A/N: In the original version, there was small chapter here from Kitaru’s POV and it started this whole arc. However, when I was transferring my files from Wattpad for the rewrite, like so many chapters, the end of that one got lost somehow. I gave it a little thought and decided to discard it entirely. If you’re interested, however, I could go about editing it and putting it up in “Into the Future” so that you guys can get a good look at it. Hope you enjoy this chapter, I couldn't remember how I ended it orginally, so I settled on this.

Eri

With my shirt settled just below my chest, I simply stared into the mirror. My hands clenched the fabric tightly, as if to ward off the wave of feelings washing through me.

A dark colored bruise crossed my stomach, just above the navel.

That upped the count to four bruises, three of which I couldn’t even think of a reason for. As if to make matters worse, my eyes focused in on the small, red dots littering the skin around the bruise.

This was the sort of thing I was supposed to immediately report to someone. It was probably enough to land me back in the hospital for testing when combined with my gums, which had yet to get better. They’d stop bleeding, then randomly start again when I’d almost dismissed it.

The fever that Emi had caught onto was another thing in a line of nothings that I’d dismissed.

Releasing my shirt, I braced my back against the bathroom wall and closed my eyes for a moment.

‘I’m sorry, Emi-chan, but if it ever comes back, there won’t be a miracle next time. The chances of beating this thing a third time are incredibly low.’

I gave a small shake of my head, pushing the memory away for now. It was nothing. There was nothing to be worried about. I was being paranoid. Just because it fit, didn’t mean that it had to be the reason. I was fine.

There was no need to tell anyone.

My eyes clenched shut to ward off the sting of the tears threatening them.

It’s not like if I told anyone it would do any good. I’d just end up hooked up to a bunch of machines and told how long I had. I’d lose the little hair I had. I’d eat even less than I did now because the poison they say ups my chances would make it difficult to keep anything down. My parents would probably forbid me from attending school again. It was their own way of showing “they cared”. Hiroshi would probably walk on eggshells around me- something that’s as strange as all hell to see. Kitaru would probably wear that expression I saw so many times in the past, the one that said he wanted something, anything to do to change things.

All of that and there was little chance that something could be done if this was the case.

Not that it was. It was nothing. I’d been a bit clumsy recently and gotten bruised. Perhaps I’d brushed my teeth a little too hard and irritated my gums. I’d always been someone who got fevers easily.

I was fine.

Pushing myself away from the wall, I opened my eyes to look in the mirror. There was no hint of the tears that had threatened to fall. Emi wouldn’t notice anything, would she? If she did, I’d just have to distract her. With that, I pushed the door open and made my way back down to my bedroom. I wasn’t at all surprised to discover her sprawled out on my bed, sketchpad in hand. Not wanting to interrupt, I simply sat myself in a chair and recovered the book I’d been reading earlier that morning.

“They won’t do it, right?” Emi asked suddenly.

I pulled my eyes from the book, confused.

“What?”

“The twins,” she growled, obviously not happy with the idea that had occurred to her. “They won’t come, will they?”

Despite everything, amusement flickered through me.

“I have a feeling that they’ll do whatever they feel like doing,” I informed her. “You’re alike in that regard.”

Emi’s eyes narrowed and she quickly shook her head.

“No, no, like hell I’m anything like them!” she declared. “They’re-”

Suddenly she tensed and cut herself off. Her attention turned towards my open window. I simply watched her, surprised, as she suddenly surged to her feet and darted over there. A second later, disbelief colored her features. Guessing what she’d heard, I snickered.

“Speak of the devil?” I suggested.

“What are you guys doing here?” she demanded. “And what are you doing talking to him?”

I stiffened. The tone in her voice left no question about who she was talking about. Now that I was paying attention, I managed to hear his voice.

“As you can see,” Kitaru commented. “They’re home.”

“We said we were coming!” the twins called up.

“And everyone else?” Emi demanded. “Tamaki-senpai?”

“I couldn’t leave those bastard twins alone with my daughters!”

Emi scowled, but didn’t question it.

“Haruhi?”

