(A/N: Yes, yes, I know. I'm a horrible person for putting poor, innocent Souta through this horrible, horrible thing. Him not knowing who either he of his father is, but I promise as a small spoiler it will get better for him. In which department, family, girls, or school I will not tell, but I have it all planned. It gets better. ;) Still, feel free to ask questions! I'm always open to questions.)

EIGHT

The Pre-Pre-Pre-Pre-Pre Honeymoon... Like there's going to be five others

Souta looked exhausted as he leaned over his bowl of cereal, I noticed when I came downstairs. I was pretty sure he didn't have school today, so at least he got a little break from that so he could catch up on sleep. "Good morning, Souta." I said as I walked past the dining room table to the kitchen.

"Morning." he called halfheartedly. He sounded exhausted.

"Jeez, Souta," I said, poking my head back out, "How late were you up last night."

"Five."

"Five..." I checked the clock, "God, Souta, two hours? Why the hell were you up so late?" I ventured back into the kitchen for my cereal.

"School stuff."

"Souta, you're never up that late with school stuff. Even I know that."

"Well, I gotta go. I have school." he stood up as I walked back into the dining room with my cereal.

"No, Souta." I set down my cereal and pushing him back into his chair, "You don't have school. Finish your breakfast and go take a nap."

"Yes, mom." Souta sighed.

"And don't call me 'Mom.' You're my older brother and I love you."

"Okay, sis, but I have to check something first."

"What?"

"I'm doing some scans for school stuff." he lied smoothly. He was scanning something that he wanted hidden from me and that's fine with me. Not everything is my business. Besides, he was tired, and tired Souta was never fun to deal with.

"Alright." I said, pretending to believe him.

I didn't think to much of Souta lying to me at school this morning. It was none of my business anyway, so it failed to enter my mind. What I thought about as I walked to my next class with Kyoya, no doubt, was Kyoya ignoring me. We hadn't talked in what felt like forever, and I was getting upset. He loves me, I love him, I'm also starting to like Tamaki again, I'm engaged to Tamaki-

Whoa. I stopped walking down the hallway.

What a weird thought. I never thought I would ever have thought that of either boy. Or Tamaki for that matter. What did my family have that the Suoh's want? They have more money then us tenfold, my parents and brother were in the science industry, I was going to be a doctor... What thing of value did the Yamazaki family have? "Demiyaaaaa." I heard my name called suddenly. Two boys suddenly put their arms on my shoulders, leaning on me a tad. When I looked, Hikaru and Kaoru.

"What do you two want?" I asked.

"We have a message from Tamaki."

"He couldn't tell me himself because..." I asked.

"He does all of his classes on the other side of the building. Anyway, his father is visiting the Host Club later so he can meet you."

"He wants to meet me?"

"Of course, you're going to be his daughter-in-law." Oh right. I forgot they knew.

"I'll be there." I said, and they danced off. I looked after them for a few seconds before rounding the corner and bounding up the stairs to class.

As I left class, however, I stopped a familiar dark haired by by grabbing his arm and dragging him down the hall. I dragged him into an empty classroom (that was always empty, so we didn't have to be disturbed. This was my secret hide out) and tossing him in as I locked the door. Just in case.

I went over to him, getting all up in his personal space. He looked down on me, looking a bit shocked at my sudden host-napping. "Alright, let's clear the air." I said, "I'm getting sick of you avoiding me. I may be engaged to Tamaki, but it's not because I want to be. Isn't friends enough? It may not be, but Tamaki and I can't find our way out of it."

"I'm sick of avoiding you." Kyoya said, looking into my eyes.

"Well, I'd hope so." I scolded, "Can we be friends then?"

"Yes, I suppose we can." he smiled and took me in his arms.

