Author's Note

This is the final chapter of my story. I do hope that you all enjoyed it.

Haruhi was not surprised when Kyoya came striding out of the elevator into the lobby downstairs. What surprised her were that his brothers were with him, and that they seemed to be in a heated discussion about something. From what Haruhi could pick up, as she looked though case files, the elder Ootori brothers were trying to convince Kyoya to help them get their properties back.

"Ah – Haruhi." Kyoya stepped away from his brothers and Haruhi looked up. "What business do you have here? I thought everything you needed was performed earlier."

"My business with Shido-san was concluded earlier, but I needed to remind you that you have a dinner appointment scheduled for tonight." Haruhi placed her things in her briefcase. "I wasn't sure if you would remember that as being part of your schedule, so Fleur asked me to remind you."

" Gentlemen, you will have to excuse me." Kyoya nodded to his brothers and then moved towards the entrance to the building, Haruhi following silently behind him.

The limo driver opened the door for them, and after allowing Haruhi to enter the limo before he climbed in after her. She settled on the seat, her briefcase beside her, and waited for the questions to start.

"Appointment?" Kyoya raised an eyebrow and Haruhi shrugged.

"Would you prefer that I wished to remind you that we had a dinner date scheduled?"

Kyoya shook his head, pushing his classes up his nose and Haruhi smiled slightly.

"How did you manage to do all this without me finding out?" Kyoya's voice was low, and Haruhi sighed.

"Fuyumi was very discreet in her dealings. She compiled wealth through her faith in you. When you bought a company, and it became public knowledge, she bought stocks in the company. It gave her the capital she needed to buy the companied from your brothers. From what I can tell the companies were poorly managed to being with, and the takeover was quite painless. The companies were failing, but they should be profiting again soon." Haruhi sighed. "Your brothers were trying very heard to keep their failures quite, but now it will become quite public."

Kyoya nodded. "And if I had designed on those companies myself? Does that not create a problem for you."

"Since I was unaware of any such designs it is not an issue. I did not breach her confidence, nor yours in this matter. I know which companies you are actively trying to take over at the moment, and I know that those were not any of them. Fuyumi wanted to make sure that there was not a conflict either. She is well aware that I am an employee of Kyoya Ootori. She would not do something that would void my contract with you, nor would she do something that would cause you to terminate my employment."

Haruhi shifted and Kyoya watched. He could tell that she as nervous. She played with her hair, twirling it around a finger, but then noticing what she was doing she would allow her hands to fall to her lap, where she would rearrange her hands in her lap.

"You did a god job in there." His voice was low. "Very professional. Fuyumi was very pleased with your services to her, and the restraining order was a blow to the pride of all the men." He smirked. "How did you find a judge willing to sign the restraining order?"

Haruhi laughed. "I asked the judge how they would feel if their child was going to be manipulated by forces that they could not control, and treated as more of an object then a child. After that, it wasn't very hard, though I am sure that they will try everything within their power to get the restraining order rescinded the files are sealed. No one can access the evidence that the orders are based on any longer, they just see the restraining order. And if they try anything, she will go public."

Kyoya nodded. "They cannot afford that. Especially not my brothers. Their businesses are unstable, they took too many risks."

Haruhi nodded. "I gathers as much when I was doing the research needed for Fuyumi." Haruhi smiled slightly. "It seems you are the responsible one in the family."

"I am the best in the family." Kyoya locked gazes with Haruhi. "None of the others are capable of what I am, none of the others will ever be close to what I am."

Haruhi nodded. "I know, Kyoya. Why do you think that I do not mind working for you? You are one of them, but you are different. Not many people so it, but when you take over a company, it is because the company has good potential, you help the company out, and help the employees out, but no one sees that. All they see is another conquest by Kyoya Ootori."

Kyoya leaned back, startled. It always amazed him how Haruhi could see straight through a person, and right to their real motives. She has been called the natural, but the reality was that she was very intuitive, and that you were drawn to her, because she could see into your soul, but she did not judge you for it. Instead she merely used it to understand who you were.

