A/N: I'm out to see how many chapters I can get done in a day. So far, I'm at three, but who knows~ Hope you're all enjoying the story, and I appreciate all the feedback I'm getting ^_^

Kyoya Ootori (17:12) – Hikaru is looking for you both, what's going on? x

Haruhi Fujioka (17:20) – Sorry, needed to talk to Kaoru for a while. Come round tonight? x

Kyoya Ootori (17:22) – I'll order sushi x

I was surprised when I looked down at my phone at the time. Hosting hours were almost over and we still hadn't moved from our resting spot that was now littered with coats and other odd cosplays that Kaoru had been putting on in order to cheer me up. Although I felt bad for leaving Hikaru to deal with such a busy shift without his pillar of support that was Kaoru.

"Hosting will be finished in five minutes, y'know." I informed the younger Hitachiin twin as he attempted to strip himself of an intricate wrap of cloth.

He blinked up at me disbelievingly, "Really? Damn, Hikaru's gonna be mad at me. But I'm sure I can talk him round easily enough."

Laughter burst forth from me as he got his arm stuck and tumbled to the floor with a thump. "I'm just surprised nobody came to drag you back out there."

"Clearly I'm not needed as much as they make out, eh?" Kaoru jested, finally freeing himself. "Are you going to be okay, or do you want to come over to ours tonight?"

I smiled appreciatively up at him as he re-buttoned his shirt and shrugged on the powder blue Ouran blazer. "Thanks, but Kyoya's coming to mine for dinner. Honey left us a chocolate cake that I think I'm in need of and he's ordering sushi apparently."

"Got yourself a catch there," he chuckled. "Just don't let him fatten you up too much."

With a huff, I launched a shoe at him, missing him entirely but it made my point. "Shut up. You should probably go beg Hikaru for forgiveness before he leaves without you. Tell him it's my fault for keeping you."

"Good idea, he can't be angry with you for long!"

I watched him rush out the door towards his brother. It was nice seeing the concern they had for each other, and even better knowing I was treated like an essential extension of their little world. Glancing around, I realised what a mess we had left behind, so I set about fixing that before I left.

At around six o'clock, I heard the door creak open behind me. "Haruhi, are you still in here?"

"Kyo?" I replied. "Yeah. I wanted to clean up the mess Kaoru left in here. It wouldn't be fair to leave it to the newbies. How did they cope?"

He let himself in and closed the door gently behind him, muffling the noise from the other hosts on the other side of the wall. "There were a few rough patches, but they did a reasonable job considering. Now, why were we a host short today? Was something wrong?"

"Uh, I just…" Telling him the truth instantly felt like a bad idea, but at the same time I hated the idea of lying to him. Plus I didn't want to end up crying again. Twice in one day was twice too many. "Needed help picking out some dresses."

His face was deadpan. "You're a terrible liar and you know it."

"Well, I'm afraid you might be angry if I tell you," my shoulders slumped as I realised there was no way around this. Inwardly I began to prepare myself for whatever outcome that may unleash itself upon me once I'd told him everything.

He seemed perplexed and watched me closely. "If you've done nothing wrong, then there's no reason to be afraid. Or should I not have been able to trust you in here alone with Kaoru for such a long period of time?"

"Huh?" Anger flared up in me at the offhand insinuation. "What's that supposed to mean? Kaoru was trying to cheer me up after Tamaki left."

Kyoya visibly relaxed at my response, "Ah, I take it you pair didn't make up then."

"Not quite. You were right."

"I'm always right," he smirked. "You're going to have to be more specific."

This was a situation that I had hoped to avoid ever happening to me. Although in all reality, it wasn't me that had done anything wrong. Tamaki was the one that had put me in the difficult position. "He decided to confess to me in the middle of fighting. He actually kissed me."

When his glasses flashed ominously, I knew this meant trouble. He cleared his throat as if he were expecting me to exclaim that I was joking and that everything would be alright. But when I didn't continue he couldn't control the snarl that curled his thin lips. "And you didn't come to get me? Are you serious?"

"The feeling wasn't mutual. You don't have to get protective," I barked out defensively, my bottom lip beginning to tremble. "But… what upset me was the fact he said you would leave me. You're not going to leave me, are you? Because if everything up until now has been some sick game then I want to know now. I'm well aware I'm not up to your family's elite standards. But I love you and I'm sorry if that's not enough."

Up until now he had been looking desperate to cut and argue his point, but he suddenly sobered. "You've never said you love me before."

"Of course I love you," I whimpered between sobs. "But if you don't trust me enough to be alone with my best friends then what's the point? I trust you to be in a damn host club and flirt with girls for profit after all."

Kyoya seemed torn between continuing the argument and storming off. As a compromise, he stomped towards me and wrapped me in his arms tightly. "I trust you. It's them I don't trust. You're mine and I want it to stay that way, because I love you too."

In the middle of the wardrobe I wept my eyes out – partially in happiness, partially out of complete stress – and Kyoya held me tightly against his chest the whole time.

"Would sushi make you feel better now?" he breathed into my ear, his nose ruffling my choppy locks.

"That's a stupid question and you know it."

"Then let's get the hell out of here."