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kisskissshutmydoor · 2 years ago

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NEW! Lavender Roses ~ (K. Ootori x Reader)

pairing- Kyoya Ootori x Reader

In which a rational head hides a generous heart, but you have always known how to see past his walls and help him bloom into the gorgeous rose he is. Enjoy a slow burn between an honor student and our beloved glasses character!

-> summary: You expected him to whine a bit, yelling at the twins to stop playing unfairly while rubbing the bump on his head.

However, you didn’t expect the tiki statue to light up.

-> word count: 17.3k (she a long one)

-> tw!: mentions of small injury (including blood, scrapes, ankle injury, and being knocked unconsious), mentions of drowning sensations (no oxygen, trapped underwater). please read if your comfortable!

-> legend:

(f/h/f) - favorite hot food

(f/f) - favorite fruit

(f/c) - favorite color

see masterlist!: masterlist

taglist: @abbysblogsstuff @sunukissed @kisskissshutmydoor @idonia-dovahkiin @greensnakegoblep @vervainnnn @desert-fern @delievia @obeythemasters @luca-nightshade

Jungle Pool SOS!

“Haruhi!”

The brunette turned slightly at your voice, and she watched with a small smile as you picked up speed behind her, your leisurely pace molding into a speed walk to catch up with your friend. A drink carrier balanced in your arms as you made your way to her side.

Ringing bells of gold signaled the end of the school day and crisp, early spring air blew through the cherry blossoms of the courtyard. Uniforms, both yellow and lavender, covered the space, the crowd heading to the cars lined up along the road. Students were excited to go home and spend the evening doing whatever they chose.

In your case, however, instead of taking this evening to perfect one of your many engineering projects, the Host Club collectively decided to meet up after school. Kyoya had informed everyone that he had a sort of field trip planned for everyone, and he needed your input on it. He had stated that everyone’s perspective was appreciated, and mandatory.

“Hey, (Y/n).” Haruhi says as you walk with her, her deep tone relaxing as you match her stride. “How are you?”

“Good!” You reply, and she quirks an eyebrow up at the bounce of your step and the brightness in your voice. No one should be this cheery after an entire school day.

Before she can speak on the matter, though, you reach into the pile of to-go cups balancing on your forearms and produce a medium sized coffee, the words “Love of my life” written in black sharpie on the side.

“Here, this one’s yours.” You say as you hand her the drink, your fingers clamping around the top of the cup like a toy crane. She laughs a little at the name. “I figured since we are being forced to work on our time off, I thought everyone might want a hot drink as a nice pick me up! I asked them to make a coffee with equal amounts of milk and sugar for you. They even used the instant coffee that you like.”

The coffee is warm in Haruhi’s hands as she takes it from your grasp. She breathes in the steam, grateful for the heat it provides. “Wow, (Y/n), thank you. You didn’t have to do this.”

Smiling at her appreciation, you shake your head. “That’s what friends are for. Plus, I thought you might need the energy boost, considering our esteemed company this afternoon.” You joke, and Haruhi chuckles as she brings the drink to her lips.

The honor student takes a sip, relishing in the taste of the cream and the coffee beans blending together. She swallows, and as the warmth blossoms in her chest, she registers just how many drinks you have in your arms.

“How did you have enough time to get these? Didn’t school let out a few minutes ago?”

You smiled, joyfully working to rearrange the pyramid of drink orders so that they didn’t spill out of your grasp. “My engineering teacher gave us a lot of freedom today. She said that as long as we had everything ready for tomorrow’s presentation, we could leave class early.” You shrugged as you assessed the organization of cups. “I figured since I had to come back here anyway, the least I could do is buy everyone a few drinks.”

Haruhi squinted her eyes at you over her cup of joe, suspicions firing from both sides of her brain. They trailed over the glint in your (e/c) irises, the extra spark in your movements as you both continue to walk towards your agreed meeting place.

“You’re extra cheery this afternoon.” The brunette bluntly stated.

You turn to look at her this time, a little confusion gracing your features. “Am I?” Your glance then roams around the academy’s property. “Just excited to get started, I guess.”

She hums in thought for a second before turning her attention back to her drink. “I think it’s because you’re excited to see Kyoya.”

At the sputtering that occurred to her right, she was surprised none of the drinks made it onto the ground.

Haruhi laughs a little as she sees you trip over yourself, and she reaches out to help you, making sure the cups are stable in your grasp. “Do you want me to hold some for you?”

You heaved a light-hearted, defeated sigh as you passed her two cups, one that said “Thing One” and another that read “Princey”. “Am I really that obvious?”

She shakes her head lovingly as you both continue to walk. “No, not to most people. But I know you.”

Scoffing playfully, you nudge her with your shoulder as you both arrive under a beautiful archway that has been built on Ouran’s property. As you both wait underneath it, you see two limousines appear, but ignore them, as limos are a very common occurrence when it comes to rich students.

After a few minutes passed the agreed meet up time, you look at Haruhi.

“Maybe we should call them? See where they are?” You say, but right when you’re about to fish your phone out of your pocket, an arm loops under yours, picking you up by the shoulder.

“Targets-” You hear a familiar voice beside you.

“Captured.” When you look over, you see that Haruhi is in the same position that you are, except she has Hikaru to her left, while you have Kaoru to your right.

“What the hell?” You say as you tighten your grip on the drink carrier.

Haruhi is thrashing a little in Hikaru’s grasp. “Wait! What is-”

Before she can ask her question, the window of one of the limousines rolls down, revealing Tamaki. To add to your growing confusion, he was wearing a red lei and sunglasses, looking very smug in his seat.

“Good work.” He says, and gestures to the limo behind him. “(Y/n) goes in that one.”

“Roger!” Shout the twins, and off you go. Kaoru is suddenly dragging you away from Haruhi as you watch her get pushed into Tamaki’s car.

“You better tell me where we are going right now, Kaoru, or I’ll-”

He interrupts you by opening the passenger door to the second limousine and shoves you inside, a large smirk on his face. Before he shuts the door, he grabs a cup out of your carrier, the one labeled “Thing Two”.

“Don’t be such a brat, (Y/n).” He teases with his cheshire grin. “Patience is a virtue.”

And with that, he closes the door, trapping you inside.

Your brow ticks with annoyance as you stare angrily out the tinted window, watching him return to the limo in front of you, and you sway as you feel the car start to move.

“I take it that's for me?”

You cannot catch a break as another surprising voice sounds across from you. You jump slightly before processing the fact that Kyoya is sitting across from you, hands folded neatly over a brown journal resting on his lap.

“What?” You ask, still reeling from the events prior.

“The drink. In your hand?” His gaze rests on one of the only two drinks left, a small earl gray tea labeled “Shadow King”.

“While I find the name intolerable, I will take the beverage.” The ravenet speaks again, a smirk resting on his sharp features, and you sigh, accepting your fate.

Thrusting the drink tray out in front of you, you roll your eyes playfully. “Just take it.” And when he does, you add. “After all this, I find the name to be quite fitting.”

Kyoya’s smirk never left his face after that.

After an hour or so passes, coffee cups lay discarded in a themed trash can, the bin looking very similar to a Tiki statue. Even the remains of a small black coffee labeled “Mori'' and a strawberry frappuccino with “Cutie” scribbled on the side lay atop the pile.

Instead, the sunlight reflects through crystal glasses filled with tropical drinks and refreshing ice. As the scene pans out, tropical birds fly through a domed space, winding through tall palm trees and intricately built water slides.

A certain red bird trained his eyes on a bright, yellow shape, and his excitement and curiosity heightened tenfold. He had never seen that big of a flower before, but it looked soft and inviting. The bird dove for it, his red color blurring in the air as he moved closer to his target, thinking that he might be able to break off a petal or two for his wife back at their nest-

“Squawk!” Haruhi shooed the winged-pest away from her yellow pullover casually, the red bird sounding its surprise as it flew away quickly. She was too distracted to care though as she shielded her eyes from sunlight beaming through the waterparks glass ceiling, still racking her brain as to how exactly she got there.

‘Am I dreaming?’ The honor student asked herself when no rational answer appeared in her logical mind. ‘We’re still in Japan, right? It’s not really known for its tropical locals.’

Before she could question herself further, a manicured hand settled onto her shoulder, kicking her off her train of thought.

She looked to her side to see a shirtless Tamaki, and even she had to admit that he absolutely glowed in the sun’s path. His blonde hair shined, and the light rivaled the sparkle of his violet irises. It was hard for her to look away, that is, until the prince opened his mouth.

Then it was very easy.

“Behold, Haruhi, bask in the beauty of tropical birds!” He sighed dreamily as he followed the feathered things in their flight. “Aren’t they breathtaking? I wonder what they’re called.”

She shook him off of her slightly as she felt a migraine already forming behind her eyes. The brunette took a moment before turning to the blonde once more, only to find that he was already lounging in a long chair, sunglasses over his face.

“Right, so…” She said, getting his attention. “Where’s the exit?”

She could feel the eyeroll the prince gave her before settling into his seat more comfortably. “Try to make the most of this down time and just relax.” A smirk made its way on his chiseled features as he raised the drink in his hand. “We’re so worried about keeping our good looks day and night, we deserve a little vacation.”

The headache began to wrap around her skull to nuzzle into her brainstem, but her face didn’t have enough energy to convey anything other than a deadpan expression.

“Personally, I think this is pointless and a waste of time, so can I go home now?” She chided, fully turning away from the prince to talk to the actual person in charge. “I should really be studying, and I’ve got a ton of laundry to do today.”

Her bare feet take her to a certain ravenet lounging under the shade, his little brown book open on his lap while his fingers expertly work his pen onto the pages. The seat next to him is empty, only a towel draped over the back of it giving any evidence that someone might be sitting there.

He seems busy, but Haruhi decides to interrupt his thoughts for the sake of her freedom. “Senpai, where are we anyway?”

Kyoya barely gives her a sparing glance before returning his focus to his notes, but answers her question. “This place is a brand new theme park that my family, the Ootori group, runs. It’s called the Tropical Aqua Garden.”

She takes in the resort in front of her, watching as the lazy river a few feet away glides and ripples against the tile walls.

“I don’t understand, I thought the Ootori Group ran hospitals and that they’re focused on the medical business, Kyoya-senpai.”

