The weeks after that proved to be one of Kaoru's many challenges. Week one, he'd stuck with little gestures and minor annoyances to try and get a rise out of the shadow king. Moving his favourite mug and holding the door open for him were a few of the many acts he used to test the waters in this whole "Kyoya actually has emotions and I want to see them" scheme. Some tensing here and then but overall, those little things were a bust. It was a shame too because Kaoru was sure it was subtleties that would be Kyoya's undoing because the club itself was so boisterous.

Alas, it was not to be and the shadow king remained his cold self for another week.

The next two weeks were much different. Kaoru decided to play on his strengths and channel his prankster side into something productive. He started out small and with a few golden oldies. At first he simply moved all of Kyoya's supplies three centimetres to the left and waited. That got him only a brief flash of something before Kyoya concealed it and moved everything back to its proper place. He followed that up with a piece of tape under his mouse, an eraser falling on his head when he entered a room, and was holding his breath for a moment where Kyoya would fall asleep in the club room and he could use the good ol' "Shaving cream in one hand and tickle the face" prank (which unfortunately never happened that week, and if Kaoru had remembered right, had never happened.)

Kyoya never truly reacted to any of them; in fact he just carried on as if they never happened. The rest of the club was especially worried about Kaoru provoking the demon's wrath and often warned him to stop his suicidal mission (from the safety of behind one of the clubs couches.) Kaoru ignored them because that's exactly what he wants! Truthfully, maybe not a full demon rampage, but maybe a little sigh of annoyance? Something that was real and not a product of Kyoya's amazing self-control.

To be fair it wasn't a complete failure. On the second week it was raining, and Kaoru had filled up Kyoya's umbrella with colourful bits of confetti and little scraps of candy. Kaoru had to gently coax the club into an outdoor excursion in the rain but once a ridiculous quest of following a rainbow to a pot of gold had been issued to Tamaki, everyone filed out with their umbrella's. Kaoru could barely contain his childish glee when Kyoya's umbrella popped open and a waterfall of colour and sweets hit the pavement. Kyoya remained his super serious self as he processed what had happened. Kaoru had burst out laughing and started rolling around on the floor while Honey-senpai started to collect the free treats. Mori was supervising while the other members where nervously peeking around a corner to wait for any reaction.

Kyoya simply shook out his umbrella for any spare bits and brushed off his shoulders before continuing on. The sight was so comical that Kaoru didn't even care that this plan had failed along with all the others to get a reaction out of the man.

Two days after that was when things started to get really interesting.

Kaoru was sitting on one of the clubs many pink sofa's and patting his pocket with a small smirk. He was staring distractedly out the window as he envisioned this perfect plan, and waited for the opportune moment to strike. The plan this time around was perfect, and no matter what price he had to pay in order to acquire the macguffin of this performance, it was going to be totally worth it.

An identical body to his own suddenly plopped down beside him. Kaoru was suddenly jarred out of his thoughts when a hand took a hold of his knee and forced his body to face the newcomer.

"Why are you pranking Kyoya?"

Kaoru took in his brothers completely serious expression and chuckled. His brother really thought Kaoru was in grave danger if he kept tempting the beast. Kaoru really didn't want to explain his reasoning, and he definitely didn't want to explain that it started as a way to distract himself from the gap between the brothers now. He simply shrugged and glanced back at the reflection in the window. Wait… now was his chance! Kyoya had left his computer in favour of taking stock for the clubs activities tomorrow.

Without giving his brother a second glance, Kaoru snuck his way over to the device and opened the disk slot. With careful fiddling, he made it so that as soon as Kyoya opened the screen the video would play as loud as it could.

Casually, Kaoru slunk back over to his brother, and peeked over the backrest of the couch to get the reaction he wanted from the shadow king, and he most certainly would have a reaction this time! Hikaru just sighed and reclined, waiting for the show.

It was a while before Kyoya returned, which made it better because the club was winding down and making it easier to be sure everyone heard what was about to happen.

Kyoya sighed as he looked over his notebook and opened his laptop without even looking. Immediately, lewd sounds of men in the throes of passion rang out throughout the club room. Kyoya's eyes finally found the screen and he recoiled in shock before slamming the computer closed. Kaoru held his laughter in his a hand over his mouth and clutching his stomach. Tears were escaping out his eyes which made it hard to see the other club members crowd around Kyoya's laptop and wait to see what would happen when he would have to open it again. Kyoya was obviously reluctant to open it again but a brief flare of curiosity passed over his face before he opened it again.

