Haruhi stood still, the letter gripped and wrinkling between her hands. She was half tempted to just crush it and be rid of it. The other half of her was curious to see what he had to harass her about. Tamaki hadn't made mention of his own letter from Kyoya that he had received, and she didn't want to bring it up if he didn't want to discuss it. If it was less painful for him to store it away, then that is what she would let him do. He was handling it well on his own and she didn't want to ruin that. However, Kyoya must not have gotten the reaction he wanted from Tamaki, so now he felt the need to write to her.

"Ugh!" she shouted out loud, glad that there was no one home for her to have to explain her frustration to.

Her fingers dug into the paper as she contemplated what to do. Finding a resolve in her, she reluctantly looked down to take in the words written before her.

Haruhi, I'm not sure if you got the chance to read the letter I wrote to Tamaki, or even if he got it. He didn't respond to me, and I just want him to understand how sorry I am if I hurt him. Can you please just call me, or maybe we can go to lunch? It would be so much easier to just talk in person. Please.

~Kyoya

It wasn't much of a letter at all. He was only asking for her help because it would benefit him to get it. And what will I get form this? She thought. There was no apology to her, just his need for her to help. She hated him a little more for this. Yet, he had reached out to her for help. She knew that it wasn't because she could fix everything. No, he was asking because he knew she would end up at least listening to him.

Damn him for still understanding her and managing to be right about her. With a sigh, she picked up her phone and dialed the number on the paper. The phone clicked as someone on the other end picked up...

It was raining on the afternoon that she had chosen to go out to lunch "alone". Tamaki was working hard, advising a few investors on the best way to not waste their money. He kissed her before he left, and told her that if she didn't want to eat alone, he was only a call away. She couldn't tell him that her plans were partly exaggerated. After all, it technically wasn't untrue to think of Kyoya as no one anymore. And he'd better not be late.

She had told him to be there at 12:45, and not a minute later. It was just about that time now, and he was no where in sight. I look foolish standing here alone, huddled under the small under hang, in the pouring rain. Anger was beginning to boil over in her. In the past, she would have been willing to wait, patient as death. But now, things had changed so much. If he wasn't there in a few more minutes she was just going to leave.

Her phone vibrated, angering her further. She knew it was Kyoya, probably telling her that he running late because the driver would have to get as close to the restaurant as he could so that he wouldn't get wet. Or even better for her, that he wasn't coming. He probably chickened out, or just never planned to actually come. Whatever it was, she was going to tell him off for it.

It's raining out there. Why don't you come inside and sit with me where its warm and dry?

She turned, looking around to see his smug face through the window. Glowering, she walked through the door to the table he was seated at. It didn't ease her rage to know that he had actually gotten there early. Instead of letting him know what she was thinking, she decided to shake her coat off on him as he stood to greet her, covering him in droplets of water. Now we both can be wet, jerk. Satisfied, she took the seat across from him.

Minutes passed without a single word being said between them. The waitress brought over drinks for them, then hurried away, clearly uncomfortable by the tension that was mounting between them. She didn't care though. She was angry that Kyoya had hurt her, and more angry that he had the gall to want to talk to her about what he had done to her beloved Tamaki.

"Hey Haruhi," he began, informal and friendly, as though it had only been a week since they had last spoken, "how are you?"

She didn't respond, she just looked at him silently.

"Umm, your son is really handsome. How old is he now?"

Still, she remained quiet.

"Haruhi, can you say something, please?"

"Quit the small talk. I don't care how you are. The only reason I came was to see what you wanted from me and to have the pleasure of saying no to it in person."

"Please don't say that. You haven't even heard what I have to say. Don't say you're going to say no until you know at least know why I asked you to come."

A look of sorrow was on his face. She looked at him, really looked at him since the first time she had gotten there. There were frown lines engraved into his skin and a streak of grey hair that made him look far older than he was. His eyes looked tired, as though life had been far harder on him than he could have ever expected. She could see his loneliness in the way he was caring himself. She had to turn away, knowing that her resolved anger would melt away if she remained looking at him for too long.

