Author's Note: I talked to the copyright people, they said there's no chance in hell I'll get custody of OHSHC.
Due to my desire to draw out the drama, I have left the really dramatic bits in which Akito walks in on Haruhi and Kyoya doing something and Yoshio throws a wrench in his son's love life (although I won't say which son) for the next chapter. Enjoy the chapter posted below, though, and stay tuned for the next one!
Without further ado, please read, review, and enjoy!
Haruhi and an Ootori
Chapter 9
"Akito-kun, are you sure this is okay?" Haruhi whispered as they crept through the main foyer of the Ootori mansion. "What about your family?"
He pulled Haruhi along beside him, his hand clasped in hers. "My father is at the office, and Kyoya vanished during the party. He probably met someone," he responded tactlessly.
Haruhi tried to ignore the jolt of frustration that went through her when she found out Kyoya might be off with some rich heiress.
"Besides," Akito continued. "It's not a big deal. You can stay in one of the guest rooms for the night. Your apartment is a lot further away than the mansion."
This was true. Haruhi rolled her eyes before letting Akito guide her up the grand staircase and up to the third floor, on which the living quarters were located. He pointed out Kyoya's room, which was the one directly across from the staircase. Akito's room was in the middle, and Yoshio's old room was near the end. The far room was the master bedroom, which was occupied by the Ootori patriarchs when they bothered to come home.
Akito led Haruhi to a room almost directly opposite Kyoya's. He called for a maid and had her stock the room with a variety of women's clothing in Haruhi's size. Then Akito led her back to his room, saying that she could spend some time with him until her room was ready.
Haruhi had been in Kyoya's room a handful of times before, but Akito's, while similarly laid out, was completely different in decoration. The bed was large and soft with a sticker-coated headboard, the sofa set was plush leather that looked like a person could sink right into it, there was a large flat screen television occupying one wall, and his work space consisted of a series of laptops with screens flashing different media outlets and social networking sights.
"Here," Akito said, holding out a large men's sweatshirt and a pair of pajama pants. "You can change out of your dress, if you want. The bathroom's over there. Leave the dress in the hamper, and the maids will take care of it.
Haruhi nodded and slipped into the bathroom to change.
The clothes were comfortable, and she knew she'd probably end up sleeping in them regardless of the fancy nightdresses being tucked into the guest room's closet at that very moment. When she returned to the bedroom, Akito was leaning back against the pillows on his bed already dressed in pajamas and fiddling with a remote control.
"Do you want to watch a movie with me?"
Logically speaking, Haruhi knew that she ought to say yes. Right in front of her was a gorgeous man dressed in pajama pants and a fitted t-shirt asking her to snuggle up for a late night movie. But instead of accepting his offer, she said, "Sorry, but I'm exhausted. I think I'll just go to bed, if you don't mind."
Akito shook his head. "It's fine. I'll see you in the morning."
Haruhi was almost to the door when she felt an arm slip around her waist. She turned her head to find Akito standing over her and encircling her with his arms. He pulled her flush against his chest and brought his lips down to hers. Haruhi's eyelids fluttered closed, and just as she began to respond to the kiss, Akito pulled away from her, if only by a few small centimeters.
"Good night, Haruhi," he breathed into her ear, sending shivers up and down Haruhi's spine. She was dazed, and almost walked straight into the door. Akito chuckled and opened it for her, grazing his fingers along her bare skin under his sweatshirt as he slid his hand underneath the fabric and guided her out with his hand at the small of her back.
After a few seconds alone in the hall way, Haruhi came out of her daze and made to turn in the direction of her room. She had walked no more than a few steps when she ran smack into something hard. Two hands reached out to steady her, and Haruhi found herself looking up into Kyoya's eyes.
He was still dressed in his suit from the Garden Party, but his clothes were disheveled and his hair mussed. Haruhi tried not to think about why he might look that way. She tried to mutter an apology and slip past him without explanation, but Kyoya wouldn't let her.
"Haruhi, I won't ask what you're doing leaving my brother's room at this time of night, wearing his clothes, nonetheless, but please, I would like to talk to you. If you would join me in my room for a moment?"
It made no sense for her to say yes to Kyoya after telling Akito she was too tired to watch a movie with him. She could be curled up in Akito's arms, but instead she was out in the hallway talking to his brother, deliberating whether or not she ought to leave Akito's room and company in exchange for those of the youngest Ootori brother.
Without much hesitation, Haruhi found herself saying, "Okay."
Haruhi was sitting on Kyoya's bed, something she'd only done twice before. Kyoya usually liked to keep the hosts out of his personal sanctuary. She watched as he paced back and forth in front of her, his eyes locked on something Haruhi couldn't identify. He seemed to be trying to figure out what to say to her. Eventually, Kyoya sat down next to her on the bed. Although Haruhi fixed her eyes on Kyoya's profile, Kyoya's gaze remained focused on his feet, which were cloaked in black socks.
It was a rare thing for Haruhi to see Kyoya so . . . underdressed. His suit jacket was thrown over a chair along with his tie, his dress shirt was unbuttoned with his undershirt exposed and his sleeves pushed pack, and his shoes had been discarded.
"I want to apologize for how I've been acting," Kyoya began. "I know I have been a little bit . . . all over the place as of late, but it is not because of you. At least, not because of anything you've done. It is more so my capacity to handle the current predicament."
"What predicament?" Haruhi inquired.
