Typical Disclaimer: I do not own Ouran High School Host Club, nor the rights to Rogers & Hammerstein
Chapter Forty-Six: Fashion Time!
The entire day had been like a dream for Alexi. She never imagined having such fun with a sizable group of people, especially people she didn't know. A superficial part of her, one she thought she had long suppressed, yearned to not be in a disguise, so her friends back in America could see her now. Here was Alexi from Virginia, escorted by the youngest son of the primary designer in an actual international fashion show. That meant red carpet entrance (if they didn't have to avoid it due to her witness protection issue), backstage passes, front row seats, an after party, the works! Normally Alexi hated large crowds, but for some reason, everything felt all right.
The evening began with her best friend picking her up at the Ootori manner. When Kaoru saw her, his jaw dropped. She was wearing a black wig that he had sent for her, which was styled in such a way that it draped over her right eye. The position of her hair was the same as it was for her very first performance, which already helped accentuate her eyes, but the darkness of the wig made their sapphire color pop even more because of the contrast. She was wearing a stunning off the shoulder, full length, mermaid skirted glittering gold dress that had a delicate trim of diamonds on the bottom of the three quarter length sleeves. While the dress was not from his mother's collection, but rather a dress Kyouya had ordered for Alexi when he offered to open his house for the homeless girl, Kaoru thought she looked more stunning than any model in his mother's employ.
Kaoru himself was impeccably dressed in a dark grey two piece suit that seemed to shimmer in the light, a royal blue button-down shirt that had the top two buttons unbuttoned, and black shiny loafers. He had a golden pocket hanky that perfectly matched Alexi's dress, making her wonder if Kyouya had informed the twin what she was planning to wear for the evening.
After they greeted and complemented each other, the boy sheepishly extended his arm for her to take as he led her into his plush limo. Inside, the redhead gave the female host a jewelry box containing diamond and sapphire earrings, rings, a necklace, and a headband from his mother's latest collection. Kaoru was beaming at the fact that the gold accents in the jewelry would make her outfit glitter even more, and thus he could assist in his own way in making her shine. Before Alexi could turn down the sparkling accessories, thinking they were an extravagant, and at the time completely awkward, permanent gift to her, Kaoru told her they were merely on loan for the evening.
"Think of them as a corsage," the boy said.
Being more at ease at that and thinking of them as apparently the 'rich person's version' of a corsage, the strawberry blonde graciously accepted the jewels.
Once they arrived at the fashion show, driving in the back entrance because of Alexi's need for privacy, the two lingered around backstage, talking with all the models, designers, makeup and hair artists, and of course Hitachiin family members.
Upon seeing the twins' mother from a distance, Alexi instantaneously knew who she was. Yuzuha Hitachiin was a stunningly beautiful redhead who commanded regal power in dealing with the models and hair and makeup artists, while still keeping an exuberant smile upon her face amidst the hecticness of backstage preparations. Before Kaoru could even introduce Alexi to his mother, the joyful matriarch of the Hitachiins rushed over to the young lady and enveloped her in a loving hug. Being thrown off slightly at such a familial greeting, but shrugging it off because she acknowledged that she must be the source of the twins' lack of personal space, Alexi hugged the woman right back.
"Kaoru, you sly dog. You told me Michelle was beautiful, but you never mentioned just how gorgeous she was," the woman said as she released the now blushing girl and circled around her, examining the gorgeous golden dress the young lady was wrapped in.
Blushing even redder than his best friend, Kaoru merely said, "Mom," as he attempted to get her to stop hovering over Alexi.
At that moment, Hikaru appeared out of nowhere saying, "The show's about to start. C'mon go to your seats," as he shooed Kaoru and Alexi to their seats in the front row.
Normally Hikaru would sit with his brother in the front, but at the last moment, he had to stay backstage and help his mother with the order of the models. He wasn't happy about that at all, since he wouldn't be able to show off his impeccable light grey, almost silver, two piece suit and olive green button-down shirt until after the show was over. Nevertheless, Hikaru did his task to the fullest, while pouting all the way.
The next four hours seemed to zoom by as Alexi immersed herself in the glamorous world. During the after party, she had a chance to talk a little more to mama Hitachiin alone, because Hikaru pulled his younger brother away for a couple photo opportunities. Being the type of person who always gets along with adults, the female host found herself enjoying talking with the good-natured Mrs. Hitachiin.
