Be Still

Wild and Young

Long may your innocence reign

It's just another party. It's just another party.

That's what Missy found herself internally chanting over and over again while she mingled with the guests.

Honestly, she should have expected a turn out befitting the opulent gathering the Hitachiins were having to celebrate their first step towards the global expansion of their fashion empire.

No expense had been spared for such an event. There was a massive catering staff serving only the finest foods, delicacies carted in both locally and internationally. Missy had caught Haruhi lingering by one of the food tables in one of the anterooms, contentedly munching on a widespread of ootoro.

Every guest came in their finest and most interesting dress. Men wore expensively cut tuxedos, some with vests, some without jackets entirely, while the women wore dresses that accentuated not only their bodies, but also their budgets. The model could see every major world designer represented in that room, ironic considering it was a celebration for a currently local label. Jewels gleamed in the bright lights from the chandeliers, only adding to the general splendor of the room.

Most of the guests were gathered in the main ballroom, where a large orchestra was playing soft music to create background noise until they would be used later for dancing. Off the ballroom was several anterooms, one holding banquet tables, another holding round tables to eat and converse at. Off this room was a hallway that led to two different bathrooms. On the other end of the ballroom was a large set of doors that led to an outdoor seating area which eventually led to the gardens. The event hall boasted one of the largest and most well maintained gardens in the country, and many guests found themselves strolling in and out of them throughout the night.

And so, this is the place Missy found herself in, much to her chagrin. She knew she shouldn't feel embarrassed at these events, but it was hard not to feel like she was constantly on display, and even she had her limits with how many stares she could take. There was no amount of practice in the world that could prepare her for the night ahead. She brushed her hand along the black lace of her formal dress, happy to be outfitted in another Hitachiin original as she met the other members of the industry. Missy prayed that enough time had passed so that nobody would recognize her.

"The name is Kozu Akihiko. It's a pleasure to meet you."

The deep voice of a young man, apparently Kozu Akihiko, pulled Missy from her observation of the room. She had finally managed to pull herself away from Tamaki, who had been cooing at her since her arrival, commenting on what a pretty daughter she was, and the model had been enjoying the quiet. She turned to the young man, noting his dark hair and green eyes. He was several inches taller than her, but looked to be about her age.

She smiled at him and returned his greeting. "I'm Preston Missy. I'm a model for the Hitachiin line."

"Oh, I know," he replied wolfishly, a laugh bubbling in his voice. He seemed pleasant enough, thus far, but she was certainly wary of his type.

"So what brings you to this event, Kozu-san?" she asked politely, her gloved hands folded neatly in front of her. Standing at the edge of the ballroom, away from the crush of the room, allowed her to be able to carry on a conversation.

"Believe it or not, Preston-san, but I'm not here for the fashion," he whispered to her conspiratorially. "My father owns a technology parts distributing company, and we have a lot of business with the Hitachiin's software company. I'm here to make nice with the twins."

Missy laughed at the thought. She knew both Kaoru and Hikaru well enough to say with confidence that if anyone was interacting with them for the sake of anything other than interest in them, they were out of luck, and the two would ignore them completely, or worse, humiliate them. They hated being pandered to.

"Something funny?" he asked quizzically, catching Missy's small laugh at his statement. He had moved closer to her since their conversation had begun. Whether it was to hear her better or not, she had yet to determine.

Missy cleared her throat and blinked up at him. "It's just funny to think of those two ever 'playing nice.' They're mischievous little devils."

Kozu nodded, understanding on his face. "Well, I can imagine you would know."

Her brows furrowed in reply. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing, nothing at all. So you're a model, you say?" he asked, quickly changing the subject.

Missy, having been thoroughly trained in decorum in the art of conversation, decided to let his questionable comment go. Perhaps, it was merely an observation and acceptance of fact. She shouldn't assume that it was pointed at anything specific.

"Yes, I entered the industry when I was fourteen, though I only recently started working for the Hitachiins," she answered honestly, her cheerful smile ever present.

She could see the way his eyes raked over her body and face approvingly as if concurring that she was pretty enough to be a model. The young man seemed to unconsciously nod as his eyes roamed the contours of her figure appraisingly and Missy felt a jolt of irritation. She had seen this look before, and she didn't like it.

She cleared her throat again, hoping to direct his attention back to her face and let him know that his actions were most definitely noticed. His eyes flickered back up to her own, a smirk tilting his lips upwards.

He scooted closer towards her again and her body tensed slightly. She knew she wasn't in any immediate danger in the public of the large ballroom, but Missy didn't want to give him any indication that his attitude was appreciated.

