Wolf Girl and Black Prince

by whitewolf9311

What was Kyoya thinking when he agreed to Erika's plan of being her pretend boyfriend? Was he insane? Or was there a reason to everything? Soon he finds out that the heart wants what the heart wants. This is his view on the events of what happened in the TV series. And the rating is for some content in the story.

5. Chapter 5

When he had asked if she wanted to stay the night, he had thought things would end differently. But what ended up happening just confused and irritated the hell out of him. He had told her that he was going to go take a shower. She could chill on the couch and then if she wanted, she could take a shower after him. When he had come back into the living room, he hadn't expected toexpected to find her asleep on the couch. She had curled up on one end, an arm under her head, slightly snoring. He stood there for a moment, unsure of what to do next.

She shifted in her sleep and he thought that maybe the couch wasn't the most comfortable thing in the world. Why she had chosen to sleep there was beyond him. But then he thought about it some and figured she didn't want to give him the invitation by lying in his bed. He sighed, moved over, and picked her up. Surprised that she weighed almost nothing. He was going to prove her wrong, at least a little bit. He walked toward his room, holding her close, as she curled closer. His heartbeat in his throat, the woman had crawled into his heart and if anything were to happen to her, he would be devastated.

He laid her down on the bed and she sighed contentedly, stretching out. He pulled the blanket off the back of the chair in his room and laid it over her. Her face softened a little and there was a small smile on her lips. He thought maybe she was still awake, faking, but then she frowned and shifted, mumbling something. He sat back, what the hell was he doing? Watching Erika sleep shouldn't have affected him but slowly he could feel his insides twisting. She shouldn't make him protective of her, but she did, she shouldn't have made him insane with wanting something, but here she was making him want to have her all to himself.

There was something about her that had him only looking for her, needing her, wanting her. She had this air about her that made other girls look pale in comparison.

Although, his devil came riding in with a sneer. Oh, look, pretty boy has found himself a girl. How cute? Does she know what happened to you?

Kyōya curled his lip, shut the hell up.

You know at some point she's going to find out. Why not tell her now, prepare her for what is to come?

Kyōya shook his head, not wanting to listen to his self-doubts.

Don't push me away! You know as well as I do that she's not all that stupid. She'll know in time.

Kyōya stood. He walked back into the kitchen and got a glass of water. No, that part of his life was never going to see the light of day, even if he had to keep being an ass toward Erika. He finished his glass and placed it in the sink. The thought was to curl up in bed with her, but he didn't want Erika having another one of her episodes of spazzing. Knowing her, it would be so big that it would wake him up from a perfectly good dream and have him being sour for the rest of the week; well more sour than usual. No, he thought it best just to crash on the couch pull out.

Once he was settled into the pullout, which made him grumble for how uncomfortable it was, he fell asleep. Sometime during the night, he felt the bed move, which he didn't think much about it, just rolled over and snuggled deeper into the covers. But his biggest surprise was when he felt an arm go around his waist and heat covered his back. His eyes opened wide as he went still.

What the hell?

Slowly he turned his head to peek behind him and found the culprit. Erika was snuggled up against him, her head tucked against his shoulder, her arm sliding beneath the covers. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Erika would never have been so bold to crawl into bed with him. He slowly moved away and stood from the bed. She had curled into a ball, softly snoring away. Groggily he walked toward his room and crawled under his blankets. If she wanted to sleep in there, then have it, he thought.

He quickly fell back asleep. Then what felt like an hour later, he felt his bed dip. He rolled over and watched as Erika crawled into the bed. She was asleep, her eyes were closed but she was crawling into his bed and cuddling up to him. Holy hell, she's sleepwalking. When she finished settling down, she sighed deeply and lightly hugged him.

Nothing could have prepared him for this. What was he supposed to do? Just keep going from bed to bed and get hardly any sleep? That would have just been the worst idea to do because he would be unbearable in the morning. The only thing he could hope for was that he could talk to her before she went off like a banshee in the morning about being in the same bed with him. With that thought in mind, he settled down and slowly drifted back to sleep.

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He woke with a start, not sure if something from his dream or something in the house woke him but he was wide awake. He listened for any sound, but nothing came to him except for the pounding of his heart. He relaxed, throwing the thought away, settling back into his bed. That's when he froze up again, realizing what he was nuzzling into. He pulled back, mortification washing through him, making his body cold.

Within his arms was Erika, fast asleep, twitching and mumbling something. Somehow, he'd wrapped his arms around her during the night and her back was fully pressed to him. His heart started hammering away in his chest. This wasn't supposed to happen. And why the hell had he been nuzzling into her just moments ago? He tried to pull away but the arm under her was asleep and she growled something. He sat up as far as he could and found that she had his arm in a tight grip within her arms.

He settled back down with a sigh as he rolled away from her as far as he could. This sucked... He didn't want to wake her and deal with the fallout, but he couldn't feel his hand. He looked at her back, watched her side raise and fall in sleep, she sighed, shifted, then mumbled, "You jerk." He chuckled at that, even in her sleep she growled at him. But it was short-lived when he felt her breathing quicken and then a small whine left her lips. He pulled back up to peer down at her and saw her face twisted in pain.

Something twisted inside him as she mumbled out more things. "Don't leave me... That hurt... What hurt you...- to make you like this?"

He swallowed hard, was she awake? "Erika?" he whispered.

There was only an "mmhm," as his answer.

"Why do you want to be with me?" he breathed quietly.

Silence greeted him. He about breathed a sigh of relief but then, "I want to understand why you have two faces'?"

"Two faces?" He couldn't help the question.

".. You act like a prince...— but toward me ...prince turns to..."

He hugged her, causing her to stop talking. He didn't want to hear anymore. He was an ass towards her and it caused her to see things that he didn't want others to see. He had hoped that she would overlook things, but this was proving to be the wrong idea, she wanted to know more, understand why.

"Why stay with me if I hurt you?" he murmured.

She sighed with a whine. "Because you hurt...you don't want to hurt anymore." She shivered then rolled around, facing him. She curled closer to him, burying her head into his chest. "I... want to help...take the pain... see you smile."

The breath in his chest caught as he pulled her closer. How could this woman want to soothe him so badly that she was willing to put up with his attitude? Most would have given up and walked away from his anger and rudeness. But here was Erika, a liar from the beginning, turning into someone who wanted to be honest and caring. He chuckled to himself, wasn't that what he was trying to do to? Although, in his case, it's almost impossible to because his past kept pulling at him, demanding that he protect himself.

Maybe with time, he could let go of that past and enjoy the treasure that was nestled up against him, warming his frozen heart a little more.

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Kyōya must have dozed off again because he suddenly woke with a start again. He stayed there for a little bit until he heard a knock at the front door. It was light and rapid. At first, he thought he had heard wrong until it sounded again. He extracted himself from Erika, with some protest, although it wasn't nearly all one-sided, and headed for the door. He unlocked then pulled the door open to reveal a slender woman standing in front of him with a small bag hanging from her hand.

She looked at him startled. "I'm sorry," she bowed then looked back at him. "I know it's early in the morning, but Erika had texted last night that she wasn't going to be able to make it home..."

"You're her mom?" Kyōya interrupted.

The woman laughed as she shyly looked away. "I'm sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Erika's mother, Jackie." She bowed again, almost like she was lost as to what to do next. Like Erika.

This is certainly Erika's mother, there could be no other place where Erika picked up her corky way of doing things. He smiled, "It's okay. I wasn't expecting anyone, Erika didn't tell me that she had texted you last night. Although, she could have said something while we watched a movie." Of course, he was going to lie but no parent was going to be okay with their daughter staying the night with a boy. Give them a reason for not wanting them out late at night, it would change anyone's mind.

She flashed a look to his face then glanced away, seeming to catch the lie. "I know it's none of my business but... Do you like Erika? You always seem unhappy when you drop her off at home and when you pick her up. It makes one wonder."

Shock turned his hands and feet to ice. Did Erika talk about him to her parents? And if so, why were her parents worried about something like this? Had she said something that made them think that they should be worried if he liked her? He stepped outside and let the door close behind him.

"Jackie, I'm sorry if Erika gave you the wrong idea of me but I would never..."

"I have to stop you right there Kyōya," she interrupted him. She glared at him. "You have no idea what goes on at home after you leave. She's angry, upset, happy, frustrated, everything there is to be in a relationship, but she's especially concerned that you feel nothing. It worries us that she is pursuing you with no regard to the fact that you have no feelings for her. That you are toying..."

"What makes you believe I feel nothing for her?" he accused. "The way she talks about me? Or how she acts? Just because Erika can't see or hear what I feel doesn't mean I don't have feelings for her. Erika makes herself out to be a perfect person but not everyone is and I sure as hell am not a perfect person myself. You may not like how things are going but Erika is sticking it out and that says a lot about her character. She's frustrating and irritating but that doesn't mean I don't see how caring she is when it comes to me."

