Harbour

Author: Atthla

Disclaimer: Nope, not mine. Bisco Hatori owns all these pretty boys.

Pairings: The main one is Tamaki/Kyouya. Others will be Hikaru/Kaoru with a hint of threesome. You'll know what I mean later.

Warning: Isn't it obvious already that this fic contains male/male relationships? OOC-ness may be expected since this is my first try in this fandom, but considering that they are older in this story, developments in personality also are an integral part, as well as unavoidable. And since this is an angst fic, the portrayal of the characters may be darker. Oh, and some spoilers to possibly all episodes of Ouran High School Host Club anime.

Summary: They were twenty-four and ambitions, want, responsibilities got in the way.

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Chapter One: The Egoist

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"You said what?"

It was those violet eyes, burning, alight with something unfamiliar Kyouya had rarely seen in his friend's eyes.

His best friend. His only friend. His lord. His king. His lover. His greatest sin. His greatest joy. His greatest weakness. His entire world. Hell, Tamaki was his everything and there was no use denying that.

"I'm not going to repeat it," he stated blankly.

Tamaki opened his mouth only to close it again and then open it again. The process was repeated a few times, but not a word broke the infinite silence. Kyouya inhaled a slightly shaky breath, reminding himself of the purpose of this conversation, and once more prepared himself to face the music.

"I feel that it is my obligation to inform you about this first before you find out from some other party," he said, keeping his voice firm and aloof while carefully watching the other man's eyes going steadily darker. "My father will announce it tomorrow night along with–"

"Why?"

Kyouya narrowed his eyes, not only because Tamaki had cut his explanation, but also because of the question itself. Of course they both knew why. They had been living as the sole heir of the Suou and the third son of the Ootori far too long to remain ignorant that some things just could not be. Either Tamaki refused to acknowledge that or he was simply trying to be difficult, Kyouya couldn't decide.

"What we have been doing is folly, Tamaki," he started, ignoring the fact that his insides were growing cold with each word. "You know it can never work. It was a mistake, a thoughtlessness we started during High School, but now we are twenty-four and–"

"That's bullshit," Tamaki snarled, his eyes almost glowing in the darkening room, and Kyouya had to raise his eyebrows at this unusual word his friend used. "You love me, Kyouya. Do you think I don't know that?"

Oh. So that was the trump card, wasn't it? But this was his room, his dominion. He was invincible here. Tamaki had no right to trample everything he had built, everything he had built, everything he had prepared for this day to come. This was what he had lived for and this man, this overdramatic, flirtatious former Host Club King, had no right to–

Kyouya almost laughed.

Who was he kidding? It was true that sweet words had always been Tamaki's forte and fault, but Kyouya recognized sincerity when he was faced with one. That doubt had long gone, swept away by the realization that they were risking so much by engaging themselves in this kind of relationship. Tamaki had never said anything about it, only smiled at him and said with his usual airiness but a pair of eyes too serious to Kyouya's liking, "Because Daddy needs Mommy so much that it hurts."

He frowned. No use in remembering that now. He had made a decision, one that didn't concern Suou Tamaki in any way above business partners. Love didn't, shouldn't, mustn't exist in his immaculate, strictly profit-oriented world.

"You are always spluttering nonsense," he finally said, painfully aware that his voice sounded too thin, that the bundle of control was slipping quickly from his grasp in front of Tamaki's angry violet eyes.

"Because they are not nonsense," the taller man snapped at him. "I may be stupid, Kyouya, but I know you love me and I'll be damned if it isn't love we're speaking about here."

"This isn't about love," Kyouya growled, his hands clenching into two angry fists. He just had to make everything harder, didn't he?

An ugly sneer made its presence known on Tamaki's face. "It isn't? What then? Your ambitions? You want to throw away all–"

"I'm an egoist! Didn't you know that already?" Kyouya heard himself shouting, felt his body shaking with rage, a burning desperation. Because he wanted everything and Tamaki, despite everything else, was his everything. But his goal, that one ultimate bane of his life, still meant more than everything and this was the choice he had made.

"But why?" the other man's voice crumbled into a whisper before rising once more, even louder than before. "You've never minded before! Everything was fine between us!"

"My father wants me to succeed him."

And that was that. There was no other explanation he could give that Tamaki would understand better. The silence that followed was cold, uncomfortable, because Tamaki finally knew what he was traded with.

What he had been traded with.

There only had been, was, would ever be one goal in Kyouya's life. Tamaki was his everything but he wasn't Kyouya's goal, wasn't a part of his dream.

They stood motionless, watching in each other, speech the last thing in their mind. This was a dangerous territory neither had dared to trespass before, although... But neither of them wanted to give it a voice, not until now when Kyouya had made a choice.

And they had always thought that it would be Tamaki. Tamaki was the only son, the only heir, the only possible successor. To properly succeed the Suou family, he was obligated to marry a nice, reputable girl because after all, there was the requirement to have an heir and despite all of his superiorities and perfection, Ootori Kyouya was a man through and through and thus couldn't carry out the most important mission in the long list of 'Principal Duties of the Wife of Suou Tamaki'.

This thought, this snake, sometimes stirred from its hibernation, but both of them were dreamers and so it was pushed to the back of his mind and locked in one of its many drawers – his hidden Pandora's boxes – because for the moment he just wanted to feel, to savour the feeling of those hands touching him in places he had never allowed others to.

They were dreamers and very good pretenders too.And fools, Kyouya thought to himself dryly, because this was reality and Ootori Kyouya would always be, the first and foremost, an egoist.

They were twenty-four and for his ambitions, want, responsibilities, Kyouya was getting married.

End Chapter One

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A/N: There goes the first chapter. Short, I know, but later chapters will definitely be longer than the prologue. That said, I have some questions about Kyouya, so please help me. I'm completely at loss about his family except for the fact that he has a fiendishly cruel father, two older brothers and one older sister. Does he have other family members? What about his mother? I hasn't read the manga so if there is any information you can share, do help me. Thanks in advance!

Thank you for everyone reading this fic. Long live Tamaki/Kyouya! Don't forget to review!