"Tell me, Kozu-san, have you met the Hitachiin family before?" the brunette asked, taking a small step backwards, moving her closer to the wall.

She cringed inwardly when he followed her. "Only the parents. I've never met any of their children," Kozu answered off-handedly. "I was planning on meeting them tonight, but I seem to have become . . . distracted," he purred at her.

The model reminded herself of the years of decorum she had been lectured on. Obviously, he had not received the same lessons.

"Are you also, easily distracted, Missy-chan?" he asked lowly, his face only inches away from her own.

Here, she stood her ground, though she desperately wanted to walk away. Or slap him for his candor. "No, I find that I am very focused on my goals," the model replied firmly, hoping that he would take her no and walk away.

He chuckled in reply. "Come on, we could all use some fun sometimes. All work and no play? It sounds just horrible."

Missy couldn't understand it. When he first introduced himself, he seemed so pleasant, so friendly and sincere. And suddenly, as though understanding that she herself was not of their social circle, combined with his obvious attraction for her appearance, made him turn almost predatorial.

Had he simply observed that she was beautiful, maybe even offered a flirtatious comment, she wouldn't have been bothered. Instead, he seemed like a hound on the scent of an injured doe; ready for the hunt.

If she simply excused herself, he would follow her. It became evident to her once he ignored her polite rejections and attempts to steer the conversation towards more suitable conversation, that he wasn't going to give in easily.

Kozu moved closer again, his hand sliding down from her shoulder to her forearm.

Just as she began to squirm out of his touch in protest, he grabbed on tightly, the pressure leaving a mark on her soft skin.

"Oh come on, you'd be lucky to have a guy like me. My family has connections and money yours could only dream about. Maybe I'll buy you something pretty. What do you say?" he offered, his hand still gripping her arm tightly.

Missy gritted her teeth, trying to maintain her composure. This was not the first time she had been in this situation, and it wouldn't be the last. "Excuse y-"

"Kozu Akihiko, what a pleasure it is to see you here. Is your father here as well?"

Missy's rage dissipated as she heard the cool voice of her friend next to her. To those that didn't know his demeanor, he sounded polite and friendly. However, to those that knew him best, they heard the undercurrent of steel and 'I don't give a shit who your daddy is.'

God bless Kyoya Ootori.

Kozu immediately released Missy's arm from his grip, his demeanor changing to polite interest as he answered the Ootori. "Ootori Kyoya, the pleasure is all mine. My father is here somewhere, though I'm not sure where," he said, obviously hoping to direct Kyoya's attention to anyone else in the ballroom.

Of course, poor Kozu didn't know that Kyoya was on a rescue mission. "Excellent. If you would be so kind as to help me look for him, I would be very grateful. I have some things I would like to discuss with him," he replied calmly, his pleasant smile never leaving his face. He did, however, catch Missy's gaze and glance over to a spot across room, near the orchestra, where most of the Host Club was watching. If she could make her way over to her friends, she would be safe from the pestering advances of Kozu Akihiko.

"I'm afraid Missy-chan and I were in the middle of something. Perhaps someone else can help you," Kozu practically growled.

He was maybe two inches shorter than Kyoya, but Kyoya's perfect posture seemed far more intimidating. The senior was about to reply when Missy cut him off.

"Really, Kozu-san, it's quite alright. I need to go greet some of my friends, and it seems that Kyoya-kun needs your help. It was a pleasure to meet you," Missy said before nodding and turning to walk away. In the process, she caught Kyoya's eye and mouthed a quick 'thank you' in his direction. Imperceptibly to Kozu, he nodded.

As she quickly crossed through the crowd of people mingling in the ballroom, Missy turned to see Kyoya and Kozu speaking to an older gentleman with small wire-rimmed glasses and a wide grin. Based on facial structures, the brunette assumed that this man was Akihiko Kozu's father. With any luck, Kyoya would hint and the son's unwelcome advances on one of his friends and Akihiko's father would chastise him for his improper manners.

Before she reached her friends, however, she felt a hand grip her arm and gently usher her to one of the hallways outside of the room. Missy was immediately indignant at being manhandled, once again, and opened her mouth to let loose a stream of expletives.

The words immediately died on her tongue as they stepped into one of the adjacent hallways, out of the view of the guests.

Kaoru.

Somehow, it was always him.

"What do you want?" she spat at him as he nudged her over to the wall.

His amber eyes were wide with surprise at her annoyance before narrowing to stare her down. The junior hadn't imagined her irritation would pass from Kozu to him. "I came to check on you," he answered, standing his ground firmly.