A delighted laugh left Jackie as she started giggling. "I see, I see!" She laughed harder, tears gathering in her eyes. Finally, she settled down after seeing that it had ruffled his feathers. "Kyōya, don't take everything so seriously, you just might miss out on some things. And don't worry about what we think, we're parents, of course, we're going to worry for our daughter and the person she dates. I got the answer I wanted, and this is what I have to say; treat her with respect and you'll be delighted to know what kind of person she can be." Jackie chuckled as she patted his arm before she turned away and started leaving.

"Wait," he called, taking a step toward her.

"Kyōya, be nice for a change," she called back then disappeared down the stairs.

He was confused. Weren't parents supposed to be all pissed and protective of their children when it came to them dating someone? Not giving the one dating them advice on how to date them. He stepped up to the railing and spotted Erika's mother, just what was going through her mind on how things are going between them? Did she approve or disapprove? It sounded like she approved but hoped things would blow over and Erika would move on. How unconventional for a mother to approve yet not. He smiled, it made him even more determined to prove that he could like someone, although, he wasn't willing to flat out let everyone know.

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He rolled his eyes for the third time that morning as they made their way to school. Erika was keeping two steps behind him and every time he looked back, she would be looking at the ground or be seriously interested in her gloved hand. She hadn't been happy with the situation that had happened at his house. At first, it had gone well until she realized that she was in his bed, under the sheets, with him looking at her while he sat on the side. From then on, she wouldn't say a word to him, and her face would heat to a bright pink color. Of course, he had tried telling her that nothing had happened, but she wouldn't even acknowledge his words. That then set the mood for him for the day; frustrated, irritatingly so.

They stopped by her house to pick up her bookbag, her mom following her out the door. Jackie had a quick breakfast for both, smiling and saying a 'good morning' to him as she handed him his breakfast. Erika didn't say a word as she took the breakfast from her and slowly headed toward school.

"Oh, dear, I take it she didn't appreciate you having her clothes?"

Kyōya had rolled his eyes then and growled, "She didn't care about the clothes, it was the freaking waking up in my bed that had set her off."

"Oh," she gasped.

Kyōya eyed her as he ground out, "Nothing happened and that's what I've been trying to tell her, but she won't even listen to me. I put her in my bed, so I could sleep on the pullout in the living room."

She had laughed. "It'll be okay later in the day, she's just trying to deal with it in her mind. Have a good day."

He growled in his mind again at the thought of what Jackie had said. Erika was going to worry over it until tomorrow and that just made his irritation go up several levels. Would the woman just quit it and let him explain that whatever she thought happen didn't happen, like at all. By the time they made it to school, he was ready to corner her and make her listen but when he turned to, she was gone. He spun back around and saw that she was quickly making her way to her locker. He took off after her but before he could make it to her, she had changed her shoes and was heading toward class.

Kyōya stopped and watched her make her way up the stairs, she walked like there was too much on her mind. Why? Why had staying at his place made her unsure? She had been okay with it last night, so what had changed? He was going to get his answer at lunch, even if she didn't like it.

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When lunch came, he was on edge. Erika had avoided him all morning and it was beginning to piss him off. He sat at their usual spot, waiting for her to show up. But when thirty minutes rolled by and there still was no sign of her, he was grinding his teeth in anger. He shoved his tray away, stood, and proceeded to find her.

He didn't have to look far; he found her seated outside in the courtyard. She was bent forward, arms wrapped around her knees, looking at the ground, kicking a foot around. He stood there for a moment and again the feeling that there was too much on her mind hit him. Was she that concerned over what had happened last night? Even though, nothing happened. Of course, he wasn't going to tell her that she had been the one seeking him out whenever he moved away from her. And he wasn't going to bring up the conversation that they had while she was asleep; she wouldn't want to hear of it. Also, there was that dark need that pulsed in his heart whenever he remembered holding her.

It was enough that it made his heart skip a beat and the air leave his lungs. That dark need had its claws dug in deep, making him nervous. Fear threatened to pull him into one of his rages, hurting others to the point that he would not care anymore. It consumed him, ate at him, gnawed, grinned happily when that fear started to creep into his every thought, action, words. He wanted to lock Erika away from everybody so that no one or anything would hurt her. Fear of her becoming everything to him had him pushing her away, making her resent him. But another emotion played with his resolve; attachment.

He growled in the back of his throat, no way was he letting her into his world, his heart. He walked over to her fully intending to talk his peace, when she looked up. He stopped short, his heart started to bleed from the claws digging deeper, her eyes were red, so were her cheeks, and her lower lip was trembling. "Wha..."

He never got to finish asking her what was wrong because as soon as it registered who was standing in front of her, Erika bolted away from him. He stumbled back a step; he hadn't missed the surprised horror in her eyes. She honestly thought something happened and that he wasn't willing to tell her the truth. But that wasn't the case, he was telling the truth and it hurt to know that she wasn't willing to hear him out. He couldn't get angry. Hell, he couldn't even understand what he was feeling right at that moment. He just knew that he had to get her story straight before she got the wrong idea.

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Before he knew it, it was time to go home. He looked at the clock on the wall and sighed, he didn't want to walk home with Erika. The one-sided silence was okay if it was him doing the non-talking, not the other way around. Plus, he had been bouncing this idea around in his head about asking her something but with this new development, he wasn't sure if it was the right time to ask. He didn't want to open himself up to her refusal, not when he couldn't keep his anger in check for very long.

He had gathered his things around and headed to the lockers. Surprisingly, Erika was standing next to his locker, ready to go but her eyes were focused on the ground. "Erika?"

Her head snapped up; eyes unfocused for a second then focused on him. "Yeah?"

"You walk by yourself today. I've got something to attend to today." He turned to his locker, not wanting to show that his anger was starting to rise.

"Oh," she breathed. "Well, if you need to then that's okay." She sighed with loss.

He bit his tongue when words threatened to take back what he said. He wanted to set her straight but realized that it was a losing battle and that he wasn't going to waste his breath anymore. He dropped his shoes, letting them slap the ground, brought each foot up to grab the slippers, and quickly slipped his feet into his shoes. He slammed his locker door shut and walked away. He had seen from the corner of his eye that she had jumped when the door had closed and that she had pressed herself into the lockers to get out of his way. "See you tomorrow," he mumbled as he passed her.

A light hand pulled at his elbow. "Um..." He looked back. "I'm sorry. You shouldn't be upset because I'm acting like you did something wrong. You didn't but it's hard for me to...accept that," her words were quiet, shy even.

He caught the laugh that bubbled up inside him, a nasty, mean one that would have made her feel even worse. But he swallowed it down, understanding that this was all a relationship was about. Learning and growing together just like her mother had said this morning. "That's okay. Walk home by yourself to give yourself some time to think. I have to honestly go to something today."

She smiled but it didn't quite reach her eyes which made him irritated, then in turn it made him upset at himself. "Then I'll see you tomorrow," Erika chipped out as she walked by him, leaving.

He turned and watched her, that feeling in his chest creeping back in with renewed furiousness. He grimaced, placing a hand to his chest, wanting to push the feeling away as if it was a physical object in his way. Yeah, he was going to go through with his plan, but he hoped it didn't backfire and cause him even more grief.

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He made it home late only to discover that his dad was home, looking upset and impatient as he walked through the door. "You were supposed to be home over two hours ago. Where were you?"

Kyōya closed the door without a word, dropped his bag, took off his coat, kicked his shoes off, then proceeded to walk toward his room. He was pulled back around by a hard pull on his arm.

"What is wrong with you? –"

Kyōya didn't hear anything else as his dad started in. His mind wasn't in the now, it was stuck on the fact of how much it cost to set up his surprise for Erika. Jesus, he knew it was going to cost but come on, five thousand for everything, including meals. Although, why should he care? The money he gets from his dad would more than pay that back in a couple of months, but still! He chuckled to himself, he couldn't wait to surprise Erika with the tickets.

"Kyōya!?"

The small shove to his chest about knocked him over, with the fact that he hadn't been prepared for it. "Sorry. I'll try to be home on time," he spoke as he turned for his room.

"Oh, by the way!" his dad called. "Your sister will be here tomorrow!"

Kyōya stopped midstride, his heart started to skip beats. "Why?" he breathed over his shoulder, loud enough for his dad to hear from the living room.

"She said she had a couple of days off from classes, so she wanted to come and see us."

Kyōya shivered, no that wasn't the only reason she was coming, there was something else. He couldn't fathom what, but he knew that he had to keep Erika away from here for the next couple of days, or there was going to be hell to pay. He walked the rest of the way to his room, closed the door, and sat at his bed to think. If those two met right now, especially with the fact that Erika and he weren't dating, then his sister would hone right in on that fact and use it to make his life a living hell. No, the best option was to keep Erika away and keep his sister here as much as possible. That shouldn't be too hard, his dad was home and that should keep her busy for the next couple of days, especially with the fact that he still had to go to school.