The Ootori son feels the corners of his mouth tilt up slightly at her correct observation, and finally meets her eyes before his next statement. “Yes, but my family likes to diversify and try different things. Besides, this place could be classified as a healing facility.”

Haruhi hums in thought, and Kyoya is about to expand his explanation before the sound of wet footsteps are heard behind him. Haruhi has barely any time to move out of the way before you are barreling past her, feet slapping against the concrete before they are leaving the ground. The twins in the pool jump at your fast approaching figure while Honey sits on Mori’s shoulders cheering you on. The Hitachiians rush to move out of your way, making room for the inevitable.

You laugh and squeal as you push off the balls of your toes when you reach the pool’s edge, quickly hugging your knees to your chest and screaming Cannonball! in mid air before becoming submerged in the water below.

Kyoya uses his book to shield himself from the, frankly impressive, splash before making another note on the page, his smile a little bigger now.

“It can also be therapeutic.” He says, gesturing to you and the twins splashing each other once you come up for air. “Think of the people who are overworked who would just love a vacation in the south tropics. However, they may not be able to get time off, or they may not be able to afford it.” He put his book down and reached for his tropical glass, adjusting his glasses to his nose.

“Those people can now come here and reduce their stress levels. The Ootori group's primary concern has always been for the good health and well-being of the general public.” At the end of his speech, he flashes Haruhi a host grin, and she feels a weird shiver up her spine.

“Yeah, that’s not suspicious at all.”

At your voice, the two hosts direct your attention to you, and Haruhi notices Kyoya’s Adam's apple bob slowly at the sight of you, his smile faltering into something more real.

With your palms placed in front of you, you pushed yourself over the ledge, stretching your back slightly to feel the sun on your newly exposed skin. He didn’t dare to breathe in case it disturbed your peaceful image.

But as you walked out of the pool and towards him, Kyoya just stopped breathing.

Earlier, when you had emerged from the changing room in your new two-piece, Kyoya had been on the phone with his family’s managers, too distracted to fully take in your appearance.

But now, his eyes followed stray droplets as they fell off your wet eyelashes, down the perfect shape of your cheekbones before slipping in between your parted lips, a sight that made him lose his breath.

More cascaded over your shoulder and across your arms, finding a home on your bare stomach. Another drop streaked over your chin and down your neck before disappearing somewhere he refused to look, out of his immense respect for you and, of course, his own sanity.

Cooly, he locked eyes with the twins following behind you before turning back to Haruhi, silently cursing them in his head for helping you pick out such an exquisite swimsuit. One that flatters every curve and dip in your body. One that lit his nerves on fire at the site.

Clearing his throat, it takes Kyoya a little more than a second to organize his composure, mind still hazy from your appearance.

“The park doesn’t officially open until next month, but the host club was given a special advance invitation.”

Your laugh sounded again, closer this time as you stopped in front of him and oh, why would you do that? How could you laugh like that and look like that and not expect him to be bursting at the seams?

“Oh, so we are just a bunch of guinea pigs for your new waterpark?” You ask, cocking an eyebrow at the man below you. “I’d expect nothing less from the Ootori’s.”

Kyoya rolls his eyes, reaching over to your chair to hand you your towel. “Never expect anything less from the Ootori’s.”

You chuckled again and reached out to take the towel from his grasp, feeling the graze of his fingertips when a sweet, higher pitched voice calls for your attention.

“(N/n)-chan! (N/n)-chan!”

As you dab your head to get rid of the excess moisture, you turn to see Honey-senpai skipping towards you with pure delight on his features, and your face softens at the sight of a pink floaty around his waist.

“What’s up, Honey-senpai?”

When he gets to you, he grabs your arms and tugs on your wrist, making you smile even wider at his antics. “Wanna share some coconut juice with me? Or some mango cake?”

He suddenly runs around you, spinning you off your balance so that you fall into the chair next to Kyoya. Another laugh pushes past your lips as you adjust yourself to recline a little bit.

“I’d love to have some coconut juice with you, Honey-senpai.”

And if you thought his face couldn’t get any brighter, you were proven wrong as his eyes widened into happy saucers as he giggled away happily, appeased at your choice.

The energy that Honey had brought you was collected into a moment of calmness as your gaze traveled to Mori, who watched a bird fly over his head in the distance.

The stoic host turned and looked at you directly, as if he felt your eyes on him. Knowing him, he probably had.

You smiled at him and waved, and got a simple smile and nod in return.

He was precise and to the point. Something that you admire about Mori-senpai, but something that admittedly took a little getting used to.

You sigh and lean back. “This is so nice.”

“Does this mean you forgive me for not telling you where we were going?” Kyoya asked beside you, a knowing look playing on his lips.

Wiggling deeper into your chair, you throw an arm over your eyes, completely content with the sun warming your skin as your favorite megane sits beside you. “If it means you take me to places like this, you can surprise me all you want.”

Unbeknownst to you, gray eyes lingered on your form before another content simper made its way onto the club director’s visage, happy to see you happy.

“Hey Haruhi!” The peace was broken as the twins finally made their way towards your group, a banana in Hikaru’s hand.

Kaoru points to the large yellow slide in the distance. “You wanna go check out the water slide?” His offer falters, though, when he notices Haruhi’s yellow sweatshirt and green checkered shorts.

True to his character, Hikaru reads his brother’s mind. “Hang on, what’s the deal with the pullover you’re wearing?”

Haruhi pulls at the elastic band at the bottom of her jumper. “Oh, this thing?”

“Tamaki made her wear it.” You say, hearing an offended, betrayed gasp from the table next to you, your eyes shielded from the dirty look the prince was giving you.

The twins spun to face the boss.

“Why would you do that?” Hikaru asks, discarding his banana peel into some unknown area.

“Yeah, we even brought all of our mother’s latest designs for (Y/n) and Haruhi to try!”

“Meh.” The gingered brothers turned again, surprised at Haruhi’s disinterest. “I didn’t really like any of them. I mean, one of them was only a couple of strings.”

Another strangled cry from the lounge chair Tamaki occupied.

You pulled your arm away from your face to join the conversation. “Oh yeah, I tried that one on. It was a really good material, but it left absolutely nothing to the imagination.”

A gurgled cough sounded to your left as Kyoya brought his drink away from his lips, covering his mouth as he tried to swallow without difficulty. The twins smirked evilly at his reaction.

“You okay, Kyoya-senpai?” They said in sync, a mocking tone hidden in their smiles.

“I’m just fine.” The third son said darkly, clearing his throat as his glasses flashed at their attempt to fluster him even more than he was. “It just went down the wrong pipe.”

“A proper lady should not show that much skin until after she’s married.” Tamaki said, his face beet red at the topic of conversation.

“Oh yeah?” Hikaru starts.

“Then why is it okay that (Y/n) isn’t covered up?” Kaoru finishes.

You and Tamaki meet glances, and you see him nervously trying to find some sort of excuse as to why he cared so much about Haruhi’s privacy and respect. You simper a little bit, sensing his dilemma before saving him from answering. As his best friend, you knew that Tamaki hadn’t confronted that aspect of his feelings for Haruhi yet, and you didn’t want him to explode on that lounge chair.

Hopefully, though, he will be able to answer that for himself eventually.

“I wouldn’t let him. Why would I hide your mother’s amazing talent under some sweatshirt?” You say, adjusting the bikini on your hips.

“Plus,” You say looking over at Kyoya, a newfound confidence taking over you. That’s what the power of a good swimsuit holds. “I look amazing.” You state matter of factly, winking at your favorite ravenet.

With an air of nonchalance, Kyoya merely arched a brow at your antics before shaking his head and turning away. Mentally, you fist pumped when you notice the light pink dusting the tip of his ears, and you knew you got him.

Oblivious to your small victory, the twins turned back to Haruhi. “So you’re not going to swim?” Hikaru asked, a complete deadpan on his face. What was the point of coming out to a huge waterpark if you weren’t going to swim?

Unless…

Kaoru asked the question he was thinking. “Hold on. You do swim, don’t you?”

Haruhi lets out a groan of annoyance at her two classmates. “I can swim just as good as the next guy, but this isn’t my idea of fun. We’re just gonna spend the day goofing off.” She sighs and pinches the bridge of her nose.

“Honestly, I’d rather be home. I don’t understand what’s so great about this place, and really all you need to swim is a plastic pool.”

You prop yourself up a little more. “A plastic pool? What’s that?”

She turns to you before her face shifts into a thoughtful look. “Hm, let’s see.” She starts making a large circle with her arms, trying to demonstrate the size of the toy without actually having it in front of her.

“I guess they’re about this big, and uh, and this round. And you pump it full of air.”

Hikaru and Kaoru look at her like she just said the sky was red instead of blue.

“You dunce.”

“That’s an inflatable boat, dummy.”

Haruhi’s mood turns foul again as she yells at the brothers. “Guys, it’s an inflatable pool! Haven’t you ever seen kids playing in one?”

“But isn’t that too small?” You ask, taking a sip of your coconut juice. “There’s no way something that size could be used as a pool, it would be too cramped.”

Your drink is knocked out of your hand as Tamaki pulls you out of your chair, much to your distaste. Next to you, the twins stumble to catch up in his grasp as Tamaki crouches, speaking to you in a sharp, hushed voice.

“You idiots! If Haruhi thinks it’s a pool, then it’s a pool, got it?” His eyes are wide, and his lips pucker with his attempt to keep his voice down. “Don’t go embarrassing her! She can’t help it if she’s an ignorant commoner.”

“She’s far from ignorant.” You say under your breath, knowing that if you turned in your crouched position, you would see Haruhi staring right back at the three of you, her arms folded or tapping her foot.

“So, you just want us to lie to her?” The twins asked simultaneously, and Tamaki nodded firmly.

The twins blinked at him before a smile crept onto their faces.

“Nevermind that, we’ve got a question for ya.” Hikaru asks, looking between Tamaki and his brother.

Kaoru continues. “Why did you make Haruhi put on that monstrosity?”

Hikaru just shrugs. “I mean, I’m sure you would’ve been all ‘I wanna see Haruhi in a swimsuit!’.” It wasn’t that hard to imagine, and you found yourself grateful that Tamaki didn’t throw a tantrum for once. “Not making her cover up like that.”

“It was surprising.” You admit before standing back up and brushing yourself off. You didn’t need to tease Tamaki into telling you something you already knew.

