Well, when things look bad and you find yourself surrounded by idiots who jump to conclusions, surely nothing good will come out of it right? You may talk your way out, find an explanation that solves everything, but the damage would be done. Could you really be trusted after that? Would you really mind? Perhaps this new persona would fit you, it's something you could live with. If all but you get claim to what's rightfully yours. At least before you fall…
_______________________________________________________
Bring it on, for Haruhi this was all worth it.
Haruhi then met their stares, and she grew white. There had to be a way to explain this, in such a matter that Kyouya's face wouldn't get pounded into the wall. But why Tamaki and Hikaru of all people were acting the maddest, she couldn't fathom why. Kyouya though was very aware of what was in store for him. He wasn't ignorant to those other idiot's feelings. But that didn't mean he was to give up entirely either on his catch, on her. Which was why he gently switched her over to his left, away from their glares. She didn't need to know more than she already did, in regards to their feelings on this matter.
Kyouya stretched up, trying his best to smooth down his shirt and tousled hair. Appearance in front of them did matter. He had an image to keep up. Which was exactly why he, with his glasses turned down and lenses clear he fitted them all with a glare most legendary. He stood up straight, taking the few strides it took to match himself up with Tamaki. Narrowed grey met purple, while the two best friends faced off, fists both clenched and faces set.
"Why are you here Tamaki?" "YOU SHOULD BE ONE TO TALK-You, you, YOU!" Hikaru, wanting to spring out was held back by Karou and Mori, him yelling out a string of expletives at the bespectacled boy himself. Kyouya, not paying any heed, stood his ground. Carefully pushing up his glasses he talked to them as if he was nothing but discussing normal club profit or calculations. Not like he was just near kissing Haruhi's shoulder and clutching her in his arms. Although her smell still stayed with him.
"The 'you' you are so easily jumping to conclusions about hasn't the faintest idea why you should be mad." He stretched out an arm to the shocked form of Haruhi. "I was just catching my breath, asking if Haruhi was alright." His hand went back to the glasses, glinting their glare at the teens in front of him. "We were being chased you know."
Haruhi was glad she sat a distance away from this dispute. Seeing Kyouya, from behind, she knew that underneath all his usual bravado he was as nervous as her. But she couldn't see why, they were just resting. A part of her nagged guilty, for maybe she saw it as more, but honestly, what did they all expect Kyouya was doing? But upon hearing Kyouya try to lie his way out Haruhi raised her neck, head nodding wildly as the irate Tamaki and Hikaru glanced over at her.
Hikaru, not believing this for one moment even after Haruhi supposedly "confirmed" it attempted to lunge out once again. His arms snapped back as Karou's and Huni's grasp held firm, so he just decided to flip his head wildly. More explicits were let loose at the black-haired boy, just so he could very well realize that whatever he was saying to cover up what he saw was a load of, well, he screamed that out too. Some shoppers were warily standing by at the fight that seemed to be growing.
Tamaki, not as aware as Hikaru, just leaned back, eyes still hard. Not only out of rage like Hikaru, but also fear, betrayal. Kyouya took that glance to smooth things over, knowing if he just played on Tamaki's nerves all would be understood by the blonde. Hikaru though, would surely just fuel Tamaki's suspicions. Which was why, looking past his friend he called down to Huni and Karou. "If you would so please." He gestured to the shaking red-head's form. Karou just glanced down nervously to Huni, who just nodded. Kyouya and Tamaki needed to work this out on their own.
Mori stood by still as Huni wished it, in case things with the Host King did get out of hand. Huni and Karou proceeded in dragging the struggling twin away, deciding it was enough for today that Hikaru got outside. Karou figured he would have to lock him in their room, and just wait until things blowed over. A scary thought for him, brother or no brother.
As soon as the trio turned the corner and most likely called a limo courtesy of Huni Kyouya snapped his attention back to the remaining blonde. Tamaki straighten up, voice still hard but slightly hopeful. Perhaps he really had gotten this all wrong. "You were chased?" "Mhmm. Yes Tamaki. I found Haruhi here a few blocks back, obviously being followed by some…rogue."
Smart. Trying to get his belief through using words he would understand. Clever stuff.
Tamaki's face wrinkled in thought. "R-Rogue?" "Yes and poor Haruhi here was just about to get her purse snatched by said foe." Luckily she still had it, and weakly lifted it up from her spot near the wall, for Tamaki to see. She only hoped Kyouya wouldn't go overboard with his story.
