"Haruhi, Haruhi!" Tamaki exclaimed excitedly as he approached her as the doors closed behind Kyouya and Pumpkin.

"What is it now, senpai?" Groaning softly, she turned to face him in her chair.

"This weekend there's a big sale at this department store!" He pointed to a piece of paper that he held up for her to see.

"Oh?" She glanced over it. "It looks like there's some good sales going on. Maybe I'll go check it out."

"I'm going with you!"

"Us too! We have nothing else to do then." Hikaru and Kaoru appeared, looking over it as well.

"Absolutely not! I don't want to be associated with any of you, you'll cause problems for everyone. And, I'd like to look for something to add to my mother's altar, I don't need you guys around for that." Standing up, she dusted off her slacks before pushing in her chair.

"Haruhi.. I'd like to add something, too!"

"Us too, us too!" Hikaru and Kaoru joined in.

"Fine, but if you guys so much as make any sort of ruckus, I won't be associated with you at all!"

"Oh!" Hikaru held out the advertisement. "The sale starts tonight! We should go!"

"Yea, yea!" Tamaki called out. "We should definitely go!"

"You guys go ahead, I have things to do tonight at home."

"Awww, don't tell us you're going to do homework!"

"Yea, actually. That, and I'm preparing a meal that needs extra time."

"Hm?" Kaoru scratched at his chin. "What's so special you're making an extra nice meal?"

"It- it's because I have that nice grade meat, I want to use it before it goes bad!" Getting up quickly, she gathered her things. "I'll see you guys tomorrow." She left in a hurry.

"She seemed anxious to leave." Hikaru pouted.

"Hmm." Hani walked up, thinking. "Didn't Haru-chan say something about an anniversary coming up?"

"Huh?" The twins and Tamaki turned to look at him as Mori nodded. "But what for?"

"It must be something special, right?" Hani stared at the sales ad.

"Didn't she say she wanted to buy something for her mother's altar?" Mori asked, picking up the paper and studying it.

"Oh!" Hikaru and Kaoru stared at each other, popping a fist in their other hand. "That must be it!"

Tamaki blinked for a second before nodding. "That's it! We'll assemble a gathering and we'll all meet Mama-Haruhi as a group! Kyouya, make the-" He pointed to an empty chair only to see he was missing. "Huh. That's right.."

Kaoru looked at Tamaki quickly, wondering about what the King was thinking. Perhaps something about the group slowly distancing itself?

"We'll make the arrangements ourselves and invite Kyouya later!"

Or perhaps not. "If we do that, we should bring Mama-Haruhi flowers!"

"And nice incense." Tamaki nodded.

"What about her favorite food?" Hikaru wondered out loud.

"Didn't you hear?" Hani pointed out. "Haru-chan's making something special with that meat! But we could always bring cake, right? Just a little bit for the trip, then some extra for when we get there to share with Mama-Haru-chan, and then some for the trip back! Is that okay, Takeshi?" He asked, looking up at his cousin excitedly.

"Mh." He nodded. "But we need our hands to carry her other gifts, too."

"Well that's true. So how about one hand for cake, and one hand for her gifts? Or! We could put the cake in a backpack, and have our hands free for gifts! Would that be okay?"

"As long as it isn't too much."

"What kind of cake do you think she likes? Strawberries and cream? Tira misu? Lemon cake? Mochi, maybe?"

"We can try dutch chocolate with cherries."

"Isn't that Pu-chan's cake, though? You should save some for her on the trip."

"Do you think she'll come?"

"Of course! We're all going, so why not?"

"Purple-chan did say she had extra studying to do." Kaoru leaned back against the large table they had set up.

Hikaru pouted. "But it's not the whole gang if she doesn't show up."

Mori nodded. "Mhmm."

"You're just saying that because you like her!" The twins called him out.

"So it's decided!" Tamaki shouted. "This weekend, we'll make a special visit to meet Mama-Haruhi!"

"Yea!" The others called out, meeting his excitement.

-x-

Brrrnng..

Brrrnng..

BRNNG!

