Hey guys! Here's chapter three for you!
By the way, if I could bother you guys for a favor, drop by my page and vote for what CharacterXReader Scenario fic I should do after I complete my TMNT and/or Bleach one.
Chapter III
Haruhi opened the door to the Host Club. To her surprise, the entire place was decked out like some sort of tropical paradise. It even had real animals! She groaned, slumping over.
'Can you see this… from heaven, Mom? This is the club I was forced to join.' Every one of the Hosts were dressed like some sort of tribal leader or whatever.
"You finally made it Haruhi." It was the twins speaking in sync again. "You're so late." She wasn't listening to them, instead looking at the small calendar she always kept with her.
"I could be wrong, but my calendar says it's still early spring." She wasn't wrong. If they looked outside the windows, they would see the first cherry blooms on the trees.
"Huddling under a kotatsu table fearing the cold is nonsense!" Tamaki was being as flamboyant as ever. He was obviously the king. His outfit was far more elaborate than any of the others'. "And besides, the heating system we have is…" he struck a pose. "The best!"
"Do you have a problem with the way we run our club, Haruhi?" She shivered at Kyoya's voice. Turning around, she saw him looking down at his notebook. "Be careful what you say. You owe us 8 million yen remember." He smiled, but it was far from comforting.
"Gentlemen don't bundle up in bulky clothing. It may be chilly early spring out there in the real world, but here at the club we want to surprise our chilly little kittens with a warm tropical paradise." Tamaki draped an arm over Haruhi's shoulder. "Oh yes! We've turned this place into Nirvana! A balmy tropical island with everlasting summer!"
"That's funny cause I feel a massive chill right now."
"Well then, maybe this will warm you up." Removing himself from her shoulders, Tamaki leaned down to Haruhi's level. "We need your help." She blinked in surprise.
"My help? With what?"
影女王
'Oh. Now this makes sense.' Haruhi was standing in front of an occupied changing room. The Host Club was standing behind her.
"Kea! You have to come out sometime!" called Hikaru.
"Not until you give me back my uniform!" came the extremely angry reply. Haruhi felt like an Arctic wind passed through her body, chilling her very heart. Tamaki peeked over her shoulder.
"You see? This is why we need your help Haruhi. She won't come out!"
"And you can't make me, boreíte kataraméno ploúsies nóthos!1" Everyone blinked in surprise. The twins started laughing.
"What was that? Latin?"
"Greek you idiots! Kai méchri na mou dó̱seis píso̱ omoiómorfi̱ mou den léo̱ mia álli̱ léxi̱ sta angliká!2" The ancient language rolled off her tongue effortlessly from behind the curtain. Kyoya himself looked surprised at how fluent she was in it. Latin was understandable, but Greek? He smiled to himself, writing something down in his book.
'Knows Greek and speaks it fluently. Second language perhaps?' Snapping the book closed over his pencil, he looked at Haruhi. "Could you at least go in there and try to convince her to come out?"
"Ákousa óti Kyoya!3" He winced slightly. Haruhi nodded. Taking a deep breath, she opened the curtain, letting it fall behind her.
Upon entering, it was immediately apparent why Kea was adamantly against coming out. Someone, most likely the twins, had taken her uniform. How, Haruhi didn't want to know. What mattered… was that what Kea was currently wearing was far from modest.
Her breasts were covered with a bejeweled golden bra. It was covered with golden sequins and diamonds. Beaded chains connected to the center by a circular pendant, draping over her toned stomach. Satin straps circled around the outside of the cups, wrapping around her neck, an elaborate necklace attached over that. Two armbands were of the same design: golden, sequined, circular pendant and beaded chains.
Her skirt was was a perfect match. The waistband was sequined and had chains draping down, circling her. The skirt fabric was translucent, providing some modesty but also allure by letting the silhouette of her legs to show through. The ensemble was completed by a gold headdress with a centered diamond with three short chains with smaller diamonds in them settled into her hair which was left down.
A white scarf with golden trim sat abandoned on the table. Kea's feet were bare, her shoes no doubt having been taken by whoever stuck her in here. She was still wearing her glasses, but they actually matched perfectly. Having looked over the entire outfit, Haruhi knew that there was only one person Kea could have been made to match.
Kea was sitting down in a chair, her arms crossed under her chest. Her legs were crossed as well, her eyes closed. Haruhi sighed, walking over to lean against the table. Kea groaned, tilting her head back so she could look at Haruhi.
"I am going to murder those twins." Haruhi snickered at her malevolent whisper.
"Well… you're going to have to leave here in order to do that." Kea glowered, returning her gaze to her lap. Haruhi pursed her lips, trying to come up with something to say. They sat there for a few minutes.
"You know… if you're worried about it not looking good… don't be." Kea glanced at her friend. "You look beautiful."
"Really?"
"Yeah!" Haruhi smiled. "Besides, you could always use the scarf to cover up if you get cold or something." Kea sighed, standing. Upon doing so, Haruhi's eyes widened as she saw the whole thing. The skirt reached to the floor, flowing with her movements. "Wow…"
"What?" Kea turned, a slightly concerned look on her face. "Does the skirt reveal too much?" Haruhi shook her head.
"No, it's just… you really are beautiful." Kea blushed, looking down.
"Thanks." Haruhi smiled, handing her the scarf. Kea wrapped it around her elbows, letting the back drape around her waist and the ends down her arms.
