Welcome back to Oddballs!

The re-organization works like this: first is the Alternate Universe drabbles (labelled 'AU') and later Canon Universe drabbles ('CU'). A few chapters that were originally published will not be included; they have been replaced with a new drabble using the challenge word, and a few series will get a last or extra installment as they go back up.

For clarification, the drop down menu for chapters goes: 'Series Name: Challenge Word & Challenge #'. The numbers correspond with the original challenge chart; there's no special meaning other than to help me keep my records straight.

Thank you, thank you, for everyone's comments, critique and encouragements! They carried me through the four years of finishing this challenge. I hope this more rational order will encourage you to read back through!

Social Lies

When Kyouya first met Fujioka Haruhi, she had a ring on the fourth finger of her left hand.

Five minutes later, she was being introduced as his best friend's fiancé.

Surely, he thought a little later in the evening, Surely five minutes are not that distracting.

She had to be stupid, if only for accepting Tamaki's proposal, he reasoned, knowing the other man's annoying traits very well.

Was she after his money? Kyouya wondered, examining her polite, if not politely bored, expression. Tamaki, on the other hand, was beaming, more excited than ever.

Kyouya watched Fujioka-san watching Tamaki for a moment and then she sighed, turning to the side to chat with the heir of the Haninozuka family. Kyouya's gaze sharpened – she looked much livelier talking to the sugar-addicted munchkin than she had when speaking with anyone surrounding Tamaki.

Kyouya decided that joining Tamaki's circle might actually prove interesting this time.

There isn't even an effort being made to hide how different the level of their affections are, he thought a half-hour later, and didn't know what conclusions to draw from that observation.

Two hours later, Kyouya had a pounding headache from trying to pry information out of the blond. Tamaki would only sing her praises, never revealing exactly who she was; if she had family, he'd never heard of them, and why such an unknown seemed less than... thrilled to be marrying into one of the most powerful and rich families in Japan remained a frustrating mystery. He considered giving up and going home, but that would mean Tamaki had successfully concealed information from him.

Of course Kyouya had considered using various methods to look up her information - both his cell phones had internet access which could connect him to his personal information software - but there was no challenge in using a shortcut, when there was someone with information standing right in front of him. And he wondered if, in the end, there would even be anything of import to be discovered about her.

"Tamaki," called a low voice at his side, and Kyouya started slightly, as the unexpected interruption to his thoughts was now standing beside him.

"I'm heading home," Miss Fujioka told Tamaki, touching his arm lightly before turning away; Tamaki, however, dropped the conversation he had been holding and flew after her. Kyouya looked on with a disgusted shudder as the young woman made muted strangling noises at his tight embrace.

"I'll walk you home!" Tamaki announced gallantly, and Kyouya watched with the same curiosity that had plagued him all evening as she skillfully peeled the heir off, and gave him a tired glare.

"I'm getting a taxi. You know it's too far to walk. And I have a case in the morning, so you don't need to keep me company," she said, defeating him on all counts before Tamaki could protest, managing the blond with more acumen than Kyouya had ever witnessed from a female before. He became aware of the twins' speculative glances nearby. Perhaps another half-hour of interrogation wouldn't hurt…

When he stumbled across Fujioka three weeks later, he almost didn't recognize her.

A brown, no-nonsense suit fit her slender build, and her hair was drawn tightly back with bobby pins that blended in seemlessly. Until their eyes had met, she'd appeared almost grim, eyes serious beneath furrowed brows, just another figure standing still in the midst of hundreds rushing to work and meetings.

She blinked a bit when she spotted him, the small smile of recognition starling him into realizing that even as starched as she appeared now, she still managed to somehow be amazingly attractive. He scoffed at his own thoughts; Tamaki would never pick a dud.

Her smile seemed to welcome his joining her across the busy floor, so he did. He was still curious, after all.

"How are you, Miss Fujioka?" he asked politely; Kyouya only ever dropped his ingrained manners when in the middle of a corporate fight.

"Fine," she replied easily, her deep voice catching him off guard yet again. If her face hadn't been so delicate, he could have mistaken her for a man in those clothes. And why could he never correctly remember what her voice sounded like?

"Are you waiting for someone?" he asked, probing gently.

She gave him another small smile. "Yes. It seems Tamaki hasn't broken his habit of being late to everything, even after all these years." Her phrasing caught his attention.

"Oh?" he murmured casually. "You've known him long?"

She nodded, the faintest of smiles on her lips as though remembering a specific memory. "Our mothers used to be friends."

Accelerated footsteps indicated Tamaki's rushed arrival.

"I'm sorry, Haruhi!" he apologized, looking ready to cry for his tardiness.

"It's fine." She brushed off the eminent speech with little effort. "My next meeting got pushed back an hour." She began digging through the heavy briefcase at her side. "Here you go. And make sure you don't lose it; your father would murder you," she warned him, dropping a small diamond ring into his palm.

A ring Kyouya couldn't help but recognize.

"Haruhi," the other man whined. "Couldn't you just... keep it?"

Her calm, good-natured expression went out the window. Miss Fujioka scowled at him, hands reflexively going to her hips. "You promised it was only for one night, remember? We are not getting married. Remember, Tamaki?"

Tamaki's responding wail was ignored, unnoticed, as Kyouya's brain went into overdrive. This, he thought, was quite interesting.

A/N: I love turning the three of them loose on each other.