A/N (If you listen to music while you read, listen to "Lisa, Listen to me" by Blood, Sweat, and Tears or "Fences" by Paramore during this chapter. They're completely different songs but they really fit the chapter. And now I'll leave you guys alone to read.)
Chapter 10
First Time, First Name
A ragged chill began to run through the air as winter crept upon Ouran. Akane, wrapped in a top of the line fur coat slipped into her limo, unaccompanied by her brother. Many boys gathered around the shining black car to bid the young lady farewell, their eager and rabid smiles a shopworn occurrence. With a long practiced smile she waved charmingly to them and let the driver speed away from the school. Difficulties remained in finding happiness or even relief in her day, but Akane always looked forward to finding possible spare time in between parties and get togethers, events though one or another happened ever single freaking day. If she could spare the time, she practiced for the upcoming concerto in orchestra, though her mind seemed to be wildly flinging back into her first violin lessons, an occurrence Akane had been furiously refraining from remembering. She and Tamaki spoke more often than before, but they still weren't at the right level. There was still a wall Akane purposely kept up, but Tamaki seemed excited to receive more communication than before.
Every time she told her brother about her worries or horrible situations, he'd always smile and say it'd all be okay. And that comforted her for a total of ten minutes until she went to bed and lay awake knowing things weren't getting any better. She longed for someone to spell it out to her and tell her exactly what she should be doing, but then again, she didn't have any real friends.
Just beautiful and rich ones.
Rubbing her hair with a luxuriously fluffy towel, Akane swiftly grabbed another pillow like towel and wrapped it around herself. The fresh, just out of the shower feel swept over her, willingly absorbing the moment she wasn't covered in crazy amounts of makeup or her hair wasn't coated in mousse. Letting her long, damp hair cascade past her shoulders, she watched as its familiar frizzy and curly texture began to bloom in the dry areas. She couldn't remember the last time she had let her hair dry curly without having it straightened or completely disfigured the next moment.
Throwing on a white tank, red cardigan, and long black sweat pants, she officially declared this was the first time in months she had looked indecent and she couldn't help but grin wildly.
Flying down the stairs like a giddy child on Christmas morning, she made her way to the kitchen, glancing around her suspiciously as she neared the pantry. Double-checking that no one was within the vicinity of the expansive and stainless-steel kitchen, Akane let the pantry drawer slide ajar and watched as salvation lay before her. Her eyes lit up at the image of a box of Pop Tarts, something she hadn't even seen since she was in France. Grabbing the box with ninja-like skill, she silently slipped out the kitchen and headed towards her room, so she could eat the sacred goodness in peace.
"Baka, you never learn, do you?" A familiar voice echoed through the foyer, Akane freezing still. Crap, she had been caught. But why was he in her house? Turning around slowly, she gaped at the fact that no one stood anywhere around her.
"Ah Mommy, you're so mean to me!"
"Shut up, I'm not nor will I ever be your mother."
Akane sighed, glad she hadn't been caught in her caper. Still, her curiosity caught her before she could finish the crime, and she stalked to the main room, the voices growing louder and louder.
Sitting in a kotatsu, a traditional Japanese low table covered in a futon and heavy blankets, was Tamaki and Kyouya, sipping tea light-heartedly without a care in the world. Well, at least Tamaki was, since Kyouya never really showed he was having a good time unless he had made a conquest of some sort. Tamaki giggled and gabbed, living in the moment where it was only him and his best friend. Akane had never understood how or why these two were friends.
Sure, she had heard the whole story from Tamaki, but he often exaggerated things and left out important parts, so is creditability for this story was negative five. The two boys were complete opposites; one was kind, sweet, gentle, sincere, and completely naïve, while the other was conniving, insidious, calculating, cruel, and not to mention a complete and utter jerk.
"Oh, I'll go get us some more tea! You wait right here, mon amie!" Tamaki exclaimed, grabbing the two cups and skipping out of the room like no man ever should. Luckily, Tamkai choose the other exit out of the room, so he hadn't even noticed her eavesdropping position. She remained unseen behind the edge of the doorway though, in case Kyouya decided to check. Akane gazed as the raven-haired stretched out his long, graceful arms and gave a slight yawn.
"In some countries it's illegal to eavesdrop," Kyouya smiled, pushing up his shining glasses with a single finger.
"I'm beginning to wonder if you were bitten by some radioactive spider or if you just know everything," Akane retorted, stepping out from her hiding place. She didn't have the will to fight the senior at this point, nor did she quite forgive him for their earlier spat. He had attempted to speak to her since then, but she had swiftly cut him off every instance, not wanting to hear his spiteful and conniving words.
"Do you think I'd tell you?" Kyouya turned, intimations of a subtle grin of triumph across his face.