"You ready?"
"As I'll ever be." Haruhi opened the curtain, allowing Kea to step through. The second she did, all of the Hosts lost their jaws. Kea's eyes hardened. "Stamatí̱ste chaínousa. Tha eíste piásei mýges.4"
"You… you're gorgeous!" Tamaki flung himself at her. She sidestepped, making him fall headlong into the changing room. A pained grunt was heard inside.
"Chéria gia ton eaf̱tó sas.5" A hand attached itself to her scarf. She looked down to see a rather despondent Honey.
"Are you really that mad at us, Kea-chan?" Her gaze softened slightly. Kneeling down, she placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Nah, not you. Or Takashi." She flashed a slight smile at the tallest Host. "I'm just embarrassed. I'm not used to wearing stuff like this."
"Oh is that all." Hikaru crossed his arms. "If you had just said so we wouldn't have pushed so hard for you to come out." His brother smiled softly.
"Don't worry. We won't ever make you wear something like that again. Though you do look really good in it." Kea stood, staring them down. Her expression was blank.
"You better not. Or I'll do worse than speak in Greek."
"What were you saying anyways?" Kea smirked, pushing up her glasses. They caught the light, hiding her eyes from Kyoya.
"Oh… nothing I wouldn't say in English."
"So why didn't you?"
"Didn't feel like it. Now." Kea picked up her notebook, holding it to her chest. "I believe we have a Club to open." Tamaki walked out of the changing room, trying to be dignified.
"Right! Let's go!" They walked out of the back, returning to the decorated room. Kyoya was the last to follow… on account of having to regain his normal composure. Nevertheless, his face was still slightly warm as he joined his comrades.
影女王
Haruhi groaned as some girls freaked out over Hikaru and Kaoru.
"The guests seem to be even more worked up than they usually are."
"Showing some skin proves popular with the ladies." Haruhi hid her surprise at Kyoya sneaking up on her, again, with a question.
"So are you the one that came up with this tropical paradise idea?"
"I have no decision making authority. All the Club's policies have been laid out by the Club's king, Tamaki." Kea walked by, escorting a guest out. The girl was too lost in her fantasies to notice that Kea had stopped.
"However, it seems I had misplaced a photo book containing pictures of a trip I had taken to Bali a couple years back. Somehow, it found its way to Tamaki's desk." The background behind Kea and Kyoya darkened drastically. Haruhi was sure she heard wicked chuckling somewhere in the background… as well as a banner displaying the words 'Real brains behind the operation' appear below their heads.
Kea smiled sweetly as she continued walking towards the exit. As she did so, Kyoya brushed her hand with his. Unseen by Haruhi of course. She had already left to entertain her own customers.
"Um, Haruhi?" The female Host was snapped from her thoughts. "Aren't you going to wear a tropical outfit like the other boys?"
"I'd like to see that!"
"Oh, well n-no I-I just don't think it's appropriate to wear anything but early spring attire in early spring, you know?"
"But we have one ready for you, Haruhi." Haruhi resisted the urge to groan at Tamaki. "I think you'll like it! You and I are a pair!"
"No thanks." Tamaki's entire being and clothing turned white in shock at the blunt rebuff.
"Wow Haruhi! You're really faithful to the different seasons, aren't you?"
"I think that's great! I hope we're lucky enough that the cherry blossoms are in full bloom on the night of the party."
"The two of us dancing in the cherry blossoms. It's so dreamy!"
"You really think so?" Haruhi smiled softly. "You know ladies. I think it's so cute when you dream like that." All of them blushed. The girl on her right tapped her chin.
"You know… now that I think about it." Haruhi tilted her head in questioning.
"What is it?"
"Doesn't it seem like all of the Hosts are in pairs?" The other two girls looked at her.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, Mori-senpai's and Honey-senpai's outfits match, and Hikaru and Kaoru do to." The girl in the middle bopped her fist on her palm.
"You're right! And, if I remember correctly, Miss Kea is wearing a tropical outfit too!"
"Someone called?" The girls started, turning in their chairs to see Kea was standing behind them. She clasped her book with both hands, letting it hang at her waist. Her scarf bunched at her elbows, falling elegantly around her. She smiled softly, her lips reflecting the light slightly.
"Oh! Kea-senpai!" The American honor student smiled at the girl on Haruhi's left.
"What is it, darling?"
"We were just wondering who you match." Kea's expression effortlessly changed to wondering.
"What do you mean?" The girl in the middle blushed.
"Well… everyone else is matching someone. We were wondering who your… um…" Kea smiled softly.
"Who my mate is?" She blushed deeper, nodding. Kea laughed softly behind her hand, letting it drop to delicately rest on her shoulder. "Well… that's for you to figure out, darling." Kea straightened, bowing slightly.
"If you'll excuse me, I have some things to attend to." As she walked away, Kyoya appeared. Haruhi's guests looked between him and the swaying hips of Kea. They all looked at each other, smiling.
"I think we figured it out." They chorused. Before Haruhi could confirm it, soft footfalls sounded behind her.
"Excuse me." Haruhi looked over her shoulder at the voice. "I hate to disturb, but I think it's time for the Hosts to switch clients."
"Oh I'm sorry. You must be my next appointment, Miss… uh."
"My name's Kanako. Kanako Kasugazaki." Kanako placed a hand under Haruhi's chin, lifting her head up. "You're even cuter than I expected." She smiled slightly. "I've decided. You're going to be my new favorite Host, Haruhi."
