A/N – GUYS IT'S HAPPENING! HOLD ON TO YOUR PANTIES AND YOUR POPCORN!

Chapter 5 – Haruhi Murdered Her Bento, and I Think My Tea was Drugged.

I trudged into the schoolyard after Kyoya, sluggishly responding to greetings while constantly having to lift my satchel higher on my shoulder, feeling it slip from my hunched posture and general soreness from the previous night. Renge hadn't shut up all night, babbling one ridiculous plan after another (she also used hand gestures throughout, some of which disturbed me to no end) until I was sure she'd need at least twenty painkillers for a jaw cramp.

The girl herself, who'd be spending the next few nights in Kyoya's house, skipped merrily ahead, showing no sign of staying up all night like me.

"Are you excited for your first day, Renge?" Kyoya asked, being ever the gentleman as he led us through the Rose maze. It wouldn't be long until the bell would ring, but Kyoya told me that he'd memorised the layout on his first day here – something about upholding a reputation – and I had no reason to doubt him. Occasionally we'd stop and admire a particularly pretty rose, something I took no notice of while walking behind the two.

"Oh, sure! I think I'm a bit nervous about my first day Managing the Club, though. I have a lot of ideas to help with business!" She had a lot of ideas, alright, but they had absolutely nothing to do with the Host Club. I scoffed, and she must've heard me because she glanced back and winked dramatically, raising her finger to her lips.

I just rolled my eyes.

As we ventured deeper into the maze, I began to grow more and more bored. Sure, the maze was okay, but when your only company were both preoccupied with each other, the hedge walls tend to get a little too repetitive to be fascinating anymore. I could have screamed my relief out loud when we finally came upon the gazebo – the centre of the labyrinth.

We paused, admiring the way the gazebo seemed to be shrouded in wild roses, but not a single thorn passed the wooden pillars, leaving the inside untouched. "We have a little bit of time," Kyoya said, answering the unspoken question, so we all slid onto the concrete bench, Renge taking the chance to push me ahead of her, making sure I was in between them both.

"So, Kyoya..." began Renge, and the way she nudged me and sent me a mischievous wink could only mean trouble. She was up to something. "I hear you're engaged to Isabella, here."

He glanced at her, seemingly puzzled. "Well, yes. I was the one that told you, remember?" I smirked triumphantly, pleased that I hadn't had to try and weasel my way out of her scheme, despite it being a little bit pathetic anyway. Renge, however, only narrowed her eyes, and I could've sworn that I heard her mutter under her breath, "The harder the challenge, the better the result."

"Are you going to keep your relationship quiet? You know, like a forbidden love?!" Her excitement escalated with each word, but I was just about ready to slap her. "Oh, that would be so romantic!" I frowned, still sparing a look at Kyoya, intrigued to know as well.

He said nothing, staring straight ahead and not paying any acknowledgement to Renge even speaking. Although I was also disappointed at his silence, the eager girl on the other side of me finally took the hint to shut up, though that didn't stop her from giving me yet another wink.

"I suppose the public will have to find out eventually..." His voice trailed off, and he paused for a moment, staring ahead with a small frown. "Class will be starting soon," he snapped unexpectedly, checking his wristwatch. "Let's head off."

We followed him back out of the maze, and both Renge and I were concerned with his sudden passiveness – it was unlike him to be so unalert. He suddenly lacked that judgemental vibe, remaining entirely neutral for the rest of the walk instead. I shared a look with Renge as the school came nearer and the bell rang out. Murmured goodbyes were said before we parted ways, and while Renge headed towards the East wing, I followed Kyoya up the Nothern hall stairs.

"Come with me."

"Wait, what?" I questioned, seeing him turn left rather than right, where we were supposed to go.

He looked back only for a second, but his face still held that blankness. "I want tea," he grumbled, "and I think I'd prefer it in someone's company. Considering you're here with me, you'll have to do. I'm certain we won't get into trouble." I tried not to be insulted and walked behind him all the way to the South hall, ignoring the gaggles of giggling fangirls passing by that spotted Kyoya.

