"Next!"
A timid blonde girl took her time rising and walking away from her seat with the king. She was lucky enough to score a slot right as a big fish jumped out of the water to greet them. A new girl with long black hair trotted up to take her place and Tamaki's speech began again. Something about her eyes reflecting the ocean or the sun or something. Yawn.
Kyouya was much more interested in the view by the volley ball net. More specifically: the radiant creature relaxing behind it.
Allyn stretched out on a bright yellow beach towel in a peculiar one piece bathing suit. The only reason Kyouya thought it was odd was because it had two large holes cut out on each side. The neck line dived just below her breasts and was held firmly together with a gold ring the size of his wristwatch. The suit was a little different from the bikinis most of the girls arrive in, but Allyn wore it very well. Along with being more conservative, she had enough curves to make it exceptionally sexier than any of the other girl's bikinis.
"Ah-hem!"
Kyouya dragged his eyes back to the flock of angry girls and checked his watch.
"Next!"
"Allyn, come play with us!" Hikaru and Kaoru shouted. They were running after a volley ball, smiling like the didn't have a care in the world. "It really is a lot of fun once you get started!"
Allyn looked up from her book and surveyed the scene. Hot noon sun beating down on everyone, tiny girls running and giggling on each side of the net, golden skin everywhere.
A shady umbrella never seemed more appealing.
"No thanks, guys, I'm really enjoying this book!" Allyn answered. She pulled her wide yellow sun hat down farther and made sure her limbs were all tucked safely away in the shady pocket she created and went back to reading.
The spot she chose really could not have been more perfect. The beach house was directly behind her and offered a little protection from the sun while her dark umbrella enhanced the shade. The brightness of her towel and hat didn't draw any unnecessary sunlight her way either. Add a layer of spray-on-sunscreen and she had the perfect recipe for preventing a tan. Plus, the sunlight didn't glare off the white pages of her novel, so it was much easier on her eyes while she read.
Or, at least, pretended to read.
With Kyouya standing around, baking in the sun, it was hard to keep her eyes off him. He stood strong and tall with a clipboard in his hands just behind the volley ball net. The way he stood so perfectly still all afternoon made Allyn believe he was sculpted in that very spot on the rocks. She stared at his broad shoulders while they darkened beneath the sun and thought about her revelation from last night.
Love.
She discovered she loved him.
The discovery took her by surprise at first, but when she thought over the past months they spent together, she knew it was true. The butterflies he gave her never dulled or went away, but instead they got more intense each time she saw him. He knew how to make her laugh and almost never said the wrong thing. Sure, she was upset that he couldn't talk about her to anyone and at times she felt like a dirty secret, but the rational part of her new it was necessary. And it wouldn't be permanent, right? Allyn danced all over her apartment last night, saying the words aloud. She practiced saying it in English, Japanese and even translated it into three or four other languages so she would be prepared to finally say it to him.
Kyouya Ootori, I love you.
"Any chance she's afraid of spiders?" Allyn and Kyouya walked along the beach, keeping tabs on the other boy's progress with the game.
"Well, we know she's not afraid of bugs, but you feel free to go find some spiders so we can test that theory," Kyouya teased.
Allyn grimaced. "Ew, nix that idea. She might be afraid of the dark."
"Maybe."
Kyouya looked at the quickly setting sun and decided it was high time for the girls to head back to their rooms. He unhooked the megaphone from his belt and thanked everyone for such a wonderful excursion, promising them photo albums on the online store first thing in the morning.
"Should I go back too?"
Kyouya looked down at Allyn, almost forgetting that they were in public."We could walk a little longer if you'd like," He murmured almost longingly. Allyn could see in his eyes the same look he gave her at the end of each work day. The slightly raised eyebrows that begged her to break the rules he put in place. The twinkling dark eyes that spoke of more adventures they could have after dark.
If you want me to stay, just tell me to stay, she thought, I'd be happy to break your stupid guidelines if you wouldn't get in so much trouble.
Allyn sighed and broke their stare, already turning in the direction of her beach bag. "If I don't go, none of the other girls will take you seriously the next time you ask them to pack up. I'll see you at dinner, Kyouya."
