Chapter 3
Eva's POV
All of my family was standing around the T.V. screen when Grandfather told me his marriage arrangement proposal for me and Kyoya Ootori. Each member of my family was reacting to my forced marriage as a negative thing, in a negative manner except for Alex and Chrissy-Tia (who seemed to be having a silent conversation between each other).
That damn bastard! Forcing me into this marriage with Kyoya! Though it's not Kyoya, I have a problem with. As far as an arranged marriage goes, he is an excellent choice for a partner. He is intelligent, caring (though he does try hard to hide it), ambitious, hard-working, intimidating, resourceful, and charming. And that's just his personality! He has great hair, smart eyes, beautiful and clear skin, height, and muscles.
Remember Eva, now it is even more imperative to make him fall in love with you. You have your own dream of taking over the company too! You just have these hoops to jump through, before you get to have a seat in the big C.E.O chair and get the chance to boss everyone else around! Besides I would love to see longing pouring out of his gray eyes. Eva! Get a grip!
That's when I realized that I loved him! Oh God! Really? I fell for a boy this quickly? Who am I Juliet? I've lost the bet; I have fallen for Kyoya Ootori! I don't want to wear that damn frilly bikini!
Chrissy-Tia came up beside me and hugged me.
"Why did you do that Chrissy-Tia?"
She looked at me knowingly. "You need all of the strength you can in order to make Kyoya into admitting that he loves you as much as you love him". She looked deep into my eyes with her wise dark blue eyes piercing into my very soul. Sometimes I feel as if she can actually see my dreams and desires written across my very soul.
"Chrissy-Tia, I don't love him! I only like him as an intellectual equal!" I denied much too quickly. She only smiled at my obvious denial.
"If you are going to deny something, at least make it more believable for everyone else", she mockingly scolded.
"We knew something was going on between you and Kyoya Ootori", chimed in Alex.
"This coming from the girl who crawled all over her crush Kaoru Hitachiin like an animal", I retorted. She blushed deeply.
"There's nothing going on between us! Besides I'm the one who loves him; he doesn't feel for me in the same way." All of my relatives except for baby Jasmine gasped and were stunned at my revelation of my feelings for my betrothed.
"What?! Eva has fallen for the Ootori boy! This means that she has to wear the frilly bikini all day tomorrow", cheered Maria.
"I don't to wear pants. No ma's pantalones! I will get to wear my dresses all moooooonnnnnttthhhh!" she sang and danced excitably.
My relatives all sweat dropped at her.
"What are you even talking about? Maria", deadpanned Nicole.
"You see my dearies, Eva and I made a bet. If she could make the Ootori boy fall for her first then I would have had to wear pants for a month. But apparently she has fallen for Kyoya, so she is going to have to wash all of the cars tomorrow in the frilly bikini I bought her."
"Oh really?" asked Nicole with a mischievous glint in her eyes. Emi grinned from ear to ear. Alex gave me a look of sympathy, along with my other relatives.
"You are going to be so cute!" exclaimed Chrissy-Tia. Then a light bulb seemed to go off in her head, before she laughed beautifully and smiled widely.
"Oh! I need to go make spaghetti for dinner", added a much too cheerful Chrissy-Tia. She walked away with a skip in her step.
She sure is up to something! I just need to figure out what!
~Time Skip~
The Next Day
Kyoya's POV
I don't understand why Chrissy-Tia called me to come over their house at this late in the afternoon! I also don't understand why she insisted I come alone and venture their backyard by myself!
I stopped short, and I felt my jaw drop. Eva was in a white bikini with purple cherry blossom designs on her butt and her top. She was leaning all over a 2013 red mustang while scrubbing the hood of the car with a bright yellow sponge. Her hair was down and wet from her intense scrubbing. Her curves were mesmerizing as she shimmied all over the car.
I learned something new about her…Her butt was huge, not to say that she was fat. It worked for her.
