~ Chapter Eleven ~

~ Black Roses Red ~

"Let's go to the beach!"

I remember Tamaki saying those words the moment I chose to walk into the Third Music Room. I had been coming in earlier in hopes of finishing my studies sooner with Kyouya so I could hurry onto my custodial duties, but this decision had it's consequences.

We were scheduled to head out to Okinawa late this weekend, I honestly had a small problem with this…I had been assured a free invitation (including free transportation, food, service, a room, the whole deal) and while this was all great I felt like the Host Club was allowing me to freeload.

Granted I had a website to redesign (coding is not fun), paying-for-a-host/tutoring sessions, and that café date with Hunny-sempai…speaking of which…

"Are you excited for the beach this weekend Tsuyu-chan?" the small blonde asked, his cheeks smothered in colored icing and crumbs. Usa-chan sat beside him; his posture slacking.

"Of course I am," I replied honestly, just without as much enthusiasm as Hunny.

"Oh that's right, you haven't been to the beach before!" I shook my head, noticing my mind was rather preoccupied, Hunny cocked his head to the side cutely.

"Is something the matter Tsuyu-chan?" I blinked.

"Oh, it's nothing Hunny-sempai. Just something Kyouya asked me to do before we went to the beach is all," was my reply, a few question marks floated around Hunny's fluffy head.

"Oh no, he gave you all those scary books and wants you to memorize all of them before we leave?"

The dramatics, I thought with a sigh.

"No, no, nothing nearly as…repulsive…but I'm not so sure if it's ethical…" Since I'm fairly certain he'll use them for some personal gain…

"Ethical?" he repeated back at me as if asking for a vocabulary lesson, I pointed at his third heavily layered cake sitting half-eaten in front of him.

"Finish up I thought it would be fun if we tried something new today," I said, almost at once Hunny's eyes lit up.

"A new treat perhaps?" he asked happily, I sweat-dropped.

"Are you trying to put a hole in my wallet Hunny-sempai?" he laughed.

"The PARK?" I guess it was a good decision bringing Hunny to a nearby Nature Preserve (funded by Ouran Administration) was a sound plan. The small blonde with bunny in hand, ran for the first thing that caught his eye – the colorful metal poles that bent and twisted themselves into a jungle gym. It was an odd invention, but apparently the States had a ton of them.

"Whoa, what're these?" Hunny asked, staring up at the monkey bars and cutely pondering what he was to do with them.

"I think you're suppose to use them to reach the other side without touching the ground," I claimed, Hunny frowned with determination flaring in his eyes.

"Can you hold Usa-chan Tsuyu-chan?" he asked and with a nod I took the stuffed rabbit. Now I must say, playing witness to Hunny's first attempt at the monkey bars proved amusing, for five minutes he looked as if he were sizing them up as if they were an opponent in a Kendo tournament. Then shifting his weight to the back of his feet and crouching like he was preparing to jump over a skyscraper, Hunny leapt at the first bar and pulling himself up on top. I sweat-dropped as Hunny scuttled like a spider along the top of the bars until he somersaulted to the ground on the other end, gracefully landing.

"Ta da!" he cried, I stared at him.

"I have a feeling that wasn't…" I trailed off, shaking my head in disbelief.

"What Tsuyu-chan?" he asked as he approached.

"Never mind," Hunny took Usa-chan back and eyed his stuffed animal with the face of some deep thinking going on behind his eyes.

"Don't want to play anymore Hunny-sempai?" I asked, secretly hoping he didn't desire running back to the café.

"You want to go to the beach right Tsuyu-chan?" he asked, almost sadly.

"Huh? Yeah, of course I do!" was my reply, but for strange reason Hunny didn't appear convinced.

"I know you much rather be working and you work really hard," began Hunny, my eyebrows furrowed, "and you study really hard too and then Kyo-kun and Kaoru-kun and Hikaru-kun have been putting you to a lot more work…"

"That's true," I said casually, not bothering to deny it.

"…then you spend time with me…" said Hunny.

And spend more money, I added mentally a tad hotly.

