"The 1700's called, they want their clothing back." I flicked a look at Ayanokoji as she leaned a hip against my desk, tossing her long hair over her shoulder as she did so.

"Sorry to burst your bubble darling, but the first telephone wasn't invented till 1876 so you're timeline is a bit off there. And since i'm wearing the school uniform today what's that saying about your outfit?" She huffed and walked away to her desk, swinging her hips as she went. All i could do was roll my eyes and try to focus on the teacher as he stepped into the room.

No matter what i did though, my mind was constantly plagued with this feeling that something had happened all day, but for the life of me i couldn't think of what it was. As soon as the bell rang i was gone, like speed of light style i was outta that classroom and up the stairs to the club room. I was making all sorts of noise as my bag whacked against my leg over and over as i ran, but i ignored it.

Slamming through the doors into the room, i shut them loudly behind me, turned, and proceeded to scream at the top of my lungs. A very large, very angry looking tiger was facing me from its position on the lounge across the room. We stood there for a moment, me trying to figure out which pissed off twin it was, while they stared at me like i was their next meal.

"N-not cool du-" I broke off with a scream, hitting hit the deck as it cut me off with a heart stopping roar and leaped off the lounge to race towards me. I swear for a moment my heart stopped, and i blacked out, because the next thing i knew i was being shaken awake while a worried voice called my name.

"I-I'm f-fine." I slowly, ever so slowly, cracked my eyes open to find Kaoru above me,

"Gosh Nala don't do that! You terrified me!" My jaw dropped open and sitting up suddenly, i smacked him on the chest.

"I SCARED YOU!? YOU ASSHOLE I THOUGHT I WAS GONNA DIE! JERK! BAKA! WHERE'S TAMAKI WHEN I FREAKING NEED HIM WITH A BAT!?" Kaoru winced at my yelling, and after a few minutes, i finally shut up. Huffing indignantly, i crossed my arms over my chest and turned my face away.

"Aww Nallllaaa don't be angry!" A hand grasped my chin and i let out a yelp of surprise when Kaoru turned my head to face his. With his face only inches away, the tension in the room skyrocketed, and i began to shift uncomfortably.

"Uh, K-Kaoru…." Kyoya's words came back to me, and i felt the blood rushing to my face as i nearly went cross eyed trying to keep my gaze on Kaoru's nose and just his nose.

*CLICK*

"Got it!" I froze.

"Yes!" Kaoru pulled back, leaving me sitting there on the ground staring up at him as he ran over to his twin, who just so happened to slide out from behind a couch near us with a camera.

"What the hell guys!" This was just a prank! Why those…..UGH! I leapt to my feet, and grabbing a pillow off a chair i chucked it at them, managing to hit Hikaru right in the side of the face.

"OW!"

"Jerk! I know that didn't hurt!" Even as i spoke and called them both names, i couldn't help the grin that was creeping along my face.

*Whack!* I reeled slightly from the force of the pillow as it slammed into my face.

"HAH! Got ya!" I narrowed my eyes evilly and pointed at Kaoru.

"You're gonna pay for that you no good sneaky tiger!" In unison, they stuck their tongues out at me.

"Nyah!" Bending over, i scooped the pillow Kaoru had thrown at me and chucked it right back. Narrowly missing decking him in the face. What happened after that turned into the biggest pillow fight in host club history.

The thing that made it so great, was that as we were in the middle of the war, Tamaki, Haruhi, Honey, and Mori walked in. Tamaki accidentally got hit in the face by one of the twins and instantly joined my side, dragging Haruhi with him. Swearing his revenge against the twins, he proceeded to throw so many pillows at such an immense speed they were just a blur in the air. Honey and Mori got recruited to the twin's side, and to be honest, i'd never have imagined Honey would be so good in a pillow fight. Finally, the enemy side decided that an all out charge was the best idea and we all went one on one pairing off with an attacker. Holding pillows in our hands we just kept swinging. The fight didn't end till Kaoru had me pinned on the ground and was repeatedly thwacking me with the pillow while i laughed so hard i was tearing up, and weakly holding a pillow up to defend my face from his attacks.

