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The door was opened and they were greeted by screams and sighs, a platoon of knights in shining armor, and one cross-dressing girl in mail and a helmet.

"Welcome, fair maidens!" Tamaki announced in his usual dramatic fashion. Kagome snorted back a laugh.

"You guys look ridiculous." Haruhi especially.

"Oh. It's you," the twins sighed, shaking their heads and waving her off in dismissal. The miko rolled her eyes and sighed. Those gingers were so annoying!

"Kagome-sempai! You look so lovely in that uniform!" Tamaki squealed, reaching out to try and crush her to him in a hug. She stepped to the side smoothly and watched with an indifferent expression as he tumbled to the ground with a clank of armor.

"I'd tell you to can it, but it seems you've beaten me to the punch," the miko deadpanned, inwardly groaning at the cliche line. She was starting to sound like them!

"That was bad," Haruhi sighed, shaking her head. The visor on her helm clanked down over her eyes. "Really bad." She lifted a hand to raise it back up.

"Yeah," Kagome groaned, burying her head in her hands, "I blame the general stupidity I'm surrounded by on a near daily basis."

"Hello, Honey-sempai. You're a bit late," Kyoya interjected, adjusting his glasses. He was just going to ignore that statement from the older girl... for now.

"Sorry everyone! There was an issue I had to resolve. I'll go get changed!" the tiny blonde answered, cheerfully grinning as he headed for the room they kept their props in, "Kago-chan, just find a seat and get comfy!"

"That's okay. I'm just going to go home..." the senior girl muttered, starting to creep towards the door. It slammed shut and she blinked rapidly at Tamaki. "Why did you just do that?" A gauntleted hand on her shoulder made her glance up at Mori.

"Did something happen?" the Stoic Host asked, a glint in his dark eyes that she wasn't used to seeing. If she had to guess, it was... protective?

"Well... You know I hate this dress." At his nod, she continued with a tired sigh. "I got propositioned to again." Mori inhaled sharply, which was his version of an exclamation.

"What?!" the other boys parroted, each of them surprised by the idea. Most boys, and girls for that matter, avoided talking to Kagome for fear that she'd bash their heads in and send them to the hospital in nothing larger than a match box.

"Propositioned? Why?" Haruhi, ever the calm one, asked as she furrowed her brows.

"The stupid idiot thought that if he took me out for dinner, I'd repay him..." she wasn't sure how to end her sentence without offending them, then decided she didn't really care and plowed on, "well, with a sexual favor or two."

Tamaki choked at that, his already pale complexion going white. The twins shared a look and folded their arms, annoyed at the thought. Kyoya slid his glasses up his nose and was already dialing his private police force. Haruhi let a disgusted expression cross her face. Mori had gone blank, absolutely no glimmer of emotion on his face.

"That bastard better feel lucky that Haninozuka interfered; otherwise he'd have gone to the hospital in a body bag," Kagome finished with a growl, cracking her knuckles in a way reminiscent to Inuyasha's signature claw move. Despite his departure and her heartbreak, she still had fond memories of the hanyou.

"What was his name, Higurashi-sempai?" Kyoya asked in a pseudo-friendly way. By the way his glasses flashed, hiding his eyes from view, though, she knew otherwise.

"Don't know and don't care," she shrugged, letting the ball of anger in her chest dissipate with the deep breath she took. She really was trying to get a hold of her temper. Really, she was! The breathing exercises even worked occasionally! "But, if I see him make those stupid moon eyes at me again, I'll beat the shit out of him."

The changing room door chose that moment to open, and Honey bounced over dressed in his own suit of armor. "Ta-da!" He stopped when he noted the charged annoyed atmosphere and gave Kagome a tentative smile. "You told them, didn't you."

"They asked," the shrine maiden muttered, crossing her arms and staring out one of the windows, "It's not like I was going to keep it a secret!"

'I just wish she hadn't told Takashi. He's not happy,' the little blonde thought, wincing a little at the furious glint in his cousin's eyes. No one else would actually notice it, but growing up together gave him a distinct advantage at reading him.

"Well, it can't be helped," Tamaki sighed, shaking his head and absently lifting the sword in his grasp. With a determined look on his face, he pointed the shiny blade to the sky and proclaimed, "But don't worry, Kagome-sempai! We, the Host Club, as valiant knights of bravery, shall protect your virtue and innocence!"

"... I think I'm going to kick you, Suoh," Kagome grumbled, a twitch developing near her right eye, "And when it hurts like hell, don't say I didn't warn you!"

"W-Wait! Kagome-sempai! I'm promising to protect you!" the half French boy cried, running away when the small raven-haired girl stomped after him, a manic glint in her eyes. "N-No! Don't kick me! You're wearing a dress!"

"Shut up!"

"Hey, Haruhi?" the twins asked, pulling the brunette aside for a moment.

"Yeah?" she replied, already knowing she was going to dread the next thing that came out of their mouths. She was right.

"We're out of instant coffee. Go get some more."

"... Damn rich bastards..."

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