Opening his eyes, Kyouya pulled away from Kodo's mouth reluctantly, dark gray eyes meeting her deep green ones for just a moment before jerking the screaming cell phone from his pocket, looking at the caller ID. Idiot. Flipping open the phone, he put it to his ear. "What is it." He wasn't amused in the least; he was exhausted, and now that he'd finally made some sort of what he assumed was progress in this whole Pumpkin-now-Kodo ordeal, that stupid idiot had to interrupt.

"Kyouya, Kyouya! We're going this weekend to meet Mama-Haruhi!"

"Congratulations."

"You come too!"

"Do I- have to?" He leaned forward, placing a finger and thumb to the bridge of his nose.

"Yes! No exceptions! We're all going, it's a family event!"

He noticed Kodo rushing past him, and reached out for her arm, but his fingertips just grazed the skin on her forearm as she ran past. Were those goosebumps?

"So be ready!"

"I'll talk to you later." Hanging up, he tossed his phone to the bed as he ran after her. "Kodo, wait!" But just as he'd ignored her the previous night, she seemed to be ignoring him now. His door shut and just vaguely he could hear her footsteps as she ran off down the hall. His driver could take her home. Shoulders forward, he walked back to his bed and picked up his phone, half a mind to throw it across the room just to listen for the satisfying sound of it shattering against something hard. "Damn that Tamaki." He muttered as he laid down, pressing his face into his pillow. Inhaling deeply, he caught the faint smell of something.. musky. It was gone as soon as he'd smelled it, but he still reached under his pillow and pressed it to his face. There it was again, something sweet and heavy, but only lasting a second or two. It turned him on, that deep, heavenly smell. Sitting up quickly, he stared at the pillow a good long minute before grabbing his phone to call the maid.

"Ohtori-sama, how may I be of assistance?"

"Were my sheets cleaned today?"

"Washed and ironed, sir. Just as you have informed us, we also tucked in the corners, and-"

"Thank you for your hard work." He hung up quickly. Grabbing the corner of the pillow, he dragged it into his lap and stared at it again before slowly pulling it up to his nose, inhaling again that musky sweet scent. "Hm. Hmhmhm." He laughed softly to himself as he laid back down, pressing his face to the pillow and loosening his belt for better access to himself. "You are really something else, Kodo." It didn't take long for him to finish and fall asleep on top of his covers.

-x-

"Oh, how come you dragged me into this!" Kodo slumped over in her seat in the limo. "The least you could have done was warn me, I would have worn something more appropriate! Somehow, black jeans and a ripped shirt over a tank top isn't something I'd like to wear to a cemetery!" It didn't help she was wearing bangles that made noise when her arms moved. But, it was true. She was in the middle of brushing her teeth when these guys practically barged in and dragged her away. At first she thought there was an emergency.

"But Pu-chan!" Hani ate a big bite of cake from the portable container he held. "We brought you some cake, too!"

Mori produced a package and handed it over as he was sitting next to her. "Dutch chocolate."

"You guys.." Are going to give me cavities and fatten me up! "T-thanks." Opening the package, she used her finger to scoop some of the whipped chocolate icing off the top and licked it. "It's good." But it always was. "Thanks, Mori-senpai." She smiled up at him, and those blush lines returned. Oh man, how do I explain what happened to him? Aren't he and I supposed to be going out?

The sound of Kyouya clearing his throat caught their attention as he pushed his glasses up his nose. "We should be there soon."

"Oh!" Tamaki perked up as he looked out the window. "I see Haruhi's apartment building!"

"Huh, where?" Hikaru joined him at the limo window, ignoring Kaoru's sleeping body that slumped over in the seat. "Oh, yea! Isn't that her walking out, now? And Ranka's there, too!"

Tamaki hid behind Kaoru. "He'll kill me!"

"Who's Ranka?" Kodo stared out the window.

"That's Haru-chan's dad, her real one!" Hani rolled down the window and waved at the two. "You two look really nice!"

"Come on, come on, I wanna go!" Hikaru grabbed the door handle but couldn't get it open. "It won't budge!"