"Ok! Ok! I give up! You guys win this round!" Laughing, the rest of the hosts just kinda collapsed where they were standing, and we all broke down laughing.

"Ahem." Someone cleared their throat by the door. Turning in sync, we all found a rather aggravated looking Kyoya at the door, along with a pale, exhaustion and sorrow ridden Detective.

"Maria!" I scrambled to my feet, and sprinted to the door. Gripping her arms i searched her face in fear. "Are you ok? Did you get hurt? Did Tokiya come after you?" She just stared at me for a moment. Her eyes were blank, yet full of horror as she regarded me.

"Na….Nala...we..you're...father...he…" She choked on whatever she was going to say, and my heart stopped.

"Maria, what about my father." The slow rising panic in my body made my voice tremble.

"He's...oh Nala...I'm so sorry…" She broke off again and i suddenly knew what had happened. The feeling in the back of my mind all day, the nagging that something bad had happened, that something had been forgotten, it all became vividly clear.

"He's dead isn't he." It wasn't a question on my part, but she confirmed it with a nod of her head. I heard the rest of the club gasp in horror, but it didn't register. The panic exploded and drained from my body within seconds. Nothing, i was blank, empty, for a minute i felt nothing, it was like being suspended in time and space while those words ran through my head in succession. Dead….dead….dead….dead….dead, dead, dead, dead, deaddeaddeaddead. "H-how…?" My voice caught, but didn't break as i asked her. Maria's eyes brimmed with tears.

"Someone snuck by the guard posted at his door at the hospital, he was suffocated, and no one even knew till a real nurse went in later. I'm so sorry Nala. I failed you, I'm," Her voice caught, "I'm so sorry. He's dead and this is my fault. I should have told them to check everyone or..or…"

"No Maria." My voice was strong, and i managed to smile at her, wiping away the tears coming down her cheek. "He's not dead yet. When do you think someone dies? When they are shot through the heart with a gun? When they become ravaged by an incurable disease? When they are suffocated in a hospital? No. It's when they are forgotten that they truly die, and i can guarantee none of us will be forgetting him anytime soon." Maria sniffled, and pulled me into a hug.

"But still Nala. I'm sorry. The death of a parent is never an easy thing, and this...this isn't needed right when you're getting on your feet again." I shrugged my shoulders, and talking into her shirt said,

"I'm relieved. He hasn't been my father for….years. I have no fond memories with him Maria, he was never the one who was there for me. It was always Haru and her father. I won't miss him, this just means i can come live with Haru full time now…." I trailed off, my throat swelling with emotions and beginning to feel raw from holding it all in. Another pair of arms folded around me, and the first few tears slipped. Then another, and another around my waist. Soon all the hosts it seemed had crowded around Maria and i and enfolded us into a hug. Even the twins. Although i think Kyoya only placed a hand on my shoulder rather than getting closer into the hug. Typical Ootori.

The thing is, no matter how little they were loved, the death of a parent isn't something that anyone takes well. It didn't matter i wasn't close to the man, or that he'd tried to sell me off. In that moment all i knew was the what if's in our relationship, the vague memories of a warm smile and a hand caressing my hair. Now that he was gone, there was no chance of ever regaining that, and it hurt.

"Men!" Tamaki was the first to pull back, a determined look on his face and in his posture. "It's time to initiate the 'help Nala feel better' plan!"

"Aye aye boss!"

"Good idea Tama-chan!"

"Mm." I couldn't help the smile that slid over my face at Tamaki's words. Pulling away from Maria, i wiped my eyes with my sleeves, and sent a watery smile at the guys and Haru.

"I'm down for that, who votes we go to the beach?" They all cheered.

"Detective," Kyoya stepped over to Maria. "You're more than welcome to join us f you'd like?" She shook her head sadly.

"I can't. Sorry. Due to work i can't just up and leave, especially with this...new development. However," She glanced at him with her eyebrows furrowed. "Can i have a word in private Ootori?" He nodded without even a flicker of surprise on his face, and escorted her to his office.

I wonder what that's about. I'll ask her later.

