Chapter 8

Kyoya was looked down at his forearm surprised. He had honestly thought that he had put her on guard with his earlier declaration. Yet, here she was fast asleep, her head resting against him as if she trusted him implicitly.

Not the reaction I was going for.

Actually all of her actions confused him. She taunted and teased him. Frustrated him to no end, yet, she toke great pains to make sure he wouldn't end up alone. He invaded her space, threatened her, and she bought him chocolate. Catching Haruhi's eye, he looked at Alexis and than at her towel hanging from a hook in the wall. Nodding that she understood, Haruhi got up and retrieved not only Alexis' things but, his and hers as well.

Haruhi put on her robe as Kyoya scooped Alexis into his arms and stepped out of the spring. He didn't wonder why he had to do this himself, waving it off as he had waved off anyone else returning her drawing pad. The rest of the club remained quiet once they saw how deeply asleep Alexis was. After a little maneuvering Alexis was wrapped in her towel and he was wearing his jeans.

"Are you taking Alexis-chan to her room?" Honey whispered as loudly as he dared.

"Yes, both Kyoya and I will return once we settle her in." Haruhi answered equally as low. She held the door open for Kyoya to step through and than followed him down the hall as he made his way to Alexis' room. Neither of them noticed the money changing hands at their departure.

When they got to Alexis' room Haruhi turned up the heat and turned down the bed covers. Kyoya set her on the bed than turned and searched for her bags. He found them under the desk and placed them on top of it to search through.

"Haruhi, remove the towel and help me will look for something to keep her warm." Kyoya unzipped the bag and began to remove items one at a time. Once he found her soft blue robe he pulled it out. With it came a pill bottle that had tangled itself in the robe's folds. Handing the robe to Haruhi he looked at the label remembering the pill she had slipped into her mouth earlier. Mentally cataloging its name he put everything back in her bag.

He passed by Alexis bed and made sure she was tucked securely in before leaving with Haruhi and closing the door. Instead of returning to the group with Haruhi he went to his own room. Once there he toke a quick shower and put on a change of clothes. Retrieving his cellphone, he dialed the number of a physician in his families employ.

Something about those pills is familiar, it is just nagging at the back of my head.

Ten minutes later he had his answer.

Half an hour before dinner he sent up a maid to wake Alexis up. He was concerned, to put it lightly. The shakiness in her drawings, the slight klutziness and the pain he had seen on her face were all explained. What he didn't know was the extent of the damage.

I'll watch her when I am near, see if there is anything else that I have missed while I have been trying to ignore her.

He knew better than to question her about her health during this short vacation. She had been so tired that she had fallen asleep in the hot spring! But, they would speak about it. He needed to know what if anything was being done.

That discussion is better suited for when she has had some rest. Preferably when we have a chance to speak alone.

As he got dressed for dinner he mentally reviewed all her actions. Finally understanding where her actions came from they made a sad sort of sense. Why even though he was a stranger she was fighting so he wouldn't be alone. Why she was in a strange country by herself. Why she wanted to travel every chance she got. Once he pulled on the dark blue sweater over his jeans he made his way to the dinning room.

Tamaki had apparently requested a kotatsu and seeing as they were a large group of eight, three had been placed together to make a larger set. He toke the seat at the head of the table and waited for the rest of his friends to arrive. The server brought in tea as he waited. Sipping his drink; he watched as they tumbled in; laughing and joking they each chose their seat leaving only the one to his left empty.

Alexis was the last to arrive, she had changed into a light blue skirt that reached her knees with black lace edging, a black sweater set and black flats. As she toke her seat the server began to deliver their food.

"Sorry if I kept you guys waiting. The shopping and the hot spring really wore me out. I don't remember making my way back to my room." She shook her head amused.

"Oh, you didn't. At least not by yourself. Kyoya and I helped you to your room." spoke Haruhi.

Alexis' eyes jerked up to meet Kyoya's, than turning to Haruhi she replied "Thank you for taking care of me. The nap did wonders. So Kyoya what is the surprise." changing the subject as fast as she was able.

Sensing her discomfort the twins came to her rescue. "Yeah, why so hush, hush? Your not taking us to see a skin flick, right?" Hikaru definitely knew how to change people's focus.

"You know I hear there is a great peep show not thirty minutes from here" Kaoru backed his brother up.

"How do you even know about that sort of thing! We just arrived this morning!" Haruhi looked amused and slightly uncomfortable.

"My daughter will not defile her eyes with such lewdness!" Tamaki looked panicky and affronted.

At that the games began and lasted through dinner. Which was just as well. Kyoya was trying to monitor Alexis without her knowing, she seemed to sense this and he just barely missed being caught several times.

After dinner Kyoya escorted them to a limo with blacked out windows and they began a short trip during which he was harassed continuously (especially by the twins who began to call him a mob boss and compare him to Kasonada). He was beginning to wonder if he really wanted to keep his friends when the car finally stopped. The occupants poured out of the car and than stared.

