Perfect. The introduction had gone horribly but the outcome was better than Kyoya could have possibly wanted. Even better was the fact that Principal Suoh adored him, and would probably ask Kyoya to be a good example and give poor, unfortunate Kagome a tour of their glamorous campus grounds as soon as their meeting concluded. Maybe he would use different words; Kyoya doubted it.
Tamaki's father was the closest thing he had to a fun uncle. Kyoya almost wanted to say father-figure, but he had a father, and the Ootori patriarch and Mr. Suoh were nothing alike. They hardly even got along at functions they happened to both attend, Mr. Suoh's attempts at awkward small talk always a distraction for Kyoya to sneak off with his best friend to find the rest of their group.
(Still, Kyoya was glad for the positive influences the father and son pair had on him, even if he'd take that to his grave.)
Kyoya heard a stiff "yes, sir," before Kagome came storming out of the office. She locked eyes with him. The gold was glittering with rage. Kagome jerked her head into a nod forward, and Kyoya delightedly led her back down the hallway.
"I don't know what you're playing at," Kagome warned irritatedly, "but I won't be the one to lose."
"I don't know what you've heard," Kyoya replied, unable to keep the purr from his tone, "but I don't play."
She scowled at him, but the irritation was fleeting and short lived. His, however, was born when she asked: "Am I supposed to be impressed?"
"That's the general idea, yes."
"Fine. I'm impressed at how well you play the fool."
Kagome had teeth, then. Fine.
"Not very hard to impress a meathead like you, huh Higurashi? We can't all be jocks, I su-"
A loud thump as Kyoya's back was pushed against a pillar, his head smacking into it and knocking his glasses askew. On impact, the air was forced out of his lungs in a harsh wheeze. He was quickly distracted from breathlessness by Kagome lifting him up bythe front of his jacket. She looked… furious. Her long black hair hung in frazzled strands around her face, framing a set of glittering and dark eyes. It was like the gold had been tarnished- or tainted with something.
Kyoya had been joking. He had been joking, holy shit, he didn't think she could actually- she was half a foot shorter than him, for fucks sake-
"H-hey, Higur-" Kyoya tried, but then she roughly shook him by the lapels to shut him up. For once, he listened.
"Listen to me, Ootori." Kagome didn't wait for him to respond, instead barrelling on in a cold and hard tone: "I don't really know you, or your family. I don't give a shit about either. But," and here, she punctuated every word with another shake, nearly knocking the boys glasses off entirely, "I. Do. Not. Want. My. Family's. Name. In. Your. Mouth. Did I explain that right? Am I coming across clearly?"
Kyoya nodded, too startled- hell, scared- to do much else. In the next second Kagome had let go of him, backed a meter away and smiled sweetly like nothing had happened.
"Cool! So where's our first period?"
What the fuck had just happened? Kyoya, still speechless, simply pointed down the hallway. He didn't lead, not liking the idea of having Kagome at his back. He was silent the entire way back to class- which was now in homeroom, as first period ended during the meeting with Principal Suoh. He was silent even as their teacher introduced Kagome under the family name Takahashi. She sat down silently and opened her textbook to the correct page number. As easily as that, Higurashi Kagome was a part of their lives now.
Kyoya realized: he had never told Kagome his name. His head whipped around to look at her, but Kagome was dutifully focused on the blackboard, writing notes with a cheap pencil and cheaper looking notebook. They were similar to the ones Haruhi, his commoner friend, touted about in her bookbag.
"I don't really know you, or your family."
That, Kyoya realized, did not mean she didn't know of them. Momentarily, he considered letting his father know about this, but decided that the consequences weren't worth it. At least, not yet. Things had to be pretty dire for him to call on Yoshiro's assistance.
He would not answer a call for a teen girl focusing on her studies. Kyoya would be shamed for asking it. And besides, Kagome didn't look machiavellian, but she did look a bit...
I don't know what you're playing at, but I won't be the one to lose.
Interesting.
AN: hope you enjoyed. be safe, and happy.- v
