The Eyes Behind the Glasses

WC: 1,934

B is for Bikini

Timeline: Haruhi is nineteen and Kyoya is twenty.

Most people wouldn't have believed that in four years, Haruhi would have finally blossomed into puberty. Especially not the clients that the Host Club used to entertain, but that would have been for different reasons entirely.

She certainly wasn't the world's curviest girl, but she now had lumps that could be categorized as breasts, and hips that had made her go up two sizes in jeans. Her stomach had only fleshed out a little, and she wondered if that happened because she wasn't getting enough exercise. She kept her hair about the same length, maybe just a little longer, because she still liked how easy it was to take care of.

She stared at herself in the mirror, wearing a newly purchased 'item' that she had brought (on sale). It might have been because she felt like dressing up. Or it might have been for someone she hadn't seen in awhile.

Currently, she was showing more skin that she ever had in her entire life combined. She didn't understand why these girls didn't just go swimming in their bras and underwear.

The bikini was a pale rose color. The top held the curve of her breast tightly, and was tied in the back and around the neck. Haruhi had to redo those knots fifty times before they had come out sleek and graceful looking.

Her nipples were also being showcased by the top, much to her embarrassment.

She constantly wanted to keep pulling up the bottom piece of swimsuit, because she swore it kept riding down no matter how tight she made the knots on the sides. When she had brought the piece, she had thought that the knots on the sides were for decoration. It wasn't until she got home did she realize that they were practically all that was holding it in place.

It was a good thing that she didn't really swim, because she didn't believe that was even possible in this thing.

As the final touch, she pulled on a sheer white Tee, which fell down to mid-thigh. The salesperson said that it covered everything while covering nothing.

Haruhi knew she had been conned. This thing covered nothing.

She considered pulling on a real Tee, but it would defeat any purpose that she was trying to aim for this evening. So she put on her sandals, checked herself one last time, grimaced. Then left.

Standing in the cool evening breeze, she felt her nipples tighten until they hurt. She resisted the urge to rub them, though. More for the notion that someone might see her then to make herself more tempting.

She tried to walk slowly towards the beach from her condo, but her heart was pounding too hard and she could hardly get a slight curl to her lips that might resemble a smile because she was so nervous. Haruhi was starting to think that this wasn't worth her time and that she should go back, but it was too late, someone had already spotted her.

"Haruhi, aren't you looking…" Haruhi's neighbor, Seki, was going to say cute, before she completely took in what her colleague was wearing. "Sexy," she finished. Then grinned, "My, my, whose eyes are you trying to catch? Perhaps the ones behind the glasses?"

Haruhi blushed, "Quiet," she mumbled. Then a thought occurred to her, "Seki, you better not say that I don't wear this type of stuff everyday. Got that?"

Seki smiled innocently, "Whatever you say, Tee."

Tee. The nickname Seki gave Haruhi because all she would wear were T-shirts.

Haruhi ignored the remark and they both walked to the beach. The sun was setting, making the water glint a gold color. She could see the boat was ready, waiting on the dock. This would be the first time Haruhi had ever gone to any of the parties that her fellow colleagues had thrown. But Seki had told her that it would be a laid back one. Haruhi hoped that she wasn't lying.

Kyoya had arrived unexpectedly at her college only a week ago. She wasn't sure why he was here; she didn't think that he was even taking classes. It didn't matter too much to her why he was at the school, it just mattered that he was actually there.

Even so, they had only made small-talk two times (Haruhi was even able to play them in her head to precision, because they were so short).

And the only reason that she was going to this party was because she heard that he was going to be there.

But now she stood on the beach awkwardly, because she didn't see him, and the boat was going to head off in a matter of fifteen minutes.

She held her sandals in her hands, digging her toes into the sand. She wondered if she should just head home.

"Hey, Haruhi! Take your shirt off!" Someone yelled from the deck, it was followed by laughter from the other boys. They reminded her of the twins at times, just not at the extent the twins would go to. And they certainly didn't have kind hearts behind their persona.

She still was in touch with nearly all of the Host Club, mostly because they wouldn't let the relationship die. She tried to keep in contact; saying that it was work that kept her from responding more, but she wasn't sure if that was completely true or not.

The only one that never contacted her was Kyoya. The one that just happened to fall back into her life such a short time ago.

She worried that he would disappear as fast as he appeared.

"Haruhi, are you listenin'?" The voice called again.

She sighed, then dropped her shoes to the ground. Reaching her hands over her shoulders, she grabbed the shirt and in one smooth movement pulled it off. There was cheering and applause, and some whistles. She shook her head and smiled to herself. She was able to see why girls showed off their bodies, but she also knew that it was not her to be doing so.

