid little thoughts burn your mind."

I gasped at him, momentarily at a loss for words. "You planted them in my head!" I countered.

"How so?" he mocked. "I wasn't the one who neglected to inform my friends of an engagement. You had a clear opportunity to do so."

"Your friends not mine," I replied simply. "At least mine knew and can provide an interesting conversation."

He arched an eyebrow and I met his gaze challengingly. "At least those I value as friends have no romantic feelings for me."

Was that what he had noticed about Shizu-san? I highly doubted that my friend held those feelings for me. He liked Shirabuki-san, not me. "You're being presumptuous," I said haughtily.

He laughed, once, a brief release of air, "Surely you're not the one informing me of presuming too much?" he pressed. "Weren't you the one to say I was avoiding you? Didn't you also blame me for the distrustful feelings that plague you?"

I glared at him. "You cannot presume to know my friends better than I. You met them on only one occasion."

"During which," he stated forcefully, "it was long enough to determine that the boy obviously desire you."

I rolled my eyes. "He likes Shirabuki-san," I said dryly. "He wants her favor –"

"Or maybe he just wanted you to think that, as he was aware that your social positions are too far apart for a marriage to ever work?"

I struggled to find a comeback. Shizu-san was the son of an actor and a model. He came from a family that had no business ties. Any relationship other than friendship would have been discouraged. And it would have been just like my mischievous friend to fake adoration to a companion in order to avoid having his relationship with me strain about something that would never come to fruition.

My lack of a response was saved as the limousine driver calmly remarked that we had arrived at the Ootori mansion. I glanced at the digital clock before leaving, noticing it was a few minutes after one o'clock. I followed my fiancé into his house, noticing his aggressive stride. At least the first part of plan had been effective despite the surprise he had revealed to me. I noticed my stiff gait and consciously corrected it.

He led me into the living room and invited me to sit down. I did so and we situated ourselves at the opposite end of the small sofa. A maid had gone to inform his father of our arrival. Tea was set out before us and I reached out for it at the same time he did. I stopped, drawing back to allow him to obtain his first.

"Obsequious little brat," he murmured.

"Heartless bastard," I retorted quietly, taking my cup of tea.

He drank in silence, as did I. The vexation between us was visible at a glance. As his father entered the room, phase two of my plan was ready. He sat across from us, his dark eyes surveying us. We were both sitting as far from the other as was possible. I was quite content with how this had to appear. We were clearly unhappy with one another. He cleared his throat lightly and we both looked towards him.

"Good afternoon Kyoya, Ashia-san," he greeted pleasantly.

"Afternoon to you too, Otousan."

I inclined my head to him, "Good afternoon Ootori-san/"

"How did your, ah, studies go?" he inquired civilly.

"They went very well," Kyoya replied smoothly.

At my fiancé's look, I realized that the question had also been directed at me. "They were…" I paused to think of the right word and could not my twisted smile, "enlightening."

"Did you spend time… comfortably?" these were very pointed questions that he was asking.

"Relatively," my fiancé answered the faintest hint of wryness in his voice.

"Very," I responded my expression and tone suggesting another side to the story but without overtly flaunting it.

Raising his eyebrows, Ootori-san looked at his son. "You appear tired." He turned to me, "Both of you."

I smiled a genuine sheepish smile. Those dreams were a hassle. I caught my fiancé's look and knew it to be one of frustration. I knew that he had to play my game now or else appear a liar. Or I supposed, he could have revealed the truth and then received the punishment for having helped his friend hear about his mother. I didn't think he would choose that option though.

"Ashia was a little confused with the work we were doing and asked me to help her figure it out. Time escaped my notice, unfortunately." His suave, calm voice impressed me. He was good at bluffing his way through things and at making them match to whatever piece of information that I had presented.

"Thank you for that, Kyoya," I stated graciously. "I understand it so much better after your help."

Amusement was apparent in Ootori-san's eyes as he regarded us. Kyoya turned to look at me and the subtle irate expression on his face was unforgettable. "Only glad to have helped your studies, Ashia."

"And what was it that the two of you were studying?"

"The hosts also learned it," I said quickly, preventing Kyoya from answering. "My fiancé understood it the best however, which is why I sought his help."

"We were studying the eighteenth century Otousan," he interjected. "Tamaki-san felt that it would make an excellent theme for the end of the year."

Ootori-san looked at me, a little puzzled. "What about that time period could possibly be difficult to understand?"

"Well," I responded cautiously, "as everyone will be dressed up to match a particular style from a different country, and Kyoya is going as Englishman and as his partner I must match him, I found the history of the English to be difficult to grasp." I smiled encouragingly at my fiancé, "As Kyoya says, understanding the history of the time is highly important for a proper portrayal."

Kyoya smiled indulgently at me, the tight lines of his face the only sign that he was displeased with any of this. "I do not feel all that well," he said to his father, "I think I might be getting a cold. But Ashia is most certainly right that for a portrayal, an understanding of the time must be apparent."

"I only wish that you could have chosen our culture," I said warmly. "Morinozuka-san claimed it first."

"I see," Ootori –san said, looking between us curiously. "I see indeed." At this point, one of the maids rushed into the room. Ootori-san glanced at her and she smiled, extreme nervousness radiating from her.

"Sorry to disturb you, sir, but your brother is on the phone. He-he says that –" the maid could say no more as Ootori-san rose to his feet and headed towards the door.

He glanced back at us, "Ashia-san you are welcome to stay. You have my apologies, but I must go." With the barest inclination of his head, he left the room, leaving me and my fiancé alone.