"Her, purse." Kyouya began to grow a tad impatient. He was waiting for Tamaki to spill into a rant of the evils and dangers of common foes. Not be calculating for once and try to dissect his story. "Yes, so I pushed Haruhi ahead to run, slammed into her a bit too hard, and thus why we ended up against the wall. A little worse for wear yes, but we are fine." He allowed a smirk to cross his features, arms crossed. "Now I'm not sure what you or any of the others assumed, but o assure you nothing of the 'harming Haruhi' kind came to surface." Tamaki's lack of answer annoyed him yet again.
"Tamaki?" As Kyouya called out, Haruhi realized she would have to do her part to calm the poor leader's nerves. So she stood up, taking care to shrug up the fallen strap of her top, purse swinging as she made her stand alongside Kyouya.
Careful to not touch his arm or think anything of what she currently wanted to say, in fear Tamaki would catch the strange jolt that echoed through her at such thoughts, she lifted her chin. Eyes narrowed in the familiar scowl of disapproval, Haruhi waited until she had Tamaki's full attention. Which was about three tenths of a second.
"Tamaki-sempai." At the sound of his precious daughter Tamaki threw himself at her, arms encasing her thin frame. "Oh my precious daughter! Is what this traitorous mother says is true?! Were you really close to being captured by a team of purse-snatching ruffians?!" As Tamaki currently was crying into her shoulder she cast Mori and Kyouya confused glances. It seemed she still wasn't used to how Tamaki would twist a statement into a plot worthy of a B-rated movie.
"Ano, Sempai?" At once Kyouya and Tamaki snapped their heads up and looked at the girl.
"Yes?"
"Yes?"
At hearing the other answer, the two friends stared down each other slightly. Haruhi was obviously addressing their own self. Why would they think it was the other? Nervous again to seeming be caught in the middle of something, she cleared her throat, trying to shove the blonde off her."I-I was talking to Mori-sempai actually."
Mori stiffened, not particularly likening the glares sent from the two second years. But he obliged, walking calmly forward to pull the increasingly annoying blonde off the poor girl. Tamaki tried to struggle, yelling out some nonsense about how no one could "come between father and daughter during these turbulent" times, or something of that nature. Kyouya really wasn't paying any attention to what Tamaki was blathering on about.
As the kendo champion succeeded in prying the host king away, for the most part, Kyouya took note of how Tamaki was taking hold of Haruhi's shirt strap. Granted he knew Tamaki was doing it only to not be pulled away from his "daughter" but still. He almost felt a vein twitch behind his bangs as the thin strap of cloth was unstitching from the top. Haruhi wasn't helping matters by stumbling back in the opposite direction. Before Kyouya could help himself he latched onto the offending shoulder, sending her behind him quickly while succeeded in shoving Tamaki off with the other. Mori held the blonde in his arms, just watching bemused with what just occurred.
Tamaki felt like he had just been slapped, as Kyouya shoved Haruhi off. "B-But why M-Mother!?" He couldn't help his sputtering, and Kyouya, ever one to keep his façade when he slipped up just flashed his opaque stare. "My Father, are you so inconsiderate in wanting to tear poor Haruhi's clothes?"
Tamaki's face grew red, and then he thrashed wildly in Mori's arms. "No! NO! I'm so sorry daughter! That probably was the only shirt you owned and me so carelessly tearing it, I'm the scoundrel! Now you will have to wear your uniform all the time and have it get worn from use, and then Mother will be evil and add that on to your debt so you will have to slave on forever in a vicious cycle of infamy and commoner sadness! Forgive ME!!"
Kyouya, happy that things word out in his favor, nodded to Mori, who obliged, dragging the still hysterical host away. He managed to succeed in having Tamaki forget for the moment the real reason why he was shocked in the first place. Avoiding the problem while presenting a new, much more trivial one. Trademark Shadow King. So the boy's yells echoed as he was dragged away, going on about promises to fill Haruhi's wardrobe with clothes of the finest silk, or something of that matter. Kyouya shook his head, Tamaki's idiocies still a thing of wonder.
Behind him Haruhi was still trying to process exactly what went on, for Kyouya t just seemed had gotten off the hook quite easily in regards to why Hikaru and Tamaki were fuming just moments before. Kyouya didn't bother to take his hand off of her shoulder as they made their way in the opposite direction, down the way they came. Her torn strap, courtesy of him really, was burning into his palm. Why couldn't she just shy away? It would convince him to let go much easier.