“What are they saying?” Haruhi asked when you made your way back to her and Kyoya.

“Uh,” A sheepish smile stretched your face. “Would you believe me if I said nothing?”

She rolled her eyes and grunted, making her way over right behind Tamaki before the twins pointed at her. The prince jumped in surprise, slowly turning to face only to cower at her deadpan energy.

“Well,” you sigh, leaning against your chair. “That’s what he gets for telling Haruhi what to do.”

You look over at the hum of agreement that emits from Kyoya’s throat, and you catch his cursive lines from over his shoulder as he continues to record the world around him in his notebook.

“What are you writing about?”

He looks at you before clicking his pen closed and handing you the book, allowing you to flip through its pages. Notes like ‘too many palm trees’, ‘diversify drink menu’, and ‘add diving board’ covered the lines, and you sent a confused glance his way.

“Referring to yourselves as my guinea pigs isn’t straying too far from the truth. This trip doubles as a test run for my family, to see if there are any kinks that need to be worked out before the park officially opens to the public.”

You nod with a knowing smile – because of course Kyoya could never just take a break and enjoy himself for once – and continue to look through the leather-clad booklet.

“And thanks to you guys, I’ve gotten some great data today.” The ravenet uses a delicate finger to support his lenses, and you see a flash of the business man he is already becoming.

Your heart beats a little faster.

Kyoya opens his palm for his notes, and you move to hand it back for him, only to hold it just out of his reach.

“While I appreciate your ability to multitask, I’m sure you’ve taken the necessary data to report back to your father.” Your eyes are sincere when they meet his. “Promise me that for the rest of the day, you’ll actually relax.”

His eyes squint narrowly while his jawline ticks, and you see his mind working out a debate to your request.

“Please?” You beg, and what could he do, really? When you were looking at him like that?

The argument he had loaded in his throat dies at his lips.

“Fine.” Kyoya says, his voice warm as he reaches over and closes the gap between him and his book, and you realize he could’ve done that the whole time. “I’ll try.”

“That’s all I ask.” Now you’re beaming at him, and he knew it was worth it.

“(N/n)-chan!” Your eyes leave Kyoya’s as you see Honey-senpai bounding towards you, this time with Mori-senpai in tow. “Let’s play! Wanna go swimming in the current pool with me?”

“Maybe in a sec? I’m taking a break for a minute.” Truthfully, you were enjoying relaxing with Kyoya, being in each other’s space. You didn’t want to leave him just yet.

For a moment, Honey’s eyes drooped and you were about to give in, but he got over it quickly as he skipped over to Haruhi to ask her the same question.

But Haruhi shook her head too. “Nah, I’m not gonna swim today.” She smiled before noticing Honey’s attire. “Hold on, you know how to swim, don’t you? Do you still need that float?”

At the talk of his floaty, Honey did another little spin, but this time he shook his head. “Nope! It just looks cuter this way, ya know?”

You chuckle lovingly. “He’s right, those bunnies are pretty cute.”

“He’s so innocent.” The twins remark, and your whole group watches in peace as Honey-senpai and Mori-senpai play in the pool together, a heartwarming scene.

Unfortunately, though, you were about to experience the complete opposite in just a few moments

As a shrill ‘No way! You’re wrong!’ sounded over the intercoms of the waterpark, your body stiffened like a toothpick, spikes of pure panic surging up through your veins.

You could recognize that voice anywhere.

“Is that…” You say, forcing your tongue to form the syllables, dreading to even mention her name on your vacation. “Renge?”

Out from the abyss, the dark angel that is Renge Houshakuji rises out of her lair. She poses at the top of her tiered rig, holding an umbrella and looking as smug as ever.

Your laugh is strained as more panic swirls in your irises. Swiftly, you launch yourself out of your chair, rushing a quick explanation to Kyoya before rushing over to the current pool with Honey and Mori. “You know what? I think I will join Honey-senpai for a swim. Watch my stuff, yeah?”

And you’re gone. Ignoring the unspoken rule of not running near a pool, you hike it to the water, diving deep, hoping Renge didn’t see you hide.

This is why you couldn’t have nice things.

Rising out of the water to catch your breath, you find the group in a forced chat with Renge, and you blow out a sigh of relief.

“(N/n)-chan? Do you not like Renge-chan?” Honey says as he floats next to you, kicking his little legs as much as he could so he didn’t cruise down the river.

Your mouth opens agape, but then you close it. Honey may look delicate, but he has impressive observational skills. Nothing gets past him.

“Uh, I’m still trying to get along with her.” A closed-mouth smile appears on your face, hoping to convince him

“So you jumped in the pool? That’s not a good way to make friends, (N/n)-chan.”

Mori nodded his head next to his cousin. “Yeah.”

You deadpanned at the two of them before sucking some water in your mouth and spitting it back at the duo. “Could you two not gang up on me? Isn’t there a game you wanted to play?”

Ever the scatter-brained boy, the third year’s face lights up at your suggestion, and he immediately climbs out of the pool. He takes his floaty off and throws it back at you.

Shooting an amused look to Mori, you catch the pink, plastic ring and hold it, waiting for your next order from your senpai.

“I want to practice jumping through the floaty! Can you hold it steady for me, (N/n)-chan? I bet I could jump in the hole!”

It takes you a moment, but you finally understand what he is getting at. “I can do that! And maybe, each time you’re able to jump through the ring, I can step back a bit to make it more challenging?”

“Yeah!” Honey agrees excitedly, happy that you’re taking an interest in his game. “And Takashi could create obstacles for me to jump over!”

The tall host nods, sticking his arm out between Honey and you to create a jump for Honey. “Okay.”

“Okay, ready?” Honey backs up a little before charging at the two of you. His legs jump out and over Mori’s arm, only to come to a point as he changes his pose to fit perfectly in the middle of his floaty. With a splash, the ring bounces against the water at the force, and Honey’s head goes under before he comes back up.

“You did it!” You exclaim as he pulls his arm through the center, resting his body onto the floaty.

Honey looks at Mori, water dropping off of his blonde hair. “What would you rate it, Takashi?”

The black-haired host allows himself another smirk as he holds up both hands, spreading his fingers out wide. “Ten out of ten.”

“A perfect score.” You say proudly as Honey’s excited energy becomes contagious. “Wanna do it again?”

Expectedly, he nods his head, and Mori helps him out of the pool only for Honey-senpai to jump back in the ring again, this time a little farther than he was in the first round. You all played this again and again, Honey getting a perfect score from Mori each time, until the small host was bored with his floaty and wanted to play something else.

While the cute host spun himself into his thoughts, searching for another game to play, you took the opportunity to take in the moment.

As sad as it was to admit, being able to spend time with Mori and Honey like this was rare. They had their graduation to think about, as well as their martial art training and other responsibilities that come from training police forces and overseas militia.

You were just as busy, honing your engineering skill and preparing to inherit the company your mother had built from the ground up.

But now, as the water swished between your fingers and Mori’s signature smirk secured its place on his lips, you found it hard to accept that as a valid excuse. Especially when Honey got another gleam in his eye, splashing around so that he could face his cousin dead-on.

“Takashi! Can we play Surfboard?” The boy lolita’s warm brown eyes morphed into stars as he begged his cousin to accept. The usually agreeable Mori wrinkled his brow, and you could tell he did not like Surfboard.

“What’s that?” You ask.

“I get to stand on Takashi’s back while he swims! It’s like I’m surfing!”

“Oh, I see.” You say knowingly, making eye contact with the taller host to show him that you understand why that wouldn’t be the best idea. “Do you maybe want a break, Mori-senpai? I could play with him for a little bit while you get a drink.”

Mori looked back at the hosts, seeing Haruhi fiddle with her glass alone under the canopy.

“Yeah, thanks.” His deep voice answered you simply, and soon he was out of the pool walking towards the honor student, who had a drink in her hand.

Honey looked a little sad at the loss of his cousin, but he turned back to you with renewed energy. Did this kid ever run out of gas?

“Do you wanna play Surfboard?”

A sweatdrop appeared on your forehead as you waded in the water. “Sure, but you can stand on my stomach as I backstroke. Sound good?”

You really didn’t feel like drowning today.

But he agreed with an enthusiastic ‘Okay!’ as you readied yourself to float on your back. You breathed in and filled your lungs with air, the buoyancy of the organ making it easier for you to stay a float. Honey sat, then stood on your ribs and stomach as you started to swim backwards in the water, keeping your face above the surface.

You were lucky he was light.

“Look!” Honey called to the group of hosts and Renge, drawing attention to your game. “Check this out! Even though we’re swimming really fast, we never go any further than we are now!”

‘We’ was a generous term as he stood on top of you, happy as a clam to be along for the ride.

You stayed like that for a while until your arms hurt, and you tapped on Honey’s leg to tell him that you were done. You propped yourself against the wall of the current pool as Honey kicked for himself, smiling slightly at the content look on his face. You never wanted to see this kid unhappy.

Shuddering, you pushed the thought from your mind.

“Watch out, (Y/n)!” You hear the twins yell as they run past you with water guns, trying to get away from Tamaki with a vengeance. They playfully sprayed you with their water guns before skidding around and leaping around Tamaki’s shots. Luckily, you notice, Renge has left as well.

A small voice spoke beside you. “You wanna go play water guns? You can if you want.”

Turning your attention back to Honey, you saw the most genuine look of selfishness in his eyes. He would be totally okay if you said yes right now and left him to his own devices.

But that made you want to stay even more. “Of course not, Senpai.” You said, swimming back alongside him. “I’ll stay here with you.” Honey saw a sweet grin illuminate your lips and he cheered, forgetting about the force of the pool as he stopped kicking. Catching him around his middle, your heart warmed at his eagerness to keep playing with you.

In the distance, you hear Tamaki yell “Sideways-leaping shot!” His figure blurs as he leaps to the side, trying to catch the twins by surprise as they hide behind decorative surfboards.

But he doesn’t stop.

You watch as Tamaki’s feet land on Hikaru’s discarded banana peel and propel him forward, and you wince when he lands head first into the tiki statue outside of the bathrooms.

You expected him to whine a bit, yelling at the twins to stop playing unfairly while rubbing the bump on his head.

However, you didn’t expect the tiki statue to light up.

Like a tripwire had been activated, the eyes of the statue began to glow a deep red, setting off a chain reaction within the waterparks mechanics.

