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Chapter 11

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Two weeks after Kyoya got out of hospital, he was back into his normal routine. Yuuki rode, trained, prepared. She would fly over to London in four weeks and be joined by the Host Club, who didn't know that they were coming yet, two weeks after that.

Every week, the pair tried to get together someplace but it was hard to set a time where they both weren't busy. Thus, surprise visits were a frequent occurrence. One of which was not welcome at all.

Yuuki had been in the shower after a long day. She wrapped herself in a towel and opened the bathroom door to find the heir to the Ootori group sitting on her lounge couch, looking at a pile of books she had put on the side table beside it.

The girl froze and clutched the fabric to herself. "I hope this is sufficiently awkward for you."

"Not...really. It could have been worse." He glanced up, smiling an innocent hello, before pushing his glasses up.

Yuuki ducked back inside the bathroom and leaned against the door, speaking through it was difficult but better than speaking through basically nothing. She blessed the fact that she had the modesty to never do the 'run' from the bathroom to the bedroom. "I liked it better when you couldn't do spontaneous things, which is very out of character for you by the way."

"I can be spontaneous. I just plan the time and place of the spontaneity first."

"Well, could you please go plot something outside for a minute?"

There was a soft laugh and the sound of a door being exited through and shut. Yuuki glanced around the room. It was empty. Even so, she made a dash for her wardrobe and changed in the bathroom. She opened the front door and stepped outside into the early evening. "Okay. What?"

"Hello to you too."

"How did you get here?"

"Driver."

"Who let you in?"

"You keep a spare key above the door frame."

"How did you know that?"

"You told me."

Pause. "Right."

Kyoya glanced down at the girl as she stood, arms crossed, and feet together, looking at the stable across from her room. She was annoyed, and somewhat embarrassed. "I thought you'd be happy to see me." He stated with a tint of humour in his voice.

Yuuki turned her head to him. "I thought that when you hear someone in the shower, you have the decency not to pull up the nearest chair..."

"Just say hello."

The girl cracked, smiled and hugged him. One could not stay mad at such a smooth exit from an awkward situation and an apology that wasn't said. Wasn't said not because it wasn't meant, but to be sorry fully entailed not wanting to remember the awkward humour of the situation. Yuuki stared up at him. "Hello."

"That's better." Kyoya smiled coyly.

Yuuki leant back. "I swear I had grown." For some reason, now that the Ootori was better, it was more obvious that she was a head shorter than him, much more than what standards set for a partner.

"You're too old to still be growing."

"I can be the little train that could."

"You're too old for the little train that could."

"Well." She scowled. "You're not old enough to be parenting."

"I will give you anything you want, as long as it doesn't alter you." Kyoya kissed the top of her head.

Yuuki smiled, deciding to try the offer. "I'll have another one of those."

The Ootori kissed her head again. Before she could ask again, he pressed his lips to her nose. Yuuki tilted her chin up and kissed him properly, telling him that the deal went both ways.

"It works." Yuuki said, pulling away. "Oh the possibilities...can I have...hm....what can I have?" She tapped her chin, playing with the possibilities.

"You can have dinner and coffee with the host club and me tonight."

"Host club?"

"Tamaki is determined to keep everyone as close knit as possible coming up to your leaving again and his wedding."

"Haruhi's wedding." She corrected.

Kyoya raised an eyebrow and queried as to that she meant, watching as Yuuki disappeared into her dorm to retrieve a pair of shoes, a wallet and her mobile.

Yuuki explained. "It's not ever a man's wedding. Men get ownership to most things; women should get the title of their wedding at least."

"Okay. Yuuki's wedding." He tested her theory.

She pulled a face. "Oh to have my name as the title of an event."

"Then it's subjective." He ushered her towards the waiting car.

"Yes, maybe."

"Maybe?"

"Does it look like I'm getting married to you?"

"Not yet." Kyoya closed the door as he folded himself into the car after her. Not yet. Happily ever wasn't calling just yet.

-

The restaurant was on the edge of the central business district. It was built up high on deep wooden stilts to look over a large lake that boosted a neighbour in the form of an elegant golf course. It was very Japanese, refined, simple, beautiful. It would have been quiet if there wasn't a group of friends all sitting on the balcony arguing over what cosplay was the best. The Host Club welcomed the pair as they arrived, warmly saying hello or asking what had taken so long in a devious manner.

Yuuki sat beside Haruhi, across from Kyoya. "Hi." She hadn't had a proper conversation with the girl in a very long time.