In the background, a paper white Tamaki gaped in horror.
影女王
Kea's fingers dug into her sleeves in irritation. Once the Host Club had closed for the day, she had wasted no time in getting out her old uniform (the pant suit, not the dress), and changing. Kyoya wasn't too happy about it, but she had told him quite plainly to shove it and leave her alone. Of course, she had said that in Greek, just to annoy him further. However, it wasn't him that she was irritated with.
It was the dreadful noise of Tamaki slurping up ramen. He had been doing that since they closed… and he just. Wouldn't. Stop. Before she could pop, Hikaru spoke up.
"Hey boss! Why don't you stop eating that commoner's ramen and come help us with the party planning?"
"Does it really bother you that Princess Kasuga has taken a liking to Haruhi?"
"He shouldn't be surprised. She's had the illness for a while now, hasn't she?" Kyoya spoke up from where he was typing away at his computer. Kea leaned her forearms on the back of his chair, looking over his head.
"What illness?" Hikaru slid up behind her.
"She's got the Host-hopping disease." Kaoru slid out behind him.
"AKA the never-the-same-boy-twice disease."
"Usually our customers choose a favorite Host and then see them regularly. However, Princess Kanako tends to change her favorites. On a regular basis." Mitsukuni slid in between Kyoya and Haruhi, who was sitting on the bespectacled Host's right side.
"That's right! Cause before she chose you she was with Tama-chan." Haruhi hummed.
"Oh. So he's upset because I took her from him?" Tamaki slammed his hands onto the table.
"Shut up! I couldn't care less!" Kea leaned down, whispering in Kyoya's ear.
"Well I'm convinced." He snickered slightly, biting his lip to prevent himself from laughing further. He also did that to distract himself from how nonchalant she was about being so close to him.
'It must be the clothes. Now that she's modest, she's much more comfortable around me. Us! I mean us.' Kyoya shut his eyes forcefully for a few seconds before opening them to focus on the screen in front of him.
"I'm running out of patience!" Both looked over at Tamaki. "Haruhi! It's time you started dressing like a girl!"
"Huh?" Tamaki shook his head back and forth, his hands clutching his hair.
"I don't understand how you could be so popular with the ladies when you yourself are a lady!"
"That's not exactly fair, Tamaki-senpai. Kea is fairly popular as well, and she's a girl too." Haruhi sighed, resting a hand on her palm. "I don't see the problem."
"I'll tell you the problem! No one in the entire school knows the truth except for those of us here!" The twins lined up behind the 'king'.
"Yeah she opted out of taking gym classes."
"And the attendance numbers are all mixed together so no one can tell." Kea blinked as Tamaki ran off.
"Wait a minute! You mean I could have been skipping out of those classes all along!?" She huffed, turning her head away. "And to think! I could have been studying all that time."
"Well it's not like anyone will miss you if you don't show up." She shrugged in consent.
"True. You've got a point Kyoya." Just then, Tamaki returned with a chest labeled 'King's private property'. He threw open the top, stuffing the top half of his body into it.
"That's enough Haruhi. Now you listen to Daddy…" He pulled out a massive portrait, running towards the female Host. "Daddy wants you to go back to the way you were!"
"Don't go blowing up my photos without asking me first!" Somehow, the photo was hung on the wall and everyone was gathered around it, save Haruhi and Kea.
"The more I look at this picture the more amazed I am. How could this possibly become that?" Kea twitched an eyebrow at Hikaru.
"The day before school started one of the kids in my neighborhood got some gum stuck in my hair." Haruhi placed a hand on her head. "It's a real pain to get gum out of long hair, so I decided to cut it all off. I didn't care if I looked like a dude, you know?" Tamaki teared up, again.
"Girls should never refer to herself as a dude! Mama!" Kea lifted an eyebrow as far as it would go while frowning. "Haruhi's using those dirty boy words again!"
"I'm sorry but who's Mama?" Kaoru asked.
"Based on club position I assume it's me." Kyoya answered. Kea choked, trying to keep from bursting out laughing.
"Look I don't see what you're crying about. Working as a Host, I can pay back more of my debt. It'll never happen if I'm just an errand boy."
"Hate to change the subject but do you have formal dancing experience? You'll need it at the party." Haruhi's shocked expression gave Hikaru the answer he was looking for.
"No, but the party doesn't have anything to do with my quota, right? I'm not interested in going to events so if I could be excused." Tamaki's eyes went from full of tears to glinting.
"Definitely not. A refined gentlemen must know how to dance. If you want to live the life of a Host that badly, you're going to have to show us how far you're willing to go Haruhi. I order you to master dancing the waltz in one week, and you will demonstrate it for us at the party. Or I'll tell the entire school that you're a girl! And knock you back down to errand boy!"
'Who would have thought that having your gender exposed would be so horrifying?' Kea sighed, before frowning as she sensed a presence behind her. "Yes Kyoya?" He leaned down, his breath ghosting over the shell of her ear as he spoke.
"Do you, have any experience in formal dancing?" Kea shrugged, crossing her arms. She didn't look at him as she responded.
"I took Cotillion as a child." Kyoya frowned, clasping his hands behind his back.
"How long ago was that?"
