Disclaimer: Ouran High School Host Club is not mine. You should know this.
Pavesco, pavesco - I'm shaking, I'm shaking

-W-

The clapping started before the thought could even register. It was a slow beating within him, the words filming through each cell in his mind until it ghosted over enough of his sense to react.

It was a stretch to remember to move his muscles enough to smile. Had it not been for the young woman tugging on his jacket sleeve, he would have been content to stand still and filter through the sudden amassment of fog inside of his head.

"You've got to move, Kyoya," she whispered with a shy smile. That smile, he remembered, was incentive enough to do as she pleased. He allowed her to guide him through the parting throng of guests, walking close enough to make it seem as though she was merely accompanying him. Kyoya would have to thank her for the consideration towards his pride.

"Surprise." His father whispered, before stepping aside to allow his speechless son to present himself to the crowd.

It didn't quite color the insides of him as he had planned. Kyoya had expected to plan out the event accordingly, having prior knowledge of his acceptance, or failure, of the title of heir.

"I don't know what to say," Kyoya began honestly to the crowds delight. After the glow of the moment began to fade, he straightened his back and pulled Haruhi ever closer.

"I am very grateful that all of you are here to witness me achieve what I have strived to reach throughout my life, and I am grateful to my father for allowing me this honor."

A swath of blonde hair bounded to his side, two grinning red heads, a striking tall man, a bouncy blonde and an elegant platinum blonde following closely. He was surrounded by all of those who cared for him, each pair of eyes shocked and pleased and overwhelmingly supportive.

But those swimming caramel orbs kept him occupied the longest, and he looked deeply into them, knowing what he would find;

a steady gaze urging him to stop staring at her and get on with his speech so that she could sit back down.

He smiled and cleared his throat.

"I give my word that the Ootori family will continue to protect Haruhi Fujioka. But I am one of many."

Kyoya took his chance to ensure her place within their ranks. With him stood some of the most powerful families in the world; he called them his friends. Everyone would learn revere her, and hopefully that would be enough to keep her safe for just a bit longer.

"We all stand here, proud to call Fujioka our friend. We hope that you will do the same. Please, enjoy the rest of your night, and thank you. All of you."
As the music once again eased into the hall, Kyoya found himself surrounded.

"Kyoya, mon ami! Congratulations!"
"Kyo-chan, you did it!"
"Well done, Kyoya."

There was a pregnant pause between the blessings the Host Club bestowed on their Shadow King and his awaited acknowledgements. He took the moment to clean his spectacles, placing them back on the bridge of his nose. His glasses flashed, hiding his eyes as he spoke.

"Thank you. We can discuss what this will mean for everyone tomorrow. In the mean time,"

he turned to the groups leading lady and asked with a smile,

"Dance with me, Haruhi."

Everyone watched as Kyoya turned and lead her away to dance, twirling her slowly into the crowd and disappearing within the masses.

"Leave it to Kyoya to not be able to take a compliment," Kaoru jeered.
"Haruhi isn't well," Mori stated quietly.
"Hai, Takashi, I noticed too! I think the dancing is too much for her legs, ne? Maybe we should give her some cake!"
Tamaki took their worries into consideration, slapping a palm to his forehead and squeezing his eyes shut tightly, gripping the material at his throat as though it constricted the sudden swell of emotion.
"Oh, my poor daughter! We never thought to consider the state of her injuries! Oh, my beautiful child is far too strong willed to admit her weakness and let father take care of her! Haruhiiiii-"

Naoki found that he appreciated stilettos far more than he should as they served to effectively silence their blonde idiot.

"Haruhi will be fine, Tamaki. Leave her to Kyoya. We should enjoy ourselves and check up on her later."

And with that, Naoki half dragged, half ushered a silently weeping Tamaki into the dining hall, leaving the twins to entertain the ladies with their identity games, Hunni to fling himself upon unsuspecting girls, and Mori to silently trail after.

Kyoya felt how tense she was, and knew it had very little to do with him and very much to do with her struggle to stay upright.

"Haruhi-"
"I'm fine, really." She smiled, doubling her efforts to prove herself an adequate dance partner. She was aware of how many sets of eyes now watched them much more closely than they had previously, and felt her neck burn with the attention.

Now wasn't the time to duck out just because she was sore.

"I was going to suggest that we retire for the evening so that you will be well rested to visit your father tomorrow, but since you are so set on remaining at the ball,"

he twirled her slowly, relishing the moment he rested his hand back on the curve of her waist.

"then you are welcome to remain. I, however, am retiring. You are welcome to join me, if you wish."

There was a touch of sarcasm in his tone that made her smile, and she nodded, yet again grateful for his consideration. It was a slow process as they made their way from the ball room, pausing to accept congratulations and deliver good evenings and well tidings. When she reached the first step of the stair case, she held her breath and squeezed the railing tightly.

"I can do this," she muttered to herself resolutely. Kyoya watched from the corner of his eye as she slowly took each stair, and he kept his pace slow, his arm still laced with hers. He paused half way, turning her to look at something seemingly interesting so that she could enjoy a moments reprieve.