She folded the shirt, listening to the captain calling if everyone was almost ready. She sighed, still looking at her feet, then decided she would go anyway.

She dropped her shirt onto her shoes, then nearly ran into Kyoya.

Haruhi had never seen his eyes go so wide.

"Haruhi? I didn't…recognize you," he said.

"Oh, uh," she just finished it off with a smile, not knowing what else to say.

"Hey, you two coming aboard or what?" The captain said.

"Milady," Kyoya said, gesturing with his hand, and smiling.

She gave a nod and moved in front of him. She had never felt so exposed before. She knew why he had volunteered her to go first and just exactly what he was watching.

There was soft rock playing in the background, and a table of food. But Haruhi didn't trust herself to eat anything. Her stomach was already in knots, and the motion of the rocking boat wasn't going to help much.

The boat lurched forward and Haruhi fell backwards into Kyoya. He caught her shoulders and steadied her.

"Sorry," she said. He probably thinks I did it on purpose, she thought.

"No problem," he said with the same smile she remembered from her high school days. He was wearing a plain white shirt and black slacks.

She turned her head away, feeling the awkwardness settling in her belly.

Before any of them could bring up a conversation, Kyoya was swarmed by other girls in swimsuits and guys wanting to shake his hand. In no time, he was at the other side of the boat.

Haruhi groaned and leaned against the boat rail, feeling all the awkwardness in her stomach wanting to come back up in the form of something physical.

She wasn't quite sure how she had planned this to go, but it certainly hadn't involved other girls in bikinis.

Haruhi turned towards the ocean, waiting for anything she had eaten today to come back up.

While she was trying to keep herself from retching, she felt a hand at the back of her neck. It barely registered before the knot came undone and the bikini top fell forward.

She gasped and crossed her arms over her chest. The whooping of the four guys grabbed peoples' attention instantly. Haruhi dropped her head as she felt her face turn crimson.

"Hey—back off!" She heard Kyoya snap, she could almost imagine the face he was giving those four by how quickly they quieted.

She heard him order the captain to turn the boat back around. She was sure that the captain wasn't happy in the slightest, but Kyoya was used to getting his way. She was too distraught to register when the boat actually turned and when it hit the shore. She was glad that they hadn't come out that far.

I shouldn't be so upset; she tried to tell herself, as Kyoya led her off of the boat. These things have probably happened to every girl that has worn a bikini.

Then why the hell did she feel like crying? Was it just an embarrassment overload?

She turned her head enough to see the captain removing the board and closing the doorway again. All her classmates watched them as Kyoya walked her along the dock. She saw Seki through the crowd, her face slightly crinkled, in concern or disgust, Haruhi didn't know.

"Are you all right?" Kyoya asked. He reached his hands over her shoulders and grabbed the two ties of the bikini top, retying them at the base of her neck. He took her hand and led her along the beach, stopping at a bench far away from the docks.

She wasn't sure if that was a good question, since she was half-naked, cold, hungry, embarrassed and still had the leftover taste of seasickness in her mouth. She had certainly had better days.

She had her eyes lowered, so she didn't see when he pulled off his shirt and handed it to her, politely turning away.

Haruhi turned her back to him, removed the whole stupid top, and then pulled on his shirt. It was still warm and smelled like him.

"Better?" He asked.

She nodded, but was a little distracted by his chest. She dropped her eyes then sat on the bench, holding the bikini top in her hands; her face was set in a pout and her eyes leaking a small amount of tears. She watched the boat head off again, vowing never to go to another party in her life.

Kyoya sat next to her on the bench. She wanted to say sorry, but she wasn't sure what for.

"Thanks," she said, "for the shirt…"

"You're welcome," his smooth voice made her shudder.

"Are you cold?" He asked, moving closer and putting his arm around her.

Well, she certainly wasn't cold now. She leaned in closer to him, liking the feeling.

She tilted her head up, smiling up at him. He looked down at her, their noses almost touching.

He gently captured her chin in his fingers and brought her mouth all the way up, giving her a mind-numbing kiss.

Her whole body leaned into his; she lifted her arms up to wrap them around his neck.

Kyoya carefully disengaged her from him, his glasses slightly askew. "Would you like to go to dinner tomorrow night?"

So formal, she thought. "Yes, please," she said, followed by an infectious grin.

As he walked her home, she wasn't quite sure if the bikini was the clothes of the devil or the work of the saint.