Twilight: H-Hey, guys…

Kage: You dare to show your face?

Twilight: …Yes?

Kage: You sicken me. You haven't even finished your next chapter for your Bleach

story! Not that I was looking forward to it or anything…

Twilight: I'm going to do this anyway. I HAVE to get the story idea out of my head.

Kage: …Whatever. I'm outta here. I don't do shoujo.

Twilight: FINE! I DON'T NEED YOU ANYWAY! I do not own Ouran High School Host Club.

. Doe Eyes .

… an Ouran High School Host Club fanfiction

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Doe Eyes © Dragon of Twilight
Ouran High School Host Club © Bisco Hatori

This introduction format © B a y o – B a y o

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CHAPTER O N E:
"A Tanuki"

"Ow! Keep still! No, no kicking. Please don't kick—OW!"

The sounds of the fierce struggle stirred the quiet early morning air, punctuated with loud bays and piercingly human-like squeals. White plumes blew into the morning darkness from both of the fighting pair.

Both the diminutive deer and the girl panted as the long, pointless struggle drew to a close, Zenmyo—current volunteer at the local animal rescue center—casting the small doe pinned against the fence a reproachful green-eyed glare out through skewed glasses as she coughed slightly on the cold, dry air.

"Why do you do this to me every morning, Mika?"

Mika simply blinked at her with those huge, soulful brown eyes before promptly attempting to escape her grip, kicking the girl's already-bruised shins with those sharp little hooves. Zenmyo briefly clenched her jaw against the pain, feeling tears come to her eyes before pinning the deer firmly against the fence with her knee.

Swiftly transferring the drenching bottle full of medication from her left hand to her right, she tilted Mika's head up and jammed the bottle into her mouth, angling it past the sharp teeth and pouring the bitter medication down the sika deer's throat.

Mika squealed, but Zenmyo didn't let up—she knew Mika was adept at holding the medicine in the back of her throat and coughing it out all over her with snorts and little rolls of her tongue. It was rapidly becoming a battle of wits that Zenmyo hoped that Mika would be gone before she'd lose.

The drenching bottle was soon empty and Zenmyo released the doe with a relieved groan. Mika gave her one last kick as she pranced away.

I don't blame you. I'd hate to have someone force medicine down my throat every day. Grimacing, Zenmyo ran her hand tiredly through the frizzy brown mop of hair. She whimpered as her hand was almost immediately captured by the snarled tangles.

She hadn't bothered to get ready for her volunteer work at the clinic beyond pulling on a clean set of clothes and brushing her teeth. The worried people bringing in injured and wild animals didn't give a crap about what she looked like, she reasoned. Clinic duty started at nine in the morning, so she had some time to kill anyway.

Oh, clinic duty… She moaned miserably as she started back toward the barn, exiting the paddock on aching legs. It's not even eight AM yet and I already know that this is going to be a bad day!

She passed the many stalls and their snorting, chirping, and grunting occupants as if in a daze, only snapping out of it as a hard head thumped her elbow as she passed. She gave the buck's antler-endowed head a brief scratch.

Buck was one of the long-term patients at the clinic; having been hit by a car a month earlier, he was still heavily weakened and confined to his stall with a broken leg that stubbornly refused to heal. He was friendlier than Mika and was one of Zenmyo's favorites. The deer's fur was rough and pricked her palm lightly, but she didn't really mind. The small pinpricks distracted her from the aching, rhythmic cramping in her abdomen. Oh, yes, this was going to be a bad day.

"I don't wanna get ready for work today, Buck!" She groaned dramatically, slumping against the stall door. Buck sniffed at her face before nibbling at her hair in reply. "Yeah, yeah, I know…I promised Nodoka I'd be there early today…"

She spent a few more minutes petting her favorite patient before entering the back room of the veterinary part of the clinic that was connected directly to the stables. She breathed in deeply as warmth washed over her; someone had let a bag of stomach powder burst on the floor and the spicy smell helped clear her slightly running nose from the cold outside air.

"Zenmyo! Oi, Zenmyo!"

The girl turned, cringing reflexively as the lights were turned on. She recognized Nodoka's form in the doorway, hands on her wide hips.

Matsumoto Nodoka was a woman in her early fifties, though she looked in her late twenties with her unlined face and bright blue eyes. Her long black hair had two small braids that often had the appearance of devil's horns. A small smile adorned the older woman's deceptively gentle-looking face, though her eyes glittered with devilish amusement.

"Ah, I see you're already done with your outdoor tasks, as you promised. Very diligent of you, Zen-chan~!"

Zenmyo winced at the mangling of her name and the effect the drawl had on it. She thought mournfully, She always does that…

Nodoka hadn't slowed down in the slightest in all the years Zenmyo had known her, and had remained an evil prankster. Lately, the black-haired woman had made it her mission to "get Zen-chan some friends", which was protested but ignored.