Music Room 3 eventually came into our sights, abandoned just as it had been before Tamaki took over. There were no blinding lights nor was it raining rose petals when we stepped inside, but all the couches and tables stood where they were supposed to. It all looked odd without the Host Club and their guests there.

"Why h-here?"

He smiled for the first time that day. "There's an en-suite, kitchen, and store room here and I've got the keys to all three. Plus, no one will disturb us until the end of the day when club activities begin." I hummed, neither agreeing nor disagreeing (I was more worried about missing my classes, to be honest.)

Kyoya wandered about the room, setting his bag down on one of the armchairs before throwing open the curtains covering some of the windows. The light shone through, filling up most of the room, and I had to cover my eyes for a moment.

"Make yourself comfortable," he said. I tossed my bag onto the floor and collapsed onto the nearest sofa, my body taking up the whole space. It felt good to be rid of manners for a while, considering Kyoya never really cared what I did unless it was inappropriate in public.

He seated himself across from me on the other sofa before twisting and lying down on his back. Thankfully, we were in a corner where the light was soft, not blinding. It would've been a little nice to gaze out the window, but Kyoya seemed contempt, so I opted to stare at his face for a bit.

I guess he looks pretty handsome, I thought to myself, eyeing his thin face and soft cheekbones. I wonder what he'd look like actually smiling for once. His lips parted, his tongue darting out to moisten them as his eyes blinked open.

"My apologies. I nearly dozed off." He sat up for a moment, pressing his fingers to his temple. "I'm rather tired today, could do with a bit of sleep," he mumbled, the words almost impossible to make out when they began slurring together. It was strange to hear, and I was tempted to laugh until I noticed what he'd just said.

I nervously asked, "What k-kept you up-p last night?"

"Renge, of course," he answered. "I suppose it's beneficial for you to be here too, then. I don't think you'd get much work done either with her voice still ringing in your head all day." I gulped. "Also, I'm sure she's already told at least the twins about her schemes – yes, I heard all about those – and they've done enough damage to our situation by trying to get me to date you."

"Right," I whispered after his rant, still trying to take in that he'd heard all of Renge's jabber from the night before. I twirled a strand of my hair, avoiding his eyes. "I thought T-Tamaki was doing all of that."

He scoffed, running his hand through his hair. "Well, yes, he is, but the twins seem to think it'd be funny or something like that to see me date someone. I doubt that'll happen, especially with my engagement to you." He smirked. "This is only a business relationship, after all, and it won't do good for my reputation as an Ootori to have an affair."

I nodded, past the point of being offended by his comments about our engagement. Kyoya was notorious for them at this point – he said them around the twins and Tamaki a lot (who were always nearby and listening).

We fell into an awkward silence after that, neither of us wanting the quiet nor wanting to start the next conversation. Kyoya finally decided to end it by offering tea, which I accepted eagerly, having only drunk instant coffee for the past few weeks because of Tamaki and his weird obsession with the stuff.

When Kyoya returned, I was about ready to nod off myself. I'd forgotten how wonderful sleep was between getting up early for school, staying up late to do homework, and spending the majority of my time around the Host Club both in and out of school. I took the tea anyway, sipping the sweet mixture. I almost grimaced at the amount of milk and sugar, wondering how someone as dark, someone as bitter as Kyoya could drink such weak tea.

"I quite like the taste of sweet things," he answered without even knowing my question. "I don't usually eat or drink any, but the occasional treat away from prying eyes is... relaxing, almost." I nodded yet again, pleased that I had the chance to learn so much about Kyoya in less than an hour. Most of the time, he'd refuse to open up to me.

"My favourite has to be those Guylian chocolates from Belgium," he continued. "I know they're sold quite cheap in commoners' supermarkets, but the taste is fascinating; it almost tastes like hazelnuts, but it doesn't at all!" I think he was smiling down at his cup, fondly remembering those chocolates, but I couldn't quite see past his fringe, which had fallen forward.