"That'd be about as likely as you running out and buying a pair of contacts," Akane replied, sauntering over to the couch behind the kotatsu.
"Maybe I have astigmatism," He answered coolly, his countenance suggesting that he was enjoying the conversation almost too much.
"Aw, it's a shame you're eyes are disfigured and not your brain," Akane jeered slyly, enjoying that her tongue was lashing out as it pleased. She couldn't remember the last time she had insulted someone to their face.
"Do you hate me because I understand you, or because you just need someone to be your personal punching bag?" Kyouya inquired, his piercing onyx eyes scanning her.
Without warning, Akane burst out into a scary and frightful fit of laughter, flopping herself onto the armchair beside the blanket-ed table.
"Wow, that is probably the most funny and stupidest thing you've said to me yet," Akane replied, not caring how rude or insulting she was. "I find it hilarious how you think that since you've read every document you could find on me that you get the crazy disillusion that you actually understand me."
"I seem to know enough to break your temper," Kyouya answered calmly, his eyes smug.
Crap, he had her. But Akane's pride wouldn't let her admit defeat.
"Understanding and knowing are two completely different things," Akane spat, crossing her arms defensively.
"Really, is that so?" Kyouya smirked, resting his head on a propped up fist. "Enlighten me then."
"You can read every news article, hack into every police report, and investigate every soul in Japan, but I can promise you that you will never understand why I am here and why I am parading around like mindless idiot," Akane seethed, her deep blue-green eyes burning with a hatred for his ignorance. He challenged her and she refused to disappoint.
"Touché́," He nodded, still smiling as if he held all the cards.
That's what she despised about Kyouya. The amount of cruelty and smart-ass-ness that seemed to ooze form his every action irked her to no end. In her mind she was assured that his heart was replaced with a bottomless black vortex, sucking in any unfortunate souls whom the young Ootori disliked. He never sugar-coated anything when he spoke to her, never straying away from the immediate point he wanted to convey. It was an occurrence that was so irregular to Akane. Hold the phone…
"Ootori, would you be interested in making deal?" Akane inquired, a solemn countenance conveying her serious feelings.
"Oh, I'm listening intently," Kyouya answered, Akane's proposal piquing his best interest. It was strange that the girl who possibly hated him more than any other student at Ouran to be offering him anything at all.
"Look, to be completely honest I'm pretty freakin' tired of people feeling sorry for me all the time. It's moronic and I'm sick of it. For the deal, all you have to do is listen to my ranting and raving and promise that you won't try to comfort me or sugar-coat it or any of that nonsense," Akane stated, her proposition probably the strangest Kyouya had ever heard.
"Go on," Kyouya encouraged, his business face completely unfazed and unyielding in manner. Akane realized this look was probably more practiced than her own fake smile.
"In return, I'll probably let slip some of the choicest gossip going around the school, maybe even some of it unknown to you. And I realize that may not be a lot, so in addition I'll give you one question. You can ask me anything and I give you my word that I will answer truthfully and without hesitation. I think these are pretty equal terms, since I figure you can probably find some crazy question that'll—"
"I accept," Kyouya spoke calmly, his voice so steady that even an earthquake couldn't have shaken it. He stared at her with stolid and dour eyes, Akane unable to read anything from his expression. Outstretching his lithe and professionally poised hand to her, Kyouya gave her an encouraging smile, catching Akane completely off guard. Sitting up straight to match him, she placed her own delicate hand in his, shaking it firmly.
"We can start now, if you'd like," Ootori spoke coolly, readjusting his position so he was completely turned to Akane while he sat under the kotatsu. It was strange, since he nearly sounded sincere, though Akane couldn't decipher if it was truthful or not. Then remembering that she didn't care, she addressed him.
"Wait, but what about Tamaki?" Akane asked, realizing her brother had been preparing tea for quite a while.
"If I remember correctly, Tamaki still has about seven and half minutes in the kitchen while he shoos off chefs, burns himself a few times, spills it, and then remakes it. In addition, I can probably get us twenty more minutes," Kyouya calculated, not pausing once to recall or reassess his examinations.
Completely not believing him, Akane crossed her arms smugly and asked, "Is that so? Enlighten me then."
Flipping his cell phone open with practiced motion, no excess or unneeded motions in his action, he pressed the speed dial.
"Tamaki, yeah it's me. Hey, I'm feeling peckish, do you have any of those strange American toaster pastries? Yes the colorful ones. Yes, I'll wait," Kyouya paused, allowing Akane to suddenly realize she was still holding the box of Pop Tarts she had stolen some time ago.