"That's because you're doing it wrong!" Tamaki reached over and grabbed the handle as well, jerking it hard. "Ah! It's not working!"

"Let me do it, you guys don't know how to operate anything!" Kodo shoved Tamaki as she attempted as well, moving the handle back and forth quickly. "What the-!"

Kaoru grumbled as he sat up. "Unlock the door, idiot."

"Oh!" Tamaki flipped the lock switch in the middle of her trying to pry open the handle, resulting in the door flying open and they went spilling out of the car like cereal out of a box.

"Wheee!" Hani raised his arms as he slid down, using them as a slide. "Again, again!"

"Come on." Mori side-stepped them and exited the car with ease as he picked Hani up.

"GRT ERFF MRR!"

"Oh! Pumpkin-san, sorry!" Tamaki shoved Hikaru off him as he stood, offering his hand out to her.

"I can get up myself!" She struggled to stand but her ankle bent funny and she ungracefully landed on her butt on the sidewalk.

"Why you all continue to act like buffoons is beyond me." Kyouya exited last after Kaoru, looking perturbed.

"I'm going back inside." Haruhi's voice caught everyone's attention.

"No wait!" Tamaki called out. "We came to pay your mom a visit!"

"We can just go next year, right dad?"

"This is a once a year anniversary! Haruhi, you should have told me these guys were coming, I would have prepared a leash for this one!" Ranka's thumb jabbed in the direction of Tamaki.

"Ah!" Tamaki hid behind Kyouya. "I don't want a leash, collars will chafe my neck!"

"Why do you sound like you speak from experience?" Hikaru and Kaoru asked at the same time.

"Judging from the beach incident, perhaps he's more into S&M than we thought." Kyouya seemed deep in thought.

Tamaki leaped away from his best friend. "No, that's not it at all! I have sensitive skin!"

Kodo couldn't help but throw a hand over her mouth when she heard Kyouya's response, though.

"Seriously, I'm going home." Haruhi was already half way up the steps.

"Haru-chan, wait!" Hani ran up to her, tugging at her hand. "Pu-chan hasn't gotten the chance to meet her yet. So let us go with you, okay? We'll go for fancy tuna afterward, 'kay?"

"Eh.."

"Fancy, tuna! Fancy, tuna!" The twins chanted silently from the ground with Tamaki chiming in.

"I guess she likes that stuff, huh?" Kodo asked, standing slowly an brushing off her butt. "Come to think of it.. I haven't had sushi since I've been here. My mouth's watering, thinking of it." Her thoughts were spoken out loud.

Kyouya's face broke out into a sort of grin as he called out, "And I'll foot the bill!"

Everyone turned at the same time to stare at him, his words echoing through the street. Immediately the host club huddled into a group with Ranka included, leaving Kyouya out, dread lines covering him.

"We'll get all the fanciest shit, right?"

"The best things!"

"Fancy tuna?"

"All the fancy tuna you want!"

"Shark sushi?"

"Why not!"

"Crank up that bill if you have to buy another stomach!"

"All the cake I could ever want!"

"Mh."

"Leftovers?"

"We'll buy extra platters to take home!"

"Oh man, I'm already starving!"

"I'll make sure Daddy's got his little girl everything she could want!"

"Tamaki-senpai, pls."

"Don't act like you're going to replace me, brat!"

"Don't forget about the food!"

"Hey, who's this purple headed girl?"

"That's Pumpkin!"

"Please, call me Kodo."

"Since when did you change to that!"

"Since I don't want to be called after a gourd."

"But it fit you!"

"Only because you got used to it!"

"Hey, wait, why do I get the feeling we're forgetting something?"

"Isn't this outing supposed to be about meeting Mama-Haruhi?"

"Don't call my mother that!"

Suddenly, everyone turned around and faced Kyouya, faces brimming. "Let's be off then, shall we?" They all asked at once and turned to walk off, ignoring the dread lines and hunched shoulders of the dark lord.

