Kyoya was experiencing a familiar sense of deja vu after having risen from his nap. It was a deep slumber that he hadn't necessarily known he'd indulged himself in until he had actually awoken from it, but it had been a good rest for his tired eyes and aching head. The sun was beginning to lower, but there was still a sufficient amount of light which allowed the third and youngest Ootori son to notice his visibly darker skin. He was surprised that he wasn't as red as a tomato from foolishly falling asleep under the merciless sun. It was almost as idiotic as falling asleep in that commoner mall, but at least he had been in a comfortable position this time around.
Emitting a yawn and a graceless stretch, Kyoya realized that he was in dire need of a back massage. His neck hurt like a bi-...
His thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of shrieking children, enjoying some last minutes of fun in the pool before they were collected for dinner. Said shrieks went unappreciated by the now noticeably tanned Shadow King. It was obvious that the young boys and girls had been dropped into the care of their family's maids. He could see several of the women, clad in uncomfortable uniforms, standing under the warm, setting sun as they watched their young charges with watchful and attentive eyes.
The pool was noticeably less busy than it had been earlier in the afternoon, but there were still a handful of people scattered about. Some younger females were talking amongst themselves, sending the ever so occasional glance and blush combination in his general direction. Kyoya tried to ignore their giggles when they noticed he had actually caught onto their "game".
"You're up," came a calm voice from beside him.
Kyoya turned to face a sleepy-eyed Haruhi who was busily rubbing her cheek.
"How long have I been asleep?" Kyoya wondered aloud.
"About four hours," came the nonchalant reply.
'If it has been four hours,' Kyoya thought to himself, 'that means it's sometime near seven.'
Looking around, he noticed that she was the only Host Club member still present. Curious, Kyoya voiced his observation to the petite brunette.
"Well," she looked at him with a patient expression, "someone had to stay by your side and make sure you didn't get sunburned." He looked at her with a blank stare as she continued, "Besides, nobody really wanted to wake you up. Hikaru and Kaoru were going on about something like a 'low blood pressure demon lord', but I didn't really ask."
Kyoya thought the act was very considerate of her and he was grateful that she had made an effort to ensure his wellbeing. However, the "low blood pressure demon lord" couldn't help but feel disappointed that Haruhi had rubbed her gentle hands across his body during the process of applying the suntan lotion while he had been asleep. Such a waste.
"And where, may I ask, did our dear companions frolic off too?" he inquired dryly. He didn't really mind so much. After all, they had left him with the most agreeable companion. Actually, she had probably stayed on her own freewill. The others would have left him to burn and he could just imagine the twins plotting to draw on his face, or worse, cause him to form some creatively distasteful tan marks. He could already see the profane words and ridiculous designs littering his skin.
"They went to get ready for dinner. Had to take their showers and change their clothes," Haruhi said, leaning back into the lounge chair that she was sitting on.
He noticed she had not swapped her outfit for something more decent, but was still dressed in the twin's bikini. The silver dog tag dangling from the top caught his attention, and he found himself leaning in closer to her upper-body area to read the small print engraved in the silver.
Haruhi didn't seem extremely concerned when the dark-haired boy neared her with a curious expression. His eyes weren't even focused on her face at all. Acknowledging that he was just reading the only piece of the bikini that she truly didn't enjoy, she didn't bother to bat him away with a flushed face.
As Kyoya read the words on the tag, he realized he would definitely be tracking down the twins later, cornering them in a dark room, and using techniques that he'd rather not share on the identical brothers in order to "persuade" them to cease their antics until they at, the very least, arrived back home.
"Do you like the bikini, Kyoya-senpai?" Haruhi asked after he had satisfied his curiosity. The innocent question was not spoken suggestively or seductively, but Kyoya couldn't help but rethink her words and run them through his head over and over.
He rather did like the bikini. She looked better than he had thought she would; exposing a fair amount of skin to the world. He had been equally pleased when Tamaki, her self-proclaimed father, had not come equipped with a hideous outfit to make her change into. Although she wasn't extremely blessed in the chest region, the twins had been clever enough to solve her problem with a bit of padding.