"Fine, I'll humor you for a bit. Tell me what you think I should know"

Taking a deep breath, Kyoya began to recite his story. He took her through the events of the last few days of school. He explained why he had to walk away from Tamaki the way he did. She was fairly certain that he had left some of those details out, but it wasn't in her nature to push people to talk if they didn't want to. It was not hard to read between the lines to understand there was a deeper meaning to his word.

He told her about the months to follow, about what he did and what he had been going through his head. He spoke of his family issues and the struggles he went through. His voice would break and he would trail off, looking into the distance like the memories were playing on a screen. She couldn't help but wonder what else was going through his head. There was more he wasn't saying, things that he was keeping in his heart for only him to know.

"Haruhi, I am sorry for everything that has happened. I know that it all had its effects on you, but I knew that you were going to be there for him no matter what happened. Just understand, I really didn't think..."

"Obviously you didn't think," she snapped at him, cutting his words off. Despite his story, she was still livid. "Everything you do is about you, and it always has been. Do you know how hard it was to try and tell Tamika that it was all okay and that there must be other reasons, while being pissed? Years, it took years for him to start to move on about losing you."

"Please, Haruhi..."

"No! You got your chance to speak, now I get mine. You didn't just walk away from Tamaki, you walked away from me too. We were all suppose to be friends, yet you cut us out. I understand that things happened in life, and that it was hard on you, but maybe it would have been easier if, I don't know, YOU HAD YOUR DAMN FRIENDS BY YOUR SIDE!"

She was screaming at him, patrons of the restaurant around them staring. It didn't matter to her. Let them all stare, and let them all know what had happened. They could all see him for the selfish ass that he was.

"You're right," Kyoya said timidly, "you really are. It's just, I don't know I guess I got scared of, things."

"'Scared of things', huh? We are ALL scared of things, but we have to deal with them. What you did was run like a coward."

"I know, and I really am sorry."

"What do you want, Kyoya? I know you didn't call me here to just apologize and give me your sob story. Get to the point already so I can say no."

"Can you get Tamaki to talk to me?' he said bluntly. "I need to apologize to him in person. Can you help me with that?"

"You're kidding, right? After what you did? No, my answer is no."

She stood, turning her back as she walked away from the table. Here he was, asking her to put him back into Tamaki's life. He broke Tamaki completely and she wouldn't have any part of letting him back into his life to do it again. Who did he think he was? Kyoya was scum for even asking her to help him.

The rain was still falling hard as Haruhi stepped outside. People were walking the streets with umbrellas out, quickly making their way towards their destinations. An umbrella would have been a good idea, she thought, looking for the best place to head next. Her car was parked a bit away, and she didn't really want to get soaked while she walked, but she had to get away from the restaurant and Kyoya.

She ducked her head and made a run to a shop on the other side of the street. The water pelted her skin, and she could have sworn she saw steam as the cool rain hit her body, still burning hot with the rage she was feeling. It was calming at least to have the droplets on her skin. The sound it was creating at it hit awnings and the road where singing to her like a sweet melody.

"Haruhi," Kyoya's voice came from behind her, "can you please stop?"

She turned, seeing him hurrying towards her. After everything else, she had had enough. "I thought you of all people would recognize what it meant to see someone walk away. It's something you've seen, or at least done, before."

"There has to be something, I can do to at least make you consider helping me. Anything. Just name it"

"You can try burning in hell. Let's start there."

"Come on. Please?"

And there it was, the desperation and pleading in his voice and stance that began to melt the iron resolve that she had been trying to keep in place. She willingly to let her guard down and see, for the first time since they began talking, how much pain he was in. There was something different about it. It wasn't quite what Tamaki had gone through, but it rivaled it. Tamaki was able to move past years ago with her help. Kyoya held that pain still in his body, weighing him down, needing someone. All he wanted was the chance to be free of the shame and guilt he had for what he had done. It's not a bad thing if I help him, is it?

"Lets say I was willing to help, what could I do? Honestly, do you expect me to magically make him willing to talk to you?"

Hope light in his eyes, making him look younger. A small smile reached his lips before he said, "I was thinking that we don't let him know that meeting me is the plan. It could just be a chance that we run into each other somewhere. Maybe you go for a walk, and I could maybe see you in passing? I'm sure there's something."

"No, that would never pass, but I think that I have something that would. He's going to be so mad at me though..."