AUTHORS NOTE: The lyrics/poems/other at the end of each chapter are actually significant, please take the time to read them. Most of the songs are actually pretty awesome and worth listening to. The one at the end of this is a favourite of mine.

Enjoy.

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Chapter 12

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Yuuki sat on a hospital table and waved her legs over its edge. The left was considerably heavier than the right and was proving to be an annoyance. A doctor opened the door, Kyoya's eldest brother. He was holding an x-ray.

"Well, it appears that we will finally be able to sleep in without the constant taping throughout the house." His voice was stern but had a light humour to it.

"I can take it off?" Yuuki asked.

"You can take it off."

She smiled broadly and thanked the doctor before he left the room, on other business. She could take it off. She could be rid of the constant reminder that today was the day her horse was auctioned off. The last week of winter. Yuuki tugged at the straps around her leg and removed her walking brace before testing the leg. It felt strange. Like a second chance taken too late.

The girl walked properly for the first time in three months and couldn't appreciate it.

Zero.

She pinched her nose as she got into the car.

"You alright miss?" the driver turned in his seat.

"Yes. Thank you." She smiled softly and played with her necklace.

Kyoya and Yuuki had progressed relationship wise, but the only one actually savvy to the situation was Tamaki, and he kept trying to drop it to the rest of the Host Club, who probably knew and weren't saying anything.

"Back to school miss?"

Yuuki nodded. It was the end of the day; everyone would have left campus except the host club. When she arrived, Yuuki got out of the car, thanked the driver and began to run. She hadn't run in so long and it felt exceptionally good. It distracted her from the dread of the day. Her hideous yellow dress proved a difficulty when ascending stairs, but other than that, she reached the third music room with little difficulty for the first time. Yuuki caught her breath before pushing the door open and being assaulted by rose petals.

"Tamaki, it's just me." She pushed the blonde away as he held aloft a rose.

"You look different." He stood straight and put his forefinger and thumb on his chin. "Haircut?"

"I was at the doctor, I didn't get a haircut." Yuuki looked over the room, it was full. Kyoya was in the far corner, tapping away on his laptop whist still managing to amuse a gaggle of followers.

Tamaki shot a glance at Kyoya and then at Yuuki and then back to Kyoya. "You're not..."

"Not what?" she wanted to tell her best friend that she could finally walk. She wanted to jump on him but knew that it was hardly lady like.

Tamaki's face became all secretive, even though his voice remained the same."You and Kyoya...doctors..."

Yuuki smacked Tamaki across the arm. "No! Go clean your mind."

"It's so romantic, young lovers having to keep their affection a secret because of family situations. I want to tell some people. Let me tell some people?" the blonde pleaded.

The girl looked at him and sighed "No, Tamaki, he and I agreed to keep it slow until after school, and it's got nothing to do with family."

"Please?"

"No"

"Pl..."

"Tamaki." Yuuki's voice was stern. The Prince descended into his corner.

Yuuki caught Kyoya's eye across the room, he had looked up to view what disturbance was taking place at the door. His smile was almost invisible, hard to catch against his cold demeanour, but Yuuki knew what to look for. She walked over to him and got his full attention.

"Where did you vanish to?" Kyoya asked, his host voice still evident.

"I went to the doctors" Yuuki grinned "And now I can do this."

She stood on her left leg and hopped on it. "Ta daaa."

"Ah, good. That means you can take tea over to that table." He motioned with his head.

Yuuki glared at him, but knew what he meant. He was happy for her but couldn't say so until they got home. All for merit and merit for Kyoya.

The girl did as she was told before resuming her normal spot beside the window where she began her homework. Without realising, Yuuki began to draw a horse. She erased it quickly and tried her algebra again. It turned into a crooked blaze. Despite her dalliance about the freedom of her left side, her whole mind was now captive to the thought of Zero. What was happening to him? Had he been bought already? Was it a nice owner? Yuuki expelled an exasperated sigh and put her head on her arms. The puffy, yellow material didn't do much for joy, despite its happy colour. It absorbed stress okay though.

The room began to empty as the clock reached five. A familiar face appeared at the table.

