Thanks to the study session and her own meticulous habits Haruhi flew through the exams with ease. Still, her days felt a bit odd to her. Though she'd seen all of her friends daily, they didn't gather as a group all week. She found herself thinking on Honey's words and watching them all, this time really paying attention...and was utterly surprised how unobservant she had been. She had thought she knew them - she spent half her life with them after all – but as much as she hated to admit it the golden-haired senior had been right. There was so much more to her boys than she'd realized, and she felt ashamed that she had been blind to so many of their good qualities.
Thursday rolled around and it was with a heavy heart that Haruhi walked with the twins to the Music Room. She felt horrible, though she tried her best not to let it show. As she sat there listening to them finalize plans for a beach vacation she was ostensibly not going on, she allowed herself to watch the dynamic bunch. None of her friends had even come close to blowing the secret plans in front of Tamaki, instead playing their roles with such believability that she had to stop herself from applauding.
After a while conversation drifted from the beach to more general matters. She noticed a lingering hesitance in Tamaki any time he spoke with her, but couldn't put her finger on any specific cause. She also noticed Kyoya was holding himself more aloof than usual – and she knew she wasn't the only one to pick up on that. Still, the atmosphere was familiar, comfortable, and she felt herself leaning into the couch's soft embrace. Before she realized it was happening she had dropped off to sleep surrounded by the ones that mattered most in her world.
Mori noticed the sleeping girl first. For once she'd been sitting by herself and since no one was actively pestering her she'd slipped into dreamland. Of course once Honey had seen what caught his cousin's attention he shushed the others with a quiet command. He gestured at the couch, a loving smile on his face.
"Haru-chan must be really tired," he said, warmth in his voice. One by one – with the exception of Kyoya – the hosts walked over to gather around her couch. Tamaki stifled a squeal when she shifted in her sleep and sighed quietly.
"She's so cute when she's sleeping!" he said with quiet excitement.
"She's even cuter when she's snuggled under her blanket in bed," Hikaru said without thinking. The Host King's eyes widened in alarm. If it hadn't been for Honey's immediate intervention the blond prince would likely have begun shouting.
"Shush. Tama-chan, you don't want to wake her, do you?" Though his tone was cute and friendly the look in the boy Lolita's eyes advised that, really, there was only one answer to that question. Tamaki gulped and shook his head.
As the group stood over their sleeping friend the Shadow King began gathering his things. Despite the confidence he outwardly portrayed, he wasn't comfortable enough with his new relationship to risk it coming out in this moment, and as all he'd wanted to do all day was to pin his lilac-eyed lover to the nearest stationary object and kiss him senseless, it was harder than he'd anticipated to see the obvious love in Tamaki's eyes as he hovered over Haruhi's slumbering form. He needed to clear his head and he couldn't do it here. With slow, measured steps he walked past the group on the couch. He paused for a moment to speak – and to catch a glimpse of the sleeping princess for himself.
"I'm assuming you all will make certain she gets home. She has a busy weekend coming up, so letting her sleep would likely be a good thing. Someone should be here when she wakes." Immediately a whispered discussion broke out over who would be the best person to stay. Kyoya was almost able to ignore the disappointment that twinged through him as he heard Tamaki arguing in his own behalf. Without a backwards glance the brunette left. Maybe if he'd have looked back he would have seen the violet eyes that followed him out the door.
He didn't want to go home, so he headed to Haruhi's house. Ranka would be home tonight as it was his night off, and filling the otaku in on the finalized plans for the beach trip would take his mind off things, if only briefly. He gave the instructions to his driver and sat back in his seat. He was still ordering his thoughts when the car stopped. Shaking his head he gathered his things and stepped out onto the sidewalk, pulling out his phone and dialing a nearby restaurant. It took him no time at all to place a dinner order – it was only right as he was dropping in unannounced for him to furnish food so his his hosts wouldn't feel obligated to provide for an unexpected guest. He had the phone back in his pocket by the time he reached the door. After a brief moment his firm knock was answered by a casually dressed Ranka.
"Kyoya-san! I'm so sorry – Haruhi didn't tell me you'd be coming! I apologize for my appearance."
"Oh, please, don't mention it. I'm afraid I may have forgotten to mention my impending visit to her at all – this week's tests were on the forefront of my mind. Is this an inconvenient time?"
