When Kyōya got up and went to the door, he found an out of breath Erika standing there. "What? Was there something else?" His mind couldn't figure out why she was back at his door. Could she have known that he had wanted her to stay? No, that wasn't it.

"What did she mean that you got a new dog? The girl from before told me. You got a dog, so you're done playing with girls. She said she just came here to pick something up," she puffed out.

He cringed a little about her words and thought it over but he decided to try and play it off as something innocent. "I wish she hadn't said that."

Of course, Erika wasn't stupid and she quickly picked up on his mood. "The dog's me, right? What does it mean that you stopped because of me?"

He sighed heavily. Marie was making it harder than it needed to be to talk to Erika. He understood that Marie, in her own way, was making him have to think about the situation. "Nothing. I've just gotten numb to it," he finally answered her. And that was the honest truth. He was getting tired of girls hanging onto him and pleading to be with him. He didn't realize that he had been shutting down other girl's questions after agreeing to be with Erika.

"Numb? What does that…?" she trailed off.

At that moment, something clicked in Kyōya and he felt that he needed to defend himself against her questions. "How should I know? Maybe I just picked up some stupid ways of thinking from you." For once there was no heat behind his words, not even a sneer. He had wanted to go after her just ten minutes ago, to have her stay with him.

Erika hung her head. "What does that mean?" She paused then continued, "It's not just my imagination. I really do like you."

Kyōya fully looked at her and could see that she was trying to work through whatever was on her mind. Her pronouncing, again, that she liked him made him feel even more like an ass. He did stomp all over her earlier profession but he didn't want to admit the same feelings. Hell, he didn't want to acknowledge them at all, because it meant that something could go wrong and he would end up...NO! He gnashed his teeth. This is the whole reason he wanted to keep Erika as far away from him as possible. He listened to what she had to say.

"You pissed me off, so I considered giving up for a minute, but I'd never lie about my own feelings. So, I won't quit. Even if you don't believe me now, I'll keep saying it until you do! I'll keep trying! This isn't over!" By the end she had looked back up at him and there was that light of determination in her eyes again.

Kyōya thought he had his emotions in check but when she looked at him, the seal snapped. At first, he wanted to lash out and drive her away. There was no way that this relationship was going to last. Not with how it started. But then a feeling of his own determination filled him up. If she was serious enough to admit it to him and keep trying, then at least he can try to match up to her. Although, he wasn't going to make it that easy for her, not when she pulls lies out of the air. "I think you mean, 'This isn't over, sir.'" Her mood soured but he wasn't finished. "And you don't have to keep trying. I hate it when you get persistent, so I'll just believe you. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens."

The air around Erika changed from angry and uncertain to surprised and hesitant. "So?

"So?"

"What does it mean if you believe me?"

"What do you mean?" He wanted to smile, he knew what she was asking for but she was going to have to work for the answer.

"Well, I mean…do you like me or not?" She wasn't looking at him when she asked.

He turned his head away and smiled a little. "Who knows?"

"Huh? If you don't make your feelings clear, I won't know what to do!"

He looked back at her, his smile growing. She didn't know it yet but he was already falling for her. "Then why not agonize over it? Why not spend your days in anguish, hanging on my every word and action?"

The look in her eyes turned to one of lost hope. He chuckled to himself as he continued, "Sounds fun, huh?"

They stood there for a little bit until Erika got over her hopelessness. "Kyōya why do you always…"

"Go home Erika," he said. She had that look in her face that told him that she was wondering about something that he couldn't quite answer yet. "If it makes you feel any better, I'll pick you up tomorrow."

Erika looked at him for a minute until the question finally made sense to her. She threw her hands up and backed away. "No, no, you don't have to do that. Walking home with you is enough."

"Okay," he simply said, although, he had hoped that maybe she would go for it. "Go home Erika. I'll see you tomorrow." He stood straight and turned to go into his home, but before he could completely turn, Erika shot forward. She pecked him on the cheek then dashed for the stairs.

He looked at her as she quickly made her way down. How did this even happen? Did caring for him make her mad or was she that happy? He grinned, that had been a shy kiss and it made him feel that maybe she could still be his, rightfully. He walked into his home and turned out the lights, heading for bed. When he finally lied down, he touched where she had kissed him and remembered that it had been a soft touch, nothing more than a whisper. "Erika…what have you done to me…?" he asked to no one. Then he rolled over and slowly fell asleep.

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The next day at school Kyōya couldn't figure out what to do with his situation. At first, he thought that maybe he can start to be a nice guy toward Erika, although he was putting that lightly on being nice. Then his other part was shaking its head at him and laughing, telling him that he shouldn't change even if he did like her. By the time lunch rolled around he didn't want to see Erika. But he forced himself to act like nothing was out of sorts and have lunch with Erika.

Her on the other hand… She looked like she was walking on egg shells. Erika didn't look him in the face and she kept her head ducked. She only said her usual 'hello' and quietly eat her lunch.

He watched her and felt a little out of place. If anything, he should be the one feeling like he had some big secret that no one else knew except her and him. But…That wasn't the case and his mind was wondering into uncharted territory. Finally, he had to say something. "About last night…"

"It wasn't anything. I just…" she trailed off, looking away after she had looked up at him.

"I don't care what you think but don't do it again," he said. Once again, there was no venom in his words, just a warning. He didn't mind the kiss but it made him feel off and he wanted his balance back. He didn't want her just throwing kisses around because if she caught him with surprise again, there was no guarantee that he would keep his hands to himself.

She sank lower into her chair. "Okay," she mumbled.

After they ate, she hauled ass away from him, heading toward her next class and he watched as she dashed away. Of course, there was nothing he could do to make her understand that she was playing with a nasty fire. Well, except keep being a complete asshole towards her.

He headed toward his next class, hoping that the walk home would be a little more eventful than lunch had been.

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They met at her locker and she was still a little shy around him. He opened the door for her at the front and they made their way toward her home. He waved to a couple of girls, his mood for once being good. He was happy that she was walking with him and that she wasn't acting like he was going to spring something.

There wasn't much said as they headed toward the park and he was okay with that, although, his bad side was starting to scratch hard at his mind. It knew that this wouldn't last long and he shouldn't open himself up so fast. He knew that but couldn't he just enjoy it for the moment, at least until he could understand the implications.

As they were passing an enclosed field, someone yelled, "Look out!" Kyōya looked to his right and took a half step back. Before he could grab Erika, she was hit by the fast-coming soccer ball.

She fell to her knees, holding the side of her face. "Ow…" she mumbled. She didn't cry but he could see that she was more surprised than anything else.

"You could have dodged that," he told her before he could stop his mouth.

"You okay?" A familiar voice asked. Kyōya looked back to the field and wasn't surprised to see Takeru. "Sorry! I'm the one that kicked that. Really sorry!"

Kyōya rolled his eyes. His friend was truly a muscle head. He was the only one Kyōya knew that could do something without realizing how much strength he was using. The kids that were around Takeru gave him shit for his bruteness and were unrelenting. Finally, Takeru came forward and apologized right at Erika.

"I just got too into it," he said, bowing a little.

