The twins, still partially in shock, insisted on going back to the dorm room before spilling their news. They concluded later that this was a good decision, especially after Tamaki's rather strong reaction.

"He's on a date!?"

Tamaki's voice reached a volume that made the twins cringe; his expression was one of shock and distress. Haruhi sat down on his bed beside him and placed her hand on his arm in a reassuring manner.

"Are you sure that's what you saw, Kaoru?" she asked.

The younger twin lounged back in Kyoya's desk chair. "That's what it looked like to us. And I don't think you usually give flowers and jewelry at strictly business dinners."

Hikaru, who was sitting on the floor, sighed dramatically. "We're so sorry, boss. We hate to be the ones to tell you, but it seems Kyoya-sempai really is a cheating lowlife. If you need anything, you know we're here for you."

Haruhi threw a pillow at him. "Not helping, Hikaru."

Tamaki was still at a loss for words. He breathed in deeply and sighed forcefully several times before finding his voice. "Wh.. Why do you think he's hiding something like this?"

Haruhi ran her fingers through his blonde hair. "Well, for all his experience as a host, Kyoya-sempai has never really had a girlfriend. He was probably nervous, and didn't want you to worry or be upset if things didn't work out."

"I-I didn't think of it like that."

"Yeah, boss, I'm sure it's nothing to be upset about."

Tamaki's features slowly moved from displaying anger and hurt, to a more thoughtful look. The other three spent a good deal of the evening reassuring him, but when they left him for the night, Haruhi felt that it was worth it. Tamaki looked much more relaxed as he gave her a goodnight kiss and promised not to be too hard on Kyoya.

***

When Kyoya opened the door to his dorm room later that night, he found Tamaki laying stomach-down across his bed, eyes moving back and forth over a textbook page. After a few moments, the blonde lifted his head and smiled at his roommate.

"How was your study group?"

Kyoya walked slowly across the room to his desk, taking off his glasses before setting them on the wooden surface and turning back around. "It went well. How was dinner?"

"Hmmm? Oh, that. It was delicious. We shall have to go back some time when you can join us."

"Indeed." A mischievous smirk now crossed Kyoya's face. "And the twins? They did not get into too much trouble with the hostess, I hope."

Tamaki's jaw dropped a little and then he chuckled. "How did you know? How do you always know?"

"I have my sources."

Tamaki nodded and went back to his book. Kyoya watched him for a few seconds.

"You're not going to ask me about it?"

"No." Tamaki placed one finger in the book to hold his place. "I know you have your reasons."

Kyoya tilted his head to the side for a moment. "Alright, then."

He walked over to his wardrobe and gathered his things for a shower. As he was turning the knob on the door, Tamaki lifted his head again.

"Wait."

Kyoya stood still.

"Yes?"

"Can I ask you two things?"

"I cannot guarantee my answer, but you are welcome to try."

"Is it genuine? Do you really care about her?"

Kyoya's expression softened in a way that Tamaki had only seen a few times before. When he spoke again, his voice was nearly a whisper.

"Yes. I do. Very much so."

There was a pause.

"You had another question?"

"When will I get to meet her?"

Kyoya thought for a moment.

"Soon."

Tamaki smiled.

"Okay then."

fin

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A/N: Well, that's it, folks. Hope you've enjoyed it! Expect a bonus 'alternate opening' soon, but this story is officially Complete. Thanks again for reading, and doubly so to everyone who R & Red!

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-TangerineSummer- I'm secretly a Tamaki/Kyoya shipper as well :D But I'm okay with reading/writing other pairings, especially since I could see a lot of them actually making good couples (see Haruhi X almost-anyone-in-the-host-club). And I tend to shy away from OC pairings as well, for a lot of reasons, so I kind of surprised myself writing this. I'm glad you like it, though.

-StarlightWish17- I actually started wondering about this woman too. Because she never made a real appearance, I didn't think much about her personality beyond the 'no-nonsense' comment. Since then, though, I've figured her out pretty well. I don't plan to write more about these two (see above), but it's always a possibility.

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Disclaimer: All non-original characters are the property of Bisco Hatori. I'm just borrowing them, and promise to return them (eventually) in (more or less) the same condition I found them in.