Oh dear, I've been neglecting these stories, haven't I? I'm sorry… but college has been kicking my butt lately. Also, I got an infection in my left eye and it's making everything blurry, and I'm supposed to wear my glasses instead of my contacts, but my glasses weren't updated with my latest prescription so it's still all blurry… yeah, it's been a rough time. But enough about me, please enjoy this chapter!
Thank you to AusllyBeliever, emryspotterjackson, queenglitch, Noragamiworrior, IncrediblePotato, Daringly Delightful, Mikihiko Tada, and GothicBunnyXD for your reviews. I'm so happy you all liked that last chapter!
Also, IncrediblePotato, while I'm flattered by your offer, I think I'm doing okay on my own for right now. Perhaps in the future I'll start looking for bounce boards and editors, but at the moment this process is working just fine. But if you happen to see spelling mistakes or the like in my writing please feel welcome to point it out so I can fix it!
Fair warning: Emotional rollercoaster up ahead.
Disclaimer: I own nothing from OHSHC.
(F/n) = First name
(L/n) = Last name
(h/c) = Hair color
(e/c) = Eye color
(N) = Nationality
(w/c) = Wine Color (Red or White)
(j/d) = Japanese dish of your choosing
First Date
"Hey, Mom?"
"(F/n)! Hi, Honey! How are you? How's Japan? How's your job?" (F/n) smiled gently as her mother continued to ask questions. No matter how long it had been since the last phone call, her mother always wanted to know everything that had happened since the last time they spoke.
When she finally let (F/n) get a word in, she started answering the questions, "I'm fine, Mom. Japan is wonderful, and so is my job. The kids are still amazing. They've got their alphabet down, now!"
"Oh! That's wonderful!" There was the sound of something shifting on the other end of the line before her mother spoke again, "So, has anything exciting happened?"
"Um… yes, actually. That's kinda the reason I called… Do you remember the guy I told you about before? The father of the little blond boy?"
"Yes, I do! Are you still talking to him? Did something happen?"
"He asked me out."
"What?! Tell me everything!"
"I will… but I need your help choosing an outfit."
*Present*
(F/n) smiled softly as she turned this way and that in front of her mirror, admiring the dress she had on. Her mother had definitely been right. She was glad she'd chosen to pack the dark blue dress when she first moved to Japan.
The top half hugged her torso just right, the short sleeves fluttering over her shoulders and yet still showed her collarbone modestly. The skirt reached the middle of her calves with enough fabric to allow for free movement but not appear like a prom dress. And as the weather warmed up the closer they got to summer, (F/n) wouldn't freeze or pass out from heat stroke in the middle of dinner, which was always a plus.
She loved it…
She only hoped Kyoya would too.
*Kyoya's P.O.V.*
"Tama-chan! Slow down!"
The small blond didn't pay attention to his father, continuing to run towards the front door of the large house. Kyoya sighed and shouldered the bag that Tamaki had promised to carry himself before following the boy up the walkway.
By the time he reached the porch Tamaki had already knocked on the door and was now bouncing impatiently in front of it. The doorknob wiggled a bit before it opened up inwards, revealing another young boy only a few centimeters shorter than Tamaki with wild red-hair.
"Tama-chan!"
"Kao-chan!"
The blond ran inside and soon enough the boys disappeared.
"Kaoru! Don't run in the house!" There was a faint 'sorry, Mom' heard from the direction the two boys had disappeared before a young woman stepped into the foyer. She had light brown hair that stopped at her jawline, with sharp cheekbones but a soft expression.
Akane Hitachiin smiled at Kyoya before opening the door a little wider, "Come in for a while, Kyoya. Unless…"
"The reservation's not for another forty-five minutes. I can spare some time to chat."
Stepping inside, Kyoya removed the colorful bag from his shoulder. Akane reached out to take it, but when it wasn't immediately handed over she raised an eyebrow.
"I'm pregnant, not handicapped. I can hold a play-date bag."
Smirking, the ravenet gave the slightly rounded woman the backpack. And therein lies the reason Hikaru had married Akane as soon as possible. She was calm when needed be, but didn't take crap from anyone. Just as she hadn't hesitated to punch the guy who tried to take her purse the day Hikaru saw her in the middle of campus.
Before Kyoya could say anything in return, someone wolf-whistled from the nearby hallway. Hikaru walked into the foyer, eyeing Kyoya's clothes appreciatively, "Wow. The Cyberman cleans up nice." His golden eyes danced with glee as he drew closer, "I see you took my advice… about the tie. Purple really is your color."
