Author's note: As with all of my M-rated work, this will definitely earn the rating. This chapter, though, mostly just hints at a few things. I give no such assurances for future chapters, though. *grins wickedly*

For people accustomed to having servants, the hosts were fairly good at cleaning up messes. Shortly after Haruhi had left, all the glass and water and been disposed of. Honey had thoughtfully laid each of the damp papers individually across the tables to dry out. Everything was tidy again, and everyone but Kyoya – finishing up some last minute financial projections for the upcoming trip – had vacated the room. Closing his laptop and gathering his things, he was somewhat surprised when the red-headed rascals came back in and walked up to him, unreadable expressions on their faces. Rather than ask questions he simply watched them calmly as they approached.

"Kyoya, Haruhi needs our help." He blinked once. That certainly wasn't what he expected.

"By 'we' do you mean 'yours' or 'everyone's' or the three of us specifically?"

"Everyone but the Boss," was the prompt response. Has he been anyone else his visage might have reflected his shock. As it was, anyone looking at him would have seen only the calm, collected third Ootori son. Knowing this gave him comfort as he nodded to his companions.

"Go on."

"Well, you see, Haruhi isn't going to help out her father's friend. She plans to take a mini-vacation of her own away from everyone." Kyoya simply nodded as though he hadn't heard this news the night before from her father.

"We think we might be able to get her to come with us, but only if she'll be left alone and ONLY if Tamaki-senpai doesn't know. She's really annoyed with him right now." They shared a wry look – it was easy to see why Haruhi was one of the few that could tell them apart – and Kyoya nodded his understanding.

"I see. So she could possibly be convinced to...stow away, but only if her peace could be assured." The two nodded, and Hikaru began to speak.

"That's why we need everyone's help. We need to convince her that she'll be left alone -"

"- but that we're nearby if she needs us -"

"- and that no one will tell Tama," they finished in unison. Kyoya pondered the idea for a few moments. Having Haruhi present but not involved would be...odd. But if the only other option was to have Haruhi not present at all...

"Have you considered where she would stay?"

"We offered to let her sleep with us," Hikaru said, breaking off as his brother elbowed him in the ribs.

"Honestly, we don't know. We figured between us all we could come up with something. We just want her with us, or at least near. We need to know she's safe." The twins' thoughts echoed his own on the matter, though he would never have freely admitted it.

"I believe I may be able to come up with something. Very well. You have my word that, should Haruhi choose to accompany us, I will not breathe a word of it to Tamaki."

"You're the best!" they said happily before they turned to leave. His sharp hearing caught their whispered conversation as they headed towards the door.

"Not surprising, really."

"Not at all. He loves her as much as the rest of us do."

"Not like he'd ever admit it..." The door closed behind them and Kyoya set his stuff back down, re-taking his own seat as his thoughts began to flutter in their efficient way. How to secure proper arrangements for Haruhi without her being noticed? His eyes wandered as he thought, and came to rest on a slightly crumpled piece of paper under a side table. Likely a page of Haruhi's work, missed during the cleanup, he figured, walking over to retrieve it. Mildly curious when he noticed what seemed to be multiple people's handwriting he flattened it out and tried to read around the water spots and running ink where the words and sentences had been obliterated. His eyes widened at the few words and phrases he could make out before narrowing dangerously. Something inside him – something very much like possessive jealousy, though never in a million years would he give voice to such a useless emotion – began to burble.

It was time to pay Haruhi a visit.

Hoping her expression didn't reveal how racy her thoughts of a few moments ago had been, she opened the door only to stop in surprise.

"Kyoya-senpai? Can I help you?" Why on earth was he visiting? Kyoya didn't do visiting. She glanced behind him for his usually everpresent sidekick, and the Shadow King correctly interpreted her actions.

"I am unaccompanied. May I come in?"

"Oh, of course," she said, stepping aside as Kyoya brushed past and telling herself firmly that she most definitely did NOT quiver as he brushed past her. "Would you like some coffee or tea?"

"Tea is fine," he murmured, taking a seat while she hurried to the kitchen. She was insanely curious as to what had brought him here alone, but she knew that he'd get to the purpose of his visit when he was good and ready and not before. As such she was the picture of composure when she reentered the living room, pouring tea for both of them. She smiled behind her cup as he took a sip, seeing the very faint flutter of his eyelashes and the inaudible sigh as he drank. She always did have a knack for making excellent tea, she thought happily. Without a word he set his cup down and reached into his bag to pull out a pile of wrinkled, crackling, flattened papers.

"My notes!" she said, surprised.

"Honey-senpai was very concerned that you get these back," he replied with a blank expression.

"Oh he's so sweet," she murmured, glancing through the pile before returning her eyes to his. "Thank you, Kyoya-senpai. You didn't have to make a special trip here just for this." She most certainly did not take a deep breath when he leaned back and crossed his legs at the ankles.

"It has come to my attention that your plans to help your father's friend are a fabrication." Haruhi felt her eyes widen, her pulse speeding up.