Dear God, I am so grateful that she is my fiancée! She is going to make a huge impression on my father, if she wears a very revealing dress. At least, I know when we are forced to produce heirs; I will not be disappointed on my end. She is so sexy…I'm such a leering bastard!
A gentle gasp pulled me out of my thoughts.
"Kyoya?! What are you doing here?" she hissed while trying to hide herself behind the yellow sponge. Why is doing it as if she is ashamed to show off her curves?
"First of all, don't try and cover yourself around me. Secondly, your cousin Chrissy-Tia invited me to come back here for some reason. Now I realize she wanted me to come and check out my fiancée in all of her glory", I drawled.
I expected her eyes to widen in surprise at the news of me being her fiancée, but apparently she already knew about our 'happy' marriage arrangement.
"Ha. Ha. Very funny", she remarked.
"I was being serious. Besides if I was joking you would be the first to know". She blushed intensely.
"Look Eva, I also came to make sure that you are alright with this marriage arrangement. I don't want to force someone into marrying me, who doesn't want to be with me for the rest of our natural-born lives".
"Kyoya, I am fine with it. You're probably one of the best choices for a suitor. You have charm, intelligence, hard-work ethic, ambition, intimidation, excellent resources, and looks. Plus having you at my side, will benefit me taking over my family's company", she reasoned.
I truly have met my match!
"Kyoya I want you to know that I respect you a great deal, and I want to promise you that I will never stray during our time together". She blushed again at her words.
Interesting. Does she have a crush on me? I could use her feelings to my advantage.
"I would also like to tell you that maybe we should build up from our friendship. So would you like to go on a date with me tonight?"
A date with Eva? I don't think my heart could take seeing her in a real dress. But she is right! We do need to build up from our friendship to make this work!
"I would love to Eva. I'll come pick you up around 6. How does dinner and a night at the opera sound?" I asked coyly.
She blushed again.
"I'll take that as a big fat yes", I drawled.
She laughed deeply.
I love how husky her voice gets when she laughs.
"I'll be looking forward to it Kyoya", she said huskily.
Does she even have a clue to what she does to my body?
"Oh and Eva, please wear something that befits your beautiful curves".
"Maybe I will. Maybe I won't", she tested. I growled at this. She smirked winningly at me.
Great now I have revealed my weakness: my physical attraction to her body.
I hovered over her while saying mock-threatening, "Don't test me. I have information on you that I could use against you".
She looked up at me and stared past my mask and purred, "Now, why would you do something like? Are you worried that I'm going to use your weakness to my curves to my advantage? Do you honestly think that I would stoop so low? Kyoya, just so you know for future reference, I like to be on an equal playing field with my opponent. You challenge me Kyoya, and I will play fair".
I only looked at her in wonder.
No one challenges me except my father and my teachers! She is my equal in every way!
"Then consider me challenging you to this arrangement that our elders have bestowed upon us".
"Alright Kyoya, but you should remember not to bring attire that shows off your muscularity", she chided while turning away from me and walking towards the house. I watched her curves sway as she walked away. Kyoya, don't turn into a pervert!
~Time Skip~
No one's POV
'Where is she?' thought Kyoya. He was wearing a snazzy black tuxedo with a purple handkerchief in his breast pocket. He was waiting impatiently in the foyer. Typically, he would have spouted off everything about every person he came in contact with, but he didn't want to do that; because somehow he thought that would insult Eva in some way which caused him to be slightly aggravated. To top it off, her relatives were annoying him with all their incessant questions about him and everything related to their 'relationship'. 'No wonder, Eva can handle the Host Club. She deals with this loud bunch most of the time', he mused.
All of the relatives that surrounded him gasped at something. He jerked his head up to look at the arrival of an angel. She was wearing a purple satin strapless dress that was form-fitted and reached the floor. 'It suits her perfectly', he thought.
