A loud, awkward thudding sounded at her door, disjointed and strange to her ears.

Haruhi froze.

Kyoya had left earlier to do some grocery shopping, meaning she had the apartment to herself.

(He'd initially suggested sending Tachibana, and her protests kick-started an argument that only ended when Kyoya offered to go himself.

While she was still pissed that he was essentially keeping her locked inside like some china doll, Kyoya was tired and irritable, and she really didn't want to fight with him, so she relented, albeit reluctantly).

So yes, Kyoya had left, and yes, Kyoya should have been due back a while ago, but Kyoya was also in possession of a key. Logically, he would forgo knocking altogether, and just enter the apartment like normal. Unless he forgot his key? No. No, Haruhi had been sure he'd taken it with him.

So who was at the door?

The knocking sounded again; more urgently. Insistently, even.

She hesitated for a second, before slowly padding to the front door.

Rising on tiptoes, she attempted to peek through the spyhole. Whoever was outside, however, was standing far too close for her to make out, a mere smudge of colour blocking her view.

Warily, she cracked the door open.

The backdrop of the storm outside finally hit her, wind screaming through the meagre crevice, the rain heavy against the roof.

It was like a horror movie. Atmospheric lightning strikes were all that was needed to complete this image.

And then, as quickly as the panic set in, it dissipated.

"You look like a drowned rat."

Kyoya, laden with several shopping bags and soaked from head to toe, finally emerged from where he had been hunkered in the driest corner he could find, shoulders hiked right up to his ears to fight against the cold. "I feel like one." He said, voice rough and low.

She ushered him inside, concerned by the pallor of his skin. "What happened to your keys? And I thought you took an umbrella with you?"'

"My hands were a little too full to use them."

She relieved him of the bags, a process that was far more awkward than required, mostly due to his unwillingness to move his right arm. He had it tucked up close to his chest, hidden from view in the folds of his coat. He looked one shiver away from permanent vibration.

"Go into the bathroom, I'll get you some towels."

Obediently, he padded away, leaving behind soggy footprints in the carpet.

It was as she was hunting for the thickest, fluffiest towels they owned that Haruhi noticed the blood on her hands. She followed him in after collecting her prizes, brows knitted together in concern. "Hey, are you blee—"

Glasses placed safely out of the way, Kyoya was only just pulling himself free of his shirt when she entered, the damp material clinging persistently to his skin. Tossing it aside, he caught her gaze panning down him. "See something you like?" He asked, with his lips splayed in an infuriatingly cheeky smile, lashes lowering in that teasing, seductive manner of his.

As always, all it elicited was a roll of her eyes. "Your hands are bleeding. And when'd that cat get here?"

As if responding to her, the kitten gave a pitiful mewl, nestling further into Kyoya's lap. Instead of replying, Kyoya's gaze became liquid-focused on the tiny animal. Undeterred, Haruhi dumped one of the towels over his head.

"Wrap up in that. You must be freezing."

"I'm fine." He denied, but it sounded odd. Gravely and just entirely un-Kyoya like as he wrapped the kitten up.

With growing concern, she observed how his skin was flushed in all the wrong places, almost deathly pale in others. Around his throat, a thick band of red was blossoming.

"You're shivering. And you have goosebumps. Try again." He ignored her in favour of rubbing warmth into the animal's quivering body, his attitude striking her as somewhat more subdued than earlier. "Let me take her, Senpai. You're just getting blood everywhere."

A second passed, dripping with reluctance, where she honestly thought he'd refuse her again. Then he gently transferred his precious load— kitten, towel and all, into her lap.

"Get dried up and then clean your hands. I'll find some disinfectant in a bit to take care of those cuts— they look pretty painful. You've got one on your cheek, too." His fingers automatically graced the wound on his face, the abrasion rough and bloody and not at all what she'd expect from a cat scratch, causing him to wince once the pain registered. "You should see about getting a tetanus shot— those could get infected really easily."

With a resigned sigh, Kyoya curled up in the remaining towels, expression relaxing into a serene state of content.

She was happy to see some colour return to his too-pale cheeks.

The mark on his neck, however, didn't seem to be in any rush to fade.

"What happened there?"

Confused, Kyoya tilted his head.

She gestured vaguely. "Your neck, it—"

Kyoya jerked away from her reaching fingers, his eyes blown wide with panicked surprise. Her sentence broke off just as suddenly, limbs locked in place. Slowly, Haruhi's hand returned to her lap, eyeing Kyoya carefully the entire time.

As though he hadn't just scrambled away from her hand as if his life depended on it, Kyoya calmly returned right back to his original position, towel wrapped just a tad tighter around his shivering frame.

"Are you—"

"I'm okay." He assured, quickly. "I apologise for startling you. I just don't like people touching my throat."