This is Haruhi. I bet she doesn't even notice that your hand is itching to grab that bare skin.
As the commercial streets came into view Kyouya paused, looking down at her shoulder once again. It would seem discriminating most likely if a boy just walked in broad daylight with a girl's torn shirt. Her clueless expression wouldn't even make matters any better. Haruhi in turn looked up, wondering why Kyouya stopped. "Sempai?" She took care that any hesitance in her voice he wouldn't hear. The fact his hand was still splayed on her, she squashed the flurry of jolts to the side.
Wordlessly Kyouya gave the girl a frown, lifting his arms and removing his outer shirt, slipping it over her shoulders. It was done steadily and calm, like many of the actions Kyouya performed.
On the inside though…
Haruhi's face said it all and Kyouya shrugged, his hands finding their way to his pockets so they wouldn't be tempted to find their way to her body again. "Your shoulder strap was torn due to the idiot's, actions. I feel it in our best interest that the public not see you in such a state." Of course he omitted the part of how it would nag at him relentlessly if others saw her shirt and skin like that. It was a feeling he often had to deal with, but found it couldn't be squelched down so easily anymore.
Hehe. So you're saying only you can look at her? That's a horrible attitude to have towards any girl, especially Haruhi.
"Ah. Thank you then, I guess." Haruhi could really care less if people just saw her shoulder. What difference did the absence of a few centimeters wide strap of cloth have was unknown to her. But she felt happy that Kyouya, the self-declared egotist doing something out of his own accord. The reason he gave her, she knew it was a lie. So upon seeing his slouched form, now with just a wrinkled white shirt, still probably made of some ridiculously expensive material, she smiled. "And you're so sure that the others will drop it so fast? Planning on some way to distract them longer?" He kept on starting straight ahead, not bothering to want to see the picture of her engulfed by a shirt that was resting on his skin but moments before.
"I wouldn't be worried. If I know Tamaki he will most likely be engrossed in preparations for your new wardrobe. You know he doesn't lie when he is talking about anything revolving around you." Her groan he could hear clearly. "Of course not. Because I'm his precious daughter." "Do you really hate being his 'child' that much?" "Kyouya-sempai, if he acted like you did about this family nonsense I would be fine with it. You're my mother," Here she shied a glance at him. "But I have yet to see you do anything particularly motherly. Not that I'm complaining. It's good to be in the presence of someone who doesn't sprout nonsense very two minutes."
So she likes it when you don't give her any special attention. Tough luck buddy.
She bit her lip, another host entering her thoughts. "Ano, about Hikaru though," Kyouya's eyes narrowed at the mention of the bothersome twin. "Yes?" "Well," she fiddled with the bottom of her temporary shirt. "I could understand Tamaki-sempai's reason, but why was Hikaru so mad?" Then, Kyouya dealt with this problem the only way he knew how. Just brushing it off to the side. Jokingly he relaxed his clenched jaw, bringing up a fist to bonk playfully on her head.
At this action Haruhi spun around to face Kyouya. It was dreadfully something he would never normally do. Which could only mean he was going to avoid it altogether. "Just forget about him. I'll deal with the twins in due time. It's not that hard to set them off, Hikaru especially." Of course this was as far as she was going to get in the matter. Just giving him a look of annoyance she reached up to rub her head, brushing the boy off to the side. "Fine Kyouya-sempai, but I am still waiting for an answer."
Finding her annoyance amusing once again he shrugged back into his walking form. Her statement though, did she never let up? Kyouya had a clever retort to smart his way out yet another situation he could do without, when suddenly he found himself being dragged off the sidewalk. Haruhi had grabbed hold of his wrist and was pulling him to a destination, one he assumed she knew where to go to. But at her hand grabbing hold of him that fast, his hand clenched into a fist without even realizing. As the pavement gave way to grass he relaxed his hand. No need to insult the girl in some way or think he hated this already.