He glanced at his clock on the side table, he had missed dinner but with the news of his sister, he wasn't hungry, and honestly, he just felt tired. He stood, pulled at his shirt, changed into loose night pants, crawled into bed, and settled down so that he could be ready for the next day.

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Kyōya woke to a hard slap to his face. He sat up, dazed, trying to find the source of the hit, and when he found it, his eyes narrowed. "What the hell Reika?" he breathed.

She smiled, standing to her full height. "Thought I'd say good morning to my brother before I went off to bed."

"I could have done without that this morning. You should have just gone to bed, you old hag." He swung his legs over the edge of his bed, keeping an eye on her movements.

She crossed her arms and leaned back on one leg, glaring at him. "You know, you sound like a stuck-up asshole who doesn't respect his elders."

He laughed, "Elder? You? You act more like a child than I do Reika. Now get out of my way, I've got to get ready for school." He went to stand but her hand landed on his shoulder, pinning him down.

Reika leaned in close to his ear and whispered, "I'd watch what you say to me, little brother. I'd hate to be in your shoes if you happen to say something wrong." She squeezed her hand on his shoulder, her nails digging a little into his skin. "Dad may or may not be around for the whole weekend." She pulled away with a smile on her lips then left the room.

Suddenly, he started sucking in a lot of air, not realizing that he had held his breath. He hoped that his dad was going to be around for the weekend, if not he was going to have to find some way of staying away from the house for a little bit. There was no way he was going to be able to stay around if it ended up being just the two of them. Not with how his morning already started with her being here. Last night he had some hope that she wouldn't be in until later today, like when he was at school. Now, seeing that it was a false hope, he just hoped that school would give him the chance to figure something out.

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When he got to school, he tried to keep his anger and frustration on the low, but Erika surprised him at lunch with her too square on the head question. "Did something happen at home last night?"

He wanted to say something, maybe it was his pride that snapped, when all that came out of his mouth was a withering reply, "It's none of your concern."

She looked hurt but then an angry look steeled in her eyes. "You know, it's unlike you to be so soft when you say that. You never tell me what's going on with you but today you're being a little strange. Please, Kyōya, tell me what's up with you?" She looked sad, almost like she wanted to hug him.

Before he could give in to the temptation of letting her into his world a little more, he snarled not only to her but to himself when he spoke, "Stay the fuck away from me." He stood from the table, grabbed his tray, and walked away. Later, he would realize that he would come to hate himself a little more because of the way her face fell from his painful words. But at that point, he wanted space from everyone, especially Erika.

Finally, school ended, and he had every intention of going straight home when a girl with honey-gold hair stepped into his path at the front entrance of the school. He glared down at hard-packed earth eyes that dared him to do something, say anything to her. He tried to place her face with a name, but he came up with a blink. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and attempted to glare back at him. "You're being colder more than usual," she breathed lightly. "I don't usually mind but what's got you so rattled?"

Kyōya's teeth clenched as he felt a spike of rage spear through him white-hot. Finally, he remembered where he had seen her. One of the few friends Erika had, Sanda. Erika and her damned mouth, telling people bullshit lies. "It's got noth-…"

"The hell it does," Sanda raged. "Erika came to me balling her eyes out because you told her to 'stay the fuck' away from you! She's been trying to understand you and respect your damn private life but at the same time, she wants you to know that you can lean on her. She knows that there's something up with you and all she was asking was for you to be a little open with her," Sanda sighed, rubbing her face with frustration. "Look, I don't want to be in the middle of this, whatever the hell this is. Just talk to Erika. She was so upset that she went home early feeling sick." Sanda turned away from him, pushing the door open, and left him standing there.

He stared at the door, his self-guilt tearing at his mind. Then he buried that guilt and headed home. He needed to stay focused on his sister, making sure she stayed home and away from his school life and… Erika.

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When he made it home, he was immediately on guard, keeping an eye out for his sister, trying to locate her. He pulled his coat off, slipped his shoes off, and placed his bag down then proceeded to walk through the house. He found her in the kitchen, humming while she stirred something on the stove. "Welcome home bro," she spoke without turning to him.

He froze at the door opening, chills dancing down his spine. How?

"Well don't just stand there, set the table. Dad should be home shortly, and dinner will be done in about thirty," Reika finally said over her shoulder toward him.

Kyōya kept his face neutral as he nodded his head and headed for the cabinet that held all the dishes for setting the table. He felt his sister watching him and he made sure that he showed no sign that it unnerved him. Although, when her hand landed on his shoulder without a warning, he nearly ran away or about slapped her.

"How was school today?"

He took a moment to calm himself back down before he finally answered her. "Nothing much besides the usual classroom chatter and the teacher droning on."

She smiled. "That's good. Worried there for a moment that something like a girlfriend was taking up your time."

Without missing a beat, he replied, "And why would you think that?"

Reika laughed, turned back to stirring as she continued their conversation. "It took you longer to get home. As far as I know, you're not part of the student council and you don't have any after school clubs. So, that only left girlfriend."

"It wasn't anything like that. Just a classmate wanting some information."

She turned to him, her brow furrowed. "A classmate asking you?"

"Don't make me out to be stupid. I go to class, take notes, and listen, unlike other people I know," he pointed the last statement toward her.

The slap that landed on his face didn't surprise him but it sure fucking stung. He gritted his teeth as he turned his head back to look her square in the eyes. "You know it's not nice to say things about people that aren't true. I went to class and here I am in college. Now, let's get cleaned up for dinner and wait for dad."

He moved his head in an agreeing manner and left her in the kitchen while he went to his room. Once the door was closed, he yanked his shirt off, throwing it as hard as he could at the wall opposite him, and sat down hard on his bed. Something burned in his chest and made his stomachache. Anger was there, burning hot and hard, but he felt another emotion that threatened to undo his hard-pressed lie. Longing. That gut pulling, too heavy to breathe, feeling of wanting to wrap his arms around his anchor. He wanted Erika here, right now telling him that he's okay, that she would stay with him tonight. But that simply wouldn't do. Not with his sister here and clearly after he told her that he didn't have a girlfriend. Reika would make his life hell for the next couple of days and that terrified him.

Kyōya grabbed his phone from his back pocket and quickly messaged Erika It took her five minutes before she finally responded with a too-short answer, "not tonight." Frustration flared through him, almost making him throw his phone, but then reason told him that it was only natural that she wouldn't because of what he said to her today. Sanda had told him that Erika had gone home feeling sick. He should have gone to her house and apologized. Then came home but that would have made him getting home late. No matter how he looked at it, he was fucked no matter what. So, he did the only thing he could think of, he sent one last text.

While he waited for Erika's response he got dressed for dinner. This time it took her nearly ten minutes and he had been done for eight of those minutes. At one point he grew upset and had started pacing his room. When his phone finally dinged, he about dropped it in sheer fright. He opened her message and nearly jumped around like a fridgen school kid. She had agreed. Now he had to make it through dinner without his dad and sister cornering him on what he planned on doing after. Cause like hell he was going to let them know.

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By the time he left, his sister was on her way after him, but his dad caught her and told her to leave him be. The lie he gave was that he was going to meet up with some friends and hang for a bit. He had a feeling that his sister knew better but his dad understood that he was a grown man. They could think whatever, although his sister's thought would be more accurate, he headed toward Erika's home. He wasn't expecting this visit to take too long but then again, he needed to make sure he stayed long enough away from his sister's prying eyes.

He walked up to Erika's front door and knocked. Erika quickly answered the door and pulled him in. "The neighbors here are nosey," she explained. She looked up at him but then quickly back down to the ground.

Kyōya understood her discomfort, he had said something truly awful to her today, and here he was, coming to her. "Look, about what I said today, I'm sorry."

She gasped. "Oh, no it's okay." She looked up but he saw the misty-eyed look in her eyes before she turned her head to the side. "I was being too nosey, and I shouldn't have. I know you don't like that kind of thing, but you looked upset today. I was just-…" she had been whispering just loud enough but he caught the wobble in her voice.

He hugged her. Once again, he was reminded that he was an asshole toward a woman who only wished to know why he played two different people when it came to being around her. She wanted to help but it only made him feel even more vulnerable because it was making him want something that should probably never be his, to begin with. He felt her arms go around his waist and pulled herself closer. "Someday, I'll let you in but for now, this I can handle," he mumbled into her hair.

She had started crying into his jacket but then she grew quiet, her hold on him growing weak. He pulled back, looking down at her. She was half asleep standing there and now that he was looking at her better, she was pale her cheeks fever red. Was she sick? He felt the back of her neck and instantly felt even more like an ass. She was and he hadn't noticed that at school. Then he went and told her off and now here he was paying for that blind indifference of his. He scooped her up, sighing as her weight settled into his arms. She nestled into his chest, shivering.