I continued drinking the tea after it cooled a bit, developing a liking for it the more I swallowed. At least it never left a horrible after taste like the instant coffee, but I was too nervous to ask for some milk or sugar.

Time flew past in the quiet moments of our tea drinking, the bell ringing loudly, soon followed by the obnoxious chatter of passing students discussing the latest gossip in their classes. We were too far from the door to catch any of what they were saying, but Kyoya still seemed irritated that they were in the hallway at all.

"You should get some sleep," my fiancé said after the noise died down. "I can't have my star designer dozing off during club session, after all." I tried to protest, but he deftly reached across the coffee table to press his finger to my lips. "Just go to sleep," he commanded, taking my tea cup from my hands and walking off to the kitchen with it.

I waited until he returned anyway. The tea had me far more awake than I was before, and I was interested in learning more about Kyoya. We scarcely had any time to ourselves, and even when we did, he either wanted to rest in silence or study in silence, there was never anything in between.

"Is it hot in here?" he suddenly asked, standing up yet again to shed his jacket and roll up his sleeves. He also kicked off his shoes, but I guessed that was to stop the sofas from getting dirty. He paused before buttoning his sleeves above his elbows, electing to ditch the shirt entirely. I turned my head, internally scolding myself every time I unwillingly sneaked a peek at his torso – I needed to stop letting my curiosity get the better of me.

"As I've said many times before, you're probably going to see me completely naked at some point if this engagement works out, so going shirtless in front of you doesn't bother me." I was nearly tempted to laugh out loud. It's not you that's bothered, you narcissist! He commented once again on my discomfort anyway, smoothly stating, "I was only teasing, dearest Isabella."

Kyoya relaxed on the sofa as he did before, stretching out on his back, except this time he removed his glasses. I thought he'd be going to sleep, so I opened up my bag and grabbed my homework. I knew the coffee table and dim lights would be useless for working, so I tip-toed over to the chair and table sets by the windows. At least I'd have the scenery this time.

Spreading my work out on the table, I thought I'd start with some designs for the Host Club costumes. They were all that took up my sketch pad since I'd been forced to join, but I didn't mind. Some of them got me the grades in my fashion designing class.

"What did K-Kyoya say the next theme was?" I asked myself, tapping on my lip with my pencil. I frowned for not remembering the whole list he gave me. First is the Arabian Palace, then the Mystical Gods, then the Brave Knights? Oh, why can't I remember!

"The one after Brave Knights is the Law Enforcement theme. Apparently, having demanding guys loyal to the rules is an ongoing sex appeal for the ladies," Kyoya said from behind me, making me jump. Him sneaking up on me all the time would be the death of me! "Of course, we won't mention to Tamaki that this one is all about the naughty fantasies of our clients."

I had to smirk at that. Many of the costume designs so far had all been based on sex appeal and – I shuddered at the thought – extensive research into fan fiction, but when I mentioned it to Kyoya, he just raised a finger to his lips and shushed me.

"I must admit that I brought you here for a reason other than tea," he said after a couple of minutes of watching me draw. I frowned, hearing an odd hint of reluctance in his voice, and set my pencil down.

"What's wrong?"

He sighed, leaning forward with his arms braced against the back of the chair. "Something Renge said this morning – I think she mentioned it last night too – has been bothering me." I tried to think back, but couldn't remember anything. "Tamaki's been going off about it for a while." I had a feeling I knew what he was talking about, but I said nothing.

"I'd like to try something with you. Just an experiment."

Something in what he said made me shiver with both fear and excitement. What was he suggesting? Knowing him, it could be anything dark and potentially dangerous. He could send me to a tropical water park with raging currents, a private police force, and uncaged alligators! "Sure," I said anyway. "What is it?"