Haruhi, glad they were in an empty corner of this park made her way to a heavily treed area, a lone wooden bench in the middle. She let go of Kyouya, arms outstretched to the sides. "Happy? This park I've been to many times in my childhood, and I can guarantee you this area is always empty." She sat herself down on the bench, arms crossed and waiting. "You were so picky about telling me in public, I've given you privacy." Kyouya more or less chose to ignore her, the greenery and overwhelming silence not particularly comforting to him. And how she sat down so easily on a strange bench in the middle of a park. Who knew what germs ran rampant through here. He chose to stand next to the bench Haruhi sat at.
Up the shields went, and Kyouya took care to make sure that the glare of his lenses was present. "Privacy by your standards Haruhi, although I find just stranding us in the middle of nature hardly a place to discuss matters deeply related to a person's psyche and future emotional state." Haruhi gave him a deep sigh. It seems she would have to do this the hard way. She knew that the method she was about to attempt would be considered a low blow by some, Kyouya had already given her some permission to use whatever works. She was going to help him, with whatever it took.
So leaning back on the bench he dismissed, Haruhi kept her gaze on a particularly large oak tree about ten feet away. "Sempai, I believe you were telling me about your dream yesterday. In your explanation you mentioned a voice, a female voice." She noted how he stiffened considerably, leaning against the bench's edge. "Who was she? Someone you know? What did she say? Did it make you happy? Did it sadden you?" It pained her, to see that every question hit Kyouya like a blow, but with someone like him, only through straightforward asking could you get an answer. Why bother sugar-coating and sneaking your question to the master of trickery himself? "Kyouya-sempai…"
Well, she certainly had the right idea. This is what basically we have to do with you Kyouya, don't you see? If only you answered her back when you were all weak and hurt and utterly pathetic. It would be so much quicker. Didn't you just have fun for the first time in ages a short while ago? And now that whole moment, with Haruhi and yourself will get pushed aside, will fade into the woodwork that is your mind. This is going to get painful, I can guarantee that. So what are you going to do? How will the great Shadow King save himself from further humiliation, from fear?
"If I just tell you one thing will you leave me alone about all that?" His voice came out soft, it startled Haruhi. After minutes of no answer she figured he was just ignoring her. But in that tone, so unlike the calm, laconic air that was so namely him, was he going to distill some information? Give her another glimpse into his mind? It further surprised her that he was sitting on the bench, as far from her he could manage, but it was a start. His hands were wrung out in front of him, eyes focused on his own knotted fingers.
Perhaps if we get our dates straight. But it amuses me, how so quickly she, or just the mention of what you so desperately want to repress can reduce you to a meek-hearted boy, a fool.
"It was May 2nd a few weeks ago, correct?" His question threw her for a loop. "Umm, yes Sempai. I believe so." He nodded, gaze still down below. "Is it in your experience that certain dates still strike a chord in us?" "Y-Yes Sempai. Birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, funerals, they all still should. Just because you're you Kyouya-sempai, it doesn't mean that you have immunity. I'm sure there are days that still affect you, whether positively or negatively I'm not at liberty to say I'm suppose." "So just as easily then, let's say for instance a death of a non-sequential family member that could hold quite the impact years later?" "Well, if the relative is non-sequential, I can't really say yes can I?"
So close she is.
He freed his own wrist, stretching out his hand in the air in front of him. His wrist, ivory pale, the sun beat down upon it. But so blatantly obvious to Kyouya, was more than just the skin. In the sun, if you looked carefully enough, all the shadows wipe away.
They seem to, don't they?
Without getting a reply back Haruhi couldn't deny the puzzlement she felt. It seemed Kyouya was once again lost in his thoughts, seemingly finding his own wrist much more important than their conversation. Nothing was out of the ordinary it seemed. No cuts or bruises, just a plain wrist. She leaned in closer, hoping to catch a clue missing. Every action Kyouya performed there was always a reason. Always some motive or memory that would resonate in doing so. So Haruhi, apparently unnoticed by Kyouya, leaned in, and grabbed out at his wrist.
But sometimes,
Nothing out of the usual, but before Kyouya snapped back to attention and near yanked her grasp away, Haruhi's small hand uncovered a flaw in his larger one. Contact with it made her gasp out in surprise, but tightened her hold all the same.
When the light comes in too fast,
At the underside of his wrist, where the veins to check a pulse so clearly shown through, how could she have not noticed this before? All the times she's been able to get this close to him, it didn't add up. At the beach, the mall, perhaps it just blended in too easily with the fair, near-white skin of an Ohtori.
The shadows get more harmed than helped,
Kyouya, feeling the pressure on that exact spot, he reacted in a way engraved in him, instinct from years ago ruling his action.