"Oh." Haruhi said, trying not to sound as though that news surprised her. "It's just— there's a mark. It looks like it might bruise. Did you hurt yourself?"

His eyes skirted to the side. "I'm not sure. It's possible, I suppose, but I wasn't aware there was anything wrong. It doesn't hurt."

Haruhi squinted at him.

Kyoya wasn't even looking at her anymore, he'd burrowed deeper into the towel, swaddled up like a baby koala bear. Whatever sudden spark of panic seized him seemed to have disappeared now. Haruhi made a mental note to never go near his throat ever again.

His expression had been gut-wrenching, installing the same feeling of crushing guilt that usually came in tandem with stepping on your innocent pet's tail.

After a fair few minutes in relatively comfortable silence, she tilted her head, a little smile forming. "You know, I didn't take you for an animal person."

"What gave you that impression?"

They were so close he didn't need to squint to see her, even without the aid of his glasses.

"Tamaki-senpai's dog. You always seem annoyed around her."

"Oh." A derisive snort. "I just prefer them when they're not causing trouble."

"Who, Tamaki-senpai or Antoniette?"

"Both." His lip curled slightly. "They suit each other, I suppose. That idiot and his idiot dog."

They traded a small look, Haruhi pressing a hand against his lips to smother her chuckle. Kyoya, despite his best efforts, was still smiling, no matter how hard he tried to hide it.

"Where did you find her?"

His eyes blinked open, so vulnerable and open without his usual lenses to shield them. "One of the drains not too far from here. She was too scared to move, in the end I had to drag her out. As you can probably tell, she wasn't exactly happy about that."

No kidding.

Kyoya's hands were a mess, smeared with blood from his many cuts.

A thoughtful finger against her lips, Haruhi took a moment to study him. "I wouldn't expect that from you, to be honest."

"I wasn't going to leave her there to die." He said, with a shrug. "I'm not that heartless.".

Kyoya stared at her for a long moment, watching as she fought back a smile, before working out the dampness in his hair. It wasn't exactly an uncomfortable silence. More like the relaxed, familiar kind of silence of two friends accustomed to being in each other's presence, regardless of whether they were talking or not.

"What are you going to do with her?"

"Happy early birthday?"

"Cute. But my landlord doesn't allow pets, so you're all out of luck here."

He considered this for a moment, hands stilling. "Well then… If she doesn't belong to anyone, I'll keep her."

Haruhi's thumb traced thoughtfully over her lips. Kyoya quirked an eyebrow as she studied him intensely. "You know cats are a lot of work, right?" A nod. "She'll be your responsibility. You'll have to feed her, and bathe her, train her, make sure she stays happy and healthy— speaking of, she'll probably have to have vaccines, too—"

He gave a small chuckle. "I know, Haruhi."

She stopped ticking the list off on her fingers and appraised him seriously. "And vet bills are expensive." His hand made a very deliberate you're telling this to me sweep down his body. She rolled her eyes. "Not that that'll be much of a problem for you. Damn rich bastard. What I mean is, if you're not serious about taking care of her, it'd be better to take her to a shelter."

"I know, Haruhi."

They stared at each other for an uncomfortably long time.

"You know what? Underneath it all, you're actually quite nice."

"Repeat that disgusting slander again and you'll be hearing from my lawyers."

At this point, having Kyoya around the apartment felt natural. It was nice having company around, when usually she'd be completely alone. He filled the silence, the space in an otherwise empty apartment, with his complaints and his sarcasm, and his curses on the occasions that he smacked his forehead on the too-low door frames.

They'd fallen into a routine, where they did chores like laundry or cleaning, before settling down to complete homework. Then they would make dinner, leaving Ranka's aside for when he got home.

Haruhi enjoyed spending that time with him.

Kyoya, she knew, did as well, even if he'd never say it aloud.

Too proud. Too stupid. Or maybe just a mix of both.

Still, it was a bit different for him to be walking around in her dad's clothes, all banged up, with messy hair and a kitten following his every movement. The shirt already had claw marks from when the newly dubbed Noel had tried to clambour onto his shoulders.

Surprisingly, Kyoya took this all in his stride. Even if he'd almost tripped over the kitten twice within an hour. The sight of Noel curled in his arms, purring up a storm, a bemused Kyoya absently petting her was too pure for words. Apparently, the boy didn't have much experience with pets. But, like with everything, he took to it like a fish to water.

Haruhi still envied his Jack of All Trades status.

Once it started getting late, Kyoya pulled the spare futon set aside for him into the living room, and settled down. He and Haruhi talked through the open doorway until they fell asleep, Noel snuggled next to the girl. (Kyoya, with all seriousness, called the kitten a traitor, which made Haruhi laugh).