Of all things, he would have to end up taking her to her room with no idea where it was located. He headed for the stairs and slowly made his way up. When he got to the top there was a door off to the right open. He peered in and found it to be her room, thank god. He walked in and gently placed her down on her bed, then pulled her covers up over her. She sighed, moving deeper down into her covers. He stood there for a moment, looking around, not quite sure what he should do next. He didn't want to go home but at the same time knew that if he stayed out too late, his sister would beat the shit out of him just to know why. But once again he could lie that one of his friends got sick and that he had to take them back home and by the time they made it there it was too late to catch a train back. Yeah, that would work. He hoped.

He knew it was wrong, but he wanted to curl up with Erika, so he kept his jacket on as he laid down next to her. Her immediate response was comical, she crawled toward him, pushing the covers down, and curled herself around him. He wrapped his arms around her and sighed, this needed to stop, nothing good was going to come from it. But what was he to do? His sister was making it too much to be home and that had been okay in the past but now? Erika was making everything just a little bit more bearable and yet at the same time it was making it harder for him to withstand his sister's brutal punishment for everything he did wrong in her eyes. Which meant everything that he did, said, or didn't even do yet.

After some time, he fell asleep with Erika wrapped up in his arms, wishing that maybe things would be a little better in the morning. Who knew, maybe his sister would go back to Kobe and he would be in the clear for the next couple of months. But of course, that didn't last for long because he was nudged awake by Erika, whispering in his ear.

"Kyōya it's three in the morning. You need to go home."

"No trains are running right now," he mumbled.

"Is that why you didn't go home after putting me to bed?" she breathed.

He opened an eye and grumbled, "Yes."

She was quiet for a moment and he closed his eye, trying to sleep some more. Then she sighed, "Why do you need to take a train?"

He sighed, opened his eyes, and pinned her with a glare. "I don't need to. You should know that. I just was using it as an excuse."

She tried to hide her face, but she couldn't, so she buried it into his chest. "Can I ask why?"

The growl that came out of him wasn't pointed toward her, but damn it, she made it hard to not forget his twisted sister. And for god's sake that was what he was trying to do but Erika wanted to know just what the hell was going on in his personal life, as Sanda so boldly put it. So, he was going to try as best as he could to tell her what was bothering him. "My sister came to visit, and I don't want to be around her. So, I'm using the train as my way of saying that I couldn't make it back home last night."

Erika went stiff in his arms. He looked down, trying to understand just what was wrong with her. She looked up to him and an emotion he couldn't name was staring back at him through her eyes. "I'm being used again, aren't I?" she whispered.

Kyōya smiled, smart this one is but too late to do anything about that. "Yes, but I did want to say sorry in person, so it worked out."

"That's not what I mean," she cried. She pushed against him and got up from the bed.

He frowned, what was it that he was missing? He sat up, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. "Erika, I'll head home." He didn't want to fight; he could feel his emotions starting to riot.

Erika touched his shoulder before he could rise. He looked up to her and found that she was angry, which threw him. "Why do you always run away when things get hard?"

That lid on his emotions cracked and he gritted his teeth. Damn it! "Erika don't start. I came and said that I was sorry, now I'll just go home." He stood and strode for the door.

"Kyōya?" Came a whisper from behind him. He stopped, debating on turning around. "Sorry that you had to come here. Thank you, if that will help with the fact that you came all the way here. I'll see you at school later."

He turned his head, eyeing her. She wasn't looking at him as she stood there fidgeting with her hands. He understood her discomfort but right now he needed to walk away, or things would end in a fight between them. "See you later," he spoke softly over his shoulder then left her room.

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He walked into his house and closed the door as quietly as possible, but it didn't make a difference. As soon as his back was to the rest of the house, something solid hit him square in the middle of his back. He muffled the sound that almost escaped his lips as he fell to the floor on his knees. Holy hell did that hurt but it wasn't something new neither. He turned his head to look back and saw his sister standing behind him with a fucking baseball bat in her hands and the most ruthless look in her eyes. "Waited long?" he wheezed out.

Reika leveled the bat at him. "You pull that shit again and I'll personally tie your ass to a chair."

"I don't think that will go over well with dad being here. I'm sure he'll have something to say about how you're treating me."

"Dad doesn't care what we do. So, that's not going to stop me from making sure you get the beating you deserve for being an asshole towards me."

He laughed. "I wasn't being an asshole. I have friends and we do hang out. It wasn't my one friend's night tonight, he got sick. So, I was the one that had to take him back home and we took the last train of the night. I'm sorry that I wasn't back in time but I'm not sorry about spending time with them tonight." At some point, he started slapping himself mentally. Where the hell did this devil may care attitude come from? It scared him because he was never this bold towards his sister.

His sister shifted the bat away from him, which greatly helped his growing anxiety, and she kneeled. "I'll let you go this time, but next time dad won't stop me from punishing you for talking to me like a complete ass. Night brother." She stood and walked toward the living room.

Kyōya slowly stood and gently made his way to his room, his back aching. He closed his door and settled down on his bed, a sigh leaving him. Anger bubbled in his gut but the ache in his back and his heart made it hard to even think about the misery that he would have to deal with in the morning both here and at school. His sister would pierce him with the most self-loathing look just for him to get another one from Erika later at school. A thought crossed his mind though at this. Erika probably wouldn't. She never really glared at him, only when he deserved it, and even then, it was nowhere near the look his sister would give him. Erika's eyes never hardened with malice or the intent to cause him harm. No, they always showed him that she was too in love with him and he feared that look would change, soon at that.

He laid back, wincing when his back popped uncomfortably and settled for what little sleep he was going to get. He laced his fingers across his chest and closed his eyes, deepening his breaths. He'd try to make it through today, but it felt like it was going to be long before it even really got started. Finally, he was able to find a quiet place in his mind and sank into a dreamless sleep.

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Kyōya hissed through his teeth when his bag brushed across his back. Erika looked at him with a questioning brow. He shook his head as he continued walking, letting his bag hang by his side. He wasn't going to explain what happened after he left her last night. Not after the aggravating morning he had with his sister during breakfast. Thankfully the witch was going back to Kobe. So, after today he wouldn't see her for the next couple of months and he could only hope that she caught up in something so she won't have the chance to come again for quite some time.

"Kyōya?"

He stumbled a half step when pain raced across his back and down. A biting remark was on the tip of his tongue when he turned to Erika, but her face was pale, and she was shaking making him choke back the anger in his voice. "What?" he managed to ask without too much pain behind the word.

She still had a grip on his jacket, her hand shaking from the effort. "P-Pay attention," she mumbled before planting her head in the middle of his chest. She started crying softly into his jacket.

He looked around, trying to understand what had caused her distress, and froze when he understood. They were standing on the edge of a crosswalk, mere inches outside of a parked car protecting them from a busy roadway. He hadn't been paying attention and walked right out into traffic. Had she not been there, watching, walking with him, he would have been killed. Kyōya hugged her to his chest, had he not been in pain he would have just kept walking, ignoring her pull on his jacket. "I'm sorry," he whispered into her hair.

"No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said what I said the other night and made you leave. I was wanting to know more and be there for you, but I feel like I'm pushing you away when I try." She shivered and hugged herself closer to him.

Pinpricks of hot pain danced themselves up and down his spine as she squeezed. He grunted, gritting his teeth, wanting to step away from the pressure but not wanting to take another step out into the street. He gently took a step forward, tears pricking the back of his eyes as the pain continued to threaten taking out his legs. "Thank you, Erika. Now can you let go?" His head hurt and his whole body was thrumming. He doubted if he was going to make it through classes today let alone for the rest of the week.

Erika stepped back from him, her face red, tears still streaking down her face. "What happened?"

Now came the choice to either tell her the truth or give a half-truth. He chose the latter. "I wasn't paying attention because I was thinking of something else."

He knew he fucked up when her face screwed up, knowing he always paid attention, no matter what. He tried to correct himself, but she shook her head saying, "It's okay, a lot happened in the last couple of days, so it's okay that you were thinking of something else."

Kyōya tried yet again to correct her but she just shook her head more and continued to school. He was glad she didn't think him suicidal, but still, it unnerved him that he hadn't been aware of where he was going. When they got to school, she looked back at him and smiled then took off for her locker. He watched her as she weaved her way through then made her way up the stairs toward her classroom. She never looked back at him again the whole time and he was glad. Because had she, he was sure that she would have known something was wrong because of the way his face was twisting in torture. He headed for the nurse's office, hoping that maybe she had something for the pounding headache that was beating between his temples.

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He sighed, aggravated by the twit of a doctor he was sent to see. The nurse had inadvertently found the bruise on his back and she threw a fit about him seeing someone. She had been positive that something had to have broken but thankfully it was nothing, just a couple of bruised ribs and some deep bruised muscles. The doctor told him to take an easy for the next couple of days, stay away from school, and rest. He got a doctor's note and headed home.