The trek back to her bag was naturally very mundane, save for some shouting on a nearby cliff. Three or four silhouettes stood with their backs to the water while two other, much larger people crept closer to them.
What's that all about?
The three small people shrieked and Allyn recognized the voices of her classmates along with two unfamiliar, masculine voices. Haruhi ran up to meet them and the six of them were all shouting at once. Allyn studied the scene, gauging whether or not she should intervene, but the glare of the sun setting against the ocean made everything so hard to see. She tried to look around for Mori or Hunny, but black spots clouded her vision.
"Tamaki! Where's Tamaki?" One of the girls was positively hysterical as she shouted.
"What's going on up there?" Allyn asked.
"It's Haruhi, he's being attacked! The way he saved us-it was just so heroic and now he's going to get hurt! Oh I just couldn't live with myse-"
Allyn cut the girl off and ran towards the cliff. Having long, dancer's legs came in handy for the first time since she'd been staying in Japan. The rocky, man-made cliff face cut at her feet when she climbed, but at least she wasn't too late.
The men tossed Haruhi into the water and Allyn dived after her without a second thought.
Where is she? Salt stung her eyes as she scanned the water. The soft orange glow of the sun just barely illuminated Haruhi's limp form sinking closer to the rocks. Allyn kicked her feet and extended her arms. When she had Haruhi safely cradled next to her, Allyn kicked against a tall rock and jerked their bodies upward. When they finally broke the surface, Allyn gasped for air and managed to keep Haruhi's lolling head above water while she looked for the shore. The boys seemed like ants while they jumped around and called for her attention on the beach.
I must have swum farther than I thought.
Allyn's lungs were burning and her limbs ached when she got reached the shore. Carrying Haruhi while her clothes were drenched made it worse, but Allyn still jogged until she reached Tamaki. The fact that Haruhi didn't come to despite Allyn's desperate shouts made everyone nervous.
"Haru-chan!" Hunny shouted.
Tamaki practically jerked the limp girl from Allyn's arms and cradled her next to his chest.
"I called a doctor," Kyouya told him, "he should be arriving shortly to examine her."
"I'm fine, I don't need a doctor," Haruhi coughed and dropped to her feet.
Allyn stepped forward. "Oh, I'm so glad you're-"
"What were you thinking? You're not a martial arts master like Hunny-sempa; you could have gotten hurt," Tamaki gripped Haruhi's shoulders. His back tensed with anger and his eyebrows scrunched in concern. "Why did you do it? What made you confront them? You against two boys?"
"But it doesn't matter that they were boys and I'm a girl; I was there and I had to do something. There wasn't any time to think-" Haruhi began.
Tamaki tightened his hands on her shoulders, "That's no excuse, you idiot! Don't forget, you're a girl!"
"Look, I'm sorry Allyn-sempai had to come and save me, but I don't know why you're so mad at me right now. I don't think I did anything wrong!"
Tamaki released his grip and relaxed his shoulders. "You don't think so?" he stalked his way back to the beach house. "Fine. But I'm not speaking to you until you can admit that you were wrong!"
"The food is ready!" Hunny and Mori helped Allyn carry plates of steaming crabs to the dining hall. Allyn managed to carry four at a time because of the summer she spent waitressing in New York, but when Mori saw her pick them all up, he grunted and decided to carry six.
Show off, she giggled.
"I'm sorry you had to cook them yourselves, sempais."
Hunny laughed and waved the apology away, "It's no big deal. Allyn was really fun to watch! Thank you for letting us stay at your beach house!"
"Yes, thank you, Kyouya," Allyn chimed in on her way back to the kitchen. She still needed to get the tray of cutlery and dipping sauces before everyone could dig in. The kitchen Kyouya let her use was magnificent for something they used maybe once a year. Every appliance was top of the line and gleaming under bright, florescent lights. Those knives slid through each vegetable like butter and the spice rack was unbelievable. Hunny giggled while Allyn fluttered around, 'ooh-ing and ahh-ing' at the equipment.