He then continued to analyze her. Her hair was naturally curled and parted to the right. She only had eye makeup on and she wore a matching purple earrings and bracelets. She wore silver 4' high heels. In his opinion, she was stunning.
Once she had reached the bottom, he held his hand to her. She blushed before placing her hand into his.
"Are you ready for your dinner date with me?" he coyly asked.
"Of course! I didn't get all dolled up for nothing", she retorted while she blushed. He led her out the foyer and helped her walk down the driveway and into the limo. He then closed the door behind them, and the limo took off to their destination.
'He is such a gentleman!' thought all of the females with the exception of Nicole, Alex, Haley, and Emi.
'I just hope, he doesn't try anything with her, before they get married. And if he does, I'm going to ring his head out like a bell', thought those four and the older boys.
'They look perfect together. Just as my dreams said they would', thought Chrissy-Tia.
'One couple down, seven more to arrange', she thought wryly.
Meanwhile, Kyoya's limo had arrived at an exclusive 5 star restaurant. They had just exited out of the limo, when all of the other wealthy guests started to whisper excitably.
"Who is that with Kyoya Ootori?"
"She is certainly stunning in that dress".
"They make a beautiful couple".
"I think that girl is Evangeline Manger! You know the granddaughter of the genius engineer and business man Robert Manger".
"Now I remember seeing her at the international science fair! I need to ask her for an autograph".
"Did you hear that they are engaged to one another?"
"Really? Well they certainly look meant for each other".
'Really? We are right here. You could just ask who we are. Damn rude wealthy jerks! Eva! Calm down! You can't go acting foolish around these future business allies. You want to make a good impression on all of them for both you and Kyoya!'
"Kyoya, it seems we have caused quite a stir together", Eva whispered in his ear.
"Yes. It does appear that way. So how about we stir it up even more", he drawled and kissed her cheek passionately; which of course caused her blush deeply. It caused the female guests to swoon of how in 'love' they were, despite being forced to marry the other. The male guests swore under their breaths what a lucky bastard the third Ootori was to have such a hottie by his side.
"Kyoya, you keep doing this, and I will develop a permanent blush on my cheek", she stated jokingly.
"I like it when you blush. You become even more beautiful when you do", Kyoya said seriously. She proceeded to blush again. 'Why am I starting to say things like that when I'm around her? I'm never this corny… God, please kill Tamaki, so I won't have any more of his gibberish to rub off on me', thought Kyoya.
They walked into the restaurant together, and chatted with a few other guests. For some reason, they always swooned when Kyoya would hold her hand or peck her cheek. Eva dismissed them as nothing more than older versions of the simple-minded students who went to Ouran Academy with her.
"Excuse me, sir and madam. If you would follow me, I will direct you to your private table", informed a kind waiter.
"Private?" asked Eva with a rare confused expression on her face. She was the type to always be in the loop and notice everything. Being caught by surprise, always gave her chills. It would make her think of her father's unpredictable spouts of anger…When he would suddenly throw her into the small kitchen cabinet and lock her in there for hours. To this day, she couldn't bear to be in closed spaces for more a couple of seconds without having a panic attack. She had extreme claustrophobia, to the point of her brain shutting down and her body reacting wildly.
'No! Do not let the memory of that bastard ruin your first date ever! Kyoya is most likely used to sweeping off girls suddenly to unexpected places. I bet he snuggles on them as well. If ever see a hussy getting all close with my fiancée, she isn't going to out of the experience unscathed ', she fumed mentally.
The waiter had shown them to their seats at this point. Under the lowlight of the restaurant, Kyoya noticed that Eva become even more angelic when she was silently fuming, but he noticed something was off with her. He intended to find out what was troubling her and 'fix' the problem.
"Eva? Are you okay? " politely asked Kyoya which pulled her out of her reverie.
"Yes. I'm fine", she said sweetly, though her voice was cracking. 'She is not fine! Why is she lying to me?' he mentally questioned.
