Kyoya was having a nightmare. His father's words from the night before slipping and whispering through his mind so gently, yet with a noticeable effect. Like how even the gentlest wind makes the leaves rustle on trees in the spring and summer.

Being told that staying at the top of his class wasn't good enough, that he needed to be better than his brothers. In his sleep, the boy didn't move a muscle, not until, and this would only be if a person stood and watched over him as he slept, he suddenly stiffened in his sleep as his subconscious conjured a girl with sparkling green eyes, Eyes like emeralds, and hair the color of melted chocolate. She smiled up at him in his dream , and suddenly, he was no longer in his father's sterile, stuffy office, but rather in a grassy field with rolling hills as far as the eye could see.

"What's the weird look for Ootori?"

Her voice was soft, melodical, and her lips tilted up just a touch at the corners, and for the first time ever, even if it was only a dream, Kyoya Ootori let himself truly appreciate a girl's beauty.

In his dream, the light played over her features becomingly, somehow making her eyes seem even brighter than normal, and her hair shimmered almost golden in the sun. There were none of the tired circles under her eyes like there normally was in real life, and her lips weren't a straight, firm line as if she was a drill sargeant going to battle rather than a sixteen year old girl in school.

Kyoya shrugged, and went to adjust his glasses, only to find they weren't on his face. Frowning, he glanced around, only to whip his eyes back to Nala at her playful next words.

"Looking for these?" Her grin was out in full force showing off her neatly straight teeth. "I snagged them from you while you weren't looking, ya know," Her eyes were full of mischief, "You really are quite handsome with them off."

If this had been real life, Kyoya most likely would have blinked and asked the girl to repeat herself in an attempt to keep his composure, but in his dream, his jaw dropped. However, before he could respond, the girl wrinkled her nose. "You should wake up now, someone is calling you."

And even as she said it, and started fading away from his view along with the grassy fields, he heard Tamaki's voice calling out to him.

"We'll be better able as a club to understand Haruhi's feelings-"

Kyoya's eyes slowly opened, and he registered he was no longer dreaming, before rolling over with a look of death on his face, and slowly sitting up, he felt a dark aura that promised death and pain to those around him.

"Let me tell you, I didn't go to bed till almost five this morning. And who gave you permission to come into my bedroom anyhow?"

All the hosts but Mori were shaking in fear at this scarier than normal version of the shadow lord.

"Who cares about commoner culture? I'm starting to get pretty fed up with this whole 'commoner' shtick." He glared at them some more. "If you want to go then go." And so saying he went to flop back in bed.

Honey's words about him being a scary morning person didn't even register to him as someone else came marching into the room and he froze mid flop.

Nala, tomboyish Nala with her normal lack of makeup and baggy boy clothes, excluding the occasional times she wore shorts, walked in decked out in full on girl glory. Cute boots, leggings a sweater and some makeup on, she smiled down at him brightly. The twins must've dressed her like this. He refused to wonder why the thought of Kaoru getting her to dress up like this bothered him.

"Hey guys i think this is a lot of people in the room at once, let him have some breathing space ok? I'll get him up, so out with you all!"

So saying, she shooed them out of the room and shut the door. Although, he could've sworn she winked at Tamaki.

Kyoya couldn't contain a slight snarl as he decided to pull the covers up over his face rather than listen to what he automatically assumed would happen in typical Nala fashion, which would be for her to start poking him, or annoying him till he got up.

However, there was a moment of silence, and Kyoya found himself drifting off in his warm cocoon under the covers before suddenly, a gentle hand was tapping his side.

"Hey, Ootori? C'mon dude snap out of the morning funk you've got going on here. You'll want to come to this i promise!"

He didn't move, just rolled over.

She sighed, he could hear the soft noise, and all of the sudden, gentle hands were tugging at the covers over his head as she muttered,

"Don't make me force you out of this bed buddy."

What is she doing? I want to sleep. He didn't even want to form complete sentences then, so he decided to prove his point another way. Without thinking it through, he rolled suddenly so he was out of the covers and they had been flipped over her as he straddled her lower body. He could feel how cold his eyes were, but at the moment he didn't care, he was more worried about getting his point across.

"Did no one ever tell you not to come into a guy's bedroom in the morning to wake him up?"

She stared up at him her green eyes big and surprised, before she surprised him. She laughed.

"No Ootori, that one hasn't been taught to me yet, but thanks for the tip." In a split second, her grin turned wicked, and with a sharp jerk of her lower body, he tumbled off the edge of the bed onto the floor. Letting out a whistle, Nala smirked down at him before calling out to the other hosts. "C'mon guys! I got him off the bed! He's all yours now!"

