A/N: I'm keeping a running tally of how many times I get distracted while writing this.

IIIII IIIII II

Eri

I hated the hospital.

Similar to Emi's opinion on the wretched place, the hospital held far too dark memories for me to feel step inside without being forced. Although, I suppose my feelings about the place were already pretty obvious. I'll restart.

There was one, singular hospital I didn't hate.

The Ootori Research Hospital had somehow become an exception to the rule. Rather than dredging up feelings of hatred and fear, it'd somehow become a somewhat neutral existence for me. Which may not seem like much... but it was a vast improvement considering how I felt about the average hospital. This matter happened to be the sole reason that when Kyoya called me-- interrupting my completely against the rules invasion of Emi's room, she always hated when I admired her sketchbooks without permission, but hey, I was bored-- I didn't hesitate to drop everything and change into something appropriate for our weekly hospital visit.

Well, mostly appropriate.

Since our return from the beach, the chills I'd felt had yet to fade. I'd discreetly checked my temperature a few times over the week, but it'd steadily settled just above the average range. Nothing too concerning-- it wasn't abnormal for me to run a temperature for an extended period of time. Still, it was enough that instead of wearing a nice blouse like I may have otherwise done, I threw on a hoodie and jeans. I then snuck down the stairs and slipped out the side exit to avoid running into either of the boys. Seeing my brother or him would have most definitely ruined the decent mood I'd settled in despite how the occasional cough acted as a dampener.

Within minutes of my exit, Kyoya's car pulled up. It almost always seemed to be like this, it was as if he knew the exact moment to arrive. Shaking off the strange thought, I slipped into the car and offered Kyoya a greeting smile. In turn, he studied me with slightly pursed lips.

"I'm fine," I said before he could ask. "How was your morning?"

He shook his head and turned his gaze back where he had his laptop settled atop of his knees.

"Small talk?" Kyoya questioned.

"I prefer it to whatever you were thinking," I retorted.

His lips twisted up in just the smallest degree. Taking that as a confirmation of my change in subject, I fastened my seatbelt then leaned in closer as the vehicle started out onto the street.

"What are you working on?"

"Next month's budget."

"Oh... does Tamaki really spend that much on instant coffee?"

Kyoya nodded, his lips settled into a grim line. "Unfortunately."

I laughed and settled back, letting Kyoya focus on the budget. In turn, I focused my own attention on the world outside my window. The only real break to the calm silence that filled the air came as the driver informed us he would have to take a longer route in order to avoid a traffic jam. Given that we were always running just a bit ahead of schedule, it didn't matter all that much. I preferred it, honestly, the moment I realized that this new path took us towards the outskirts of the city, giving a clear view of the mountains that laid beyond all the buildings.

Even this escaped my attention when the vehicle passed a bookstore showing a large, colorful poster with the names Ono Fuyumi and Yukito Ayatsuji. Without thought, I pushed myself up in my seat, attempting to catch a glimpse of the times on the poster even after we'd traveled too far down the street for me to really see any of it. Kyoya, obviously noting my unusual behavior, cocked a brow when I reluctantly settled back down with a huff of annoyance.

"A book signing," I explained. "At least, I think that's what it was. I didn't catch the date, but it was two of my favorite authors." At the questioning look he continued to wear, I shrugged. "They don't do signings very often. One of them wrote the Another series and the other a number of series. My favorite by her would be her Ghost Hunt series, though. Emi hates anything to do with the occult, as well as just horror stories in general, so I used to read them aloud just to see her shudder. The stories themselves, though, are pretty amazing. Those two don't do book signings very often anymore, so I was sort of taken by surprise."

Kyoya seemed to consider this for a moment, then rapidly typed a series of characters into his computer. Curious, I simply watched as he clicked and typed away before turning the laptop in my direction.

"It's three days from now," he commented. "It ends about thirty minutes before club hours are over."

I coughed into my hand, rolling the idea over in my head. It wouldn't be all that big of a deal for me to skip club hours just this once. Getting my novel sets signed by those two... yeah, I'd skip it.

"You look excited," Kyoya observed. I nodded happily and he pursed his lips, then snapped his laptop shut. "You're enjoy their novels that much?"

The question almost held the same air as a statement, but I nodded once again nevertheless.

