"Rei…" a gentle voice woke me up out of my delightful plane coma, "Reila…You need to get up, sweetheart. We're home."

"Ok," I totally ignored it and went back to sleep. Jetlag and I never got along. From day one. I had somewhat gotten used to it whenever Daddy and I would take trips to Spain, but this was flying back and forth from the US to Japan. It sucked. The more sleep I can get on the plane, the better.

"No, no, no," Ritsu gave me a little nudge, "You have to wake up, Rei. We need to get off the plane."

"Fuck off, Ritsu," I growled, "I'm tired. Let me sleep or I'm kicking your ass."

I didn't mean to be such a bitch. I really didn't. And especially not to Ritsu. But I'm also tired as hell. That trip back home kicked my ass to the moon and back. But honestly, I wouldn't have had it any other way. It's good to come back from a long trip with the family and be completely drained. However, Ritsu still wasn't going to let up on me, "Reila, you need to wake up. If you want, I'll carry you out of here."

"If I didn't know any better," I rolled into his shoulder, "I'd think you liked me. But you won't let me go the fuck back to sleep, so I'm thinking you're at the other end of the spectrum."

"Sorry, baby," he kissed my cheek, "I know you're tired, but if we get off the plane now, I'll get you some coffee and get you feeling better again."

"Oh, Ritsu," I swooned, "You do love me."

"Of course I do," Ritsu promised, "If I didn't, I wouldn't have just sat on an international flight with your cranky ass from New York to here. Or the other way around for that matter. But as much as I love you, I'm not carrying you out. You're going to have to handle that one on my own."

"You're a fucking traitor and a scoundrel," I groaned, shoving my fist in my eye to keep myself from shoving it down Ritsu's throat.

"No," he argued, "You're just tired and cranky. We'll get back to your penthouse, kick our feet up, and let you go back to sleep, so we can end up wide awake at two o'clock in the morning again."

"Fine," I woke up a little more, starting to get my bearings again.

"That's my girl," Ritsu took my hand, holding me steady, "So, three shots of espresso, Rei?"

"Four."

"Three," he put his foot down, "I don't need you having a heart attack on me."

"I'm not going to have a heart attack," I pouted, "I need my boost. Let me have this."

"Alright." That was easy. Maybe someone's feeling for me.

Ritsu and I got off our plane and found the nearest coffee kiosk. I needed caffeine. And lots of it. It's only four o'clock in the afternoon here. And I'm pretty sure we have school in the morning. I can't be jetlagged and deal with the host club. We've all seen what that looks like and it sure as hell isn't pretty. Besides, I already know there's going to be a shit storm when I walk into the music room after school tomorrow. Hell, there's probably going to be one when Ritsu and I walk into our homeroom, but I digress. Sending that picture when I was on an emotional upswing may not have been the brightest idea on my part. I still had yet to look at those messages, but I know they're going to be nothing but solid ego boost.

"Here, Rei," Ritsu came back with my latte in one hand and something for himself in the other, "You're so lucky I love you."

"I love you, too, baby," I got up and gave him a quick kiss before practically doing a shotgun with a Starbucks cup. Fuck burning my esophagus. I needed this in my veins and I needed it now.

"So," he wondered, "Back to your place?"

"If it's not too much trouble," I laid my head on his shoulder, dragging my bag behind me.

"Kasanoda!" a familiar voice squealed behind us, coming out of a different gate. Oh, shit. That's right. Ritsu and I weren't the only ones who went out of town for the holidays. Fortunately, I had a boyfriend who could think on my feet and took the brunt of it for me.

"What do you want, Suoh?" Ritsu asked, "Where the hell did you pop up from?"

"I just flew in, too!" Tamaki chimed. Someone got good sleep on the plane. Either that or he was coked out of his mind, "Where are you coming in from?"

"New York." Ritsu, I love you and I owe you big time for this.

"Just you?" Tamaki wondered, "If you're here from New York, why didn't you just go with…?"

Tamaki's face froze. And then, he noticed the little black blob that I was hiding behind Ritsu. Shit. I've been spotted. No sense in hiding anymore, "Hi, Tamaki."

"REILA!" Tamaki squealed, throwing his arms around me, "I MISSED YOU SO MUCH!"

"I missed you, too," I winced, "Can you put me down?"

"No!" he shot me down only hugging me that much tighter. My god, this guy was a fucking vice grip.

"Let me go," I demanded, "Or what happened on my first day in the host club is going to look like a goddamn picnic. Do we understand each other?"

"Yes, ma'am," Tamaki let me go.

"I'm sorry," I apologized, "I don't mean to be such a bitch, but I did just get off an international flight with a layover in between and I'm jetlagged all to hell. If I'm a bitch at the host club tomorrow, you'll know why."

"I'm just getting off an international flight, too," he pointed out, "I just got back from France."

"And we just got back from the States," I countered, "The time exchanges are hell. And you've seen what I'm like jetlagged."

"You know what we should do?" Tamaki's eyes lit up. Not a good sign for me, "I should let everyone know we're back and go to your penthouse!"

"Not fucking happening," Ritsu put his foot down.

"Come on, Kasanoda," Tamaki begged, "It'll be fun!"