"What are you trying to say Hunny-sempai?" I asked, seriously confused about his behavior, I half-expected someone to start yelling at me for (somehow) depressing him with how cheerful he always was.

The cries of childish laughter and jokes could be heard in the distance, it was as if in the pause in Hunny's response was to add to something in the atmosphere.

"You don't hate us do you? The Host Club I mean," asked Hunny, his eyes not looking up at me. Something told me in the back of my mind Hunny was as dark as Kyouya, just sneakier at it since he probably knew his puppy eyes could thaw a glacier and without looking at me, he wasn't knowingly (or unknowingly) deceiving me by making my emotions run over themselves.

"Hm, that's what you're worried about?" I asked, he looked up me with joy.

"You mean you don't hate us?" he asked, I huffed.

"Please, you all keep me too busy to think about that kind of stuff." I replied somewhat coldly, making Hunny go blue.

"W-What? I'm so sorry! I-"

"Hunny-sempai," I said, easily cutting him short, "don't worry about it."

"So…you don't hate us?"

"No, I don't."

"Oh, that's good," Hunny said with honest relief, "because we would be really sad to know if you did."

"You prefer being ignorant to the truth then?"

"No, no!" exclaimed Hunny, Usa-chan's arms waving dramatically.

"You're more than the person who destroyed our room-"

"I have the feeling I shouldn't bother correcting that statement," I shot in incredulously.

"-and more than a customer-"

"Victim of blackmail,"

"-you're a really good friend," finished Hunny, I gave him a funny look.

"That kind of thing happens when you hang out a lot together I suppose," I said as I tried untangling the new emotion I was feeling, Hunny nodded.

"Yep, someone's going through a lot of trouble to make sure you hang out with us wherever we go!" Hunny practically sounded like he was hinting at something and I had the good sense to want to know why.

"Really? Who?"

"Who do you think?" Hunny asked as happy as clown.

"Um…you maybe?" Hunny actually sweat-dropped.

"We were friends longer than you were friends with Tama-kun and Kyo-kun! I think he's a bit jealous of that," he said sweetly.

"Well then Tamaki, it has to be, he's always spouting ideas," I replied, earnestly believing only Hunny or Tamaki would go through so much trouble to include me just because of their natures.

"Sure, but Kyo-kun is the one that makes sure they go through yep!" Hunny claimed, suddenly finding one of Usa-chan's floppy ears very interesting. "He seems to be staring off into space a little bit more now that I think about it, but he's always thinking of something!"

"Or scheming," I said.

"That too!" he replied cheerfully.

"Well, that being Kyouya we may never know ne?" I said, Hunny's eyes grew large.

"Oh, I don't know about me, but Tsuyu-chan, he may tell you if you ask him." Hunny said.

"What do you mean?" My gaze rested on him for a moment, but his attention was drawn towards the play gym where the kids I heard earlier came dashing out of nowhere and ran for the jungle gym.

While Hunny was openly watching the kids swing from monkey bar to bar. I didn't bother repeating the question as he took in the actual technique, but my thoughts were elsewhere.

Kyouya? Taking Tamaki's ideas and manipulating my schedule to ensure my accompaniment?

I felt my cheeks flush mildly, but a part of me was angry. My life was not something to be toyed with, especially in the mayhem I've managed to accumulate in the last couple of weeks. Then again, my optimism chirped, the Ootoris are medical experts, maybe SOME things were to my benefit and were not simply pressed onto me for no reason. It would just seem like Kyouya was manipulating my schedule because he's been giving me more things to do, when I think about it that way I get irritated (like I don't have enough on my plate already), but I've had fun...all I've been doing until until recently was work, sleep, work, eat, work, go to school, work. All this time and maybe more in the future, Kyouya is only adding variety? Despite the fact it made me busier?

Time flies when one is having fun.

"You feeling ok Tsuyu-chan?" Hunny asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine, let's call it a day."

Gibbous bubbled when I bent over to look at him through the glass, his scales flashed vividly and his fins still glimmered prettily.

"I already fed you," I thought out loud to myself, easing up and stretching my arms over my head. There was a number of papers I had to write for school, books to read and equations to solve, but for the moment, I didn't feel rushed nor motivated to do any of it.