"I know that not having a walking brace means you don't get anyone's sympathy anymore, but is that really something to be upset about?" Kyoya took her math homework and gave it a once over.

"The day I mourn for sympathy is the day the ocean turns orange."

"That would be an interesting environmental catastrophe."

"All those poor, confused fish..." She sighed.

Kyoya pushed his glasses up, his typical, brooding manner beginning to take over again. "What are you thinking?"

Yuuki looked out the window "I was thinking about..." she paused, he didn't need her stress so close to mid-terms "Nothing"

"Yuuki." His voice was stern, calculating. She knew he cared though.

"I'm tired. Let's go home." The girl picked up her books and walked to the door.

Kyoya wrote something down on his clipboard and pulled his phone out before joining her. Business as per usual. Yuuki waited and watched, she was really fond of him. Kyoya and his changing character that only she could predict and read. Kyoya and his annoying clipboard and cold, manipulative nature that only she knew the core warmth of. He joined her and they walked to the car together.

"Record time." He looked at his watch, same gold Rolex. "You're so much faster now. Its convenient."

"And I can kick now that I have full use of both legs."

"Threat taken." Kyoya slid in after her "You feeling alright?"

"Yes."

"You're a very bad liar."

"I'm not that bad."

"You'd make an awful business woman."

Yuuki shot a glare at him.

Kyoya leaned back against the leather seat, his car was better. "You're not going to tell me."

"You don't want to hear my issues."

"Then my asking was....what?"

Yuuki played with her necklace and looked out the window. Kyoya didn't ask again, he could guess as much. He could not think of a game more interesting than trying to unlock her secrets and understand them.

-

When they drove into the estate, Kyoya refused to let Yuuki out. Instead, he pulled a long piece of black silk out of his pocket.

"Sit still." He ordered.

Yuuki pulled away from him "Why?"

"Yuuki, would I make you do it if it wasn't for a purpose?"

She relaxed, trusting him. "I can use both legs now, remember?"

"Be careful getting out of the car." Kyoya tied the material around her eyes and took her hand as he led her into the open.

"Kyoya, I can't see." Yuuki said, stumbling over something a minute later and getting snow in her shoe.

"Your powers of observation never cease to amaze me."

"I don't like surprises."

"Be quiet."

"Yes sir." She replied mockingly.

"Yuuki..."

"What?"

"Shut up."

"Shut up yourself."

"I'll make you be quiet if I have to."

"How?"

Yuuki felt Kyoya's lips against hers.

"You cheated." She tried to pull the silk off her eyes; he was a good distraction from her psychological turmoil. "I shou..."

He kissed her again.

"Kyo..."

This time Kyoya slid his hand behind her neck when he pressed his mouth to hers and lingered a moment longer than necessary. Yuuki smiled and shut up. For a moment he had made her feel a million times better than she had been a minute ago. Yet, slowly the feeling of dread and loss was returning. After a few more minutes of stumbling on two legs, Yuuki was finally brought to a stop. Kyoya was holding her shoulders and directing her to face a certain direction.

"You're just as bad on two legs as you are on one." He remarked in her ear as he took Yuuki's blindfold off "But rumour has it...you're pretty good on four."

Behind them was the Ootori house; in front was the back garden into which had been built a yard, a paddock, jumping arena and a small stone building. Yuuki turned to Kyoya and frowned.

"This was not here last time I looked."

"Special building team came every day during school and left before we got home. The owner owed me allot of money."

Yuuki looked at the set-up, it was amazing and it hurt to look at. She would never be able to ride in it.

"Kyoya...I..."

He had just closed his phone and wasn't paying attention. "What?"

"I don't..." As Yuuki spoke the host club appeared out of the small building, last one out was Mori and his hand was holding a familiar looking lead rope. Attached to this was a big bay Warmblood with a crooked blaze.

Yuuki put a hand over her mouth and turned to Kyoya and then back to Zero, not knowing what to do first.

The Ootori gave her a push. "Go."

She needed little more encouragement. Yuuki threw her arms briefly around Kyoya and took off. The host club parted as Yuuki reached her horse and wrapped her arms around Zero's head. The horse's ears flicked forwards at the familiar voice and smell of his owner.