The little brunette smiled. "Hello." She pointed down the table at the first twin. "That one is Hikaru."

The Cunxin laughed. "I was just about to ask."

Hikaru glared. "That's not fair."

"It's not fair to play the Which one is Hikaru Game with people who don't know the difference." Haruhi shot back.

Kouru looked past his brother. "Don't worry Yuuki, we had other things planned." He pressed his head to his brothers and spoke with him in unison. "Just because High School is over, doesn't mean the little devil type has disappeared."

Yuuki blinked. "Oh...good?" She looked across the table at Kyoya. He was talking to Tamaki about business.

The blonde smiled at his fiancé as she stared at him disapprovingly. "Sorry Haruhi, I'm stuck at uni." His tone was somewhat guilty but loving at the same time.

The way they looked at each other was so deep, so personal, that Yuuki felt the need to look away.

Haruhi nodded her still disdaining approval before engaging the girl in a discussion about the Olympics, which Yuuki quickly turned into a discussion about her wedding.

"You'll be the maid of honour, right?"

"Of course, even though to be a maid of honour I need to be married. So, we should probably call it something else." Yuuki said.

"Good. I don't really want to stand up there alone, or with a lot of people."

Apparently the owner of the restaurant knew Hunny and Mori and didn't raise any question when the little blonde ordered strawberry cake for dinner. Mori ordered something else. The twins ordered something to share. Tamaki decided to go fish, as did Haruhi whose fetish was still seafood. Yuuki couldn't decide, so Kyoya ordered for her.

"If it kills me, then I'll come back to haunt you." She threatened.

"It's not going to."

Yuuki doubted it, but was defeated when it turned out to be overpriced sushi with a cold soup; exactly what she would have ordered anyway. The night progressed enjoyably. It was good to be back with the host club, it felt like home. The twins swapped places five times during the evening, all of which Haruhi updated Yuuki about and the girl developed a suspicion that they wanted to vex her. She was pleased that they never got the chance. Everyone laughed when Tamaki called tuna 'the chicken of the sea'. Yuuki found herself feeling blessed by the company and honoured that they would consider her their friend after everything that had happened. Dessert though, in light of the bliss was an adventure.

There was cake, for everyone. Even Kyoya. And he was actually eating it. Yuuki stared at him, Hunny apparently saw no problem with it and didn't dare ask the Ootori for anything; something the Cunxin thought was peculiar.

"You don't like sweet things." She said across the table.

"It's not sweet." He looked calculating.

"Its cake..."

"So?"

"It has sugar in it."

"Yes."

"And..."

Kyoya held a fork across the table. "Shush. Just try."

Yuuki looked at it, hesitantly, before trying. Her first reaction was nothing, and then she coughed and had to drink some water. It was bitter. Rich and bitter. Some form of over coca-ed, milk-less form of dessert. After the spluttering stopped, she glared across the table. "You said dinner wouldn't kill me."

"It didn't."

"It tried to."

"You know that my tastes and your tastes are different."

"I also know that, either I have incredibly sensitive tastebuds or yours are unfeeling."

Kyoya pushed his glasses up smugly and didn't reply. Yuuki spent the rest of the evening trying to get the lining of her oesophagus back.

-

The group left the restaurant and wandered aimlessly around the nicer areas of the city, sitting at fountains and ending up in a park, each person wandering, staring at the stars or talking.

Yuuki sat with Kyoya sat on a bench and watched as the host club spit up. They were each going their own ways, but thing somehow remained the same.

Yuuki dropped her head to Kyoya's shoulder. "Each to their own."

"Each to their own." He said, his voice smooth.

"It's funny how life works out, Haruhi is getting married to Tamaki, the twins are always as they have been and Hunny and Mori never changed."

"But we did."

"We did."

Silence. "Where do you think we'll be in ten years?"

"I'm not psychic."

"Your also not very imaginative."

Kyoya smiled slightly. "In ten years, I hope to have taken over the business."

"I hope to..." Yuuki paused. She didn't know where she hoped to be in ten years.

The Ootori held her closer.

"I hope to...be right here." The girl avoided the direct question whist still answering it honestly. "With you."

Kyoya went to reply but a harsh voice called out from behind them. "Yuuki? Yuuki, you little..."

The girl turned and saw her father standing in the light of the lamppost they were under, seething. She stood and Kyoya did with her, placing himself beside her. She was surprised, the chances of running into him were next to nothing. Sometimes, kismet happens.