"Do you intend to wear your business suit to dinner?"

"What else did you expect? We are dining after the work day." Haruhi didn't hesitate in her answer. "And I would think that a Hitachiin original is nice enough to suit even your most expensive taste."

Kyoya nodded but didn't say anything as the limo slowed to a halt. He waited for the driver to open the door and he exited the limo, offering a hand for Haruhi to take. Pausing for a moment she took the proffered hand and allowed Kyoya to help her from the car. His behavior was unusual, he didn't normally treat her with this much courtesy. He treated her with all propriety, but this was unusual for Kyoya.

She followed him into the restaurant silently, leaving her briefcase in the limo. Kyoya had left his there, so she did not feel the need to bring hers, she merely carried a small purse. She knew Kyoya to well to trust that he would willingly pay for this dinner. She wanted to be prepared, there was no dept to hike up, but she did have a commission that he could take the dinner out of, and she was sure that he could think up several other ways in charge her for the dinner.

The maitre'd did not need to ask for Kyoya's name as they entered the restaurant, he merely bowed to Kyoya and lead them through the restaurant and up a flight of stairs. Haruhi assumed this was the section that Kyoya normally dined in, the decor was much more ornate, and if she had not been with him, she knew should never would have been guided to this part of the restaurant. Glancing around she recognized several of her fellow Ouran alum, and her suspicions about this portion of the restaurant were confirmed.

Taking the seat that Kyoya held out for her Haruhi began to peruse the menu and smiled slightly.

"French, Kyoya?"

"I thought it fitting for the evening. This was Fleur's suggestion after all."

Haruhi nodded, something flickering across her face that made Kyoya frown.

"What is it?"

"Nothing." She opened the menu, glancing at the items.

Kyoya frowned, watching Haruhi intently.

"I am not hosting you, Haruhi."

"I know." She didn't look up from the menu. "Kyoya Ootori does nothing that he does not desire to do, nor does he do anything that he does not benefit from." Haruhi fell silent at the waiter came to their table with a bottle of wine. Kyoya did not seem surprised, so Haruhi assumed that it was what he normally drank when he came to this place.

"What will you and the lady have this eveing?"

Kyoya looked to Haruhi who shook her head. "I defer to your judgment, Kyoya."

Haruhi's attention must have wandered, because she was startled back to reality when Kyoya called her name.

"Sorry." Haruhi felt a blush cover her checks, which was unusual for the young woman.

"What preoccupies you so, Haruhi?" Kyoya leaned forward. "I know you well enough to know that something is bothering you."

"It is nothing, Kyoya." Haruhi insister, her smile wavering, and Kyoya settled back in his chair with a frown. It was obvious that he did not believe the young woman, but he also knew better than to push her.

"There will be an office party soon." Haruhi surprised Kyoya with her words. "Since you have acquired the services of the firm the clientele has increased. They just contracted this ten thousandth client. They think a celebration is in order. You will be receiving an invitation, since it is largely due to you."

"I have a feeling that my schedule will be full, but I will make sure that I stop—"

"Kyoya! Haruhiiiii!"

Kyoya stiffened as a familiar voice rang though the restaurant.

"Tamaki." Kyoya turned to face the young man, and missed the return the of fleeting expression that had caught his attention before.

"Haruhi." Fleur moved towards the young woman, capturing her in a hug. "What is the matter?" Fleur's voice was a whisper in Haruhi's ear and Haruhi sighed.

"I don't think he wishes to be here. And he will be too busy for the office party." Haruhi glanced to Kyoya before she whispered her answer back to Fleur. For once Haruhi was glad for the distraction Tamaki provided.

"I am sure that –"

Haruhi shook her head, and Fleur pulled back from the hug. "It is fine." Haruhi smiled. "What is the occasion?"