"Are you implying I'm still a child?" He chuckled, grabbing one of her arms. He whirled her around, pulling her into the starting position of the waltz. Her eyes were wide as he pulled her to his chest.
"Well, you are considered a child until you turn thirteen." He smirked. "You could have taken Cotillion any time before that." Kea shrugged.
"True. I took it for two years, during my fourth and fifth grade years." Kyoya did the math in his head.
"So that would be four years ago."
"Yep."
"How much of it do you remember?"
"Off the top of my head? Not a thing." Kyoya smirked, tightening his grip on her waist.
"Well then, looks like I'll have to teach you a few things, won't I?" Kea smirked, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"More like give me a refresher course."
"I can do that too."
"Then let's begin."
*/*\*/*\*
Hikaru and Kaoru watched as Kanako and Haruhi danced. Kanako was teaching Haruhi how to do the waltz. In the background, Takashi was swinging Mitsukuni around and around, the smaller 3rd year squealing in joy like a child. The Hitachiin twins stood off to the side, not particularly interested in doing anything at the moment. Tamaki was also off to the side, but he was decidedly more disheartened than they were. He seemed to be breeding shadows even.
"Why so gloomy boss?" Hikaru and Kaoru asked at the same time. Hikaru looked at his brother.
"I bet it's because he wanted to be the one Haruhi practices with."
"I think you may be right, but he's way too tall to stand in as a woman." Kaoru looked over his shoulder. "And besides, Kea is otherwise occupied." Hikaru looked over his shoulder as well.
Kea was being taught how to waltz by Kyoya. The Host had one hand up, his fingers interlaced with Kea's, while his other hand… well, his arm would be more accurate… was wrapped around her waist. Kea's free hand was cupped around Kyoya's neck, effectively keeping her next to him. They were off in their own corner, closer to the music, but further from everyone else.
The twins watched as the two danced in perfect tandem. For not having official dancing experience in almost half a decade, Kea was doing very well. She wasn't looking at her feet at all. Instead, her eyes were trained on Kyoya's face, before closing when she started laughing at something. As they turned, Hikaru and Kaoru saw Kyoya smiling as well… a genuinely happy smile. Hikaru smiled impishly.
"You know…"
"We could have some fun with that." Kaoru finished his thought for him. They looked at each other, matching smirks on their faces. "This will be fun."
*/*\*/*\*
"Hey Kea!" The Host Club's Assistant Manager looked up from the laptop to see Hikaru and Kaoru leaning on the table in front of her.
"Yes?"
"What kind of clothes do you like?" She blinked several times. Closing the program, she shut the laptop. Figuring it was alright to sit down, both pulled up a chair, leaning their chins on their hands.
"Excuse me?"
"Well, our family is designing all the outfits for the dance." Kaoru started.
"And, since you weren't too happy with your last outfit…" Kea's eyebrow twitched at the reminder. Hikaru continued. "We thought that we would ask you personally what kind of clothes you like."
"Wait…" Kea leaned forward, trying to see if they were messing with her. "You want to know what I like to wear… so you can make something for me for the party?" Hikaru shrugged.
"Well not us personally. Our mother would oversee it, since that's her forte and all." They tilted their heads.
"Well?" they asked simultaneously. "What do you like?" Realizing they were being one hundred percent serious, Kea sat back, thinking.
"Well it has to be modest, of course. I hate showing a lot of skin."
"We noticed. You never took off that scarf." Kaoru pulled out a notepad. "No… extra… skin. Alright what else?"
"I also don't like high necklines." Hikaru tilted his head in confusion.
"Like what?"
"Well, for example, the girls' uniform. I won't wear one because one, the color doesn't look good on me, and two, the collar." Hikaru pulled out his own notepad.
"So you don't like low necklines, but you also don't like fabric or anything like that right up against your neck. Is that right?"
"Yes that's correct." Kaoru wrote it down.
"So what would you prefer? Off-the-shoulder or spaghetti straps?"
"Off-the-shoulder annoys the crap out of me. I prefer spaghetti straps, just so long as they're visible. Nothing barely there or anything like that.
"Alright… let's talk colors." Hikaru hunched over his pad, ready to write while Kaoru spoke. "I'll name a color, and you tell us what shades of it you like, okay?" Kea nodded. "Green."
"Um… army is fine. So is traditional forest green, dark cyan, and dark green. Jade and similar colors are fine as offsets." Hikaru wrote fervently, nodding when he was done.
"Okay… now black."
"Black." Kaoru blinked.
"No shades."
"Nope. Unless you count grey, and that's fine."
"Well that's easy. Now… what about brown?"
"Oh, Let's see… auburn, Bulgarian rose, um… and dark brown."
"Right. Pink?"
"Definitely subtle shades with pink. Something like blush…"
*/*\*/*\*
Kea gasped as the twins brought out the dress.
"Tada!" They held it up. "Well? Do you like it?"
"It's beautiful!" She smiled at them. "Thank you, both of you." They blushed.
"You really like it?"
"I love it. I can't believe you went to all that trouble."
"Oh it was no problem at all." Hikaru grabbed her hand, shoving her into the dressing room. Kaoru thrust the dress into her arms. "Two of our maids are going to help you with your hair, so all you have to do is get changed. And hurry up! Everyone else is waiting!"
"Right! Oh, wait you guys." Kea stepped out of the curtain. Pulling both of them down, she kissed a cheek each. Both blushed to their toes. "Thanks you guys. This was really sweet."