His lips were now right beside my ear, and he released a small breath that very nearly electrocuted me before whispering, "I would very much like to kiss you."

All I could do was give a slight shake of my head in agreement.

My chair was spun to face him, and he pulled me up (before I could get too long of a glance at his naked torso – that surely would've scarred my poor, innocent mind forever!) to wrap his arm around my waist. I could feel his skin burning through my clothes when I was forcefully pressed up against his body, and I almost wished them away until I remembered that this was only an experiment. Yes, my first kiss, but only an experiment.

We looked into each other's eyes for what felt like an eternity.

I found myself unable to breathe as his fingertips just barely stroked my cheek. They eventually settled at the back of my head, absently playing with some strands of hair. "You know," he whispered, bringing his lips ever so slightly closer to mine, "some say that a kiss can change everything."

"Do they now?"

Our eyes drifted shut as his nose brushed over mine. Finally, our lips joined together. This kiss was neither brief nor long, but I found myself drawing in a sharp breath through my nose at the softness; whether it was his lips or the gentle, hesitant touch to my own, I knew I wanted so much more. We pulled apart for only a moment, only to push forward again, both of us eager and willing for this to happen.

Feeling far less awkward, I raised my arms to drape them around his neck, pulling at some of the hairs on the nape of his neck while his fingers sprawled, instinctively closing once again around a fistful of hair that he gently tugged at in return. This time, the kiss was far more active, with our lips sloppily separating then touching again. All the more, it felt wonderful.

After a few seconds, the position felt awkward, so he released my hair and used both hands to lift me up onto the table. He resumed playing with my hair, keeping his other hand on my hip while I slid my hands down his shoulders and onto his chest. We both kept our distance, neither of us wanting to take it too far, but he still stood between my legs, and his chest was still naked (I tried not to think about how astoundedly smooth the skin was or how, when my fingertips brushed over his collarbone, he breathed in sharply).

We separated for the final time, both of us on the verge of gasping for air. I thanked the Heavens when he stayed still, leaning his forehead against mine with his eyes shut and cheeks flushed. I thought for sure that he'd move, thank me for the data, then leave, but he didn't.

"I apologise for my reaction," he said breathlessly.

I couldn't bring myself to look. "It's f-fine," I stammered.

"It'll be lunch time in an hour." He looked up and opened his eyes, his pupils blown wide. I hummed, pushing off the table and smoothing down my skirt when I hit the floor. I was glad I decided to wear some of my nicer clothes that day, though there were a couple of small holes in the shirt that needed fixing.

"We should c-clean up first." I gestured between the two of us. My hair was probably a mess like his, and he still had no shirt on. "Or we could g-go down like t-this. Tamak-ki will have a heart attack!"

He pressed his fingers to his lips and laughed behind them, deep chuckles passing through them and his shoulder shaking uncontrollably. "He would even if we tell him what happened." He gathered up his clothes and headed for what I assumed was the en-suite. "By the way," he called, smirking. "You taste even sweeter than the chocolates."

OHSHC – OHSHC – OHSHC

I slowly opened my eyes, having fallen asleep at the table, my head cushioned by a stack of textbooks and papers. Was that all a dream? I wondered, noting how I was still in the abandoned music room. Shooting around in my seat, I saw Kyoya still laying on the sofa in the darkened corner as though he'd never moved, but this time he wore a plain undershirt.

I touched my lips, tracing them ever so gently. I can't believe I had such a vivid dream of Kyoya! But was it only a dream? I didn't know what to think – I felt so conflicted, so... scared. If it happened, then I was so screwed! I promised myself not to fall in love with the Shadow King!

Taking a deep breath in, I quietly reassured myself, "This is fine. You haven't ruined any lives because it never happened." I gathered all my books together, shoving them in my satchel as I began to reprimand my subconscious. "Just don't go dreaming about s-snogging Kyoya senseless again!"