Kodo walked a bit behind him, wanting to avoid any sort of interaction, especially after what happened before. Instead, she had Hani occupy her time, even though he sat on Mori's shoulders. They spoke excitedly about different cake options for the upcoming fall festival the host club would participate in. Nutmeg and cinnamon were definitely options.

"And pumpkin pie, it'll be your special menu item!" Hani laughed.

"Yea.. listen. I- I don't want to be called Pumpkin any more."

"Oh? I heard that, but how come?"

Even Mori looked interested in what she had to say.

"I remembered how much of an ass my father always was, and that he gave that nickname to me." The image of him chasing her with a carved pumpkin returned to mind and she shuddered. "I'd like to be called Kodo now, instead."

"Kodo.. It's much simpler, and easier to say. What's it stand for?"

"It's-" Sighing heavily, she gave in. "It's like a summarized version of my actual name."

"Ohh, I see! Well, I like it. What about the customers though?" She was silently grateful he didn't push for what her name actually was.

"That's alright if they continue calling me Pumpkin. It's too much of a hassle now to try and get everyone to call me by a new nickname. Even if some of you guys keep calling me that, it's okay."

"Kodo." Mori nodded at her.

"Yea?" She looked up at him.

"It fits."

"Heh.. thanks. But, really, it was K- Ohtori-san who came up with it." Glancing in his direction, she noticed he seemed a bit more upset as he stayed silent through Tamaki's relentless verbal idiocies, waves of grumbling lines coming off him. But he paused his walking a moment to glance at them, probably since he'd heard his name. Smiling, she waved at him. "Thanks, Ohtori-san~" She tried to sound nice, but there was an undertone of slight aggressiveness. She couldn't help it, after their previous encounters, it was hard not to blame him for the things he'd done. Although, she wasn't sure she hadn't edged it on. Did she like this sort of attention? Simple answer: yes. It made her blush.

"Ah, we're here, we're here!" Hani slid off Mori's shoulders and walked up in front of Haruhi. "Uwaaah. It's such a nice day to meet her, too." He set a piece of cream cake on the small shelf where Haruhi replaced some fresh flowers, and Tamaki lit some incense, while Ranka set down a bowl with some meat in it.

Afterward, Haruhi clapped her hands together and everyone else followed suit. This was a tradition Kodo was completely unfamiliar with, so followed along silently. They then bowed their heads and closed their eyes, silent for a long while, the cool autumn wind making her exposed ankles and arms cold. Perhaps I'm supposed to say something? They talk like she's still alive. Is Haruhi communicating with her mother? Is that a thing that can happen? Or do they just enjoy the silence? Am I supposed to think something instead? I should have asked before we got here. Dammit. Opening an eye, she caught glimpse of Kyouya who had already opened his eyes, hands in his pockets as he was staring at the tombstone, eyes soft and a small smile playing at his lips. Opening her other eye, her hands slowly moved downward as her cheeks warmed slightly. He turned his head toward her, that look unchanging as they stared at each other in silence.

"Thank you, Mama-Haruhi!" Tamaki was the first to speak, tears falling. "For giving us such a wonderful angel in our lives!"

"Shut up!" Ranka hit him over the head.

"Seriously, I have one obnoxious father, I don't need two! Do you see what I have to put up with, mom?" Haruhi pouted as she stared longingly at the stone.

This whole ritual seemed all a bit over-done. Her mother was dead. Gone. No more. And yet they still spoke like she was around. Kodo couldn't quite grasp the idea. What could they possibly do from beyond the grave, any way? Did they believe people became omnipotent or something? But thinking about all this made her head hurt.

Urghhgblerrg.

"Gah!" Hands covering her stomach, Kodo's shoulders slumped. "Sorry.. I didn't have breakfast."

"Let's go, let's go then!" Hikaru and Koaru laughed excitedly. "Kyouya's paying!" They linked arms and skipped away.

"Last one there's a rotten egg!" Hikaru shouted as he ran past Kaoru.

"Hey, not fair, you got a head start!" Kaoru yelped as he chased after his brother.