By the time he walked into the house, closed the door, and found his way to his room, he was already asleep before his head hit the pillow. The next thing he knew was someone was calling out his name and he barely registered their voice. It was the soft touch to his back that had him moving before he was fully awake. Finally, after he cleared the fog of sleep from his mind and focused on what he had his hands wrapped around, he quickly pulled away. Erika was standing wide-eyed, hands up where they had been against his chest, keeping him pushed away.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, his voice groggy.

She shook her body and placed her hands back down by her side. "Checking up on you?"

He furrowed his brows. "What?"

Erika's eyebrows went up, seeming surprised. "How long have you been asleep?"

Kyōya swung toward his clock on the bedside table. "A couple of hours at least," he spoke, registering 6:48 p.m.

"Um, yeah, but what day is today?"

He thought hard, "Wednesday?" he wasn't sure anymore.

Erika coughed. "Kyōya it's Friday. I tried calling yesterday but all I got was your voice mail. I had to call Takeru to let me in because no one was answering the door. You scared me when you didn't even answer me when I called your name. Is everything okay?"

He was confused. It couldn't be Friday already? Could it? But he had just laid down to sleep, so how had he lost almost two days? He looked at Erika and she was watching him with concern. Finally, he spoke up, "I hadn't been feeling well the last couple of days, so I stayed home."

The word "Bullshit," flew so fast out of her mouth that he didn't quite catch it. When he tried again, she stepped forward and planted an open-handed hit to his chest, calling "Bullshit," out again. He sat down on the bed. "Kyōya you were out cold. You're still wearing the same clothes from the other day and you were about to hurt me again for touching your back. I may not be the brightest, but I can tell that something is wrong. Why won't you talk to me?"

Again, that need to lie to her and keep her at arm's length bubbled up, making it hard to breathe. He grunted, why would it bother him this much? She should mean nothing to him but then again, he knew the answer before he even had to think about the question. She was starting to be his everything and once again he was reminded that it scared the hell out of him to have that feeling. The words formed to let her know what happened the other night, but he sighed and told her an outright lie. "I just didn't feel good, took some medicine, and went to sleep. That's all. I must have been feeling worse than I thought."

Erika frowned at him, shaking her head. "I don't believe what you're saying but for the sake of not wanting to get into an argument with you, I'll believe you. But Kyōya at some point, you're going to have to tell me just what is going on with you. You may not care what happens to me, but I care what happens to you. You mean something to me."

Kyōya closed his eyes and rested his head between his propped-up hands. Erika and her messed up sense of responsibility. "Would you like to go to dinner tonight?"

"W-what? Now?! Um...Yeah, sure I haven't had anything because I came over here."

He glanced up and watched as she fidgeted with her hair, her face turning pink. The way she acted when he does something unexpected makes it worth it to tease her and feel that at least he's trying to be a little open with her. "How does curry sound?"

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Four weeks later and he was feeling way better than he ever did. The bruise was gone, all that was left was a slight hitch when he breathed in deep, and the relationship between Erika and him was far less rocky than it had been. She never asked him again about what happened, but he could tell that she was dying to know the story. Maybe some other time but he knew that would lead to other questions, especially ones that would question his relationship with his sister. Questions that would be hard to answer and he didn't feel like he could handle them without his anger taking a hold of him. No, it was best for right now to let it be and then they could revisit the problem without too much trouble, hopefully.

He glanced at the woman in question walking beside him in the hallway. She seemed nervous. He shivered, he brought his hands up to his mouth and breathed on them to warm them up. God, it was getting cold and fast.

"Um..." He glanced back down. She shook her head, deciding it was better to be quiet.

"They should put heaters in the hallway, too," he observed.

She shivered, "The moment you step out of the classroom is pretty awful, huh?" That was a serious understatement. "U-um... It's almost time for Christmas, huh?"

"Yeah," he breathed. Christmas meant that witch coming to visit and he didn't want her coming near him. After this last time, he was surprised with himself for not telling his father but instinctively he knew that nothing good would come of it. No, Christmas to him meant getting hurt and it wasn't always from his sister.

"You don't like it much, huh?"

"Christmas is crap," he spoke with contempt. "What's so fun about it? In the event people control everything. There're huge crowds, you hear all the same songs on TV and out in town. Can't we do something about it all? In the end, your only choice is to watch movies in your room." He felt that it was always like that every year with his family. His mom trying to get him to come to visit her, his sister making it unbearable, and his dad always seems to disappear for a week before Christmas coming. So, yeah, Christmas always turned into something he would rather not be doing and keep away until it was over with. "So, what was that about Christmas?" he asked, realizing that Erika was trying to ask a question.

She waved him off. "N-Nothing."

"I see," he said, walking down the stairs to head out of the school.

He held the door open for her and then they proceeded to walk home. He noted that she seemed to be shaken up about something then she stopped in her tracks. "But what about the selfie?"

He stopped and turned to her. "What was that?"

She glanced up to him and nervously laughed, scratching her cheek. "I got to take a selfie and send it to the two girls I hang with."

"Seriously, those two again?"

She ducked her head. "I'm sorry. They asked what I was doing this Christmas and then it led into exchanging pictures."

He sighed, "What lie did you tell this time?"

Erika shook her head and started walking. "Don't worry about it."

He grabbed her arm and spun her back around. "Don't do that. I can do that, but you don't get to have that right. Now tell me just what the hell you got us into this time."

She shook her head again. "It's fine I swear. You don't have to worry."

The grip on her arm tightened. "Erika don't play that shit with me. What is it that you have to do because it's got you anxious about it?"

Erika's lower lip trembled. "Fine. I've got to get a picture of us being a couple and send it to Marin and Tezuka. They wanted to exchange them so that we can see how everyone's Christmas was going."

Again, the word Christmas made his skin crawl. How could anyone enjoy a holiday where everyone was trying to one-up one another. "Where and when?" he asked.

"Huh?"

He pierced her with a glare. "Where and when do you want to get this thing done?"

Her face pulled up in shock. "I was thinking in front of the Christmas tree that they set up in the square near where you live. It's the perfect place for a picture."

Good lord, he was probably going to regret this but, "Let's get this thing over with so I can start enjoying my holiday break."

She smiled and it made her eyes sparkle. "Really?"

He nodded his head, god yes, but honestly, he was trying to get prepared for the arrival of his asshole of a sister before she showed up. So, if he could get this out of the way then by god, he was going to get this done and then head home. They headed for the square that she talked about, which was going to take them an extra forty-five to get to. He wouldn't mind the walk, but he asked anyway, "Want to take a bus?"

"Oh, no, I'm fine with walking. Gives me a chance to get what little excise in for this holiday." Erika smiled at him and did a little hop, getting a little out in head of him. "Plus, I've never walked through here before so it's a nice change of scenery."

He rolled his eyes, sure it was but then again, he'd never really been anywhere else with her outside of school, home, and her house. As they continued to walk, he watched her look from one side to the other, laughing and smiling as she took in the sight of all the stores, decorated and shimmering for the upcoming holiday. She pointed at something and told him something, but he didn't quite catch it then she was off to look at something else. He smiled a little, she was acting like a little kid, having the time of her life. He was getting caught up in her excitement when suddenly she stopped and stared at him.

"You should smile more," she spoke aloud.

Kyōya frowned at her. "I don't know what you're talking about." He continued to walk by her.

She whined then caught back up to him. "You don't think you can smile but you just were. It looks good on you, at least you can tell it's not a forced smile."

"Shut up. You lucky I'm going all this way for an alibi. I think your selfie is pointless. It's just about showing off." Granted it he could have said that nicer but there were more important things to get done.

"I told you, I can't just not send it. I promised."

"It would be pathetic if you were the only one without one, I guess," he said. "Women are such a pain," he sighed, knowing his sister would have been the same, although, she would have been dragging his ass along with her.

Erika glanced away, sighing. He watched her as she continued to look away then she turned back to him, a question ready for him. "What?" he asked.

She looked away. "N-Nothing."

Yeah, right, she had something she wanted to know. She fell quiet and he was okay with that. He was getting tired of the million questions she always seemed to have swirling in her head.

"Sir?"

He looked toward the lady standing in front of a store, holding something in her hands. "Would you like to get a present for your girlfriend? Girls just love this one."

Kyōya threw up his smile and spoke, "No thank you. I've got a much better one prepared." He walked away before the lady could come back with a reply.

"That was a rude way of turning her down," Erika said, coming up beside him.

"That type won't give up if you don't shut them down. I don't get the purpose of giving presents at Christmas, though. Isn't some guy's birthday?"

"No, it's okay. If it's fun, you don't need a reason."

"Oh? Then maybe I'll buy you something, too."

"What is it? What will you buy for me?" Erika asked, excited.

"Let me see...a collar, perhaps?" he said jokingly.

"Huh? A collar...like for a dog?"

"I could buy a leash, too, and take you for a walk every morning. What do you think?"

"I want it!"

He said all that as a joke but when Erika's eyes light up with excitement, the joke was on him. He didn't mean that seriously but a small part of him lapped it up. But then her excitement and agreement to it made him stop short. What the hell? Didn't she just hear what he said?

"Can we really? I want it! We'll take walks every morning!" She was way too excited.

"It was a joke. Don't take it seriously."

"It was a joke?" She looked crestfallen.

"Are you stupid or something? I couldn't use it." A small part whined at that.

"Well, that's true, but..."

He sighed, "If you want to take the next step into that world, you can go by yourself." He had to walk away after that. Because that small part of him was becoming anguished with himself. She was all for it and he had to shut that down? Damn this and having to look like a normal person.

"No, it's not like that... J-Just getting a present from someone you love makes it special. Anything you give me, I'd treasure it," she pleaded with him.

Kyōya couldn't decide something. "I can't tell if women are a pain or just gullible." He was quiet for a moment until they came past a corner and he eyed the thing they were after. "By the way, is that what you're after?" he asked.

"Huh?"

"The big tree," he pointed out.

Erika squealed in joy, taking a few steps forward. Her demeanor lifting, taking in the sight of the tree.

"The big heart at the center is so tacky," he spoke aloud.

"Huh? It's cute," she demanded, turning to look at him. Her face was alight with merriment.

He couldn't win this. "Whatever. Let's just take the picture and go home." He wasn't in the mood anymore. Christmas will always be something he hates. He eyed the other couples around the tree, their lovey-dovey looks and cuddling making his skin crawl. Too many people in one place and the smell of something sweet on the air making his stomach knot uncomfortably. "Find a spot so we can get out of here," he spoke out.

Erika stopped suddenly beside him and pointed right in front of them. "Right there!" She jogged over to the spot, turned to him, and smiled, laughing a little. "This is the perfect spot."

Kyōya rolled his eyes, it had to be right under the tacky ass heart on the tree. Why couldn't it have been somewhere else, like say a restaurant with freaking heat? He followed her over and stood next to her. She pulled out her phone and commenced trying to take the photo.

Five minutes later he was freezing and growing tired of waiting. He grabbed the phone from her, took the damn picture, and handed it back to her. "This is okay, right? The tree's in the shot, too. Let's go." He turned away, heading for her house to drop her off. Halfway there he was done with being out in the cold. "Hey, Erika, it's cold. Let's go inside somewhere."

"S-Sure," she answered.

He continued walking, knowing that there was a pretty good place to eat just up the way a bit. The sound of someone falling and a small gasp had him turning back around. What he found was Erika crouched down in the middle of the walkway, holding her middle. "Hey, what's wrong?" he asked, coming back toward her. Concern coursed through him.

"M..." she mumbled.

"Mm?"

"My stomach...hurts," she finally got out. She curled in tighter on herself.

He couldn't believe it, of all the things to be, she had to get a bad stomach. He placed a hand on her shoulder, waited for her to look up at him, and spoke, "Can you make it another five minutes?"

Erika's eyes watered a little. "Yeah, but..."

"That's all we need. Here," he took her hand, pulled her up, and placed her arm around his waist. "Just hold on and we'll get to someplace so you can rest up for a bit." He pulled her along but soon found that she couldn't keep the pace he was trying to set. It frustrated him but he slowed down and saw that it was a relief to her, she was still doubled over a little.

When they finally made it to the restaurant, he was exhausted, she was leaning on him heavily, practically dragging him down. She perked up when warm air hit her, a sigh leaving her when she finally collapsed into the booth they were taken to. "Stay here, I'll be back in a bit," he told her. She gave no acknowledgment that she heard him as he walked away. He stopped a waitress on his way out and asked that she bring water to their table. She smiled and nodded her head.

Kyōya remembered seeing a pharmacy across the street on their way here, he headed back in that direction to pick up something for Erika. Seven minutes later he was walking back to the restaurant with medicine in hand. As he was exiting the pharmacy his phone rang and he growled when he read the caller-id. Reika. He answered it, knowing that maybe he should have left it to voicemail. "What?" he bit out.

"You know I'm beginning to wonder if dad knows about your late-day outings? It can't be that slow of a day for you not to have homework. So, what's it this time? Is it friends wanting to hang? PC shop?"

"None of your damn business, that's what it is. Now, stop calling me," he breathed, about to hang up but that was forgotten when she spoke.

"I'll be in town in three days."

He stopped, no, nononononono... Dad wasn't in town, at least not for another five days, and he would have to spend two days with her? God no, he wouldn't survive. "For how long?" he barely breathed.

"Oh, for about five days or so. I wanted to have Christmas dinner with dad but he won't be home so I pushed it back so that we can have it together. Fun right?" she said, laughing.

That laugh was unnerving, it brought back all the pain that his body had gone through. "Um, does dad know?"

Her laughing stopped and she hummed. "No, I wanted to surprise him, so, that means you can't tell him. I was hoping that you could help me with that."

"Hell, no," came out faster than he could stop it. But it was too late to take it back because the next thing he knew was she was yelling through the phone. At that point he was done, knowing that she was going to get his ass as soon as she got here. He hung up the phone, placed it back in his pocket, and started heading back toward the restaurant. All his mental shields crumbling, he knew that at some point she was going to come but why so soon? What about this year had her constantly coming up here and pestering the hell out of him?

He got to the restaurant and stood outside for a moment, letting the cool air help him recompose himself. He looked in and found Erika sitting up, sipping water. Her face twisted as she set the water back down, she was tired, it showed when she let her head settle back down on her crossed arms that sat upon the table. How could she be at ease in a place like this? Is it because she knew he was coming back? Did she fully believe that he would? He could easily walk away right now, that urge was there because there was no way he could keep his cool.

"Oh, thank goodness you made it back," a voice spoke to him.

He glanced down and found the waitress he had talked to earlier. "What?"

Her face showed concern. "The lady that came in with you has been in the bathroom most of the time. We were beginning to worry if you would come back because we weren't sure who to call."

Kyōya looked back through the window, Erika was relaxed, possibly asleep. "Sorry about that, ran down to get some medicine," he spoke, smiled, and lifted the bag he had in his hand.

She smiled back. "No problem," she said, ducking back into the restaurant.

Should he go in there? No, he knew that if he left her here, she would say something to him, or bug the shit out of him over it. He opened the door, headed toward her, and put the bag down on the table. "Here," he said, settling down into the seat. She looked up to him, sleep evident in her eyes. "Take some stomach medicine. Then rest until you're feeling better."

Erika looked confused as she spoke, "You went all the way to a pharmacy to get that for me?"

"Be grateful I'm doing this fetch work for you."

"Thanks. How much was it?" she asked, turning to her bag.

He felt uncomfortable, she didn't have to worry. "I don't want your money," he told her.

"B-But I feel bad," she complained.

He closed his eyes, a headache forming in the back of his head. Could she be any denser? "Listen. What did you do when I had a fever? Don't make me the only charity case here."

She sighed, "Thanks."

It was true, he had felt like shit back then, but she had been there to help him, so the least he could do was return the favor. He watched her open the box and punch out the dose she needed. Erika's hands shook a little as she popped them in her mouth then grabbed her glass of water, taking a drink. She breathed out heavy then once again her face twisted a little. "Too cold?" he inquired.

She shook her head slightly. "No, just my stomach rolling from the water," she whispered.

"What did you eat that didn't agree with you?"

Erika shook her head, sighing. "Don't know. A lot of things could have upset it."

They fell quiet for a while, which he was okay with. A lot of things were on his mind and now he was having to prepare for his sister to arrive soon. What else could go so wrong in his life? He was just wanting to prepare for next semester, get through the holidays, and maybe spend some time on figuring out what he wanted to do after high school, perhaps college? Then he was coming back to the problem that sat in front of him. Is it worth his time to still play with her? Would he be okay with her being with someone else if he told her that he quit? Could he let her go? No regrets? No hard feelings? He stared at her. She wasn't paying any attention to him and that allowed him to study her a little closer.

Her hair fell softly around her face, framing a surprisingly beautiful face. Her lips were turned down but that was fine, one could still see that they had laugh lines around them. God her eyes...He couldn't get over how they glowed with wonder and... life. She may feel like crap now but still, her eyes showed that she wasn't done with life. That she has more to get done and it partially made him feel overwhelmed. How could she be so determined? Yet... "But getting a stomachache...are you an old man?" She glanced up at him, shamed. "What's wrong with you? You seem so seriously worried," he observed.

Erika sucked in a breath, seeming to want to say something but she kept it to herself. She glared back down at the table, all the fight leaving her body.

"Hm? What is it? If you want to talk, I'll hear you out," he sweet-talked. He could feel that there was something on her mind and his inner demon stirring.

"Okay, just one thing," she paused. "What am I to you? Just a toy to kill time? Just a useful dog to satisfy your needs? Is that all? Is there no special feeling, even a little?"