And then, when that happens,
Haruhi saw it coming but didn't react, probably because she couldn't believe it herself. Her head slapped back, brow throbbing as her grip on Kyouya's wrist loosened.
You really are,
He saw her drop off the bench, and hit the grass with a thud on impact. His wrist, the right one, was tucked back to his torso, his left arm still frozen in alignment with the rest of his mind, thrust out exactly where Haruhi was seconds before. His left arm made into a fist.
Screwed over.
All of a sudden Kyouya found himself on the grass, kneeling at Haruhi's side. He didn't dare speak, glasses sliding down to expose the fear in his slate eyes. The magnitude of what he just did still not wrapping around his mind yet.
Haruhi, slightly dazed, brought herself to a sitting position, hand placed over her right temple and brow. It throbbed, quite painfully. She could already tell that it would develop into quite the bruise, and still her anger couldn't be directed.
Kyouya had just punched her, and she couldn't, she wouldn't blame him. For now she had far over-stepped her boundary, but she had also gotten a far better picture of what Kyouya was hiding. Wincing, she saw him nervously move forward, but quickly leaned back, the offending fist painfully being crushed by his right. Her eyes flickered to that arm, and in return he backed up even more, pressing his spine painfully into the wood of the bench as he stumbled on his knees.
A whirlwind of thoughts rushed through the boy, emotions long forgotten. Punches, his arm, her on the floor. It didn't make add up, it didn't make sense. This was Haruhi, he did that to Haruhi. He was horrible, what did he do? Why couldn't he control himself, what happened?
You're just finally giving in, that's all. You're just finally giving up on forgetting everything. About time really. Now it seems I'm going to be the logical Kyouya for the time being. A counting on what you are going to be reduced to in a few short minutes.
Haruhi came closer to him, every inch she came closer instilling in him a new wave of self-hate, of disgust. How could he have so easily, just caved in liked that? There was no excuse for his actions, he had half a mind to just bolt off. Here he was, spending an enjoyable day, hell; he would consider it a date even, with Haruhi. And he had to go and ruin it all, throw it all away because he was so, stupid enough, so clueless enough to allow her to get that close. And what did he do? Her head coming closer was a painful reminder.
She succeeded in trapping Kyouya in, arms on either side of the bench. Luckily Kyouya seemed to be losing himself again, something Haruhi was temporarily glad for. If this was the somewhat sane Kyouya, he would have found a way to excuse his actions and just leave home. But since weakened Kyouya was making an appearance, the same muddled pool of grey being brought forth in his bare eyes, perhaps she could find an answer to the question ranked number one to ask.
Kyouya, feeling trapped and increasingly closed off as she brought herself closer, her face lowering down to just inches from his. But he didn't feel pleasure, no joy. Guilt, it was resonating through his core now. How could he have confused Haruhi, poor Haruhi, with her? With her, she was coming back.
You're almost there Kyouya boy. Her, her who?!
Chocolate eyes met stone, hers attentive and focused while his just empty shells, he was losing himself again. "Kyouya-sempai. Answer me this question." Her words just echoed in hollow ears, like he had the right to even answer her now. Why didn't she run off, go to Tamaki or someone else who would never even think about laying a hand on her?
You had a reason.
No, she wouldn't take to losing him yet. Her hands went to his shoulders, and she shook him. "Sempai?! Sempai!?" He stared blankly back, black bangs making an effort to hide his face. He was scum, he was a sad excuse for a being.
Words that were spoken before.
On and on she kept trying to snap sense back into him, who knew she would be fighting to save Kyouya from himself? "Stop thinking Sempai, look at me! It's alright!" A pitiful soul, he shouldn't have been born. All he causes is sadness, in the end.
Yes, unrepress. Remember. Remember those words? So painfully true and spoken?
Indeed, he remembered. He was remembering. Or he was allowing himself to think that far back more likely. He had the slightest notion of being shaken. So she was shaking him now. He remembered what came next.
First the wrist, then the shoulders, then the little boy will smolder.
Haruhi, eyes frantic, flinched back as his hand, so cold, it touched her forehead. Where the bruise was already developing on her skin. His palm laid flat, eyes finally meeting her with a flat stare. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to." Relief broke through, hand cold and eyes scary or not at least he was giving a response. Some reaction. Was he back so soon? She hushed him, sadness pinging through her as he huddled up against that bench, knees drawn up. He lifted his head higher, words coming out in a whisper.