"Gee, Kyoya, your chandelier is awfully impressive," she jeered,

"but don't you think that in a home as expensive as this, you could put in an elevator, or moving stairs?"

He seemed to ponder this for a moment, before pulling lightly at their linked arms and procceded up the stairs once again, to Haruhi's chagrin.

"We had an elevator installed a few years ago when there were renovations and the stairs were an inconvenience to maintenance."

"Then why-"

"You never asked. It's predominantly a service device, now. Besides, you've nearly made it, would you rather turn around and walk to the other side of the house to access it?"

Haruhi glowered at the smirking Ootori heir, deepening her frown when he chuckled. She continued to glower as they reached the top of the stair case and turned, finally shielded from the gazes of the guests below. She turned to confront him, only to find her words altered into a small 'eep' of surprise as she was cradled in two strong arms.

"There, will this do?"

She felt a blow to her pride as she began to demand he put her down, but the ache in her legs bandaged her pride and kept her silent. A nod sufficed and Kyoya carried her towards his room, once again silent and complacent.

The curtains were once again drawn back, allowing the room to take advantage of the bright moonlight. It flooded over the floor, cascading down the couch and encased his companion in a silver glow. It seemed as though her necklace had an affinity for the moonlight as it twinkled in appreciation from around her neck. Kyoya slowly shifted to place Haruhi on her feet, steadying her as she wobbled for a moment. Haruhi's fingers fumbled over the wall to find the light switch, her eyes not as keen to the darkness as the Shadow King's.

Instead of washing away the night, Kyoya plucked her hand from the wall and led her to the couch, allowing her to settle herself in before locating her prescription and retrieving a glass of water from the bathroom. Haruhi accepted the small kindness with a mumbled thanks, and they sat together in silence as the ache in her legs slowly died down .Pushing her wounded pride aside, Haruhi smiled and touched his shoulder in the hopes of gaining his attention.

"Thanks for that, Kyoya. And really, congratulations. I'm glad your dreams finally came true."

"My dream?" It sounded more like a scoff than a question,

"My dream was to earn my right to the title of heir, not to be handed the position as a publicity stunt."

Kyoya no longer felt the necessity of shielding his opinions from Haruhi. He watched as she blinked, watch as she began to think over his actions just moments ago to now, and he saw the recognition swell in her eyes.

Then those eyes turned to him, far too innocent, far too naïve.

"Publicity stunt? But, it's your birthday. I think Yoshio-san just wanted to do something special for you."

Kyoya pinched the bridge of his nose. God, how he admired her outlook on life sometimes, it made her so...

"It's wonderful that you're able to remain so positive, Haruhi."

Delectable.
He watched as her eyebrows knitted slightly, taking a small offence to his sarcasm, her lips thinning slightly as she chewed on her words.

He could think of other things her lips could be doing instead of working on words.

"It's not positivity and you know it, Kyoya."

No, he didn't. He wasn't sure what was up from down in this situation, and it frustrated him to no end.

"Then would you be so kind as to explain why, in the midst of all of the goings on lately, he would decide to include THIS into the equation?"

Kyoya realized all too soon how Haruhi would interpret his words. He saw her eyes melt, the determination bleeding into a hot shame.

"I… I'm sorry, Kyoya. I didn't mean to muck up something this important."

She left a pause, her lips curling into a self depreciating twist. Her shoes fell to the floor as she unbuckled their straps and she sighed in relief, finally leaning back on the couch and turning her head to the side to meet his gaze.

"But, I am happy for you. I think that you might be partially right in thinking that he had an ulterior motive, but he's still your father. Can't it have been both?"

Kyoya teased her hands with a feather light touch, favoring the lace that covered her burn. His insides still boiled under the salve Haruhi had begun to apply, but he made sure to address the lace glove with the utmost delicacy. Haruhi thought it was to preserve the quality of the glove made by their infamous devil twins, and was humored when he let it fall atop her shoes. Instead, his fingers barely ghosted over the pink skin on the back of her hand.

"I suppose the meaning behind the action doesn't matter as much as the result." Kyoya decided with finality. While it would continue to bother him until he could address the issue with his father privately, he didn't want Haruhi dwelling on it any longer.

These were his inner demons, not hers.

He placed a soft kiss on her knuckles, smirking against her skin as he did so.

"But you, Haruhi, are highly deluded if you think you've "mucked up" anything."

She felt the ghost of a shiver stir beneath her skin, from the very tips of her toes to the hairs on her neck, it vibrated its way to the surface and tinted her skin such a sheer pink she was sure she radiated warmth.

"I'm sorry, I-"

He'd felt the tremor, enjoyed the bloom across her nose and cheeks, and sought to devour any excuses or protests she might try to scrape together, their lips making for a good beginning.

He breathed deeply, cupping her cheek and gazing into her melting caramel eyes.

"Hush, little fox, and allow me to enjoy my dessert."

And for what Kyoya felt was the first time, Haruhi obeyed.

What euphoria he had found himself lacking was quickly dredged up and discovered like a re-opened gold mine, and Haruhi was quite a skillful miner, indeed. Her fingers latched themselves to his lapels, pressing against his skin tightly and he could feel his reaction beneath her fingertips.

