Chapter Thirteen

The books slammed down on the table and Haruhi jumped. She sat upright in her bed to see Chikako glaring at her from the living room. "Sick?" she snapped. "Sick my ass!"

Haruhi furrowed her brow and rubbed her eyes. "What?"

Chikako strode over to her and ripped back the covers. Haruhi yelled, but her friend didn't listen as she stomped toward the kitchen and threw the linens in the sink. Seeing this, Haruhi scrambled to her feet. "Kako! Stop! You'll ruin them! There's still left over food in there!"

Although she felt a bit guilty not knowing that fact, Chikako kept her fervid stare. "Why the hell are you hiding from me and the club?"

Haruhi sighed and looked away from her friend at the paper doors. "Is that what this is about?"

"You don't look pale or nauseous. In fact, I bet you don't even have a fever! You've been absent from club for a week, now! What's your problem?!"

"Chikako," Haruhi interrupted. "Please keep your voice down."

"Keep my voice down?!" she shrieked, incredibly.

"Yes! I have neighbors, you know!"

Chikako started pacing the house. "What's this all about? I mean, you were fine for a few days, but in all honesty, you've been really weird since I got married and all the other crap happened…"

"I don't know what you're talking abo-" Haruhi growled.

Chikako laughed, harshly. "From whom are you hiding?"

"I'm not hiding, Chikako!" Haruhi snapped. "Why the hell did you come here? To yell at me for being sick? To rant about your life again or something?"

"But you aren't sick!"

"What are y-?"

Chikako's voice spiked a few octaves. "And what who do you think you are not coming to my homecoming? I was terrified and where were you? Sick? Bullshit!"

"KAKO!" Haruhi yelled, but Chikako continued.

"Is it because I'm married? Trust me, I'm not happy about it, but you don't have to ignore me like this-!"

Haruhi slammed her bedroom door behind her so loudly that Chikako shut up immediately, jumping a bit in surprise. Her friend was giving her a shockingly sarcastic smile. "Oh shut up, Chikako. You're 'not happy'? Yeah right! I've seen you and I've seen him and you guys are two evil peas in a pod and you know it."

Chikako scoffed, but stayed silent out of fear for her friend's explosion.

Haruhi sighed and lumbered over to the sink, retrieving her sheets. "I'm going to wash these, you're going to sit down and watch TV or stare at a wall, and when I get back, then maybe we can talk like normal, not crazy people, alright?"

Her friend walked into a different room, and Chikako heard the rush of water to the pipes. She didn't step toward the living room; she stood stone still in the middle of the kitchen. The only thing she could say to herself was, "Evil peas…?"

Several minutes passed before there was a lull in the apartment. Haruhi slowly slid open the laundry room door and looked intently at her friend. "I think… I'm sick, because I'm in love with Tamaki-sempai."

Tamaki laughed when he saw the room. "So, this is what it looks like to live with a woman, huh?"

Kyoya's closets were exploding with women's blouses, skirts, flats, heels, all kinds of shoes and scarves and dresses. The house staff hadn't visited the room to organize the closets yet. Their new house was still in the design stage. Chikako had been slaving over the architecture with master builders and they were close to what she considered, "The Perfect Abode." For now, though, she was invading Kyoya's bedroom, closet, studying area, and really his entire section of the house. Kyoya figured he would just have to get used to that. After all, invasion was part of the marriage process.

He kicked a suitcase filled with jewelry to the side and meandered over to his side table to polish his glasses. "Yes, it's rather annoying, but you get used to it after awhile."

Tamaki jumped onto the end of the bed. "So, you've gotten used to it?"

"Hell no, but I've heard that it takes time. Although, some couples hate each other forever," he added, sourly. He rubbed a piece of fabric around the lenses, thoughtfully. "So, what did you want to talk to me about?"

Tamaki reached over to one of the dressers and started playing with a snow globe of Paris. "You know how I once told you how…how I was feeling about Haruhi?"

Kyoya placed his glasses back on his face, slowly. "Yes."

"I don't think she feels the same way."

Kyoya raised his eyebrows. "Oh? How do you know this? Did you ask her?"

Tamaki rubbed his knees, nervously. "No, not really, but I just have a feeling that she wouldn't return my sentiments and-"

Kyoya then laughed, throwing Tamaki off a bit. "Now, really, Tamaki, you can't be that stupid."

Tamaki frowned at his friend. "What?" he breathed, confused and insulted.

Kyoya smiled, calmly. "Haruhi has the gentlest disposition around you, she has always protected you and wanted you to protect her, and recently, she has been playing sick for mysterious reasons."

There was a pause. "Why do you say 'mysterious reasons' like that?" Tamaki asked.

"Because Haruhi very rarely comes down ill. You are the same way, correct?"

Tamaki was silent.