Kyoya drew in a deep breath. "I am not okay with you dating Akito-san. However," he continued quickly before Haruhi could interrupt him. "I will keep my feelings aside since a relationship with me brother is clearly something that makes you happy. At the Garden Party . . . the two of you looked good together."
Haruhi studied Kyoya's profile. She could just see the corner of his right eye around the edge of his glasses, and she thought he looked just a little woebegone.
"Kyoya," Haruhi murmured softly. "I do like Akito-kun, but . . . did it ever occur to you that when you kissed me the night you were drunk, I might want you to do it again?"
Haruhi had never put herself so far out on the line, but she'd never had so much at stake before.
She shook her head. "It doesn't matter. You're right. I am happy with Akito-kun. And I'm—I'm ready," she tumbled over her words. "I think it'd be nice to settle down. Akito-kun may not be the guy I do it with, but I want you to be okay with whoever it is."
There was silence for a moment as Haruhi allowed Kyoya to digest everything she'd just told him. After a few minutes in silence, she continued.
"I used to think it might be you, but I'm not so sure anymore. I used to think I would spend my life with you in some ridiculous mansion, spending just as much time trying to pull you away from work as I do with you. But that's not going to happen, is it? You are going to go off with an heiress, aren't you?
"It's okay with me, though. We wouldn't have worked out. I mean, we fight all the time, and we both suck at communication. Just as long as you're okay with us being friends?"
Haruhi left the question open-ended, and waited for Kyoya's response.
Metaphorically speaking, Kyoya was slamming his head repeatedly into a wall.
He had been so close without even knowing. Haruhi had dreamed up a life where the two of them were together, and damn it, he wanted it. The picture she'd painted was magnificent to his mind. He wanted that image to be real. He wanted Haruhi.
But it seemed his hesitation before might have cost him the girl. For the first time in his life, Kyoya Ootori had been afraid to go after what he wanted, and he had nearly lost everything. Still, he did not give up easily, and Tamaki and the others had advised him that it was not over until there was an engagement ring on Haruhi's left hand.
He didn't want to spook her, though. If he suddenly declared his feelings for her, Haruhi might not believe him, and who knows what would happen then? She might bolt or be furious with him if he did not handle this situation with great delicacy.
Just because he was being careful, though, did not mean he could afford to do nothing. And here Haruhi was in his room, sitting on his bed. Despite what people might say, he was not made of ice.
Kyoya made to fall back against his bed, but he wrapped one arm around Haruhi as he did and pulled her down with him.
Haruhi let out a surprised noise, something in between a laugh and a quiet scream. The expression on her face made Kyoya want to kiss her senseless. Given how well that had gone over the last time, though, he refrained.
Instead, he settled for whispering in her ear. "I will support you, Haruhi, whatever you decide—whoever you decide on."
Haruhi smiled at him. "Thanks, Kyoya. You know, this reminds me of that time in Okinawa just a bit."
Kyoya smiled at the memory. "Yes, I suppose it does, if only slightly. At least Tamaki won't come barging in this time around."
"Are you sure about that?" Haruhi said with a laugh. "Jeez, I remember all of you acting all weird that weekend. I mean, weirder than usual." Clearly Haruhi appreciated the change in topic, preferring to discuss less serious matters. "The twins took me to a haunted cave, Mori pointed a harpoon at me, Honey locked me in a truck, and Tamaki had this bucket of snakes. Do you remember what all that was about?"
Kyoya scooted up the bed to rest his head against the pillows at the top of the bed. Haruhi followed suit, and they wound up sitting side-by-side, leaning against the headboard of Kyoya's four-post bed. Haruhi draped her much shorter legs over Kyoya's and leaned against him so that they were touching from shoulder to hip.
It took a lot for Kyoya to ignore the sparks that flew up and down his skin along every point where they were touching and to not become intoxicated by the glorious smell of her strawberry shampoo. He tried not to be bothered by the fact that Akito's cologne was wafting off of her as well from the sweatshirt Akito had let Haruhi wear.
Kyoya focused back in on their conversation. "Yes, I remember that weekend quite well." It was the weekend Kyoya decided Haruhi was something special after all. "There was a contest going between us male hosts to see which one of could deduce your fear."
"And what was the prize?" Haruhi asked slyly.
Kyoya looked down at her with the most innocent expression he could muster. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Haruhi."
"You know what I mean. What was the prize for whoever won? My notebook, a lock of my hair?"
Kyoya grinned. "Photos of you from middle school, courtesy of Ranka."
Haruhi shook her head at him. "I find it very unsettling that you talk to my dad more than I do, especially since he's the one that calls you to chat."
"Now, Haruhi, it's just because he knows you won't tell him what's going on in your life."
Haruhi chuckled. "Yeah, well, you kept him more than well-enough informed on my life in high school. Do you remember . . ."
Haruhi and Kyoya spent hours talking late into the night until Haruhi lay slumped against Kyoya's shoulder, her eyes drifting shut. Kyoya watched her in silence as he waited for sleep to claim him, too, wondering what it would take for this sort of thing to be more than just a late night between friends.
Author's Note: Thank you to all my faithful readers and reviewers. I appreciate your support so much! Let me know what you think of the chapter by posting a review, and any suggestions you might have for what you want to happen. Is there anyone who wants Haruhi to wind up with Akito? Because that could happen . . . although Kyoya and the hosts and Yoshio all really want Haruhi to be walking down the aisle towards Kyoya. ;)