Kyoya pressed his lips together, determined to not give the redhead the satisfaction. Instead, he nodded and turned to Akane, "Tamaki's grown an interest in maths, so there's an addition workbook in there this time around along with the coloring book."
"Okay, Kyoya." Damn it, Akane is smirking, too.
With a controlled nod, Kyoya began walking back towards the door, "Well, that's all I can think of. Plan on me being back to pick Tamaki up around 10, but I'll message you if the time changes."
"Sure you don't want Tamaki to just sleepover?"
The ravenet glared at the bastard he called his friend before opening the front door and stepping out.
"Hey, Kyoya?" He turned around, but Hikaru was smiling kindly this time, "Have fun."
It was his turn to smirk now, and he nodded, "Thank you. I will."
"Oh, and I'll never forgive myself if I don't say this now, but I told you so."
"Fuck off."
*Time Skip*
(F/n) let out a deep breath, trying to release her nerves… but it wasn't working. She eyed the well lit restaurant they were approaching. The walls of the first floor of the restaurant were separated every few feet with large windows that went from the sidewalk to the ceiling, and the smaller second floor and curved corners of the building give it a very modern look. Les Créations de Narisawa… even the name was fancy. Other fashionably dressed patrons were entering and exiting the building, and (F/n) had a feeling they each had a bank account that was fatter than ten years worth of her salary.
The thought made the cold feeling in the pit of her stomach grow just a little heavier. (F/n) was so happy she had gone with the dress instead of the usual blouse and pants combo...
She was in the middle of taking another deep breath when something warm brushed against the back of her left hand. It was Kyoya's fingers. Her date was looking at her with concern.
"(F/n)? Are you alright?"
The (h/c) smiled weakly and shrugged, "I'm… not used to this kind of thing. This place is a little above my pay grade."
Kyoya smiled in the sneaky way only he could pull off, holding out his elbow for her to take, which she did gratefully, "I imagine that it won't be that way for long. Ouran Academy pays its teachers well. But until then, I suppose that tonight I will be your guide. Just follow my lead."
(F/n) managed a soft laugh and a nod before finding herself at the front door. A grinning woman in a white shirt and grey apron greeted them as Kyoya opened the door and ushered (F/n) inside.
"Reservation for two under 'Ootori'."
The woman nodded and gestured for another employee who bowed politely before leading the two through the restaurant. (F/n) did her best not to stare, but the restaurants she frequented had nothing on this place. Impeccably set tables with white linen tablecloths so sharply pressed (F/n) didn't think they could be ruffled or moved for anything. The lighting was bright enough to see, but low enough to have a soft feel. The place was abuzz with quiet noise as they two were lead upstairs past dazzling chandeliers and dark polished wood.
Of course, (F/n) couldn't help but notice the stares her date was getting, though he ignored them himself.
Up until a man in his early fifties actually stood from his table and performed a bow, "Ootori-san, what a delight to see you here." A woman who looked to be the man's wife and the two girls with them also stood and bowed.
Kyoya returned the sentiments with a smile, but the moment he was asked to sit and perhaps discuss some business, he took a small step closer to (F/n), "I would love to sit down with you in the future, Akagi-san, but tonight I have a date."
(F/n) blushed a little, but whatever warm and fuzzy feelings that might've shown up at Kyoya's recognition were blunted by the table's collective look of confusion. If anything, the younger girls almost looked like they assumed it was a joke. The older man had more of a disappointed expression on his face, but smiled immediately afterwards nonetheless.
"Ah, I see. And what a lovely date she is. Very well, I won't hold you here any longer. I hope that your meal is enjoyable."
"As do I. Have a lovely evening, Akagi-san." And with that, he and (F/n) continued on. When they were finally sat down at a table near the windows looking down at the street, the (N) went over the interaction over and over again. Was that man going to try to get Kyoya interested in his daughters? If that's who they were? Or did he just want to talk business? It seems pretty obvious those girls were interested in him, because they looked confused by him being out with someone like me…
"Something on your mind?"
(F/n) jumped and lifted her head. She had been staring at the white tablecloth of their table while she thought, and clearly, Kyoya had noticed. He was holding his menu up, but was staring at her from over the top of it instead of at the words. He appeared torn between amused and worried.
The (h/c) sighed once again that evening and lifted her own menu, "It's nothing, Kyoya. Really. I was just thinking about… school stuff."
"'School stuff'?" Kyoya smirked, but shook his head and went back to the menu, "If you insist. Now tell me, is there anything that you don't recognize on the menu?" (F/n) smiled and hid her face behind the paper. He was such a gentleman… making sure she-
"Ootori-san?" The two at the table turn to see a younger man walking up to them. He was in a grey suit with a black tie, his dark brown hair slicked back impeccably. He smiled and offered a hand for (F/n)'s date to shake.