"Yeah, whatever. Now hurry up!" As they walked away, Hikaru and Kaoru exchanged a smile. "Operation Match Kea and Kyoya: Success!"
*/*\*/*\*
"Where's Kea-chan!?" Mitsukuni was worried. He gripped Usa-chan. "Is she really not coming to the party?"
"Oh, she's coming." Hikaru and Kaoru looked up. "Here she comes right now!" Everyone in the Host Club looked up as well as the doors to the hall were opened. Kea's dress swished elegantly as she walked towards them. The twins had done a magnificent job.
The dress was a dark imperial blue and black, the same as Kyoya's attire, and reached to the floor. The first two layers of the dress were soft black cotton, so as to provide comfort and breathability, as well as free movement. The outermost layer was dark imperial blue satin that started at the top of her chest, stretching to halfway down her calves, reflecting the lights wonderfully. It was bunched up along her figure by the seams, accenting her curves. The dress was normally strapless; however, two straps with ruffled black fabric rested on the very edges of her shoulders had been added. A satin rose of dark red coloring rested on the very top of the dress in between her breasts. A thin line of the same dark red satin connected the ruffled bottom of the dress to the main skirt, adding a slight accent… and matching Kyoya's tie.
The maids had curled her chocolate brown hair. Once that was done, they had swept up the top half of her hair, bunching it together with several pins in a messy bun. Deciding that wasn't enough, they had placed a single, blue rose in the center, drawing attention to the curls. With the rose, the partial updo of the curls, and the rest of her hair curling and bouncing softly with every step, Hikaru and Kaoru had to admit: they were impressed. Her eyes sparkled behind her glasses, which, from the look of them, were probably cleaned while her hair was being tended to.
Together, they glanced at Kyoya. In contrast to his normally icy expression, his mouth was fully agape. Behind his glasses, his eyes had widened to the size of dinner plates. Hikaru and Kaoru exchanged a triumphant smile. Everyone else was just as entranced. Tamaki immediately began his whole spiel, poses and all.
"You are absolutely gorgeous, darling Kea!" Bowing at the waist, he extended a hand to her. She blushed prettily, placing her hand in his. He led her back up the steps, smiling. Hikaru picked up on a telltale twitch of the fingers from Kyoya, telling him he was annoyed.
"Kea-chan you're so pretty!" Mitsukuni hopped from one foot to another. Takashi nodded, smiling softly at her. "So so pretty!" Kea blushed deeper, smiling.
"Thanks, Mitsukuni." She looked up, noticing the twins. "Does it look okay? The dress I mean." Kaoru smiled gently.
"It fits you perfectly." Hikaru nodded.
"You're stunning."
"They're right." Kyoya added his own two cents. For once, he was actually looking at her while talking to her. "You look beautiful, Kea." Everyone noticed the lack of honorific, but they didn't mention it. Tamaki nodded, taking his hand from Kea's.
"Right then! Let's get this night started!"
影女王
Kea stood off to the side, watching as the Host Club danced with their partners. Her heart throbbed slightly at the sight of Kyoya dancing with another girl, but she brushed it aside. She wasn't here to dance. She was here to make sure everything went off without a hitch.
"Excuse me."
"Hm?" Kea turned to her left to see a young man standing there. He stood approximately two inches taller than her, which placed him around 5'10". He had dark red hair and almost black eyes with pale skin. The similarity to an ex-Host Club client didn't escape her notice. He was most likely a second or third year student, since he wasn't in her class. She was momentarily confused as to why a male outside the Host Club was here, before remembering that it was an open event.
"Yes? May I help you?"
"You are Kea, the Assistant Manager for the Host Club, correct?" Kea was immediately on guard. As far as the other male students were concerned, she was a regular client of Kyoya's, not on staff, let alone Assistant Manager.
'Ayanokouji's definitely behind this.' She covered up her suspicion with a smile. "I am. Since you know my name, might I inquire of yours?"
"I am Azamuki Seika."
'SEIKA!? That can't be a coincidence.' "It is a pleasure to meet you."
"The pleasure is all mine, Lady Manager." Azamuki held out a hand. "May I have this dance?" Kea smiled, placing her hand in his.
"You may. I warn you: I'm not the best dancer."
"Don't worry," he said as he led her out onto the dance floor. "I'll make it look like you're the best dancer in the house." Kea smiled, letting him whirl her around.
'He is a fairly good dancer. Not as good as Kyoya of course; then again, I might be a little biased.' Kea squashed the urge to blush at the thought. 'Focus Kea. Find out what he's doing here and who sent him. Though that last part is rather obvious.'
"Miss Kea?"
"Yes?"
"If I might ask… how are you enjoying the Host Club?" Kea smiled, the picture of perfect contentment.
"I quite enjoy it."
"Is that so? That's surprising." She tilted her head.
"How is that?" Azamuki shook his head.
"Never mind."
"Come now, Azamuki-senpai. You can tell me." He smirked at her. Dropping her hand, he wrapped both arms around her waist. Kea placed both hands on his shoulders, letting them hang off at the wrist.
"I understand you were forced to become the Assistant Manager."
"Forced to? Why, Azamuki-senpai! You make it sound like something illegal is going on!" Her voice came out incredulous, just like a normal American highschooler.
"I'm sorry. I was under the impression that you only joined in order to protect Haruhi Fujioka."