He cracked a small smile. "Who knows?" How could she hit every little thing that made even him question why he had done this? Did he even really know himself?

"If you say that, I'll throw this water in your face!" she threatened. He didn't move, just watched her movements. Her eyes pleaded with him but the threat to him didn't help her case, it pissed him off. "Hey. Please, just tell me."

She was shaking but that didn't matter, he grabbed her hand that had the water in it, getting rid of the threat. He pulled sweet words that were laced with half-truths, but it only covered the rage that threatened to boil over. "I like you, Erika."

Lies!

He tried not to flinch when his inner demon seethed out its rage. "You didn't realize it? No matter how useful she is, I couldn't stay with a girl I didn't like. A toy would be the same."

A toy that's going to be broke if you don't get rid of it before the witch shows up.

"If you don't like it, you get tired of it and throw it out right away. It's like that." He pulled the water away from her and settled back down in his seat.

"I've been too shy to say it, but I've liked you for a long time." A nasty laugh sounded in his mind. The look in her eyes made it almost worth it to say those words but he was going to pull that rug right out from under her feet.

"Really?" she asked. Suddenly she started crying, her face flushing red.

"Don't cry."

Good, now drive home the pain. Get rid of her.

Shut up, he thought. Mentally shaking his head but he felt his mind starting to fray from the stress of knowing his sister was going to destroy what little happiness he had here.

"Sorry," she spoke, rubbing her eyes. "I never thought you'd say it like that, so I'm just so happy..."

"I see. I'm sorry for teasing you for so long." No, he wasn't.

"It's okay! All's well that ends well! I'm a simple person!"

"But that's what makes you so cute." Yes, but so easy to manipulate and pull along.

She sniffled, "Um, so, I want to spend the twenty-fourth with you."

That surprised him, usually, no one wanted to willingly spend time with him. "Spend...Christmas, you mean?" Could there be some hope?

It's a trick, pretty boy.

"Yeah."

His disbelief continued, was it a trick? "Doing what?

"Just the usual stuff," she answered.

"What's the usual?" It was an honest question, but he could tell that something was breaking inside him. It was getting harder to keep their conversation straight, especially trying not to listen to his nasty side.

"Like eating fried chicken and cake together, exchanging presents... It's my first Christmas with a boyfriend, so I want to do all the clichés."

His mind caught on the use of the word 'boyfriend.' It was causal and light, but that world view started to crumble and decay. "That's very economical."

"So, you don't want to?" She looked slightly disappointed.

"Sure. It would be fun to do those things with you." False words that broke everything he held back. His sister would kill him, his self-preservation kicked in. Reika would never leave him alone and to have her go after Erika...

"Kyōya..."

"So? How long should I keep up the monkey show?" he interrupted. His sanity slipping out of his reach. "You really are simple. You trust way too easily."

Don't listen to me! he pleaded to her silently.

"You still don't understand me at all." That wasn't true but he didn't want to be hurt. "I'd never say anything so sweet. You need to learn a little."

Please, Erika, don't take it to heart!

"How are you going to live your life this way? You'll get taken in by a con man someday."

The splash of cold water over his face snapped his brain back. God, what had he done? He should have tried harder to close his mouth, but his deep-seated fear had lashed out, pushing her as far away as possible.

"You're terrible," she breathed, her eyes broken. "You're terrible! I hope you die, you piece of trash!" she yelled. Erika shakenly set the cup down and started gathering up her things then left.

What could he say to her after being such an ass that even he was cringing from what had spilled from his mouth? Nothing. Nothing at all. He was furious with himself for allowing the knowledge of his sister's arrival to get in the way of possibly having his first idyllic Christmas. He accepted the towel from the waitress and quickly cleaned up, even though it was water he didn't want to get sick when he left. He gathered his things and, in a daze, made his way home, not remembering how he had made it.

He sat on the couch and stared at the tv. That was a complete mess of things. Maybe you got rid of her for good now... He shook his head. It would take more than that to make her break up with him.

Says who? You?... The broken boy who can't seem to do anything right?

Shut. Up.

You know that it is for the best. What you were thinking just before that happened? You know without a doubt that...

Quit it! He stood from the couch and paced the floor, trying to cut off the spiral of thoughts.

No doubt about it, she won't talk to you ever again...

He stopped, scratching at his head. He knew that she would be calling at some point to apologize to him.

Hahaha, you think she's going to apologize to you? Who do you really think is the one in the wrong?

She is...

NO!

Kyōya jerked away as if someone had just yelled right in his ear.

Are you that self-centered? Think hard about who hurt who. You know the answer and be proud that you ended it there. She was needy and ...

Goddamnit! Stop it.

Kyōya felt his anger starting to bubble in his stomach. He knew his self-doubts were getting the best of him but that didn't mean that he had to let them take over. He had to focus on the main problem that was due in less than three days. Girlfriend problems were for another day.

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He stood at the entryway into the kitchen looking into the living room, satisfied with how clean it was. He had spent most of the day vacuuming, dusting, and picking up the house. Now it was just down to cleaning up the kitchen and then touching up the bathroom. But he needed to stop and find something to eat, his poor stomach twisting in pain from not having anything since last night. He looked at the kitchen, thinking of what there was but nothing seemed good.

Maybe something ordered? Nah. Precooked? Nope. Cook something? Maybe, but what? He looked at his phone wanting to ask Erika what she thought. He shook his head; he didn't need to ask her anything. He walked into the kitchen, opened the fridge, grabbed the milk, and proceeded to make something.

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Two days into waiting for his sister to arrive he had the house spotless and now he was bored. That morning Kyōya had sat down at the computer, looking at meaningless things, an afterthought coming to him at one point. He put that away then walked around the house, extremely bored. Finally, he pulled on his jacket, slipped into his shoes, and took a walk around the block or two. Wanting to clear his mind.

In the distance, he could make out the jingling of bells and music, his skin prickling with unease. He turned away from the sound, walking away from the crowd that was starting to gather. Eventually, he made his way to the park and sat down at a bench. He breathed out a breath, watched it drift up, and then dissipate. Loneliness sucking the air out of his chest, making it hard to breathe. Not only that, but the thought of his sister finding out about ErikaHe knew why but the thought of his sister finding out... god, it made his heart pound erratically in his chestbeat skip uncomfortably. He rubbed at his chest, the ache there dull, yet piercing. How could he make it where there was no way for him to get hurt? His sister made life at home unsafe and Erika... well, she made life, in general, a little unhinged. But with both, it made things a little harder to keep things in line.

The sound of barking grabbed his attention and he looked at the sound. The little old lady and her chubby dog walking nearby pulled a smile from him. How much he wished he had a dog of his own. Something always there to greet you when you get home and knowing when you had a bad day. An animal that lived to please its master and guard against those who wished you harm. He smiled, his hand tingling from phantom hair running along his fingers. He wanted to ask if he could pet the lady's dog, but the image of honey eyes, chestnut hair, and a soft smile caught him. Sweet laughter filled his ears and the feeling on his hand was of soft warm skin.

"What's on your mind today? You look like you were reminded of something terrible," she whispered into his ear. The kiss to the side of his face had him leaning into her.

"Nothing," he rumbled.

She pulled away, a frown pulling at her lips. "It's not nothing." She placed her hands on either side of his face. "Your face and eyes say otherwise. Just tell me what's on your mind?" she asked sweetly.

He looked down; he couldn't watch her face. "My sister. I... don't want to see her."

"Why?"

He sighed, closing his eyes. "I don't want her to hurt me like last time. I don't know if I'll be able to hold on if she does."

Light fingers pulled his head up and he slowly opened his eyes. Tears threatened to fall from her eyes. "Was it because of me?"

He couldn't answer her. No words could console her because she would always blame herself for the pain he was inflicted. "No," he whispered.

Her tears fall and she sobbed as she wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him close. After a while, she softly spoke, "I'm sorry Kyōya. I shouldn't have gotten mad at you."

He was conflicted. It hadn't been her fault. His sister showed up earlier than he had been prepared for and that's how he ended up in the mess he had been in. Erika had only asked because he was being more snippy than usual and that lead to him wanting to make things right, surprisingly. With that action came the consequences of how he talked to his sister and thus her getting revenge on him when he got home. Had he watched his anger and mouth then he wouldn't be in this situation. "Erika...none of what happened was your fault. My sister had shown up..."

He was silenced by her placing a kiss on his lips. She pulled back, huffing, waiting, then he pulled her back toward him, kissing her harder. His hands slipped up the back of her shirt and he caught the gasp that left her as the cold also caressed her.

Before he could get any farther a sharp bark jerked him back to reality and he sighed with loss. If only it could be that easy, he thought. He looked to the culprit, frowning, the old lady and her dog were on the other side of the park but that wasn't what confused him. What confused him was who it was that was kneeled petting the dog. Erika.