~!~!~!~!~!~

I was a little late to the Host Club due to a conversation with a teacher then a bathroom break, but it didn't matter. They were closed for now, and a few girls were milling around, waiting for them to open. You could imagine their shock when I knocked on the door. There was a moment, and Haruhi's face appeared at the crack in the door. She let me in, making all of the girls behind us groan.

Everyone was hurrying around, arranging and preparing everything for Mr. Suoh's visit. Honey was trying to choose which cake to have with the tea Haruhi was in the middle of making. Mori was actually on the other side of the room uncovering and cleaning the piano, Kyoya was overseeing it, the twins were arranging the seating for the meeting, and Tamaki was pacing, nervous. No one blamed him or asked him for help. This was an usually important meeting, and everyone wanted it to go well.

Then, in just a few minutes, the tea was being kept warm in the kitchenette off to the side ("Damn these rich people..." I'd heard Haruhi mutter), the cake has been chosen, the piano was perfect, and we sat on two couches on either side of a coffee table with an arm chair at one of the heads. Tamaki and I sat the closest to it, one on one couch, one on the other. Tamaki, however, wasn't sitting.

He was practically in a state of panic. He was pacing, and every time he would sit down, stay there for only a moment before standing up and continuing his pacing. Finally, I gave up and went over to him. I stopped him, putting my hands on his shoulders. "He's not judging you." I said, "He's judging me. Calm down, Tamaki."

"He's judging us. As a couple." he said, pulling me away from the group.

"So how are we as a couple?" I asked once we'd stopped a good distance from the group.

"Good friends, and that may be all we'll ever be." Tamaki sighed.

"Will he expect romance?"

"Well, he doesn't know you could see right through the hosting."

"So, he does?"

"Some, I suppose."

"So we have to play it up and be a real couple for a few hours?"

"Yes."

"Any kissing?"

"I don't know. Maybe." Tamaki sighed again.

Then, we heard a collective gasp and footsteps. Then, the door opened. We all turned at the sound at the door opened. The Chairman closed the door and ventured to the middle of the room as Tamaki and I went back to the couches as well. "I see you're getting along." the Chairman said, smiling softly.

"Yes, very well." I said. We all sat at the same time.

The room was quiet for the longest time. No one quite knew what to say. Tamaki kept fidgeting. Kyoya and I stole glances at each other. Mori and Honey silently ate cake. Hikaru and Kaoru whispered to each other. Haruhi got up after a minute to get tea. Then, the Chairman spoke. "How are you two getting along?"

"Well. Very well. We're good friends." Tamaki said calmly.

"Friends?"

"Friendship comes before romance." I stated.

"It does, I suppose." The Chairman smiled, "I heard you were interested in following a medical profession. Have you thought about asking Ootori for an internship at one of his hospitals?" Kyoya and I exchanged a glance.

"I thought about it, sir, but I'd like to earn it by myself."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. If I need any assistance, I'll be sure to contact the Ootori family."

"Ah, a very determined young girl, I see."

"Yes, I suppose so." I smiled.

"So, boys and Demiya," the Chairman stood, "I have a surprise for you."

"What is it, father?" Tamaki asked, looking slightly nervous.

"Next week, for spring break, I have booked you a trip in Karuizawa for the length of your spring break. I've made all the reservations and you can spend your time there however you like. It's so you and Tamaki can spend some time together." he winked in my direction, "Think of it as a... pre, pre, pre, pre, pre honeymoon. You leave in nine days on Friday."

There was an extremely awkward silence that spanned over a few minutes as everyone took it in. How was this whole shenanigan going to go on anyway? Then, the twins broke the silence. "You mean... they're going to have five more pre-honeymoons?"

~!~!~!~!~!~

Two days later, I was half-way packed. I was having three dresses made for me, and Hikaru and Kaoru are having their mother design my swimming suits. I didn't have a chance to tell them that I wouldn't be getting into the water and I can't swim anyway. Now that I recalled, sitting at lunch, I don't recall ever mentioning it to Tamaki. I dismissed the thought, as I was really hungry and this smelled freaking delicious.