'I knew it. He is working for Ayanokouji! Too bad she sent an amateur after me.' "I'm sorry. I'm afraid I don't understand what it is you are saying." Still waltzing, Azamuki led her to a secluded corner of the dancefloor.
"You joined to protect Fujioka." Azamuki's black eyes hardened. His grip on her waist tightened. "And you're blackmailing my little sister into keeping her silent." Kea's eyes widened in shock.
"I-."
"Don't bother denying it!" he spat. "You're the one that took those pictures of Ayanokouji throwing Fujioka's bag into the pond. You're the one who placed that envelope on her balcony." He smirked darkly.
"I have to admit… slipping past our security like that is impressive." Azamuki leaned so close Kea could smell his breath. "It makes me think that there's more to you than meets the eye." He was millimeters from her at this point. "Maybe I should see if you're hiding anymore pictures on you."
"Release me this instant." Her cold voice froze him. She separated herself from his hands. "I don't know who you think you are, threatening me like that, but you made a huge mistake."
"What!?"
"I have no idea what you think is going on, but no one in the Host Club is blackmailing anyone, least of all me. I have no enemies here." Azamuki scoffed.
"So you think."
"If people have a problem with me, they can speak to me directly instead of through muscle-bound punks and veiled threats." Kea's cerulean eyes flashed in anger. That changed to satisfaction. "However… I would like to thank you."
"For what?"
"You just told me something I had been wondering about for a little while now." Kea pushed up her glasses. "And that… is the identity of the person who threw Haruhi's bag into the pond." Azamuki's eyes widened. "I bid you goodnight, Azamuki." With that, Kea turned on her heel and disappeared into the crowd, leaving a very stunned Azamuki in the dust... and in the dark.
Kea slipped unseen in between girls and pillars. The dark colors of her dress provided her the perfect camouflage. She silently slipped up the stairs, entering the changing room in time to see Haruhi step out of from behind the curtain. Kyoya turned to her, an uncharacteristically concerned look on his face.
"There you are!" He rushed over. "You're late! Where were you!?" Leaning closer, his eyes narrowed as they met hers. Gently, he took her hands in his. "What happened?"
"I'll tell you later. We have other things to do right now." She squeezed his hands softly. "Promise."
"I'm holding you to that. The second we're free, you're telling me what happened."
"Done." Separating herself from him, Kea walked over to where Haruhi was siting. Kea smiled, taking a subtle deep breath to steel her nerves. "Alright, Haruhi. Let's get your game face on." Picking up a compact of blush, she swirled the brush over the cosmetic before applying it to her friend's face. She had just finished applying all of Haruhi's makeup when Tamaki entered.
"Gentlemen! Here you all are! What are you doing!? The guests are waiting for-" He froze midsentence as Haruhi stood up.
Having changed from her tuxedo into a light pink sundress with two bows, one on the left side of the bust and the other on right side of the hem, Haruhi looked quite different. Add the wig she had on and her makeup, and she looked like a completely new person. Kea noticed Hikaru had a slight pink tinge to his cheeks as he stared at her. Kea smirked, exchanging a glance with Kaoru.
'Well that's interesting.' "So… what do you think?"
"Wow! You look so cute!" Haruhi clumsily started walking out the door, on account of the pumps she was wearing.
"My face feels heavy and it's hard to walk in these shoes." Kea giggled softly, pressing her fingertips to her lips as she closed one eye.
"Good luck Haruhi!" she called along with the twins.
"I can't believe… she's so pretty." Kea rolled her eyes.
"Way to ruin the moment Tamaki." Hikaru scoffed slightly.
"No kidding." Kea smiled softly.
"Come on guys. We've got our own work to do." She, the twins, Kyoya, Takashi, and Mitsukuni returned to the ballroom. Tamaki went after Kanako.
As she stood off to the side, Kea scanned the room. Azamuki was nowhere in sight. Her eyes narrowed behind her glasses. Sighing, she didn't know whether to feel relieved or extremely worried.
Kyoya noticed. Since she had been his assistant for a few weeks now, he had had the time to observe her in close quarters, thus allowing him to pick up on subtle signals from her. Most of the others couldn't pick them up, not even Honey-senpai or Mori-senpai. In a moment of observation, he realized that Kea must have either A, practiced a lot in order to get that expression of indifference, B, it came naturally to her, or C, both.
In any case, he could tell she was on edge about something. The way her eyes swept over the entire ballroom told him she was looking for someone in particular. When they narrowed, he knew she hadn't found them. The brief flash of confusion told him she didn't know how to feel about the matter… and that is what worried him. Whatever had happened to her, it set her on edge like he had never seen.
'I swear I'm going to talk to her. But after we help Kanako.' Resolving to not let her sleep until she told him what happened, Kyoya softly called out to her. "Kea." It took her a moment before she looked at him. 'She really is tormented by something. What could have happened to you, Kea?'
"Right." Kea stepped out onto the stairs. Lifting a hand, she gave the orchestra the signal to stop playing. Everyone turned around, slightly confused.
"If I might have your attention." She waited till everything was silent. "Thank you darlings. Now, it's time to announce this night's lucky couple!" The girls started cheering.
"If you'll follow me out to the patio, I believe they're already waiting for us." With that, Kea made her way to the patio outside the ballroom. Kyoya fell into step beside her. After a moment, he spoke.
"You did well, Kea."