"I, I didn't mean to." "Shh. Calm down Sempai. I know. I just was taken by surprise, that's all." It wasn't that strong of a punch anyways. Just falling so abruptly, it spooked her. It was a nudge really, the more she thought about it, the more sense it made. Kyouya defiantly didn't possesses that much physical strength, like Mori or Huni. It was more a shove of the fist than a punch. "It's alright."
His face lowered, hiding it in his knees. Words still came out, soft and muffled. "I've been a bad, I did a bad thing." Her eyebrows bunched together, confused. Was this still Kyouya?
"Your, I..." Out came another broken sentence, and Haruhi was scared. Hands went to his hair, trying to snap him out of whatever trance he was in. She brushed her fingers through, aimlessly hoping for a reaction, anything! Kyouya, he was frightening her. Kyouya was gone; it looked like he was being left behind.
"Sempai, if you hear me, do something, anything. It's Haruhi."
Yoyo-chan, you still hear me, and you did something. It's me.
Kyouya looked up. It was her. It was her. But who, who was her? His head was splitting, mind shuffling in a blurry of thoughts and realizations. So soon, he never expected to lose himself so early, in such a way. But sure enough, he couldn't stop it. He punched her, he did something bad. He was going to get punished. But that didn't make sense. Why would he? This was Haruhi. But it was her.
"-YOYA-"It was funny. He only heard bits and pieces now. Did he look scared? He certainly hoped so. When he looked scared she always went a tad easier. But he couldn't smile. No, never smile.
"-YO-" His chest hurt. Out of apprehension, stress, nerves? Was he going to die? It would make things so much easier. If he was gone, she would be happy. She said so herself. And she was right. He had to trust her.
You do know this is unreliable right? I never expected, just because you punched her, not even that hard? Is your mind shutting off or something? This doesn't even make sense. Unless you were hiding so much. But then again, all of this could have been so easily avoided if you just answered her questions.
He did wrong to her. "-YO-" And now she was yelling. But why? She never yelled, she never yelled. With everything she did, all he remembered, she never rose her voice. Because she was special like that. That's why he never raised his voice either. It was bad. Since she said so it must be true.
So now what. You are losing yourself to the frightened five years old you used to be, and for what? They'll probably just as easily put you in some psych hospital. With your luck, probably an Ohtori branched one. That would be so much fun to explain to your good 'ole family right? Because they always pull through for you in the end. Don't they?
It just occurred to him that she was yelling out, she was yelling out "YoYo". So that means he had to respond. That was his name after all. His special name. Only she said it.
Haruhi, know, she couldn't stop. On and on she kept yelling his name, only to be met with this, stare! He seemed to be thinking about nothing. It scared her; all over a cold, harsh truth ran through her own veins. This was deeper than she thought. Kyouya just wasn't suffering from a few bad dreams. He was, that mark on his arm. How could she have never guessed it? Coming from his family, they never did anything? Was he really that alone?
Kyouya had the faintest impression that a head was now pressed against his chest, a figure thrown against him. Her body, it was shaking. But why? She never cried. She never was sad. Just always the same. Like how a good little boy should be. What he was told.
Say it. Say it and all this will end.
"Haruhi."
The girl shakily rose her head, hands dragged and clenching the front of his shirt. She wasn't crying, Haruhi was just extremely scared. Anything else Kyouya does that would be considered unlike hi, she was getting help. Kyouya needed it. He was in desperate name of help. And she wanted to give it to him, but first he needed to come back. To be the Shadow King. The Shadow King needed to come back, Kyouya the second year host needed to come back. Not this, shell. This lost boy stuck in whatever cruelty his past had given to him. So she leaned her face in to his, trying to catch the quiet and whispered words.
"What S-Sempai?"
Your dreams, they were only the starting block. You're aware of this yes?
"YoYo-chan." Her eyes didn't hide her fear, now he was just sprouting nonsense. "Yoyo-chan what?" Then he smiled at her, it froze her. This smile wasn't the one he shared with her, while they ran through the sidewalk having fun. All troubles put aside. Now, it was so fake, so forced.
Can you smile your way through a scream?
"That's the word." It was Kyouya talking, but not his voice. There was no calculating tone, no cool fringe that radiated indifference. No heart, she could hear the kind Kyouya in these words. They were ice, just syllables being sprouted in an empty shell.
