Author's Note: So, I know it's been almost a year since I updated, and I know I promised not to go on hiatus. But I started college, and then I was diagnosed with an immune disorder. I'm doing better now, but I was pretty out of it for a while. I plan to finish this story within another chapter or two, and I should be able to manage that since I'm on summer break and proper medication now. Then, I'll finish "The Broken Hearts Club," so keep an eye out. I'm sorry about the delay, but I hope you enjoy the rest of these two stories. I'm not sure what I'll do afterwards, but let me know if you have any suggestions or complaints about this chapter apart from its lateness . . . Anyways, please, read, review, and enjoy!

(Oh, and despite the year away from writing, I haven't made any progress in acquiring the copyrights to OHSHC.)

Haruhi and an Ootori

Chapter 14

Saturday Morning . . .

Haruhi woke up with her throat aching and her eyes still red. She remembered crying until she had tired herself out.

She remembered Kyoya.

She remembered kissing him.

She remembered him telling her he loved her, and she remembered saying it back.

She remembered it all just being a game, a competition, a bet.

And just like that, strong, independent Haruhi wanted nothing more than to spend her Saturday curled up in bed with a book and a plate of sushi. It had been all of two weeks since the whole mess had started. How had she gotten herself so wrapped up in so much misery so fast? Technically she had been crushing on Kyoya since her high school years, and she had fallen in love with him somewhere during their university years. But she had only known Akito for two weeks, and yet she'd seen so much potential. A man who couldn't be scared away by the hosts, a man who accepted her, a man who—

—Was knocking on her front door?

Looking through a gap in the curtains of her bedroom window, Haruhi could see Akito standing outside of her door, and she could hear him knocking on it and calling her name. She was in no mood to answer. And yet, there was a part of her, a part courtesy of the twins, which wanted some payback for the disappointment he had brought with him. So, Haruhi quickly stumbled out of bed and into her bathroom, turning on the shower before pulling on a large polo that she thought belonged to Mori at some point. She ruffled her hair quickly before yanking open the door quickly.

"Akito-san, I'm sorry, I can't talk right now; I have company," Haruhi said in a rush. "But I'm sure you and that Park girl will be very happy together. Glad I could keep you entertained. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some, uh, entertaining of my own to do." She made to slam the door on his very surprised face, but she wasn't quite quick enough.

"Haruhi, do not tell me you have another man in your shower," Akito said, his voice and facial expression indicating that he thought she was lying. He scanned the visible portion of Haruhi's apartment and saw something very out of place. "Is that Kyoya's black book?" He asked, pushing past Haruhi and into the apartment. He picked the book up off of the table it was resting on and held it up to her. "Is Kyoya here? Is he . . . ? Did you and him . . . ? Haruhi, I think you owe me an explanation."

Haruhi walked over to Akito and snatched the black book out of his hand. "I owe you nothing. You're the one who ran off to get engaged without even telling me. Besides, we didn't even date that long. What I choose to do with myself now and who I chose to do it with is none of your business."

"It is if it's my little brother!" Akito began to shout before pausing. A look of realization dawned on him. "Except Kyoya has been stomping around all week trying to finish the Ootori-Park merger. And you wouldn't do that," he said while eyeing her. "You wouldn't use someone like that just because you're hurting."

"How would you know?" Haruhi demanded.

"I'm an Ootori," was Akito's simple reply. "And, I love you."

With that, Akito reached out and enveloped Haruhi in his arms, pulling her against him. He slid his fingers under her shin and forced her to look up at him. "Whether you believe it or not, my dear Haru-chan," the men of the Ootori family love you. Myself included."

And then he kissed her.

Akito had been stuck in meetings all day between work and wedding planning. And the more time he spent glaring at Kyoya and making small talk with his bride to be, the more he realized he just wanted Haruhi. He had snuck away in the early hours of the morning that Saturday and made his way to her apartment. When he had thought that Kyoya was in her shower, he had been furious. But then he'd noticed the small Morinozuka Dojo symbol on her shirt.

Now, he was kissing her for all he was worth, trying to get a reaction out of her. When Haruhi remained still against his chest, her fists still clenched in between them, he pulled away.

"Why did you try to deceive me?" He asked.

"Why did you hurt me?" Haruhi quipped.

"I didn't mean to."

"But you did. You and Kyoya both did. And now I can't trust either of you. So please, just leave," Haruhi said while pushing him away.

"You don't believe I care for you? What did Kyoya say to you? When did he talk to you?"

Haruhi sighed. "If you cared about me, you would have talked to me before you got engaged. Even if we haven't known each other for very long."

"That only answered one of my questions, and barely at that."

Haruhi looked up at him. "Akito-san, I haven't been in a relationship since . . . well, I don't think I've ever really been in a relationship. The hosts made sure of that. But with you, there was a chance. And then Kyoya comes in, after eight years of waiting for him, and I don't know who to believe. Now you're engaged and Kyoya's telling me that I'm part of some damn bet between your father and Suoh-san as well as some sort of trophy for the two of you to fight over—"

Akito cut her off. "Haruhi, if you think that either of us thinks of you as a trophy, then you are the one who doesn't know us very well."

"You're going to stand there and tell me that you didn't dance with me that night at the ball because you wanted to one-up Kyoya?"