A rumble split through the concrete of the resort, and you hugged Honey closer to your body, not liking the sound of this at all.

You learned to always trust your instincts as a huge wave suddenly appeared in front of the both of you, towering to great heights above your heads.

Eyes widening, you spin your head around, seeing if there was any time, any at all to at least push the third year out of the way. But the water was coming at you too fast, and separating yourself from your friend was the last thing you needed to do.

The host club is sprinting towards you both now, meeting your (e/c) eyes as you register that they’re too far away.

“Mitsukuni!”

“(Y/n)!”

Kyoya is too far away.

So with almost no time to react, you wrap your arms around the boy, your body rounding to shield Honey from the barrage of water whirling at you at high speeds. You will your heartbeat to slow as you hug the student to your middle, whispering in his ear before bracing for impact.

“Deep breath, Honey.”

Then the world was blue.

Water surrounded you. Even with your eyes closed you could feel it pour into your nostrils, rushing against your closed lips as you held onto your precious breath. The waves flooded in between the grip of your arms, but you refused to let Honey go. With every attempt that the pool gave to rip the boy-lolita away from you, you strengthened your hold, straining your muscles against the onslaught of water.

You were sent flipping, crashing against sides of the pool, scraping over sharp twigs and fallen branches. A sting shot up your right arm as you hit it roughly, and the coolness of the liquid surrounding you seeped into the open skin.

In the blind surge, your foot got caught in one of the drainage divots in the resort, and it twisted painfully before the water forced you back again. You opened your mouth to cry out when another giant wave pushed you roughly into a rock, and instead of blue, the world was black.

The host club was in a panic on the shore as they saw the wave about to swallow you two.

Mori-senpai raced with all his might, hoping to beat the concept of time and get to his cousin and his friend as quickly as possible. He saw Haruhi running next to him, yelling for you and the boy-lolita. “Honey-Senpai! (Y/n)!”

“Mitsukuni!”

“(Y/n)!” Journal forgotten, Kyoya leaped out of his chair, the rim of his glasses creating the perfect frame to see a shadow cast over your figures, blocking the light that was reflecting off your skin just minutes ago.

Swim, (Y/n)! Get out of there! He cried in his head as he raced for the pool’s edge. Why were you just sitting there? Why weren’t you making a break for it?

But his lungs deflated when your body language gave him his answer. You met his eyes, and the emotions that warped through them were almost apologetic as you turned away from him. Distressed, Kyoya saw your shoulders hunch protectively around Honey-senpai, your palms spreading over the boy’s chest as you pushed him flush against you in brace for the impact. He still willed his legs to pump faster.

Damn it, of course you wouldn’t leave Honey-senpai. If you couldn’t protect him, you’d go down trying.

Kyoya’s fingers were drenched with the splash as he reached out, desperate to try and get to you, his heart thumping with his effort.

But in an instant, you were gone, washed away with the tide.

And at the edge of the current pool, the Ootori son froze, his feet rooted to the decorative flooring as he watched the water swish back into its original shape. It was unaware of the drama it had just started, splashing up against the cool blue tiles.

Kyoya worked to catch his breath, the adrenaline in his body oscillating between the valves of his heart and the nerves in his mind. He closed his eyes, inhaling and exhaling in more controlled manners as his brain fired, trying not to imagine the water rushing into your lungs. The force of the wave replayed in his mind, your gasp and Honey’s cry as it overtook you haunting his ears.

His tongue was too big for his mouth as it pressed against his soft palette, internally channeling all his tension so his persona wouldn’t shatter. But with one final exhale, his eyes snapped open, and the downward spiral he was sinking into was interrupted by a new determination.

Black hair whipped as Kyoya spun on his heel, making a beeline for the waterpark’s directory. If there was one thing he learned as an Ootori, it was that nothing could be solved if you didn’t push forward.

“Gentlemen!” Tamaki yelled as Kyoya brushed past him, the blonde’s finger pointing high into the sky. “We’re going after Honey-senpai and (Y/n)!” He points towards the path that was near the pool that swept you away. “That pool looks like the quickest way! Charge!”

Everyone except for Kyoya rushed at Tamaki’s orders. But Kyoya was the one looking at the map.

“Wait!” He called, still studying the sign. “I wouldn’t go-!”

Just as he anticipated, the club came running back to their starting point, alligators emerging from the edges of the path they had chosen. “There are alligators in there!”

Tamaki thinks before shouting out another command. “Okay, so we can’t use the pool, let’s try this way!”

Out of the corner of his eye, Kyoya sighed as another alligator blocked Tamaki’s path, and the prince scrambled back to his group.

“What’s with all the alligators?” Haruhi called as the group of hosts put their hands on their knees, trying to catch their breath.

Sharply, he answers them with a monotone voice, eyes sweeping the map to find the best way back to you. “Those alligators belong to the park’s tropical animal exhibit. I guess it is dangerous to let them run in the wild.”

He works his jaw when he spares a glance at the totem pole. “Though, the cause of our present situation seems to be the location for the switch of the current pool.” He pushes back a headache as he revisits the map. “I’ll have to have a little chat with our designers.”

Haruhi and the idiotic trio shivered at what his tone suggested, and they prayed for the designers’ safety when talking to the Shadow King. They were going to need it.

Kyoya brings a hand to his chin and relaxes slightly, grateful to at least have a plan formulated in his mind.

Turning to the rest of the hosts, he points to the map. “This is a map of the Tropical Aqua Garden.” He points to a red circle near the bottom of the signage, and the host’s eyes follow his finger. “This is our current location, but we need to get here. I have a feeling that’s where Honey-senpai and (Y/n) ended up.”

His hand raises to the top of the banner, passing several spaces marked with a large question mark. “It might be tough, because to get there, we will have to pass this jungle area here in the southern block. Distance wise, we’re talking about 800 meters.”

Haruhi walked up to the map wanting to get a closer look. “Looks like there are a lot of undeveloped areas.” She observes, gesturing to the question marks. “Any idea what might be lurking in those parts of the jungle?”

A deep sigh escaped him as he shook his head. “Since they’re still being developed, I’m afraid I don't know.”

The twins are staring at the map too, picturing you and Honey in the vastness of the unknown jungle.

“Whatever’s out there…” Kaoru trails off.

“It could be even more dangerous than alligators.” Hikaru finishes, swallowing thickly.

Tamaki squares his shoulders. His best friends were lost, their safety undetermined. Haruhi was amazed at the hard glint in his eye as he called out to the rest of the host club. “Alright! Now this is a mission of survival!”

Instead of the intimidating, worried glare that Kyoya gave to his friends, Tamaki gave them a look meant for heroes stepping onto a battlefield, one full of confidence and resolve.

“It is our sworn duty to save Honey-senpai and (Y/n)!”

So, with a plan in place, the club walked into the sea of twisting vegetation and branches , hoping to spot you amongst the vines.

The first thing you hear is rustling.

Leaves brush against one another in the wind that brushes across your damp face, creating an aura of calmness. It’s enticing, the ambience drawing your senses out from your slumber.

After another second, the white noise is painted with more sounds. Some pop out more than others, like the song of a cricket, or the jostling of a parrot hopping from one branch to the next. But they all surround you, and your ears stretch to hear birds and insects, all singing to you. Maybe even for you.

Your eyelids feel heavy as you work to open them, but you immediately squint them closed, wincing at the daylight that threatens to disturb your peace. Coming up with a compromise with the sun, you slowly open one eye before the other, allowing both of them to adjust to the brightness.

Above you are trees, and even if they are still a little blurry, they are gorgeous. They tower royally over you, mercifully, as the sunlight drips through the holes in their shade like thick honey.

Honey.

Completely blissed out, your tired eyes crinkle for a bit before the effort makes you close your eyes again. Why does that word feel so familiar?

An image of a bright smile and a pink floaty flash behind your eyelids, and soon you are taking a deep inhale, your eyes snapping open as the moist air of the tropical forest propels you back to your reality.

Instead of speaking though, you’re coughing. As you bend over, your body heaves water out from deep in your lungs, and you watch it sink into the deep soil below. You don’t register the reassuring hand on your back.

After your airway was cleared, you whipped your head around, desperate to find your friend. “Honey-senpai!”

“(N/n)-chan!”

You nearly jumped out of your skin at the proximity of his voice, and you turned your head to your left to find Honey kneeling beside you, his eyes wet with water and worry.

“Oh my god, Honey.” You say, trying to reach out for him with your right arm before feeling your skin stretch painfully. You bar your teeth, your lips drawing back in a hiss as you cover the scrape with your left hand. Putting pressure on the scrape, you turn back to the host.

“Are you okay?” Pleadingly, you stare into his eyes to find that they crinkle even more, relief and uncertainty mixed within his irises.

“(N/n)-chan!” Honey crumples as he flings himself on top of you, and you feel your next bout of pain.

“Ah-!” Feeling you tense under him, Honey gets off almost immediately, and follows your line of sight.

As he scans your body, both of your visions rest on your left ankle, which is no longer symmetrical to your right. Instead, it’s purple and bruised, swelling as if a lemon had been wrapped around your ankle.

“Oh no! Does it hurt, (N/n)-chan?” Honey whines, and he watches in alarm as you nod your head slightly.

The movement causes a drop of red to fall past your vision, and you hurriedly place your palm the side of your head, only for it to be colored a light red when you pull it away.

“I was worried about that.” Honey cooed. “You hit your head pretty hard.”

That’s when you notice the pounding.

A persistent beat has settled itself on the inside of your skull, pulsating as your blood cells rush to the spot where you hit your head, trying desperately to reconcile any damage that might’ve taken place.

Honey’s soft voice broke through the insistent pressure as his face came back into focus. “(N/n)-chan?”

In his eyes, you were propped up using your left arm to lean on the ground as your legs straightened out in front of you. A small streak of dried blood appeared on your forehead and your ankle was bruised. Now you cradled your skull, trying to get your wits together.

Because your swimsuit gave no protection from being washed away, there were mild scratches across your body, especially your back as you both were flung backwards into the pool.

“Honey-senpai,” you caught his attention, your voice low and strained, “do you know where we are?”

He puffed out his cheeks before looking around. When you both had landed, he was still wrapped into your grasp. He quickly had gotten off to check if you were alright, only to find you unconscious. After that, he had been by your side, touching certain pressure points on your body that would help you wake up faster, something his dojo master had taught him.