"Kyoya-senpai, I don't mean to cause any hurt feelings -" she began but he waved her off.

"Everyone needs a break sometimes," he said calmly. "However, the twins came to me today. They mentioned that they'd invited you to come along with us all and asked me not to tell Tamaki. I will agree on one condition." He paused to take a drink.

"And what condition would that be, Senpai?" she asked, slightly wary. Suddenly his demeanor changed. No longer open and comfortable, he now seemed wound like a spring, a tension radiating from him unlike anything Haruhi had ever seen from the usually cool Ootori. He never so much as shifted position but she abruptly got the image of a large panther, sleek and lovely and ready to pounce on his prey.

"How long have you been intimately involved with the Hitachiins?"

She spit her tea across the room, and it was a mark of her shock that it took her a few moments to stand and clean it up. After she'd sufficiently composed herself she returned to her seat and addressed Kyoya.

"Would you mind repeating that, Senpai? I believe I must have misunderstood you."

"You heard what I said."

"Okay. You're right. I do know what you said. What I don't understand is how you feel you have the right to make assumptions for no good reason!" She was starting to get angry with him as he sat there sipping his tea and regarding her from behind his glasses.

"I think it could be considered more than conjecture at this point," he murmured, and she was about to explode until he calmly handed her a paper, one that had obviously gotten the worst of the water damage from the earlier debacle. Taking it from him she tried to read what words she could around the spots and smudges, and what she saw made her blush violently.

"...break next weekend...come...go somewhere alone...sit on a big...beach resorts...as much as you want...keep Tamaki from finding out...up to you...make you come...on our knees...let us...stayed in our room...I do...coming into our room...think about it...teasing you...take my brother's cock...knowing you're close..."

"Oh. My. God." She slumped to the floor weakly, face turning red. She felt humiliated. "This sounds so wrong," she muttered. Locked in her own embarrassment as she was she never noticed Kyoya's expression flashing lightning-quick from smug to confused before its customary mask settled over his features. Finally she looked up at him, eyes wide and full of worry.

"Kyoya-senpai, this isn't...I've never...how could this..." She realized she was stammering and cleared her throat, wondering how much embarrassment one person could physically feel before simply imploding. Lowering her eyes she tried again.

"Senpai...what this says...you see, the water damage pretty much destroyed the actual conversation. I realize what is legible reads...well, very badly, and I understand your conclusions. If I were to read this without knowing what was actually said, I, uh – well, I'd think the same thing." Looking back up at him, a plea in her eyes, she explained the original contents of the note. It took her a while but he remained completely silent during the recounting.

"So you see, it wasn't anything like...well, what it reads like." She dropped her head once more. Not even during the most horrid moments of the Host Club had she ever felt so completely degraded. Silence settled on the room, so quiet Haruhi could almost hear her own heart beating.

"I see." When it became obvious that those two words were to be his only response, she sighed. The silence returned, but with it came an underlying tension she couldn't quite name. She never heard him move but suddenly his fingers were under her chin, tilting her face up to meet his gaze.

"I apologize for my assumptions," he murmured, dark eyes gleaming from behind his glasses. This close she could catch faint traces of his shampoo – a woodsy scent, bringing to mind forests after a gentle rain. She wondered, if she were to lean forward and place her lips against his, would he respond? Would he kiss her back? Would he recoil, startled, disgusted? And why the hell was she contemplating kissing him anyway? Swallowing hard, she she tried to get her mind to behave again. He gave her a brief smile, really nothing more than a slight softening of his coal-dark eyes and a tiny twitch of the lips she'd just been fantasizing about before turning back into the Shadow King. Thoroughly flustered now, Haruhi jumped to her feet.

"I'll just...get some more tea -"

"That won't be necessary," he said quietly, standing up. "I must head home. Thank you for your hospitality."

"Why are you being so formal now, Senpai?" she blurted before her brain could catch up with her mouth. She knew she was apple-red but since she couldn't un-say it she decided to wait for an answer. An answer, it seemed, he didn't plan to give. Resigning herself to feeling like a fool, she looked him directly in the eyes and plastered her best 'I'm waiting' smile on her face. To her surprise it worked.

"I have given you grave insult and overstepped the boundaries of friendship by casting aspersions on your character and making assumptions. For that I am truly sorry."

"I forgive you," she said without hesitation, and had to suppress a smile at his disbelieving expression. If she could have a split second in time to snap a picture, his shock at her response would be it.

"Why?" He seemed wary, and she shrugged.

"Because you're my friend, Kyoya," she replied, deliberately leaving out the honorific. "And friends forgive each other."

"That seems to me a naïve and trusting way to treat the world."

"Not the world. Just my world." Offering him a genuine smile, she gestured to the tea. "And now that we've cleared that up, would you care to stay for tea, or dinner?" She inwardly groaned. What on earth possessed her to offer dinner? She prepared herself for for a gentle rejection.

"I think I'd...like that. Haruhi." She wasn't sure which of them was more surprised at his agreement, but they were both smiling as he followed her into the kitchen.