With a wink, the brown haired girl slipped off the bed and out of the way as the rest of the male hosts burst through his door and proceeded to start tearing his pajamas off of his body and thrusting him into new clothes.

That little, devious, vixen. She planned that one well. Kyoya stared in surprise at the door the girl had just walked out of and quietly shut behind her. She's smarter than i gave her credit for.

***Nala's POV***

We finally arrived at the commoner's department store. Me with a grin on my face for tricking the ever knowing shadow lord, and the hosts following me like eager puppies with their tails wagging. All except said shadow lord, who i realised suddenly after only minutes of being in the store, was asleep and being carried on Tamaki's back. I shrugged it off for the moment trying to be positive about him being kept track of.

At least i don't need to worry about him being lost. Now if Tamaki was lost i'd have already called search and rescue. With another small smile, i glanced back at the blond boy who's violet eyes were open a little too wide with excitement as he gaped at all the stores around us. Actually, now that i looked at all of them, all the hosts, aside from Mori of course, had that same look on their faces. Oh dear lord what have i done… I thought back to that morning, when i'd gotten the call from Tamaki about how he had a brilliant idea to get to know Haruhi better, that would get me out of the house as well. For once it had sounded like a semi understandable plan, but now that i was looking at the host's awe struck faces, i was beginning to regret not having Haruhi there to keep them in line. She was far more talented than i was at that job.

"Amazing look at that!"

"It looks like they're selling a lot of the same kind of clothing!"

I sweat dropped. Leave it to the twins to see that first.

"Hold on! They have a pet shop! A pet shop! We must go there first!"

Tamaki started shouting that while the twins danced in the background singing the words 'mass production' over and over.

"I'm going to eat ice cream!"

Honey's eyes were hearts as he stared at the ice cream, and confectioners shops, and i watched as Mori watched him calmly as if this was a regular occurrence.

Although, this is Honey we're talking about here...so it probably is a regular occurrence…

"Oh! It looks like they're holding some kind of amazing event on the roof!"

Tamaki was standing by the directory looking it over, which i totally admit kind of shocked me, because come on, if that was Kyoya it wouldn't have been surprising, but Tamaki? Checking out the directory?

The boy turned in such a flurry of movement before grabbing my hand to drag me along with the rest of the hosts, that i didn't even notice that he had dropped Kyoya on the bench and left him behind us.

I did realize, after being dragged up onto the roof, but by the time i was able to separate myself from Tamaki and them and sneak away and back down, i was too late to save the shadow lord from scaring a few people, mainly small children.

"I swear i'm going to kill Tamaki."

Those were the first words i heard from behind him as i stepped up.

"Now that, i wouldn't advise, Besides since he's already dead technically wouldn't that be a bit redundant?"

Kyoya turned slowly, and his glasses flashed at me, but i innocently grinned at him. Suddenly, the scary glasses flashing stopped, and he eyed me shrewdly.

"Say Nala, how much money do you have on you?"

And that, was how i found myself standing in line at a mall cafeteria with none other than Kyoya Ootori and his growling stomach. My heart was thumping pretty loudly in my chest, but for once i was able to ignore it as i stared at him My eyes were narrowed in thought as i watched him look around himself. Scanning the crowd as if he was mentally cataloguing every detail, and not for the first time, i found myself wondering how i could've fallen for this guy.

He's so completely, totally my opposite. I don't understand emotions they're so weird.

"Uh Ootori, are you sure you're ok with eating here?"

I flicked an unsure glance at the fast food menu and grimaced. I hated fast good with a burning passion, so it surprised me the ever fastidious and wise Kyoya would be ok eating in a place like this.

"You don't have much on you, so there's little choice."

I grimaced, not sure i liked how that sounded to me, but chose to shrug it off instead.

If he gets sick from it then it's his bad, i could've afforded a little bit of a nicer place for him to eat at.

"Oh, and make sure you get a receipt. I'm going to make sure Tamaki pays back tenfold later."

The pure level of anger that rolled off him with those words had even me taking a step back, and mentally thanked heaven for never having let Kyoya direct that terrifying anger at me.

"Nala, how do you do the ordering here?"

Wait, what? As much as i wanted to stop and question Kyoya then and there about it, i was more worried about the impatient line behind us, and the wailing, hungry toddler at the back of it.

"Ah I'll order, what do you want?"

"I don't care, just make sure there's lots of it."

I rolled my eyes and muttered under my breath at him.

"Of course your highness."

Stepping forward, i placed the order, only to pause awkwardly as the waitress started making doe eyes at my-

Wait what? Since when do i ever have the right to go around almost calling him my shadow lord? Wah! I'm losing my mind, either that or i'm verifiably just insane and not ok.