He hadn’t really thought of anything else.

But you see him point with assurance towards an open path that was glistening, wet after a wave came and crashed through the opening.

The third year’s face turned serious, and he looked his age for a moment. “We came from that way, so that’s where we’ll find Takashi.”

“How do you know?” You ask wearingly, and Honey reaches out to hold your hand as you get up with a limp, the height difference hindering him from totally supporting you.

Despite your situation, a soft smile made its way onto his face. “Takashi will always find me!”

The twins huddle together clasping hands as the host club walks through the path, the screeches and hums of the jungle putting them on edge.

“Kyoya-senpai, you don’t think all those animal sounds..” Hikaru starts, a quiver in his voice.

“..Could belong to the real thing, do you?” Kaoru finishes, just as shaken.

The megane inhales sharply as the twins pull him out of his thoughts, and the host club hears him clear his throat before answering the twins.

“To be honest, I’m not sure, but I do know that my family always strives for authenticity.”

Kyoya looks up at the towering trees overhead, as another rush of concern surges through his body. It caves into his chest as he breathes to try and stop the feeling. The only thing that truly helps it is when Tamaki places a hand on his shoulder.

“She’ll be alright, Kyoya. She has Honey-senpai with her! Everything will be fine.”

His eyes widen a bit as he takes in his best friend’s reassuring stance, before lightly shaking off his hand. “I’m aware.” But Tamaki listens to the tense tone of his voice and his gaze softens as he plants himself by Kyoya’s side.

The club’s director is grateful.

Haruhi comes up to walk with the two of them, drawing their attention to a certain tall host who is lacking behind the rest of the group.

“Mori-senpai is always so straight-faced, I can never tell what he is thinking.” She states quietly, turning to look at him out of the corner of her eye. “Even though he is doing a good job at staying calm, I can tell he is worried.”

As if on cue, Mori slips on a banana peel, his usual signature stability faltering as he tumbles to the ground to fall flat on his face.

The club is in shock at his lack of balance, and it doesn’t take the twins long to comment on it.

“Mori-senpai is…” Hikaru states, astonished.

“Acting as clumsy as you do, boss!” Kaoru exclaims as Haruhi reaches out a hand to help Mori up.

Tamaki rolls his eyes next to Kyoya, folding his arms across his chest. “Wha-, shut up!” And the normalcy of the interaction lifts the meganes spirits, if only slightly.

As Mori sits up, a banana peel still on his head, he sniffs the air. Kyoya watches him with a calculated gaze before bringing his eyes up to an ever darkening sky.

His realization catches in his throat. “Oh. Oh no.” Kyoya glances down at his watch then back up at the sky, arms hanging with a sort of defeat.

“It’s time for the squall.”

As if electrocuted, the twins exclaim a shocked ‘Huh?’ before rain begins to fall over them. One drop on the nose, two on the shoulder, until raindrops are pelting them from all angles. Luckily, they were still in their swimsuits.

“Over here!” Kyoya shouts over the rain, pointing to a grass gazebo that could provide shelter from the weather. The hosts huddle under it, dripping and shivering slightly at the dampness on their skin.

Haruhi ducks under the roof of the gazebo and assesses her friends. She watches as Kyoya and Mori lean against separate walls of the gazebo, both lost in thought as the rain pours on the other side.

Her gaze stays on Mori the longest, though, as she approaches him with a tentative pace, hoping to distract him by helping him think about better times. Kyoya could take care of himself.

“Hey Mori-senpai, you seem to be really close with Honey-senpai. Are you two childhood friends?”

Hikaru and Kaoru look up at you from their seated positions, both feet flat on the ground as they take a breather from all the walking.

“You mean you don’t know…”

“...That they’re cousins?”

Her jaw drops as her eyes widen, a struggled noise sounding before voicing her amazement. “You’re kidding me, they’re related?”

Distracted on his phone, Kyoya never misses an opportunity to share information. “The Morinozuka’s have been serving the Haninozuka family for generations.” He explains, then dials a number on his cell, pulling the phone up to his ear.

“But the two families became relatives by marriage, and the master-servant relationship became a thing of the past…” Kaoru points out.

“...But even so, Mori-senpai has always made a point to protect Honey-senpai.” Hikaru stated, and the host club caught a glimpse of the stoic man, still resting his elbows on top of the railing of the gazebo, trying to sense Honey in the rain.

“Must get his blood boiling,” Tamaki pointed out. “The blood of a loyal servant flows like a mighty river through Mori-senpai’s veins.”

Sympathy reaches Haruhi’s features as she makes her way behind Mori, trying to give him more comfort.

“Hey, Mori-senpai, it’s going to be alright.” She says, and Mori’s shoulders open a little more to her presence. “I’m sure that Honey-senpai is safe. He has (Y/n) for some company, and he’s a lot tougher than you might think he is, and if he gets hungry, the trees are full of bananas!”

In the background, the twins look at eachother incredulously. “Bananas?”

But Tamaki is on the edge of his seat. “What’s he going to say?”

Haruhi shrinks as Mori turns and stands to his full height, which is multiple heads over her own. His face is unreadable, and it looks like he is about to scold her before a small smile finds its way to his face.

The idiotic trio watches in astonishment as Mori reaches out and pats the honor student on the head, ruffling her hair as he states a simple, “You’re right.”

His rare but warm smile surprises Haruhi, but spins the twins and Tamaki into a frenzy.

On the other side of the gazebo, Kyoya huffs at his phone, pressing the ‘end-call’ button with more force than necessary.

He has talked with all of the managers of this park about their situation and every single one of them was utterly useless. His fingers dig into the buttons on his phone as he dials the number of his last resort.

Kyoya closes his eyes as he listens to the ring, once again urging his voice to sound normal when his police force answers on the other line.

“Hello? It’s me.” He breathes a small breath of relief when the phone is passed to the chief. “Well, we’ve had an incident that’s caused some trouble.”

His casual tone betrays the anxiety in his chest, but he stays professional, giving them orders on how to find you.

“My friends, a small boy and a (h/c) girl, have gone missing in the resort. I’ve not a single idea where they are, but they could be hurt or in danger.” Kyoya swallows at the notion, but it only drives him to continue. “You need to find them, eliminating any suspicious figures in the way. Do you understand?”

There is an affirmative yell on the other end of the line before the chief speaks. “You want us to go now, sir?”

Kyoya has to pinch the bridge of his nose to stop himself from yelling at their obliviousness. “Yes. At once, please.”

The sun comes out from behind the clouds as he ends his call, and he turns to the other hosts in the gazebo.

Tamaki is red in the face, waving his arms at the twins as he whines. “Would you jerks quit calling me a perv?!”

The ravenet considers leaving them here.

Clearing his throat, Kyoya grabs the trio’s attention. “My family’s police force is going to send in a search and rescue team to help us.” He sighs as he adjusts his glasses. “It pains me to say this, but they are better equipped at finding (Y/n) and Honey-senpai than we are. We should go back to the gate and wait there.”

But as he goes to relay the message to Haruhi and Mori, his gaze sweeps the gazebo, finding no trace of the other two hosts.

“Where are Haruhi and Mori?” Kyoya asks, and the twins and the prince stop their fighting, only just realizing their friends’ absence.

“What?!”

The three of them jump up and run out into the drying daylight as Kyoya tiredly follows behind, exhausted at having lost, not two, but four friends in the span of ten minutes.

His tired movements pause as he looks out into the vastness of the jungle, remembering a crucial detail.

“You know, I don’t believe I mentioned that there are other visitors here.” Kyoya blinks for a second before his priorities come back into play and he catches up to the hosts. “Oh well.”

You wipe your forehead once more, the rain acting as a carrier liquid to the blood dripping down your face.

You were certain you looked terrifying, drenched from head to toe as you limped through the humidity and shadows of the jungle, limping next to the equally drenched student beside you.

If anyone saw your silhouette in the rain, you were sure they would run screaming.

“Of course it had to start pouring.” You said, shivering slightly at the water running down your bare back.

Honey looked up at your strained gaze, your face calm and pleasant despite the slight wince in your eyes at every step. He saw that you were trying to be strong despite the pain you felt. His heart tightened at the thought, and he looked around the jungle before an idea came to his mind.

“Here, (N/n)-chan, hold on for a sec.” He said sweetly, helping you lean against a tree before running towards one opposite you. Your jaw fell open when he propelled himself off the dirt with a strength you had forgotten about, landing on the second to lowest branch before climbing upwards. Soon, he was in the tree, swinging from limb to limb before jumping down in front of you.

With his knees bent, he straightened up into a pose, reminding you of a gymnast who had finished their bar routine.

You clapped lightly with relief, glad he didn’t slip on the wet bark, before realizing what was in his hands.

Bananas.

“Here ya go, (N/n)-chan!” Honey said, and you took the yellow fruit from his grasp, your mood brightened by the fact that you had something to eat with great company.

“Wow, what did you go and do that for?” You said, peeling the banana before ruffling his hair and thanking him.

“So you wouldn’t be sad anymore. Did it work?”

You paused your chewing while your heart grew at his words, threatening to burst completely as it pressed against your sternum.

“I’m not sad.” You say softly, swallowing the bit of banana in your mouth. To reassure him, you force your lips into a smile. “Why would you think that?”

Honey just blinks at you before turning to his own banana, the fringe covering his eyes. “Because you keep lying to me. Why would you lie to me if you were feeling happy?”

It’s times like these when you’re reminded that he is a year older than you.

Wincing, you lay your aching head onto the trunk behind you. “I’m sorry, Senpai, I’m just…” Your chest hitches, the wetness in your voice halting your speech. “It’s just a little painful to walk.” You chuckle breathlessly, the sound coming out a little gurgled by your emotion.

“Plus, we’re lost in a very accurate jungle, and I think I saw an alligator or two on the way here.” Emotion drenches your words as you try to keep your tears back, laughing through it to lighten the mood. “I just want to get you back to Mori safely.”

You feel a pressure on your good leg, and you see Honey hugging you around your calf. A wobbly smile adorns your face as his actions, but his next words really hit close to home.

“You’re so sweet, (N/n)-chan! We will get there, don’t worry. I’m sure the others will find us, and in the meantime, I’ll be there for you, just like you’ll be there for me!”