Kyoya sighed and slowly stood up. "Trust me, Tamaki. Tell her how you feel. Chikako is over at her house right now, chewing her out, in that abrasively effective manner she possesses. If Haruhi has not realized how she feels, I'm sure my wife will force her to." He gave a small chuckle at his last comment.

Tamaki looked up at his best friend and smiled, weakly. "You're truly very lucky, you know."

Kyoya's smile fell, replaced with a surprised gawk. "I am?"

Tamaki nodded, looking down at his hands in his lap. "You were forced into the marriage, but it really cut out the middle man of all this uncertainty I'm experiencing, and went right to the point of marriage. You may not have learned to love her, yet, but at least you have somebody."

Kyoya pressed his lips together, forming a hard line. "Sometimes, yes, I supposed arrangements such as mine can be lucky, but there are times that I…" he sighed, sounding embarrassed. "I wish I could go through such flirtatious exposition you and Haruhi are undergoing."

"Flirting? I really don't think we're-"

"Tamaki, please, you literally throw yourself at her."

There was a long moment of silence between the two before they both erupted with laughter. Tamaki stood up and they walked out to the deck overlooking the professionally trimmed gardens in the back. Chikako had noted that they looked too man-made, but Kyoya was very fond of the organized green. He was fond of anything that looked neat. "You know," Kyoya started. "I think it would be a better idea to wait until Haruhi is ready."

"How do you mean?" Tamaki asked, carefully. "Ready for what?"

Kyoya leaned against the tall walls surrounding the yard. "Well, this idea of dating would be quite the bomb to not only drop on Haruhi, but also on our clients and the school as a whole, plus, just imagine the upheaval in the club."

Tamaki took a deep breath and rubbed the nape of his neck, pacing the deck floor. "I…I admit, I hadn't thought of all that…"

Kyoya smiled, kindly. "It will all work out for the better, I'm sure, but time is precious and key to success in this situation. Do you understand?"

"Of course, of course," his friend murmured, worriedly.

Kyoya stood up straighter. "Say, Daddy," he teased. "Weren't you also going to tell me about tomorrow's theme for the club? Something to do with cowboys, I think? Or was it worse?"

Tamaki perked up a bit. "Yes…yes! Now, listen to this ingenious idea: Old Western Romance. They will eat it up, I promise, and I'm sure that the boys will love wearing the ten gallon hats and boots…!"

Chikako sat down next to her best friend. "So…when did this occur to you?"

"W-What?" Haruhi muttered.

Chikako sighed. "Well, this had to have been some sort of recent revelation, right? I mean, you wouldn't want to go through this kind of agony and not tell your best friend, correct?"

"I…"

She jumped up. "How long?" she snapped, feeling slightly betrayed.

Haruhi gawked. "I-I-I don't know, I feel like I've always known that I … that I liked him, but it just occurred to me when…" She sighed and looked away. "When you got married, Tamaki and I kind of looked at each other—and don't go on some hopeless romantic craze, okay? It was circumstantial. But, when he looked at me and you and Kyoya said 'I do,' there was something that scared me and I didn't really know what it was."

Chikako slowly sat back down. "So," she breathed. "What are you going to do?"

Haruhi opened her mouth, but nothing came out. She closed her eyes and shook her head. "Do?"

Chikako smirked. "Of course. You have to do something."

Haruhi narrowed her eyes. "N-No I don't."

Her friend chuckled, gently. "So, your plan is to just hide in your room under your covers and ignore all feeling forever, is it?"

Haruhi was silent because she had honestly been considering that possibility.

Chikako sighed, loudly, and pulled her friend onto her feet. "Come on, love."

Haruhi pulled back. "Where are we going?"

"To the mall, of course."

She groaned. "Chikako, you know how much I hate shopping."

"Do you want to look good for the ball or not?" Chikako snapped, hands on her hips.

Haruhi faltered. "Ball?"

"Yes! Remember? The host club puts one on every other month."

Haruhi sighed. "But I have the tux I wear. I don't need any clothes."

Chikako's eyes sparkled. "You don't need a tux, lovely, sweet, innocent Haruhi, because you are no longer a boy. Realizing you're in love with Tamaki is what-"

"I-I'm not in love with him. I'm confused, is all."

Chikako waved her off. "Yeah, yeah, whatever you say—but sweetie? You're in love. Take it from someone who's been in love." The punctuation lingered in the air, the scent of it neither pleasing nor grotesque. It was as plain as the air around her and she wondered why her heart didn't ache at the thought of love like it used to. She pressed her lips together. "It's a complicated emotion, Haruhi. I'm sure you know that. I mean, you love your dad, right?"

Haruhi smiled, bewilderedly. "Uh, yeah."

"But he pisses you off?"

"All the time."

"And you worry him."

"I guess."

"So it isn't just liking each other all the time?"

Haruhi sighed. "I get your poorly made point, but it isn't going to make me sing or anything like they do in romantic musicals."

