Getting back into the swing of things because it's about damn time!
Thank you to AusllyBeliever, Shadow Spears, yoitsyourstruly, queenglitch, and Toreh for your reviews! I'm sorry for making you wait so long, but I hope this makes up for it!
Disclaimer: I own nothing but this storyline.
(F/n) = First name
(L/n) = Last name
(h/c) = Hair color (brunette, ravenet, blond, redhead, etc.)
(e/c) = Eye color
(N) = Nationality (American, Spanish, Swedish, French, etc.)
(N/o) = Nation of Origin (United States of America, Spain, Sweden, France, etc.)
A Day Out!
"Children? We're getting ready to leave, now. Does everyone have a buddy?" A chorus of 'Yes, (L/n)-senpai!' and a flurry of clasped hands being raised in the air answered (F/n)'s question. She grinned and clapped her hands together, "Perfect! Let's go!"
With that, she began leading class A and B out the front doors of Ouran Academy. Behind her there was a sudden upswing of chatter as the kids began talking about what they wanted to do at the planetarium. At the back of the group, Natsuo Saeki, the teacher for class B, was explaining to a couple of his students what the plan for the day was, so they could plan accordingly.
Now, if her head was in the right space, (F/n) might've done the same with her own students. But as it was, she was still kinda on a cloud from her last date. She had been floating peacefully through the whole week, anything and everything giving her an elated feeling of joy. In the back of her head, her kiss with Kyoya replayed on loop until she swore the image was tattooed on her eyelids.
It had taken a lot of willpower that evening to not smother the man with more, and even harder to not enact a sequel whenever she saw Kyoya over the course of the week. Especially since she now officially referred to him as her boyfriend.
Something tugged at her pant leg. Doing her best not to stumble, she blinked out of her memories and looked down at Haruka and, by extension, Ai, who didn't look too happy about her partner tugged her along. (F/n) slowed her steps a little more so the two girls could easily walk beside her.
"Yes, Haruka-chan?"
The little girl shook her head, "Nothing, (L/n)-sensei, you just look really happy! Did something good happen?"
The woman smiled warmly, "Yes, actually. I had a really good weekend, and I'm still happy about it."
"Oh!" Both of the toddler's eyes widened in understanding, "Is that why you played hopscotch with us yesterday?"
"Oh, no! I would've played with you anyways even if my weekend was bad. It was so much fun!" The girls giggled with glee before dropped back to talk to Momo. (F/n) exchanged a nod with Natsuo-san before facing front again. Despite the utter joy that had filled her personal life since last Saturday, (F/n) was also glad that it hadn't obviously distracted her from her job. None of the kids had asked why she was acting so happy until just now, and that's exactly where she wanted to be. As a Kindergarten teacher, it was probably more than a good idea to keep her private life and work life as separated as possible.
It took ten minutes to get to the train station with the kid's little legs, and then another twenty-five minutes to ride it to the planetarium. Watching the forty pairs of eyes widen in delight as they took in the large building with banners and sculptures all over the outside sparked yet another smile from (F/n) as she lead them up the steps. Their tour guide was waiting for them just inside the door.
"Are you the Ouran Academy group?"
"We are indeed."
(F/n) didn't miss the way the man's eyes lingered on her (N) features before turning to Natsuo-san. She tried not to feel put off by it, but it was hard to get used to. She saw it all the time, whenever she met someone new. At the grocery store, when she moved in, her first week at Ouran... actually, it was far more common at Ouran, especially when she was introduced as a teacher. It was clear that even with her surname... she wasn't what they expected.
Swallowing down the bitter taste in her mouth, she managed a smile as the group was finally lead into the first room, which was more of a hallway that followed a very condensed timeline of the creation of the solar system. The tour guide was explaining the pictures to the kids in a hushed, excited tone which kept both classes hanging on to his every word.
Keeping herself out of the way of the pictures decorating the walls and ceiling, (F/n) eventually found herself joining Natsuo at the back of the group. Now that the kids had direction from someone else, there was nothing left to do but make sure no one wandered off.
"What I wouldn't give to have my kids listen to my lessons like this." (F/n) giggled at the other teacher's statement. Their kids were staring at the tour guide like he was showing them the wonders of the universe… which is technically what he was doing, now that she thought about it.
The (h/c) gave the man a sly look, "It's probably a good thing we're covering the solar system for the next week, huh? I don't think they'll listen to anything else for a while."
Natsuo chuckles himself, "I remember when my daughters had their own planetarium visit a few years back. All of their birthday presents the following months had to be space themed to be worth more than five seconds of attention."