Since my conversation with Hunny there's been a slideshow featuring Kyouya in my head.

"Yep, someone's going through a lot of trouble to make sure you hang out with us wherever we go!"

I remembered the time before Kyouya barely knew I existed, that I was just a file inside his data space untouched and left gathering dust at the bottom of his hardrive. It wasn't a big deal for me to know him and likewise for him know me, we went to separate junior highs as well so I hadn't even set my eyes on him until freshman year.

Opening the fridge and after a thorough search, I shut it and grabbed some Instant Ramen from the pantry and prepared the stove.

"I'll cover for you." If what Hunny said was true…had Kyouya been manipulating my schedule since that fateful day in the Third Music Room? But for my sake or his? Both?

Several minutes later I sighed and took the finished ramen from the stove, leaving it to steam on the table. Not knowing what else to do, I grabbed my bag and pulled out one of the Physics books Kyouya allowed me to borrow. With paper and pencil at hand, I flipped the book open to a tabbed page and began skimming over the directions.

Determination kept the Shadow King from my mind for about a half an hour when the phone rang.

With a sigh I went to answer it, swallowing another bite of ramen on the way.

"Hello?" I answered cordially, not completely happy with being interrupted when I felt I was on a roll with my homework.

"Have a good day?" My heart nearly jumped into my throat.

"Hey Mom how are you?" I asked, I've been so busy these last couple of weeks I haven't given much thought to calling my parents.

"All's well over here, your dad told me to say hello too."

"Tell him I said hi too then,"

We talked for a few more minutes that mostly consisted of me answering questions about school and the custodial job, I refrained from mentioning the Host Club and Hunny's café visits, oh, and Koen Gardens and the fake beach.

"I heard you have been hanging out with an Ootori and Suoh?" my mom tried to pry, willing to use a crowbar if she had to.

"You heard right," trying to sound disinterested.

"Ooooooh don't sound like that – I remember seeing little Kyouya, such a sharp young boy the last time I saw him." I nearly gagged on my tongue.

"You never told me you knew Kyouya, or the Ootoris for that matter!"

"I did, you were never listening." She said matter-o-factly, I stuck my tongue out at the phone, briefly forgetting she couldn't see me.

"You met Kyouya when you two were little, I doubt you remember much of that encounter though…"

"Hm, I did?"

"You were only six or seven dear, we had to bring you to a party the Ootori's were hosting and we were invited, pretty excited then, but then you and Kameko-chan got into a bit of fight…"

"Oh…yeah," I remember now, though Kyouya's younger face still eluded me I faintly remembered someone my age screaming at me. To this day I still don't know why.

"…then she hit you and thankfully you bit her when I was the only one looking-"

"I remember some of it now Mom,"

"Oh good, hey, wasn't it because she wanted to play with your stuffed snake?"

"Koala," I corrected, sadly remembering my old toy.

"That's right, had to give it to her to get her parents off our backs or they would have told Ootori-san what had transpired, you were so upset…"

"Great Mom, depress me and I have enough homework to make the feeling last." I said jokingly, trying to lighten the mood. The stuffed koala bear, alias Ko-chan had been another toy I owned along with Kira-chan, but Ayanokouji had a tantrum when she demanded I give it to her and had actually gone so far as to rip Kira-chan's head off. It took my mom a while, but eventually she managed to sew it back on.

"You're right, this is no time to go down Memory Lane, I've called to see how you were doing but there's something else, your father and I were called to go to a business meeting in Kyoto. Wondered if you wanted to come along?"

"Kyoto huh?"

"Yep,"

"When is it?"

"This weekend," My eyes widened.

"Really? That's short notice!" I exclaimed.

"You don't have to go if you don't want to, but I thought you and I could go shopping together or something,"

I inwardly moaned, the same weekend I'm to go to Okinawa and then I'm suddenly pulled to go to Kyoto. This upset me, but why exactly? Shouldn't I be happy I have an excuse to get away from Ouran for a little bit? Even if it is for a day or two?

