A/N: I am doing it again. Please was updated early and now I am pulling this one out of order in order to work on this story. I'm sure you don't mind too much. This is the last prank in the twins' arsenal… at least for this story… maybe. I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! For those celebrating around the world – Happy Boxing Day! Enjoy!

PS… If you have not seen it, the Kyoya Christmas story has been published. It is titled An Ouran Nutcracker Christmas. Mori's New Year's story should be up starting this weekend.

Chapter 10 – Escape in a Dumbwaiter

"We can't even pay the swimming team back without Haruhi showing up and Kyoya-senpai rescuing her," Kaoru sat back to back with his brother in their bedroom. Once again their master plans had been foiled. Well, not really, but they were kind of hoping someone would dive in and hit the ice instead of a certain bespectacled vice president ruining it. Cameras had been set up everywhere so they could watch the swimming team take a literal belly flop.

"And he told the swimming team what we did!" Hikaru growled and jumped off the bed sending his brother falling backwards onto the mattress. It was hard enough to bear the fact that their plans had fallen short of their desired ending, but to watch Kyoya play hero again? It wasn't fair! There was only one thing left to do! Looking at his brother, he and his twin locked eyes and both smiled at the same time. They were going to separate the Shadow King and the Host Club princess. If they were apart, there was no way, Kyoya could rescue her, and therefore, she would fall into the arms of another… if another prank was pulled.

Grinning from ear to ear like the Cheshire Cat, Kaoru said, "With her in one room…"

"And him in another…" Hikaru smirked.

"They can't hug or kiss or anything else!" They announced together. Soon they were whispering and conniving and thinking of the best plan possible; and once they were done, they both laughed maniacally. They would finally separate the couple… or non-couple. Yes, Kaoru was sure the feelings were already there, however, that didn't mean he couldn't help throw a wrench into the wheel.

The day they would launch their plan finally came. They had waited a grueling week after the pool incident. Grueling because they had been ready the next day and wanted to act quickly since they were not the most patient of teens; however, they forced themselves to wait and when they could hold out no more, they acted (originally the plan called for them to wait three weeks. Would the rush ruin them or help them?).

Meeting in the deserted hall in front of the music room right before first period, Hikaru and Kaoru ironed out their final plans. Maybe they should have been more careful – or maybe it was planned -, for unbeknownst to them – or so it appeared – someone was listening to their conversation.

As soon as they left, their laughter fading into the distance, a blond started to panic. "What am I going to do? My poor daughter is being targeted by those evil doppelgangers! Mommy! No, he is too, but he can take care of himself. My little girl is completely defenseless! I MUST RESCUE HER!" Tamaki's inner mind theatre went into overdrive and his pictured himself rescuing Haruhi, her falling into his arms, and the proclamation of love that would then follow. He must do anything it took to get her out of harm's way, even if it meant sacrificing himself.

Now from his hiding spot, Tamaki thought he had caught the gist of the entire conversation and plan… he hadn't. If anything, he had probably caught maybe a third of it. Did that matter to him? NO! He would do whatever he could to play hero and make sure those devil twins did nothing to hurt his darling daughter! Or so he thought.

Right before lunch, Kyoya was called to the unused kitchen on the third floor. When he first received the notice, he thought about ignoring it, but since it contained the signature of the chairman, he dare not miss the meeting. He just couldn't figure out why the chairman would want to meet him in a kitchen, and specifically one that wasn't even being used that term. Cautiously entering the room, he found it to be devoid of any life and when the door slammed behind him, he knew he had been trapped. "Hikaru, Kaoru, I know this is you. Let me out now or pay the price," he growled and received silence as his answer… for the moment anyway. Next thing he heard was the sound of a blowtorch. Not only was he locked in the room, but now they were welding he door shut so he could not leave.