"Thanks. I try." She jumped slightly when his hand grabbed hers. Mitsukuni and Takashi took over leading the others outside. "Kyoya?"
"When this is done, meet me in the gardens outside the Host Club windows." Not giving her a chance to say no, he left. Kea clutched the hand he had held to her chest.
"What was that about?" Shaking her head, she hurried to join up with the others. Tamaki had joined them as well. Kea stood next to Kyoya, watching as the spotlights turned on to illuminate Kanako and Tohru.
"Ladies and gentlemen. It is now time for us to begin the final dance of this evening's festivities." Tamaki held out a hand. "The last waltz of the night has been chosen by the Host Club for… this couple." Turning, Tohru bowed to Kanako.
"Princess Kasuga. May I have this dance?" Kanako gasped, a light blush dancing across her cheeks. Smiling, she placed her hand in his.
"Yes." Kea nodded to the orchestra, who immediately started playing. A smile appeared on her lips as the two started to dance together. Kyoya looked to his left when she sighed.
"Are you alright?"
"I'm more than alright." Her eyes were soft as she watched the two lovers. "I'm thrilled for them. They've finally truly gotten together." She clasped her hands in front of her. "It's wonderful to see that." Kyoya felt his own expression soften, though it wasn't from watching Kanako and Tohru.
"Yes…" he replied slowly. "It really is." The moment was ruined by Tamaki.
"May this awkward couple be forever blessed." Kea groaned softly, crossing an arm under her chest while she rested her forehead against her fingertips.
"You just don't know when to stop, do you Suou?" Kyoya chuckled under his breath.
"Unfortunately… no."
"And now we'll announce the queen of the ball!" Both looked up as Hikaru slid behind Tamaki. Kaoru slid to his brother's right. Kea lifted an eyebrow at the sight of both twins holding a banana peel.
"Congratulations Princess Kanako Kasugazaki!" Everyone applauded. During the uproar, the peels in the twins' hands vanished. Kea glanced at Kyoya, only to see him writing in his book.
"Kyoya?"
"What is it, Kea?" Kea frowned.
'Playing innocent, are we? Fine then.' "Nothing."
"And for her reward: a kiss on the cheek from the king!" Tamaki struck another pose.
"You ready?"
"Haruhi Fujioka will stand in for Tamaki!" Kea gaped at Kaoru.
"Say what!?" The twins shrugged.
"Kyoya did say that a little accident towards the end of the night might make the evening more thrilling for everyone." They replied in unison. Kea frowned, glowering at Kyoya.
"Don't give me that look."
"Tha sas dó̱so̱ ó, ti matiá thélo̱ na sas dó̱so̱.6" She smirked when Kyoya deflated half an inch. "Poio eínai to théma, Kyoya? Den Boreí na katanoeí Élli̱nes?7"
"Now you're just doing that to annoy me."
"Nai.8"
"There's no way I can kiss her."
"If you do it we'll cut your debt by one-third." Kyoya's voice had a slight sing-song edge to it. Haruhi froze.
"Well it is just a peck on the cheek." She began to descend the stairs. An exclamation point popped up over Mitsukuni's head. He appeared in front of Tamaki, who was being held up by the twins.
"Hey! You don't think this is Haru-chan's first kiss do you?" Tamaki's expression went from despondent to horrified.
"What!?"
"Oh great." Kea looked down, covering her eyes with her hand. "I can't watch!" she groaned. Kyoya's shoulders shook from his attempts to keep from laughing. They disappeared with a ripple of pain when she stomped on his foot. "You shut up."
"Ow."
"Not apologizing."
"Wait Haruhi!" As Tamaki leapt forward… he slipped on the banana peels the twins had dropped. He fell forward, his hand connecting with Haruhi's back… which jolted her hands… that were holding Kanako's face… which meant that Kanako was turned at the last moment before Haruhi kissed her cheek…
Which ended up in their lips meeting.
All the girls screamed, Tohru and Tamaki blanched, Tamaki fell to the ground, the Host Club was all smiles, Kanako and Haruhi were blushing up storms, and Kea…
Well, let's just say Kyoya and the twins were eternally grateful none of them wore enchanted rosaries.
'Damn this stupid Host Club!' Composing herself, Kea glanced over at Kyoya's books. Sure enough, he had written down, 'Deduct Haruhi's debt by 1/3.' 'Well at least he kept his promise.' She sighed, looking back at Haruhi. She had stopped blushing, trading it for a smile. "Well… at least some of us had fun tonight."
"What do you mean by that, Kea-chan?" Kea blanched slightly, looking down to see Mitsukuni. He was looking very worried. "Did you not have fun tonight?"
"Oh I'm sorry Mitsukuni. I was just thinking out loud, and ended up jumbling thoughts." She giggled softly. "That's what happens when you think out loud." He nodded, closing his eyes when smiling.
"I get it." He suddenly turned very serious. "Don't think out loud anymore, okay?" He added a wagging finger for effect. "you might give people the wrong idea." Kea laughed, covering her mouth with her hand.
"Understood, Mitsukuni-senpai."
"Good! Now let's dance!" He pulled her out onto the dancefloor. After looking at each other, the Host Club shrugged, taking the hand of the closest girl. Everyone else followed suit.
During the dance, Mitsukuni traded partners, sending Kea twirling into Kyoya's waiting arms. The Hosts exchanged a wink. Offering Kea his arm, Kyoya led her to the gardens. They settled onto the cobblestone steps facing the pond. They sat there for a while, not saying anything. Kyoya was the one that broke the silence.