Kyōya hit him before he could put any thought into it. The idiot.

"K-Kyōya! You don't have to go that far," Erika tried to defend.

Takeru quickly recovered. "No. It's natural to be angry when you see a woman injured. Now, hit me wherever you want!" He opened his shirt to show his stomach.

Kyōya rolled his eyes again, he sometimes wondered about Takeru. "How long will you keep this up, Takeru?" he asked.

"Huh?" Takeru looked fully at Kyōya and realized it was him. "Oh! Kyōya, it's you!"

"Took you long enough."

"Huh?" Erika asked. "You know each other?"

Kyōya turned back to Erika and nodded his head. "Yeah, I know him."

Takeru quickly came around Kyōya and shook her hand. "Let me make it up to you for hitting you." He smiled.

Kyōya narrowed his eyes at Takeru. Was he trying to make a move? No, Takeru wouldn't be that boneheaded to do that. He knew that Kyōya would beat the crap out of him for trying something.

"S-Sure. Kyōya would that be okay? I don't want to ruin anything if you had plans," Erika asked him. She had that look of wanting to find a place and hide for a little.

He nodded his head and sighed. "Lead the way Takeru."

Takeru lead them to a café that was just in the city and they quickly found a seat in the back. They had ordered some drinks before and they sat for a moment before Takeru started in.

"Well, I really am sorry about before. I'd never have imagined it was your girlfriend I'd hit," he explained.

Of course, Erika honed in on the use of "Girlfriend" and Kyōya quickly corrected him. "No, she's not my girlfriend."

Takeru seemed not to hear him because he went on. "You've been such a stranger!" That's because I've been busy with Erika's crap. Takeru started patting him on the shoulder. "When you get a girlfriend, you're supposed to tell your best friend right away!"

To hell with that! Kyōya shoved his hand into Takeru's face, getting him to stop hitting his shoulder. "That hurts, dummy. You really do have brute strength. And close your shirt. It's disgusting." He let go of Takeru and preceded to resume his natural pose, hand under chin and looking at these people with contempt.

"Check out my sixpack!" Takeru pronounced. Once again trying to get Kyōya to punch him.

Kyōya eyed him, the stare letting him know that the discussion was over. Takeru turned away from him and spoke to Erika. "I'm Takeru Hibiya. Pleasure to meet you!"

"Oh, hey. I'm Erika Shinohara. Are you two childhood friends?" She looked between the two and when she finally looked at Kyōya fully, she backed away a little. He was sure that the look he was giving Takeru made her unsure of what was going on between them.

Takeru didn't even notice the look, for he continued in his normal manner. "No, I've known him since middle school. We still run into each other now and then. We ended up in different high schools."

Kyōya closed his eyes, there was a reason. "I just couldn't stand a school with all guys."

"But that's the fun part! Although if you'd come to my school, you never would've met your cute girlfriend," he said, looking at Erika.

When will he ever learn? The girl was not his girlfriend, at least right now she wasn't. "I told you, she's not…" but he couldn't finish.

Takeru moved closer to Erika and told her, "If Kyōya ever makes you cry, let me know." He raised his fist and smiled. "I'll give him a pounding!"

Kyōya frowned, why is it that everyone wants to protect her? He could understand from other people but from him? He wouldn't…do… The thought finally settled into his mind and he almost pinched himself. When he honestly thought about it, yeah, she needed some protection but he wouldn't be that callous. "As usual, he doesn't listen to anyone," it was more for himself then toward Takeru but that didn't stop it from being said.

Takeru continued to talk to Erika and Kyōya sat back and watched them. He could feel that something was off with Erika and he looked closely at her. She was making light talk but there was something under her voice. He tried to pin what it was but she was making sure to keep a lid on it as much as possible. Finally, he gave up and decided it was time to change the scenery. "Hitting the bathroom." He got up and headed toward the front. He looked back and noticed that Erika was watching his every move but she quickly ducked her head and looked away. He smirked, she was trying to understand this whole thing but she was acting like she was in heat.

Every time he thought he had her understood, she let slip something that made him rethink. He turned back and headed for the bathroom. The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. She acted like someone new to dating, in fact, he was sure that she was. So, when she looked at him with unabated lust, it made him stifle the urge to grab her and show her what her eyes showed him. Erika needed to learn to hide that crap because one of these days, she was going to find out how wicked she made him feel. Then there was the fact that she didn't know the difference between using and actual feelings. Granted, he was using her at first but then something changed to where he had actual feelings for her, although he isn't for sure himself.

When he made it back to the table, the air around it was nauseating. Takeru and Erika were locked into a tense but laid back conversation and he couldn't stomach the show. He sat down and Erika stopped talking and looked at him. "You okay?"

He frowned, come to think of it, he did feel a little sick to the stomach. He felt that it was how well the two were getting along but there was something definitely eating at his stomach. "No, I think I'll head home. Do you think you can make it home yourself?" He didn't want to leave if she couldn't make it. He'd kick himself for being so careless…Ha!

"It's okay Kyōya. Takeru offered to walk home with me while you were gone," she explained.

Kyōya looked at Takeru and could feel that something was up but his insides did a flop and that made the decision. "Okay…" He stood and looked at Erika. She once again watched as he moved and that light of passion stole over her eyes. Was she thinking of something or did that happen every time he moved?

"Bye, see you tomorrow Kyōya," she said, waving to him.

He didn't wave back but nodded his head. He left the café and headed toward his house, thinking that today had just been a little too upside down for him.

When he made it home, his stomach was in a knot and it was a little hard to breath. He unlocked the door and the smell of tofu hit him, that's when his stomach had enough. He dropped everything in his hands and ran for the bathroom. His dad poked his head out of the kitchen as he ran by, "What's wrong?"

Kyōya didn't stop. He barely made it to the toilet before he was heaving what little lunch he ate and the drink from the café. His dad stood in the doorway, looking a little worried. "Did something upset your stomach?"

Before Kyōya could even answer, another wave of nausea hit and it brought him to one knee. He heaved what little was left on his stomach and coughed for the rest. Finally, his stomach settled down and he sat on the floor for a moment. "I think there was something in the lunch today." He placed a hand over his face and tried to calm the roll in his stomach. Of course, it wasn't just the lunch, it was the fact that his body was trying to get use to the idea of someone who wanted him.

"Oh, well, if you can't eat tonight, that's okay. I'll just throw it in the fridge. Do I need to get you a glass of water?" his dad asked.

Kyōya shook his head a little. "Just leave me be," he said softly. He heard his dad sigh then walk away. He pulled his hand away and looked at his dad's retreating back. He couldn't do anything to help him because there wasn't anything he could do. Kyōya was battling with himself over what he felt for Erika and he wasn't about to let his dad in on that.

He pulled his knees up to his chest and pressed his forehead to them. He closed his eyes and focused on calming down his stomach and thinking about not going to school tomorrow. After this close call, he didn't want to attempt it if it meant getting up in the middle of class. That would make him look bad. But soon the roll stopped and he wasn't feeling shaky anymore. He uncurled himself and looked up at the sink. That was going to be his way up but when he moved for it, his stomach lurched and he stopped. Holy hell!