Haruhi woke early next morning to find Noel lying over her face, still fast asleep.

As you do.

It felt like a crime to move her, but unfortunately breathing was necessary for Haruhi's continued survival. Kitten safely deposited in the middle of the futon, she found that Kyoya was already awake, his futon deserted, still messy from a restless sleep.

He was in the kitchen, wearing one of her father's aprons (the one with "Kiss The Cook" sprawled across the front in a curly script that was offensively pink), trying and failing to crack an egg correctly. He was too forceful, and the yolk dripped between his fingers. To the side, the toast was burning away.

"What are you doing?"

A grimace. "My best."

To his relief, she went and saved the toast, before he could set off the smoke alarm.

In the meantime, Kyoya successfully collected most of the egg in the pan, though unwittingly draped a mixture of yolk and white across the handle that made Haruhi squeak when she touched it. He jumped as she absently wiped it down his front, because, hey, it took less effort than hunting for a tissue.

That, she supposed, was her first mistake.

Very quickly, Kyoya got revenge by accidentally flicking water at her. The cold liquid made her flinch, and when she narrowed her eyes, he only whistled innocently, and went to tend to the eggs. They were busy with their own tasks, dancing around each other for long enough that Kyoya dropped his guard. That, he discovered, was a bad idea. Haruhi was unpredictable and knew full well the advantage of attacking when least expected.

Smirking, the girl went in for the kill. Feet light, she snuck up behind the boy and ran her fingers from the nape of his neck up, making him yelp and glare at her, absolutely scandalised.

"Yes?" She took on an angelic expression, hip checking him out of her way.

The harmless pranking continued all the way up until they sat down to eat. Haruhi was only mildly disappointed that Kyoya, ever observant, realised she passed him salt instead of sugar for his tea.

(Likely because he had fallen for it the first time, looked her dead in the eye and drank the entire thing just to prove that he was the Alpha.

Yes, she had been suitably impressed.

For all of the approximate four seconds it took for the boy to completely and utterly regret that decision).

Noel tried to steal food off their plates, and was only satisfied when Kyoya slipped her some chicken. Not that it didn't stop Kyoya himself stealing food off Haruhi's plate, which kick-started an all out war, and ended in them going to extreme lengths to protect their breakfast. Kyoya managed to pilfer the rest of her egg, and as punishment, she made him wash the dishes.

He did so with great difficulty, as Noel had decided the leg of his pants made a great climbing wall. At first Haruhi was too busy putting the bedding away, but at his pained voice, she swooped in and removed the kitten, who by then had almost scaled up to his hip.

Haruhi changed clothes in her room. Kyoya's were still slightly damp, so he remained in his borrowed ones, absently playing with Noel as the two of them talked.

While she slept a decent amount, she didn't feel rested. On the other hand, they both knew that Kyoya had hardly slept at all, yet he barely felt tired, appearing more engaged than Haruhi did.

Their wake-up call arrived much sooner than expected. Voices emanated from outside. Ranka was home from work, searching for his keys, and, to Haruhi's horror, he was accompanied by their landlady. "Oh shi— hide the cat!"

Kyoya scooped Noel up at a steady jog and the two of them both looked desperately around for inspiration, but then the keys were rattling in the lock and Haruhi, not knowing what else to do, pushed him into her bedroom, slamming the door shut behind him. A second later, the two adults entered. Haruhi, leaning against the door, tried to look as innocent as possible.

Keyword being: tried.

"Dad, welcome back."

"Haruhi!" He pounced a hug on her. "Are you alright? Did everything go well last night? No problems?"

She accepted the embrace with a fond roll of her eyes. "We're both fine. Kyoya-senpai got caught in the rain, but otherwise, there was no trouble." She bowed her head to the landlady, and smiled. "Good morning." The little old lady politely echoed her greeting.

"Where is Kyoya-kun, anyway? Has he left already?"

"No. He's um… He's grabbing some textbooks from my bedroom. He won't be too long."

Haruhi could hear movement from inside. Evidently, Kyoya still hadn't found a suitable spot to hide the rambunctious kitten, and was getting a bit frantic.

"I'll pop in and thank him."

Blind to her protests, he went straight in. Kyoya was halfway in her closet, acting as though he was perusing the contents with intense care. He greeted the man with a genial smile, though Haruhi could see how stiff his shoulders were. She could take a wild guess and chance that one of the coat pockets was currently being used to conceal Noel."Ranka-san, welcome back. Haruhi, you did want that white jumper, didn't you?"

"Yes, please. The Math and Science textbooks, too."

"Oh." The man stopped and stared at him, perturbed. "What happened to your neck? It looks bruised."