There’s a bright strength in his tone, and you realize why he and Tamaki get along so well. Both boys represent the quintessence of optimism.

Humid air filled your lungs as you took in his words, but you were too focused on the dark side of your situation to be affected by them. Letting your knees give out from under you, the tree supports your back as you lean against it, giving your body time to focus on your wounds. The hammering in your head quickly exhausts your willingness to look on the bright side.

You were embarrassed. Here you were, in the presence of an incredibly skilled martial artist, and yet you were crumpled to the ground, defeated by a bad ankle and a few scratches.

“Maybe you could go find the others and bring them back here? I might be too weak to make it.” You asked him, and you were thankful for the rain as a few tears managed to escape your eyes. Your chest started to rise rapidly as anxiety started to seep into you through the rain, starting at your toes and rushing to the pain in your head.

You cursed the pulse in your ankle as you tried to roll it. Thankfully it wasn’t broken, just sprained.

It was fixable.

There was crinkling next to you as Honey sat himself down, plopping right by your side. His blonde hair tickled the nape of your neck as he rested his head on your shoulder. With the weight on your chest, it forced you to focus on your breathing. Your heartbeat slowed as you took deeper inhales and longer exhales, each one becoming clearer than the last.

Heat radiated off your skin as the sun finally peaked out from the clouds, and you relished in the dry air.

“You’re not weak, (N/n)-chan. You’re strong.” His light voice vibrates through you, embracing the anxiety of your feeling with a warmth that is welcomed and needed. “People who let themselves feel are the strongest people in the world.”

He takes a bite of his banana while still snuggling with you. “Plus, you always help me when I need it. Why would I leave you alone?”

The comfort of his words started to push out your previous unease, but his next sentence was the one to motivate you. “I think Kyo-chan might be really worried about you.”

You pivoted your head to him against the bark of the tree, puzzled by his seemingly random statement. “What makes you say that?”

Honey set his banana peel on his lap, spreading out the sections of the peel to look like an octopus as he fiddled with its tentacles. “If someone I cared about got washed away right in front of me, I’d be worried too.”

Your throat was dry when you swallowed. “I’m sure he’s fine.” A passive smile found its way to your face. “Kyoya’s good at keeping his cool.”

“Not when it comes to you. That time when you two weren’t talking because of the otaku lady? I’d never seen him like that before. And that time you cut your knee on the vase? Or that mean doctor was in your room? He acts differently when he’s with you.”

Your heart started beating a little faster as you breathed a sigh. “We’ve known each other a long time, Honey-senpai. There isn’t much else to it.”

He gave you a childish shrug at your side, and you know he doesn’t believe you. “Maybe, but if I leave you here, then that means Kyo-chan will worry some more, and I don’t want to see him like that. Do you?”

And, oh, this is what it felt like to be guilt-tripped.

Innocent brown eyes looked up at you, cheeks filled with banana mush and eyes wide and questioning, but you noticed a deep knowing in his eyes. As if he knew just the way to pluck your heartstrings.

A teasing, exasperated simper curves your lips as your lazily poke at his side, emitting a series of giggles from him. “Oh-ho, you little mix.” He squirms your hold, and you ruffle his hair again.

Smiling brightly, you could see bits of banana in his teeth. “Did it work?”

Suddenly, your belly is full and your heart is as warm as the sun on your skin, and the emotional pain subsides, giving you strength to push through the physical.

“You know what? You’re right. Let’s make sure Kyo-chan doesn’t worry.” As you jostle next to him, Honey springs up and grabs your good arm, pulling you the rest of the way into a standing position.

You take a step with your new found confidence before immediately teetering to the side, cringing as you accidentally put pressure on your ankle.

Honey takes satisfaction to see you laugh at this instead of cry, and he glows when you turn to him.

“It still hurts a little though.” You say through a strained chuckle.

“It means your body is healing.” He says as he giggles at your sheepish look, glad to know that your heart was happier.

Emotions make you stronger, not weaker. They are rooted into your DNA, their vines reinforcing your pulse and your mind, their leaves turning towards the light of your heart.

They are powerful, you realize as you glance down at the sensitive boy in front of you, the picture of a certain director flashing through your memory.

You continue to limp through the small opening that the wave made through the artificial jungle before Honey stops you, an arm shooting out to block your knees.

“What is it?”

“You there!” You flinch from the sudden voice, but can’t tell where it’s coming from. “Put the boy down immediately! If you refuse, we’ll remove him forcefully!”

A bush in front of you crackles, movement making it jostle from the otherside. In the cramped twigs and leaves, you and Honey carefully creep over to the bush, still hiding behind it as you peek your eyes over.

The ground beyond the bush opened into a clearing, creating a perfect view for you and Honey to observe the action before you.

Honey’s eyes lit up when he saw Mori, who was standing tall in the middle of a circle of police officers, although they were dressed in very protective SWAT gear. You were touched to see that he was cradling Haruhi to his chest, but then had to stifle your laughter at the fact that the officer had just referred to her as a boy.

Honey was about to call out to them before one of the officers reached for Haruhi, roughly tugging on her arm to rip her from Mori’s grasp. You put both hands over your mouth this time when the stoic host punches the officer in the face, the force shooting the guard into the forest behind him.

“The suspect is resisting! Prepare to fire warning shots!”

Warning shots?!

Honey had decided that the line had been crossed, and with a smirk, he helped to prop you up against another tree before tugging on a vine hanging from it. Checking the integrity, he hopped on it and climbed high, bracing himself against the tree as he wrapped his ankles around the plant.

You watched as he straightened his legs, leaning out before pushing off the tree, swinging through the air.

“Takashi, Haru-chan! Out of the way!”

With no reply, Honey swung across their heads like Tarzan, throwing his foot out before kicking one of the guards square in the nose and knocking him out. Once the vine oscillated back to the center of the opening, the boy-lolita flipped off, doing another gymnast-like finish before bouncing up to his cousin and friend.

But before he could have his reunion, another guard interrupted him.

“Hey pipsqueak, what do you think you’re doing?”

The third year simply turned around, giggled, and then proved his martial arts title by sending every guard around him to the mat. Or, in this case, the grass.

When there are no more enemies to fight, Honey laughs a little, his voice bright and careless to the fact that he just took on an entire force by himself. “You guys should be more careful who you mess with. Picking on my friends is bad, got it?”

Your jaw dropped as you began to gently climb down the slope, wincing as your foot twisted a little more on the descent, before hopping over unconscious guards.

“Haruhi! Haruhi! Are you alright?” Tamaki rushes around the bend as you all turn your heads to see him, the twins and Kyoya running towards you.

“Oh wow, it’s Tama-chan!” Honey states as they step closer and closer.

When you push past the bush and come into their sights, they see nothing but your presence as their faces light up.

“Mon ami!” Tamaki says as he wraps his arms around you, tears in his eyes before calming down instantly at your embrace. “I was so worried.”

His smile goes away when he feels you flinch against his touch. “Tamaki, I love you, but could you please get off?”

The prince’s hands shoot up into a surrender motion as his face crinkles at your raspy voice.

And that’s when they see it.

A deep, barely healed scrape on your arm.

A trail of blood drying on your forehead.

And an angry purple color around your left ankle.

Tamaki lets out a dramatic gasp while the twins surround you in concern “Oh wow.” Hikaru states, taking in your figure.

“Are you okay, Senpai?” Kaoru asks, touching your shoulder, only to have it brushed off as a figure steps in front of him.

“Give her space, please.” His voice was calm but firm as Kyoya stepped into your line of sight.

Relief had flooded him the moment he saw you in that clearing, glad to see you standing and smiling, even if it didn’t seem as bright as before.

But the minute he spotted blood stains covering your delicate features, his heart had dropped from his throat to his stomach, becoming a thing of stone at the exhaustion and subtle pain in your eyes.

“(Y/n), are you alright?” At an arm's length, Kyoya waves a finger in front of your face, prompting you to follow it with your stare. You did so fluidly, albeit hesitantly, as the quick movement encouraged the headache seeping behind your sockets.

Good, he thought, no concussion.

“I’m fine, I’m good.” You say, laughing weakly as you cover the scrape on your shoulder, hoping to hide it from concerned eyes.

“Kyo-chan! (N/n)-chan can’t walk!”

Betrayed and offended by your partner through this whole experience, you turn to Honey with wide eyes, asking him to please shut up.

“What?” Kyoya hissed, and he looked down, seeing the swelled joint. You didn’t think his jaw could take any more tension.

“It’s nothing, really-”

But Honey kept going, a not so innocent look in his eye. “And she hit her head on a rock, and she coughed up a lot of water after she passed out! Aren’t you worried?” His doe eyes turned as big as the moon as you watched Kyoya purse his mouth after the last sentence.

Here it comes.

“You were unconscious?” His tone was calm, calculating, but his energy wasn’t. His gaze dropped a net, wrapping around your form as he scanned it head to toe. The movements of his pupils were sharp, and your stomach twisted at the array of questions that were firing in his mind.

“Kyoya.” A weak smile crossed your lips at his refined concern as he met your eye once more. “I’ll be okay. I’m just tired. And my head hurts.”

At the mention of your head, Kyoya reaches out and turns your wound to the light, his breath slowing when he saw it really wasn’t bad at all, just a small gash at where the rock had made impact.

The pale hand at the top of your head trailed down to your face, lingering there before dropping completely.

Finally, after his examination, Kyoya emits a conclusive sigh. “Well, you at least shouldn’t be walking. You can’t put pressure on that ankle.”

All of your energy went into quirking an eyebrow at him. “Yeah, well I figured as much. But unless you brought any crutches with you, I don’t think I really have a choi-”

At your waist, a sudden force brought your left side against a Hawaiian shirt, and a gasp involuntarily escaped your lips at the contact. Stretching your arm, Kyoya gently reached it over his shoulders, encouraging you to put your entire weight against him.

You started to protest, betraying the sudden want to stay as close to him as possible. “Kyo, I can-”

But when you tried to pull away, the fingers at your side tightened, pulling you closer against him. “Let me help you.”

Tamaki and the twins flinched at the way the pain flashed in your eyes when your feet dragged across the soil. “We need to get you to a doctor, (Y/n).” The prince said. “You can’t walk out of here by yourself.”

Your heartbeat caught in your throat, and even though your jaw had dropped open slightly, no words came to debate the men in front of you.