"Actually, Tamaki," I appreciated Ritsu going to bat for me, but I had a better idea. One that'll successfully get Tamaki off my back for the rest of the day, "I'm not going home from here. There's no need for you to light the beacons."

"You're not going home?" Tamaki gave me a look, "But if you're really jetlagged, I would've thought you'd want to go take a nap."

"I am going to take a nap," I confirmed, "But from here, I'm going to the Kasanoda compound. I mean, unless you want to follow us there and bring the host club with you."

"No, thank you," he shook his head, "I'm fine. Thank you. I'll just see you tomorrow."

"Ok," I found myself back in Ritsu's shoulder, content with the world again, "I'll see you tomorrow, Tamaki."

"Bye!" And there he goes. Off to wreak havoc elsewhere. All while Ritsu and I started heading outside.

"Hey, Rei," Ritsu got the cab door for me, "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure, baby," I allowed, "What's on your mind?"

"Are we really going back to my place first?" he wondered, "Because I'm pretty sure you said you wanted to go home."

"I do," I nodded, "I just needed to get Tamaki off my dick. And what better way of doing that than to say I'm going to your house? Sometimes, that whole yakuza stigma works like a charm. Not only does it keep Tamaki from rounding up our friends and coming over right after we get back, but it keeps him from going to my place anyway. I'm jetlagged, not stupid. There's no fucking way I could handle the host club today. I don't have that kind of energy. I'm to the point where I'm going to start having dirty dreams about my bed."

"Well then," Ritsu snaked his arm around me, scratching my back for me. Have I ever mentioned how much I love this boy? Because goddamn, I love him, "Let's get you home, ok?"

"Yes, please," I melted under his fingertips, biting the inside of my cheek to suppress any moaning that wanted to come out. Damn, that felt good.

However, nothing felt better than seeing my apartment building come up the street. God fucking bless. Home sweet home. Even though Ritsu said he wasn't carrying my ass off the plane, that didn't stop him from letting me ride his back to the elevator. He gave me a couple kisses to the cheek, unable to break tradition. There's nothing quite like kisses in my elevator. It brought something out in us. We may never know what that is, but in all honesty, I didn't care. Because it didn't stop us.

When I unlocked my door, something in my entryway felt off. Like…There were too many bodies in this penthouse. Shit…I didn't have my knife on me. One of the rare occasions, but then again, I was also just coming home from the airport. I'm not going to have a knife on me. That didn't mean my senses weren't sharp as a tack. If worst comes to worst, I could take whoever out with my bare hands. I did bring my bat back with me. Just in case. Daddy didn't like the thought of me being left unarmed.

"Surprise!" a voice I knew all too well scared the absolute shit out of me. Although, it was someone who had access to my penthouse (much to my chagrin) and someone I knew would never cause me any harm (just extreme amounts of grief), "Welcome home, Rei!"

"Jesucristo, Roy…" I caught my breath, "You can't fucking scare me like that!"

"I'm sorry," Roy sat at the island in my kitchen, "That really wasn't my intention. Please forgive me."

"You're forgiven," I smiled a little. In fact, I even took it a step forward. As much as Roy has been a pain in my ass since I got to Japan, he's also been a hell of a friend when I needed one. I threw my arms around his neck, not in a headlock, but in a hug, "It's good to see you again, Roy."

"You, too, Rei," he awed, "Does this mean we're buddies?"

"Hell no," I settled him, "But it is good to see you. After all the shit that's gone down in the last month or so, I am truly happy to see you. I mean, you're not the first thing I want to see after a long, international flight, but I'll take it."

"I missed you, too," Roy let me go, "And I'm glad to have you home."

"Don't get used to this sentiment bullshit," I backed off, "Everybody gets one in their life. Consider this your one."

"I don't even get to pick my one?" he whined.

"Roy," I growled, "I'm fucking jetlagged and in a mood. I've already had to deal with Tamaki today. I don't need another one."

"Fine," Roy knew better than to poke the bear, "So, how was your trip?"

"Too short," I admitted, throwing myself onto the couch, "Hey, Ritsu?"

"Yeah, Rei?" Ritsu took a seat next to me.

"Do you think you could scratch my back for me some more?" I asked sweetly, "I could really use it."

"My pleasure," he scratched my back, taking away the burn Mars left me with.

"But all in all," I sighed out, "I couldn't complain. I got to see most of the family again. What more could I want?"

"That's true," Roy agreed, "But still, it's nice to have you home again."

Home, huh? Is that what this is? Maybe that's why I wasn't crying in the airport. Maybe that's why it hurt a hell of a lot less than the last time I left New York. But I know Daddy's waiting with bated breath for the next time I come back. And if I didn't bring the little Kasanoda kid with me, I feel like he'd have my ass on a silver platter. But when I think about it, this is home, too. Granted, it's not the most orthodox family. One pain in the ass bodyguard. One incredible boyfriend who denounces his yakuza upbringing as much as he can (yet despite that, I have no doubt that if Daddy asked him, he'd join the family in a heartbeat). My bigger pain in the ass brothers at the host club. My best friend in the whole world. I had just as much of a family here as what I did there. And yet, I said I didn't want to get attached. Fuck, I was stupid then.