That was not going to work. He looked over toward the shower and it didn't take him long to change direction. He pulled his shirt off and used it to reach the controls for the shower. Once everything was going he worked on his pants. He sat on the edge of the shower, pulled his pants down, pushing them down to his ankles, then kicked them off and crawled into the shower. He sat in the spray, just enjoying the feel until he could stand back up. When he finally made it to his feet, he washed, then slowly got out to dry off.

He wrapped the towel around his waist and slowly walked toward his room. He found the comfort-ablest clothes he could find and got dressed. No more did he decide to go to bed early, his dad walked in. "Hey, Kyōya, Takeru's at the door."

Kyōya sighed heavily. "Tell him to go away. I don't feel good."

"I told him you don't feel good and he then insisted on coming in," he said, sounding tired.

"Too late," Takeru said as he ducked around Kyōya's dad.

Kyōya looked at Takeru and closed his eyes, bowing his head. "Just for a little bit. Then you go home because I'm too tired for you to stay longer."

"You bet!" Takeru said. Kyōya opened his eyes just in time for Takeru to take a seat on his chair.

"We'll be fine dad," Kyōya spoke.

His dad nodded his head then left the room. That's when Takeru started in on him. "Kyōya, which of these do you prefer?"

Kyōya looked at the notebook that seemed to come from nowhere and suppressed a sigh. The man was going to bother him over some stupid stuff. "Get it out of my face. Did you come here at this hour to ask me stupid questions?"

Takeru's smile just broadened. "I was thinking about it and I realized I don't know your type. I want to know for future reference."

Kyōya wanted to smack his forehead. How was it that he wanted to ask these question's right after meeting Erika? "What kind of reference?" he asked.

"Never mind that, just choose!" Takeru spoke, pushing the notebook back into his face.

"Then this one," he said, trying to get Takeru off him. Kyōya swallowed back the sudden urge to hit the ass. That was too quick of an answer and he didn't have the decency to try and point it away from Erika. It was too easy to figure out that he was doing this to help Erika. The woman didn't need the help; she was doing just fine. After that, Takeru was firing off question after question and Kyōya almost burst. He answered but all he wanted was for Takeru to go home, so he didn't pay any attention to what they were.

Finally, Takeru ran out of questions and Kyōya was exhausted. He looked at the clock and nearly passed out, it was eleven at night. "Damn it, Takeru, go home!" he finally snapped. He was not going to wait around until Takeru came up with new ones.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to stay so late. Good luck tomorrow," Takeru said as he made for the door.

Kyōya's head hung forward, he was so not going to want to get up tomorrow. At least his stomach wasn't rolling and he felt somewhat normal again. He slowly stood up and walked the few paces back to his bed. He sat down and before he could even pull the sheets back, he was out.

When he woke up the next morning, there was a blanket draped across him and a note sitting on his bedside table. It read, Had to go to work. Sorry that I couldn't be there this morning. I should be back the day after tomorrow. Love you, Dad. Kyōya rolled back around and lied in bed for a moment. This sucks, he had actually wanted to talk to his dad about something and the butt wasn't even home.

Finally, he got out of bed and got ready for school. He was tired, yes, but at least he was feeling a hell of a lot better than yesterday. He grabbed an energy bar and headed out. When he made it to school, he was starting to feel that drain on his energy and get tired. He headed for his locker and then heard,

"Good morning, Kyōya!"

There was a spring to her voice and it surprised him. She never sounded like that in the morning nor did she sound like that towards him. He turned around and couldn't believe his eyes. Erika had her hair up and there was a pair of glasses on her face. At first he wanted to say something that would have made her melt to the ground but then last night slapped him in the face. Damn it, Takeru, she didn't need the help at all. "What's with that?" he asked.

"Well, it's a new season, so I thought I'd go for an intellectual image change," she explained.

"Oh?" he hummed. Erika could pull it off but she didn't need to. She was cute? in her own way but this was something she needed to understand. He walked up to her and she seemed a little surprised. Before she could get any bright ideas, he pulled the glasses off. He chuckled to himself, "I knew they were fake."

"S-So?"

"They don't suit you," he told her. He was trying to tell her but then he thought of something better.

"What? You piss me off! I don't want to hear that from you!" she roared back.

He smiled then put the glasses on as he said, "Say those words…" He turned around and hit her was a dazzling smile. His eyes eating her up. "One more time," he finished.

She couldn't move and the heat that immediately raised to her face had him pulling back on himself. She had the nicest reactions to his advances but sometimes they threatened to pull him in to. He loved how she couldn't hide her emotions from him, although he didn't like when she was angry because it pulled at her eyes. "Erika," he pulled the glasses off, "make sure to put these away. You really don't need them."

She slowly took the glasses from him and nodded her head. "Sure." She took a couple of steps from him then turned back to him. "Meet me outside today for lunch?"

He looked at her and thought about it. "Okay," he said.

She turned away and continued. He watched her go then shook his head, when was the girl going to learn that she doesn't have to do anything different? He turned back to his locker got his stuff around and headed to class.

Lunch rolled around and he was wondering what she was thinking about doing this time. Of course, it was starting to make sense after he thought about her display this morning. Takeru was trying to help her. He went outside to wait for her on the bench but after thirty minutes he was beginning to wonder just where the hell she was. Just when he thought about heading in he heard, "Kyōya!"

"You're late. How long does it take to buy one can of juice…" he stopped. The urge to facepalm his forehead was so strong, he balled his hands. "What are you doing?" he asked. Erika was holding a pole with his drink on the end. She looked a little shaky and seemed a little unsure of what to do next.

Her cheeks turned red as she explained, "I-I just randomly decided to keep my distance."

He couldn't decide if this was completely her idea or Takeru told her to do it, at least the pole idea that is. Kyōya played it to his advantage though. "Oh? So, you don't want to get close to me?"

"What? It's not like that!"

"Too bad. I really felt like petting a stupid dog's head." He grabbed his drink and preceded to get around.

"What? Really?" That perked her up. He placed her bag on the end of the pole. "Ow! Hey…heavy…Hey! What about petting my head? Kyōya!" He walked away.

He spied back at her and saw that she had a slight peeved look and then she pulled at her hair, clearly mad that something wasn't going right. He grinned to himself and continued to class. She wasn't going to get her way and he only wanted to make this fun.

But what topped everything off was towards the end of school. He had been thinking that he wanted to ask her something about this weekend but then Erika ruined it. She had called out his name in the hallway and when he turned around, he couldn't help the look he gave. She looked ridiculous, with a turtle on her head and those damn glasses back on, and the words that came out her mouth didn't help her case.

"O-On th' way home, wouldja mind talkin' with me 'bout cell phone usage in th' Galapagos Archipelago? Well? Biceps brachii muscle!" She sounded like some drunk person and he was pretty sure that Takeru had made her remember that line of crap.

He turned away from her. There was nothing he could do or say that would help her or not make him sound like a total asshole. He chose to walk away and as fast as he could, because he felt that that level of stupid would rub off onto him. Erika needed to take a page out of her friend's book and stand on her own two feet, because… he shivered. That was just painful to see and hear and yet he still liked the girl. She was trying, he could give her that.

