A/N: New chapter guys, woooo~ Loving and private messages you're sending in, great to get the encouragement and support! ^_^
Enjoy!~
The last week of school was tediously slow. We received our grades from the week before and unsurprisingly I passed with flying colours and came top of the class again. Hikaru and Kaoru cheered when they got handed their scores, crushing me into a tight embrace and thanking me for my help.
Our third year clientele said their weepy goodbyes to us in the host club, demanding most of our time, as well as Honey and Mori's regular customers mourning the departure of their favourite hosts. The emotional sessions drained me of energy and I was glad to get home and jump into bed each night before starting the same routine all over again. On the Friday night, a graduation ball would be held for all the third years before the next school year began and countless new first years started roaming the halls alongside us. A buzz of anticipation filled the students, all discussing their designer dresses and suits that they planned to wear.
"Kyo?" I tapped him on the shoulder as I leant over to peer at what he was working on that laptop of his. "How much of my debt do I have left to pay?"
He raised a curious eyebrow and opened up another spread sheet filled with copious figures, all with far too many zeros on the end of them for my taste. "There isn't much left to repay in fact. You have eleven percent of it left to pay off."
"Wow, is that all?" Happiness bubbled up inside me at the newfound knowledge.
"Indeed," Kyoya paused in his typing to turn in his seat and face me. "Why might you be asking?"
I shrugged, "I've lost track. You stopped adding to it a while back, one of the perks of dating you I suppose."
He smirked and an evil glint appeared in his eye, "That can change if you insist."
"No, no, that's fine," I laughed nervously, scratching at the back of my head. "It's just… I think it might be time to let people know I'm actually a girl. A year of hiding it is enough, I don't want to get to my graduation and everyone still to be none the wiser."
Kyoya took a few seconds to think, bringing out his little black note book and flicking through the pages and skimming the words jotted down, "I suppose the charade must be getting boring, but you are aware that you can't continue your work as a host, yes?"
"I don't need to work as a host; I can visit as a customer. Or just serve tea and coffee like I did before," I explained. The idea of visiting as a customer and paying the boys to flirt with me felt unnatural but it would placate everyone and allow me to see my friends as often as I wished. "Although I will miss sitting talking with the ladies."
"That's true. The last of your debt can be paid with those services, or I could pay off the last of it as a gift then you're free to do as you please considering your little secret," he offered casually, removing his glasses to clean with a silk handkerchief produced from his pocket.
I stared at him, slightly dumfounded. Never in the history of knowing the boy had he been quite so generous without an ulterior motive powering him. My mind whirled as I tried to think of some benefit he could gain from it but I came up blank. "You would do that for me? I can't see much merit in that for you."
"It's only a small gesture," he shrugged, glancing up at me for the first time without his lenses to disguise his eyes. The steely depths held no lie that I could find and I smiled bashfully.
"Perhaps for you. That's still a sizeable amount of money to me."
His glasses were perched back onto his nose, spotlessly clean once again. "Well, your happiness holds value to me that exceeds any sum of money I could lay forth."
"Was that the Shadow King removing his mask?" I teased lightly, unsure of how to respond to the confession. "I never expected to hear something quite so sweet coming from you."
"It's a rare occurrence. I'd make the most of it if I were you," Kyoya reached out and pulled me down into his lap, resting his head on my shoulder and placing a kiss on my neck.
"Well thanks, but you don't need to pay it for me," I assured him. My neck instinctively stretched to give him more access in continuing his journey up to my jawline. "I can serve tea and help with the cleaning. That'll stop Tamaki and the twins from developing separation anxiety as well."
The kisses stopped as Tamaki ran past us after the twins in a blur of blue. We watched as the Frenchman crashed into a chair and tumbled to the floor. "Fair enough. I have a proposition for you."
"Go on."
"My family is holding a dinner party and I wanted to invite you as my date for the evening," he explained, his fingers playing with the buttons on my blazer.
"Are you sure your father would want me there?" I asked uncertainly. "Last time I met him I wasn't exactly polite."
Kyoya grimaced thinking back to that night, "They aren't aware of us dating yet, as far as I know. As my girlfriend he will just have to overcome any distaste he may or may not have for you."
"If you say so. When?"
"Sunday evening." He peered up at the clock, starting his own silent countdown to the ladies' entrances.
I stood, smoothed down my uniform and made some space between us as the doors opened and dozens of girls pranced in and set themselves at their appropriate tables. "Sure, I'd love to go with you. I'll have to talk the twins into providing me with a dress."
My mind wandered to what I could wear and what I would have to go through in the hands of the twins in order to attain the garment, as well as getting a suit fitted for the graduation ball, that was mandatory attendance as a member of the host club. The thought was enough to send a shiver down my spine.
"Sounds like fun," he chimed sarcastically.
With a brief shove to the shoulder in retaliation, I began to wander away to take care of my duties. My first stop was at the Hitachiin's table which was already mobbed with girls.
"Hello there, Haruhi." They crooned, waving me over to stand in between them. The ladies all greeted me enthusiastically, expecting a show from the twins now that I was here to join in their act.
"Care for a cookie?" Hikaru winked, biting down on one end of the chocolate chip cookie and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.
"Oh, thanks," my fingers gripped the part of the cookie sticking out of his mouth and snapped off a chunk to toss into my mouth. "I need a favour."
"Anything for you. We'll be back in a moment ladies." They grabbed me under the armpits and carried me away into the kitchen, cornering me curiously and eagerly, "What's up?"
I squirmed anxiously under their gaze, scratching nervously at my arms as I asked for their assistance, "Have… Have you got a dress I could borrow for the weekend?"
"Oooh, hot date?" Kaoru crowed, elbowing his brother in the side with an exaggerated wink.
"Dinner party with Kyoya's family," I informed them.
They hissed as though in pain, biting at their lips. "Oh man. Good luck with that. But I'm sure we can conjure something up."
"Just come home with us tonight and you can try out the suit we designed for you too! We made it to match ours," they beamed.
"Thanks guys," I pulled them into a brief hug, smiling up at them as I dashed off to greet my designated ladies of the day who were waiting patiently at our table. They smiled up at me warmly, waving bashfully. Switching into host mode, I sat down and began to pour tea and not think of the torture I would be going through later tonight.