"Not at all! Would you like to come in? Haruhi should be home in a little while – could I interest you in staying for dinner?"
"I would love to come in and wait if it's no problem. And I must insist on supplying dinner for us all, as I know you were not expecting me." He held up a hand to forestall any argument and knowing how stubborn his daughter's friend could be Ranka gave in gracefully. In short order Kyoya was sitting in the couch he was so familiar with. Haruhi's father took a seat in a chair across from him, looking just as comfortable in his worn jeans and well-washed t-shirt, red hair pulled back in a careless ponytail, as he did in a sleek woman's suit and makeup. Not for the first time Kyoya saw in the older man the unconscious poise and kindness that so defined Haruhi.
"So what brings you here, Kyo-kun?" It was a long-standing tradition that on Kyoya's solo visits, once they were inside and away from gossiping eyes, Ranka would drop the gushing formality and just act normal. Equally as standard was the fact that Kyoya could fully relax around the understanding man. He pulled off his glasses to clean them before putting them back on.
"I came to tell you of the arrangements for Haruhi's trip to the beach." Ranka raised an eyebrow.
"If that were your only reason for coming, you wouldn't have shown up before she got home. What is it you're trying to escape from?" Kyoya sighed. The redheaded crossdresser often came across as frivolous, but he was sharp as a whip crack and twice as fast.
"Myself, I suppose." Ranka nodded as though he's expected that answer. For all Kyoya knew he probably had.
"Too bad every time you try and run from yourself, you're always there."
"Never truer words spoken, Ranka-san," Kyoya said on an exhale.
"Well, either we can talk about general whatever until Haru gets home, or you can tell me what's bothering you. I don't promise to have any answers, but I'm a good listener." That was another thing Kyoya respected about the other man. He never pried, and he never judged. Ranka was honest and kept his word. If Kyoya wanted to talk about his problems to otaku would listen without pointing fingers or throwing accusations. And if not, well, he was just as happy to discuss the migratory patterns of spotted ducks or what wine would go best with ootoro. Right now, Kyoya felt he could use some advice.
In as few words as possible, the host explained the recent...situation with Tamaki. He left out the intimate bits, as well as his confession to Tamaki about his financial stability, and he most definitely didn't say a word about Haruhi or his father's idea to arrange a betrothal. Even so, it was exhilarating to be able to speak his thoughts to someone he knew would never criticize or look down on him.
"I can see how something like this could be a problem in your society," Ranka nodded once the younger man had run out of words. At one point when Kyoya had taken a break from speaking to order his thoughts Ranka had thoughtfully brought them both beverages, and the brunette was grateful for the slide of the cool liquid on his throat. He took another sip and held his cup in his hands, staring into its depths.
"Society, my family...I'm not overly worried about them. Society has a new scapegoat every week, and as long as this doesn't have a negative effect on my business practices it will blow over eventually. My family..." he trailed off, not seeing the fierce look in Ranka's eyes. He didn't know that Haruhi had filled her father in on the way the Ootori patriarch treated his youngest son, so even if he had seen the flash of protective outrage in the other man's eyes he wouldn't have known why it was there. Ranka's expression was perfectly attentive when Kyoya looked up again.
"My family will have me removed from their line and their holdings. I will forever be the disgraced Ootori son. In fact, I would be much surprised if my father or brothers ever spoke to me again of their own free will."
"I'm sorry," Ranka said, his sincerity tempered by the honest belief that Kyoya would be far better off without such dictators and unworthies in his life.
"I'm not." Kyoya's grin held no humor. "They are completely unnecessary for either my financial security or my happiness."
"Well, if you love Tamaki, and he loves you, and your family and society aren't the problems, what is?" Ranka had cut to the heart of the matter and Kyoya paused, planning his words with precision to reveal only enough to answer the question.
"The problem is that I have recently realized I have come to l...care deeply for someone else as well."
"It is anyone I know?" the man teased with a cheeky smile.
"Kyoya-senpai?" Haruhi's curious voice rang from the doorway.
Kyoya choked on his tea.
Ranka blinked rapidly, his mind making the obvious connection as his eyes widened in realization.
"Who ordered dinner?" the girl asked, completely unaware of the unspoken chaos her appearance had just caused.
For the first time in his life Kyoya wished he had been born a slug.