Fandom Where the Heart Is

[Super Kawaii]

Exhausted brown eyes reflected from the surface of the mirror of the cabinet over the sink in the crowded bathroom, belonging to a very tired, stressed-out twenty-year-old Haruhi Fujioka. Or, as she went by now, Haruhi Fujita. After moving to Sapporo in a rush, she made the choice to start going by that instead, decreasing the likeliness of being found by anyone. She would have began going by a different given name as well, but she didn’t want everything her child knew about her to be a total lie… and besides, Haruhi was a fairly common name, so it would be hard for anyone to find her based on her first name alone.

Obviously, her plan to disappear had worked, because two years had passed since she left Tokyo and she hadn’t seen or heard from anyone - it was just her and Ta-chan, and while it did get lonely, and while she did regret having to leave without so much as a goodbye, she knew she had done what she truly believed was best. In the end, there was no changing the past. All she could do was do her very best to give her son the best life possible, and she worked her ass off to try and make that happen… but it was difficult to make it as a young single mother, she had discovered immediately after moving to the Japanese island. Getting settled in had been hard, but she used up what little savings she had and got a place, and immediately landed herself a job as a waitress at a cafe near her home so she wouldn’t have to walk to far in the cold of Sapporo.

One job ended up not even being enough, though, and now, two years later, Haruhi worked two jobs and tutored for extra cash on her free time. Today, however, was a rare day off, and she planned to spend every second with her little prince, even if every fiber of her body begged for sleep. Slapping some cold water over her face to wake her up, she re-entered the front room and smiled at the ‘little prince’ in question. He was just learning to walk, but still needed to grab onto things for support, and was currently standing on wobbly feet against the kotatsu, chubby little fingers pressed against the surface of the table with one hand while his other little hand reached for his favorite stuffed frog. Between his lips, a pacifier that Haruhi was in the process of trying to wean him off of, but he loved he damn thing

He looked so much like his father. Only one year old, and he already had a head of beautiful golden locks, and wide, wonder-filled violet-blue eyes… just like his father, indeed. Without her realizing it, a sad smile tugged at her lips as she watched him for a good few moments before moving in to sit on her knees beside him, pressing a loving kiss to his rosey pink cheek and wrapping her arms around him tightly. He, of course, was far more interested in his stuffed frog, making content sounds as she scooped him into her arms for a tight cuddle.

She wished she could see him more often, but it felt like the only time she got with him was at night when he was asleep. The rest of the time, her neighbor watched him. She was a nice woman, refusing to let Haruhi pay her as she already had two young boys of her own and one more was no trouble, but Haruhi couldn’t help but envy the fact that she got to spend more time with Ta-chan then she did.

He was all she had anymore, after all. He was her everything. He was the reason she worked nearly fifty hours a week. Was the reason she shrugged off the chance to go to college and pursue her dreams of becoming an attorney. Was the reason she had left everything she had ever known in Tokyo to come to this frozen city - because he was her world, her moon, her sun, and every star in between.

Even with how much she worked, though, they didn’t have much. They lived in a studio apartment, as it was currently all she could afford. They had the Kotatsu stationed between the small kitchen space and the sleeping space, which was just a paper screen with a bedroll on the other side where Haruhi and Ka-chan slept. When he was older, he’d need more space, but she figured she could deal with that what the time came. There was a tiny bathroom, and an even smaller closet, and not a whole lot else. Haruhi had a dresser, but she bought more clothes for Ta-chan then she did for herself. She figured she just needed maybe two casual outfits and her work outfits.

She had considered bundling the two of them up and walking to the grocery store today, but it was snowing again, so she opted to just stay inside with Ta-chan and let him have free-roam of the apartment while she just made sure he didn’t hurt himself, stressing quietly to herself about what bills were due and wondering if there was a way she could get more hours with her cashier job.