"The voice in your dream said YoYo-chan?"
Now all the voices, all the thoughts, all the memories, time stood still. They all buzzed out, completely and suddenly. He was alone in his mind, just repeating the obvious.
He foolishly nodded, the grin still there, still screaming. "I'm YoYo-chan, and you're her. You're you." "I'm Haruhi, Kyouya-sempai." "YoYo-chan."
She shook her head, backing away. Kyouya, she cared too much for him to just leave him here utterly lost. With a shaky hand she dug through his pant pockets, his cell phone finally in her grasp. Before all this both teens would have been embarrassed at such an action, silently hiding their undeniable pleasure, guilty with these thoughts. But now, no such feeling ran through her, and definitely not Kyouya.
She flipped open his cell, shaky fingers aimlessly pushing buttons, trying to get a contact. A name caught her eye; she never knew such a person existed. Her head snapped up, Kyouya just sitting there, face frozen. Was he cationic?
Now you wait, like a good little boy. Just close your eyes. It'll all be over soon.
"I'm calling for help. Maybe they will know what's wrong. I'm calling someone, okay Kyouya-sempai?"
Okay Yoyo-chan?
After dialing the phone picked up on the firs ring, an eager and light-hearted female voice coming though.
Sleep, dream.
His eyes closed, head drooped forward. No longer was he consciously in control of his own actions. She was, because she was back.
That's it.
"Oh Kyou-chan! It's been ages!! And I have so much to tell you-"
"This isn't Kyouya-sempai. It's Fujioka Haruhi."
Already, was it due solely to stress, emotional disruption, the beginning of repressed memories coming clear, his sight was fading into black. It wouldn't be bad to sleep for a while. Or just slip in a state of unconscious. It was the same thing really when you think about it.
You just listen to me, and I'll be happy.
"Fu, Fujioka-chan? Why…where's my brother?"
Was Haruhi talking? Her voice was there, but he couldn't make out words. He only saw that horrible red splotch on her forehead. He punched her. He did bad.
Don't worry about it, I'm not too angry. Just sleep. I'll deal with your punishment when you wake up okay, YoYo-chan?
"Something is wrong. He, he won't snap out of it! There's just YoYo-chan he says, and he's been having problems with this dream lately, and he's all out of sorts. I don't know." The phone barely hid the frantic tone to her voice. Haruhi was doing all she could to not scream out for help and throw herself at Kyouya's form.
Silence was on the other end, before the usually light-hearted female voice spoke. In a tone of great severity. It scared Haruhi as well.
"Stay there. We'll find you. Just stay there. And don't, he cannot, he can't fall asleep!"
Sweet dreams YoYo-chan.
Haruhi, still on the line, whimpered out. "What if he already is?"
Fuyumi, already sending out a notice to the Ohtori special-service team, on a matter of great importance to find her brother, she froze, eyes shut. "Then, then just stay with him. And don't be scared. No matter what, you can't leave his side. Not now. I'll talk more when we can meet face to face." She hung up. Surprisingly calm in this emergency Fuyumi rested against the wall of her sitting room, ignoring the curious glances her many maids gave her. It seemed that finally what she always feared was to come to light. The phone clutched tightly, ringing again for a status report, she knew the toll this was going to have, in alerting the family. But not yet.
She only hoped Haruhi Fujioka was ready. Unknown to her Haruhi had thrown the phone aside, still trying to shake the unresponsive boy awake. Fuyumi only hoped that Haruhi would be prepared to enter the dark turn, along with Kyouya. For now he would need someone more than he ever has had to, in his relatively short life.
Everything was going to come out of the shadows now.
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Boy, this came out way darker and quicker than I expected. I normally hate rushing plot-lines, but I just had to now. Blame the fact I was listening to "bring me to life" on repeat while writing. If you know the song, chorus especially, you can get where I got some of my influence for this chapter. But this story is far from over, much more, much more in store. I plan to have this story going all summer long, maybe some days not having a chapter, but that's just because I am thinking about what to write next, making some more Kyouya Haruhi amv's, or hit…writer's block. But don't worry. Everything is going to change now, I suppose. Next chapter will be practically a trip down memory lane for Kyouya, a majority flashbacks and long forgotten memories. Because who knows. With Kyouya's family, anything was possible.
~ja ne