Inhaling, the moisture of the jungle was replaced with the air of Kyoya’s cologne, and the safety of his arm wrapped around you suddenly made you realize how exhausted you were. Your vision blurred slightly as you watched the rest of the hosts begin to walk out of the clearing, leaving you and Kyoya behind to get adjusted.

Your muscles ached, your wounds pulsed, and when the crutch of your best friend released the pressure on your injured ankle, you let out a sigh as the pain lessened.

Fatigue rushed through you, and your head felt too heavy on your shoulders, so you dropped it down, slightly nuzzling into the crook of his neck.

The muscles under your cheek strained at the contact, and out of the corner of his eye, Kyoya saw your eyes drop closed as your entire body relaxed against his.

His breath rippled across your forehead as he turned his head to face you, his lips almost grazing your skin. “(Y/n)? Are you okay to walk?”

Swallowing, another sigh blew past your lips as you hummed an affirmative tone, but your body leaned more onto him, and he felt the weight of your weariness at his side.

His eyes scanned you for a few more moments before he detached from you. “Here.”

Startled by the lack of warmth, your eyes shot open, only to widen when you saw Kyoya bend down slightly in front of you, his hands held out behind him in a welcoming gesture.

“Kyo-”

“The others are already down the path, and there is no way that we will catch up to them if you can barely stand. There aren’t any other options.” The ravanet turned to look at you over his shoulder, his glasses glinting in the high rise of the sun. “I’ll have to carry you.”

Your lungs filled with apprehension, not just over the fact that you would definitely enjoy it a little too much if he carried you out of here, but because you know how resistant Kyoya can be to physical connection. A series of excuses and protests bubbled up in your throat, only to be popped by the sensation of Kyoya hands on your bare thighs.

Kyoya had used your moment of shock to his advantage as he grabbed you around your lower thigh, right above the knee. Force vibrated through his arms as he hauled you onto his back, and he smirked at the squeak that came out of you as your chest came into contact with his back.

Your arms came around his neck instinctively, and you pulled yourself around him in an attempt to make sure you didn’t fall. Your ankles locked at the front of his waist, and his hands had slipped up, now resting higher on your leg.

It took a moment for each of you to register the position that you were in when he straightened up, and a blush raged over the tips of your ears to the small of your back. You might’ve even spotted a reddish hue on the back of Kyoya’s neck, but you were too flustered to care.

You didn’t think that it could get any worse – or better – until Kyoya started walking.

Even though your ankle pulsed, the rocking of his movements distracted you from any pain that you might’ve been feeling. Your headache was eased as your cheekbone dropped onto his shoulder blade, and the sounds of the rainforest around you lulled you into a restful sleep as you immediately relaxed against him once more.

Kyoya could feel the rise and fall of your chest slow alongside his back, and he stole a glance of your restful features that made his heart skip, washing away any hesitance he had of being this close to you.

“You know, maybe we should go to the beach next.” Hikaru said after Kyoya had rejoined the group, and the twins shared a knowing look when they saw you draped over his back.

“Yeah, the beach would be nice.” Kaoru said, sharing a smile with his brother when Kyoya caught their gaze.

“What are you two smiling about?” The megane asked, a bored look on his face.

They both shrugged in sync and they shook their heads as Tamaki and Haruhi made their way over to the three of them. “Nothin’.”

Kyoya debated egging them on, but the warmth behind him kept his frustration at bay, and he feared that him talking too much might wake you.

“You idiots, Haruhi wouldn’t be interested in anything like that.” Tamaki said in a low tone, coming over to one side of Kyoya to look you over, seeing each scratch and mark on your skin.

“Actually, I might like to go to the beach.” The four hosts turn to look at the brunette that stopped in front of Kyoya. “I may not be into this silly water park, but I like the ocean. No offense, Senpai.”

A huff came out of the ravenet as he rolled his eyes. “None taken.” His voice dripped with sarcasm.

“It’d be really nice to go to the beach,” she continued. “It’s so pretty.”

Kyoya watched a flash of light pass through his best friend's violet eyes as Tamaki looked at the honor student with adoration. His lips curled up slightly as he watched the prince’s resolve melt completely at her request.

“Yeah, alright. Then that’s where we will go next time.”

Haruhi had Tamaki wrapped around her finger.

“We’re all going to the beach Tama-chan?” Honey’s voice pierced the moment as he rode on Mori’s shoulders with a large grin. “That’ll be fun, don’t you think?”

Mori glanced up at his cousin with the same emotion that Tamaki had just held in his gaze moments before. The gentle giant smiled, rare and soft, as he nodded. “Yeah.”

This was the second time today where you had woken up and you didn’t know where you were.

Your back sunk into something soft, and you blinked your eyes open to a familiar ceiling. Warmth engulfed your body as a quilt laid across your body, and you felt the cloth against the fabric of your swimsuit. Pillows of your choosing sprawled out from under you, and you found one resting under your bandaged ankle.

Immediately, your eyebrows drew together at the gauze that wrapped around the joint. When had you…?

An itch pulled your hand to your forehead, and you jerked at the gauze under your fingertips.

You turned to your shoulder, which had multiple bandaids stretched across the wound that had a shiny film over it. Antibiotics.

Letting your head fall back onto the mattress, you flipped through your memory of the past few hours. Hazy images replayed themselves in your mind, and a distinct sense of rocking and cologne filled the air. You remembered leather seats and the touch of a shirt as the rocking turned into a constant rumble. Then, the sound of doors, opening and shutting gently.

Cool air filled your lungs at the memory of the same touch that had been at your things seemingly minutes before now coming under your knees and across your upper back, pulling you towards a hard chest. A blurry sight of black hair and a sharp jawline appearing above you, and you remember feeling your lips move before your eyes closed once more.

Kyoya had carried you back here.

“Oh my god…” Whining, you brought your hands up to rub your face before the rush of embarrassment rose too high.

You always knew Kyoya was a gentleman first and a friend later, but for him to have to deal with your lack of consciousness all evening must’ve been the last thing he had wanted to do.

Groaning, you placed your palms on the duvet, pushing yourself up to a sitting position when something caught your gaze in the corner of your eye.

Tylenol, an ice pack, and a cup of water rested on your bedside table, and your heart glowed at the sight.

A gentleman indeed.

The quilt slid down your body as you reached over for the glass, exposing the top of your bikini when you brought it to your lips, hoping it would ease some of the dryness in your throat.

You almost choked on the drink when the door opened.

Having used his back to prop the door open, Kyoya stepped in, letting light from the hallway enter the dim room. He hadn’t turned on the big light in your room, but had opted to turn on a few lamps and light a candle so that you could sleep peacefully. As if you hadn’t taken a single sip of the beverage in your hands, your mouth dried at the white sleeves he had rolled up to his elbows, jacket and tie discarded with two buttons of the top undone. He had untucked it, and his glasses slipped low on his nose as he turned to your bed.

Kyoya’s eyebrows rose in surprise when he met your awake gaze, and his finger tightened on the tray he held out in front of him.

It was the TV dinner tray that you had bought for your dad when he had come home from his back surgery. He had had you disinfect it multiple times before setting anything on it, his germaphobia running rampant even in his medicated state.

Instead of his favorite foods though, it was decorated with yours. A hot plate of (f/h/f) sat in the center as a small bowl of (f/f) accompanied it, sliced and diced in perfect proportions. Hot tea steamed in the upper corner, a small dish of honey placed to the side.

Your tongue darted out to wet your hungry lips before smiling when you took in the whole picture. A warm giggle ran through you as you set the cup back on the nightstand.

Kyoya looked like a domesticated house-husband.

And if that thought didn’t make your nerves tingle across your ribcage, nothing would.

“What are you laughing at?” Kyoya said, his shocked visage morphing into something gentle.

“The fact that I thought someone had broken into my house when you opened that door.” You lied, swallowing the heartbeat in your throat.

“And you would’ve just sat there?” He asked, a teasing lilt in his voice as he came to your side, setting the tray over your legs, helping it balance on the soft surface. “Seems foolish.”

You rolled your eyes and gestured at your ankle. “It’s not like I would’ve made it very far.”

The megane hummed, moving to sit on the edge of your bed, back arching slightly as he rested his elbows on his thighs. “Fair enough.”

He peered over his glasses, and you felt his gaze on the patch at the top of your head as well as the bruise that had formed at your shoulder.

“How do you feel?”

You almost wanted to laugh again, the answer too complex as plenty of emotions ran tracked into your heart. The fact that he had stayed, bandaged you up, carried you to your bed, made food for you. He had done something that no one had done in a very long time.

He took care of you.

But you just shook your head and looked at the dinner in front of you. “I feel fine, I’m just…what are you still doing here?”

His adam's apple bobbed as he pushed his glasses back on his nose, and you took in the picture-perfect moment of him resting on your bedside, the dusky sunset glowing against his raven feathered hair.

“I wanted to make sure that you had everything you needed before I left.”

The butterflies in your stomach flurried at that, batting their wings every time you took a breath. “How long have I been asleep for?”

“In your bed? Or are we starting from when you fell asleep on me?”

Scoffing at the teasing smirk on his face, your head lulled as you covered your face again. A defeated groan rumbled the back of your throat as you peaked at him through your fingers.

“I’m sorry. That must’ve been taxing.”

Kyoya’s smirk only deepened as he turned his head back to the front. “I wouldn’t say that.” His clasped hands unraveled themselves as his thumb traced his palm. “It was more entertaining than anything.”

Oh, god. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Has anyone ever told you that you talk in your sleep?”

Butterflies were released into your chest, spiraling up your sternum as dread enveloped you. “Stop it, no I don’t.”

“Oh yes, (Y/n), you do.”

Your hands slid down your face, dragging your lips as he looked at you with amusement in his eyes.

“What did I say?”

His eyes met yours for a moment before dropping down to your shoulder. Following his gaze, you saw that the strap of your bathing suit had slinked off your shoulder in your embarrassment to favor resting on your bicep.

Before you could fix it, though, Kyoya’s hand reached out and hooked his finger under the strap.

Your breath hitched when you realized he had leaned around the tray, and his smile had grown so much that a hint of his front teeth had appeared. You felt the strap be situated into place as his attention was back on you.

“You said that I smelled nice.”

Your eyes closed in a wince, not only to hide from the shame, but to hide from that smile that teased and teased, but pulled you in for more every time.