She pinched her now shoulder-length hair between her index finger and thumb as she watched Ta-chan wobble across the room to where more of his toys were, flashing him a warm smile whenever he would look her way that hid how sent she felt. Over the years, Haruhi hadn’t changed too much appearance-wise. Her hair was longer, but that was pretty much it. Maybe she had grown and inch or so? She wasn’t sure.

Because it was her off day today, she wasn’t dressed to impress - she wore warm black leggings, with a simple grey tunic-style t-shirt - not something she would dare wear outside obviously, but was suitable for lounging about the silent little home.

She had no idea that her world was potentially about to be flipped upside down.​

 

[AnimeGenork]

Kyoya Ootori

The past two years had been positively excruciating. Haruhi’s sudden disappearance had not made Tamaki’s death any easier for any of the former Host Club members, and the Suoh family was in hysterics. They feared she was dead, but Kyoya knew better. Haruhi may have been a commoner, but she was smart. She was probably hiding away somewhere.

That said, Kyoya had taken extreme pains to find her. How on earth she’d managed to escape his radar for so long was a mystery to him. Nevertheless, he had to admit he was impressed. It seemed Haruhi had learned something from the Host Club after all.

Kyoya was starting off the day as he usually did: waking up late, washing his face, etc, etc. He paused for a moment and looked in the mirror. Most people changed after high school, but Kyoya had stayed the same. His dark eyes still peered out of his glasses in an almost evil manner, and his black hair was still carefully arranged so as to seem well put together. But there were dark circles under those eyes, and there was a hint of dishevelment to his hair. Tamaki’s death, though he was loathe to admit it, had taken quite a toll on him. None of the Host Club members had taken it well, and they were all reacting in different ways. Kyoya had shut away his grief and focused on finding Haruhi, and though his friends were helping him, they were clearly still mourning.

Sighing, Kyoya exited his bathroom to find a suitable pair of clothes for the day. He had attended Ouran University for a year before his father recruited him to work alongside him in the family business, so now he continued to live with his family. But with his brothers and sister elsewhere, it was a bit lonely in the Ootori household. Especially now that Tamaki didn’t—no, couldn’t—visit anymore.

Just as he was about to start another day of fruitless searching for Haruhi, there was a knock at the door. “Sir, we found something you should see,” one of his men said as he opened the door. He handed Kyoya a scrap of paper with a name on it, and as soon as he saw it, Kyoya smiled.

“I found her, Tamaki. Now leave me alone.”

~ ~ ~

One trip on a jet and car ride later, Kyoya stood in front of a rather nondescript apartment building that looked quite similar to the one Haruhi had lived in with her father. Thinking of Ranka almost made Kyoya sad, but really, it was only because he couldn’t laugh at Tamaki’s expense with the crossdresser.

Kyoya made his way to the apartment he had written down. The paper burned in his pocket. He had memorized the address, eager to find Haruhi and finally stop the Host Club’s mourning over the loss of the Prince and the Princess. Tamaki had been haunting him since the day she disappeared, his voice echoing in his head when he slept. Now, he could finally have some peace and quiet. What a relief.

Kyoya politely knocked on the door and waited. He wondered if he’d have to kidnap her or if he’d have to make the twins do it. They had a special knack for that sort of thing, so perhaps he’d call them as soon as he made it clear to Haruhi that she wasn’t getting away ever again. The Suohs would thank him generously, maybe by making an important business deal with the Ootori Group… Yes, that would suit quite nicely…

As soon as the door opened, Kyoya adjusted his glasses and said in his clean-cut, orderly manner, “I’m glad to see you’re alive, Haruhi, considering you scared the Host Club half to death. Please come with me; the Suohs and the others have been worried sick about you and—“

A flash of blond hair had distracted him, and he closed his mouth abruptly. Tamaki? But, no, it was merely a child. A child with a distinct and shocking resemblance to Tamaki Suoh. That meant that it had to be Tamaki’s child. But that meant…

Glancing at Haruhi, Kyoya demanded, “Why didn’t you tell anyone?”