This day was not going as he had planned. Kyoya had woken up early that morning with every intention of finding Haruhi and confessing to her… actually he had tried it several times over the past few weeks, but every time he attempted, someone would either block him or steal is time. It was enough to drive him a little crazy. He was beginning to think maybe he shouldn't confess, however, he was Kyoya Ootori and he would not let two troublemaking twins, a blond idiot president, or Renge to stand in his way. This was just a test and he would pass; after all, he had never failed a test in his life. Today was supposed to be the day, and now he was locked in a room on the third floor with the only possible exit the window, "Think. There has to be a way out of this."

Elsewhere in the school, while the twins continued their welding, Tamaki was taking matters into his own hands. Racing towards Haruhi's classroom, he found her pulling out her bento and he shouted, "Daughter! Oh thank kami you are safe!" He was at her side a moment later and pulling her into his arms.

Lack of oxygen made it hard to speak, however, Haruhi managed, "Tamaki-senpai, let me go."

He pushed her away from him and looked her in the eye before scanning the premises, "Where are the evil menaces?"

A tick mark appeared over her head, but she kept her calm. This was normal; then again, what did it say about her if she considered something like this normal? Shaking her head as she sighed, the brunette remarked, "If you are talking about Hikaru and Kaoru, they were excused early from class. Something about having a note from your father."

"Mine? Why would my…? *gasp* Come on. We need to get you to a safe place!" Tamaki started to panic and grabbed his friend and started running. The only thing on his mind was to get her out of the danger zone. Running and running through the halls, dodging other students, he suddenly stopped and listened. Did he just hear the twins? What if he had gone the wrong way? His eyes swept the area and he finally spotted them. They hadn't seen him though. Ducking into a room, he pulled Haruhi off her feet and then slammed the door shut.

"What is going on with you?" Haruhi now had two tick marks and was trying to control the urge to knock some sense into her friend.

"SHHHH! They'll hear us!" Tamaki whispered and pushed her towards a small door built into the wall. Lifted the small sliding door, he lifted her into the cube and hit a button, "This will get you to a safe place!" Sliding the door shut, he whipped around in time to hear the door to the classroom open. He had done it! He had rescued Haruhi just in time for standing behind him were the two redheads.

They had seen Tamaki duck into the classroom with what looked like Haruhi, but he wasn't supposed to be on this side of the school. Hikaru and Kaoru could have sworn this morning they had planted the idea to take Haruhi to music room three, but if that were the case, why was Tamaki in the first floor Home Economics room? "What did you do?" Hikaru asked in a loud voice.

"I saved her and now my daughter is safe. She is going to thank daddy and turn you two away! I won't allow you to use my little girl in one of your schemes!" Tamaki ranted.

Kaoru's eyes were wide when he questioned his friend, "Did you put Haruhi into the dumbwaiter?"

"Of course I did. It was the only way to get her away from you two doppelgangers!"

"Where did you send it?" Hikaru queried afraid of the answer.

"As far away from you as possible! It went all the way to the third floor. From there she can get out and get away!"

Both twins face palmed. Their leader had just unknowingly sent Haruhi up into the room where Kyoya was currently trapped and the only two hosts who could possibly fit in the dumbwaiter were Haruhi and Hunny. After so much careful planning, their prank was ruined again. They looked at each other before screaming, "NOOOOOO!" Running out of the room, they flew down the hall and up the stairs as fast as possible with Tamaki right on their heels swearing he would not allow them to touch his "little girl".

As soon as the dumbwaiter stopped, the door to it slid open and Haruhi had to blink momentarily. She had not been expecting someone on the other side and even though it had only been a couple of minutes, the inside had been dark. When she adjusted to the light, she gazed upon her savior confusedly, "Kyoya-senpai?"

"So it would appear," he smiled and offered his hand to help her out. "May I ask what you are doing in the dumbwaiter?"

"Tamaki-senpai pulled me from my class and threw me inside it," she muttered and slid out of the small space. She would have fallen forward, but her hero saved her from using the floor to face palm. Lifting her head, her eyes locked with his and she spoke softly, "Th-Thank you, Kyoya-senpai." Her eyes darted to his lips and then back up again. It had only been a momentary flicker.

