A/N: Sorry about the unorganized updates, but I'm trying to balance You Tube and this fic while trying to enjoy my summer vacation as well.
I've changed the plot for this just a tiny bit, so it may seem a little bit confusing and cluster-fuckish, so don't hesitate to ask about things that don't make sense.
I'm still looking for some proper cover art, so if any of you have deviant art accounts or something, please please please PM me.
Allyn hesitantly stepped inside Music Room 3, praying that it would just be her and Kyouya. She would hate to have her stupidity on display for the whole school to see. And to top it all off, this is the Host Club! They are the richest of the rich. If I embarrass myself in front of one of them, there's no chance of redemption.
Thankfully the room was empty, save for the actual Host club members. It was still too many people for her tastes, but at least she would be spared an hour of intimidating glares from other girls. Haruhi was there, but she didn't really count seeing as how she's so sweet and kind to everyone. Allyn contained a giggle as she observed Haruhi in the middle of the club's silly antics.
They really are more funny once they stop their little act.
"You must be Allyn Brookestone, how lovely to finally meet you," Kyouya stood to his full height as he extended a hand for Allyn to shake. He wasn't very tall, but he was still a few inches taller than her. This was a pleasant surprise considering she was taller than the average Japanese male.
The room hushed once they caught sight of Allyn, watching her like a hawk the whole time she set up her books and homework. It was rather unnerving. "Um, yeah, so I've been having a little trouble with the whole 'variables' thing. I think we should work on that first, if you don't mind." She winced as her voice cracked a little on the last word. She didn't have a chance to get some water before their tutoring session, so her throat was insanely dry.
Maybe I could just not talk during this thing. He won't notice, right?
Kyouya searched through several stacks of paper, before setting one down in front of her. "That's a review sheet from earlier in the semester. Would you mind solving those problems, so I can see what your issue is?" His polite-ness sounded a little strained, causing Allyn to become even more nervous.
She felt like she was sweating bullets as he stared her down. The numbers began jumping around the page and she started nervously tapping her foot to some imaginary beat, wishing she could listen to some music. Why am I so nervous? she thought to herself. It's not like I like this guy or something. I just met him today.
Allyn struggled on the first problem for a good five minutes before Kyouya let out and exasperated sigh. He snatched the paper out from under her pen and scribbled a few things down before finally breaking the silence.
"I suppose we'll have to start from the very beginning with you," He took off his glasses and gestured at the paper half heartedly, losing every trace of the politeness from earlier. "I've solved the first problem for you. Try the second one."
Allyn gave a slight nod and did as she was told. She studied Kyouya's notes and tried to decipher what kind of method or system he'd used to solve the problem, but a dull throbbing in her head made the numbers and letters go in and out of focus.
What's going on with me? she thought incredulously. I haven't felt like this since I was a little girl.
After a few minutes of no luck, she just settled for copying the structure he used and filled the blanks in with whatever looked right. Allyn felt a little proud of herself when she handed the paper back to him, but that pride was soon shot down by another frustrated sigh and some irritated slashes with a red pen.
"Why did you think to use that formula?" Kyouya asked, leaning over the table so they could both see the paper.
Allyn hesitated. She couldn't tell him she just copied his work-he would think she was just lazy or something. With a slight raise of her shoulders, Allyn shrugged and mumbled something incoherent.
"Okay, this is never going to work out if you don't speak to me. How am I supposed to help you, if don't tell me what you're confused about?"
"Well...I..." Allyn struggled to form a proper sentence for this intimidating boy. "I'm having some touble with the variables. It's just hard for me to understand numbers and letters all in the same place."
Kyouya clenched his teeth and tried his best to be calm and patient, but Allyn could see through his facade."Yes, yes, I know that. You've already said that. Is there anything more specific than just variables? Is it formulas, or just a certain type of equation that throws you off?"
It was really hard for Allyn to concentrate while he was speaking to her in such a degrading way. She felt like a child who'd just been banished to the corner of a room with a giant "Dunce" cap on her head.
"I-uh-I guess I'm just really bad at everything. I've never been any good at math, sorry."
Kyouya and Allyn sat in an uncomfortable silence for a while, each wishing that the clock would just chime 4:00, so they could go to their respective homes. The other hosts goofed off in priveledged bliss on some nearby couches. Looking up, Allyn tried to stifle a giggle, as the Hitachiins embarrassed Mori and Haruhi for sitting so closely to each other. Mori's face was a deep shade of scarlet and Haruhi's was coming close.
"Is something funny?" Kyouya muttered. A glare on his glasses shielded his dark eyes from her while he tapped his fingers on the table menacingly.
Allyn promptly returned her focus to the papers in front of her, trying to avoid that devilish gaze. "I-um-uh-maybe if the letters stood for something, I could understand it a little better?" The last syllable of her sentence turned up slightly, as if she wasn't sure if she had actually just spoken.