"It suits you," he said coolly.
"Ah," she murmured, and he was left to wonder if she had been expecting more praise. She didn't seem truly affected by his comment, but he hesitated from speaking further.
'I guess I can't bum Kyoya off to Kaoru and Hikaru,' she thought, 'then they would have Hunny-senpai, Mori-senpai, and Kyoya-senpai to design clothes for and dress up.'
Kyoya leaned back into his lounge chair once more. The warm air, accompanied by a cool breeze, provided the perfect weather which he sought to enjoy. Not that he would so foolishly fall asleep once more, but if Haruhi would stay by his side (he rather enjoyed her presence), he truly wouldn't have minded dozing off for another few minutes...
"Kyoya-senpai," Haruhi interrupted the downward motion his slightly drooping eyes had been making, "perhaps we should go join Tamaki-senpai and the others for dinner?"
"Perhaps. Do you need to change?" he asked.
It wasn't that he wanted her to change. She could attend dinner in her swimming attire for all he cared. Though... he doubted any of the other Host Club members would be focusing much on their food if she did that. He could always tell her he'd cut her debt by a half if she just remained in the two-piece get up for the rest of the week.
"Ah," she said, "that's a good idea."
Kyoya waited for her to continue, to stand, or do something. She hadn't even dragged the sentence out. Did she, perhaps, want to wander around in the bikini? He wasn't going to be one to complain, and he doubted that any of the men in the banquet hall would, but he wasn't so sure about the publicity his group would receive. He could already hear his father's disapproving tone, imagine the scandalizing photos that might pop up in the tabloids, see his friend's faces as their sole-female companion joined them for dinner in nothing but a bikini and flip flops.
"But...?" Kyoya questioned.
"The twins have the key to the room and they're probably already stuffing their faces in the banquet hall."
Ah, yes, that would be a problem, Kyoya decided.
"Follow me," Kyoya said, standing up. The girl lifted herself to her feet, grabbed her items – sunscreen, towel, a small novel – before following him towards the room he shared with Tamaki.
They didn't have to walk far before they arrived at the familiar hallway. Thankfully, Mr. Suoh had been considerate enough to provide his son's friends with rooms conveniently located next to the deck. Although there had been some communication errors involving the amount of rooms that needed to be reserved, Kyoya was still pleased that he didn't have to travel such a great distance.
'Speaking of errors,' Kyoya thought, as the door to 4292 swung open and the redhead, Ritsu Kasanoda, and his brunette haired underling, Tetsuya Sendo, walked out.
Tetsuya, who was busy closing the door behind him and his master, was surprised to hear the shallow, hitched breaths his companion was emitting.
"Are you alright?" Tetsuya inquired. Noticing the surprised look on his master's face, he followed the wide eyed gaze toward the girl that stood only a few feet away. Tetsuya was then perfectly aware as to why the future yakuza leader was reacting in such a way.
"Hello, Kasanoda-kun," Haruhi said, noticing the redhead and his companion, "Hello Sedo-kun."
"Fu...ji...o...ka..." Ritsu managed to get out as he took in her appearance. His legs felt like jelly.
Kyoya would have glared daggers at the man, but he didn't want to spare him any more time to ogle the female at his side. Inserting his card key into the door's automatic slot, he withdrew it, twisted the handle, and dragged Haruhi inside without even providing a goodbye.
Haruhi, inclined to be polite, had managed out a "bye" before the door was abruptly shut behind her.
Kyoya was not surprised to see that the room was lacking the presence of one Tamaki Suoh, but did not grieve over his absence. Instead, Kyoya walked over to the drawer where his clothing was stored (the blond had puppy-eyed for the closet) and slid it open.
Letting his eyes flicker momentarily across the clothing stored inside, he decided on a pair of black boxers and a large, white t-shirt. He tossed them rather carelessly in the girl's direction.