"I do. Well, really, I enjoy reading in general. I want... wanted..." I trailed off for a moment, uncertain of what tense to use, before giving a smalls shake of my head and continuing. "I want to be an editor. Silly, I know. I could do all sorts of things, that's what sensei says. I've heard more than once that settling for editing would be a waste of my academic skills. But... there's something about the idea being a part of the process that makes books that draws me."

"It's not silly," Kyoya replied. "There are many famous, well-paid editors. It's a good profession."

My cheeks burned. When he said it like that, being an editor sounded just as good as being the author or screenwriter.

"What about you?" I asked, eager to shift the attention of of me. "What do you want to do?"

Kyoya's expression turned wry and I realized my mistake.

"That was a stupid question," I added, my entire face burning now.

"Not completely," he replied. "I could have wishes opposite of what is laid out for me. But, I don't."

Curiosity took over the embarrassment that'd flooded through me. "What part of your family business are you aiming for?"

I couldn't imagine him as anything less than the head of the company. But... he had older brothers, I knew. Like Emi and I, his father no doubt saw his older siblings as the one to hand the reigns to. Our parents had been grooming Hiroshi since he was little with full intentions of shoving him into the political field they stood in. Emi and I had been left to do whatever we wished as long as we didn't embarrass the family name. I imagine if I voiced intentions of taking a blue-collar job they would pitch-a-fit, but otherwise... they didn't care.

It almost made me wish that he was able to be around more often. Wishing that wouldn't do anything for me, though. Anytime father heard that he'd stopped by the house, he threw a tantrum fit to rival a toddler's.

"The top," Kyoya replied, startling me from the direction my thoughts had taken. That smirk of his settled on his lips. "Of course."

"Of course," I echoed with a small laugh.

"Did you expect any less?" he asked, that familiar, almost smile appearing.

"No," I replied honestly. "I'd like to think I know you well... and it's hard to imagine you ending up anywhere less than in complete control."

"You make me sound like a control freak."

"You're not?" I teased.

"I never said that," Kyoya replied, an unreadable emotion flickering across his face. "Although, I like to believe that I've more of an understanding of reality than would be average."

"What do you mean?"

He paused, then dropped his gaze back to the top of his laptop.

"One can't completely control life. There will always be things that man can't change. It's a simple concept, but one that escapes the understanding of most. No matter how hard an artist tries, they can't paint outside of the limits a canvas provides. Life is like that. No matter how much of a control freak one might be, they still have a limited control over life itself."

My smile stilled, hands curling around the thick fabric ends of my hoodie.

"Perhaps," I replied. "But... if you look at life like a canvas and humans as the artists... doesn't that just mean we should switch surfaces? Canvases come in all sizes... you aren't limited to just one type." As I spoke, I pushed my smile back onto my face, Kyoya's eyes having flickered to meet mine midway through.

He studied me for a moment, then chuckled as reached down for the laptop bag settled at his feet.

"Perhaps," he said, repeating my own words. "I wouldn't imagine such a bright outlook coming from you, Eri."

My cheeks heated and I quickly turned my gaze to the window, unable to meet the almost curious edge to the smile he now wore.

"I guess I'm just hoping to manage it myself."

________________________________

"All of your blood work checks out. If things continue like this, I'm expecting we'll see a significant decline in cancerous cells within the coming weeks. Your T cell count is still down... but that's expected, it's not horribly lower than the numbers we recorded when you first visited. Over all... the only real concerning thing is... " I coughed as Karigara trailed off and he offered me a simple, wry smile. "That."

I ducked my head and folded my hands over each other in my lap. After we'd arrived at the office, Kyoya and I had split up. Kyoya went to talk with some official, lab-coat wearing people and I'd been put through the usual series of tests that came with an experimental trial. This had resulted in my sitting alone with the doctor when he came into talk to me.

"It's not that big of a deal, right?" I ventured. "It's--"

"Even a cold could have a horrible impact on your body at this point, Hano-san," Karigara interrupted, his reproachful voice making it hard for me to look up. "You know that."

I did, but that didn't mean I had to like it. Who would like dealing with that sort of thing? Colds that others could go to class with could leave me in bed for weeks, and that was before I'd started this treatment. Still... even as I thought this, I locked my jaw and held back the urge to cough again.

"But... it's just a cough and a fever," I argued. "I've been feeling fine."