He headed to his locker and got his things together then he headed to Erika's. She was closing her locker and heading for the door when he rounded the corner. "Erika?"

She froze, her shoulders hitching up, then she looked back at him over her shoulder. "O-Oh, Kyōya! I was just going…"

"Erika," he stopped her. "You don't have to walk alone. I'm going with you." He didn't leave any room for her to decline or protest.

She hung her head but then popped back up and said, "You don't have to worry about that. I got to meet San by the fields so that we can go over our studies for an upcoming test." She smiled and quickly ran out the door.

He followed her through the doors and watched as she sprinted toward the park, heading home. He frowned, why did she have to lie? She could have easily told him that she didn't want to walk with him but then again he had said that he was going to walk with her. He shook his head. Erika was going to pay for running off like that. He didn't care if he had wanted to do something sort of nice this weekend, she needs to learn that she is his and that was that.

He started walking home. When he was about half way there, his phone rang. He pulled out his phone and looked at the caller ID, Takeru. He couldn't help the sigh that came out as he answered the phone. "Hello?"

"Kyōya, I have a question for you. Would you mind coming to my school's festival? It would be a nice change of scenery for you and it would give you a chance to see what you're missing."

"No," he said flatly.

There was a pause then Takeru calmly said, "Kyōya you are going to this festival, even if I have to go over to your house and drag you here myself. I done asked Erika to come and it would be nice to see you here too."

Kyōya was surprised to hear that Erika was going. She hadn't asked him about it nor has she talked to him about doing anything together. It was odd to have Takeru asking but then again could this be another ploy? He thought about it then told Takeru, "Fine, I'll go. But understand that it will only be for about an hour, nothing more."

When Takeru spoke next, Kyōya could hear the excitement in his voice. "See you Saturday!" Then the phone went dead.

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When Kyōya showed up to Takeru's school, there was a load of people standing in line to enter the school, his irritation hit level seven. What's so special about this festival that flocks and flocks of people would come? He stood there, slowly his anger mounting, when suddenly he was pulled to the left and stumbling over his own feet. "What the hell?" he yelled.

"You don't have to yell," Takeru's voice said next to his ear.

Kyōya pulled away from Takeru and looked at him, then what he was going to say died on his lips. Takeru was wearing a ridiculous maids outfit and there was this air of being super nice. He stepped farther away from Takeru, sweeping his clothes off, hoping to get rid of the feeling of creepiness. "What's with that outfit?" He couldn't help the distain dripping from his voice.

Takeru looked down, he pulled on the outfit, then looked back up. "What? You don't like it? It's for our station in the festival. We're hosting a maid's café."

Kyōya took another step away, there was something strangely fucked up about that idea. Especially for a school with nothing but boys in it. "I want to say something but I'd rather not hear you go on about it, so what was the idea of pulling me from the line?"

Takeru looked from him to the line then back, "Oh…That…I already had your admission paid for. No need adding more money to the pile." He smiled and then grabbed Kyōya, dragging him into the school. It took less than five minutes for them to make it to where the café had been sat-up on the second floor. Takeru shoved Kyōya through the door and was about to give him a piece of his mind when mocha brown eyes caught his attention.

Erika was watching them with interest but Kyōya almost missed the flash of laugher that danced through her eyes when he caught her from the corner of his eye. His heart fluttered for a second, that was the first time he ever saw her have such amusement showing. Of course, she laughs, but that flash of pure amusement, it had his emotions going ape-shit. There were no other words to describe what was going on with him at that moment.

"I see Takeru finally found you," Erika finally spoke.

Kyōya shut his mouth, which pissed him off, he wasn't that surprised to see her, but still... With slight grinding of his teeth and finally pulled back his emotions, he spoke, "Yeah, but he could have let me know that I didn't have to wait in line."

Erika smiled, "Yeah, it would have been nice to know that, but he didn't catch me in time. He promised me that he would pay me back, although."

"He..." Kyōya started but Takeru interrupted.

"No, I really should have told you guys but I was so damn excited about you guys coming that I forgot to say something. Please," he came around Kyōya and gestured to a table in front, "have a seat."

Both Erika and Kyōya sat down and Takeru took off towards the back. Kyōya was about to say something but Takeru fluttered back around to them with glasses of water. "What will you guys have?"

"Something sweet," Erika piped up quickly.

Kyōya turned a stare at her, he wasn't much for sweets. He'd rather have something a little on the sour side. "I think I'll..." He never got to finish because Takeru took off again. "Damn it," he whispered.

"What was that?" Erika asked. She was looking at him with a mix of uncertainty and... Kyōya couldn't put a finger on the other emotion floating in her eyes.

When he tried, it just disappeared, like the word was there but not quite there. He opened his mouth to say something but it seemed the universe didn't want him to speak to Erika today because Takeru popped back around them and sat a plate down in front of them.

Kyōya was surprised and he couldn't hold back his words, "It's huge."

Erika clapped her hands together and smiled brightly. "It looks wonderful! Is it good?"

Takeru laughed, "Yes! Now go ahead and try it, then we'll go on a tour around the school to show you what all we have here today." Then Takeru was gone again.

Erika picked up her fork and took a small bite from the cake looking thing. For a full five seconds, she didn't move, then with hungry glee she started digging into the cake. "This is sooo good," she huffed out between a bite. "Try a taste."

Kyōya eyed her then the cake, he didn't want to try it but something about the way she asked had him taking a very small bite. At first his nose wrinkled in distaste but then it turned into surprise. It was sweet but then it turned sour, like some mad version of sour worms. He took another bite, a much bigger bite, and chewed slowly on it. Halfway through he opened his eyes to see Erika staring at him. He stopped and looked squarely at her, she looked up into his eyes and quickly looked away, a blush blooming across her checks. "What?" he finally bit out.

She shook her head and slowly started eating her half of the cake. When she finished, she sat her fork down and patently waited for him to finish. When he finished, she gathered her things and waited for Takeru to come back around. Kyōya looked at her trying to figure out if she was upset about something or that there was something on her mind that she hadn't quite got the courage to ask about. He thought about asking her but the way the day was going, he decided that it was best to just wait until they got moving around the place. It wasn't long until Takeru made his way back to them and told them to follow him to the hallway.

As they were making their way, Takeru seemed to be thinking of something hard because when the entrance of a dark theme came up he quickly turned to them. "Our specialty is this haunted house. Don't miss it, okay?"

Kyōya looked at the doorway and couldn't help slip, "Oh?" How could this be their best attraction? It didn't look anything like it would be scary, let alone worth going through. But his thoughts were cut short when Takeru suddenly yelled, making him look where he was pointing. "Holy hell, there're brawny guys like that here, too?" He didn't miss the fact that Takeru slowly moved back away from him.

Kyōya stayed looking forward but tried to listen as best he could to the talking going on behind him. He couldn't hear much over the excited chatter and the occasional scream but he could pick out some of Erika's words, he would always hear her voice. "Play... Fragile...Don't...work on Kyōya...Yeah! Let's do it!" He sighed, Erika really didn't need the help. He so badly wanted to turn around and tell them to stop conspiring but he was interested in what Erika would do, at least for now.