Chikako laughed. "Well, that would have surpassed my expectations, but I'm glad you understand. Sorta. Just let me know that if you do find yourself singing, you will call me immediately!"

Haruhi smiled at her friend. "Deal."

Chikako grinned and pulled her friend into a tight hug. Haruhi wrapped her arms around her and closed her eyes. The room was quiet, but Chikako could still hear the single mother next door with her three kids getting back from grocery shopping. She could hear them laughing and the mother jiggling her keys. She could hear the breeze caressing the window and cars honking at each other. She smiled at how much calmer Haruhi's life seemed to be than her own, but then again, she rarely saw the commoner life clearly. Perhaps it was chaos and no one in the club was the wiser.

She started to come out of the hug, but Haruhi held on. "Kako?"

Chikako blinked, but remained silent.

Haruhi whispered, "You're right. I do love Tamaki. And that scares me. A lot."

"Well, she's in love, he's in love, I guess it's official!" Chikako exclaimed as she tied up her hair into a bun and started removing her makeup.

Kyoya took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. "What's official?" he murmured.

"What do you mean, 'what's official'?" she snapped, putting on her best impression of a grumpy, tired Kyoya. "Their love! This is what the entire school has been waiting for!"

"Oh really? The entire school? Even the girls who love Tamaki or Haruhi?"

Chikako shook her head, as if Kyoya had just said the silliest thing imaginable. "Oh no, dear, you misunderstand. Girls will do anything these days to see two men in love."

Kyoya groaned. "I can't argue with you on that..." He smirked at her. "Dear."

Chikako pressed her lips together and turned around. "So, how was your day?"

Kyoya put his glasses on his bedside table and settled down on the edge of the mattress. "As good as it ever is, you know that, you were with me the… entire day," he grumbled, ending with a yawn.

Chikako crossed her arms and stared at the mattress. "Right…"

Kyoya looked over at her, carefully. "Are you alright?"

She took a step toward the bed. "You know, we…we could be in great danger."

He chuckled. "Excuse me?" He sighed. "Okay, I'll give. Why are we in 'great danger'?"

She took another step forward and narrowed her eyes. "Kyoya, if one of us wanted to, we could annul our marriage. Do you know how easy an annulment is? Way easier than a divorce."

Kyoya stood up, the bed bouncing under him from the sudden movement. "What?" he snapped. "Is there something you're upset about? Are you planning on annulling this marriage?"

Chikako shook her head, nervously. "N-No, of course not, you know I wouldn't and I can't. I'm just…" she sighed and looked away. "Never mind." There was a pause. "I'll get the lights, I guess."

She flipped the light switch and made her way back to the bed. Kyoya settled underneath the covers, still a little nervous about her comment. They lay there in silence until she murmured, "Do you know how to solidify a marriage?"

He nodded, staring up at the ceiling. "Consummation."

There was a pause. Chikako took a deep breath. "And do you know what we haven't done…?"

Kyoya turned to look at her. "Why are you bringing this up all of the sudden?"

She closed her eyes. "I don't know, I… "

"Is this something you…you want to do…tonight?"

She squirmed around under the sheets. "I… I don't know, I really don't, okay, I just thought one of us should mention it. Someone needs to put it out there. I know we've both been thinking about it, so…"

Suddenly, Kyoya moved beside her. She opened her eyes and saw him hovering over her. She was frozen in between his hands. His uncombed hair dangled beside his eyes and his dark eyes bore into hers. His elbows were locked, signaling that she would have to make a move first. He was giving her that choice, that luxury. It was a silent exchange, a silent agreement, one that Jake had never offered. It then occurred to her that he had never asked her, even in this quiet, subtle way. She had always just convinced herself that she was saying yes by giving in. She had never thought about it as deeply as she was trapped beneath Kyoya's gaze.

She parted her lips, leaned up to his mouth, and paused centimeters away from contact. She noticed his eyes were closed, almost like he was bracing for impact. She was in a different predicament: he was a virgin and she wasn't. She then whispered to him, "Are you sure?"

He pressed his lips together and exhaled slowly through his nose, the warm air tickling Chikako's cheek. He said nothing and they lingered there, less than an inch apart, until he finally leaned down and kissed her. She cupped the back of his neck to gently pull him down to her. "Not tonight," he murmured, almost sounding afraid.

She smiled to herself, knowing this uncertainty well. Seeing his eyes were still closed, she murmured, "Good. I'm not sure, either." She didn't let go of him, though. He slid down to lie next to her, the closest they had ever been. She tilted her head toward his chest and closed her eyes. His head lulled toward her and they fell asleep side-by-side, unsure of the kiss, scared of the potential, but comforted by the intimacy.

A/N: As usual, let me know what you thought of the chapter! College is going a lot better now that I'm slowly, but surely settling into this new sense of independence :) Leave me a review to let me know what you thought, what you're excited about, what you think the story is lacking, etc. etc. Trust me, I LOVE feedback :D

~Kit Koko