(F/n) snickered as her eyes roamed the crowd of Kindergartners in front of them. Still forty heads. Good. The group was lead through a pair of doors which had the Earth painted expertly on them, leading them into a large, well-lit room. Above their heads hung a scaled down model of the solar system, a quarter of the sun covering up the entire far wall. The tour guide gestured around the room, where multiple simulations and interactive games awaited the kids to try out. (F/n) was only half-listening, having just spotted a particular blond head of hair in the crowd. Another big smile stretched across her face at the thought of Tamaki showering Kyoya with space facts when he was picked up that afternoon. Perhaps if she and Kyoya were still together come the blond's next birthday, she could come up with a nice space-themed gift?
Of course, the idea of spending Tamaki's birthday with him and his father like a typical family would spawned a whole new explosion of warm, gooey feelings in her chest.
Natsuo lightly elbowed the (h/c) as the kids were given free range of the room. She gave the other teacher a sheepish smile as the kids scattered, "Thanks. Sorry for… spacing out."
He rolled his eyes at the pun, but then his expression turned a strange mixture of serious and amused, "It's not a problem, all the doors are locked until we move on. But, if it's not too bold for me to say, is it safe to assume you were thinking of Ootori-san just now?"
A block of ice suddenly encased (F/n)'s chest. The look on her face must've been answer enough, because the man cautiously put his hands up in between them. "Hold on, before you panic because I know, I'm not the only one. A few of the other teachers have noticed you and Ootori-san walking out of the school together with Tamaki. And a few of the recess monitors spoke to Tamaki-kun a week ago and… well, it was easy to put it together. But you have the support of everyone who knows, that much is certain. Even Yoshiya-san says it's fine!"
(F/n)'s mouth flapped a little. She couldn't think of what to say. Should she thank him? Apologize? Panic? Cry? Oh my gosh... even the Dean knows! She was grateful that Natsuo was still keeping an eye on the kids, because it took an embarrassing long while before she could think straight again.
"I… okay. So it's not a bit secret… but…" Her (e/c) eyes zipped around the room, double checking that all the doors in the room were shut tight, trying to make up for her recent lack of concentration, "Does… Ebina-san know?"
The man's eyes darkened a bit, "Not that I'm aware of." (F/n) nodded, knowing full well that they'd both have to drop the subject now, before it got out of hand. If one of their students overheard them talking smack about another teacher… oh, boy, she did not want to think about that.
It was no secret to the staff at Ouran Academy that Ebina Kazuo, the kindergarten teacher for Class D, thought that (F/n) had stolen his job. Apparently he'd had his eye on the position of teaching Class A ever since he first started there, and when the 'novice' was hired instead... he wasn't exactly subtle about his displeasure, to be quite frank. (F/n) had overheard him whispering unflattering things about her to the other teachers, mostly involving the differing cultures of Japan and (N/o). She tried not to think about what he'd be saying today in the teacher's lounge when she didn't show up for lunch.
As much as she would love to believe Natsuo when he said the other teachers already knew and supported her relationship with Kyoya, there was still an unsettling twisting feeling in her stomach when she considered Ebina finding out. Who knew what he'd do with that information...
"Alright! Could everyone gather over here, please?"
(F/n) and Natsuo exchanged brief smiles of understanding before joining the kids at one end of the room, gathering around the exhibit talking about the size of the different planets compared to Earth.
As they went through the many exhibits featured in the room, (F/n) found herself slowly pushing the thought of Ebina to the back of her mind, becoming just as immersed and entertained with the science as her students. Space had always fascinated her… if not being somewhat scary.
Before they knew it, the group had covered the whole room and the tour guide was clapping his hands together for attention, "Alright, everyone. Next stop is the video experience. Follow me please!"
(F/n) and Natsuo quickly began ushering the kids out of the room. A good number complained, but eventually they managed to get everyone through the doors. On the other side of the room, the other pair of double doors reopened to let in the other visitors. (F/n) noted a few disgruntled faces turned their way as the remaining little kids hurried to catch up with the rest of the group.
She also spotted an oddly familiar head of dark brown hair, but when she couldn't place it, hurried out of the room after the kids.
)(
"Hey! Long time no see!"
(F/n) actually jumped as a heavy hand fell on her shoulder, quickly spinning around to face the speaker. She had only just left the auditorium to wait for the kids to exit after her once the movie finished, so what were the odds of someone she knew spotting her so quickly?
Her eyes widened in shock when she realized who she was looking at. No wonder the dark brown hair she'd seen earlier had looked familiar... it was the same guy from the grocery store a few weeks ago. He was grinning at her, clearly not put off by her expression or lack of response, "I haven't seen you around the store in a while. How've you been?"