He hesitated too long for Haruhi. "Get out," she said, only just keeping herself from shouting. Then, more quietly, "I can't—I can't spend my life chasing after the Ootori brothers, so please, just—just leave me alone. And tell Kyoya to do the same. OK?"

Akito looked at Haruhi, really looked at her. She looked so tired, so sad. Still, he had to make one last effort. He had to be sure Haruhi was no longer in his grasp. He couldn't just . . . let her go . . . could he?

"Haruhi, whether you believe me or not, I do not think of you as a prize. Not anymore, at least. And if you say so, I will call of the engagement to Miss Park. I'm giving you a choice."

He waited for her reply. After a few minutes of silence, she let out a small laugh. "Akito-san, you're not giving me a choice. You're giving ma an ultimatum. I either love you or I lose you. And, Akito-san, I don't accept that. The fact that you ever though I could be a prize . . . I don't think it would have worked between us, no matter how much I wanted it to. So please, just stay away from me. I can't do this," she repeated.

With a nod, Akito walked out of her apartment without looking back.

He was supposed to fight for me. Why didn't he love me enough to fight for me?

She had been staring at the black book for two hours, reliving her argument with Kyoya the night before and her fight with Akito earlier that day. But the thought that kept coming back to her was, Does Kyoya love me?

He said he did, but Haruhi didn't know why he loved her. She didn't know if she could believe him. How could you trust a Shadow King? She used to trust him, but then he'd messed with her emotions. Not that her emotions weren't messy before she and Kyoya had sort-of-kind-of confessed to each other. This, however, was different. She didn't know if he really loved her, or if he loved her because of a bet or whatever. And Haruhi didn't know if she could believe whatever answer he gave her. Kyoya was very good at lying, after all.

His black book, on the other hand, wouldn't lie. What he wrote in there was him, his private thoughts and feelings and facts. Maybe he'd written about her.

Haruhi was almost in a trance as she lifted the black book off of the table and placed it in her lap. Carefully, she flipped open the book and read, "Annoyances . . ."

Kyoya was sitting at his desk in his bedroom, rifling through his drawers. He'd found his last three black books, but he could not seem to locate his current one. It didn't help that he had gotten side-tracked leafing through his old ones, smiling as he remembered his university years and when he'd first started working his way up in the Ootori zaibatsu after graduation.

December 24th—Second Year of University—The Host Club Christmas Party

She's completely unaware that I've been watching her. I have been staring at her for the past two hours, but between the glare of my glasses and her obliviousness, she hasn't noticed. She's sitting on the couch, curled up between the twins, wearing a red dress, and she looks so beautiful.

I've definitely gone soft. Thinking of a commoner as beautiful? She is, though. Her hair is getting quite long. Kaoru is talking about cutting it, but I like it long. I can imagine myself running my fingers through it while she sleeps, whispering to her the words I cannot actually say because, well, otherwise I would sound as ridiculous as I do in this book.

Besides, what would a commoner like Haruhi want with me? An ordinary commoner would have no objection to the advances of an Ootori. That, however, is the problem. Haruhi is not a normal commoner. She's not a normal girl. She is so much more than any of the hosts deserves, including myself. Haruhi has integrity. Her intelligence matches my own, and her honesty is unparalleled. She will be a great lawyer, of that I am confident.

She would also make an excellent wife.

I know my father wants me to marry her. I want to marry her. I have no idea what I will have to go through in the next few years, but I plan to inherit the company and have Haruhi as my wife. And so, I shall.

Kyoya smiled at the conviction he had had then. He had been so sure of himself back at university when he had decided that Ootori zaibatsu was not going to be enough to satisfy him. But had he chosen to pursue Haruhi because he really loved her, or because she was another achievement to put under his name? Had Haruhi been right when she had accused him of being nothing more than a manipulative man trying to win some petty competition?

No, no he wasn't. Haruhi was very wrong about that. And he had the scribbling notes to prove it.

May 10th—Third Year of University—Graduation Day

I am in so far over my head. I have fallen in love with Haruhi Fujioka. Haruhi . . . She's not just a friend anymore, never mind an acquaintance or a mere person of merit.

I'm in love with her. And I don't know what to do. I'm sitting here in my apartment, waiting for Tamaki to finish getting ready so we can head over to the ceremony, and all I can think about is the way Haruhi looked at me when she first saw me in my graduation uniform. She'd fiddled with my tie and the tassels around my neck, not unlike a wife seeing her husband off to work in the morning. She was so close . . . I could have kissed her. I wanted to. I want to tell her that I love her, and I want to ask her to marry me. Not because I see the possibility to win my father's favor or to further the legal workings of the Ootori Group. I want to take Haruhi in my arms and kiss her because I love her and only because I love her.

I'm going to have to burn this book, I suppose. I don't think there's a single useful thing written in here except all my ridiculous musings about Haruhi. Except they aren't ridiculous, and it is all useful. Maybe someday, I'll show her this black book. Just so she'll never doubt how much I care about her.

Reading those words, Kyoya suddenly had an idea. He threw the three black books cataloguing his university years and part of the first few years following his graduation into his bag before racing out the door. He just wished he could find his current black book . . .

Author's Note: Because university-aged Kyoya knew he would muck things up and created a back-up plan.

So, what did you think? Let me know. I know it's been a while, but I still have the same basic plot in mind to finish this off. Thanks so much for reading and reviewing!