It was much worse than what he'd initially thought.

The club's eyes bugged out as they took in one of the most highly rated kinky gay porn. Mori promptly slammed his hands over Honey's eyes and pulled him away from the scene. Tamaki flushed virgin red but couldn't take his eyes off the video, as if he was looking into a burning train wreck. Hikaru seemed slightly impressed while Haruhi was just strangely calm about the whole thing.

"If they're having sex, why does he need a riding crop?"

Kaoru swore he would explode if he hadn't of let out the laughter by that time.

Kyoya's eyes snapped up and narrowed at him, but it was hard to see past the tears streaming down his face. The other members started their gossipy questions.

"Is this what you do in your spare time Senpai?"

"Wow, I know ladies like the homoerotic subtext but I never knew you swung that way Kyoya."

"Mother likes boys!"

Throughout this the video was still playing with the actors occasionally throwing out "harder", or "tell daddy how much you like it" and Kaoru going to die from a heart failure because god.

Kyoya abruptly shut the computer and stood. A bit robotically, he started towards the twin trying to recover his breathing. Kaoru sensed his demise and got up to run away, but never stopped laughing. He risked a few glances back but Kyoya never let up and chased him all the way around the club room. The few short seconds he could see Kyoya's face he could swore he saw a very, very faint blush.

The chase lasted for seemingly hours and before he knew it all the other club members had given up waiting for Kaoru to get caught or Kyoya to give up and had all left (Hikaru hitching a ride with the boss and leaving Kaoru with the limo.) Kaoru was out of breath but so was Kyoya, even if he tried his absolute hardest to show it. The laughter had gradually faded but his satisfaction hadn't and Kaoru was left with a big grin as he tried to outrun the demon. Eventually Kaoru decided that all the running was too exhausting and that he probably would survive whatever Kyoya decided to do in retaliation.

Kaoru smirked for half a second before he spun on his heel and opened his arms in a welcoming gesture, while his face took on a sweet smile, as if he were a mother welcoming her child home. Kyoya barreled into them and sent them reeling to the ground. Kaoru had hoped that such a change in demeanor would trip him up more but Kyoya was too tired and simply collapsed on top of him as he tried to regain his breath. Kaoru was happy for the calm moment before he found himself on death's door, and used it to settle his breathing as well, though it was much harder since he had a lump lying on his lungs.

"You… ass…"

Kaoru chuckled softly and tried to study the boy who was gradually rising so he was simply pinning the younger boy to the floor, instead of lying on top of him. Kaoru's breath caught when he could finally see that face. From all the variety of emotions Kyoya had expressed today, he didn't expect this to be one.

Kyoya was flushed and slightly sweaty, but despite that his lips were upturned and his eyes were soft. He was smiling. Smiling even though Kaoru had caused him all sorts of embarrassment and something he probably would be teased about for the rest of his life by the gang and he looked as if a puppy had just learned how to play fetch.

This attitude made Kaoru extremely self-conscious for some reason and he found that he was once again below the shadow king. He flushed darker than the run could have made him and averted his head, baring his neck to the demon. Kyoy puffed softly in his face as his breathing wasn't entirely regular. Kaoru peeked upwards for only moment and saw that Kyoya's expression was now incredibly thoughtful before looking away again. He closed his eyes and trembled a bit as Kyoya moved above him. Gentle fingers suddenly trailed across his exposed neck before they were swiftly pulled back. Kyoya rose swiftly and with a characteristic scowl and retreated to his laptop. Kaoru released the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding and sat up to stare at Kyoya.

Kyoya muted the video and figured out how it was coming out of his laptop before pulling the disk out. He inspected the disk with an unreadable expression, before walking over to Kaoru's form on the ground. He offered a hand which Kaoru took and then the disk.

"Did you go have to buy gay porn for this prank?"

Kaoru flushed but shook his head.

"I just got one of the Hitahin servants to do it."

Kyoya raised one eyebrow.

"and you thought that one of the sons of their boss buying gay porn would be something they kept to themselves?"

Kaoru let the meaning of his words set in before he suddenly screeched.

"My parents are going to think I'm a gay masochist!"