Super Kawaii ​

 

[Super Kawaii]

The light, yet somehow urgent, knock on the door caused Haruhi to jump a little, gasping softly under her breath as she came back to the here and now from the exhausted trance she had been slipping into. A guest? Haruhi didn’t have many friends - just the neighbor, and that was exactly who she assumed it to be as she sighed and pushed herself to her feet, dusting off her knees as she went. Sometimes, if the woman had to run off for some errands, she’d ask Haruhi to watch her boys. And because she always watched Ta-chan, well, Haruhi had no qualms with it… Upon opening the door, though, Haruhi was shocked to be greeted not by the sight of a middle-aged woman with two little boys, but a bespectacled man - one she knew too well. He had gotten taller over the years, and he looked like he hadn’t gotten a solid rest in a long while, but other than that he was largely the same.

“Kyoya?” Haruhi choked the name out, her own face paling as the blood drained from it, leaving her cold as her heart plummeted into her gut like a stone thrown over the side of a cliff. His face was one she had never thought she’d see again - one that immediately brought up all kinds of feelings of regret for the choice she had made to leave him and the others without saying a word. Feelings that intensified when he spoke, mentioning the others, and how he was glad she was ‘alive’...

… feelings that were immediately stomped out when Kyoya’s gaze shifted behind her into the apartment, where her son crawled across the floor, into view apparently. That was when Haruhi remembered why she had come to this frozen wasteland to begin with, for him. To protect him as best she knew how. And right now, with Kyoya at her doorstep and staring right at the little replica of his father, danger for her son had never felt more imminent. Kyoya was a dear friend to her, and once upon a time she would have trusted him with anything. Years alone in the icy land of Sapporo, however, had made her wary of everyone who wasn’t her son.

When he asked why she hadn’t told anyone, she immediately stepped forward to block his view of the blonde tyke and gave him a fiercely protective glare. Under other circumstances, she would have been glad to see him. He had come unexpectedly to the home she had made for herself to escape everyone from her past, though, and now she was beginning to feel true fear pumping through her veins like ice.

“Who else knows I’m here?” Her voice was as cold as the wind around them, and yet, there was panic in those wide brown eyes of hers. Would she have to run again? No - COULD she run again? Even if she managed to slip past Kyoya and the many guards she knew he likely had with him, did the Suohs also know where she was? She didn’t have the money to go far, and this time, finding her would likely be a cake walk. Dread churned in her gut, making her feel suddenly nauseous, but she kept that stern look on her face all the same.

That is, until she felt small hands against her leg as Ta-chan pulled himself up onto wobbly feet, hugging her leg and beaming up at her, as if he could sense her turmoil and wanted to help cheer her up. Looking into those beautiful lavender eyes of his, eyes that were a constant reminder of Tamaki, Haruhi sighed, thinking for a moment before turning to scoop the young boy up into her arms and stride back into the cramped living area of the house. “Close the door after yourself.” She called warily over her shoulder to Kyoya, letting him fill in the blanks that she was ‘inviting’ him in - well, it really wasn’t like she had a choice. He obviously wasn’t leaving, and standing there with the door open would waste what little heat the apartment managed to maintain.

Once Kyoya was inside and the door was shut, she turned to stare at him again, her look much softer though she was definitely keeping her distance. “Does anyone know about him..?” She struggled to keep her voice firm, the voice of a strong protector, but the thought of the Suoh family knowing her whereabouts and coming to possibly snatch Ta-chan from her had the back of her eyes stinging with tears, her arms tightly clinging to the boy who was peeking back at Kyoya and smiling from behind his pacifier. Ta-chan was certainly much too friendly to strangers… just like his father.

Based on his last question, Haruhi assumed he hadn’t known about Ta-chan at all. But the mother in her was screaming at her to be sure no one, to his knowledge, knew about her baby boy before she would give him the information he wanted.

 

[AnimeGenork]

Kyoya Ootori

He should have expected it. Even when they were high school, Haruhi had never been one to directly answer demanding questions. Maybe these were extenuating circumstances, but the least she could have done was explain why she’d suddenly disappeared after Tamaki’s death. Didn’t she know how much trouble she’d caused him? Honestly.