When she emerged from the dining room, Allyn knew Haruhi had to be wearing something spectacular. The twins, Hunny, Mori and even Kyouya gathered in front of the door, complimenting her dress. Allyn looked down at the purple sundress she bought three years ago and felt a small pang of jealousy at the attention Kyouya gave the other girl. Large, white daisies danced along the hem just above Allyn's knees and a plain, crocheted white cardigan sat on her shoulders. Her feet suddenly looked awkward and sausage-like in her white sandals and the top bun on her head looked even worse.
Why do I even try? Allyn sighed and placed the dipping sauces and tongs between each plate of crabs. The bright red crustaceans looked less than appealing, but Haruhi plopped down and cracked one open right away. Tamaki flinched at her boldness, but then he quickly went back to upholding his icy indifference.
Allyn looked around at the piles of empty crab legs building in front of everyone. They laughed and joked like normal, while she and Kyouya bumped knees and held hands under the table. He would put a crab leg on her plate each time he went back to grab one for himself and even pulled out her chair before she sat, like a real gentleman. With each little glance they stole, Allyn wanted more and more to cover his face in kisses. She had some big news to tell him later, but that would have to wait until they were in private.
Tucked away in her suit case was the most recent math test she got back after Kyouya started tutoring her. She made her very first 98 since she'd been in Japan and it was all thanks to him! Allyn planned to show him the grade, hug and kiss a bit and hopefully, if the mood was right, tell him how she felt. Part of her was worried that he might be freaked out since it had only been a few months, but another part of her-a bigger part-knew he felt the same way. The way he looked at her when he thought she wasn't looking, the way he held her each time they had to part; So many little things made Allyn believe he'd loved her for a while now. It was a big leap of faith, but she just had to get it out sooner or later.
"Fine," Tamaki rose from his seat across from them and turned his nose to the ceiling. "It seems you won't admit to being wrong any time soon. See if I care! Kyouya, can you please show me to my room?"
The two boys walked off, leaving a heavy silence behind.
Haruhi held her hands in her lap and stared blankly at the table. "Maybe he's right. Maybe I do need to learn away to defend myself."
"So that's it," the twins murmured in unison, "He got to you, huh?"
"To be honest, we were all a little worried," Allyn muttered. She remembered how much her heart raced when she dove into the water, not caring if there were any rocks close to the surface. Her legs burned while they pumped, but she didn't dare slow down until Haruhi showed some sign of consciousness. The few minutes between diving and swimming back to shore were some of the scariest of her life.
"Huh? I didn't cause you guys any trouble or anything," Haruhi was clueless as she looked into the faces of each of her classmates.
Hunny sat on his hands and dangled his feet while he spoke. "That's not true, Haru-chan. I think you should apologize. We were all really worried, especially Tama-chan. You should probably apologize to him the most. "
"I did? Jeez, I'm sorry you guys. I had no idea you were worried about me."
The boys hopped out of their seats and cooed while they hugged her, accepting her apology. Allyn smiled at the scene and excused herself to her room.
When she reached her room, the boys came speeding out of the dining hall and turned down the opposite corridor, yelling something about a bathroom.
Kyouya continued through the script he'd given himself despite the growing feeling of dread in his stomach. He knew his plan was flawed, but by how much? Would Haruhi tell the others? Would she yell and press charges? Would Allyn walk in?
Now that he was actually going through with it, Kyouya's idea of pretending to take advantage of Haruhi seemed way too risky. So many things could go wrong, each one worse than the other.
His heart pounded at the thought of Allyn seeing him act this way, even if it was just to prove a point. When he finally remembered he shouldn't be doing things like this anymore, he was too far into the act to stop. He hovered over Haruhi's small body. Looking at her light brown eyes and pale face beneath his made him want to vomit until the guilty feeling went away. He wanted Allyn beneath him in bed.
This isn't right, Kyouya's conscience screamed.
Thankfully, Haruhi must have seen her fear being mirrored on Kyouya's face, because she saw right through him. He hovered there for a few more moments, deciding whether or not he should press further for the sake of the point he was trying to make when he heard the slam of a door.
No.
"Why was Allyn so upset? And why are you shirtless?! Why is it so dark in here?! Haruhi-"Kyouya shoved past Tamaki and ran down the empty corridor.
Please, no.
He arrived breathless at her door and barged right in, afraid of what he might see.
"I-"
"Save it!" she shouted. Allyn's voice shook and her beautiful face was wet with tears.