"Miss me?" Yuuki ran a hand down his neck; half believing that he was actually there. Zero snorted into her stomach and arched his neck like the egoist he was.

"That's disgusting." She laughed and buried her face in his mane. He smelled the same. He acted the same. He loved her the same. Yuuki had her horse back.

Haruhi turned to Kyoya as he joined the group. "How?"

He pushed his glasses up "I saved her phone calls. Did some research and found a few people who owed me something. As soon as the buyers found out that an Ootori was bidding, they dropped like flies. You don't compete against my family for anything."

Haruhi didn't ask why he had a team of people owing him favours. "So, technically the horse is yours?"

"Technically." Kyoya crossed his arms and watched as Yuuki picked up where she left off.

-

Yuuki spent most of the afternoon exploring the new setup on the Ootori estate, the only time she headed to the house was to dump her books and change into riding clothes. It was as if she and the horse had never been separated, they jumped the same, they moved the same, nothing had changed. Kyoya helped her pack up as the sun went down.

"Thank you." Yuuki said for the millionth time. "I can't ever repay you."

Kyoya pushed his glasses up. "You don't have to."

"That's amazing coming from you." She turned after putting her saddle in its rightful place.

"All you have to do now is sign the papers that arrived this afternoon, and then all your troubles will be over."

"What papers?"

"Divorce papers, you're legally old enough to live on your own without a legal guardian."

"Oh." Yuuki paused, her helmet mid air above the hook. "Those papers."

"You wanted to divorce your father, didn't you?"

"I think that was more on his side. One sided love is still love after all."

Kyoya frowned. "You love your father? After what he did to you?" he didn't understand.

The girl stood in the middle of the tack room and looked over her friends shoulder. "It's strange, isn't it?"

"Exceptionally."

"He wasn't always a bad person."

"No, just recently." Kyoya's tone was bitter.

"Why does it bother you?"

He put his forefinger on the noseband of his glasses. "You know what it's like to have a family who actually cared for you, as a person. As soon as that's ripped away, surely it's worthless and painful? You cut yourself off from those things Yuuki."

Yuuki stared at her feet and went to say something, but didn't.

Kyoya continued. "I didn't have any of that, we're all held to family by something though; I am by business and ego. There's nothing holding you anymore."

"Kyoya...I don't want to lose anything else."

"But you've gained so much." he still didn't understand why she wouldn't cut herself from a useless bond. Why she hung onto something that caused her pain when she could be so much greater without it.

"I can't lose my mother." Yuuki revealed. Something was tying her to the Cunxin family.

Kyoya didn't say anything.

"I owe her that much." the girl continued. "I didn't even tell her I loved her before she died. The last words I said were 'mom, I'm scared'." Yuuki looked disgusted with herself. "Selfish..."

"Do you think you had to say it? Don't you think she knew?" If someone had loved him, he wouldn't forget. "Don't you think that she knew that you loved her? She had the proof through everyday acts; you didn't have to say it to let her know."

Yuuki didn't understand why Kyoya was angry. "Why are you upset?" her voice was small.

"Because, you had that relationship and now it's gone. Why won't you cut yourself from it? I can't cut myself from my own family, no matter how much I want to, I'm tied to them as a third son and through my greed to be as good as first. You're not tied to that and you suffer like me, willingly."

"I'm sorry Kyoya." Yuuki reached out to touch his shoulder. He moved out of the way.

She closed her hand. "Why do you always focus on the ten thousand things wrong with your life when there are a million things right?"

"That's an interesting view." He pushed his glasses up again.

"I'm sorry Kyoya." Yuuki stood close to him, not touching. What she was apologising for, she didn't know, but he relaxed. "So many things have gone right today, why can't we focus on that?"

He exhaled and turned his head away from her before bringing his gaze round again. His eyes were hard but there were holes in his wall and Yuuki could see through him. He was hurting all the time, and no one but she knew. The girl pressed her forehead to Kyoya's shoulder and let her hands rest on his chest. This time there was no resistance. He wrapped one arm around her waist and stared over her head at the window that allowed him to see into Zero's stall from the tack room.