"Anniversary dinner. We have been dating for close to a year now." Fleur smiled. "As you know Tamaki is a bit of a sentimental young man." Fleur smiled fondly at Tamaki, who flushed at the praise.

"Ah my flower, such sweet praise from you lips. Come let us depart and enjoy—" Tamaki's voice trailed off as he and Fleur moved from the table towards their own, and before Kyoya could continue the previous conversation the waiter brought their dinners

The rest of the dinner proceeded in relative silence, idle talk occurring between the two and Kyoya proceeded to attempt to figure out what had caused the awkwardness between the two of them. What had he said that would cause such a reaction in her.

The limo drive to Haruhi's apartment proceeded in a similar fashion, Haruhi looked though her files and Kyoya worked on his laptop. Any camaraderie seemed to have faded.

As promised the invitation to the office party had come, and as predicted Kyoya's schedule was quite full. He found, at the end of the evening however, as he stared at the invite, that he hadn't seen Haruhi in weeks. She would come drop off the files, then she would turn and leave immediately. Any friendship that they had developed seemed to have dissolved, and awkwardness replaced it. Kyoya had tried to ask Fleur if anything was wrong, but she had merely shaken her head, a look in her eye that Kyoya could not place. He knew that she knew that was going on with Haruhi, but he would not breach her trust with Haruhi. Perhaps he would stop by this party to see haruhi. She couldn't avoid him there.

"Are you sure you don't want to go, Haruhi? We have plenty of gowns that you could wear."

"For the last time, no." Haruhi looked up in exasperation at Kaoru. "It is late, you shouldn't be here in my office. I am sure your wife is waiting for you."

"She is, but she also understands that you need to talk to someone about this. You have been very grumpy recently, Haruhi, you haven't been yourself. We are all worried."

"I am fine."

"It's Kyoya, isn't it?"

"Don't be foolish." Haruhi didn't look up from her work, but Kaoru could see her expression tighten.

"Why aren't you at the party?" He changed tactics and she looked up slowly.

"I have work to do."

"And it cannot wait?"

Haruhi didn't answer.

"You are avoiding him, aren't you?"

Haruhi was silent again.

"What happened, Haruhi."

"It is foolish." She sighed. "We were at dinner, and he commented that the thought the French restaurant was fitting since it was Fleur who had suggested that we go out."

"And you were upset, because you think he only went because of Fleur's suggestion."

"Or for some gain." Haruhi's voice was bitter. "After all the entire reason this party is happening is because he needed my skills as a lawyer for his gain."

"I thought you were alright with that."

"I thought I was to." Haruhi sighed.

"Did anything else happen?"

"I told him about the party, and he commented that he would be too busy to go." Haruhi paused. "I was going to ask him to –"

"But you decided not to." Kaoru nodded. "You didn't even give him a chance to answer, Haruhi."

"If he is too busy to go, why would that change if I asked him?"

"We would do anything that you asked of us, haruhi."

"And you all are my friends. I want –" She stopped.

"You want him to do it because he wants to, but because he feels that he should, because he is a friend. You want him to desire you, not your skills." Kaoru smiled slightly. "You want him to love you, like you realized you love him."

Haruhi didn't answer, but turned back to her work.

"There is no benefit for him to care for someone as common as me. I am a tool in the world of Ootori Kyoya like all the other people he employs. I was a fool to think otherwise." Haruhi smiled bitterly. "I am fine with it Kaoru. Don't worry about it."

Kaoru stared at Haruhi for a moment, his face serious. "Before you get so set on being rejected, perhaps you should allow him a chance."

Haruhi shook her head.

"It is not so easy for me to open my heart, Kaoru. You and Hiraku are lucky – you allowed me in, and it opened your hearts to the world. I haven't really opened my heart since okaa-san. I let in friends, and I love you all, but I have not opened my heart to love."

"It didn't break us, and when we almost shattered you were there for us. We are there for you as well Haruhi." Kaoru stood and stepped around the desk, hugging Haruhi tightly. "You opened up all of our worlds, and we would fight anyone who stood in the way of your happiness."