"Well?"
"Well what?"
"You promised to tell me what made you so late and worried." Kea sighed, continuing to gaze at the moonlit pond.
"It's nothing, now that I think about it."
"It's not nothing." Kyoya leaned forward trying to catch her gaze. "Kea, I know you."
"Do you?" He sighed.
"Okay. I won't lie and say I know you as well as I would like to, but I do know some things about you." Kea glanced at him. "I know you well enough now to know that whatever happened to you really had you frazzled."
"Why do you want to help me?"
"Because it won't do me any good if my assistant is distracted." To his surprise, it hurt him to say that. He frowned at himself. Thankfully, Kea didn't notice.
"Of course. You're only doing this because it'll inconvenience you otherwise." To her surprise, it was painful to think about that. She frowned at herself. Kyoya didn't notice.
"In any case… what. Happened?" Kea sighed.
"Well, for starters, Ayanokouji admitted she was the one that threw Haruhi's bag into the pool." Kyoya blinked in surprise.
"Was she here tonight?"
"No. Her brother was." Kyoya's eyes widened. Grabbing Kea's shoulders, he made her face him.
"Ayanokouji's older brother?"
"Yeah."
"Azamuki Akihiro, 3rd year student."
"So he is a third year? That makes sense."
"Red hair, black eyes, pale skin, almost six feet tall?"
"That's him." She winced when Kyoya's fingers painfully dug into her skin. "Kyoya. You're hurting me." His grip loosened, but only enough so he wasn't making indents in her skin.
"What were you doing with him?"
"He asked me to dance." Kea tilted her head, extremely concerned. "What is it?"
"Azamuki isn't a good guy."
"Tell me about it." Kyoya's fingers tightened again.
"What did he do?"
"He, um…"
"Kea!" Kea recoiled slightly at Kyoya's shout. "Tell me exactly what happened. Right. Now."
"He threatened me."
"How!?"
"Well, first of all, he knew I was the Assistant Manager. Only guests know that, and none of them talk about it, since it doesn't benefit them in any way. The only way he could have known was if someone told him." Kyoya nodded.
"That's true. What happened after that?"
"He got really mad when I played dumb."
"How mad?"
"Um… he uh… talked about taking my dress off in order to see if I had anymore pictures of Ayanokouji throwing Haruhi's bag into the pond."
So many emotions flowed through Kyoya with that one sentence. Anger, fear, horror… protectiveness. That was the most surprising. Yes, he was protective of what benefited him, but this… this was bordering on possessiveness. It was strange, but he decided to think about it later.
"I see." Kyoya took both of her hands, helping her up. "It seems you are being targeted." Kea looked away.
"I don't want you doing anything rash, Kyoya. You have a reputation to lose."
"It's not rash to protect something." He almost added 'what benefits me', but he stopped. "Don't worry. I'll handle this under the radar." Stepping back, he pushed up his glasses. "Of course, since he is a third year, I'll have Mori-senpai and Honey-senpai keep an eye on Azamuki."
"But-" Kyoya pressed a finger to her lips, stopping her protest.
"I'm not giving you an option, Kea." He smiled gently at her. "Now, let's get back before the others think I've kidnapped you." Offering her arm again, he slowly began walking away. Kea placed her hand in the crook of his elbow, keeping her on his side.
"Somehow, I don't think you would mind that." Kyoya didn't respond, instead smiling slightly. Kea smiled as well. Suddenly feeling very tired, she rested her head on his shoulder. "Thank you."
"Don't mention it."
*/*\*/*\*
A door opened, casting artificial light into the otherwise darkened room. A figure stepped in, shutting the door behind them. Walking forward three steps, they waited for the person in front of them to face them. They didn't, instead continuing to look out the window.
"Well?"
"It wasn't her." The figure in front of the window narrowed their eyes. "She was completely ignorant of it. Evidently she hadn't even been told that it was you that threw the commoner's bag into the pond."
"So they were keeping her in the dark." The female turned to face the other figure. "You did well, my brother. We have now narrowed our suspects to three. Two of which are in your class." Azamuki bowed.
"Don't worry sis. We'll find out who's blackmailing you. And when I do… I'll make them wish they were never born." Ayanokouji smiled darkly.
"I know. By the way… I think I know someone who scares the crap out of Tamaki. I'll hook you two up."
Translations
1) You damn rich bastard!
2) And until you give me back my uniform I'm not saying another word in English!
3) I heard that Kyoya!
4) Stop gaping. You'll catch flies.
5) Hands to yourself.
6) I'll give you whatever look I want to give you.
7) What's the matter, Kyoya? Can't understand Greek?
8) Yep.
I think this is the longest chapter I've ever written. Wow. Sorry about that, I kind of got carried away. Anyways, don't forget to review! Let's try to get to 15 reviews before the next chapter, okay? Love you guys! And tell me what you think of Kea. Pretty please?
Before I bid you farewell to the next chapter, I have a favor to ask of you all. It would mean the world to me, and to her, if you guys would read and REVIEW SublimeEchos stories. Her stories Recollection and Forbidden Love are absolutely amazing. Recollection's predecessor, Runaway (Read it!), was my inspiration for Stripes of the Past. If any of you like that story, please read the one that gave me the inspiration to write. Thank you!