"I didn't ask you to," she replied proudly, folding her arms over her chest. "I was fine. I had it under control."

Kaoru sighed. He knew her independent nature made it difficult to ask for help, and he also knew she was incredibly stubborn when it came to receiving assistance. But he was weary of always having to either force her to accept his help or watch from the sidelines as she suffered in silence. "I know you don't need me, but-"

"It's nothing I haven't seen before," the brunette replied, trying to keep the venom out of her voice. She knew she wasn't mad at Kaoru, he was just trying to be helpful after all. But the whole situation irked her. There were people that thought that just because her body was her career, that she was for sale to anyone and everyone. That she was easy. She shouldn't have spoken to Kozu in the first place. She should have brushed him off as soon as she met him. It was her fault. "I'm used to guys like that," she admitted quietly, biting her bottom lip in frustration.

"You shouldn't be." Kaoru stared at her, his gaze softening as he understood. This wasn't the first time she had been in a compromising position, people making unsolicited advances towards her because she had a pretty face.

He could see it in her body language, as she bit her lip and shifted her weight from one foot to the other.

She blamed herself.

Missy didn't understand that it had less to do with her and more to do with them.

She couldn't look at him, even now, her blue eyes choosing to look at anything but him.

"You shouldn't have to be," he repeated softly, taking a step closer to her.

His words resonated with her, crashing against her soul. Part of her screamed what she knew all along. She couldn't be responsible for other people's actions, for their interpretations. She knew she had done nothing to encourage his behavior, but somehow, it was easier to blame herself than face the idea that other people could act without her influence at all.

If she didn't do anything to encourage them, and they still perceived her as willing, what did that mean for her? That no matter what she did, she was powerless to stop them?

She shut her eyes quickly, pushing back the tears behind them. From where Kaoru stood, he could see her lips tremble and her shoulders shake slightly with the force of trying to stop the onslaught of emotions.

He didn't think. He reached forward, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and pulling her into his chest. The hallway was dark, but light spilled in from the entrance to the ballroom and the moonlight through the windows.

Missy didn't push him away. She held her face in her hands as she tucked her arms into his chest. He only pulled her closer, and she had to admit that she liked the feeling. It was something she hadn't allowed herself to feel in awhile.

Safe.

One of Kaoru's arms slid down further to wrap around her waist, pulling her closer against him. Missy shifted, moving her arms out to circle him as she rest her cheek against his collarbone. Faintly, she could hear the steady thrum of his heartbeat near her ear.

Kaoru slid down the wall, Missy following him until they were both seated on the floor. He leaned against the wooden paneling, the brunette nestled between his legs. A few tears made their way onto the collar of his shirt, but he didn't care about it. He knew there would be mascara stains (because she hated waterproof mascara, something he was surprised to remember about her) and the makeup on her face would be smeared, but something told him that it didn't matter in the long run.

He knew she didn't show weakness. She didn't let people in, and she hated to cry in front of others. But somehow, he had seen this part of her. He had been the one she allowed inside. He began to realize that his wasn't the only world that needed expanding. Maybe they both needed to open up more, and that was something they could do together.

Missy's breathing began to even out and he body stopped shaking. She was stabilizing, grasping her emotions firmly instead of allowing them to run rampant.

Surprisingly, she didn't move from her position.

"I'm sorry you had to see me cry again," she muttered against his neck, her warm breath tickling the skin. "I hate being so needy."

"You're allowed to need people," he shushed her, pressing his lips against her hairline gently. "You and Haruhi, you're practically the same when it comes to that."

"What do you mean?" she asked, fidgeting slightly as the teen rotated her body, allowing her back to rest against him.

He looked down at her thoughtfully for a moment, trying to find the right words. "You're both so used to being alone, to having to deal with everything by yourself that you forget that there are people around you that can help. That want to help because they care. But you're too stubborn to ask," he chuckled.

The model hummed in agreement. She had noticed that the honor student had a similar response to the constant 'help' the Host Club offered her. Like Missy, she preferred to do things on her own.

"Kaoru?" Missy asked hesitantly.

The younger twin preened slightly at the lack of honorific, but she couldn't see the smug look on his face. "Hm?"

"Thank you."

He smiled, happy to be able to comfort her and give her the support she had gone so long without.

"You're welcome."

A/N Fun fact, I wrote this chapter like 2 years ago lol. Hopefully my updating pace is way better this time around because I would like to finish this story by January, but there are still a lot of chapters to go.PS writing Kyoya is so fun and I adore every interaction I write that he is in.-Star