Sighing and rolling his eyes, he replied to her demand, “Naturally, I’m the only one besides my own men who know you’re here. I know better than to get the rest of the Host Club’s hopes up.” Glancing once more at the toddler behind her, he supposed he understood her reasons for being protective. But that still didn’t explain why she had left in the first place. What exactly had she been thinking?

Her defiance was certainly admirable, but surely she knew that it was futile with him? The child, meanwhile, seemed to soften Haruhi’s former anger, though not by much. She picked him up and walked away, leaving Kyoya to step inside and close the door behind him. A flash of triumph surged through him. He’d found her, she was going to come back with him willingly, it was all going to be alright again. Finally, the Host Club could go back to normal…except for Tamaki. There was a certain relief that followed that idea. All the tension he’d been keeping tucked away was slowly starting to drain out of him, starting from that slip of paper he’d received this morning.

Finally, Haruhi faced him again, holding her son close to him. It was the type of motherly affection Kyoya had only ever received from his sister. The type of affection that Tamaki had had for everyone in the Host Club. Pushing that thought away, he crossed his arms and stared Haruhi down. “Haruhi, if I didn’t know about him, then you can be certain nobody else knows about him. You know I keep well-informed.” After a moment’s pause, he added bitterly, “Though apparently not well-informed enough.”

His gaze met that of the child, the same annoying shade of violet that Tamaki had possessed. Jaw tightening, he tried not to let his grief escape from the box he’d banished it to. At least there was a bit of Tamaki still left in the world, even though he hadn’t know about it until now. “He’s certainly a beautiful child,” he found himself murmuring. “Just like Tamaki.”

There was a frigid air still about him, as always, but the sight of Tamaki’s son had uncharacteristically softened him. Just as quickly, however, he hardened once again. “Haruhi, explain yourself. Why didn’t you tell anyone you were going to have Tamaki’s child? Why didn’t you tell any of us where you were going? Did you think we wouldn’t care that you left?” He let out a frustrated breath. “Did it not occur to you that we would miss you?”

Super Kawaii
{Sorry that took so long! I didn’t mean to let midterms tie me up so badly, but, clearly, they did. But I’m back to writing now, thank goodness!}​

 

[Super Kawaii]

‘I know better than to get the rest of the Host Club’s hopes up.’

His words somehow cut through Haruhi’s defenses like a knife. She had known that they would all be upset with her. Hell, she didn’t blame any of them if they hated her for what she had done. She certainly hated herself, but she couldn’t let that show. She had to be strong and make choices she thought were best for her son, she couldn’t be weak. Couldn’t allow herself to think of the past, and wallow in her regrets, and think of every single ‘what if?’ situation that crept into her mind when she lay still at night stressing over how she was going to raise Ta-chan on her own.

However, with Kyoya standing here in the flesh, all of those regretful feelings and self-loathing swelled in her chest, and it took every bit of what little energy in her to swallow it back down. It hurt, but like every other pain she felt, she choked that pain down.

“Kyoya-...” She tried to keep her voice stern, but soft. None of this was really his fault, after all. She was just afraid, but didn’t want that to show. Looking to the side, she shifted Ta-chan onto her hip (he was a big boy and she was just as thin as in high school, if not thinner, so he was definitely a heavy little load), she thought for a moment before speaking slowly, reluctantly almost: “You wouldn’t understand.”

She sighed after she said this, leaning back against the counter and looking to the boy in her arms, finally allowing her defenses to lower enough for her exhaustion to show through. “I did what I thought was best.” She added after a moment, her voice quieter, more vulnerable. “Of course, I knew you would all be mad at me - that you would hate me for it, even.” She dared to look back at Kyoya now, feeling a painful throb in her heart as she did so. She really didn’t want to talk about her past - she had done her best to lock all of these emotions away and just focus on being a mom, but Kyoya deserved an answer to his questions, at the very least.