"Eva, I know you are lying to me. Please tell me what's wrong", Kyoya pleaded.
"I don't think it would be a good conversational starter. Did you know that when snakes are born with two heads that they have to fight one another for food?" He gave her a pointed look that said that he was not going to drop the matter.
"Fine. I'll tell you", she huffed. Her eyes darkened and her expression winced in pain at a past memory. 'I want to know who or what caused her pain and have them eliminated.' He thought menacingly.
"What do you know about my father?" she asked with no emotion in her voice.
"He was a double-agent for a couple of terrorist organizations. He was last seen in Mexico running for his life. He used to be the running-up candidate for your family's company, until they found out he was a traitor 5 years ago. It was also later found out that he abused his late wife and his children…" he trailed while looking at her with a knowing look.
She gave him a weak smile, before stating, "I didn't get it as bad as my siblings. He only locked me in the kitchen cabinet for hours, sometimes for a couple of days. While he beat the rest of my siblings and threw them in the cellar".
"Eva…I am sorry". She gave him a forced gentle smile.
"Kyoya, it is fine. I should probably let you know for future reference that I have extreme claustrophobia to the point where my body goes into full panic mode. I wanted to make sure you know before you want to make any spontaneous plans to go to any tight-knit spaces".
"Eva, I would never do that to you after hearing what you have been through. I know at times I am heartless, but I do have my few 'heartfelt' moments. You know?"
She looked at him pitifully while shaking her head.
"Kyoya, never say that about yourself. I know that you are not heartless; I have seen how you interact with your friends. I know you don't always show your caring side, because you are afraid that someone will take advantage of your kindness. But it's alright to show it every once and awhile. Okay?" Kyoya stared at her too stunned for words.
The waiter came by to get their orders. While, they waited for their food and drinks, they discussed their little facts about themselves. They found that they shared a dry sense of humor, attitude towards early mornings, love for intelligent conversation, surpassing their elders as the head of the company, and their taste in entertainment. They also found they differed on their ideal idea of their wedding day, their taste in food, and their methods of relaxation.
Once their food had arrived, they were arguing over why the other's method of relaxation was not fulfilling.
"Kyoya, doing Club finances all by yourself is not RELAXING!" she argued playfully. She just couldn't believe that was what he did for fun!
"Oh and solving complex scientific equations is?" he mocked while a real smile broke through his face. He was truly enjoying himself. He never showed this much of his true self to another person, so this was a little uneasy for him. He knew that he could trust her, because he had read up on all of her medical reports before their date. It confirmed that her childhood abuse was indeed true.
"Yes, because it isn't school-related. It's entirely for me", she said exasperated while delicately cutting her fish.
'She is such a lady', thought Kyoya excitably.
"I don't have truly anything for myself. Mostly everything is owned by my father and the fear I receive from people is due to my family name, without it I would be just another normal guy", Kyoya admitted. He cast his eyes away from hers in embarrassment.
"I don't think you could ever be "normal" Kyoya. Besides you do have something: ambition", she simply stated.
"But that's only thing I have. I want to own things for myself and control them how I want them to be". She flushed at his intensity. He looked at her in annoyance.
"What? Does it surprise how much I want to achieve greatness?" he huffed.
"No. I was just admiring how beautiful you get when you are showing your perseverance and ambition", she said sweetly. She was blushing profusely.
Kyoya fought a blush himself. 'She called me beautiful. I've heard girls call me all sorts of things like "sexy", "gorgeous", "hot", "handsome", and even "cute" when I was younger. I don't know how to react to this. All I know is that I need to hide my reaction from her'.
Standing up with his emotions hidden, he asked, "Are you ready to go to the theatre?"
'I don't understand why his mask came back on. We were having such a great time. Maybe I shouldn't call him "beautiful" aloud anymore if that's the reaction I'm going to get from him'.
"Yes! I can't wait to see Aida in Japanese".