"Come on Takeshi, I want to race them too!" Hani jumped and gripped on to Mori's shoulders. "MUSH!"

"Mh." The idea of him in a dog suit came to mind.

"Haruhi, I'll make sure I win this for you, okay?" Tamaki grinned excitedly as he started jogging. "I have to make sure I get the best for my little girl!"

"Don't you dare!" Ranka chased after him. "You have no claim to her!"

"No one owns me!" She shouted at them both as she tried to follow.

Kodo stayed behind, Kyouya falling in step with her. "I'm surprised at you, Ohtori-san."

"Why is that?"

"To offer something like that so willingly, to pay for nine people's lunches. That's very generous of you."

"I can assure you, that was not something I planned to do."

"Then why do it?"

"It was a spur of the moment decision."

"Is it that you like sushi as well?"

"Hardly."

"Hrrmmm." She eyed him suspiciously. "Maybe you're in lo~ove?"

"Don't be absurd." He pushed his glasses up as a bead of sweat form on his cheek.

"Aha! You like Haruhi, don't you!"

"What!" He looked at her quickly.

"Mom told me, after I spoke to her at your place, that you were a nice person, and that there seemed to be a girl you really liked." She was teasing him, obviously. It seemed more like she was the one he was after, but there was no way she had the courage to muster up the question to ask if that were the case, despite that kiss. Oh man, that kiss.. Mori's kiss was unintended and stiff, but Kyouya's was.. it was soft and warm and everything his attitude wasn't. Almost a bit serious, which was his attitude. That amused her, which made her laugh softly.

"What is it?" He sounded slightly perturbed again.

"You're an oxymoron, you know that?"

"Oxy.." His mind immediately thought of the English root words as he tried to decipher the non-Japanese term. "Oxy, oxygen? Moron.. idiot. Breathing idiot? Why would you call me tha-"

"No, not that!" She laughed again, harder. "An oxymoron is when two words are used together that are opposites. For instance, clearly confused. Or, pretty ugly. Tiny elephant. Liquid stone!"

"Yes, yes, I get it now. But why would you say something like that in regards to me?"

"Oh, because-" She had almost just blurted it out, and her face went bright red as she looked down at her sandaled feet as she walked. "J-just b-because, of the way you act sometimes is all. Like with offering to pay for everyone's food!" She sweat dropped as she looked back up at him.

"Hm."

Phew, that crisis was averted.

"Kodo." He stopped his stroll and stared at her as she turned around.

"What is it?"

"Why are you introducing yourself as that, now?"

"Because, it's better than what I had, so there's no reason to hold to things that are less beneficial. Besides, Pumpkin sounds so childish."

"Is it because I said it?"

Her blush returned, but it was only slight. "T-well, after we spoke about it, I thought it would be nice."

"And what if I had only wanted to call you that?"

"What do you mean?"

He took a step closer to her. "What if, I wished to be the only one to call you that?"

Her arms crossed quickly. "Well you didn't say that, so you lost your chance at that idea!" Turning on her heel, she walked back in the direction they had been going. Had he really wanted to call her that without anyone else calling her that? Like a secret name for her? Like.. a pet name? That idea made her blush, hard. "Kyouya!" She turned to face him suddenly, her eyes wide as she caught him off guard.

"W-what?"

"Are you- in love with me?"

"Hm." He smirked a little. "What an interesting question." He started walking again.

"Hey, don't ignore me! I'm being serious here!"

"How about, you find the answer to that question on your own?"

"Dammit! You can't just do that!"

"Based on all the previous encounters and reactions we've had together, why not deduce the answer on your own?"

She grumbled audibly.

"And another thing, Kodo. It's rude to mess with one's bedding." He waved at her as he walked off.

A deep blush covered her face as she stared at his back, realizing what he meant. The other day, when she'd rubbed his pillow- oh God, he knew!

A/N: Ohi. Wealhtheow1, Shadowjinxed, thanks you two for keeping up your comments, I really appreciate it, and I look forward to it every chapter! Even if I don't respond to you, know that I read every comment! c: