Night Beach – Tamaki x Kyoya
Alasdaring
Words: 1,589
Tamaki Suoh's absolute favorite location was the beach.
Any opportunity he found to drag his fellow hosts to the seaside and subject them to an afternoon of sand and sun was immediately abused. They would often voice their displeasure, sometimes teasing, sometimes sincere, but it never fazed the blond. His heart soared and his brain relaxed when he stood on the shore, watching the tide wash over his bare feet.
Haruhi was the first to notice how much peace it brought the host king. He was calmer at the beach – uncharacteristically calmer. No whining, no emo corner, minimal squealing. He was a whole new person, and a large grin would find station on his lips if his friends enjoyed themselves, too.
The brunette brought it up to the "Mommy" of the group one afternoon, as the Host Club scattered along the sand. Tamaki was in the water, floating on his back beside Honey, who was tightly gripping the edges of an inflatable raft. Mori stood in the water beside his cousin, ready to rescue the smallest host should a wave ripple beneath him and capsize his raft. Hikaru and Kaoru were further out in the water, splashing one another and taking turns shoving the other beneath the surface.
"Tamaki-senpai really loves the beach," Haruhi stated as she sat on a towel stationed beneath a large beach umbrella.
"I suppose so," Kyoya replied distractedly, one hand clutching the edge of his black notebook while the other pushed the middle of his glasses further up his nose bridge.
The brunette tilted her head, gazing up at the bookkeeper. She exhaled a soft sigh, shaking her head. Even being in a relationship apparently wouldn't change Kyoya's focused nature. It had been a fight on Tamaki's end just to get the raven-haired host to agree.
The two had been obviously pining for one another for months, and the other hosts had finally gotten tired of witnessing their desperation. It had been Haruhi who finally pushed them together.
They had been cleaning up one afternoon after all their guests had gone, and Tamaki was hopelessly flirting with Kyoya. The latter's eyes were glued to his notebook, scribbling budgets and expenses and ignoring the blond entirely. Tamaki was merely a second from retreating to his emo corner when Haruhi stood abruptly, hands clenched into fists at her side, the same expression on her face as she had when Hikaru and Kaoru had their extensive fake fight.
"That's enough!" the brunette yelled, earning the attention of every host. Honey had jumped at the sudden noise, clinging to Mori's waist. The twins stood to attention, eyes wide as they darted between Haruhi, Tamaki, and Kyoya. Tamaki's features expressed shock at Haruhi's motherly tone, while Kyoya merely glanced up.
"Haruhi…?" the host king replied hesitantly, tilting his head in curiosity.
"I'm so sick of you two pining after each other!" Haruhi exclaimed. "Tamaki-senpai, you've been flirting with Kyoya-senpai for months. And Kyoya-senpai, I know you like to think you're emotionless, but I can see that you like Tamaki-senpai too. So stop beating around the bush and ask each other out already!"
The room was deadly silent for all of a second before Hikaru and Kaoru squealed in agreement. They clapped loudly in unison, jumping in their places and screeching their agreement.
"Yeah, boss!" Kaoru nodded eagerly. "You two should date!"
"You're the Mommy and Daddy of the Host Club for a reason, you know," Hikaru added.
Kyoya's pale cheeks blushed furiously, and his hand gripped his notebook so tightly it appeared to be on the verge of crumbling to pieces. Tamaki slowly turned to face his best friend, chewing his lower lip in an oddly shy nature – completely out of character for the boisterous blond.
"Kyoya?" he murmured softly, almost afraid of angering the raven-haired host.
Without a word, Kyoya took hold of Tamaki's wrist, leading him rather forcefully out of the third music room. Nobody saw them for the rest of the afternoon, but when they met up the following day to continue their hostly duties, Tamaki proudly announced that the two had become boyfriends, and planned to go on several dates during the week.
Kyoya finally glanced up from crunching numbers to gaze at his boyfriend- the word still tasted foreign on his tongue- playing in the water. Genuine happiness was evident on the blond's face, and the ghost of a smile stole Kyoya's lips as he watched Tamaki.
It was decided, then and there, that he had a lot of making up to do.
