There were no words for this absolute bullshit. First, he had been awoken by Tamaki going absolutely insane with panic over the most idiotic supposition – that Haruhi, Kyōya's Haruhi, thank you very much you idiot, not "your daughter", was missing, and somehow had been sold into servitude; why did he put up with this moron at all any more lately – after which, said moron got the entire Club in on the panic.
Secondly, after he'd finally calmed everyone down, it was decided to go intrude on his kitten's sole free time away from school and the Club in general.
Third, this was intruding on his free time as well, as he had been hoping to be able to grab a few days' alone time with her while she was at her part-time job for the summer break. Now he was going to be unable to actually be himself during this trip; forced into the role he played for the Club and not who he was in private with his pet. Fucking bullshit.
Sighing with frustration, Kyōya dialed the number of the bed and breakfast Haruhi was working at, rapidly explaining to the proprietor, Misuzu (whom he referred to as "she" because when asked about a preference for pronouns, Misuzu had gushed about his consideration and asked to be called by "she"), what had happened and that she absolutely did not have to put anybody up besides her usual customers if she didn't want to. Misuzu laughingly commented that she had an idea, told him he would still be getting his room because "Ah, you and Haruhi make such a cute couple, and besides, even if it was for a bit later, you still have at least had the courtesy to make reservations ahead of time!"
Of course, the added, "Not that you'll be sleeping in there, eh, Ōtori-kun?" was unnecessary and superfluous, but he was gratified to learn that she didn't actually care where he'd be sleeping – he would also be taking a "working vacation" like Haruhi and needed his own room simply for the sheer volume of paperwork he did on a daily basis to keep up with his business interests.
After he finished talking to the pensione proprietor, he called the private cell phone he had gotten Haruhi – so that she could turn the other, public, one off without worrying about if he could contact her or not – and warned her about what was going to be happening, and that, regardless of what he said around the others, there was absolutely no threat of him talking to the school about her unauthorized part-time job.
Then he chased after his idiot best friend to catch up to him – and the rest of the Club – in Karuizawa.
This was going to be a pain, and he couldn't even charge anyone for anything over it, because it was summer break!
'No, Tamaki-senpai,' Haruhi thought vindictively, 'there is no sense of solidarity here, because you're being absolutely intrusive and annoying.'
Admittedly, she knew there was more to him than the facade he presented, but it didn't really matter, did it, when he always trampled all over her boundaries and everyone else respected them? She highly suspected that the rest of the Club had gone along with his delusions solely to make sure he didn't wear her too thin, that they could manage to get her some alone time with Kyōya-senpai before their planned "alone time"; thankfully, both Misuzu-san and Kyōya-senpai had informed her that those planned few days "away" from everyone else were still going to happen; just, after the invasion was over.
Of course, then the damned twins, with their sense of mischief, had to mention her cell phone – which had everybody plugged in except their creepy "leader" – and make the damn "King" of their Club mope and pout and try to demand being added to her contacts. No! People who trampled all over her boundaries and didn't understand the word "No" were not allowed to have her phone number!
Then after she finished asking them to leave, Kyōya-senpai slid into his Shadow King persona, and as warned, brought up the school rules regarding part-time jobs – not allowed – while the others did their usual comedy routine of sheer frustration. Especially Tamaki-senpai, who basically demanded that, because it was their free time too, they should all stay here, at the pensione, and take up all the VIP rooms at that. He was so rude and inconsiderate! Even her beloved senpai had simply rented a normal room for his own stay, not taking up one of Misuzu-san's few VIP rooms! Those were for special customers, which Tamaki-senpai and the rest certainly weren't when they had just… barged in like this!
…And of course, Tamaki-senpai was off in dreamland after that suggestion, no doubt having some creepy fantasy again! Dammit, she was so incredibly tempted to just come straight out and tell him about her and Kyōya-senpai, she really, truly was! No amount of sulking could possibly be worth having to endure this for the rest of the school year, especially when they were intruding on her time off from them as well! She should at least be allowed to be herself with Kyōya-senpai in her free time, dammit!
That was a decision to make with senpai, however, not simply on her own, but honestly? Summer break might really be the best time for it, as, this way, Tamaki-senpai could get all his fit-throwing and sulking done with before school was officially back in session. Maybe by then he'd get over the "heartbreak".
...Haruhi was really, earnestly going to try and convince Kyōya-senpai, now. To do this soon, before Tamaki-senpai thought himself any more awfully attached. Less chance of straining relationships between the rest of the Club and their leader if he had his "heart broken" before he could get too "in love". Not that the delusional moron even realized he felt that way, she scoffed to herself. She probably wouldn't have, were it not for Kyōya-senpai having opened her eyes to it ages ago.
Thankfully, the pensione had had most of the rest of the four free rooms reserved in the time frame between them arriving and them asking about renting rooms, so there was only one room available. And when Tamaki was being mournful about if he was being unfair and if he was only out for himself ('yes to both', Haruhi vindictively thought, still incredibly angry that this was even happening), the twins came up with a plan that, while it would probably add even more work for her to do, would solve the "problem" without her own personal input.
She could always work harder to make up for their blunders; she could not make up for hurt feelings anywhere near as easily.
Kyōya used the time that Haruhi was taking on break to propose a bet; he knew she wouldn't take him up on it, but still, they had roles to play around Tamaki – and he was getting entirely too sick of this bullshit by now, making him wonder if maybe this wouldn't be an ideal time to come clean; he would talk to kitten about it tonight – and as he listed off the participants and why they were in or out of the running, the twins sidled up to the porch, and he mostly tuned them out. They would likely win, but unlike what he said out loud for Tamaki's benefit, he wouldn't be staying at his cottage, having already booked his reservation well in advance.