I had to admit, though, that it was good, but now that I was back in reality, I knew that it would only make my situation with Kyoya even worse. How could I face him knowing that that dream had completely ruined my perspective of him?! All I could think about was if Kyoya would react that way; shy and unwilling to hurt, but so full of fire and confidence. It was all too confusing! Looking over at the sleeping boy, I could see that he was uncomfortable. The muscles in his neck were strained, stretching and tilting at awkward angles, and his legs were far too long to fit on the sofa.

"K-Kyoya?" I quietly approached him. I poked his shoulder before jumping back, shielding myself with my satchel, knowing what he was like every time someone woke him up.

He sat up, emanating a dark aura. "What do you want?" he grumbled lowly, an evil glare shining in his dark eyes. I gulped. I knew I should've just left him alone to sleep, but in the time I worked up the courage to apologise, he'd already fallen back down with his eyes closed.

"I'll see you after school," was all I could stutter as I, without even thinking, lifted his head and stuffed one of the other sofa cushions under it. I sprinted out of the room, not wanting to feel his wrath from waking him up again, and made my way down the stairs to the first-floor cafeteria. It was by far the least crowded since the Hosts usually spent their lunch in the second and third-floor cafeterias (with all of their fans too).

Suddenly, as if my luck had run out, I opened the doors to find that nearly every table had been taken up. How?! The answer came in a very flamboyant giggle that I recognised all too well, and I snapped my head to the side to see none other than Tamaki Suoh surrounded by his fangirls.

"Oh, it's Isabella-Senpai," I hear someone call. It turns out to be Haruhi, who rushed to my side enthusiastically. "Are you here to eat lunch? I brought my bento if you want to share!" I allowed her to drag me over to her table where she sat alone. I thought it was strange until she eagerly said, "Tamaki hadn't noticed that I'm here, thankfully. I usually just eat my lunch in my class – I already get enough stares in the club, and I don't need more just because of my homemade bento."

Haruhi opened up a bright pink box covered in stickers, commenting that her dad "misplaced" her green box that morning so that she'd "use the cuter one." I was too busy looking at her bento to pay attention. The sushi pieces were heart-shaped, and the fish was cut up into little cubes like in a little girl's lunch.

"What the heck, dad," she complained to herself. "I told you yesterday to stop repacking my lunches!" She sighed, dropping her forehead onto the table as she did. It drew some unwanted attention, but I faked a big smile and waved them off awkwardly. When Haruhi finally pulled herself together, she separated her chopsticks with a SNAP and rubbed them together. I cringed when she stabbed the sticks in the offending bento and shovelled piece after piece into her mouth.

She paused, seeming to notice me again. "Here, have some."

"Thanks," I stuttered, grabbing a small cube of fish with my fingers. With uncertainty, I bit into the piece; it was surprisingly good. "Nice," I told her with a smile and a thumbs up, which I regretted instantly when a familiar shout came from across the room.

"ISABELLA-CHAN! YOU'RE TOO CUTE!"

That time, I was the one to hit my head on the table.

And I would only find myself doing it again for the millionth time when I got home that day.

"Hey, Isabella-Chan. Let's play the 'Which One of us is Hikaru' game!" I groaned. Of course, I put too much faith in my gut and stupidly agreed to their game. Even Kyoya was sending me glares – a warning not worth ignoring, but I played along anyway.

"Is it you?" I pointed to the twin on the left. I groaned again, even louder this time, recalling the humiliation. Beside me, one of my dogs pawed at my leg, silently begging for cuddles like he always did. "Not now, Kaz," I said.

"Nope! You got it wrong! Since you're the loser, you have to do whatever we say!" I couldn't believe I never thought about the stakes of the game. It was the twins, for Christ's sake! They've had more hidden motives than Kyoya had notebooks, and there was a lot of them!

"W-what do I – I... What is it?"

"You have to let the Host club stay at your house for the holidays!"

A/N – HAHAHAHA! I totally lied to you! Chapter 5 is WAY too soon for the couple to get together, but I just HAD to give you some action!