“But… I was eighteen. I had no family. I am a commoner. Kyoya, I was afraid that the Suoh’s would take my son away from me the moment I gave birth to him!” She shook her head, looking again to Ta-chan as she felt his warm, chubby fingers against her cheek. It was then that she realized the tears in her eyes had fallen, staining her cheeks, and Ta-chan was trying to pat away the tears as best a one-year-old could. Sniffling, she quickly rubbed the tears away with the back of her hand before she continued: “Yuzuru took Tamaki from his mother, so the idea that he would take my son from me isn’t too far-fetched. He has the power and all the right ties… if he wanted my son, he wouldn’t have to try very hard, so all I could think to do was run.

“I’ve spent every second of every day hating myself for not telling you guys anything, Kyoya. I just.. I didn't know how to ask for your help. I always thought I could handle whatever life threw at me, without burdening others...” When she looked back up at the man, her expression was stoic and drained. “I don't know if what I did was right or wrong, but it was all I could think to do.” Her words remained as firm as she could keep them. Well… until Ta-chan began to squirm, arms outstretched for Kyoya, and those beautiful violet eyes shimmering excitedly. Haruhi couldn’t help but relax a little at this display of affection, the boy DEFINITELY being far too unafraid of strangers for his own good.

Hesitantly, Haruhi moved away from the counter, figuring that if she could trust anyone not to do anything to hurt Tamaki’s child it was Kyoya. “His name is Takehiko,” She introduced, managing a small, genuine smile as she offered for Kyoya to hold the boy, should he want to.

“Would you like some tea?” She finally asked in a soft breath, figuring he was going to be here a while.

AnimeGenork

(No worries! ♥ I hope you did well on your midterms!)

 

[AnimeGenork]

Kyoya Ootori

Kyoya was on the verge of an angry outburst. This whole situation was infuriating. He wanted to give Haruhi one of his “demonic” glares and ask what exactly he wouldn’t understand. As intelligent as he was, he was perfectly capable of understanding a situation when given the chance. But Haruhi hadn’t given him that chance. Nor had she given the Host Club that chance. So he was understandably frustrated by her choice of justification.

Then Haruhi started to let her guard down (a dangerous action in his presence), showing just how exhausted she was. Even in high school, she had never look this tired. Perhaps he should go a tad easier on her. She was protecting her child, the only remnant of Tamaki in her life. They had been an odd pair, but they had defined what made the Host Club so unique. He leaned against the wall and clarified, “I don’t hate you, Haruhi. The only person I’ve ever truly hated is Tamaki. And the Host Club hasn’t ever once expressed anger towards you, only concern. They were worried about you.” He didn’t specifically lump himself in with the others, but it wouldn’t have been too far off the mark. Then again, most of his worries about Haruhi were tied to his worries about never getting a good night’s sleep due to Tamaki haunting him, but he digressed.

Haruhi began her explanation, and Kyoya listened patiently. She grew so emotional that her son—Tamaki’s son—tried to wipe away her tears. It was the type of thing Tamaki himself would’ve done, followed by words spoken in a tone that greatly contrasted his boisterous flamboyance. When she looked up at him, he finally saw what exactly she’d been feeling for the past two years reflected in her expression. Much of it was the same as what he’d been locking up, and so he found that he couldn’t blame her, not really. He couldn’t even pretend to blame her.

“Haruhi, the Suohs adore you. They were just as worried about you disappearing as the Host Club. They knew how much you meant to Tamaki, so they would never purposely hurt you. It’s doubtful they’d even consider taking your son away from you.” He adjusted his glasses and continued, “The circumstances of Yuzuru taking custody of Tamaki are different than you make it sound. Tamaki was not the child of Yuzuru’s actual wife, meaning measures had to be taken to ensure an heir to the Suohs’ business.” A pause. “Yuzuru has since learned from that mistake, Haruhi. He’s very fond of you; he wouldn’t dream of hurting you. If he’s anything like his son, he wouldn’t dare cause you the heartache he inflicted on Tamaki.