"Aw, I can't find any Kyouya. Wait, I know! I'll run to one of those commoner super markets! But which one? Maybe Haruhi would know…Kyouya! Stay right where you are! I will be back as soon as possible with the Pop Tarts!" Tamaki called out over the phone, loud enough for even Akane to hear. The line dropped dead, Kyouya closing his phone with a satisfying 'click'. A content yet sinister pulled at the sides of his grin, the young heir sliding his phone back into his pocket.
"Make that forty minutes," Kyouya smirked, Akane still in disbelief, but showing no outward signs of it.
"Fine, you win," She sighed in defeat, taking a seat opposite him at the table. "I hope you're ready for this, because I have got a lot of complaints."
"I'll try and keep up," Kyouya smiled, his eyes still filled with an eerie slyness and solemnity that somewhat comforted Akane. She didn't care about him in the least, so there was no holding back and no worries wither he was prepared or not. He was here to listen and he took the job quite seriously, something that gave him a little brownie point in Akane's mind, strangely enough.
Ripping open a bag of the thin, frosted pastries, Akane began her monologue. There was no filter on her speech, letting each word slide out as it had wished to for months. Her tongue embraced the pent-up anger and frustration she had barely contained for what seemed like eternity and lashed out at every student, parent, or human who had bugged her in the least.
Kyouya was true to his word, listening carefully to her every word. He nodded in agreement to many points, and it wasn't even that fake nod you give to teachers when you're trying to make them think you're listening. He held an air not of understanding, but more of a comprehension as to her situation.
"And you know Kejiro Nonaka? Well, of course you do. But seriously, that boy is not the sharpest crayon in the box. Like that guy is about as smart as a stick. Somewhere a village is deprived of their idiot. He's about as sharp as a marble," Akane ranted, letting her frustration at her stand partner explode form her lips. Across from her, Kyouya suddenly let out a chuckle, and Akane instantly froze up.
"Did you just laugh?" She asked, in complete shock of the shadow king's action. Kyouya continued smiling, his visage honest and utterly amused by the girl's slandering.
"I am physically capable of laughter, you know," He grinned, resting his head to the side on a propped up palm. "I find it amusing because I think nearly the same things when I talk to Kenjiro.
"Finally! Someone actually sees that that idiot has an IQ smaller than his shoe size," Akane spit out happily, relieved that she wasn't alone in her thoughts. Kyouya snickered again, seeming to refrain from another comment. "What is it? You're not telling me something."
"Another amusing factor," Kyouya replied, repositioning his glasses and subtly beaming all the while, "is that he talks about you nearly every day."
"You're kidding, right?" Akane gaped. It seemed logical Kyouya would know a lot about Kenjiro, since apparently they were in the same class.
"It's pathetic to say the least. He goes on and on about how great of friends you are, how pretty you are, how much you laugh at his jokes, etcetera. Although it's entertaining that he has never once mentioned any aspect of your personality," Kyouya answered, calculating that Akane would understand the last sentence to what it implied.
Nearly instantly, Akane leaned her head to face the floor, not daring to speak or show her face. She could feel the tears crawling at the sides of her eyes. Akane hated how she seemed to be crying all the time, and even more so hated knowing it was pure weakness within her.
"Have I said too much?" Kyouya asked coolly, no hint of consideration in his voice, yet no spite either. Akane merely shook her head in reply, fearing that her voice would crack or stutter if she answered verbally. Kyouya sighed, sad he had not predicted such an emotional reaction from Akane. At the same time, their agreement entailed that he wasn't allowed to say anything comforting, though he felt a strange pull to at least change the subject. Though her pain ridden face was hidden beneath a veil of golden curls, it was no strain to imagine the tortured look that stained her visage. His plotting mind overtook his instincts though, and before he knew it, he was speaking.
"I'm surprised you're offended by this," He spoke, no smile or grin hidden anywhere on his face. "Wasn't your goal to attract shallow, well endowed male students with your good looks and polite manners? You should well know by now that most of them don't care one bit about a sparkling personality when it comes to their future spouse."
Not replying, she kept her head facing the floor. Akane winced as the tears trickled across the bottom of her eyes, though these tears seemed to be different from all the other laments she had experienced in the past.
Kyouya gut flared again, calling out to him to shut up and stop bashing her. He couldn't see the pain, but his instincts where forcing him to stare at her intently. No; emotions had never controlled Kyouya Ootori, and that wouldn't change for the sake of some tragic, depressed, and crybaby girl whom he barely knew as a person. Easily overpowering his emotions, he let his tongue loose.
"I don't know what you'd otherwise expect, acting the way you do. I wouldn't think you'd be dense enough to believe that they actually enjoyed your company because of your personality. Sometimes I can't believe they actually believe how kind you are. You're like the perfect wife they've been searching for; rich, beautiful, charming, subservient. And you still believe that your ideas and thoughts are what sell you. You're as ignorant and shallow as they are," Kyouya nearly laughed at her. He had no compassion for this girl if she thought such dense and moronic things.
