Ouran High School Host Club Fan Fiction ❯ Love Lost in Time ❯ Chapter One ( Chapter 1 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

LOVE LOST IN TIME
An Ouran High School Host Club AU fanfic

Written by Miyu, Vampire Princess


AUTHOR'S NOTES: A big thanks to Nightfall2525 for the idea and encouragement for this piece. I hope it will be to your liking. Not sure how long or involved this will be. Could be another short "epic" for me, so say a prayer for my muses. Alternate Universe with many of the actual events (anime and manga) being referenced. Kyoya x Haruhi centric. Possible spoilers for those unfamiliar with manga chapters 60 and higher. A Standard Disclaimer appears at the end of the chapter. Comments and further encouragement are always welcome.


CHAPTER ONE


Getting close to Haruhi had not been difficult for the young Kyoya. He used every opportunity available and every resource to his benefit. She was a commoner in this time. A young woman who had lost her mother at a young age. Car accident. Very tragic.

Not too unlike the woman he remembered.

His beloved lost her mother to cholera at the age of five. She had been a mortal with no real powers. But she had been a bright light, very optimistic and ever intelligent. His fiance, he thought proudly, took after her mother.

Her father, he found, was an interesting character in this era. He wasn't the man Kyoya remembered at all. He was more fumbling. More outrageous. Not at all diligent or fearsome, or so he thought.

But he did make a good looking woman. Almost more beautiful than his daughter.

Almost.

Kyoya Ohtori bided his time. After decades, centuries of waiting, he was willing to give Haruhi some time. It was amusing to see her adjust to life with the Host Club. And somewhat awe inspiring.

In no time, she went from being the Host Club's dog to being a Host. She was a natural, dedicated to paying off her debt if nothing else. Her presence sparked new life into the club's events and brought new members into their fold. It was a joy to watch her bloom in such a dramatic way.

But it was even more dramatic watching Haruhi just be...Haruhi.

While the woman of this era was as down to earth and intelligent as he remembered, she was also somewhat dense. Thick headed. So much that sometimes the obvious sat just beyond her grasp.

One such event stood out clearly in his mind.

It should have been a vacation. A beach vacation. Haruhi had, during another outing, expressed interest and the Club latched onto it. Tamaki and the twins were dying to see Haruhi in a bathing suit. The Hitachiin's even had one picked out for her from their mother's summer collection.

But Kyoya's job got the better of them, and he turned the trip into a side job. With a few phone calls, he had clients set up to join them on their trip. No one got to see Haruhi in a bathing suit. It would have given away her gender too easily, and they had to keep it a secret in order for her to stay a host.

It may have been more trouble than it was worth, keeping her secret, especially when the petite waif of a thing decided to come to the defense of one of their clients. The thugs were of average build, drunk and more than angry at Haruhi's heroic antics.

And when she got herself thrown from a cliff into rocky waters that had nearly been Kyoya's undoing.

Granted, Tamaki gave Haruhi a harder time than the others about the whole incident. He was incensed that Haruhi would even consider doing such a thing. But what many of the others failed to see was that she wasn't doing it to act tough, or to play to her role as a Host. Haruhi had simply been Haruhi.

He knew the others had been upset as well. Kyoya, himself, felt his heart plunge into his stomach. He was breathless as Mori carried her out of the water and unable to move as the others gathered around her. Horrible thoughts ran through his mind. He'd only found her and now he was going to lose her!? It wouldn't have been the first time. But it was still unforgivable. So much so that it set off a fire in him he had not felt for a while.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to walk into a stranger's room!"

"Don't be silly. It's me."

So when he found himself alone with her that night, in his room of all places, the young man almost lost himself.

"It seems like I worried everyone. I'm sorry."

"I didn't worry." A lie. An all out one at that. Yet his smile was cool, his body already on fire as he approached her. He told her how the twins nearly beat the thugs to death. And how he had to send flowers to the clients for the trouble she caused. Even teased her about having to reimburse him the cost.

"Shall we do something else while we have the chance?"

She looked confused as he grasped her wrists in his hands. The hold was firm but gentle. She blinked up at him.

"Huh?"

"You'll have to reimburse me for those flowers," he told her matter-of-factly. With ease he pushed her back onto the bed. It excited him that she laid prone on top of the sheets. That she didn't fight back as he climbed onto the bed. "You can pay with your body.

"What--?"

His body rose over hers, dark eyes staring down at innocent brown spheres. The look on her face was unreadable and he tried not to smile, not to give into the urge to kiss her.

"You said before that being a man or woman doesn't matter. But being a man, I can do this." He leaned closer, his body shaking as it remained just inches from her. "And as a woman, you can't stop me."

He sighed, and then pulled away. His body argued the movement again, but he didn't want to push. Not yet. "It's a mistake to keep your guard down."

"Oh...."

Something in her snapped. A memory? Spiritual recognition, perhaps? He could only hope. But there was a realization in her eyes.

"You wouldn't do this, Kyoya."

"Hmm. Why not?"

"Because...." She smiled at him as she rose from the bed, resting her weight on her arms. "You have nothing to gain by taking me like this.

The comment stung. But he laughed it off. Told her she was right. She had no idea. No idea who he really was. Or how close she came to being proven wrong.

Then she proceeded to tell him how kind he was.

The fire that slowly slithered through his body exploded. He almost groaned aloud, fighting every instinct to grab a hold of her. To hug her tightly. To kiss her fiercely.