"I'm sure you don't remember me, but my name is Tatsuya Goya. We went to school together."
Kyoya's smile was nice, but vaguely forced as he shook the man's hand, "I do recall your name. Your family owns a worldwide travel agency, is that correct?"
"Yes, it is. I'm the Marketing Head while my older sister is training to run the company. I simply came over to thank you for breaking the mold while we were in school, or else I'd likely be running the company instead of my sister, who wanted it much more than I did. So, thank you."
At that, Kyoya lost his smile and almost looked surprised, but when the expression came back it was much more sincere, "I… am grateful that my actions benefited you and your family. I'm glad that things worked out for the both of you."
Tatsuya grinned and nodded his head before turning to look at (F/n), also smiling at her, "I'm terribly sorry to interrupt your date, but I had yet to see Ootori-san since my sister and I made our intentions clear to our father. Please have a wonderful evening."
"I have a feeling we will." The two watched as the other man walked away to join a group of well-dressed individuals who were leaving their own table.
"So… does that not happen often?"
"No. Can't say that it does."
(F/n) looks back at her date, whose expression was pleased but somewhat confused and… a little conflicted. She smiled gently and set her menu down, regaining his attention, "Hey, it's the first date… so how about for tonight we don't talk about work? I'd much prefer to get to know you as Kyoya Ootori rather than Ootori-san of the Ootori Group."
The ravenet chuckled before smirking at her from across the table, "I can agree to that contract. Any fine print I should know about?"
(F/n) thinks about it for a moment before glancing down at the menu, "Let's say… (w/c) wine for the evening?"
*Time Skip*
About an hour and a half later, (F/n) had her hand pressed to her lips in an attempt to hold back her laughter, but not smear her lipstick, "Wait… how did he manage to make such a mess? How long were you gone?"
"Less than two minutes!" Kyoya was shaking his head, eyes lost in memory, "I left him for two minutes at the table and when I get back the ice cream is everywhere. On the table, the carpet, the walls, even some on the chandelier! And Tamaki's just giggling, also completely covered in the stuff. I called up a cleaning service and kept him either in my arms or within eyesight for the next two weeks unless he was sleeping."
(F/n) lets out a laugh before quickly stifling it again. Around them, she knows that other patrons are keeping an eye on their date, but she had long since stopped worrying about it. Most were the friendly gazes of old schoolmates or employees of the Ootori Group who were glad that Kyoya was out on a date and thought that (F/n) seemed like a very nice and beautiful girl. Of course, there were others… but again, the two were having so much fun neither of them even cared any longer.
The (N) let out a long sigh, a wide smile still on her face, when a question appeared in her mind. The smile dips a little and she drops her eyes to her plate, where the remains of (j/d) sat on her exquisitely decorated plate. Kyoya, of course, noticed the emotion shift immediately.
"(F/n)?"
"I… I know you don't have to tell me right now and I won't blame you if you didn't, but I have to admit that I am a little curious…" She nibbled on her lower lip before risking eye contact, "Why did you adopt Tamaki? Even though you're young and single?"
Kyoya shifted in his seat, blinking at her strangely, so she rolled her shoulders back and hoped that she hadn't overstepped some sort of boundary, "You don't have to tell me, I was just curious. Maybe some other time?"
The ravenet glanced down at the single candle flickering between them, his eyes once again losing a bit of focus.
*Flashback*
"Mr. Ootori! I'm glad that you made it on time."
The 20-year-old smiled graciously at the older man and accepted his handshake, replying in measured French, "As am I, Mr. Roux. Now, shall we begin the tour?"
The man nodded and began leading the newly appointed CEO of the Ootori Group down the hallway, explaining in great detail how Kyoya's requested changes had been applied to the hospital. As they walked, Kyoya nodded along and asked a few questions, but mainly kept an eye out for any additional changes that might need to be implemented.
It had been seen as a bold move for such a young CEO to immediately buy out another large hospital chain on the other side of the world, but despite his age and dismissive attitudes towards his decisions, Kyoya knew what he was doing. The purchase of the chain was completed in half the predicted time of his disbelievers, which immediately sent his approval ratings through the roof. That was another reason for the purchase, but Kyoya never said so out loud.
Either way, he had sent out quite a few revisions to be put in place, making sure to remain in balance with requirements set by the French government, and was now visiting to see their impact with his own eyes. Plus, it was always a good idea to let employees see their new employer in person, rather than allow them only pictures and rumours.