"Where's my car!" Shang yelled, sober, but furious.

Yuuki went to speak but her father did before her.

"It's at a scrap yard! I know. I watch the news. I should just sue you for it, and for decreasing the value of my company, and for being a waste of time and space."

"What are you doing here?" The girl asked.

"What am I doing here?" Shang took a few steps closer until he was within an arms distance. "I'm here on business, trying to build up what you shattered! You..."

Kyoya spoke over the last curse. "Sir, please be aware of who you are addressing."

The Cunxin turned his gaze onto the man. "I'm addressing my daughter, not you." He gave Kyoya the once over.

"You are addressing a friend of mine, the moment you press charges, please be aware that my family will do everything in its power to not only protect her, but to find every single thing you've ever done illegally; most of which we already know and have proof of, and we will use it against you. As well as this, be aware that Yuuki is legally no longer your daughter and if you press charges for her stealing a car, then she will press charges for you physically and verbally abusing her. I warn you not to underestimate the power of my family" His voice was cold, calculating. The Kyoya Yuuki had first met.

"Oh. And whose family is this." The man was ignorant of the fact.

"The Ootori group."

Shang glared, recognising the name and face of the boy he had met the day he took Zero away. He turned to his daughter. "So...this is who you sided with over family."

Yuuki didn't say anything. She just nodded. Over family. She didn't have a proper family anymore, but he made it feel like she did and had betrayed them.

"Well, he's quite a catch." Her father's voice was smug. "I knew you had lived with the Ootori family, but I suspected that you befriended the daughter and not bedded the son."

The girl's eye's shot up, horrified and insulted.

"Guess we weren't good enough for your refined tastes. Middle class climbers as they say." Her father continued. "There's plenty other rich and powerful men around you know, you don't have to stop with one. I mean, come on, think of the fortune that you'll never have to work for because of your idiocy you could get many men and get them all to destroy me..."

Yuuki flinched as he hurled insults at her. He hated her, and inside, she still loved him. The night had turned from something good to a nightmare in an instant. Kyoya was fuming beside her, especially at the allegations of his relationship with her, highlighted by the promise he had made with her for them to not occur. The steps they both took to respect that boundary. The other members of the host club were converging on the scene as they realised what was going on.

There's a street, Yuuki." Shang was still yelling at his daughter. He pointed at the nearest road. "Why don't you go sell yourself on it?"

Unfortunately for Yuuki's father, one can easily reach over a bench and Kyoya did so. Grabbing the man by the neck, the Ootori went to hit him but Mori got there first. Shang Cunxin got a very hard, angry fist in the jaw and then a face full of dirt.

Hunny stood over the wounded man and pointed. "Don't you ever talk to Yuu-chan that way ever again!"

Shang rubbed his jaw and looked at the host club. "So this is your collection, hey Yuuki? Lots of rich men. Oh...and another social climber." He looked at Haruhi.

Tamaki advanced on the Cunxin but his fiancé held him back.

Yuuki turned to her father. "Leave."

"What?" The man stumbled to his feet.

The girl swallowed. "I don't want to see you again. If you do..."

"You'll do what huh? You'll pay royally though. I know that."

Kyoya took half a step in front of Yuuki. "Sir, I can personally make sure you can never raise another business venture because of the severity of your liquidation. I will also chase down every offense, every tiny mishap, every single thing you ever did wrong; not only to your daughter, and I will send it to the government. Then we'll see whose word they respect. A...middle class climber or a respected family with a clean slate?"

Shang glared. "I wasn't talking to you. Rich scum."

"Just...go." Yuuki said. "Go home, dad."

"Where is your home now Yuuki?"

"It's right here." She stared at him. "I'll call you a cab, but please, don't come back."

The man wiped his mouth and hissed before glaring at the entire group. "Don't bother. You'll pay in time. I don't need the help of a..."

At that, the twins picked the man up and carried him away. They stood at the road, hailed a cab and threw the Cunxin inside as roughly as possible. Yuuki swallowed and remembered that she should be breathing. It was amazing how quickly beautiful moments shattered, all because of a haunting past.

Tamaki used the hand that wasn't holding Haruhi's to call the driver. "I think it's time to go."

"I'm so sorry." Yuuki said. "I didn't even know he still came here for business. I didn't mean to ruin the evening."

The blonde smiled. "It's alright; it's not your fault. No offense, but your father is a jerk."