Kyoya didn't quite flinch, but it looked like he was close to it. The flush on his neck had tinted an ugly purple-red colour that he couldn't easily hide. "Ah, I'm not really sure. Haruhi noticed it yesterday, I had no idea until she pointed it out. It doesn't hurt at all."

Ranka managed a tentative smile that wavered on the edge of suspicion when Kyoya looked away. "Well, thank you for staying over last night, I appreciate you looking out for my precious Haruhi."

"Don't mention it, Ranka-san. It was nice to have company, I would've usually been bored at home, anyway."

Haruhi noticed Kyoya's flickering gaze and smoothly cut between them. "You've just got home. Why don't you sit down and relax, I'll make you both some tea."

To the relief of both teens, he exited the room, and settled down with the landlady. After trading relieved glances, Haruhi went to play her part as The Distraction™, and play it magnificently she did. A couple of minutes later, Kyoya re-entered, his expression the smoothest she'd ever seen from him, several textbooks and a jumper tucked under one arm.

"Took your time." She quipped, half teasing, half serious.

"They were quite hard to find. The organisation of your room is appalling."

"Just because everything isn't alphabetized like your room." She pulled the jumper over her head, and, on instinct, Kyoya flattened down the hair that spiked up.

"I don't see what there is to complain about, it's a very logical arrangement."

She wrinkled her nose. "There's such a thing as being too neat, Kyoya-senpai. It's uncanny."

He only rolled her eyes. "Say what you will. At least I don't have to search half the Earth to find anything."

Ranka was wearing an unholy expression of glee as he watched their exchange. Thankfully, he managed to suppress his inner-fangirl and instead engaged their landlady in conversation, the two teens occasionally chipped in with their own input. Mostly they were content with listening in, Haruhi picking at the hem of her shirt, Kyoya discreetly nudging her in the ribs to get her to stop.

A loud meow permeated the conversation.

Haruhi and Kyoya both froze.

Through the contact of his hand around her wrist, he could feel her pulse quicken. Haruhi even stopped her attempt to tickle him, in favour of trying not to let the panic and guilt show on her face.

"Was that—"

"That was me." Kyoya interrupted, completely straight-faced, before Haruhi could even begin trying to make up an excuse. For a second Haruhi thought she'd misheard, because it was the most flagrant lie she'd heard in her life. She half expected her father and the landlady to be busy trading disbelieved glances. "The twins must have changed my ringtone while I wasn't looking. I apologise for the disturbance."

He was dead serious.

Haruhi, the wingwoman the Earth didn't deserve, expertly changed the topic before anyone could call bullshit.

Kyoya made a show of checking his phone with far more interest than would normally be believable, mouthing that was too close at the girl when the adults weren't looking.

They carried an eager conversation about the Ootori business, Kyoya describing the work of his father and older brothers, which definitely impressed the landlady. Kyoya's own scholastic achievements merited the praise of both adults, at which point he smoothly and very deliberately switched the limelight onto Haruhi.

They held this up for around ten minutes and were just beginning to relax, before Noel reached her final form, evolving into the unholy offspring of Satan himself, and meowing violently, annoyed at being wherever Kyoya had shut her.

Very slowly, the two looked at each other.

Fuck.

Kyoya hurriedly pulled out his phone, mentally cringing at how pathetically flimsy his excuse was. "That would be Tamaki…. Being Tamaki." As Tamaki's -500 amount chill was common knowledge, this only raised eyebrows from the landlady. "I apologise. He does this… sometimes."

"Oh! Get my phone for me, Senpai. Maybe he's messaged me? You know how he gets when I don't reply."

Kyoya all but flew to his feet. "It's in your room?"

She nodded, and he had to physically restrain himself from running to the kitten. Haruhi covered up the commotion by talking a little louder than necessary, trying to ignore her father's suspicious expression. They talked civilly about school for a little while longer, before Ranka politely excused the landlady on the guise that the two teens needed to revise for a test.

Once she had left, Kyoya arrived with Haruhi's phone, looking calm as can be, if a little windswept.

Ranka turned to the two teens, utterly done. "Where's the goddamn cat?"

A/N: This chapter man. It hates me. Was a devil to write, honestly. (Which is the excuse I'm sticking to, instead of the actual reason, which was that I was binge-watching all seven seasons of Voltron. I regret nothing)

But there we go, it's finally finished. Hope you enjoyed being blessed with these two absolute dorks, and the cinnamon roll that is Noel, the only sane soul in the entire fic

By now you've probably noticed the pattern in my writing in which fluff follows drama, and the cycle repeats. (But also I just like seeing these two nerds be actual children and live their best lives)

I'd like to thank everyone who supported the last chapter, every review/ favourite/ follow really brightened my day.