Despite the twins' "assumption" that he would be assisting Tamaki, they all four knew that it didn't matter how much help he had: Tamaki made Haruhi acutely uncomfortable, thus, Misuzu-san wouldn't let him stay there and would continue to dock points so that he stayed just below the twins' combined points, even if he managed to earn any on his own merits, which he hadn't been able to so far.
He did feel a bit badly for Tamaki – he was an idiot, but he wasn't intentionally malicious or nefarious – and so suggested that he try playing the piano.
The twins won regardless, as he had assumed they would, however, so he went about the rest of his day normally, then after the others left – Hikaru and Kaoru to their room, the rest to their local villas – he gently grabbed ahold of his kitten and led them to her room.
"This might actually be a good time to come clean about our relationship to Tamaki, while he will have time to internalize it before school resumes."
"Can we please, please, just tell Tamaki-senpai that we're together already so he can get his fit over with before school starts up again?"
Hearing her echo his thoughts so closely made Kyōya chuckle, which set off her giggling adorably, and he nodded firmly, leaning his forehead against his pet's forehead softly, before kissing it. "Alright, tomorrow, then, first thing, so that we never have to hide from his reactions again."
Then he carried her to the bed, determined to make her just stop thinking for the next few hours.
The next morning started out… Not that great, to be honest.
"Eh?! W-what do you mean, together?! Since when?! Wha- Why- How could you keep Daddy in the dark over this?!"
Tamaki was too much right now, with tears and gloom marks and raising his voice with every single distraught word coming out of his stupid mouthand she didn't want to deal with him, and!
"Does everybody but Daddy know?! Mommy, how could you break my-"
Finally, she had enough, and Haruhi snapped, "This is why! You think you own me, that you have a right to me, and I hate it, but you're such a damn child about it that just dealing with it was so much easier than telling you would have been! The only person who owns me is Kyōya-senpai, because he actually cares about me and takes care of me, and because I let him own me! I wanted that from him from almost the moment we met, when all you do and all you have ever doneis upset me and wear me out! I can't stand it! Why are you always such a rude, childish, selfish, over-dramatic-! Ugh! I don't even have words!"
By the time she finished her short vent, Kyōya-senpai had tugged her into his firm chest and she had tears coming from her eyes, too upset and worn out – already, the day had just started-!– to reasonably cope with this fit-pitching that Milord was doing.
Thankfully, she wouldn't have to cope on her own, as Kyōya-senpai stroked over her hair gently, holding her close while he firmly laid down the law, so to speak. "Tamaki, enough, can't you see you're upsetting Haruhi even more? Do you even realize- Ugh, of course you don't. Rather, do you even care that Haruhi has been agonizing over telling you, terrified about your reaction, knowing that no matter how you reacted in the end, in the beginning, you would be entirely unreasonable about everything? Look, you are my best friend, but I will not let you keep upsetting my pet like this. Go away until you can be reasonable."
Tamaki looked at the couple in front of him, wanting to cry and pout and yell at them to stop hurting his feelings; until he actually looked again and saw the actual tears in her eyes, the trembling of Haruhi's body, how she was clinging – Haruhi, always so unflappable and unaffected, was clinging! – to Kyōya's chest so tightly, as if she were genuinely terrified he would leave because she was upsetting Tamaki…
And he sagged in place, realizing that, even though it hadn't been on purpose, he had been hurting someone he really, truly cared for as a friend – looking at the glare in Kyōya's eyes, the clenching of his jaw, how he was practically cradling Haruhi, (he called her "his pet", they were really attached, then…) and no, it hadn't just been Haruhi he was hurting by acting so thoughtlessly, but Kyōya, his best friend, too.
Shit.
What a mess. He didn't even know why it bothered him so much, but very visibly, blatantly, and clearly, it had been upsetting the both of them even more to even have to be in the situation that his – unwanted and unappreciated, he could very much see and accept that now, despite the difficulty of accepting it – attachment was putting them in.
No wonder Ranka couldn't stand him, if he had been worrying and bothering Haruhi – and Kyōya; Ranka was dreadfully fond of him, too – so badly!
Before he could overreact to anything else, however, he gave Kyōya a short nod and quietly said, "I'll go think about things. I- I'm sorry, for making Haruhi cry. Maybe I'll see you tomorrow, but even if not, you are both still my friends. I won't change that just because I'm unhappy right now."
Then he left to go to his villa and have a good, hard look at things he normally tried to avoid religiously, because he clearly needed to stop being thoughtless right now.
Feeling Haruhi trembling from upset in his arms was one of the most honestly anger inducing things that Tamaki had ever done to him, Kyōya thought as he bodily picked his pet up and held her close, taking her back to her room. Thankfully, Tamaki had gotten here at far-too-goddamn-early o'clock (Six. In the morning. On a holiday.) and they had been able to have the confrontation with no watchers, no other participants, and have it well before Haruhi was supposed to actually start serving breakfast. For the next half hour, he would comfort and soothe his kitten, so that she could start her day in a more stable state of mind.
At least it was finally, finally, over with now. Tamaki knew, and was going to accept things far more easily than they had suspected, as proven by his sincere apology.
No more hiding.
Kyōya did know he was – for once – being overly optimistic about this; there were still so many obstacles, and at school they would still have to hide, from the rest of the populace, anyhow, but still… Not having to hide from Tamaki any more was such a relief that he felt some amount of optimism was warranted.