(F/n) felt like her throat was closing up. It was true that she had yet to go back to the store at the same time as she did during her first run in with the creepy guy. And she had only felt completely comfortable shopping when she'd tagged along with Ranka and Haruhi last Tuesday. So why was this guy acting so… familiar with her? They'd only met once, didn't know each other's name, and after what he said? He wasn't exactly high on her 'people-I-want-to-see-again' list.
"Um…"
"What?" He was still grinning at her, moving a little closer, "Cat got your tongue?"
"I…"
The doors beside them opened and Tamaki wandered out, his hand clasped tightly with Satoshi's. They looked up at their teacher with wide eyes, flicking their attention between her and the strange man who was now smiling at them.
"Tamaki-kun? Satoshi-kun? What is it?"
"Satoshi has to use the bathroom." The quieter boy nodded his head, tucking himself closer to the blond's side as they continued staring at the man.
"That's alright. Did you tell Natsuo-san where you were going?" Two head nods. "Good. The bathroom's right over there, boys." Another couple of head nods before they hurried off.
As soon as the bathroom door was shut, the guy was pushing himself back into (F/n)'s personal space, "Cute kids. They yours?"
She hesitated, trying to move away, only for the man to follow, "Um… no."
"Adopted?"
"I already said they're not mine."
"Foster kids?"
"Again, no."
"Juvie?"
"No! I'm their teacher."
"Really? I never would've imagined."
"Well, we don't know each other and you were the one to cut off our last conversation, so of course not."
"Do you not have kids yourself?"
"Please move away. And no, I don't…"
The man smirked as if he had just won something and leaned closer still, "Is that so? Guess that boyfriend of yours isn't too concerned with keeping you." (F/n) felt like she'd just swallowed her tongue. "If I had a girl like you on my arm, I'd try to make you as depended of me as possible, so you wouldn't want to leave."
Her eyes were wide with fear when the bathroom door opened up again, Tamaki and Satoshi hesitantly coming back out. The shorter boy was now almost completely hidden behind the blond, but Tamaki looked determined. As they came back out, the guy backed away a little, at least enough for (F/n) to breathe. He kept his smile on for the boys, even as they suddenly stepped in between him and (F/n).
"You leave (L/n)-sensei, alone!"
"Y-yeah… you're scary."
The (h/c)'s heart melted a little more for the boys, but when the guy looked up at her as if silently saying, Aren't they adorable thinking that's going to stop me?, she felt another seed of panic take root.
Quickly placing her hands on the back of their heads, she began steering them back to the movie room, "Come on, you two. Let's get back."
"I'll wait for you out here, then." The barest graze of something against her butt had (F/n) squeaking and spinning around, keeping the man in her sights as she hurried herself and the kids back through the doors. The last thing she saw was his creepy-ass smile and a wink before the doors closed.
The panic in her chest only grew larger when the lights inside suddenly turned back on, the rest of the kids chattering immediately about the movie they had just finished. She didn't want to go back out there so soon, and definitely not with the large number of kids around her. She didn't need them exposed to someone like… that.
"Natsuo-sensei! Natsuo-sensei! (L/n)-sensei needs help!" Tamaki's loud voice rang clear above the noise, causing more than a few heads to turn in their direction. (F/n) attempted to recollect herself, but it was no use. Before she knew it, half of her class was running towards her, telling her not to cry and that everything was going to be alright. Of course, that only served to make the woman more emotional. These kids were just too sweet... she really didn't want to cry in front of them. How was anyone supposed to take her seriously if they told their parents that night their teacher had cried on the field trip?
It took Natsuo-san only a few seconds to reach her from the other side of the room, quickly navigating the wide pool of children surrounding her, "What happened?"
"There was a scary man talking to her outside!" Tamaki stomped his foot, "He was being mean and scaring (F/n)-sensei! Make him go away!"
"I…" (F/n) forced herself to meet the other teacher's eyes, "He was making very suggestive comments and said he'd be waiting for me outside the auditorium, and…" she trailed off, not wanting the kids to know the man had inappropriately touched her and basically said he wanted to own her and use her as a child-making machine. She felt like she was going to be sick.
Natsuo-san's jaw clenched and he turned to the tour guide, who understandably looked nervous in the other man's stare, "Do something. Call security and get that man off of the premise."
"Yes, Natsuo-san. Um… would you like me to put on another movie for the children while you wait?"
"That would be very kind, thank you."
As the guide quickly hurried back to his controls and the kids began crawling back into their seats, the older man gently touched (F/n)'s shoulder, making sure she could see the hand and back away if need be. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah… I will be. It's not the first time I've seen him, though. I just didn't want him to be around the kids. If he's following me around…"
"Get a restraining order."