Haruhi came and sat next to me with her boxed lunch and we talked about Karuizawa, and her experience there. How Tamaki had called her an idiot, Kyoya sexually harassed her... I was shocked when I heard that, but when Haruhi explained that it was only to prove what Tamaki said and he wasn't going to do it anyway. I believed her. Kyoya just didn't seem like that kind of guy. Well, proving Tamaki's point, yes. Sleeping with Haruhi, no.

After that, English. Oh, how awful I am at English. I mean, I'm okay, but it's not my best class. When class started, the teacher began class by handing out our essays on famous people from Britain. I did better on this one without needing help from Kyoya. Then, she said, "Now that we've finished 'Pride and Prejudice', or are at the most a chapter until the end, I'd like you to do a project. You'll have assigned partners with this as well. What I'd like you to do is take some plain white cardboard or something of the such and do a project. You get extra credit if you go through the alphabet and name something with each letter, but I'm not going to make you do that."

Ms. Sato simply wanted to portray how we saw the story, and what some of our favorite parts of the story were, and then somehow turn our separate projects into one big one. After class, the very boring and tedious re-cap of "Pride and Prejudice (don't ask why we're reading this book in Japan. I guess it's just THAT good), she read off the names for the project. "Ms. Endo and Ms. Osaka. Mr. Itosuta and Ms. Nakamura. Ms. Yamazaki-" I sat up at the sound of my name, "and Mr. Ootori."

Kyoya and I exchanged glances. We come to a silent agreement. My parents are away for another week, so my house at six. He'll meet me at the bottom of the stairs after my meeting with Tamaki. Then, I smile at him, and he smiles back. Somehow, it just makes everything better.

~!~!~!~!~!~

Tamaki and I finished another game of the writing game, and set our pads aside. We just looked at each other for a while, as if we were trying to figure each other out. We sat as usual, our back to the armrest, our lower legs leaning on each other since it was unavoidable... Right now, with twenty minutes before I have to meet Kyoya, it felt even more odd then ever.

It had finally sunk in. Tamaki and I were getting married. No one else out of the Host Club knew, we hoped, but suddenly, I couldn't look at Tamaki the same way. He was my best guy-friend, but he was also my fiance. Married. Kids. Jobs, most likely at the school, having to deal with company issues and making sure our families are using the money between us wisely. I could just see all of that swimming in Tamaki's eyes. "Demiya, do you think we can do this?" Tamaki asked, "I mean, we're going to have to do stuff in the future that we're not ready for now. We're getting married."

"I don't know. I mean, we like each other, but we're not really attracted to each other, you know, so I'm not sure. I was sure at first, and then I started thinking about it."

"Demi, you're a really good friend, you know." he said, leaning forward a little.

"Yes."

"Don't be offended..."

"I won't."

"I think I'm in love with someone, and I don't know who, though."

"You think?"

"There are two people, and I just don't know who one of them is."

This situation of his sounded awfully familiar. It reminded me of mine. He's not really sure who he's in love with. He'll eventually choose, if he actually knows who he's in love with. "Who is the other one."

"I can't say." Tamaki said with a sigh.

"Why not? Is she one of the least popular girls in the school or something? Romeo and Juliet?" I asked.

"I'll tell you later. When I'm ready."

"Okay then." there was a silence a few minutes long before I spoke again. "How about another quick writing game. I have to meet my project partner in seven minutes."

~!~!~!~!~!~

"Did you even like the book?" I asked Kyoya as we lounged on my bed on complete opposite sides, but still facing each other. Our laptops were in front of us and my bed had craft materials spewed all over it. Pens, markers, colored pencils, paper, construction paper, the works. I couldn't believe we still had this kind of stuff. Even Kyoya seemed a little shocked.