Suddenly, Akane's face jerked up and Kyouya couldn't control his face from twisting into stupor. Framed within her wild golden curls and shining tears that cascaded down her soft cheeks stood a simple and grateful smile, lighting the entire room with its honesty. It was the first time Akane felt her true smile immerse itself to the outside world and she was powerless to cease its existence. She gazed at Kyouya with tremendous floods of gratitude, the smile radiating her natural and graceful features.
"You have no idea how much I've wanted someone to say those words to me. Thank you, Ootori," Akane gleamed, glistening clear tears running down the side of her face. No one had told her she was stupid or moronic or dense beside her grandmother in the last few months, and it was almost an instantaneous relief to know that someone wasn't going to lie to her that she was dumb. Kyouya had called her stupid, and she had never been given a greater complement.
Kyouya sat dumbfounded in front of her, unable to fathom what had just happened. He felt his heart thumping louder and louder in his ears as her smile sent chills down his spine. Never had he known a smile this… honest. And it was meant for him and him alone. His features struggled to maintain composure and swallowing his emotions as best he could, though he couldn't resist the smile that prodded the sides of his mouth.
"You do know you're allowed to call me Kyouya," He spoke, making sure his voice was controlled and calm, though he surprised himself as unintended kindness slipped its way in. This girl was severely throwing him off and his gut wouldn't allow him to dislike one bit of it.
"Then thank you, Kyouya," Akane repeated, letting a peaceful silence settle between the two for a precious moment. Though he had predicted it, Kyouya never quite fathomed quite how deep her problems lay. Scratches and minor bruises were the only things she had admitted him to know, though half of them he himself would never have guessed. A lurking desire aroused him to know more, to understand her in the exact way she had described it to him. What scars could possibly damage this girl, who cared for no one and never let her own personality shine through.
A sudden quaking shook the mansion back and forth as the sound of a slamming door echoed throughout the halls. Kyouya whipped his head down to his wristwatch, realizing it was ten minutes after his prediction of Tamaki's arrival had originally been. Akane's eyes grew wide, her long torso swiftly jumping over the couch and out of view at the doorway where she had first entered.
"Kyouya! We're back with the Pop Tarts!" A familiarly cheerful voice greeted, the perky blonde boy poking his head into the expanse of the living room.
Effortlessly throwing on his normal stoic visage, Kyouya replied, "We?" Though he knew all to well who Tamaki had dragged back to the mansion.
"Oh, hi Kyouya-sempai," Haruhi greeted, stepping into view. She was wearing actual girl clothes, consisting of some pink parts and hair clips, something very irregular to all the hosts. "Hey, aren't those Pop Tarts?" The girl host pointed out, motioning to the half-devoured box of pastries that sat on top of the kotatsu.
"One of the maids found them shortly after you left, though most were already eaten when I received them," Kyouya replied flatly, upholding his reputation as one of the world's most accomplished liars.
"Tamaki, you home?" Akane's voice called out as she entered the living room, wanting to assist Kyouya's alibi as best she could. Even though they had a fair trade off deal, the girl felt as though she still owed him something, especially after what he said to her. As her eyes traveled to her brother, they abruptly stopped short at Haruhi. Eyes nearly bulging out of her head, her mouth gaped open, struggling to find the right words.
"I knew it! Haurhi's a girl!" Akane exclaimed, pointing furiously at the girl host.
"Hey there…. Akane-chan," Haruhi stuttered, waving sheepishly. If anyone had been looking at Kyouya that moment, they would've seen a titanic grin stretch across his face and an excitable light glimmering in his deep onyx eyes.
"Mrs. Chairman, there's an important call for you on line three," the secretary's mild-mannered voice spoke through the intercom. The elderly businesswoman swiftly snatched the phone, lifting it professionally to her ear.
"Hello, this is Suou Nobara," She answered stoically, no ounce of emotion remotely close to her voice.
"Hello Chairwoman, this is Nonaka Yunosuke. I'm calling on behalf of an offer that may interest you…." The business giant on the other end of the line replied.
As Mr. Nonaka spoke, the apocalypse must have been coming, because the Chairwoman's face suddenly twisted into a grotesque shape never seen before; a smile.
Hooray for plot devices and foreshadowing! If any of you care to know, the next chapter will contian either a vast majority or all of Akane's past from Paris, so be excited! And a CRAZY UNEXPECTED (or expected if you're like physic or something) TWIST THAT WILL CHANGE THIS STORY FOREVER!
Oh and if you review like last time, (by the way THANK YOU!!!!! 8DDDDD ) The chapters are better and come faster!!! More smileys! 8D