So close. She was so close and warm in his arms. Kyoya saw her eyes and how they moved, and he could no more resist her unintentional invitation than he could to deny his feelings. Bending his head, he captured her lips in a kiss. Their lips had been locked together before, and yet, this time felt different. It held more passion, more of himself, more of her, and this time it had been completely voluntary… sort of. Pulling away, he whispered, "I apologize for…"

"No need senpai," she interrupted him. If anything, Haruhi had not wanted the kiss to end.

"I feel as if I should take this moment and tell you that I…" What should he say? How should he confess? He planned this moment out a million times, and now that it was here, he felt like he was at a loss for words.

When Kyoya didn't continue, Haruhi said, "Senpai, I think you need to know that I don't think of you as a mommy at all."

Smiling, Kyoya lifted a brow and asked, "You don't?"

"No, because I like you… as more than a friend and definitely not as a mother. In fact, I think my feelings would be taboo if you were really my mother."

He chuckled and pulled her a little closer, "Good because I don't like you as a daughter, but it is more than a friend as well." Leaning forward he was just about to kiss her again when a banging could be heard at the door.

"Don't worry Haruhi, we'll get the door open!" The twins shouted.

"What do you mean you will get the door open? Why is the door welded shut? Daughter, are you alright? Don't worry, daddy is coming!" Tamaki screamed.

Scowling, Haruhi asked, "The door is welded?"

Kyoya pushed up his glasses and stated, "Yes, it would seem that our resident pranksters connived and lured me in here. They then locked and welded the door so that it could not be opened."

"That's a bit extreme, isn't it?"

"This is Hikaru and Kaoru."

Haruhi sweat dropped, "Point taken."

Tamaki's howls interrupted them again, "Haruhi? Haruhi, tell daddy if you're alright!"

Smirking, the Shadow King called out, "Don't worry Tamaki. She is perfectly safe."

"EEK! MOMMY? What did you two evil twins do?! Get the door open!" The blond screeched his orders. Now he was really worried. Based on what he had seen on all previous rescue attempts, leaving Haruhi and Kyoya alone in a room together was very dangerous!

They worked as fast as possible, feeling the pressure of their president breathing down their necks like a dragon. How had it happened again? Tamaki was supposed to take Haruhi to the music room where they would grab her away from him and escape out the window where they had an inflatable slide standing by. He was not supposed to throw her into a dumbwaiter and deliver her directly to Kyoya.

"Well, while they work on the door, may I invite you out for dinner… without the other hosts?" The bespectacled man inquired of the girl in his arms. It felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders and it had felt so right to finally tell her of his feelings; and to know she felt the same, had given him the feeling of soaring through the clouds.

Smiling, Haruhi nodded, "I would love to join you for dinner." Standing on her toes, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down for another kiss.

And that was how the trio found the newly minted couple. The final seal was removed and the door pushed open with so much force that all three interlopers fell on the floor. Shaking off their confusion, they looked around and found Haruhi and Kyoya kissing. Their jaws dropped to the floor. What was going on here?

The kiss ended and Kyoya and Haruhi glanced at their friends. Shaking his head, the cool host said, "Tamaki there is something we need to discuss later, but for now let's just say your match making abilities are top notch. Thank you for opening the door. Haruhi, let me escort you to class before you are tardy. Tamaki, Hikaru, Kaoru, you might want to get to class as well before you acquire an unexcused absence."

Their eyes bulged, their souls flew out, and they became petrified stone. They didn't hear any words after his initial announcement. They couldn't. They were completely and utterly frozen. Match making? They hadn't been trying to play match maker. Oh how had things gone so awry? Their efforts were wasted. Haruhi and Kyoya were now together and it had happened because Hikaru and Kaoru's pranks. Never again. They were turning over a new leaf and would never ever pull a prank again. They were retiring.

As for Kyoya and Haruhi? They walked hand in hand towards Haruhi's class, both happy in their new found status in each other's lives.