When they entered the haunted house, Erika quickly saddled up to his side. He rolled his eyes, it wasn't even scary, although it was incredibly dark. They started walking down the hallway and a bright light slowly glowed to life, Erika screamed and Kyōya placed a finger to his ear. Holy Christ! The woman was going to make him go deaf from all her screaming and they only just started. He sighed then quickly moved forward to get away from her, he wasn't going to listen to her screaming and yelling.

"Oh, no! Stay away!" she yelled.

He sighed, "You can see the fishing line." He moved farther away. Trying to move through this place as fast as possible.

"Th-Those models are moving," she squeaked.

Oh, god just get him out of here. This was the worst idea she ever had. If she didn't like scary things then why did she want to go through this haunted house thing? "You can see the stage hands," he told her softly, trying to get her to calm the hell down.

They continued down the hall, not really paying any attention to anything. Then he heard her speak quietly, with fear running through the words. "Kyōya. Don't go on without me."

He stopped, at first, he wanted to see if he could play the helping boyfriend but self-hate quickly burned that thought out of his head. He saw a fake skeleton arm sitting next to him, kind of hidden behind a grave stone. He picked it up, not able to keep the evil thought that ran through his head back. "Can't be helped. I'll lend you an arm if you want." He looked back and saw the surprise flicker in her eyes. It almost made him drop the arm but he gripped the arm tighter, determined to push her a little more. "Hurry up."

"R-Right, thanks..." She moved up to him and he placed the arm in her reach. She grabbed it then he moved on, leaving her with the arm in her hands. What happened next left him feeling a little guilty, but that happened much later. She screeched so loud that he had to cover both his ears and watch as she ran by him, crying. He stood there for a moment, could he have gone too far with that joke? At first there was the feeling of wanting to laugh but it felt wrong in his throat. His arms went limp by his sides and he walked the rest of the way out, blinking when he found himself back in bright light.

He tried looking for Erika but when he didn't find her waiting for him, he wanted to get angry. Although, he stopped up short when he realized that maybe he did go too far. Takeru walked up to him, a frown on his face. "What?" it came out scathing.

Takeru raised his hands, shaking his head. "Nothing. Just wondering if you're taking this serious or just playing with the poor girl. That was low, even for you bro." He walked away.

Kyōya's fist's curled. A hot coal of anger burning in the pit of his stomach. He stalked out of the school, all thoughts of looking for Erika gone. Takeru's words burning themselves onto his mind. Was he taking this serious? Did he still think this a game? God, he wished he fucking knew. He walked toward the bus stop and waited.

In the few minutes he stood there alone, he had punched the square metal bar, that held the sign, several times. Venting his anger. Most of which was pointed at himself, little towards Erika and Takeru. He didn't know what was going through his mind when he thought it a good idea to play that trick on Erika. He should have been nice for once but the thought of doing anything nice had him curling his lip in repulsion. So, why did it hurt when Takeru told him that he hit below the belt when he scared the death out of Erika? There was another punch to the bar.

Slowly his anger ebbed, leaving him exhausted. He turned to the sound of the bus pulling up and walked up the three stairs and settled into a seat. That's when the pain in his hands started to want attention. He looked down and sighed. His left hand was red and starting to bruise a little but his right... that was going to need a bandage and some antibiotics. That last punch must have been harder than he realized, cause his wrist was starting to ache and burn a little. He closed his eyes and leaned back into the seat. The only thing he hoped for the rest of the weekend was to be alone and think things through a little more.

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The next day, Takeru showed up on his doorstep, smiling.

Kyōya scowled. His temper raising a couple of degrees. "Go away."

Takeru grinned then. "Nope."

He shoved his way into the house and Kyōya growled at him. "Damn it, Takeru get out. I'm not in the mood for your antics and I sure as hell didn't invite you over."

Takeru settled on the couch, laughing. "I just felt like watching TV at your place."

Kyōya raised an eyebrow, "What?"

Before Takeru could answer, there was a knock on the door. Kyōya glared at Takeru, then turned for the door. When he opened the door, he found a shy Erika looking at the ground, seeming like she didn't want to be here. "What do you want?" he bit out.

She looked up and seemed a bit surprised. "I thought you said it was okay to come over?"

Kyōya's eyes narrowed, his temper taking a jump by ten. "Takeru!" he yelled, turning for the living room. He stalked into the room, making a beeline for the person in question. Before he could grab him, Takeru flipped over the back of the couch. "What the hell!?"

Takeru stood there, looking a little ruffled. "I wanted to watch TV at your place but didn't want to be alone with you. So, I called Erika and asked her to come."

Kyōya growled, fully intending to go over the couch and beat the crap out of the fool. But a soft voice behind him had him stopping for a second. "I could leave. If that would make things better."

Takeru frowned. "No, you don't have to leave. I'm sure Kyōya wouldn't mind having you here." He looked pointedly at him.

Kyōya returned the look with more heat. "I'm not sure what Takeru told you but I'm not in the mood for guests," he spoke as evenly as he could.

"Oh," came the crestfallen reply.

Takeru's face fell a little, disappointment evident in his features. Kyōya turned toward Erika and found her turning to leave. "Wait," he softly spoke, not quite sure he said it loud enough.

But when Erika stopped, his heart stuttered a little. She turned back to face him slowly. He could see the reddening of her eyes, a sign she was about to cry. "For what?" soft words.

He successfully bit his tongue before a snide remark crossed his lips. He didn't want company, that much was true, but it wasn't because he didn't want to see anyone. It was because he had planned on going to the doctor to get his hand seen. Apparently, he had hit the metal bar much harder than he had originally thought, because now his whole fucking hand hurt like a bitch and he could barely grab anything with his fingers. Last night had been okay but when he got woken up in the middle of the night by the throb and heartbeat in his palm, he was a little more concerned. Finally, he sighed and spoke. "Just for a little bit then you guys are going to have to leave. Okay?"

Erika pulled a soft smile and a "yeah" come from behind him. He turned for the couch and sat on the end. Takeru grabbed the remotes from the coffee table and settled on the other end of the couch. That left Erika to sit in the middle, blushing a little. "It's okay to sit next to you, right?"

Kyōya nodded his head and waited for the TV to warm up, hoping the time flew by so that he could go see the doctor. Erika sat next to him, but he noticed that she made sure they didn't touch anywhere and it seemed she was okay with touching Takeru. At first it didn't bother him but then a little gremlin started to bug the hell out of him. Wasn't she supposed to be cuddling up to him? But she acted like he was going to make her sick or something. He watched out the corner of his eye as Takeru slung his arm over the back of the couch, behind Erika. She didn't move away nor did she move closer to Kyōya. The gremlin grumbled, what the hell was going on?

Suddenly, Takeru shoved into Erika, pushing her into Kyōya. She laughed, Takeru was tickling the hell out of her side but Kyōya barely bit back the yell that climbed his throat. When Erika had hit him, her elbow dug into his arm, just above the wrist. The scream that about clawed itself out was pissed and bitter. He stood up quickly, hiding the hurt appendage behind his back, not wanting them to see the way he wanted to carry it. "What the hell you guys?" he asked, trying to keep the anger down.