He smiled. Ever so serene, so blissfully jubilant and fresh, and Haruhi couldn't help but return his smile as something in her stomach fluttered warmly. She didn't dare to look away.

Kyoya Ootori was absolutely beautiful when he smiled.

She was shocked as her thoughts escaped her lips and clapped her hand over her mouth in humiliation. To her chagrin, his smile lessened, losing its vitality and returning to his usual smirk. His eyes, though, still held a trace of the brightness he had exuded, and she took her time as she tried to dedicate this moment to her memory.

"Is that so, Haruhi? Do you find me beautiful?"

He teased a lock of her hair with the tips of his fingers, moving to press her back against the arm of the couch. Her legs sought purchase on the cushions as she moved to prop herself up, though she found that the Shadow King had other plans for her sore appendages. The whispers of the tips of his fingertips ceased her movements as they glided up from the thin taper of her ankles to the small curve on her calves, all the while forcing the hem of her dress to migrate upwards.

It teetered on the flat planes of her kneecaps, and she held her breath, hoping not to edge it backwards with another movement. Those fingertips danced to an exotic beat as they played with the soft skin on her legs, pressing here and there, easing away the tension and heating her chest at an alarming rate.

"W-well, smiling can make almost anyone beautiful, if it's genuine enough."

She didn't even convince herself with that one. She looked up at him sheepishly through her lashes, not knowing the affect her gaze had on the man who hovered over her, clearly bemused.

"I see. In fact, I see very much of what makes you beautiful as well, Haruhi. Very. Much. Indeed."

Kyoya punctuated his point with a final nudge to the hem of her dress, and they both watched as it tumbled down her thighs, pooling on her hips and allowing him to press himself against her fully. Propping himself up on one arm, Kyoya laid himself between her legs, and enjoyed how taut her muscles became at their inescapably close proximity. He was beginning to learn every contour of her body, how it moved against his, how it felt at the mercy of his gentle touches. Each twitch of her legs prompted a twitch of his own, his of a much more sinful, delightful nature. Kyoya enjoyed her struggle to find a place to rest her hands, and she settled on once again gripping the front of his shirt, ignoring the chance of wrinkles.

"As it is still my birthday, and you have yet to bless me with a gift, I believe I deserve a little… recompense, wouldn't you agree?"

Kyoya asked suddenly, those cool grey orbs only inches from hers. She couldn't escape his question, his body blocked her from moving, his gaze trapped her from looking away.

"I actually bought you something, it's, it's in my closet,"

she tried, but he wasn't keen on listening.

"How very thoughtful,"

he said softly, brushing aside any further mentions of what lied in wait in her closet.

"But first, smile for me, Haruhi."

He thought she would scoff at him and turn her head away in embarrassment as he stared at her unabashedly.

But a smile so innocent and demure began to bloom on her lips, and he wanted to taste the memory that could make her so appetizing.

"What are you thinking of?"

He asked, his voice a shade darker, smoother, more intimate than usual.

"I thought of what you can use your present for."

Without offering any sort of explination, she pushed at his chest to let her up, and he sighed, resigning himself to sitting up and letting her dress fall to the ground as she stood.

"Wait here,"

Haruhi insisted with a backward glance as she made her way into her room. He waited a few moments, allowing himself to settle into a comfortable position, legs crossed loosely, as he waited for her to return. Kyoya wasn't very keen on gifts, having anything he needed available at his fingertips, but he was willing to humor the girl. After all, it was Haruhi, and she had a tendency to be quite thoughtful when it came down to it.

He was rewarded for his patience when she returned to the room, sporting a delicately wrapped box. She smiled demurely as she placed it in his lap, and he could see a smidgen of pride begind those dark lashes as she bid him to open it.

His fingers began to slowly tease the ribbons off of the box, glancing up every so often to gage her reaction. She stood, staring aptly as he continued to pull off the ribbons, one by one. When he reached the tape, Kyoya asked for her to retrieve the letter opener from his desk.

"Kyoya, just rip the wrapping paper. It's not made of real silver."

He chuckled at her impatience, conceding the point and doing as told.

Finally, he reached the plain white box that had been wrapped inside, and looked up with a small smile.

"Thank you, Haruhi, a box is exactly what I needed this year."

"Oh, you-"

She stopped herself, remembering it was his birthday, and settled for taking the lid off herself.

"There. Happy Birthday, Kyoya."

-To Be Continued-

Yes, yes, I'm terrible. I'm awful. I'm.. a very busy woman.
I'd like to think that being one of the only students in Environmental Club here at my college warrants enough of an excuse, that and work and the fact that three of five classes are essay based and I take my writing very seriously (maintaining a 4.0 is hard work!). I spent a lot of time here reading Sesshomaru and Kagome ficlets, so you have that wonderful pairing to also thank for taking away some of the glory of Kyoya and Haruhi. But, it gave me such an urge to write ficlets that it was hard to dredge up my own style of writing again. I hope this does some justice, as I've included a bit more smutty goodness than I previously planned. I hope all of you can forgive me for my absence, it isn't my intention to make you wait.

Je t'aime,

Caitlin.