Kyouya raced through my mind and I shook my head, no, my parents come first! They hadn't seen me since second year started (months ago) and I saw the Host Club more than I cared to admit! Okinawa just wouldn't be happening.

"Do you want some time to think about it? I know you were asked to go to Okinawa this weekend too?"

Cue body-fault.

"How did you know about that?"

"Kyouya-kun has been emailing us for a while now, told us he met up with you this year and remembered you and decided to connect with us. He's such a sweetheart!"

Cue sweat-drop.

"Yeah, real sweetheart…" I muttered to myself almost inaudibly.

"Sure is, almost had his dad when we were young like you, but things didn't go as planned."

"Really, why not?" I was too curious to hear her reason for it then to imagine Kyouya and I as siblings.

"I met your father and well, the Ootori name has a…finicky bloodline, I wasn't an eligible candidate for marriage."

My heart went out to my mom and what else…a twinge of dread?

"Oh, that's too bad, but it's not a big deal. I rather be a Honiwa than an Ootori." I said confidently.

"Good call," Was it just me or did my mother sound distrusting? But what reason did she have to mistrust the Ootoris? (Well, besides the fact they could very well be a family of some Shadow monarchy). She must still remember being put down because of something so trivial…I would ask how it all actually transpired, but it didn't feel like the right time to talk about it.

"Well, I'll go with you guys to Kyoto."

"Are you sure? I remember flirting shamelessly with Yoshio – Kyouya's father by the way – going away to some beach with him was only a fantasy and you could make it a reality with-"

"Were you NOT just telling me going out with an Ootori a bad thing?" I asked with exasperation.

"-Suoh Tamaki…" my mother finished, trailing off after saying Tamaki's name. What blood paled from my face in realization of what my mom just said was quickly replaced with it, my face was tomato red while I tried thinking up a response to correct my mishap.

"Tamaki's so much cuter! Such a darling!" one thing my mom does well is preventing awkward situations or amending a moment that could turn tense, she managed to relieve me of some awkwardness, but I still had my face slapped into the palm of my free hand regardless.

"It's all right Mom, I'll go to Kyoto," I said, after what we talked about I don't think I could stand a couple of days straight of nothing but the Host Club (especially Tamaki and Kyouya) anyway.

After reassuring her several times over it was fine, we settled the departure time and when she was picking me up and what I should bring. We would be gone during the short break I was originally planning to go to Okinawa and after hanging up on my mom I suddenly felt exhausted.

Leaning against the wall beside the phone, I rubbed my temples.

I still have Physics homework and those essays…and now I had to tell the Host Club of my change of plans tomorrow.

Yet one thought had began prodding me in the back of my head since my mom mentioned it - he remembered me?

A/N:

So Document manager has been ticking me off...it doesn't save, it doesn't turn the font functions off and on when I want them too...is this happening to anybody ELSE? Gr...

Anyway, so I feel I'm not making Kyouya 'shadowy' enough and I'm willing to emphasize that part of him in the next chapter, but alas, I introduced more information on Ayanokouji and Tsuyu's relationship beginnings in this chapter! Yay! You now understand why Kira-chan had once been decapitated! And don't worry, she'll be coming back eventually - anyways of torturing her anyone muahaha! Despite how snotty the Ayanokouji family is shaping themselves up to be in this fic, I really want to give her and Tsuyu a more sister-hate/love-sister relationship. And I want to write up some Renge soon too. And yes, I do believe Tamaki is utterly adorable and if I were to ever meet him I would totally hug him to death!

I'm also going to be careful about writing Tsuyu's family, they're not immune to wanting the best for their daughter like most parents, but they also want her to have the best future possible (in terms of sharing a life with someone else, the status/power/money/influence of that someone else this IS JAPAN folks) and if that means they can be easy-going with some traditional customs still locked in place so be it. I'm very touchy about differences, I'm an American and I don't want to write this fanfic as if it's taking place in the States.

And NOBODY has caught my SECOND crossover cameo yet! I also meant to mention Jonan High (Fushigi Yugi) but it didn't get in...

Oh and if you wonderful readers wouldn't mind telling me your favorite parts of my fanfic it would be greatly appreciated ~

Good day to you all ~