"Thank you." Haruhi's eyes slid closed, and she stayed for a moment in his embrace. "Now go home to your wife. I would hate for her to decide that you were no longer allowed to spend time with me."

"She would never do that. She adores you, and she understands that our friendship goes back far before I met her. Hikaru and I both agree, you are important to us, and the people in our lives need to understand that." Kaoru called over his shoulder, and at the entrance to the office he glanced back over his shoulder, seeing Haruhi staring intently at her work.

Frowning he moved towards the elevator, and was surprised to see Kyoya exit the elevator.

"So she is here." His voice was low as he stepped out of the elevator, and Kaoru nodded.

"How is she?"

"About the same." Kaoru smiled thinly. "She doesn't deal with rejection well, and it seems that the one that she wished to go to this party with shot her down before she could even ask him." Kaoru stepped into the elevator, and saw the way that Kyoya's fists tightened. "Goodnight Kyoya."

The elevator doors slid closed and Kaoru smiled, quite satisfied with himself. If Haruhi would not act, he would goad Kyoya into it. As Kaoru stepped out of the building he smiled as a young woman approached him.

"I thought that your talk with Haruhi was going a little long, but then I watched Kyoya enter the building. I thought I would wait for you here."

Kaoru smiled and pulled the woman into his arms, placing a kiss on her temple.

"I have set things I motion. We shall see what they do with it." Kaoru hugged the woman tightly. "Haruhi will kill me for this you know."

"I wont let that happen love." The woman smiled. "She deserves to be happy, like we are."

Kaoru nodded. "Shall we wait here for them, or did you want to leave."

"We can wait for a little while. If Haruhi has her way the conversation will be very short, and Kyoya will discover nothing that she doesn't want him to."

"That is what we are for." Kaoru grinned and his wife smiled.

"Indeed."

"Why did you not attend the party?"

Haruhi stiffened slightly as she heard Kyoya's voice, but she did not look up from her work.

"I had things that needed to be completed." Haruhi shrugged. "Deadlines do not wait for socializing." She shuffled some papers on her desk, absently pushed a strand of hair behind her ear.

Kyoya leaned against the door frame, trying to hide the tension in his body. He was relieved that she was not looking at him, for she would notice the tension, but at the same time he wished to see her responses. Her eyes told all, and she was taking care not to let him see them.

"That isn't that Kaoru said."

Haruhi froze. "I am going to kill him. Better yet I will slam him with a lawsuit for slander."

"I am not sure that what he told me merits that reaction." Kyoya's voice held some amusement to it and Haruhi laughed, bitterly.

"Then what did he tell you?"

"That you were at work tonight because you were rejected before you even asked for an escort to the party."

Haruhi cocked her head to the side as she turned back to her papers.

"The person that I wished to go to the party wish was far too busy to attend the party. I did not see the point after that." Her voice was soft. "I thought you were too busy to go to the party. How did you know that I was not there?"

"I wanted to see you. Things have been different between us since dinner that night. I wished to determine why that was."

"How should things be between us, Kyoya? I am your employee, you are my employer."

Kyoya didn't answer. In truth he did not know how. He was floored by the bitterness in her voice, and he could not tell her what he really wanted from her, he couldn't tell her of the jealousy that flowed through his veins at the thought of her wanting to ask someone on a date.

"What happened at dinner that night, Haruhi? What upset you so?"

Haruhi didn't answer, but angrily stuffed her papers in her briefcase.

"Why are you even here Kyoya? Whatever it is that has me upset does not affect my performance on the job. What more do you want from me? I do the work that you ask me to do, I bring the benefits to you that you hired me to. What else do you want, Kyoya?"

Haruhi pushed Kyoya out of her office, closing the door behind her. Angrily she stuffed her key into the lock, sharply turning the lock. Haruhi moved towards the elevator, and Kyoya followed her out of the office.