Kyouya sighed again, but this time it was a sigh of relief. "Finally, you've given me something to work with."
The last half hour of tutoring continued more smoothly than the first. Allyn was surprised to have actually learned something at the end of it. As they gathered their books and things, Allyn let the tinniest semblance of a smile grace her lips.
This might acually work out, she thought, happily, turning her attention to Kyouya. "Thanks for all of your help. I suppose I'll see you tomorrow."
Allyn was a few steps away from the big double doors, when a trio of disappointed voices sounded behind her.
"You're not staying?"
She pivoted slowly on her left foot and came face to face with Tamaki, Hikaru and Kaoru. They all looked expectantly at her, their "host" charm turned to full volume. Allyn took a step back in shock. It was rare for one boy to pay attention to her let alone three.
"We would really love to get to know you, Princess," Tamaki took her mocha colored hand in his own and kissed the back of it.
The action was so foreign and surprising that Allyn actually recoiled in shock. "No no no. I need to head home before it get's dark. But-uh- thanks for the offer," she slid behind the door (leaving just enough space for one person to get through) and power walked down the elegant halls of Ouran Academy. Her warm cheeks burned slightly when they reached the crisp spring air outside.
If black people could blush, I'd be the color of a tomato right now.
"I wonder why she didn't stay," mumbled Tamaki as he slunk back over to the couches. Each of the hosts began gathering their belongings, ready to head home. Mori, Haruhi and Hunny were the first to leave and the Hitachiins soon followed. Kyouya, however hovered behind, so he could have a little chat with the club's king.
"Tamaki?" he asked, stopping his best friend at the door. "Can I ask you a question?"
Tamaki's normally happy face grew somber at Kyouya's request. "Of course, Kyouya. We are best friend's after all. Is it something bad?"
"No no, not bad...just confusing."
The slender blond sat patiently, waiting for Kyouya to continue.
"Well," Kyouya cleared his throat. "Do you ever get...distracted...when you're around certain people? Do they ever make you act differently?"
"Well, yeah!" Laughed Tamaki. "Everybody does. Do you mind telling me who this mysterious person could be?"
"It's nobody imprtant." Kyouya joined the others outside and headed for his limo. "See you all tomorrow."
The Ootori estate was as eerily desolate as ever. The sound of Kyouya's slender fingers tapping keyboard keys practically echoed up and down the corriders. He didn't mind, though. It just meant less people to disturb him while he was working. Or, at least, trying to work.
Images of the angel he'd tutored earlier kept flashing to the front of his brain. The way her smooth, chocolatey skin glowed in the harsh florescent lights. She didn't get washed out like the majority of the people at Ouran, no, she practically radiated warmth and tenderness. He was already nervous, but the way her slim, black jeans hugged her tiny waist made Kyouya forget any type of plans he had for her lesson. Each time he tried to remember, she'd lean onto the table, straining the already hardworking buttons on her white shirt. It really didn't help that she wore a tight fitting black vest. He'd counted three large,ashen buttons that stopped just beneath her chest. Kyouya tried telling himself that it wasn't her fault that she couldn't afford the academy's uniforms, but that still didn't help. He prayed that she would come in the next day in one of those unflatteringly yellow mashmallow dresses, so he could get some actual work done. He tried imagining her that way and yelled in frustration.
She could make a trash bag look good if she wanted to.
Yes, it was very hard for Kyouya to stay in character for the first half hour. He noticed how harsh he'd sounded when he spoke to her-and was truly sorry for it-but he just couldn't get his brain to focus on the right things. It was like a godsend when she'd finally given him something to work with her on. He didn't know how much longer he would last without having any numbers to occupy his brain instead of those trivial emotions. If it weren't for his pride, Kyouya would probably have asked the headmaster to give him another student to tutor the very second the clock struck four.
Why can't I get that damned girl out of my mind? He decided to give up on trying to concentrate on the club's finances, but instead devise a plan to get rid of such a beautiful distraction. Kyouya paced around the colossal bedroom in long strides, a worried hand running through his dark hair. The option of quitting the tutoring session was a definite 'no'. And so was having her switched out for another student. He couldn't have her sit behind a wall or screen of some sort-that would make it impossible for him to teach her anything.
What would Suoh do?
The question bounced around in his head for a few minutes, before Kyouya stopped abruptly, a fist pounded into his open palm.
It was genius. Why hadn't he thought of it before? Kyouya remembered the way his head cleared when he'd kissed Haruhi all those months ago. All of the space she had previously taken up inside his brain was cleared the moments their lips met. He would just have to do the same with Allyn. Only this time he wouldn't fail. He wouldn't let her slip away, like he did with Haruhi.
I must make her mine.