"So, since it's early and you look like crap, I'm going to put you on desk duty to force you to clean up." Nodoka informed her cheerfully, grin alive with a kind of casual wickedness.

"W-What?!"

"I'm going home early today to meet my brother. He's visiting for this week, so the clinic's all yours." Nodoka explained sweetly, ignoring the stricken expression on Zenmyo's face. "You're going to meet the customers, put the animals in their cages, feed them, medicate them, take emergency calls, and go out to collect the wild animals causing trouble."

"WHAT?!"

"Congratulations, Zen-chan, you've been promoted!"

"I never asked for this!"

Ring-ring! Ring-ring!

Zenmyo sighed quietly, directing a mournful look at the sun shining through the window before dragging her attention to the phone ringing from all the way across the room. She got up and maneuvered around the many pet carriers Nodoka habitually left lying around in case of an escaped animal.

After that fox escape, Zenmyo couldn't blame her.

"Assistant Yuhi speaking, Nodoka-san is out. What can I help you with?" The automatic response rolled off her tongue in a smooth monotone she briefly allowed herself to feel proud of before the clipped, businesslike tone on the other end of the line made her stiffen and listen intently.

"This is Head Nurse Matsuo at Ouran Academy."

Zenmyo felt her eyes widen. Ouran Academy? That rich-people school with the gold gates?

"I've spotted a wild tanuki that appears frequently on school grounds and I've requested frequently that you come and the filthy creature, but each time I've called I've been told you were 'too busy'." The woman was obviously displeased, the irritated note in her tone increasing as she continued. "I hope that you won't tell me the same, assistant?"

Zenmyo flinched at the venomous, condescending tone and felt tears prick at her eyes. She didn't do anything to this woman! "Y-Yes. I-I mean no! No, I'll be right there!"

"See that you hurry. I see the vicious creature now." Click.

"Tanuki aren't 'vicious creatures'. They're timid animals that mostly avoid vicious humans like you!" She whispered fervently. Lowering her head so her newly-brushed brown hair hid her eyes, Zenmyo gave a small whimper and forced the tears back, placing the phone gently back on the hook.

No crying. I'll get my glasses all salty.

That was an annoying habit that Zenmyo wished she didn't have; she cried very easily. Her mother had always told her that tears were nothing to be ashamed of, and Zenmyo shared that philosophy. She just wished that crying didn't stuff up her nose, make her face turn red and get her glasses all crusty with the salt from her tears. She wasn't ashamed, but it inconvenienced her quite a bit.

But a smile tugged at her lips all the same as she strode out into the sunshine, savoring the warmth on her pale, lightly freckled skin. Despite the coldness of the morning, she knew it would get much warmer in the afternoon and changed from her usual sweatpants and sweatshirt to a black tank top and a pair of gray cargo pants. Simple and comfortable.

Her eyes lighted on the simple black bike that she'd left leaning against the side of the building and frowned. There was a note stuck between the spokes of the back wheel and a long scratch in the painted metal frame. Carefully, she kneeled beside her bike and pulled the note free, grimacing as the wad of gum stuck to the note attached itself to her hand.

Found ya, Chimp.

Zenmyo frowned, recognizing the curly handwriting of one of the girls that regularly bullied her throughout middle school because of her rather large ears. Her hand drifted unconsciously to her ear.

Those jerks…She smiled wryly, pulling a pen out of her pocket and writing a reply.

Wheeling her bike onto the sidewalk, she stuck the note to the wooden bench in front of the clinic with the piece of gum before setting off for the huge school on the other side of town. She didn't really need directions; she could see the bell tower from there.

Ouran Academy… A frown tugged at her lips as she let her thoughts drift, keeping an eye on the sidewalk in front of her for any pedestrian roadblocks.

She passed Ouran Academy almost every day on her way to the local university, which she frequently tried to forget her time at. She didn't look back on the memories with any particular fondness. Zenmyo passed the entrance exam with some effort and did well in all her classes—the only subject she'd ever had trouble with was history, though she was done with it by high school—but the university itself had a sophisticated feel that made her feel unworthy. Like she was a spider that needed to be squashed. Despite her mother being rich, they'd always lived modestly, saving almost all of their money.

Good thing, too. Her mother had died the year before. Having Zenmyo enter the university to begin her veterinary training had been her last wish.

Zenmyo sighed, coming back to herself. Lingering too long on those memories made her sad. It had been a turbulent time. She looked off to the side briefly and the sight caused her to slam on the brakes, sending her flying off the bike and tumbling onto a cool patch of glass.

"This is Ouran…" Her whole body trembled uneasily at the sight of such a titanic establishment. It looked like it had gotten even bigger since last week! How the hell is this a high school? It looks more like a mansion!

Zenmyo grimaced and glanced around, looking for somewhere to leave the bike where it wouldn't be stolen, finally wheeling it over to a tall, black-haired man in a uniform that vaguely resembled the hall monitors she'd had in her old school. He looked at her curiously, but he seemed friendly and that relaxed her slightly.