But he maintained his character, regaining his composure as Tamaki burst into the room. Oh, he knew it looked bad, and that his friend would think the worst. The situation was easily diffused, however, and Kyoya returned to playing the game.

Just bidding his time.

Time passed without incident. He enjoyed teasing her at Halloween. Made sure he was present when the others first showed up at her humble home and kept in contact with her father without anyone else knowing. The fact that they were alone in the mall was no mistake. Showing up at the pensione was also planned. He even paid close attention to her during the sports festival, other competitions, and during club events.

But when she was kidnapped.... That was the final straw.

Though he remained calm, utilizing his resources to the maximum extent, he'd emotionally lost it. He was consumed by an inferno of anger. Of hopelessness.

And when she was found -- thankfully unharmed -- it took every ounce of restraint to not act on his natural vampiric impulse to kill.

It turned out to be a misunderstanding. An act of idiocy which Tamaki handled maturely, professionally. And rightfully so since it involved his family.

But oh how Kyoya wanted to throttle them. Just a squeeze of the neck. Just the right amount of pressure on their jugulars....

That was the moment he realized he couldn't wait.

Not because he wanted to kill. No, it was much more dire than that.

Others were falling in love with her too!

It happened gradually, and Kyoya could've beaten himself for the oversight. He'd seen it happen before his very eyes. Openly and innocently.

The twins had already expressed their feelings. Poor Haruhi didn't have the chance to answer Kaoru. He walked away graciously in favor of his twin. And when Hikaru confessed, she didn't have the words. It was a moment of density. She hadn't seen it coming.

Yet, she managed to turn him away with a smile.

They weren't Kyoya's concern, however.

It was Tamaki.

The young man he befriended in childhood was slowly realizing his feelings, pinpointing their origins. It was only a matter of time before he'd confess as well. As emotional as Tamaki could be, he was affectionate, dependable and loyal. Traits that were drawing Haruhi ever closer to him.

Kyoya didn't want to hurt his friend's feelings. Truly he didn't. But she was his love. His family's salvation. He wasn't about to let her get away.

"Going out tonight, my son?"

"Yes, father."

Yoshio Ohtori stood in the doorway of the bedroom. Dressed in a business suit, the older man exuded power. As a Master vampire -- a King -- he had been feared, a force of nature. As a human, he was truly no different. He worked hard to build his current empire.

But that stern power belied his true passion.

His sons.

At one point in time, their futures had been decided. But the curse changed all that. Yoshio no longer saw his sons merely as objects to play to his benefit. He had a deeper connection with them. A better understanding of what it meant to be a father.

That wasn't to say he didn't play them against each other from time to time. Especially now that they were all together again. A family.

"Your brothers will be disappointed."

Kyoya chuckled loudly. Indeed they would. They hated their human existence. Loathed it. The only thing that kept them out of trouble was the game they played, trying to see who was better. It was a game they'd played ever since they were children.

A game his father had taught them all to play.

"Only because they're stuck playing board games with Fuyumi."

Yet another anomaly of this era. Not only had the family been reborn as it once was, his mother included, they had been gifted with a new life. That of Fuyumi, Kyoya's older sister. She was so unlike any of them that it was difficult for the elder Ohtori to believe she came from his loins. A fact he loved to argue with his wife. But over time he became convinced that she was merely a part of his curse.

Kyoya loved having a sister. She often foiled her brothers without realizing it. And more often than not, the older ones. She had a lot of love for her baby brother that he would be excused from tonight's festivities. In fact, he already had her blessing.

His brothers would indeed be pissed.

"What better plans have you, Kyoya?"

The young man shrugged, buttoning his grey and white striped shirt. "I have a date tonight."

The old man smiled. "Finally asked her out, did you?"

The stress on the word "her" did not escape the young man's notice. His father referred to Haruhi, he knew. As soon as he'd found her, he'd told his family. Perhaps that had been a mistake. Yoshio been after him to break the curse ever since.

After examining himself in the mirror, Kyoya turned to face his father. "Not exactly."

The King's stare was harsh, his smile gone. "Do you have a plan?"

"Of course."

His expression softened somewhat, brows furrowing in concern. "Is it really her, Kyoya?"

The young man was the only one who could tell. She had been his beloved after all. "Yes, father. It is."

He eyed his son's wardrobe. "Is that all you're wearing?"

The grey and white striped shirt hugged his torso gently. The dark wash jeans were a brand name he couldn't remember, the denim gracefully clinging to his lower half. Along with a pair of black leather loafers, he thought the outfit was good enough for where he was going.

"Yes."

The man sighed. "I know I don't understand fashion these days...." He straightened, once again fastening a hard glare on his youngest son. A spark of hope flashed behind his dark eyes. "Don't let her get away."

Kyoya adjusted his glasses. They had always been there for dramatic effect. Now was no different.

"I don't plan to."

"Be home by eleven."

Cocking an eyebrow upward, Kyoya challenged his father, stating evenly, "Eleven-thirty."

"Eleven!" The old man cracked a smile before turning to leave. He waved to his son as he walked away. "And don't be late."

The younger man sighed. His soul was over five centuries old and he still had a curfew. Somehow it was as amusing as it was disconcerting. He nodded to the now empty doorway.

"Yes, sir."


~TO BE CONTINUED~


DISCLAIMER:
Ouran High School Host Club is a brilliant piece of work by creator Bisco Hatori. Originally published in 2003 by HAKUSENSHA, Inc., Tokyo, Japan, this masterpiece is being translated and published by VIZ Media for fans in America and Canada. I do not own a single piece of the characters used in this story. They were kidnapped and used here without permission.