“Oh my god.”

The bed shifted, and his touch left your skin ablaze as you felt him sit back. You opened your eyes at a deep chuckle being pressed out of his chest, then stopped at his closed mouth.

“And I would hope so, considering that this cologne is very expensive.”

You huffed, the energy in your body needing some kind of escape as you rolled your eyes at him.

“I’m glad you’re proud of yourself.” You said, shaking your head, picking up the utensils on the plate to stab a piece of food and taking a bite.

A sensation racked through you, as well as surprise, while any tension in your body melted away, and you went for another bite before speaking again. “This is delicious, Kyo, thank you.”

The curve in his mouth was back as he shook his head. “You should be thanking your kitchen staff. I simply cut the fruit.”

Laughing, you nodded before taking a sip of the tea. “Ah, that makes more sense.”

“Do you doubt my cooking skills?”

“I doubt the cooking skills of anyone with a personal chef, even my own.” You explain, pointing your fork at yourself before eating more of the entreé. “Except for maybe Tamaki. I feel like that man could make a mean french dish.”

Bursts of air left his nose in amusement as Kyoya agreed, but his lips smacked in recollection as he brought out his phone. “That reminds me. Tamaki asked me to ask you to call him when you were feeling better.”

“Oh? What for?”

Blue light from his phone reflected off his glasses as he adjusted them, reading over the text message on his screen. “He wants to know when you’re available to go to the beach.”

You swallowed the last piece of fruit. “The beach?”

Kyoya nodded, not looking up from his phone as he texted his friend. “Haruhi wanted to go to the beach, saying that it was better than a ‘silly waterpark’.”

Snorting, you stacked your empty plates on top of each other to get it our of the way, reaching for what was left of your tea. “I’m sure that was fun to hear.”

He gave you a blank look before sending the message and stuffing the phone back into his pocket. “It was.”

Your giggle made a home at the back of your throat before the hot drink washed it down. Licking your lips to get the excess drops off the corner of your mouth, you hummed. “The beach could be fun. I’ve never been before.”

That earned a surprised look from the club’s director. “You haven’t?”

Warming the mug in your hands, you shook your head. “No. I’ve had the chance, but something always got in the way.”

His brow raised as he fiddled with the rim of his glasses once more. “Interesting. I’m glad you’ll be able to go, then.”

“Me too.”

Sipping the last of your tea, the flavors exploded on your tongue as they accompany the comfortable silence that fell between you two. Side-eyeing him, you watched him perched at your side, fiddling with the cuffs of his sleeves. You look at the medicine, the bandages, the dinner he prepared for you.

Suspicion fills you. The man who only acts on self-interest has made sure that you were comfortable and properly cared for. Liquid honey swishes around in your mouth as you squint at him before swallowing.

Kyoya glances at you before undoing the roll on his other sleeve. His smirk falls a little as he shakes his arm slightly, loosening the cotton around his elbow.

“What?” He asks before becoming distracted with his sleeve again.

The shirt makes it all the way to his wrist when you ask him. “Why did you do all of this?”

His eyebrow goes up when he looks at you again, and confusion shadows the gray in his eyes. “What do you mean?”

Reaching out, you fiddle with the mug on the tray before lifting the whole thing and setting it aside. “I mean, you really went above and beyond. Is there something you need me to do for you? Because I don’t know if I can sneak around taking pictures again, and I’m definitely not working with the set crew for Renge.”

“Firstly,” Kyoya replies, his arm nearest to you coming over your legs as he props himself up to face you. “I would never ask you to work with Renge again, considering that you nearly drowned yourself today just to get away from the poor thing.”

“Poor thing?” You ask, exasperated.

“Secondly,” He continues, and he suddenly became serious. “I don’t need anything from you.”

You arch an eyebrow at him. “So this was all just from the kindness of your own heart?”

“You don’t think I’m capable of such acts?”

You shrug, picking another piece of fruit from the bowl. “I didn’t say that.” Biting the inside of your cheek, memories flash through your mind, your headache becoming a little more apparent with each one.

‘I am very helpful. Without me, you would’ve slept through every alarm you set.’

’And I told you, (Y/n), that that’s not the only motivation I have for complimenting you.’

’You’re okay, (Y/n). You’re okay.’

’If you are ever in need of support, please don’t hesitate to ask.’

‘Mind if I join you?’

’Let me help you.’

You smiled at the ever increasing times Kyoya had offered his help to you. If every single time he had opened up to you was only out of his own self-interest, he was very good at hiding it. It seemed like years of being around his group of friends had influenced him to open up to them, to you, more often than not. That was something you couldn’t ignore.

Even if the term friend didn’t fit very well in your mind.

You set the mug on the try, a teasing tone woven throughout your next sentence. “I just thought you might be out for one of the favors I owe you.”

A look of recall painted his face as he hummed. “Oh yes, you’re right.”

Deadpanning, you look at him. Why did I have to say anything? “I didn’t mean right this minute.”

“But I do have a favor to ask you.”

You held his stare for a minute before giving up a sigh. “Fine. What is it?”

“You need to take a shower. Your entire room smells like chlorine.”

Your nose twitched as you inhaled slightly. An unnatural scent raced through your nostrils with abandon, and you cringed at the scent of the water park. You looked at your fingernails to see mud packed underneath them and you nearly gagged.

While you were glad that Kyoya hadn’t given you a quick spit-bath, you realized that you had been sleeping in the filth of the jungle and the chemicals of the waterpark for at least a few hours.

“Oh my god, you’re right, get up.” Waving Kyoya off the bed, you toss the blanket to the side, careful of the tray of food as you swing your legs over the side.

“Wait, (Y/n)-”

You landed with both of your feet on the floor, only for a strike of pain to shoot up your calf. Startled by the sudden spark, you lost your balance as you rushed to ease your weight off your foot.

You reached your hands out blindly, and the same shirt you had been admiring minutes ago appeared under your fingertips.

In front of you, Kyoya’s hands gripped your forearms as he worked to balance you while you gripped his biceps for support, trying not to think of how they feel under your touch.

“I don’t know if you remember this, but you sprained your ankle.” He said as he did what he tried initially in the jungle. Your arm draped over his shoulders and he tugged you gently against him, leading you to your en suite bathroom.

You winced as you tried to keep up with him, your ankle pulsating from the sudden pressure. “I think I was just reminded.”

A muscle flexed in his jaw at your pained tone when Kyoya got an idea. “You said something else in your sleep, you know.”

Struggling to be in the mood to be teased right now, you gave him a blank stare. “Oh yes, please embarrass me further.”

Your side ignites from the deep rumble of his snicker. “I don’t think this is as embarrassing as it is touching.”

As you enter the bathroom, Kyoya sets you down on the edge of the bathtub before reaching towards the faucet, setting the temperature to a comforting warmth.

Bending your knee, you slowly prop your foot up on your knee to rub at it to ease the pain. “What did I say?”

“That I was your favorite person.”

You froze. The hand massaging your ankle paused as you slowly looked at him when he stopped in front of you, a washcloth drying his hand from testing the water.

“What? When?”

“When I was pulling you out of my car.” His smirk returned when he saw the tension in your face lessen from pain and wrinkle in confusion.

Thinking back, you knew you felt your lips moving to say something. You just wished it wasn’t so…affectionate.

Tucking your head back down to your ankle, you tried to hide your blush in the steam. “I guess that’s not too far from the truth.” Clearing your throat, you try to force your shock into something more nonchalant when you raise your gaze again. “You’re pretty tolerable when you want to be, Ootori.”

His grin enhanced at your deflection. “Am I? I was hoping I frustrated you to no end.”

Squinting your eyes at him, you laughed a little. Frustrated isn’t the word that you would choose.

He simpered down at you, a gentler tone coming from him. “Are you okay on your own? I’m going to give you some privacy for the rest of the night.”

“You’re leaving?”

He nods and checks his watch through his uncuffed sleeves. “It’s later than I expected. I enjoyed being here, but I do have my own home to return to.”

Even if your stomach dropped from the constant excitement of him being here with you, you understood. Plus, you wouldn’t want him to be just outside while you cleaned yourself up. Who knows what kind of thoughts could enter your mind then?

“That makes sense.” You smile up at him. “Go get some rest, I know you weren’t able to relax much like I hoped you would.”

He just shrugged and turned to walk out the door. “If you hadn’t ended up nearly drowning, maybe I could have.”

“Wait!” Leaning off of the very edge of the tub, you were careful of your ankle as you grabbed his wrist, stopping him from leaving.

He immediately looked over his shoulder, the same sharp look in his eye from earlier as he scanned your face. “What is it? Does your head hurt again?”

Your grip lowered into his hand while you shook your head. “No, no, it’s not that. I just wanted to say thank you, Kyo.” You lightly gestured around you with your injured shoulder. “For everything.”

Kyoya’s gaze softened as he squeezed your hand once more before letting go. “As long as you are alright.”

Your heart jumped when he let go, and you watched him leave, your eyes meeting for a final time before he closed the door behind him.

Peeling off your bathing suit, you sighed as you sank into the water, propping your ankle and arm out of the water so the bandages didn’t get wet. Of course, the bath was the perfect temperature.

Gratitude suddenly shined within you, making the smile that you felt coming on hard to fight as it took over your face. How you had gotten someone so perfect to care about you even a little completely left you speechless, but you weren’t complaining.

Thoughts of him didn’t leave you as you soaked and bathed, and they stayed as you toweled yourself off, dressing in a (f/c) satin robe that your mother brought back from Florence. Steam billowed into your bedroom as you walked in, bare feet leaving small water puddles on the hardwood floor.

When you saw your bed, you couldn’t help the small gasp that left your lungs.

The quilt had been folded and laid across the edge of your bed, and the tray of empty dishes was gone. One of your favorite shirts and a pair of oversized pajama pants folded on top of your straightened duvet, and when you got closer you noticed a note propped beside them.

You bit your lip to stop your smile from getting wider as you read the perfect cursive drawn onto the page.

You’re my favorite person too. Goodnight.

Next Time on Lavender Roses!

“We come to the beach like she wanted, and suddenly everyone starts fighting!”

“I thought you weren’t going to talk to me anymore, Senpai?”

“I cannot believe you, Kyoya!”

The Sun, The Sea, and The Host Club!

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