The lights in the auditorium dimmed once more, but (F/n) continued to stare at the other teacher, "What?"
"You heard me. Get a restraining order against him."
"I don't even know his name."
"Then if you ever see him again, get his name, then get a restraining order. But please be careful until you get one. Stalkers aren't a laughing matter, (L/n)-san. Promise me."
"I… yes, I'll get one if he shows up again."
"Good. Do you want me to alert the school board about him?"
"No. He should know better than to show up at the school looking for me."
The man hesitated, then nodded before turning towards the tour guide who had come back with his boss, whom he'd radioed in. Despite everything, (F/n) found herself giving her co-worker a small smile. They might not talk much, but clearly Natsuo was a good guy. And if he felt she needed a restraining order against the guy and he'd never met him before… then maybe she should consider it. Whether or not it would hold up in court was another matter.
Still, it meant a lot to her that he cared.
*Time Skip*
Kyoya all but collapsed against the elevator wall the moment the doors closed. Letting out a deep sigh, he shut his eyes for a brief second before straightening up. He had been running around the building all day today, and his lack of daily physical exercise was showing. Perhaps he should take a closer look at the gym he'd spotted downtown?
With a pleasant ding, the doors slid open, and Kyoya couldn't remember a time he'd been so grateful to see his own office floor. Trudging out of the elevator, he made his way to the secretary's desk. The woman looked oddly cheerful as she typed away at her computer, her brown eyes briefly straying away from the screen as he approached.
"Nishi-san, are there any more… catastrophes I must attend to today?" Kyoya had no idea what was going on, but he was more than a little concerned that the building was falling apart beneath his feet. He wasn't sure if he should be thankful or concerned that on the very day he wasn't scheduled to have any meetings or phone calls, nearly every department in the building had experienced some sort of a malfunction. He'd already paid the marketing department three different visits for three different problems in the past three hours! He was losing his mind! Why couldn't any of them just... call I.T.?
With a smile, the woman returned to her computer and pulled up another spreadsheet. Kyoya was already thinking of something he could give the woman to repay her for today. If it weren't for Nishi-san and her scheduling, there was no way he would've made it to all the different departments as the problems continued popping up. Perhaps a gift card? Or a small floral arrangement that conveyed his gratitude?
The brunette hummed before turning back to the man with a smile, "It looks like you're all done for the day. I'm sorry for sending you all over the place without much of a break, but now you actually have a completely clear schedule. You can even pick your son up from school on time!"
"I can?" Kyoya blinked at the wall clock hanging in front of him a few times before he managed a pleased, if yet somewhat fatigued smile, "Well… I'm sure Tamaki will appreciate the surprise. Thank you, Nishi-san, but may I ask that tomorrow I'm given some breathing room between my... erm... appointments?"
The woman gave a high-pitched laughed, "I don't control the building, Ootori-san, but I'll try my best! Now, shoo! Go get your son. I'm sure he'll be so excited to see you!"
Kyoya did as she asked, walking into his office with a hint of a spring in his step. The secretary smiled after her employer, even as he shut the office door behind him. Through the glass walls that separated the two now, she watched out of the corner of her eye as the man quickly disappeared into a side room where he kept his personal items during the day.
Suddenly, the phone beside her began to ring.
With a smirk, she plucked it off the receiver, "You've reached the office of Ootori Kyoya, CEO of the Ootori Group. This is Nishi Hirata speaking."
"Hello, Nishi-san. My name is Hajime Kayumi and I represent the Hajime Electrical Corporation. May I speak with Ootori-san concerning the electrical layout of his latest project in Karuizawa?"
"Oh, I'm terribly sorry Hajime-san, but Ootori-san is not in today. Could I pencil you in for a phone or video call tomorrow afternoon? He'll be free after three o'clock."
"Hm… very well. I'll call at 3:30 tomorrow. Please tell him it is of utmost importance."
"Can do. Thank you for your patience, Hajime-san. I'll tell him straight-away."
"Thank you."
The two exchanged pleasantries and Hirata managed to set the phone back down just as Kyoya came back out into his office, car keys in hand. She let her eyes flick to them and back at his face when he re-entered her workspace, "My, that was quick. Excited?" The man gave her a sly smirk before bidding her a good evening and disappearing back into the elevator.
She waited until the doors closed before pulling up Kyoya's schedule for tomorrow. Plugging in his seventh phone meeting of the day, she observed her work. One day of having Kyoya not in the office would be totally worth it when he didn't leave her sight tomorrow.
Hirata sighed dreamily and stared at the office doors in front of her, her eyes tracing the golden plaque with Kyoya's name written on it with practiced ease.