"Excuse me?" Polite and meek. "Can you watch my bike until I come back?"

His face was average but open and pleasant, and he looked at her with patient black eyes. "Of course. May I ask what you're here for? You don't look like a student."

Zenmyo blushed, glancing self-consciously at her rather revealing black tank top. Her chest was pretty flat and made her look much younger than she was, but she suddenly wished she'd brought a hoodie with her. She bent and unzipped the bag that sat next to the animal carrier attached to the back of the bike seat, retrieving her Yuhi Animal Clinic badge and flinched at the cutesy puppy design Nodoka had designed. She looked at him nervously as she handed it over; she'd never had to use it before.

He raised an eyebrow at the puppy and chuckled lightly. "All right; go on in. I was told about you. The tanuki was seen by the pond with the peeing cherub in it." His smile widened at Zenmyo's obvious confusion. "You'll see."

She nodded awkwardly and entered Ouran Academy, making her way through the grounds. Beautiful and complicated at first glance, she realized that they seemed to be divided into four sections set around the school. The sports fields and buildings for the Kendo and football clubs, sakura trees surrounding a large greenhouse for the Gardening Club, a huge rose maze, and a section of bushes, shrubs, and ponds. One of which had the bafflingly out of place peeing cherub. There also was a hot spring that looked fairly new and looked like it had been dug directly out of the ground. All in all, the entirety of the grounds was at least an acre.

Makes sense, she mused as she headed for the pond, tranquilizer gun slung over her shoulder. If they didn't have some sort of layout, the new students would get lost.

A brown flash in her peripherals caught her attention, and she froze. Zenmyo crouched, eyes trained intently on the tanuki less than three yards from her, blissfully unaware of the pair of attentive green eyes trained on it. Zenmyo slipped the rifle from her shoulder, leveling it toward the animal. She didn't notice the alarmed eyes staring at her from the window.

It was obviously male (no explanation needed) and unusually large. Even its fur was thicker and groomed well, eyes shiny with health. She felt a bit of guilt as she regarded the innocent little animal, but didn't let it deter her from her mission. Zenmyo knew that if she didn't get the tanuki out of there, that nurse might request they start putting poison down. She winced at the very thought and inched forward, but froze when a twig snapped under her foot.

The tanuki jerked its head up and looked around, instantly catching sight of her the moment she pulled the trigger. The sharp sound seemed to echo across the grounds, and the tanuki seemed to fold in on itself as the dart embedded itself into the muscle of its leg. It let out a chattering cry and dragged itself into a bush, crying out like it was dying. Zenmyo raised an eyebrow at the theatrics even as she winced at the volume.

Nodoka had shot her with an empty dart as a warning not to go trigger-happy on the animals. It had hurt, but no more than falling on a pin would.

She slung the rifle back over her shoulder, carefully kneeling in front of the bush as the tanuki began to quiet from the sedative. She spotted the dart deeper in the bush—the tanuki had yanked it out on a branch, but had received the full dose.

"It's alright…" She whispered, gently easing the limp body out. The tanuki was unconscious now, but she always felt horrible after darting an animal; they never saw it coming. There was nothing she hated more than the helpless suffering of an animal.

As she stood, cradling the tanuki carefully in her arms, she blinked in surprise as she spotted a thin black band circling the tanuki's neck.

The panicked thought, Rubber band?! Flitted though her mind, but she relaxed as she noticed the tag, which held a name as well as an address.

Pome.

She smiled slightly. "Pome, eh? Well, Pome, let's get back to the clinic so I can call your owner."

Suddenly, loud shouts seemed to fill the air, along with the sound of running feet. Alarmed, Zenmyo turned just in time to see an extremely tall, black-haired boy launch himself at her with an unforgiving look in his steel gray eyes. A shrill scream ripped itself from her throat as her legs buckled instinctively, sending her down onto her knees. Her glasses went flying. The boy landed in front of her, and in one smooth motion, pinned her down onto her back. One hand clamped her shoulder to the ground hard enough to bruise, while the other tried to work the limp tanuki from her grip with terrifying strength.

She wasn't about to let the defenseless tanuki go to this terrifying person, and clamped her teeth on what she could reach—his exposed upper arm. At the same time, she brought her legs up to shove him off her with her feet.

She got a knee being pressed threateningly to her stomach for her efforts, pressing down slightly in an attempt to scare her into making her let go. She ground her teeth harder into his skin against the pain, but she began to whimper and tears rolled down her cheeks despite the adrenaline. Her vision, already obscured by the blue fabric of a uniform, began to narrow and blacken.

"Let go." The voice was deep and threatening, and she faintly knew it came from the boy on top of her.

"No!" She ground out through the mouthful of arm. Her vision darkened further. "I won't let you hurt him! Never!" The boy's grip slackened, but she didn't notice. A warm numbness had taken over, and she slipped into the darkness with a murmur.

A/N: Don't kill me!

Signing out,

Dragon of Twilight!