He stood, unsure of what he should do. He watched for a few minutes then he had to leave, noticing something about her. She had been crying, her face was puffy, and she kept wiping at her eyes and nose. The old lady seemed concerned, but Erika kept waving her hand, seeming to say that she was okay. He knew better, it was because of him that she was upset. But what he couldn't understand was why she was at the park. Kyōya had a feeling that he knew why and that's why he was turning his back, walking away before she noticed. He still wasn't ready to talk to her, because he knew that it had to be him to apologize first this time not her. As he exited, he glanced back and saw that Erika had finished with the dog and was now where he had been sitting. She glanced around; he caught the sad look on her face as she searched for him.

Kyōya shook his head, letting out a long breath, it wasn't the right time. He started walking back home, leaving a trail of warm breath hanging in the air as it slowly drifted into nothingness.

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When he got home, there was a package sitting in front of his door. He picked it up, opening the door, and walked toward the kitchen. He pulled out a knife and opened the box to discover what it was. He laughed softly then sighed as he picked up the item, examining it. He wasn't sure that she would like it, but she had said that it didn't matter what it was, she'd love it. Kyōya carefully placed it down on the counter, glancing at the clock. 4:30 p.m. Was she still in the park? Or had she gone back, mad that she hadn't caught him?

Kyōya chuckled again, he'd take a shower and see if she'd call. If not, then he'd finally say his sorry to her. After all, it was the twenty-fourth, she had asked if they could spend it together and he had agreed. Maybe that had been the reason she had been at the park? He sighed, such a hard-headed girl she was, she had something that she could have used against him. But he knew that she would have never done that because that just wasn't who she was. He headed toward the bathroom and took a shower.

Ten minutes later he stepped back out and checked his phone. No new message or call, he glanced at the time, 5 p.m. Kyōya leaned back, looking at the ceiling, he needed to get this done before tomorrow. He shivered, yeah definitely before tomorrow before that thing showed up. He was going to enjoy tonight as much as he could then take whatever came his way from his sister. He went to his room, got dressed, then headed back to the kitchen. Once again, he was hit with the outlandish thought that had come from Erika. She would have been okay with a dog collar of all things, but he knew way better than that, she only agreed because it would have been a gift from him. He smiled as he grabbed the replacement to that idea, their secret between them.

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Kyōya looked up at Erika's house and nearly backed out. He was going to have to talk to her parents and hopefully convince them that he was just...a friend? He shook his head. Her mom already knew something was going on between them and she had let on that Erika's dad knew too. Holy shit! How was he to tell them that he was here to see her because she had asked? Had she told them? Crap! He was starting to panic as he started pacing the sidewalk, he scratched at his head.

"Oi!" He faltered a step as someone called out sharply. Kyōya looked toward the source and wish he hadn't. A tall man with dark hair and glasses was walking toward him from the house. Before he could decide to walk away his name was called out. "Kyōya, right?"

Damn it there was no way out of this now. "Yes, sir?"

The man looked stern at him for a minute then smiled. "We've been waiting for you."

"Really?" He was surprised.

The man laughed as he grabbed Kyōya's shoulder. "Yes, Erika's been down since the end of the semester and we were getting a little worried. She won't talk to us and we've been hoping that you would show up soon to help us out." He started pulling Kyōya toward the door.

Kyōya pulled out of his hold and back stepped a little. "Hold on, why?" he asked confused.

Erika's dad turned back to him and sighed. "Don't be surprised by how we treat you. My wife told me all about you but despite all that, I know that she needs you right now because she's upset. She won't let anyone in her room and she's snapping at us. But we feel that maybe if someone else was to talk to her then maybe she'll calm down and let us know what is wrong."

Kyōya shook his head and sighed, "I know why and before you ask, no, I'm not telling. I'll try but there's no guarantee that she'll let me in."

Her dad nodded his head and turned toward the door. "Come on in then, it's cold out. By the way, I'm Yu-chan." He held out his hand and Kyōya shook it.

Once they were inside, Kyōya shook his coat off and hung it up. Jackie smiled at him as she came around the corner. "Hello, Kyōya."

He bowed slightly as he greeted her. Then he looked toward the stairs. "Is it okay to go up?"

Jackie laughed, "That all depends upon you. Are you ready?"

Kyōya swallowed nervously, hell no, how was he going to smooth things over with Erika? He knew what he needed to do but that didn't help with what he needed to say. Jackie's smile deepened as she headed for the stairs. "No time to back out, let's go." She walked up the stairs and stopped at Erika's door, lightly tapping on it. "Erika? Want to come down for dinner? It's your favorite."

He heard an aggravated sound then, "No, I'm not hungry. Leave me alone."

Jackie sighed, "Honey, would you please come out?"

Judging from the small huff and then the slight stomping of feet, she wasn't really in the mood. The door swung open to reveal a miffed Erika until she realized that it wasn't her mom that should have been standing in front of the door but Kyōya himself. Her words caught in her throat as her whole posture froze with complete horror. Kyōya smiled as he walked past her and stood in the middle of her room. The door swung shut as he turned toward her. Erika stammered for a moment before she finally was able to put words together. "Why are you here?"

Kyōya cocked his head to the side as he frowned a little. "I came to discipline you."

"Huh?" she was confused.

"I waited all that time and you never apologized. You've gotten stuck-up."

"Apologize?" she asked. "Why should I apologize to you?" she bit out.

"Did you forget? You threw water in your master's face and told him to die. Do you think that's appropriate?" he asked her.

Her face grew red with anger. "You deserved it!"

"Shut up!" He stepped up to her and placed his hands around her neck, her collar in them. "I'm going to prove to you one more time that you're my dog," he whispered, making sure not to be too loud so her parents wouldn't hear. She closed her eyes, scared. He thought for a split-second kissing her, seeing if her lips were as soft as he thought they were, but he pulled back. He settled with putting her collar on and gently grazing her skin. And damn it, it was as smooth as he had thought earlier in the park.

After a moment she peeked an eye and found him standing back away from her. "What?"

He pointed toward the silver and gold heart-shaped pendent that was settled around her neck. "I put it on. Your collar."

Erika glanced down. "This is..." she was breathless, "you mean...for Christmas..."

He sighed, "Let me warn you. A real collar would make people wonder what I'm into," which fucking hell he wished he could do, "so I just chose a random stand-in." Yeah, right. It took him hours to find the right one. "It's proof that you belong to me, so don't forget it." He heard the laugh coming from deep within him.

You sure about that, champ?

Not now, asshole.

Erika started crying as she held her necklace in her hand. "T-Thank you. I'll treasure it."

"Don't cry," he shyly told her. Once again, that pull in his chest started hurting. He now knew that if she did something to him, he wasn't sure if he would make it, literally. Between her and his sister, he would never openly admit it, Erika would be the one to hurt him the most. She held his heart and it had been the one thing that he had kept guarded against everyone else. Cause he knew, once someone had that power over him, he'd do anything to keep them happy just so they wouldn't crush his soul, killing him. His sister on the other hand...made it hard to be around other women because of his consent fear of being punished. Yet, somehow, Erika was different, and he hoped that she would stay that way.

"Can I get some pictures with you then we can head down for dinner?" Erika finally asked after calming down some.

He smiled, "Sure, that sounds great."

Erika laughed as she ran up to him and hugged him. "You smiled again, it looked great on you."

He growled at himself. "You're seeing things." She laughed more as she hugged him tighter. Oh, hell, he couldn't hold back anymore. He wrapped his arms loosely around her neck and rested his head on top of hers, breathing deeply of her shampooed hair. Carmel. He hummed his pleasure and she just stood there, happy.

"Hey, let's get this done. I'm hungry and judging by the growling, you're hungry too." She pulled away from him, looking up at him.

It wasn't food he was hungry for, no it was something a little more...intimate. When she suddenly looked away, he realized that he had let her see that in his face, her face turning bright pink. "Yeah," he rasped out then cleared his throat. "You had said something about chicken?"

She shook her head yes, an "Mhmm," sounding off from her. She walked toward the bed, sat, then patted the space next to her. "Ready?"

He nodded his head as he sat. She grabbed her phone and took several pictures. He lightly placed his hand around her waist and tried his best to smile. After a while she stopped, turning to him. "What is it?"

Erika searched his face before finally, she spoke up. "What made you choose this?" she questioned, holding out her necklace.

He laughed, "I'll tell you another time. The food's probably getting cold." He stood, held out his hand, and she took it. He led her out of her room. The need to get away from the place was solely for the reason to keep himself in check. Much longer in there and he'd be in trouble. No, it was best to head down and eat, then be on his way home. Getting ready for the witch to come in.

A/N: There will be a short chapter to finish up the part about his sister coming into town. I promise it's not something you want to miss. It'll help with some of what will be talked about in the next episode of the series. But I'll warn some people, it's not going to be good (what I mean is that there will be even more bad blood between the siblings).