"I want Haruhi back."

"This is Haruhi, Kyoya. This is your employee Haruhi. You taught me the lesson well the other night. I am not a friend, I am an employee, one that you take care of, and one that you will wine and dine when it is scheduled, but an employee none the less."

Haruhi pushed the down button on the elevator and Kyoya gaped at her.

"You think that I think –"

"What else am I supposed to think? You mentioned that the reason you were at dinner was because Fleur had suggested it."

"She did, you were aware of that."

"And you never do anything that you don't benefit from. Somehow dining with me that night must have been beneficial to you." Haruhi stepped into the elevator and Kyoya followed.

"You really think that?"

"What reason do I have to think otherwise. I was a fool to think that Kyoya Ootori would offer his friendship to someone as common as me. I will make sure that your empire succeeds Kyoya, and I will make sure that I refrain from deluding myself into thinking –"

"I wanted to be there." His voice was sharp. "I wanted to be there with you. That is one of my favorite places. I hoped you would like it."

Haruhi stepped out of the elevator. "In the future, should you go to dinner with someone, make sure that they know that you want to be there, and that it is more than just a business meeting. It would be a shame if someone you really cared about thought that they were just being used for their skills and abilities." Haruhi stepped towards the door of the building and paused when Kyoya strode after her.

"The man you wanted to ask to the ball, why wouldn't he go?"

Haruhi turned to look at Kyoya, holding the door open. Tears welled in her eyes and she smiled weakly. "His schedule was too full, I didn't ask him. But he would get no merit from pursing a relationship with me. He confirmed this years ago when a situation arose."

Before Kyoya could respond Haruhi was out the door. Kyoya was stunned as he watched her stride towards Kaoru, and from the way the Hitachiin shrunk back Kyoya could tell that he was being thoroughly yelled at.

Kyoya strode after Haruhi, spinning her around. Kaoru and his wife looked on shocked, at the anger on Kyoya's face. "Who would dare tell you that there was no merit in being in a relationship with you."

"I didn't think the memory of an Ootori was so fallible. And I am glad to know that things are too insignificant to be remembered." Haruhi yanked her arm free and strode towards the street, hailing a taxi.

Kyoya merely stared after her, shock evident on his face, comprehension, however, as still absent.

"I really though you were smarter that that, Kyoya." Kaoru's voice was soft, sad. "I think she was referring to a Host Club outing, one at the beach." Kaoru slung his arm around his wife's shoulders. "Haruhi mentioned it in passing in one of our recent conversations. Though if you haven't figured it out by now you are slower than Tono ever was."

Kyoya's face was alight with comprehension as Kaoru and his wife walked off, and there was a firm set to his jaw. Fujioka Haruhi was convinced that Kyoya cared nothing for her beyond what she could bring to his company. He intended to show her that her impression was anything but correct. After all, when Ootori Kyoya decided that he wanted something, he would not stop until he got it, and he wanted Fujioka Haruhi.

Haruhi was not surprised to see Kyoya Ootori outside her apartment door when she arrived home. She was to smart to think that he would let it drop, especially if he actually realized what she was referring to. If she knew Kaoru at all he would have made sure that Kyoya knew that he was the one she had wished to ask her to the ball, and he would have put together why Haruhi was so upset. She didn't want to deal with Kyoya that night. Nothing good could come of it.

"You didn't have to come all the way to my apartment to chastise me for thinking that—"

"I didn't come to chastise you." Kyoya pushed himself off the door frame, taking the keys from Haruhi's hand and opening the door, guiding her inside.

"I can't do this tonight, Kyoya. Why don't you just go home, I will pretend this evening never—"

"Will you let me answer before you assume that you know what I am going to say. You know me well, this I admit. But you are mistaken in your assumptions about my recent behaviors." Kyoya watched Haruhi close the door, and as she placed her things on the ground he stepped towards her, his arms resting on either side of her head, effectively pinning her to the wall.