Snapping out of that train of thought as my face turned bright red, i watched as Kyoya silently glared at the poor girl who stepped back from him shaking as if cold. So, i swatted his arm.

"Stop that." Turning to the pretty waitress, and attempting to ignore the slow burning jealousy in my gut i smiled at her. It's not her fault he's attractive. It's just who he is. With that thought, and another smile i apologized for his behaviour. "Sorry about that, he's had a rough day and is super tired from being up far too late last night. He's actually a nice guy once he's gotten some sleep i promise."

She blushed and stopped shaking as she stared at me as if i'd just calmed a ferocious animal and not a teenage guy.

"Oh no!" She laughed nervously, "It's ok! But, if it's ok for me to ask, are you two dating?"

I nearly spit out the gum i was chewing as i started coughing violently from mere shock.

"No! Oh dear lord no!" But i want to.. "We're just, um, friends!"

The girl grinned at me knowingly, and with a wink went and retrieved our food for us. As she handed it to me, she gave me a small, genuine smile and whispered 'good luck'.

Nodding my thanks, i snagged the tray and started walking away, trusting Kyoya to follow.

As i set it down at a table, i plopped into a chair across it from him.

"You know Ootori, even if you're in a bad mood, you can't take it out on others like that."

He snorted and made a comment about how she didn't need to help so fervently because it wasn't necessary, but i lost my train of thought as i watched him rip into his hamburger with an appetite I expected from Tamaki, not him.

"What?"

I snapped out of it and sent him a weird look.

"Nothing, just that i've never seen you eat like that before. You always eat in such a refined manner. And that this stuff isn't to your liking so i'm waiting for a snide comment."

"You think i'm so unrefined as to complain when someone else is buying?"

"Errrr...No…"

I am thinking it though….

"I don't need to worry about anyone watching me eat here, and since this is made to be eaten with one's fingers and afst, it is most likely best that way."

I looked away from his sharp grey eyes, choosing rather to study the table top, and the food on it.

I guess in the world of rich, I guess there must be a lot of pressure over manners and whatnot.

"Hey."

"Eh?"

"For the record, i mean that it doesn't gain me anything to act all high class in a place like this."

I snorted.

"Of course it doesn't. You are so one track minded sometimes."

I teased him lightly, making sure my words came across joking and not condescending. Of course, as soon as i said it, i regretted it and began thinking of a million other things that would've come across better.

Whispers from the table near us with a few girls had me cocking my head to hear.

"That boy is so hot…"

"Yes!"

"But the girl with him is pretty plain, just look at her…"
"Well, sometimes guys go for plain girls for fun you know?"

They tittered, and my cheeks went all hot again, except this time from shame.

Of course they'd think that. I glanced down at my outfit. I had tried to look semi nice today, but i guess that meant i'd failed. Compared to him and how handsome he is, i really am plain.

I glanced at him from under my eyelashes. Trying to ignore the hushed whispers of the girls,and i found myself wondering how someone who was so naturally indifferent to everything, could be friends with someone like Tamaki who was the very definition of life and personality.

"If you're wondering how Tamaki and i are such close friends…"

I sweatdropped and jumped.

He's completely a mind reader…He's on a telepathic level now, not just psychic!

"It's simple. Because it's in my interest i won't act for any other reason. I am an egoist after all."

"Tamaki would totally cry after hearing that."

"No, he wouldn't." Kyoya placed his elbows on the table and adjusted his glasses. "He's known that from the beginning, it's why we teamed up. The twins, even Honey and Mori-senpai, we all hang together because it's in each other's interests to do so." Anger pooled in my gut, it was amazing how easily Kyoya was at bringing that emotion to the surface in me. "Our relationships with each other's families and the situation each of us are placed in- Well, let's just say there's still a lot that you don't know."

He stopped talking, and flashed me a sly grin as i sat there shell shocked.

"You know what Ootori, i refuse to believe that." Forcing a smile onto my face, i picked up the tray and threw out the empty food wrappers before coming back to him. "Shall we go find said hosts now?"

With another small smile, Kyoya stood up and nodded his head.

"Yes, but i may just take a taxi home."

"Sure buddy, whatever you want, just don't expect me to pay for that to unless it comes out of Haru's debt."

**Author's note**

Hey guys! So i'm hoping this chapter came out a little better than the last one! I was able to focus much much more, and i was a lot more inspired! This is probably going to be one of two chapters for this episode, and nothing super weird is going to happen, this is all for Kyola development. What do you guys all think? Also thanks to all my new followers for checking out my story! Anyway, shoutout to….

ktmyldy28

BabyKatBoo

killjarkidranger

LadyEllesmere

For their amazing reviews!