*Short time skip*
"I see the school!" (F/n) smiled brightly as her's and Natsuo's classes took up the cheer, appearing to be oddly thrilled from spotting the pink buildings looming on the horizon. With the way the group suddenly sped up, she was almost convinced that they hadn't actually enjoyed every second they spent at the planetarium. But she knew better. Their little legs were just tired from all the walking. Not that she could blame them. Still, even with sore legs and the… incident... it had been a rather wonderful day if she did say so herself.
Humming as the afternoon sun warmed her back, she performed yet another head-count of the students in front of her. Aaaand… 20 pairs! 19 of mine and 21 of his. Perfect.
The closer the group got to the gates, the more limos they could spot waiting at the front. Some of the kids waved at their butlers and maids who were there to pick them up, but, to (F/n)'s pride, they didn't run off or let go of their partner's hands until both she and Natsuo gave them permission.
All at once, more than half of the kids ran over to their family's limos, already happily chattering away about their field trip. They hadn't brought their school bags or bento boxes that day, so they were free to leave immediately. (F/n) couldn't help but grin when she spotted the kids calling out their goodbyes not only to their own classmates and teacher, but to everyone else they had spent the day with. She gladly waved back to Natsuo's students as well as her own.
By the time most of the limos had left the parking lot and the rest of the student body who had stayed behind had also been picked up, only ten students remained in the two teacher's care. Natsuo somehow managed to corral his four remaining students and usher them onto the grass to wait for their parents outside in the sunlight, giving (F/n) a nod and parting smile. She considered following in his example and letting her kids play in the grass when Ai tugged on her pant leg.
"(L/n)-sensei? Can we still play blocks and color inside until our parents come? Or do we have to stay out here?" Instantly the other five students agreed with the girl's statement, begging (F/n) to let them go inside. Knowing when she was outvoted, the (h/c) gave a quick wave to the other teacher and began leading the six inside.
Only to have someone tap at her shoulder.
"Running away from me? I know you enjoy time with my son, but I didn't expect this of you, (L/n)-san." Shocked, (F/n) spun around to find Kyoya standing behind her, looking more than a little smug at surprising her.
"Papa!" Tamaki shrieked and did his best to tackle his father to the ground via his kneecaps, "You're here! You're early!"
"I am." Kyoya gladly reached down and lifted his son into his arms with a soft grunt, returning the hug before smiling at (F/n). The remaining children around her were staring at the man in quiet shock. So… this was the guy dating their teacher? Tama-kun's father? He looked much nicer than their parents said he was…
(F/n) found a huge smile stretching across her face against her will, "How'd you get here so early? I thought you didn't get even get out of work until 3:30?" She checked her wristwatch, suddenly worried that it might be broken.
"I don't, but my new secretary managed to adjust my schedule in such a way that I could leave early, if only just this once." The man smiled and risked a quick hand squeeze with his girlfriend. (F/n) was then left attempting to pretend like the touch wasn't sending arcs of lightning dancing along her spine.
Hoping her cheeks weren't bright red, (F/n) quickly retracted her hand, "So… um, I guess I'll see you tomorrow?"
Kyoya raised his eyebrows before hefting Tamaki further up his hip, "Actually, I was wondering if it would be alright for Tamaki and I to remain here until you left? There are a few things I'd like to speak to you about."
"Well, I-"
"Oh, please, (L/n)-sensei! Can we? I still wanna color with Ai!"
The (h/c) couldn't help the giggle she let out, "Well, if you both wish to stick around for a little while longer, then I suppose it's fine." Tamaki was cheering before she even finished her thought, twisting around in his father's grip until he was set down with the others. With loud laughter he quickly lead his classmates back to the school.
With an affectionate eye roll and a soft smirk, Kyoya gestured for (F/n) to walk with him. And really… how could she refuse?
)(
As the two walked up towards the school, keeping as close of an eye on the kindergartners as they could, they completely missed how someone was keeping watch on them as well. A pair of glaring eyes from one of the many windows in the school. An angry tick formed on the man's brow as he observed the... couple.
Geez… finishing this on Halloween night while Addam's Family plays in the background. Good times. I hope that everyone who celebrated it had a happy Halloween! And for those who don't, I hope you had a good October anyways!
If you liked this chapter, please favorite, follow, and leave a review! Reviews encourage me to keep writing! Just a little reminder!
See you next chapter!
Author's note: In Japan, restraining orders aren't very powerful. They're often referred to as a dead end. But I didn't want to delve super far into this character. I might include him a few more times for plot points, but he wasn't meant to be super important. Just a PSA