"Did it ever occur to you that the reason that I chose to build my empire the way it is was so that you would have a place in it? I could have gone about it many different ways, but I wanted something that you could be a part of, that you would succeed in. I wanted to build my empire with you."

Haruhi blinked, her eyes wide.

"Why would you do that?"

"It was not intentional, but I realized that night you slept in my office, that I wanted you to be a part of things, and I realized that I had engineered them so that you would be indispensable to me." Kyoya leaned close to Haruhi, his breath a whisper on her cheek. "I want you to be a significant force in the life of Kyoya Ootori."

"But as your lawyer I can be." Haruhi didn't react to the proximity of Kyoya, but he did not expect her to. She was Haruhi after all, and he did not expect that she had yet had an awakening to her sexuality and femininity.

"I don't want you to be just my lawyer, Haruhi." He pressed his lips to her cheek, and kissed a trail to the corner of her mouth. "I want you to be mine." Slowly, giving her a chance to pull away if she decided to, Kyoya pressed his lips to hers. He watched her expression carefully, waiting for her brain to catch up with his words, and when her eyes widened in shock he pressed his lips for firmly to her, placing a hand on her shoulder, so his fingers toyed with her hair.

While she did not actively participate, she did not resist either. After a moment he pulled back.

"If you had asked me I would have cleared my schedule for you, Haruhi. If you had asked me about my motivation about dinner, I would have told you that I was you irregardless of the merit attached, and that I wanted the dinner to be a date. You are merit enough, in all things." He pulled her close in a hug, burying his face in her hair. "Do you understand now?"

Haruhi nodded slowly, her eyes slipping closed as she allowed a smile to come to her lips.

"Did you really forget that you were the one to agree that there was no merit in pursuing anything with me."

"I did not forget, I was a fool. I recall that moment often, and think of that what ifs. I was a fool, and I wasted much time."

"It isn't time wasted if the feelings had only just developed." Haruhi stepped back to look up at him. "You know it is not proper to date one of your employees, especially not one as important as your lawyer."

Kyoya smirked. "Then perhaps we should skip the dating and more on with more important things." Haruhi stepped back with a laugh and shook her head.

"Kyoya Ootori would never do something so rushed and unplanned. Just think of the uproar, and the rumors."

"No one would dare say anything."

"Maybe not about you, but about me." Haruhi smiled. "I can see the speculations about reasons that Kyoya would need to rush into a relationship, and all of them have children attached."

"When love is involved no one would blame me."

"Because it is involved everyone would blame you." Haruhi quirked an eyebrow. "Who says that love has anything to do with this?"

"I do, and no one would argue with me."

"And your word is law?"

"In this it is." Kyoya advanced towards Haruhi, once more pinning her to the door. "I love you, and I will not let you go."

"I know." Haruhi smiled, and Kyoya took that as all the answer he would get from her as he caught her lips in a kiss.

Gossip Column:

Much to the surprise of Tokyo socialites the marriage of Kyoya Ootori was discovered tonight. He had often been spotted out on the town with one of his employees, Miss Haruhi Fujioka, but no one assumed that a relationship existed between the two despite the sudden rumored pregnancy and swelling stomach of Miss Fujioka. However when the daughter of a prominent socialite, who shall remained unnamed to protect her for further embracement, suggested to that she Kyoya get to know each other since their fathers were discussing a potential alliance, Kyoya laughed and looked at Miss Fujioka. Miss Fujioka calmly explained the the stunned young woman that an alliance between herself and Kyoya Ootori would be impossible since he was already married, and his wife was quite unwilling to part with him. The young woman was stunned, and when she demanded to know who Kyoya was married to he merely kiss Miss Fujioka on the temple and smiled. It appears, that as always, Kyoya Ootori works in secret. Congratulations to the happy couple, Miss Fujioka, rather Mrs. Ootori is a fortunate young woman to have caught the attention of one as elite at Kyoya Ootori. It gives hope to all of us with common backgrounds.