"Put those on," Kyoya said, appreciating the fact that she hadn't missed the catch and was holding the bundle against her chest.
She was, he noted, hesitating to put the clothing on.
"What's wrong?" Kyoya asked.
"How much is this going to cost me?" she asked, gazing at him with her large, chocolate eyes.
He could've rolled his eyes at the question. Did she really think he was based solely on keeping her in debt? Well, at times, he did find it incredibly amusing. However, it was not something that had crossed his mind at that particular moment.
"Nothing," he said, but stopped. He actually did want something. "Not money, anyways."
"What do you want?" she asked, shifting the fabric of the boxers between her fingertips. It was made out of rich material, and she was surprised when he didn't decide to add it to her already mind boggling debt.
What he really wanted to do was to turn off the lights and toss her onto the bed. He wanted to hear her gasp in surprise as she landed underneath him, staring at him with that blank stare that she had given him so many months ago in his summerhouse. He wanted to lean in with his face close to hers so she could feel his breath, warm against her cheek. He wanted her to tell him there would be no merits involved.
"I want a back massage," Kyoya replied. His neck was still killing him. He wanted to add, "in your bikini," but held his tongue.
Haruhi provided him with a half shrug, "Then you'll have to get on the bed and remove your top."
Unlike the rest of the club members who had dressed in their swim trunks, Kyoya had decided to go with a pair of beige shorts and a white shirt. He hadn't had any intention of swimming to begin with. He complied with her orders, removing his shirt and tossing it onto the floor next to the bed. He ignored her blank that she fixated on the discarded shirt. After all, the cleanup crew had been hired for a reason.
As much as he would have loved to say, "How about you get on the bed and I'll remove your top for you," the Shadow King merely slid onto his bed and relaxed his body against the comfortable mattress. It wasn't as comfortable as his bed back home, but it was incredibly better than some hard lounge chair.
He was facing the door, his feet resting comfortably at the head of the bed. Because it was such a large bed - even with his height - his feet did not graze the wood of the headboard.
He felt the springs of the bed being pressed down by the added weight as Haruhi climbed on. A quick glance over his shoulder confirmed his suspicions. She was kneeling over his body, a concentrated expression on her face. He dropped his head back against the comforter as he felt her press her surprisingly warm hands against his back and start to rub circles into the skin.
Haruhi was thinking about how much the professionals charged for massages. After all, if the wealthy were so keen on visiting spas for facials and back rubs, they obviously had to be pricey. While she was not a professional, kneading someone's back like dough was not very difficult. Kyoya wasn't saying anything scathing about her lack of experience for such a thing.
'If being a lawyer doesn't work out,' Haruhi joked to herself, but didn't laugh.
Contrary to the brunette's beliefs of herself being a poorly skilled massager, Kyoya was immensely enjoying the idea, and feeling, of a bikini clad female ridding him of his tensed feeling.
So, as Kyoya relaxed; his face pressed into the cool sheets, he thought of the different ways he could convince Haruhi into doing something like this again.
Haruhi, although emitting an aura of concentration and thoughtfulness, the only thoughts running through her mind were that of food and how she would be reluctant to try any more rich "delicacies" after her taste of the disgustingly unappealing ootoro that she had eaten for lunch.
She began to ease further up his back, distracting him from the pain he felt earlier with her touches. He let his mind wander onto things other than the usual business strategies (scheming and manipulation). He thought of how late they would be to dinner, what he would say to calm and soothe the Host Club member's worried thoughts before he, too, gained a headache. He wondered if Haruhi's soft hands could rub away those familiar aches he felt after a long day. He was sure they could.
But most of all, Kyoya thought of how cliché it would be for his best friend to walk through the door.
And long after Haruhi had climbed off the bed and he'd offer her the chance to take a shower – she had asked him if she'd be owing him for that too, but he'd only scoffed and told her take it or leave it (his "charity" was limited) – Kyoya didn't feel the least bit guilty.