“I’m not quite sure. I was stuffed in a car and ended up here. Sorry to intrude.”

“Honey-senpai?”

“Takashi and I brought cake!”

Emi looked torn at that announcement and I tucked a finger in my book to make my place before closing it on my lap and turning my amused expression into an encouraging one.

“Come on, if they came this far, we might as well let them in.”

She turned to face me with narrowed eyes.

“You want the devils in our house?”

I couldn’t help it, her words combined with her expression caused me to burst out laughing. A second later the laughing had dissolved into coughing, which caused concern to flash across her face. With a shake of my head, I waved her off, attempting to catch my breath.

“I’m fine,” I assured her. “Just… let them up.”

She sighed, then glanced back out the window.

“I’ll have the staff show you to the gameroom,” she declared. “Don’t wander off, and leave him behind!”

It was easy to guess which ‘him’ she was referring to. I had no problem with that, I thought to myself, carefully taking deep breaths to fix the problem of how for a moment it’d seemed hard to breath. At the same time, Emi shut the window and turned around to glare in my direction, although I doubted the expression was for me.

“Those dumbasses.”

_______________________________

“They’re taking their time,” Emi grumbled, leaning back in the lounge chair she’d placed herself in. “How come they’re so slow when they’re the ones who invited themselves?”

“I don’t know,” I responded, not glancing up from the book I’d returned my attention to. “How about you help me figure out who the bad guy is in this instead of worrying about it?”

Emi sighed, but jumped to her feet and came to look over my shoulder. I waited as she skimmed a few pages frowning thoughtfully.

“Why’s the house built like that?”

“The previous owners just kept adding on until it ended up like it.”

“And people just disappear?”

“Yeah, although they tend to be young, it seems.”

“Hm… and one of the investigators has disappeared?”

“Yeah.”

She grinned at me and held up a finger, moving it back and forth with the words, speaking them in a little singing like tone.

“It’s. A. Ghost~”

“That’s obvious,” I huffed, turning my eyes back to the book. “I’m just not sure-”

“The previous owner.”

“Hmph. Why would-”

“Never fear,” a voice cut in, sending chills down my spine. “Niisan has saved the day by helping the helpless guests find their way!”

My eye shot to the door to find Hiroshi standing there, the host club spread out in the hall behind him. Why were they with him?

“Helpless?” one of the twins asked, annoyance in his voice.

“Okay, perhaps not that,” Hiroshi joked. “But I did help!”

“The only help anyone needs from  you is on how to make you disappear,” Emi snapped, stepping away from me to glare at him. “Permanently.”

“You wound me,” Hiroshi replied smoothly, walking the rest of the way into the room. His empty eyes were focused on Emi. “Couldn’t you be a little nicer to your caring brother?”

“Caring my ass,” she retorted.

“I’m sorry that I can’t manage much care for that part of your body. It would simply be wrong of me, being your nissan and all.”

Hiroshi would have been dead with the look Emi gave him in that moment if that sort of thing was possible.

“Come now, Mimi-chan, I brought your guests, is that any way to treat me?”  he asked, putting a playful pout on his lips.

“Mimi-chan?” Hikaru asked.

Emi’s faced bright red.

“That sounds cute,” Kaoru added.

Distracted for a moment, Emi turned her murderous look to the twins.

“You try saying that again and you’ll see how cute I can be.”

“Now, now, Mi-mi-chan, play nice with your friends,” Hiroshi commented smugly, drawing out the time it took to say her name.

With those words I saw something cross Emi’s face before she simply put on a sickly sweet smile.

“Right, the reason I had you guys meet me in this room was for a rematch. You mind?” she asked, ignoring Hiroshi completely as she turned her attention to the host club.

It was then I realized that there was a figure mixed in with them. Kitaru was standing towards the back, his eyes flickering between Emi and I. He had a book clutched against his chest, his expression blank beyond the friendly smile settled on his lips. I stiffened, unable to pull my gaze away from him. Why did he have to be here? Wasn’t enough to live in the same house and eat the same meals? Did he have to interrupt my time with my friends, too?

“Eri?”