"He's not her father." Kyoya said coldly. "Just because he has the same DNA doesn't mean he has the right to be related. He severed that right the moment he sent Yuuki to Ouran."

The girl realised how right he was, and how much she wished he wasn't. Severing bonds was something she really sucked at.

"That was pretty rotten of him, huh Yuu-chan." Hunny looked up at her.

Yuuki smiled down at him. "Yeah, It was."

"I mean...to say all those things about you and men..."

"That's not really the point." The twins said in unison, arriving back.

It was awkward for Yuuki. She didn't know what to say or how to react. A black limo pulled up and Tamaki lead the group to it, saying as cheery as a goodbye as he could to the pair who had arrived separately.

After the car was gone, Kyoya turned to the girl. "Are you alright?" He noticed something, all her walls were up.

"I'm fine." She nodded. "I'll be fine." The wall stared to come down again.

"Do you want to go home?" Wrong word to use.

Yuuki looked up at him. She was home when she was with them, with him; but when they had to part, where was she? "Yeah."

Kyoya called his driver and in half an hour they were pulling into the academy. A night that had started so good had left one feeling raw. Still unbroken, still healing, but damaged somehow. If they had been separate at the time, the outcome would very likely have been different.

The Ootori let Yuuki stare out the window, her fingers tightly wound through his; cutting off the blood supply. He ran his thumb over the top of her hand and she loosed her grip slightly. Kyoya squeezed her hand, keeping her as herself; not letting the event get to her personally. What had happened was not her fault; she had done nothing wrong except for take a car. That could be easily remedied. The man made a mental note to sent Shang Cunxin a Jeep, a nice one, then he would have no argument against his daughter. Yuuki was blameless, pure, innocent; she was almost an adult and yet she could live in the world and look at it as a child would; the little things mattered. The beauty overrode the horror, even if it was outnumbered. Kyoya would keep her from falling from that. He loved that about her. She was the opposite of what he had been.

Both had fathers who had taught them everything, maybe even once loved them as much as they had loved as a child. Maybe they wanted them to grow to be something different to them, even though that was the only thing they pushed. Neither wanted to even remotely be like their father. Kyoya would take the business, but he would not take the cold, dominating, fearsome persona; he would take the thing he created in his father's name, the thing he bought for him and had, for some reason, had to work to inherit it. Yuuki would never be like her father. Ever. He wouldn't allow it. Ever.

-

What's a dad for dad?
Tell me why I'm here dad
Whisper in my ear that I'm growing up to be a better man, dad
Everything is fine dad
Cause I know I'm growing up to be a better man

Father I will always be
That same boy that stood by the sea
And watched you tower over me
Now I'm older I [don't] wanna be the same as you

What's a dad for dad?
Taught me how to stand, dad
Took me by the hand and you showed me how to be a bigger man, dad
Listen when you talk, dad
Follow where you walk, dad
And you know that I will always do the best I can
I can

Father I will always be (always be)
That same boy that stood by the sea
And watched you tower over me (over me)
Now I'm older I [don't] wanna be the same as you
The same as you

Father I will always be
That same boy that stood by the sea
And watched you tower over me
Now I'm older I [don't] wanna be the same as you

(Life of a sales man, Yellow card)

-

Yuuki didn't head straight for her room; she went straight to the stable. Kyoya dismissed his driver, telling him he would get a cab, it was late and he should go home. It was time he started acting like a human and prevented himself from ending up like Yuuki's father.

The girl walked into the darkness and found the right stall. Zero was standing sleepily as she stood at the doorway. "Hey pretty thing."

The horse's ears moved forward slowly.

"You cool enough in there?" She put a hand on his neck. "Yeah. Good."

"Yuuki." Kyoya was standing behind her. "Go to sleep."

"Not yet."

"Yuuki."

"Kyoya, please don't tell me what to do right now." She pinched her nose. "I respect what you think every other moment, but every other moment I know what to think."

The Ootori took a place beside her. "I apologise."

"No...I ruined the night. I'm sorry."

He glanced at her. "You didn't. It was a one in a million shot. Sometimes that kind of thing happens."

"To you?"

"No. One in a million, remember?"

"Everything was so nice. It's really weird feeling comfortable around a bunch of people you're not related to and not around those you are."

Kyoya stared at the horse. Technically his horse. "Just because I own Zero, doesn't mean he's mine."

Yuuki looked at him. "What?"