Karigara pursed his lips, glancing down at the clipboard he'd been reading off of. He then spun around in the desk chair he'd been sitting in during our meeting, his hands pulling up some official-looking page on his computer. After rapidly typing away at the keys, he glanced back at me. His smile was kind, but serious.

"Just a cough and a fever?" he echoed. "Nothing else?"

"I've also been losing my breath more quickly, I suppose. Chills, but I figured the fever was doing that," I said after a moment's pause.

Karigara seemed to consider this for a moment, his fingers typing my report into the computer. As I watched, he worked his jaw, his fingers pausing over the keys as if he were rolling something over in his mind. He then sighed, reaching a hand up to rub the side of his neck as he turned to face me.

"We've--"

The door cut him off, Kyoya appearing in the room with no warning.

"Karigara."

I bit my lip. Kyoya's face was no easier to read than usual, but... he certainly seemed tense. Which didn't strike me as a good thing.

"Yes, yes," Karigara replied, a knowing lit to the weary smile he now wore. "I was just getting ready to discuss the matter with her." He paused. "It is Miyoshi you were getting ready to ask about, yeah?"

As I looked back and forth between the two of them, Kyoya nodded. Karigara sighed.

"If we'd known, we would done something about it. We only just found out about that when he asked for a few days off to attend the service and Yuuhi thought to ask for him to have testing done."

"Is there any need to be worried?" Kyoya asked.

"I don't believe so. From what I see. They only interacted when he did her blood transfusion. It should be fine."

A frown tugged at my lips. "Is someone going to tell me what's going on?"

"Sorry," Karigara replied reflexively. "Should I...?" He looked to Kyoya who nodded. "We were discussing a coworker of mine. A family member of his, it seems, recently passed away after years of fighting AIDS."

"Oh..." My irritation dropped away, awkwardness taking it's place. "I'm sorry..."

"I'm sure he would appreciate the sentiment," Karigara said.

"The other matter," Kyoya reminded him.

Karigara nodded. "There's been a bit of concern about whether or not he should have been working here without taking extra precautions. I can't say much, privacy you understand... but, the relative died of PJP."

PJP...? It took me some time, but I eventually managed to place the acronym in my mind. PJP stood for pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia, I was almost certain. I didn't know much about it, but from what I could recall... it was a fungal infection that healthy individuals rarely caught. It was uncommon, but not unheard of, for those with HIV to catch it, but it was extremely uncommon for the average individual. I wouldn't have known anything about it if it wasn't for the fact that the other group of individuals that tended to catch it were those who were immunocompromised.

Still...

"We're required to tell you in case of a potential problem," Karigara continued. "But I don't believe there is a need to worry. Miyoshi is fine, so I doubt anything was brought in. We're very careful about what comes in these doors. Just to be safe, I've ordered some tests... but, well, it should be fine. Just be certain to let us know if anything changes. Not because of that, but because of your treatment as well. We can't risk further compromising your immune system if you become ill. We'd have to hold off until after you recovered."

"I... understand."

A handful of minutes and several matters later, I found myself being escorted back out to Kyoya's waiting car. As we pulled away, I turned my eyes outside of the window. The biggest piece of news had been that they were seeing results.

A significant decline in cancerous cells... I felt lightheaded at the thought alone.

"Eri?"

"Hm, what?"

I pulled my eyes away from the window. If the look Kyoya was giving me was any indication, he must have been talking to me for several minutes before I'd tuned in. I offered an apologetic smile and in turn, he tapped his fingers on the cover of his laptop. It laid in his lap, but he'd yet to open it as far as I was aware. Of course, I'd been rather distracted.

"I see you're listening, now."

My cheeks heated. "Yes, sorry."

"It's fine. As I was saying... do you have any other plans for the evening?"

I stared at him. Plans...? Was he...?

"No, not really... Emi'll be out with the twins all day, so I figured I'd just work on homework," I said.

"My sister called me while you were going through the check-up," he said. "Apparently she and her husband were supposed to attend a performance this evening, but something came up and they have to have dinner with a client instead. She's insisted that I attend the show in their stead... would you like to come as well? It's for two." His words were calm, making it impossible for me to read what he might have been thinking as he offered the invitation. If I was honest with myself, it sounded more like an invitation one might extend to a colleague at work than a girl from school.

Still...

I smiled, the heat from my cheeks spreading to my entire face.

"Sure." 

A/N: There's only ten chapters left at the most! :D Hope you guys are ready!