It was the following night that Kyoya and Tamaki returned to the beach, this time without the audience of their fellow hosts. The blond was completely oblivious to his boyfriend's plans – Kyoya had simply texted him, offering him a spontaneous date, and Tamaki had immediately accepted.
"Kyoya… what are we doing here?" Tamaki inquired softly, a smile evident in his voice.
The raven-haired boy turned to face him, adjusting his glasses as they strolled along the sand. "You love the beach," was the only explanation he gave.
The blond was easy to please, and he beamed excitedly in response to Kyoya's words. He eagerly led his boyfriend- the word still sent a shiver down his spine- out to the water, pausing on the shore to roll up his pants and slip off his shoes and socks. Kyoya stood still on the sand, content to simply watch his boyfriend enjoy the cool moonlit waters. As his brain thought over their brief relationship, and he glanced at the subtle pout forming on the blond's lips, he realized that idly standing by would no longer be tolerated. With a stifled sigh, Kyoya reached down to slip off his shoes and socks and roll up his own pant legs. When he stood and met Tamaki's eyes, the glow of his face and the grin on his lips as well worth freezing his toes in the ocean.
He allowed Tamaki to take his hand and lead him to the shoreline, standing where the sand was plenty damp but the waves would only just barely crash over the tops of their feet. Tamaki laced their fingers, squeezing ever so often as if to reassure himself that Kyoya was actually standing beside him.
Tamaki closed his eyes and inhaled the scent of the beach, lifting his head towards the night sky. Kyoya watched in masked fascination, awed by the fact that a simple trip to the beach could cause the blond so much pure happiness. He took a tentative step further, his dark eyes watching Tamaki's reaction. The blond was expectedly surprised to find his boyfriend ready to venture further, rather than having to drag him along. Tamaki happily agreed, and they stepped far enough into the water that the waves splashed up their shins, just barely missing the bottoms of their rolled-up pants.
"Not that I don't appreciate it," Tamaki murmured as he stood beside Kyoya, amethyst eyes gazing at the sparkling ocean, "but why did you bring me here, Kyo? Why so suddenly? Why at night?"
The raven-haired host was quiet for a moment, and Tamaki worried he wouldn't receive an answer. He was partially surprised when his boyfriend finally spoke.
"You love the beach," Kyoya repeated from before. "It makes you happier than anything in the world, and I've realized recently that since we came to our current agreement, I haven't been particularly… romantic towards you. I… I wish to make up for my behavior. I've never been in a relationship, Tamaki. My father has tried to set me up with daughters of his colleagues for the sake of producing an heir and merging companies, but I've managed to convince every one of them that I'm not the right fit. I know how to be a businessman, but a boyfriend… I'm lost."
He used their linked hands to tug Tamaki closer to himself, turning to face him and wrapping his free arm around the blond's waist. Tamaki smiled at the contact, his own hand resting on Kyoya's chest.
"It was our trip to the beach yesterday that made me realize how distant I've been towards you. I spent the entire afternoon sitting in the shade, budgeting our next Host Club venture. Under normal circumstances, that would be expected and even acceptable of me. However… You and I are a couple now, and I need to express to you that you're more important to me than business."
"Aww, Kyoya," Tamaki cooed, the blush on his cheeks hidden in the darkness around them. "Am I really that important to you?"
Kyoya leaned in, pressing his lips tenderly to Tamaki's. The blond responded eagerly, humming into his mouth. They'd shared plenty of kisses thus far, but they'd never gone further than that. Kyoya was more inclined to kiss the blond than he was to hold his hand or sit on his lap, and while Tamaki was more than boisterous in his attention demands, he had no desire to make his new boyfriend uncomfortable or frighten him away, so he kept his distance unless Kyoya initiated contact.
Damn, he really loved when Kyoya initiated contact.
"I wouldn't have agreed to this relationship if I didn't feel something for you, Tamaki," the raven-haired boy murmured, and the blond knew his words were honest.
They spent several hours walking along the wet sand, holding hands and sneaking kisses, until Tamaki grew tired and Kyoya escorted him home, bidding him goodnight with a passionate kiss and the promise of a next time.