When he had moved, Erika ended up under Takeru, squished underneath his weight. "Trying to have some fun," Takeru beamed at him.

Erika had stopped her laughing, now she was gasping for air. "Help?" she breathed.

Takeru looked down and quickly moved away, a little red in the cheeks. "Sorry."

She sat up, then laughed. "Don't worry about it." She turned to Kyōya and smiled. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hit you. Takeru just surprised the hell out of me when he touched my side."

He frowned, he wasn't stupid. Takeru had done that on purpose, not just because. Erika was surprised but then she fell for it. What got his attention was how Takeru acted after the fact. He seemed content, happy to be on top of Erika, like he meant to end up there. Kyōya's temper was tempered by the fact that- jealousy- burned through his veins. But how could that be possible? Was it jealousy? Or was it something else? No, something told him that that emotion was the correct reaction. He didn't like how Takeru slid off Erika, lingering longer than need be. But he locked that reaction behind a false smile. "It's fine but I think it's time to move on with the day. I've got some things to do, so if you guys wouldn't mind?"

Erika's smile fell but then she nodded her head. "Of course, I've got some homework to finish up." She stood and headed for the door.

Takeru quickly got up and followed, waving to Kyōya. "See yea!"

Kyōya nodded. "Yeah," he whispered. Once he heard the door closed, he sat on the couch and held his arm to his chest. The heartbeat in his hand was worse than this morning and the pain was unbearable. He rocked forward, trying to keep from yelling when the beat in his hand raised farther. After a couple of deep breaths, he was able to stand and head for the door. He grabbed his keys, locked the door, and made his way to the subway.

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By the time he made it back to the subway, he had two missed calls. The first one was from his father, the second was from his sister. He sighed, couldn't they just leave him alone. But suddenly his phone went off, scaring him a little. "Hello?" he answered.

"Kyōya? Holy hells, are you okay?"

"Yeah, dad, just fine."

"Are you sure? I got a call from the hospital but they wouldn't tell me anything. Just making sure you are covered on the insurance."

He sighed, "I thought I didn't feel good but it was nothing. I was told to get some more sleep, that's all."

He could hear his dad sigh in relief. Then there was a subtle change in his voice. "I'm going to be back in two days but then I'll be gone for another four days. Just let me know if you need anything. I wish I could be home more but..."

"It's your job, dad. I understand. There's no need to apologize."

"I feel like I need to. Your sister is not there and I can't take time off, so it kind of leaves you in the middle."

Kyōya frowned, then rubbed a hand down his face. It was the same lines over and over. He didn't care about being left alone, he enjoyed it. Do you? He jumped, it was that small voice whispering in the back of his mind. Of course, he liked being alone, it meant no one could mess with him. But what about Erika? Doesn't she fill a void in you? He shook his head. "I'll see you when you get home dad. Love you."

"Love you, too, son." Then the phone went dead.

He put the phone back in his pocket and leaned back. How could it only be when something was wrong that his dad noticed anything? His sister, he shivered, had nothing to do with him unless it involved their mother. No one really cared, unless something bad happened. Although, that was different with Erika. Suddenly, he sat up straight, looking around. Could that be the reason why he accepted her offer? Because she needed to look good with her friends and for him, so he had someone to talk to? Or was there a deeper reason? He shed away from that thought, no, the reason they were fake dating was so she could get out of her lie. For him, to play with her like a pet.

Why? A small voice asked him. He thought about it. There was no reason for him to play with her, other than the fact that she was using him for a means to an end. Wasn't he too? But what was his means to an end? When the answer came to him, he started laughing, tears gathering in the corners of his eyes. How could he have missed it a couple of months ago? When he was sick? But he had chalked it up to being sick and not feeling well. That had been a slip of his mind, a temporary loss of control, nothing more than wishful thinking back then. Now, oh, god, now it was not just some momentary loss of thought. He was in love.

When his stop came up, he got up slowly and waited for the doors to open. Then he made the slow trek home, his feet dragging a little. His home came in view and suddenly he wanted to be off the streets, in the safety of his home. He ran the rest of the way and quickly unlocked, moved in, then relocked the door. That's when his walls came crashing down. The walls he had worked so hard to keep up, kept from crumbling. But a honey browned haired girl had done her damage. She had placed a precise crack in the bottom when she had surprised him those many months ago.

He was sure he had fixed everything but she had slipped into that crack, causing more fractures with her antics and caring looks. Now that wall was in pieces and he was falling to pieces in the process. God! He was in love with Erika and he didn't know how to handle this. There was no one to talk to and that scared him the most. Cause he was okay with being alone, he had told his dad that, but now he didn't want to be alone right then. He quickly pulled out his phone only to pause. No way he wanted Erika here, she would think it a trick. Takeru would make him feel like a fool even more. His dad? Hell no. His sister? That was a resounding fuck no! His mother? He froze. Could he call his mom and talk to her about this? Would she understand or laugh?

He threw his phone across the hall, hearing it hit the couch then clatter to the floor. He had his knees up to his chest, head resting on top, arms wrapped around them. There was no longer pain in his hand, the doctor had splinted it and gave him some great drugs to help with the hairline fracture in his wrist. At first it had surprised him that he had done that but then it just irritated the hell out of him because he had let his anger get the better of him. But then the doctor asked him a question that sat him of edge. "Has your hand been hurt before?"

Not that he could recall but then he asked another question that had him wanting to get away from the man. "Usually I see damage like this if the wrist has been broken before or has been under repeated pressure. Have you been in an accident or done something repeatedly?"

Kyōya couldn't answer. It would mean telling him how his sister had been vindictive when he was ten and twisted his wrist too far, breaking the bone. She blamed him because he was trying to get away and she would have let him go if he would have just settled down. But she wouldn't have, she would've continued until his shoulder had been dislocated, again. It would also mean telling the doctor that he had repeatedly fractured it after that because his sister kept going for that wrist every time because she knew it would get his attention, making him compliant to her whims. He shuttered, no, he didn't want the doctor to think he needed more help than what was needed. He had just forgot that he can't put his wrist under extreme stress, and punching a metal poll didn't help the fact.

He sat there, his eyes starting to sting. Then the tears started to roll down. He didn't want company but for fuck's sake he wanted to hug Erika right now. To know that maybe he hadn't completely pushed her away, that she was being serious about being in love with him. Finally, after settling down, plus his ass going to sleep, he got up and made his way to the living-room to retrieve his phone then head to bed. As he settled into the sheets, he thought about coming clean with Erika about how he felt. He curled up on his side, sighing and hoping that things came together soon.

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He slept in the next morning, not wanting to think about anything. But when his phone buzzed, he flipped the covers over and glared at the blasted thing. Couldn't people just leave him the hell alone for a little bit. With much consideration, he picked up the phone and unlocked it, sighing when he saw the crack in the screen and the text massage. He opened the text and rolled his eyes, Takeru wanted to meet up for lunch. He typed a quick reply, which basically said 'no', and then he sat up in bed.

