Ouran High School Host Club Fan Fiction ❯ Pride, Arrogance and Vanity ❯ His Choice ( Chapter 1 )

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

In my sick way I want to thank you for holding my head up late at night
While I was busy waging wars on myself, you were trying to stop the fight
You never doubted my warped opinions on things like suicidal hate.
You made me compliment myself when it was way too hard to take
So I'll drive so fucking far away that I'll never cross your mind
And do whatever it takes in your heart to leave me behind
Hate me today
Hate me tomorrow
Hate me for all the things I didn't do for you.
Hate me in ways, yeah, ways hard to swallow.
Hate me so you can finally see what's good for you.

"Hate Me" - Blue October

Summary: In order for Kyouya Ootori to inherit his father's business, he must be married. He chooses a bride from the US: the beautiful Raine Wilson; figuring if he can't love her, he can at least like to look at her. When she arrives, he dislikes her immediately, as she hates him for forcing her into a marriage she never wanted, and is rude in everyway possible, hoping that he'll go back on his decision and let her live her life the way she wants to live it. Kyouya refuses. Midst all of their fighting, they both fall for the other. Unfortunately, neither wants to surrender first and admit that they might possibly be able to live and love.

A/N: This is probably the most interesting fanfiction idea I have had in quite a while, hence why I am writing it. I have recently regained interest in fanfiction and may actually finish all of my stories, very soon. (I cannot live without at least 20 things going on at once. :D)

Kyouya Ootori sat with his father, staring with great boredom at the projection screen before him. This was so stupid, having to learn the name of every heir to every medical related company in the world! So far, it had been all the daughters, which Kyouya found strange.

His father firmly believed in the oldest son inheriting; not the oldest daughter or the widow of the previous owner. Kyouya suddenly found himself thinking that he was extremely lucky that both of his brothers were content as doctors living in small mansions out in the country, and had declined the inheritance.

"Kyouya, are you paying any attention to what I'm telling you?"

Not really ."Of course, Father."

Mr. Ootori frowned, seeing straight through his son's lie.

Sighing, Kyouya straightened up and looked back at the projection screen. On it was a young Japanese woman who would inherit the electronics company that made the beds that his father used in the hospitals they owned. Her name was Sayu Take-something-or-other. His father found her quite charming. Kyouya found her rather annoying.

Kyouya nodded his acknowledgement and acquaintance and his father continued. In every picture displayed, every woman smiled brightly, hopefully and they were all dressed in their best clothes and most expensive and largest jewels.

Mr. Ootori rambled on about each young woman's accomplishments and social status, and Kyouya would make a non-committal sound or nod to get this torture over with. Unlike his father, Kyouya was not a social butterfly. He did not intend ever to speak to any of these women. So, while his father rambled, Kyouya pretended to give a damn, when in reality, he didn't.

"Now, this young lady is not an heir, but has millions that she could invest in new projects and charity." His father pointed at an Indian woman on the screen, then clicked his remote, and a very interesting picture appeared, which he clicked past before Kyouya could get a better look.

"Father, go back one." He said as Mr. Ootori began a speech about some French aristocrat.

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because it isn't a very flattering photo."

Something's up, Kyouya thought,He wouldn't care if he were just getting me acquainted with all of these women for the next dinner party I have to go to where they just mightbe there. "Just go back."

Grumbling, his father finally complied with his request and went back a picture. Kyouya leaned forward to study it.

The young woman had blond hair, cut in the style of a young boy's. She was petite and slouching, making her look even tinier. Her clothes were casual: a gray tank top and blue jeans, making her stand out against all of the other ladies' satin, silk, and cashmere. Under the girl's rectangular black framed glasses, her violet eyes burned with anger, adding the only emotion to her otherwise expressionless face.

"Who is she?"

"An American."

"Father…." Kyouya warned, before he set off on his infamous "American Capitalism Rant." Yes, it had a title. That was how often Kyouya heard it.

While Mr. Ootori took "deep cleansing breaths," his son turned his attention, for the first time in the last hour, to the projection screen and the digital photograph displayed on it. He knew why he was so captivated by it; she looked like Haruhi.

For ages, the young, hard-headed commoner had been the object of his desires and the keeper of his heart. Unfortunately, this little faerie tale world came crashing down around him when he became the heir to his father's business and she Hikaru and Kaoru's love interest. At this thought, his heart felt as if it was being wrenched from his chest, and his blood ran cold. Before these emotions could show on his face, Kyouya locked them back into the corner of his mind, where he left all of the things that he felt were a weakness.

"Father….?" He reminded.

"Yes, yes. Her father recently invented a shot to prevent breast and lung cancer. Of course, hospitals around the world ordered hundreds to thousands of these vaccinations, making him a billionaire over night, and her the heir to those billions; possibly trillions." His father explained, then added under his breath, "I hate American capitalism."

Kyouya finally understood his father's anger, and smirked, "You don't like him because he's not of the aristocracy. Father, you know that the Americans don't have royalty, or nobles."

The Chairman glowered at his son, "You are correct. They rose from absolutely nothing, and there is not a drop of royal or noble blood in them. This, of course, makes her an unsuitable wife for the son of a line of dukes."

Ah-ha! He reveals his plans to me at last. Took him long enough, Kyouya thought, "Father, you plan to marry me off?"

"Hmmm?" Mr. Ootori was still lost in his (possibly rude) thoughts.

"You plan to marry me off to one of these women," Kyouya waved his hand towards the screen behind him before leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms.

"Well, yes…." The older Ootori, who was always so sure of himself, suddenly could find nothing to say. He had hoped to reveal his plan, along with who he thought the best choice was at the end of the slideshow.

"May I ask why?"

"Yes."

"Why, then?" Kyouya loved toying with his father. Especially when his father believed he had the upper hand and was controlling his son, but in reality it was the other way around.

"You need to be married to take over the company, which is why I got it so young. I was married, and Father's wife died, so he stepped down and let me have the company, although you don't have to be married to continue running, just to inherit. Besides, after the incident with that commoner-"

"She has a name, it's Haruhi." Kyouya defended before he could stop himself.

"Yes, her," Kyouya cursed himself silently. "It seems that I need to direct your thoughts in other directions. Like duty to your family and your business, for example."

Kyouya nodded, "Yes, Father."

"Since you seem to still have feelings for that girl," Kyouya flinched, "then we will continue this session another time."

"That will not be necessary."

His father raised his eyebrows.

"Give me the files. I'll choose now."

"Good. That way we can alert the girl's family sooner. The wedding date is set for Saturday, May 12."

Kyouya's father left him sitting with files 20 pages thick before him. As Kyouya stared at them, he thought of Haruhi, and how she once looked at them with those giant, chocolate brown eyes of hers. Pain swelled in his heart as he remembered the hurt in hers.

His family had refused her, and she had then refused him, and no amount of pleading or promises could convince her to change her mind and take him back.

These thoughts distracted Kyouya, until a picture in one of the files caught his eye: The golden haired American.

This beautiful woman, whose eyes burned with such passion that one could feel it by just looking, reminded him painfully of his Haruhi. It was in that moment that his decision was made. If he couldn't love the woman he was to marry, then he could at least like to look at her, and possibly imagine that it was another.

He emerged with her two page file and photo and presented it to his shocked and angry father.