Startled, I managed to drag my eyes away to meet those of the person who’d spoken to me. I was surprised to find Kyoya gazing back at me, his gray eyes filled with some sort of emotion… it couldn’t be… concern?

“Y-yes?” I asked, clenching my hands in my lap. I knew they were probably shaking, just like the rest of me tended to do whenever that person was around.

“I asked if you were alright,” Kyoya answered smoothly, pushing his glasses up on his nose. “Also, if you would like to be my partner. It would seem that your brother is insisting on being involved, and will only take Emi as his partner in this. Which leaves you without one,” he paused, his eyes following the direction that mine had been focused in previously. Kitaru met his gaze without hesitation. “... unless you were wanting-”

“No!” I broke in, panic making me raise my voice without meaning to.

At my outburst, everyone turned their attention to us. I could feel my cheeks stain red with embarrassment.

“Is there a problem?” Kitaru asked pleasantly, making his way over to where I sat.

“Not at all,” Kyoya answered, his cool gaze still settled on Kitaru. “Eri and I were simply discussing whether or not she was too tired to participate.”

“Is that right…” Kitaru replied, looking to me. “We wouldn’t want you getting sick. If you are set on playing, however, then I would be happy to be your partner.”

My breath caught in my throat, that panic welling up again. I couldn’t do that. Even if being around him wasn’t as hard as it was, I couldn’t take the risk. There was as much chance that he might notice the small details as there was that Emi would notice them. I didn’t need that.

“Sorry, but she’s already agreed to be with me,” Kyoya said, his voice almost challenging now. As if asking for Kitaru to protest this decision.

“But that was before I offered,” Kitaru countered.

“You entering will make the numbers uneven,” Kyoya answered without hesitation. “That wouldn’t be fair to the other players.”

“We were uneven last time,” Tamaki broke in with a cheerful smile. “It wouldn’t hurt anything to be uneven again! Haruhi and I don’t mind, at least, do we?”

Haruhi frowned, “Why not ask my opinion before stating it, sempai?”

Tamaki retreated into what he must have decided would become his emo corner of the game room.

“See, the others don’t mind,” Kitaru said, drawing my attention back to the matter at hand. “And if it bothers you so much, why don’t you just not play?”

I flinched. This conversation was beginning to get a little too heated over just a game of darts.

“I’m sure she would rather you drop out than I did,” Kyoya retorted.

My eyes shot to Kyoya in surprise. Had he really just said that?

“Why don’t we ask her, hm?” Kitaru replied.

Kyoya shook his head, actually stepping between Kitaru and I, that pleasant smile still on his face.

“I’m afraid that wouldn’t be fair,” he said pleasantly. “After all, she does have to live with you after this. Would she really be honest about her opinion?”

Kitaru snorted, his expression almost turning into a frown before he carefully reconstructed it again as that friendly smile.

“I’m still certain that she’d prefer me, after all, there was a time when her and I went out.”

The room went silent. I could feel my face getting even redder than it had been throughout this entire conversation. Even Kyoya looked at me in surprise.

“That’s true,” Hiroshi added in cheerfully. “Kitaru and Eri were together for an entire year! My parents were even talking about arranging a marriage between our families after she graduated from high school since they got along so well.”

Kyoya’s shocked expression quickly changed into an expressionless one as he turned his steely gaze to Hiroshi. At that moment I caught sight of Emi clenching her fists and taking a few steps towards him.

“How about you shut up,” she growled. “That’s none of their business.”

“What’s so wrong about sharing the tale of a former couple?” Hiroshi asked innocently.  “It’s not like it was anything except the love between two close childhood friends.”

I couldn’t breathe. Why couldn’t Hiroshi just shut up. My hands flew to my mouth as I shut my eyes, trying to remember the exercises I’d been taught to calm down.

“Hiroshi,” Emi snapped, her tone a clear warning.

“After all, wasn’t it originally her that confessed to him?”

The room began to spin.

“Eri-chan, are you okay?”

I couldn’t breathe.

“Eri?”

Why couldn’t he just shut up?

“She’ll be fine. Just leave her be.”