He glanced at me, fire dancing in his eyes. At that moment, I knew that he was aware of what I had just done. And he was not happy. I swallowed weakly, looking at him with anxiety boiling in my stomach.

"Come upstairs? I'd like to speak with you were we will be less likely to be overheard."

I nodded, aware that there was nothing I could do to avoid it. I had known that there would be something between us. I suspected that it would not be pleasant. I hoped that he would forgive me. I hoped that after this, we would be able to remain on amiable terms. I didn't want us to be enemies –but I had needed to manipulate him into providing the needed emotions. I was relatively certain that his father's permission for me to stay included the engagement.

Our obvious dislike of each other, with our positioning had given the impression of a squabbling couple. Yet we had responded coherently, which to be honest, was actually quite amazing. Considering the fact that we had made almost everything up, it was impressive. I hadn't expected that it would have worked out so evenly. Kyoya didn't seem happy about the fact. Then again, I had cornered him into it without him exactly expecting it. After our bickering through the car ride he had been expecting something else. I suspected that he was probably expecting a tantrum or an actual fight. Not my calmness. And then I had cornered him into coming up with some story that would align with mine. I had forced him to do it so that he would not reveal the truth. Besides, it would have likely bothered him just as much to say that something had happened between us when it had not occurred.

He headed upstairs and I tentatively followed him. I felt concern boiling throughout me. I didn't know what to expect. I knew that he was going to be angry. That was only a logical assumption. I couldn't even apologize to him for it as I was not. I was proud that I had done it. I couldn't apologize for something that I felt no guilt for. It would have been wrong. It was as simple as that. If you did something that you held no regrets for, there was no point in apologizing.

He paused at a hallway, holding a door open for me. He allowed me into the room first. And the minute I set foot into his room, a mild bout of terror swept over me. I should have paid more attention the first time I was here. I was in his room. It was a basic room. White walls –blue trim I noticed with a closer inspection as I stepped away from the door to allow him access. I hadn't intentionally been blocking it. I noticed that there was a desk with an obvious place for his laptop. The few papers on it were neatly organized as were the books nearby. It was neat and efficiently organized. It reflected my fiancé very well.

When the lights went out, I whirled to face my fiancé. It would have been a more effective maneuver, had the curtains in his room been open, allowing some light. As it was, there was nothing that I could see. His hand grasped mine and gently tugged me in a different direction. Not expecting anything, I followed him, expecting to be led out of the room. When my back met the soft cushioning of blankets, I immediately tensed. My reaction was a little late, as his hand held both of my wrists above my head as he hovered over me.

His eyes looked directly into mine, the fires still dancing. "You insinuated this situation, earlier, Ashia," he said softly. "I expect that you want this?"

I whimpered, aware that my face was hot. I writhed under him, noticing that his leg prevent my movement. I was trapped. "No," I protested. "No I was just-just," I couldn't meet his gaze.

"When you imply something, Ashia," he said quietly, his mouth near my ear, "you had better be prepared to know that I might take you seriously." I shivered, flinching from his presence. Terror made my heart beat faster. "I don't like being manipulated, Ashia," he added, pulling his head away from me. "I'm not a puppet for you to toy with."

"And I'm not some-some object you can bargain away with or-or forget about!" I snapped angrily. I was looking at him now, and the pain came back. I fought my tears back, aware that they were in my eyes. It was unavoidable by this point. But I didn't have to let them flow for any reason.

"I'm not an object for your convenience or anyone else's," I added, turning my head away from him. He pulled away from me at that point, sitting beside me. I didn't move. "I thought you had trusted me," I whispered. "I thought… we were friends." My words sounded lame –pathetic and simple. "I won't apologize to you for having done this," I said. "You left me no choice."

He was silent. I didn't want to look over at him, but I did it anyways. His glasses were in his hand, and he had his head in his other hand. He looked tired like that. I sat up, looking at him with involuntary concern. He rubbed his eyes, before straightening and looking at me. He still didn't have his glasses on. I supposed that it didn't matter seeing as how there was no light in the room. Faint streams of sunlight were clear as the curtain didn't block all of it out.

"I wouldn't expect an apology," he said quietly. "I didn't think of it in that way." He looked at me, "I'm sorry though, you have to believe me. I'm just used to an engagement being nothing but an inconvenience to both myself and often the girl. Unless they fawn." He shuddered.

"You were expecting me to not care," I said irritated. "You expected me to give up on this. You," I said, meeting his gaze, "expected that I would give up." I paused, laughing pathetically, a few tears rolling unnoticed down my cheeks. "After everything? After all this?" I practically shouted. "I'm doing this for those suffering. I'm doing this for the world." I paused looking at him. After my revelations, was there any point in not admitting my other reason? No. "I'm doing this because I want to."

He faced me, his face inches away from mine. "Ashia I'm –"

The door opened –I noticed only because of the sudden increase in light. A maid stood there. She was blushing, with a squeak she closed the door and disappeared. The moment and whatever he was going to say was ruined. He shifted, and stood, turning the light back on. He beckoned to me and I followed the feeling of incompletion and lingering feelings held around me as I left his room. He turned the light back on and closed the door, not looking at me. I wondered where exactly we were, in terms of our relationship.

I have never written a scene like this. Or insinuated as much as I have done with this story. I'm trying new things. Knowing your opinions of how it went would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you for all the reviews! Thank you for reading! Hope I don't disappoint ^^