Bright lights, the smell of candy and the sound of games greeted them. It was dead silent for 30 seconds than everyone spun around to interrogate Kyoya.

"Well, don't just stand there and gape at me. I had this carnival flown in for tonight only, go enjoy it." With that they toke off like a flock of birds with Kyoya watching and absorbing the joy that rolled off them in waves. Suddenly he realized he wasn't standing by himself; he turned to his left and as his eyes met hers she smiled.

"Didn't mean for you to go this far. I was actually thinking of a trip to the movies or a game of paint ball, something along those lines." She leaned close and gave him a peck on the cheek. "Bet I can beat you at a game of darts!" Laughing she pulled him towards the booths fully intent on making him act his age.

She did actually beat him at darts; it was a little embarrassing at first, but, he definitely knocked over more bowling pins than her and during their game of bumper cars she could barely get the car to move. They watched in amusement as Tamaki trapped Haruhi in the ferris wheel with him (in all honesty she really didn't put up much of a fight). They both made estimated guesses (bets) on when the two would acknowledge their feelings to themselves and each other.

They joined Honey and Mori on the teacup ride. Than vowed never to be so stupid again. With Mori and Honey spinning it was a minor miracle that they didn't see what their intestines look like. The twins cajoled them into the house of mirrors against Kyoya's better judgment. They spent almost an hour lost and chasing glimpses of red hair until they wandered back out.

For all the antics and various bad choices Kyoya never felt better. He was forced by Alexis just to be. For one night he wasn't the third son, the top student in his class, or vice president of the host club. He was a teenager out for a night with his friends and enjoying a well deserved break.

Morning found the group physically recharged and ready for another day. Well almost all the group. Kyoya refused to be up early; especially considering this was supposed to be a vacation. Tamaki had sent up a maid at first thinking that Kyoya would be willing to wake up for their last day there. The poor woman had screamed her way out of the building and into the next town.

A vote was cast and Alexis was to be sacrificed to the Low Blood Pressure Demon Lord. She did try to put up a small fight, siting that waking up Honey was different than waking up Kyoya. Honey was nice normally, Kyoya most certainly wasn't. Her words were in vain though and after a little planning on her part and a small supply run she found herself tapping on his door with her free arm.

With only a grunt as her response she opened the door and set the tray she was carrying on the nightstand next to his bed. She sat on the edge of his bed and softly called out to him. "Kyoya," his head was still buried under the covers. She grabbed the top most part and slowly peeled them down inch by inch.

"Kyoya, wake up. I brought you some breakfast," she just barely uncovered his hair. Finally she could see his forehead, than his face. He was sleeping on his side facing her, eyes still closed and lips just parted letting out puffs of air. Remembering how she had awoken Honey, she gently began to comb her fingers through his dark hair. "Kyoya" his eyelids twitched "Kyoya, the day has already started. Wake up or you will miss it."

His eye slowly opened, the feeling of someone caressing his head gently tugged him into consciousness.

"Hey, I brought you breakfast. Its a spicy southwest omelet. If you get up now it might still be hot."

Kyoya looked at her surprised but not upset.

"Who exactly gave you permission to come into my room and wake me up?" He said his voice throaty from sleep as he sat up and leaned against the headboard.

"Well, you gave me permission to come into your room when you invaded mine." She got up and placed the tray on his lap. "And though you didn't, the club voted me least likely to die if I woke you up." At that she removed the covering that had kept his food warm.

The smell drew Kyoya the rest of the way out of his fog. Looking down at the plate he saw an omelet speckled with green and red. There was also a cup of coffee with steam rolling lazily off its surface. Adjusting himself in the bed he cut a piece of the egg off and placed it in his mouth. Melted cheese, tomato and the zing of something spicy hit his mouth.

Swallowing, he looked at Alexis "This is good, what gave you the idea that this would wake me up?" and continued eating.

She reached over plucked her drawing pad off the tray and pulled a pencil out of her pocket. "I don't wake up sweet as sunshine either. This is just one of the ways my mom wakes me up." Opening the book to a blank page she began to sketch. What she was drawing though he couldn't tell.

"Please don't tell me you are drawing me like this." Since he didn't sleep with a shirt on it was understandable.

"No, not like that" Not right now anyway. "I'm just sketching stuff I remember from yesterday, things I want to keep in my head. Though you will be gracing one of my pages." She continued to run the lead along the pages. "Once I feel like a know a person well enough I do a drawing of them. I actually attempted one of you before." This caught his attention. "But, I couldn't see you so the drawing is just the outline of a body with no facial features and no definitive characteristics.

This explains why there were no notes about what she thought. She didn't know what to think because she didn't know me.

"Now, you feel you know me better?"

"Yes, and I am quiet happy with what I see." She looked up and smiled at him...

I don't own host club or I wouldn't have to imagine that scene it would be happening, on a daily basis, possibly without his pants... JK

Hey queen of the moment, told you there would be an answer! Did you like?