"I can tell".
They exited the restaurant, and got blasted by a gust of chilly early autumn air. Eva shivered intensely. Kyoya then proceeded to take off his coat and place it on her shoulders. The moment Kyoya touched her shoulders, they both felt a rush burn through their veins. Kyoya was scared by this feeling, while Eva welcomed it whole-heartedly.
"Why aren't you such a gentleman!" she exclaimed happily. She enjoyed feeling warm in his jacket. It also made her a bit giddy to smell his cologne in the jacket.
"Well I earned my gentlemanly ways due to my upbringing", he said huskily. Eva shuddered at how deep his voice had gotten. She was definitely going to get used to all of his attractive qualities.
"Why are you shuddering?" he asked worriedly. I thought I already solved that problem…Is she scared of me?
"It's my excitement shudder", she hedged. He gave her an unreadable look, before he led the way to the theatre.
They arrived in their private balcony seats. They spoke to each other about trivial things, before the show began. Once the curtain opened, Eva shushed Kyoya enthusiastically. He smiled at how adorable she was. The play started beautifully causing a tear to slide down Eva's cheek. Kyoya bent over to wipe it off her face quickly. She looked at him gratefully, before turning back to watch the show in awe.
Kyoya however was only half paying attention to the show. He was more focused on Eva's reactions throughout the play. He was fascinated at how someone could become so entrapped in the entertainment. She would surprise him at times with the intensity of her emotions. He then contradicted their differences in revealing their emotions. She was more of an open book, while he was a secret chest only unlocking specific emotions.
She was beautiful when she expressed herself as well as when she didn't. He knew that he was not only physically attracted to her, but intellectually and emotionally as well. He just wasn't sure yet if his feelings were actual love or just desire.
Eva was oblivious to Kyoya's inner turmoil, but she was aware of him watching her throughout the play. She didn't understand why he kept focusing in on her, instead of the beautiful work of art in front of them.
Once the play had ended, Kyoya stopped her with a look. He was looking at her strangely. She didn't understand why he was looking at her in a funny way.
"Kyoya what's wrong…" she was cut off by his lips enveloping hers. She gasped slightly, before letting out a feminine sigh. My first kiss, she thought.
Kyoya chuckled. She truly has no idea what she does to my heart, body, mind, and soul…Let's change that.
He broke the barriers down and let down his guard to reveal his emotions. "You make me feel terrified and excited whenever you touch me…with not just your body, but your words as well. I apologize for shutting off after you called me 'beautiful'. You simply stunned me, because I am not used to girls calling me that. I am also afraid that I will not get used to your unpredictable manner after we marry." A wise look crossed her face.
"Kyoya, there is no getting used to anything…People have many jaded sides within them. They pick and choose who they reveal their true selves to others. There is no preparation for how to deal with reactions for spontaneous actions; they just happen…" Kyoya then stopped her with his lips and cradled her hips with his hands.
They stood there intertwined for a couple of hours until an usher politely asked them to leave.
He escorted her to their limo. He "accidently" touched her butt while helping her into the limo. She smacked him for his pervert ways; but when he looked away ashamed of his actions she blushed a bright red that could scare a tomato.
They arrived back at her house sooner than they thought. They sat awkwardly for a second, until Eva tackled Kyoya and gave a big kiss on the lips.
"Thank you for tonight. I had a great time; even when you touched my butt. See you on Monday!" She smiled at him mischievously, before dashing out of the limo. She waved him away, and sprinted into her house.
'She is the most interesting wealthy girl I have ever met! What kind of rich girl takes off out of a limo in a floor-length dress with 4' heels? I think I might be in love with her!' he thought as the limo drove away.
'God, he is so beautiful with all of his emotions! I love everything about him: both the good and the bad! I just hope someday that he will love me in the some way' she mused as she plopped on her bed.
'I wonder how everyone at school is going to react when they hear that we are going to be married!" they both thought.