He just wanted to relax at home and not have to worry about keeping up his barriers until his walls were rebuilt. Right now, he was just too damn close to his emotions that he didn't want to be seen as a wuss. What didn't help the matter was now he had to contend with the knowledge of knowing he was in love with Erika. So, he didn't want Takeru taking this opportunity to dig deeper. And no way did he want to see Erika. She would definitely use this moment to get more out of him, and that scared him the most. Especially with the fact that he had a splint on his wrist and she would want to know why.

He shook his head. He never wanted people to know about his past. Erika didn't need to know she was fake dating a damaged guy. Hell, he didn't want this to blow up in his face because she found him to be something she needed to fix.

He got dressed and laid down on the couch after taking a pain pill, waiting for the medicine to kick in. It must have happened while he was waiting because the next thing he knew, Takeru was sitting next to him on the coffee table, looking worried. Kyōya looked at him then did a double take, scrabbling to sit up right, his head feeling a little fuzzy. "Wha... How the hell did you get in?"

Takeru looked at him then frowned. "I remembered where you guys kept the spare. Got worried when you didn't answer your phone."

"Is that anything new?"

"No, but not answering the door for fifteen minutes kind of worries a guy."

Kyōya stared at him dumbly. What was he going on about? He had just laid down for like... He looked at the clock on the wall and cringed. He'd been asleep for about four hours and it honestly felt like it had only been five minutes. "You've been knocking for fifteen minutes?" he asked.

Takeru regarded him with uncertainty, then sighed. "That was fifteen minutes ago. I've been here for a little over half an hour now."

Kyōya let his head drop to his chest, the medicine was working too good, or he was more tired than he thought. "Sorry. It's been a long day."

Takeru was quiet for a moment then, "When did that happen?"

Kyōya looked up at him and saw him pointing at his wrist. He looked back down at his wrist, pulling the sleeve of his sweatshirt down over it. "It's nothing."

"Kyōya?"

"I said it's nothing," Kyōya yelled, jumping to his feet. He didn't like how Takeru's voice went soft, like he was talking to a child. He walked toward the kitchen wanting to quench the thrust that suddenly burned at the back of his mouth.

"Kyōya, please tell me how you broke your wrist?" Takeru asked, following him.

Kyōya rounded on him, making him stop up short. "How do you know it's broken? It could be sprained."

Takeru's face softened. "It looks like what happened to you back in middle school. When some kid picked on you and you broke his nose. You cried in pain and I had to take you to the nurse's office."

Kyōya's eyes flashed dangerously. "Don't, Takeru." He turned away and continued toward the kitchen.

"What's wrong with you?"

Kyōya stood still, trying his best to reign in his emotions, especially his hatred. He didn't have everything together when Takeru touched his shoulder. He turned on Takeru and slammed him against the wall, using his arm as a bar across his throat. "Leave me alone damn it," he seethed. "If I wanted to talk to you, I would have called. Now get the hell out of my house."

Takeru stared at him, a flash of fear in his eyes. "No," he breathed.

Kyōya leaned on his throat but something made him pull back, screaming. "Goddamnit!" He walked away pulling at his hair. He knew what he was doing was wrong but he had no way to keep everything under control. The pain in his wrist was returning and there was a slight burning between his eyes, like the biggest god-forsaking headache he'd ever had. His emotions were all over the fucking map that he couldn't make sense which one needed the most attention. But one thing did make perfect sense to him, Erika.

"Kyōya?"

He turned to Takeru, who was rubbing his throat, regarding him with suspicion. His eyes flicked to the red mark forming on the skin then he looked back at his face. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

Takeru looked taken aback. "Why would you be sorry? You looked like you wanted to kill me just a moment ago. What did I do? I was just asking a question."

"I don't want to talk about it. I don't want to answer any of your questions."

"You could have just told me," he defended.

"God! I could have asked and you would have pushed on anyways."

Takeru laughed, although it was small. "True, but if I would have known you were stronger than I thought, I would have left. But I have to ask..."

"Stop!"

"Jesus Kyōya! You stop! You need to answer some questions. For starters, what the hell is up with your attitude? I've never seen you like this."

It was Kyōya's turn to laugh, a sarcastic one. "I've always been this way but I've learned to keep it hidden behind a wall. Emotions are so fucking overrated. Especially the ones where it leaves you wanting to tear out your heart or drown yourself in alcohol. So, you really want to know what the hell is going on. I hurt myself because I momentarily forgot I can't punch things with my right. Why? Well, let's see... Hum, my sister is a fucking twisted shit because she broke it when I was ten. Then to make things worse, if I wasn't watching what she was doing, she would grab it and twist it, causing more hairline fractures. I grew up with a devil of a sister because she wanted to see if she could push me to fight with her." Something twisted in Kyōya and he stopped, grabbing at his chest. Suddenly it hurt to breath and his heart was beating way too fast.

Takeru looked at him with concern, then rushed forward as Kyōya started to pitch forward. He caught him and eased him to the floor. "What's wrong?"

Kyōya wheezed, trying to catch his breath but it hurt too much to take a deep breath. Then it hit him, he hadn't had an attack in twelve years but he knew he was having an "Asthma attack."

Takeru paled. "You have an inhaler?"

"T-Top drawer." He pointed toward the bank of drawers. Takeru left him sitting on the floor, searching the drawer. When he came back, he had the inhaler, handing it over to his eager fingers. Kyōya gave it a quick shake then he took a breath through it, and another. He held it as long as he could then he was panting for breath. Finally, he started to breath normal. He sighed. "Thanks."

Takeru patted him on the back lightly. "Sure thing." It was quiet for a little then he spoke up again. "I didn't know your sister was that horrible to you. But what did you do that broke it?"

Kyōya rolled his eyes. This was why he didn't want anyone around him. The questions. "I'm not telling, it's stupid anyways."

"Okay. Then way you acting this way? You are not acting like yourself."

Kyōya closed his eyes. "I had a realization last night after visiting the doctor. And no, I'm not telling you shit. But I'm starting to think it might have something to do with the medicine they put me on."

Takeru lifted an eyebrow. "Medicine? As in you have pain, medicine?"

Kyōya rolled his eyes behind the lids, then opened them. "What medicine is used for! Duh."

"Well, I recommend that you stop taking them."

Kyōya laughed, it sounded a little hoarse. "Sounds like a plan." He moved to get up but Takeru stood then helped him up. "Now, would you please leave? I would like to be alone."

Takeru smiled and patted his shoulder. "Sure." He turned and left through the doorway, then he could hear him opening then closing the front door.

Kyōya sighed, sagging from the relief that he was now gone. He looked at the inhaler in his hand, frowning. He never thought he would have to use this again but thank god, he had one still here. In fact, he was about to throw it away last month but thought better of it. The doctors had told him that even though he didn't have to use one religiously, it was still good practice to have one within reach, just in case. He gently placed it on the table, hoping there wasn't going to be another need for it.