“Honestly, I’m not sure how any of us would have responded if you had asked for help. Running away on your own was probably the best option, if only so we wouldn’t have to lie to Yuzuru’s face. Not involving us also protected how the Suohs interacted with our families, so I suppose I should thank you for that.” Finally, he leveled a look at her that held no tinge of emotion at all. “I’m not the one to judge whether you are in the right or in the wrong. I can only say I’m impressed that you eluded us this long. I doubt anyone else could’ve pulled it off.”

Tamaki’s son started squirming then, reaching out to Kyoya. Something deep inside him started panicking. He knew nothing of children and wanted nothing to do with them. Why on earth did he intrigue the child so much? Didn’t children normally cry when he was around?

Before Kyoya could say anything in protest, the boy was in his arms, and he took a moment to blink at the child—Takehiko, Haruhi had called him. For a few seconds, he simply held the boy away from him, letting his legs dangle as he continued to reach for him. Then the blond hair and violet eyes got to him, and he relented. Folding his arms toward him, he held Takehiko with the expertise of a mother. He had to angle his head so his glasses would not encounter danger, but that didn’t stop the child from tugging at his mouth and hair.

“Tea would be lovely, thank you,” he grunted, wondering how it was that Tamaki still managed to fool him even after death. “It is rather cold outside.”

Super Kawaii ​

 

[Super Kawaii]

Haruhi let out the tight breath she hadn’t been fully aware that she had been holding, closing her eyes and leaning her hip against the counter as relief washed over her. They didn’t hate her… and she could work with that. She wasn’t stupid, and hadn’t failed to notice the way that Kyoya didn’t mention himself when he spoke of how the others hadn’t expressed any anger toward her during her absence; again, though, that was something she could work with. He didn’t hate her, the fact that he was here was probably proof enough of that.

Listening to Kyoya mention the Suoh’s, though, brought back a bit of her unease. Big brown eyes opened again, staring into those cold, dark orbs of Kyoya as he laid it on her that the Suoh’s would never take Ta-chan away from her. That Yuzuru had learned from his mistake, and that he was of no threat to Haruhi and her son… and maybe Kyoya was right? She almost laughed at that though; When WASN’T Kyoya right? If Kyoya believed with such conviction that Yuzuru would never take Ta-chan from her, a large part of her felt inclined to believe him. And yet, the mother in her resisted the idea. “Even if you’re right about that, I doubt he’d be very happy to find out that I’ve been hiding his grandson from him.” Haruhi finally concluded with a small groan, turning toward the counter once Ta-chan was in Kyoya’s hands.

At first, she almost laughed at how stiff he was with the boy, but it was exactly what she had expected. Kyoya and children didn’t exactly mix! She was surprised enough that he had accepted the offer to hold him, and fully expected him to incline to set Ta-chan down.

But he didn’t.

Haruhi couldn’t help the surprised way her brow lifted when Kyoya so expertly tucked Ta-chan against himself, cradling him with the expertise of a seasoned mother! This time, she couldn’t help the small snort that escaped her, though she was quick to turn toward the counter and clear her throat in hopes that he hadn’t heard her laughing. Instead, she busied herself with setting up the tea set and getting the water on the stove to heat up. All the while, peeking over her shoulder in the most nonchalant way she could manage to get a few good looks at ‘mommy Kyoya’ while resisting the urge to utter some sarcastic comment. She decided to instead focus on his previous comment about how she had managed to ‘elude’ them.

“It’s crazy how useful a simple name change can be… and moving to Sapporo didn’t hurt, either.” She shrugged matter-of-factly. “The only time rich people come here is when they’re just passing through to their fancy vacation homes in the mountains. So the odds of you guys or anyone who new me back at Ouran bumping into me by mistake were much lower.”