It wasn't until they reached the pregnancy ward that the tour became interesting.
And yet… heartbreaking.
There was a man standing ramrod straight in the hallway when Kyoya and Mr. Roux turned the corner, and as soon as he heard their footsteps he spun on his heel and began walking towards them. Kyoya would've brushed it off usually, but couldn't help but notice how the man was pulling up his hoodie and appeared to be hiding his face from something. A quick glance upwards at the security cameras and the Japanese man knew something wasn't right.
"Excuse me, Sir-"
The man took off running.
Mr. Roux shouted after the man, who was now out of sight, and a nurse burst out of the room he had been standing outside of. She appeared to have been crying recently and was holding a small bundle in her arms. When she saw only Kyoya and Mr. Roux standing in the hallway, she began crying once again.
Kyoya almost jumped at the heavy hand landing on his shoulder.
"Stay here."
And then his tour guide was off, shouting into his walkie talkie a description of the man's clothing. Leaving Kyoya all alone with the nurse… and…
He heard the small wails as the nurse's crying slowed, and quickly realized what she must be holding. Unfortunately, the poor woman looked like she was ready to collapse, so without really thinking about it, Kyoya offered his arms out to take the crying baby. The nurse hesitated, but when she looked back down at the bundle, her crying increased in volume and she gently eased the baby into Kyoya's arms before leaning against the wall and sliding to the floor.
As she sobbed miserably, Kyoya looked down at the small being in his arms. His breath caught in his throat.
The first noticeable thing was the tuft of blond hair, which stood out remarkably against the blue blanket and red face of the child. The next thing was, of course, the loud wails. The newborn certainly had a powerful set of lungs.
And then, Kyoya realized he was holding a baby.
His upper body froze up, eyes widening as he stared at the very, very fragile thing he was holding way too high off the ground. Spotting the nurse still sitting on the floor, Kyoya took a steadying breath before cautiously walking towards the wall opposite the crying woman and did as she did, letting his back slide down the plaster until he was safely on the ground.
Holding the child in a sitting position did wonders for his sudden and unexpected anxiety, and finally Kyoya set to work on calming it. He was sure it was a boy, given the blanket's color, but didn't want to accidentally misgender it until the nurse confirmed.
"Shhh… shhh…" The young man gently bounced the tiny baby in his arms, feeling a little stupid but also more focused on getting the screams to stop because it was starting to become heart-breaking. And he was sure the baby's cries were not helping the nurse.
Kyoya moved from bouncing to rocking, left and right, while his right hand slowly moved up to use the blanket to block out the bright lights from the ceiling. After a few seconds of the constant motion, the cries stopped. Slowly, the baby opened it's eyes and Kyoya gasped.
Bright purple.
The strangest eye color he'd ever seen, but also the most beautiful. They were wide and curious, staring at Kyoya like he was memorizing every detail even though he couldn't possibly be. Almost trance like, the 20-year-old used the part of the blanket blocking out the light to absorb the fat tears that were still on the little one's cheeks.
When it's face was dry, the baby began to shift a bit within it's blanket. Somehow knowing what it wanted, Kyoya gingerly untucked the blanket in the front to allow for the baby's arms to escape. Almost as soon as they were free, Kyoya's chin was being touched and poked at. He lifted a finger for the baby to grab, which it did.
And smiled.
A stifled sob came from the other side of the hallway and Kyoya quickly looked back at the nurse. She was no longer crying, but also still appeared to be close to tears.
She smiled, "His mother… died in childbirth. The man who left was his father... " The poor woman choked on her restrained tears, pressing a fist to her mouth, "Didn't even name the little one…"
Kyoya looked down at the baby. He'd figured it was a boy…
He shook his hand slightly, side to side, shaking the boy's hand as well. Then the baby shook his hand back… side to side. His eyes widened, not expecting such a response. And his expression must've been one to see… because the little boy laughed.
It was a happy, giggly, baby laugh. The one that could make flowers bloom and the sun shine. Kyoya felt the little one kick his feet from within the blanket and almost laughed himself. The boy's purple eyes, no longer blocked from the bright lights, were shining spectacularly. Like…
"Gems."
"I'm sorry?"
Kyoya glanced back up at the woman, suddenly embarrassed. He hadn't meant to speak out loud… but since he had…
"I said 'gems'. His eyes look like Amethysts… a purple gem."
"Really? He opened his eyes?" The nurse scurried over and gasped, "Oh my… they're gorgeous!"