So many things have gone right today...

He clenched his teeth, his own selfishness writhing. Yuuki should cut off the things she didn't need, discard the parts of life she was done with. Kyoya didn't understand why she wasn't done with her family, but then again, he had never lost someone like Yuuki had.

-

Yuuki signed the papers. Not for herself, but for Kyoya. She owed him for so many things, the one thing she could do was follow his advice. The girl wore her heart on her sleeve and couldn't hurt another, even at her own expense. She stood at the door to Kyoya's room and held the large envelope against her chest. Her hair was still damp from when she had washed it after dinner and was creating drops of moisture on the crisp paper.

Kyoya turned from his homework at the soft knock on the door, Yuuki held the envelope out.

"I have allot to repay you for, I hope this can account towards the debt." She didn't look at him.

The man took the paper and put it on a shelf before looking down at the girl. "You don't owe me anything. I've told you that."

"But I feel as if I do." Yuuki said softly.

"Then don't repay me like this."

"How then?"

Kyoya put a hand on the wall behind Yuuki, half caging her. The girl didn't move. He leant in and lingered with his mouth above hers.

"Don't let others think that you owe them something when you have no debts." Kyoya spoke softly, teaching her like he had taught Haruhi, only gently. "You're too sweet and good and easy to manipulate. Take the answer and if you find the need to repay someone, do it silently."

Yuuki looked him in the eye. "I don't understand..."

Kyoya kissed her and let his fingers roam across her neck and behind her head. Yuuki kissed him back, understanding.

He was finally finding profit in non-materialistic things, he wanted to bind himself to something in such a way that it would hurt to divorce it. Just like Yuuki and her mother. In the end she had severed that part of her life and cast the lines over his. That, in itself, had repaid him in full. Kyoya finally had a part of life he had never been given before by anyone. Love that did not need to be spoken, for neither of them had professed it, but it shouted in decibels beyond human hearing through their acts. Silent looks, cherished moments and a foundation through friendship. His father had said he loved his sons, but he didn't. His mother had maybe loved them when they were little, but now they were just men who lived in her house. His siblings were rivals and shared respect but nothing more. Kyoya had finally found one of life's most priceless gifts, delicate and human; it could disappear in a moment.

Yuuki pulled away. Things were getting to intimate.

Kyoya ran his nose over her cheekbone before pushing off the wall and sliding his glasses higher. A ghost of a smile playing though his face. "Goodnight, Yuuki."

She smiled and stepped out of his room. "Goodnight, Kyoya."

For once, everything was as it should be. Yuuki would prepare for the Summer Grand Prix in Tokyo and Kyoya would study to become the first son by intellect and talent, if not by birth.

They had their own world, attached to reality. A private escape that only they knew of, that they could run to when they couldn't hold up their walls anymore.

-

The paths have been crossed
The crumbs are gone and the way, and the way is lost
Melancholy phantoms eye our skins
Poison apples falling with the wind

Hear the sigh of the trees
Those who enter here never leave

And the rangers stream out of their cabins
They are the hunters
We are the rabbits
Maybe we don't want to be found
Maybe we don't want to be found

Further in and on we go
Sightless creatures tugging at our clothes
Cutting through the twilight, sword in hand
Strangers once united against the land

At the sound of the bells
they're pulling paper lanterns from their shelves

The rangers stream out of their cabins
They are the hunters and we are the rabbits
Maybe we don't want to be found
Maybe we don't want you tracking us down

The rangers stream out of their cabins
Raising their muskets
Flashing their badges
Maybe we don't want to be found
Maybe we don't want to be found

They keep hiding a quiet like
They'll keep sneaking
But they won't find us
They'll keep living a quiet life
You and I
You and I

The rangers scream out of their cabins
They are the hunters,
We are the rabbits
Maybe we don't want to be found
Maybe we don't want you tracking us down
The rangers stream out of their cabins
Raising their muskets,
Flashing their badges
Maybe we don't want to be found
Maybe we don't want to be found

(Rangers by A Fine Frenzy)

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