Turning back to my friends, i found them all huddled in a circle discussing something in whispers and giggles.

"Uh, guys?" Tamaki pulled away, whispered something to Haruhi, and shoved her in my direction before the rest of them went back to whispering. When she reached me, i raised an eyebrow. "They sent you over to stall me from hearing their secret plan, didn't they?" She nodded her head while sending an exasperated look at the guys.

"Just go along with it i guess Nals. There's no stopping them once they've started one of their plans." I nodded along with her, watching the boys as they covertly whispered and snuck glances at Haruhi and myself.

* *Several Hours Later* *

"You seriously weren't kidding about how fast they work. Hell, if they went into the secret service i'd be scared." Haruhi nodded mutely as we stared across the vast, yet empty tropical beach.

"They own their own beach." I glanced at her as she spoke, only to find her eyes glazed over as she muttered about the amount of crawfish possible to find. I shuddered, those things terrified me. Bugs and i had never gotten along well, and crawfish were just big ocean bugs to me sooo….yeah not a good idea to put me near them.

Shaking myself out of my thoughts about sea life, i left Haruhi standing in her own little world, and began walking down the beach. Tippin my head back, i stared up at the cloudless blue sky and felt the tears fill my eyes. A memory emerged from somewhere deep inside me, and for a moment i was in the past remembering a better time.

* *Flashback* *

A woman with bright green eyes stared down at me, gently stroking my hair as i sat on her lap. A little girl with soft red hair sat next to us on a small beach blanket to avoid touching the sand she was so afraid of.

"Look at the water baby girl, see how the waves play together?"

"Mmmhhmm!" In awe i stared out at the blue water with it's bright red algae, "It looks like Maddy-chan!" The little girl next to us flicked big, stormy blue eyes up at me and stuck her tongue out.

"I'm nothing like the ocean! It's dirty! And smelly!" Sticking my tongue right back out at the girl i opened my mouth to respond when a shadow loomed over us.

"Here now! What's my little girl doing arguing over such silly stuff?" I was scooped up into a pair of strong arms and swung around.

"Daddy!" I squealed in joy at his appearance as my mother laughed softly behind us.

"Say little girl want to go for a swim?"

"Yes daddy! I love you!"

"I love you to baby girl, i love you to."

* *Flashback is now over* *

"Miss Fuyumi?" I snapped out of the happy memory to find Kyoya standing there.

"Oh...hey Ootori, did ya need something?" He frowned at me.

"No, are you ok Miss Fuyumi?" I went to nod my head, but froze when i realized that there were tears coursing down my cheeks, and even as i tried valiantly to make them stop they just came harder.

"You know Ootori," I turned away from him to face the ocean, brushing at the tears coursing down my cheeks. "You have no idea how much i admire you. You're always so cool, and calm, and collected. No matter what insanity the other hosts come up with, you're always prepared and you never let what they do phase you. You're so strong and-" My voice cracked and broke. "I just wish i could borrow some of that from you right now." There was silence behind me, before suddenly, a hand rested on my shoulder and i was turned and pulled into an embrace.

"You don't want to be like me Nala. I'm just trying to act cool. No matter how hard or scary it is." I hugged him harder, my shoulders shaking as i cried into his shoulder silently. Finally, i pulled away, and looking up at him with a sad smile spoke again.

"Remember how i mentioned how i saw us being friends in the future?" At his nod i continued. "Well i know it's probably selfish of me, but i think i'd like that friendship sooner rather than later." He stared at me with an inscrutable look in his eyes, before he nodded his head.

"I do believe i would like that Miss Fuyumi." With a more real smile this time, i held my hand out. When he raised an eyebrow i explained.

"Let's shake on it Ootori." And so we did, and later that night, after a day of host club insanity and shenanigans to help me cheer up, my hand still tingled from the brief contact. Little did i know however, that i wasn't the only one affected.

**Authors note**

Sssooo Kyoya x Nala moments yes or no? To be honest i ship it but hey i'm the author so it's kinda my job. But anyway do you guys think kyoya x Nala? Or Kaoru x Nala? Let me know and i can work with it!