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He got a text from Takeru around six. Three hours after learning something about him. Asking if he would meet him in the park. At first, he didn't want to go, but he wanted to get some things straightened out with Takeru. Making sure the idiot understood that what was said stays between them, no one else is to know. So, he got around and headed to the park to meet up with Takeru.

It was already dark and he slumped his back. He hoped this didn't take too long. He got to the park just at six but Takeru was nowhere to be seen. He looked around but no one came out of the shadows. He pulled out his cell phone, getting ready to call the asshole when he heard his name being called.

He turned and saw Erika approaching him from the right. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

He couldn't really tell her. "Takeru called me out."

"What?"

Before he could answer another voice interrupted him. "Kyōya...Erika... Sorry to call you out so late." Takeru walked up to them, seeming solemn for once.

"It's okay, but what's going on?"

"What did you have to say?"

Takeru bowed his head, sounding serious. "Kyōya, I'm sorry."

"For what?" he asked, worry making him think it was about earlier.

"I've fallen for Erika."

Kyōya almost wanted to laugh from the sheer f-ing joy that it wasn't about earlier but he caught himself. This was about the other day. When he knew it wasn't just joking around, Takeru had something for Erika. He knew it but why now? What made him think now wo-... He glared at Takeru. That bastard was using the knowledge of today against him. Takeru feared for Erika's safety, which was cute, but that shouldn't be the only thing. Now it made sense to him. Takeru had been falling for Erika since they met. It took seeing Kyōya's real self to motivate him to act on his emotions. There was a soft "What?" from Erika.

But Takeru continued. "I know how Erika feels. But she shouldn't be pursuing you so hard it hurts her. I would never let her cry. I'd treasure her." He had looked at Erika then back to him. "You mind, Kyōya? If I take Erika? You don't mind, do you? If I take her... Answer me, Kyōya!"

Kyōya's world went lopsided for a moment then it righted itself. He could feel the pull of anger at wanting to hit Takeru but he leashed it. He was trying to get him to react like he did earlier. But he was off the medicine, any trace of it gone two hours before. The Kyōya that stood in front of Takeru was the in control Kyōya, the one who didn't let his emotions control his reactions. Although, there was a small part of him screaming in anguish that his best friend would try to take his girl from him. At least there was one good thing that came out of his venting, he kept his love for Erika secret. That secret had remained locked tight. He smiled, "Do what you want." But it seemed the wrong words to say because she spoke softly, making him cringe.

"I see. I get the point. If I go away, you won't miss me a bit."

His heart thudded hard in his chest. He wanted to say 'no, I would miss the hell out of you,' but his throat dried out.

She turned accusing eyes to him and yelled, "Kyōya, you asshole!" Then turned and ran away, a sob leaving her.

He stood there, rooted. That's what she thought, that was her feelings about his attitude.

"Erika!" Takeru yelled, trying to get to come back.

"You made her cry," he spoke, using his words against him.

Takeru turned on him, grabbing his shirt, although he could see the slight hesitation in his eyes, not sure if Kyōya would retaliate. "You did, asshole. Why did you say that? You know how Erika feels!"

"It's the opposite of what you wanted me to say, right?" Taking pleasure in the way Takeru's face fell a little. "What a lousy performance." He pushed his hand away from his shirt.

"What, you knew?"

"I knew from the start. All the stuff you planned, too."

"R-Really? That, too?"

"Now that you know it's impossible, stop helping her. It's pointless."

"What do you mean, 'it's pointless?'" He got angry. "Erika's trying hard to make you like her! Really hard!"

Kyōya clinched his hurt hand, pain his reminder of what he had discovered last night. "I know that."

Takeru's words came out harsh. "If you know, why won't you reciprocate? Isn't it a man's job to return someone's pure feelings?!"

He'd heard enough. "Takeru," he spoke firmly. Then turned with a smile on his lips, the slightest slip up. "I'll decide when I fall for Erika. It's also a man's job to keep quiet watch over things." He turned and walked away, intending to find Erika. He exited the park and saw her standing on the bridge overlooking the river. She looked like she wanted to turn into a puddle and just disappear. He walked closer then spoke, "Going to jump in?" She turned surprised eyes toward him. "Come on. Let's go home."

"What are you doing here?" she asked, clearly not sure of him.

"Huh?" He was confused by her look. She had the look of wanting him but somewhere deep inside, she wasn't too for sure of him anymore.

She turned away from him, clearly pissed at him. "You heard what Takeru said. You can lay off."

That just irked him. "Is that all your feelings have to offer?"

"What?" She looked back at him.

"Go ahead. Try to wrench open my heart," he spoke softly. "That's the only way you'll get me."

She fully turned to him, confusion on her brow. "What does that mean? How can you be so self-important?" She questioned.

"Well? What will you do?" He asked, putting his hand out in front of him. She looked at his hand like it was going to grow something then...

"I really don't understand you at all," she sort of bit out. She raised her hand, like she was going to slap him, which probably he deserved after that disaster in the park. But then she slapped her hand into his, squeezing. "I guess I'll just have to do what you asked for...and love the hell out of you! You asshole!" That light of self-determination sparking deep in her mocha eyes.

He smiled genuinely then squeezed her lightly, accepting her terms. She teared up then, seeing something different in his eyes. He turned and started walking away, leading her by the hand. The last time he done this, it was to lead her away from the laughs and jeers of her friends in the cafeteria. Now he didn't have to worry about letting go of her hand for a while. Her hand was as soft as it was that day. He tried not to let it get to his head but there was a lightness to his body, like she was some drug.

"You really piss me off," she sniffled from behind him.

He smiled even more. "Yeah, yeah." It wasn't much but he felt that he had did his best to tell her that he was in love with her. It would seem weird to outright tell her, because that wasn't him, but in a way, it was the real him. He just didn't want to get hurt if she thought he was kidding and started to laugh in his face. He walked her back to his home and she seemed surprised.

"What're we doing here?" she inquired.

He didn't want to waste the night so he had thought... "Would you like to spend the night?" He lost his connection to her hand when she stopped short. He turned back to her and found her looking at the ground, her face turning a bright red. He cocked his head to the side. What was the matter with her? "What?"

She looked to the side then finally she peeked a look at him. "Uh...as in?"

He was confused. "As in, what?"

She looked back down, sighing heavily. "Spend the...night how?"

For a moment, he was lost then it finally clicked. "Oh...Look all I was asking was if you wanted to sleep over? Like..." Now he understood why she was turning red. He moved up to her and lifted her chin. "It's not like that, I promise. Just cuddling."

Her eyes flickered. "Nothing else?" she whispered, fear whispering within the words.

He nodded his head. "Nothing else." He had forgotten how new she was to this dating thing. Of course, she would think he was trying to make a move on her but that wasn't the intention. No, honestly, he just wanted to hold her close and insure himself that she was real, that she was willing to fight for him.

She took another moment looking at his face, trying to find the deceiving look. But when she was met with nothing, she looked at his home then back at him. "Okay," she breathed, scared.

He smiled and lead her up the stairs, his heart beating a little faster as they got closer to his door. He was eager to see if she would let him hug her or would she just stay on her side of the bed and keep her distance. He put his key in the door and unlocked the door, pushing it open.