The ravenet cleared his throat, suddenly worried that too many people around the newborn would make him start crying again, "Anyways… I said 'gems' for another reason. There's a name in Japanese that means 'jewel' or 'gem' and…" He stopped, realizing what he was about to do. Who was he to name this child? What right did he have? He'd known him for perhaps less than ten minutes!
"Go on…" The nurse was watching him thoughtfully, though Kyoya couldn't figure why.
He looked back down at the child, who laughed again, releasing Kyoya's finger to start touching his chin again. The ravenet smiled, heart melting.
"Tamaki."
*End Flashback*
Kyoya smiled against his will, hoping he didn't look like he was about to cry, and met (F/n)'s (e/c) eyes again. She looked embarrassed, and the smile grew ever so slightly.
"Perhaps not today… but one day I will tell you. I promise."
(F/n) smiled again as their waiter came back to the table, "How was your meal?"
"Excellent as ever."
"Incredible."
They received a smile as the man began lifting their empty plates away, "Will you be ordering dessert with us tonight?"
Kyoya glanced at (F/n), who shook her head a little, before looking back towards the waiter, "Not tonight, thank you. Just the check."
They received a nod, a checkbook, and were alone once again. When Kyoya saw (F/n) reaching for her purse, he tilted his head, "And just what do you think you're doing, (L/n)-san?"
"Um…" her eyes were flicking all over the place, "I wasn't sure if we were splitting the bill or…"
Her date smiled faintly, "While I appreciate that you don't expect the man to pay for the meal, as you previously mentioned this is a little above your pay grade as a brand new teacher. So tonight, this bill is on me."
(F/n) grinned, and opened her mouth to thank Kyoya, when yet another person came up to their table. This time, it was a young woman. She was in a sleek black dress with a string of pearls around her neck, practically oozing the word 'wealth'. More than a few eyes were back on Kyoya and (F/n)'s table, but now the gazes were full of apprehension.
Oh, great, so it's not just me, then.
Of course, Kyoya, being the gentleman, merely looked up at the woman and smiled politely, yet fakely, "Hello, Ishii-san. What brings you here at this late hour?"
"Ootori-san, I'm surprised! Surely you saw me earlier? I was downstairs when you arrived with a group of my father's old business partners. I had to step in for my brother today… he's been so busy with those new theaters he hardly has time to entertain his political friends!" The ravenette smirked coyly, "I understand that you don't dismiss such a necessary evil, and I wished to see if you'd like someone to talk about it with? Not here, of course…"
Kyoya hummed, "I wouldn't call that an 'evil' per say, and I can understand why your brother would prefer to focus more on promoting his business through production rather than more... underhanded methods." He suddenly turned to (F/n), who had been determinedly not looking at their newest table guest, "The Ishii Theater in Tokyo is incredibly famous for the plays and musicals it books. Very similar to the Broadway Theater in America."
The man hummed, as if struck by an idea, "Are you a fan of theater?"
(F/n) smiled, "Actually, yes. After all, how can I call myself a teacher if I don't encourage every talent a child may have?"
Kyoya nodded, "Then I suppose our next date is decided."
While (F/n)'s stomach did a backflip and her heart exploded into fireworks over the words 'next date', Kyoya looked back up at the woman. Her face now resembled that of someone who just saw a carbon-copy of themselves walking down the street.
In other words, confused disbelief.
"I'm sorry, Ishii-san, but I'm afraid I will have to decline your offer for a chat. I have a date that day."
"...We didn't decide on a day."
"I know."
With an indigent huff, the woman spun on her heels and marched back the way she'd came. A few of the people who'd been watching nodded towards Kyoya, but he paid them no mind.
"Are you alright? I'm sorry she was so rude."
"It's okay," (F/n) waved a hand through the air, like it was no big deal, "In your world, you're probably the #1 bachelor, huh? And me… they don't even know my name. If anything, she probably thought I was a friend… or a client."
Kyoya knew that wasn't true, but didn't press the issue. Instead, he reached across the table and lightly gripped the (N)'s left hand. Her palm was warm, but the back of her hand was cold, so he focused more on that side.
"She might not know your name, but I do. And I am beyond grateful for that."
His words did their job, and (F/n) laughed lightly. She turned her hand over on the table and squeezed Kyoya's fingers gently, grateful for their warmth.
"So… you mentioned a second date?"
AHHHHH! Why did I ever consider not writing this! I literally had to take a moment after writing that flashback to calm myself and continue! Geez, being a writer is turning me crazy…
Anyways! I hope you liked it! If you did, please favorite and follow this story and leave a review! Reviews make my day!
See you next chapter!