"I was neutral. Romance isn't my favorite genre, I'm afraid. It was an interesting story about class, and the romance added to the complex plot of it already. I liked the plot, and the way Jane Austin put it, but the romance could have been even more minor then it already was."

"There was still a romance scandal that had to happen. Without it, there would have been no structure, really. Some, but not completely. Mr. Darcy had to fix everything for Lizzy so her family could be alright. Sometimes people would do that in a friendship, too. He helped her sister as well, getting Mr. Bingley back to her so he could be with Lizzy and save her desperate family." Kyoya looked at me for a second.

"Say that again." he said, pulling his laptop to him.

"Why?"

"A discussion. An argument. I mean, you've been in a situation like Lizzy, but not completely, right?"

"I have been almost poor, yes."

"So, our project can have little mini essay's on the side about our favorite parts on the side."

"And have it in alphabetical order, so write topics of each letter. However, Ms. Sato said Qo, X, and Z are for cheating, but we should try anyway. If not, then oh well." I said, adding to the idea enthusiastically.

"Alright, you make the list, Demi." he said and I turned to my computer and quickly typed out each letter. "So, A?"

"Austin's style of writing, or her possible argument for writing the book?"

"Good one. B? Oh, easy. Bingley. C, then?"

Anyway, it went on like that for a while, each of us giving ideas. We started our argument/discussion, and took about an hour to write until L. Right in the middle. Lydia Bennett. By then is was about nine o' clock, so we decided to get snacks.

Kyoya asked why there weren't any servants around. There are. They live in the house, but my brother and I call on them when we want them. Like to make a snack in the middle of the night, chores while we're at school. Right now, I just wanted out of my room.

Oh my god, our housekeeper, Araisato, loves me to death. She got my favorite kind of soda and popcorn. White cheddar. I can't get enough of the stuff. As Kyoya searched the kitchen (he waited until I gave him permission, the gentleman), I went for a bowl for my popcorn. "Do you love Tamaki?" Kyoya asked as it it was a breakfast conversation.

"I love him," I stated, reaching for the bowl, but not quite being able to reach it. Damn. "But I don't love him. You know? Do you love Haruhi?"

"I like Haruhi." he sighed, pulling another soda from the fridge, "Does Tamaki love you?" It was like he talked about this all the time. Like ALL the time.

"I think he loves me as a friend."

"A friend who he has to have like thirteen kids with." he opened his soda without the bottle opener. Damn his invincible-ness.

"Hey, this is me we're talking about." I said, turning to him and pointing at myself, "Two is all he's getting. I don't care if there are only girls. Only two. Three at the most." I reached back up, getting on my tiptoes.

"Would anyone else get more?" Kyoya asked in a tone that was joking for him.

"It depends. If it's Cho Kyuhyun or Lee Donghae, then they get, like, twenty." I laughed at the sound of Kyoya's laughter, "If it's a random hobo on the street, then zero."

"Where do I rank?" I knew that was coming.

"I don't feel obligated to answer that question." I answered as nonchalantly as I could. Kyoya came up behind me, like RIGHT behind me, and pulled the bowl from the cabinet from me. The really big one. He decided he wanted popcorn, too. Well, great minds think alike.

"Why not?"

"Tamaki ranked three, a random hobo is zero, and those Super Junior guys are twenty. Where am I?" I could kiss him for knowing who Super Junior is, but I held back as much as I could.

I managed to avoid answering and changing the subject to who was carrying what back to my room. I decided to carry the popcorn while he carried the sodas.

As we went back to my room. I noticed the theater door open. Yes, we have a theater. It's a small one. It'll fit about twenty people on these purple inflatable couches. You can do anything with it, really. Play video games, watch movies, be on the computer and let everyone know every move you make, and school stuff. "Kyoya, come with me." I said once we'd set everything down, "There's a door open that shouldn't be."