“Eri-chan?”

“Eri,” the last voice was firm, a hand settling under my chin. My eyes shot up to meet his. I’m sure he could see the panic in them.

A second later I was being whisked out of the chair and from the room. I could hear protesting voices, but  couldn’t bring myself to care. Another moment later and I was settled against the wall wrapped firmly in someone’s arms.

“You can calm down, now,” he ordered. “I’ve read that holding someone like this helps. I’m not sure if it’s true, but being out of there probably helped the most, right?”

Comprehension shot through me as I suddenly pulled away, wrapping my shaking arms around myself.  My entire body shuddered from the previous contact, as if reliving those memories on its own. Kyoya watched me with his steely expression, not bothering to hide his concern.

“I-I’m sorry,” I managed, taking a few steps back and offering him a hopefully calm smile. Air was coming into my lungs again, but all I could think of were those arms around me. I hated that I couldn’t relax in them. He was trying to help. “Just… don’t touch me.”

His gaze hardened.

“That boy…”

I shook my head, taking a step backwards. Kyoya responded by closing the little distance between us, although he didn’t reach out to touch me.

“Eri… did… did he…”

I shook my head harder, my back suddenly against the opposite wall. Why did all of this have to happen at once? I could handle Kitaru on his own. I could… maybe, handle the secret of the blood and the bruises on its own… why all at once?

“It wasn’t… I can’t…” I managed to whisper.

Kyoya watched me for a moment longer with that hard gaze before sighing and giving me a short nod.  His eyes turned back towards the door we’d come through and I was surprised to find that no one had followed us out.  

“Come on, we should go back in before they decide to come and check on you,” he said, his normal ordering tone back in his voice. I felt myself relax, more comfortable with this side of Kyoya than the one I had just seen.

“Yeah…” I managed, giving him a small nod.

After that I let him lead me back to the room. Outside the door I braced myself, knowing that Kitaru would still be in there. The moment when stepped in Emi ambushed me.

“Look, I don’t know what just happened, and I’ll be sure to question you about it later, but I went ahead and organized the teams myself for now,” she reported. “We’re going back to the original teams and just leaving Hiroshi and  Kitaru to deal with each other. I’m sure that if anyone was forced to team up with either sleezebag they’d feel the urge to barf, and we don’t need any of that, right?”

I simply nodded, a grateful feeling flashing through me. I turned my eyes to look at Kyoya to see his opinion. He nodded as well, not really showing any other reaction to the news. Perhaps he’d only offered to be my partner so that I’d have one? If so, then why’d he argue so much about it with Kitaru?

I didn’t have time to think over this. Hiding behind Emi, I watched as the game went by smoothly. Hiroshi didn’t have any more comments to make towards me, although he “playfully” teased Emi throughout the game.   It also seemed that half-way through Emi and the twins got into it, because another bet was made.

“If we win,” Emi declared. “You two have to come to school dressed like princesses for a week, complete with blonde wigs and the girl’s uniform.”

Hikaru and Kaoru glanced at each other then back at her with a smirk.

“And if we win,” Kaoru declared. “You  have to agree to hang out with us for an entire evening.”

Emi blanched, glancing at me with a look that dared me to lose. I placed a smile on my lips, knowing that’s what she wanted to see.

“Don’t worry, I won’t let that happen,” I told her.

As she approached later to throw her darts, I stepped over to the twins.

“This bet…” I began, carefully keeping my eyes focused on them.  That way it was easy to ignore, or at least try to, that Kitaru had begun looking in my direction the moment I’d approached them. “Well, does it include both of us, or just Emi?”

They exchanged smug looks.

“If we say just her…”

“Well, my dart just might miss,” I answered with an innocent look.

There was no better distraction than messing with Emi’s social life.

They grinned and held out their hands. I took one in each hand and shook, carefully keeping an eye on Emi as I did. No need to make her needlessly suspicious. A short time later, I was relaxed in my seat to ward off the oncoming exhaustion and Emi was glaring daggers at the twins.

“We can’t wait,” they informed her cheerily.

“Go to hell.”