Kaoru was also having a ball. He loved being able to introduce his best friend to all of his fashion friends, but more importantly, he took great delight in seeing Alexi's smiles throughout the whole evening. Alexi glittered when the lights hit her and he only wished he could show her off to the whole world as the most beautiful girl that ever walked the earth, as he believed she was. But alas, because he had to keep in mind her safety, he had to keep the currently raven haired girl under wraps as possible, down to not allowing any press to take pictures of her. Kaoru did his job well in making sure Alexi wasn't photographed. Somehow, he even managed during the fashion show and with her having a front row seat, to arrange it so she would be obscured from the pictures.
At around eleven thirty PM, the two friends decided to cut out of the after party early and drove to a meadow outside of town. They lay on two blankets to watch the meteor shower, that just happened to be occurring that night. As the two of them sat underneath the stars, Alexi told her best friend about all the times she used to spend with her family and Wren stargazing, about the places she remembered seeing the stars the clearest (Poland and South Dakota were her two favorite stargazing spots), and all of her childhood dreams about soaring to the stars on a magic carpet of her own. While she blushed madly during the last one, because it was such a childish fantasy, Kaoru thought she was absolutely adorable and had to restrain himself from telling her that then and there.
'If I tell her something like that, then I might risk the chance of losing her as even a friend, because I'd make it too awkward for her' he thought to himself as he deflected from his thoughts and joked with her about the time that she experienced a 'real magic carpet' during the host club's Valentine's Performance. 'She told me a while back there was a boy in her church that quickly grew to be her best friend, after Wren and Mikey, but as soon as he confessed that he liked her, she felt so awkward around him that they almost stopped hanging out altogether. I could never live with myself if that happened. She's become far too precious to me,' Kaoru thought as he marveled inwardly at her childish delight when she saw another comet zooming across the sky.
"Look Kaoru! Quick! Make a wish, make a wish!" Alexi joyfully exclaimed as she shook his arm.
Without hesitating, the hazel eyed boy closed his eyes and wished, 'I wish with all my heart that all of Lexi's dreams and wishes come true; and if possible, that I can help her accomplish them'.
Because it was already two in the morning, Kaoru's chauffeur interrupted the two daydreaming teens and told them it was time to head back to town. Begrudgingly agreeing, the redhead and the strawberry blonde (when they left the party, she took off the wig) strolled back to the car.
Even though the meadow was close to the fashion show, it was quite a distance away from the Ootori manor, so the Hitachiin limo did not pull into the gates of the estate until three in the morning. Slowly getting out of the limo and still smiling from the perfect evening, Alexi strongly embraced her friend. She thanked him from the bottom of her heart for an excellent time and strolled into the mansion as she hummed 'A Lovely Night' from Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella.
Lingering a little while outside his limo after Alexi left him, to keep the magic of the evening alive as long as possible, Kaoru was about to re-enter the backseat of the vehicle when his hair stood up on the back of his neck as he heard a familiar voice clear his throat.
"Ahem," Kyouya coughed as he stood in the door frame of the mansion with his arms crossed. "I have a feeling that you and I need to have a talk about your reckless relationship with Alexi, but now is neither the time nor the place. I expect to see you tomorrow morning at ten AM in the town square. Am I understood?" the raven haired boy coldly and authoritatively said.
Realizing that he would not be able to get out of this meeting, nor was he awake enough to fully argue with his senior, Kaoru merely nodded his head and bid Kyouya good night. 'I swear, if that bastard thinks he's going to be able to keep me from seeing Alexi, he's got another thing coming,' the redhead thought as he began to drift asleep on the ride home.
The shadow king on the other hand, was wide awake and trying his hardest to focus on the finance report for the other day's pirate theme. However, he was failing at keeping his focus because his thoughts kept turning to the relationship that had been growing between Kaoru and Alexi. 'I can't believe he took her to such a public event tonight! I mean, yes I knew he was taking her, and I even helped her pick out the correct outfit for the affair, through Rutsubo of course, but still looking back on it, it was a reckless endeavor. And how dare he keep a young lady out until three in the morning! True, she is a night owl like me, but still it is incredibly improper'.
Pausing for a moment to rub his eyes, Kyouya reflected on what he just thought. 'Damn it, I'm beginning to sound like my moronic best friend,' he bemoaned as he repositioned his glasses and shut down his laptop for the evening. 'Regardless, I will stand by my statement that I do not like that the two of them are getting so close.'
'I will stop this.'