When we opened the door, there was only one other person there. My brother was laying on one of the high couches, his laptop plugged in so you could see what was going on. He had a blanket draped over him and he even had his pillow. On the screen, there was an all-of-everywhere-possible scan going on of some guy named Youji Yakamura. He was some detective from like twenty years ago who's no longer active from the look of it.

A detective... but Souta is a biology major. Biology... What could be his motivation to look up detectives, and why hide it from me. "Souta," I said, and he lifted his head, shocked, "You're a biology major. What the hell?"

~!~!~!~!~!~

He wasn't just going to sit on his ass and accept it. He wanted to know who his father is. He knew subconsciously from an argument from several years ago his father was a detective. His parents fought every once in a while, but no one ever knew why. They'd do it in extreme quiet, so no one ever knew.

One day they lost control. There were mentions of an unnamed detective who his mother had apparently had an affair with. He'd never thought about it because he was three when it happened, and only recently discovered it.

So, he was using the fastest, most high tech laptop in the available market and running searches on all detectives in Japan. Mother had only just started leaving Japan when she started going to conferences and stuff with dad, so he knew it was in Japan. Besides, he'd even asked his mother the other day over email. It was out of curiosity, and she said she never left Japan. At least it was narrowed down.

He didn't tell her he was looking for his father. He couldn't that confession could wait. It could wait for a long, long while. He wanted to find his father, first. He'd gone over the possibility of him being dead. He knew being a detective could be dangerous. He didn't know what he would do. Go to his grave, or what ever building his body was being preserved in to give his respects. If he was alive, then what? Would he go after him, or leave him be, just happy he was alive? Of course he wanted to meet his father.

He'd been staying up late nights scanning every active and not active detective from twenty years ago. There were probably four hundred in Japan alone. It took about two days to do each of them, so he did one a night so he could look at the results of the previous one. It took longer then you'd think.

Since Souta was exhausted, he took a blanket and a pillow to the theater that night. He got even more weary as he watched the almost-finished scan. Just another two hours. He was almost asleep when he heard his sister's voice, "Souta, you're a biology major. What the hell?" he sat up.

"Sis, there's something I have to tell you..." he told his sister. There was a boy with her. Her study partner, apparently, but there was obviously more there then what met the eye. "Well, for starters," he started once the two had sat down.

~!~!~!~!~!~

"Matthew, I don't want to to do this again! We do this so often already." They were fighting again. It should be like this. They fought all the time, almost everyday now. Not all the time about Souta anymore, and about his father. They fought about Demi, the house, and they threw random insults. It was getting heated and angry.

Some days, it was good, other days, Itsuyo wanted to throw something heavy at her husbands head. In a way, she always hated him, and had always hated him. He wasn't Souta's father, who had always been good to her, no matter what. In another way, she loved her husband. They had Demiya together, and she loved her daughter to death.

She didn't know what to do anymore. There was nothing to do or say to please Matthew, and he was constantly angry about Souta. She thought they had cleared it up a long time ago, but Matthew was getting reckless.

Itsuyo was tired, now. Tired of the fighting, tired of putting up with him, and tired of him only being nice to her when he wanted something. She could just end it, but Souta needed both parents, and Demiya was in a desperate situation. And divorces didn't happen in the rich world, it seemed. Itsuyo just wanted him gone, but she couldn't.

The violence hadn't gotten physical, but it was only a matter of time. The situation was desperate, and she didn't exactly know what to do.

~!~!~!~!~!~

He knew he should be jealous when he saw Demiya leaving with Kyoya, laughing at something he said. He was smiling at her, and Tamaki could tell even from a distance that he loved her, just by the way he looked at her.

Tamaki loved her, too, but in an entirely different way. He never had a friend, or a best friend, who was a girl before. The thing is, Tamaki could love her. He could fall in love with her, and he was terrified of doing so. He knew he was in love with someone else, but he couldn't figure out who. It was bugging him to no end.

However, Demiya was so... present and he liked her, but... was it love? He wasn't sure, but he supposed he'll find out.