After a few moments, Haruhi was moving to the kotatsu table with two warm cups of tea, setting Kyoya’s down first before moving to sit across the table from him, tucking her shoulder-length hair back behind her ear and peering across the table at Kyoya through the steam of her tea. Now that she had calmed down a bit from the initial shock of seeing him so unexpectedly, she could actually focus on looking at him as he was now, unable to notice that he had gone from boy to man in the short time they had been apart. He had always been quite a bit taller than herself, but… did he looks broader now as well? Maybe…

“It’s chilly, I guess. Though this is actually considered NICE weather for Sapporo this time of year.” She shrugged, feeling a bit… weird, talking about the weather, when there was so much more important things to talk about.

“So, what happens now? I don’t suppose you’ll just head on back home without telling anyone about me… or about Ta-chan.” Her mouth felt dry with anxiety as she asked the question, gripping the warm tea cup between her thin, cold fingers and staring directly into Kyoya’s gaze, trying to see into that mind of his. Yuzuru would likely want to come and see his grandchild ASAP, but Haruhi wasn’t sure she was ready for that. And who knew when the other members of the Host Club would show up once Kyoya spilled the beans? Her apartment was small, feeling cramped enough with just her and Kyoya - she couldn’t imagine the entire host club trying to squeeze in here.

And plus, with her two jobs, she didn’t even know when she would really be FREE again. She couldn’t just blow off work and risk getting fired…

Everything was about to get a hell of a lot more complex.

AnimeGenork

 

[AnimeGenork]

Kyoya Ootori

Kyoya waited patiently for Haruhi to prepare the tea, indeed noticing the snort that escaped her. He probably looked ridiculous holding this child in his arms so expertly, but as none of the members of his family were here, he found he didn’t care. Without proper evidence to back it up, he couldn’t exactly say what Yuzuru’s reaction to the existence of Takehiko would be. The man was as unpredictable as his son had been.

“Yes, your choice of hideaway was effective. I doubt the twins dared to dream you might be here. They looked everywhere they thought involved some fashion of tuna. Honey and Mori lost focus too often and found sweets shops instead. I was the only one who kept up a worthwhile search. Takehiko nearly poked him in the eye, and he readjusted his grip on the boy once again.

He followed Haruhi to the kotatsu table—oh, the ridiculous comments Tamaki’s ghost had to say about that—and sat across from her. Takehiko settled in his lap, and Kyoya took his tea gratefully. The feeling of Haruhi’s gaze on him did not deter him from the tea, and he sipped it casually while glancing at her out of the corner of his eye. Before, he’d simply accepted her new hairstyle, dismissed it. Now that he was actually looking at it, he saw that it really and truly suited her. The best part was that it wasn’t a wig from one of Tamaki’s schemes. Yes. It definitely suited her.

“So I’ve heard,” he mused in response to her weather talk. “I myself would never be able to live here. I’m the closest thing to cold my house will ever get.” He paused. Had he purposely made a joke? This day was getting stranger and stranger every day. Takehiko was bouncing up and down on his lap, distracting him from the idea of humor.

After another sip of tea, he set the cup down and leaned forward, his “business” face fully employed. “There is certainly great reward involved if I give both Yuzuru and the Host Club news of your whereabouts. But seeing as I never expected your son to even exist…” For the thousandth time that day, his gaze fell to Takehiko, so, so much like his father. The variable that he hadn’t considered. “I’m afraid I’ll have to hold off on telling them. Knowing you, you’re incredibly busy with whatever job or jobs you have, which means you’ll have no time for a reunion.”

He sighed. “Takehiko himself will complicate things. We’ll have to figure out how to break the news to the Host Club so that they don’t terrify the boy. Perhaps if we brought the twins here first; they were the most anxious to find you. As for Yuzuru… I’ll explain the situation to him privately the next time he calls on my father.”

It would be a hellish next few days, that was for sure. The dark rings under his eyes seemed heavier at the thought. He gently set Takehiko beside himself and glanced again at Haruhi. “I assume this arrangement—however loose—works in your favor?”

Super Kawaii ​