"I bought this horse, my name is on the owners papers, but he is not mine."

Just because Shang Cunxin's blood was her blood, did not mean she was his. The girl leaned her shoulder into Kyoya, needing the comfort. "Your life lessons are crazy."

"How so?"
"Haruhi told me about your life lesson with her."

"Which one?"
"The one at the beach."

Silence. "She told you about that?"

"We're girls."
"And of the kiss and tell rule?"

"Oh. You never kissed her. You were very oddly teaching her a lesson, very oddly. Very...not so PG13 rated. But it worked."

"Huh." Kyoya thought for a moment. "And that doesn't bother you."

"Of course it bothers me. It would bother you too. But I didn't know you then, I didn't know you when you dressed as a woman with the Host Club either...thank goodness." She told him it was alright as long as he didn't try anything of the like again, or had the decency to tell her about it.

"Some memories are never supposed to be stored." Kyoya was glad she was lightening up. Yuuki had severed herself from her father, but he had done it officially the night she had turned up on the doorstep. This evening had just been proof of that. They both had their hurts, but they both had each other. And it was enough to get through. To more than survive.

"Just don't try your 'be a girl' lessons with me." Yuuki smiled.

"No. I'll just try the 'be more than what your father says you are' lesson."

"Well...both kind of went hand in hand tonight, didn't they?"

"It was uncalled for and rude. It's none of his business what our status is and even less to assume it."

"We live in a modern world. Everyone's assuming."

"In theory."

"In theory?"

Kyoya looked at Yuuki. "Do you know exactly what everyone is assuming?"

"I don't think I want to."

"Exactly."

"Okay. Mr Right." In more ways than one. "No more philosophy, theology, whatever tonight. We can talk fathers and detriment later."

"What do we talk now?"

"Um..." Yuuki reached her hand into her pocket and pulled her phone out. "We can iPhone."

"You have an iPhone?"

"Yes, why?"

Kyoya took it from her in the very first jealous manner he had ever displayed.

Yuuki reached for it but he held it above her head. "This is very out of character."

"No, technology is in my character. Organisation. Expense. This is all of that. And I don't have one, I need one."

"You need one hey?" The girl tried jumping to reach it, but failed by about half a foot.

"It's got merit."

"You do the merit thing for everything?"

"Not quite." Kyoya held the phone behind his back.

Yuuki reached around him to get it but he swapped hands. She reached around the other side, he swapped hands. She went at it with both arms and grabbed it with both hands before being enveloped in his embrace.

"You set that up." Yuuki said into his chest.

"And you thought I wanted your phone." Kyoya's voice was as it always was, his tone calculating his face expressionless; but Yuuki knew he was more than a mask and a business suit.

When they needed a way out of things that stressed, pressed in and hurt; they could go to the other and resurrect themselves. Learn to smile and think at the same time. To give without expecting because seeing the other happy, even for a moment was the greatest reward. Seeing Yuuki upset and not knowing how to defend herself had made him angry. She needed to learn, she needed to understand more than him and a saddle.

Yuuki knew she would get that discussion later, but right now he was her wall. Raised them around her and him and didn't let anyone else in. Within those walls, she could cry and not be afraid that someone would hurt her while she did so. She could cling to something to keep her afloat and find her way back to shore. She could endure any storm within the walls. And he would always offer their protection. Yuuki was Kyoya's angel. The last thing he saw of the world and the first he saw coming back. She kept him sane, kept him human, kept him feeling and on a level above his father's; a level beyond just numbers, figures and profits. He would still be private, he would still keep secrets, he would still build empires out of corner stores; but he could now do it as part of his life, not as his life. Yuuki had given him the greatest gift – freedom.

-

Don't blink, don't close your eyes,
But most of all don't apologize.
It's me who's got the demons to wrestle now.

There's a patch of blue in the stormy sky,
A memory of a brighter time.
When everything was new, and less watered down,
Before the summer turned to brown.

Don't say you can't believe it now,
That you're almost settled down,
'Cause you'll be right here,
When I come back around.

Don't blink, don't close your eyes,
But most of all don't apologize.
It's me who's got the demons to wrestle now.

There's a patch of blue in the stormy sky,
A memory of a brighter time,
When everything was new, and less watered down,
Before the summer turned to brown.

(Song in my head, Sherwood)

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Well, that started happy. Ended melancholy, but is important.

Might not seem it now, but it is.

Please review.

Blessings,

-pp