Ouran High School Host Club Fan Fiction ❯ Pride, Arrogance and Vanity ❯ First Date ( Chapter 4 )

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

We're so helpless
We're slaves to our impulses
We're afraid of our emotions
And no one knows where the shore is
We're divided by the ocean
And the only thing I know is
That the answer isn't for us
No the answer isn't for us
”So Sorry” (Feist)

A/N: Haha. So I'm reading the 7 Volume of Ouran HSHC and Kyouya says: “I'll have you know I was up until 5 this morning.” And I kind of wondered what he did all night!! I mean, really… You'd think Kyouya's the sensible one and he doesn't stay up late…. But still… What does he do?? Pull a Tom-Cruise-in-Risky-Business and dance in his underwear? Hmmmm… Well, as I contemplate this, why don't you read Chapter Four and Review it please?

Also, I apologize for the general suckiness of this chapter in advance.

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She stared at him in shock. It was as if she'd never seen another human being in her life and was amazed that there were others like her.

Somehow, through all this amazement, she still managed to look elegant and poised in her teal cocktail dress and heels. As he studied her face, Kyouya noted that she wore neither make-up, nor the dark framed glasses from the photo, which said to him that she was confident, but not overly so. Seeing her without her glasses made him adjust his own light frames needlessly; A nervous habit of his.

“H-Hello,” she said (almost whispered) as she approached him shyly. She had a lovely voice, deeper than most Japanese women's but still holding a hint of sweetness. It was the perfect pitch he always imagined for a female radio DJ. Her voice also held a hint of what the Americans considered to be a “southern accent;” Slight twang, but again, as the rest of her, not overpowering.

She stood demurely beside him, quietly waiting his next instruction. Over all Kyouya was surprised. Judging by the expression in the only photograph he'd seen of her, he'd expected to have to drag her out, kicking and screaming, yet she was polite and calm.

Oh, he never doubted that her calm demeanor held a fiery temper. All women had one, including his sister Fuyumi, who had been known to toss valuable, breakable items at Kyouya during particularly heated arguments (much to his father's appalled amusement.)

Even Haruhi had an especially foul temper when Kyouya accidentally mentioned feeling sorry that she hadn't experienced a specific something because she was a “commoner.” She also had been prone to throwing things at him to get him out of her house, but the items she tossed had been much less valuable and not so breakable.

“What?” said a voice slightly to his left, and he turned his head, the slight smirk fading as he saw who it was.

“I'm sorry?” He asked, as if he didn't hear, even though they both knew that he had.

“I said `What?'” Raine made her voice flat and let the anger slip through.

“Raine Wilson!” An old woman hurried up to his bride-to-be and glared at her. For a moment the younger woman looked frightened, but then rolled her eyes. “Don't you roll those eyes at me, young lady!”

“Mrs. Smith, I'm 26 years old. I'm a bit too old to be scolded like a child, aren't I?” Amusement laced Raine's voice and Kyouya took a step back. He wanted to get the full effect. This was going to be interesting. Not to mention it was going to be a good time to improve his conversational English. He was a bit rusty after being out of school for 2 years.

“Now listen here, Ms Wilson: You've been in my care for 14 years, and you should know very well by now that I will never think you are too old for a scolding!” By this time the older woman was wagging a finger in Raine's face and the blonde looked slightly embarrassed. “Now, who is this handsome young man?” She now turned in Kyouya's direction and smiled, making all signs of anger fade away.

Kyouya held out his hand and she took it in both of hers when he introduced himself, “Kyouya Ootori, ma'am.”

Her eyes crinkled as her smile widened, “I am Gloria Smith. I'm this smart mouthed young woman's caretaker.”

“I'm not smart mouthed.” Raine muttered.

He chuckled. So there was a fire there. It just had to be provoked. He hoped that Raine wouldn't hide it from him. Otherwise, this wouldn't be any fun at all. “I'll have her home by 1 o'clock AM, ma'am.”

“See that you do and you'd best treat her right, boy. You're marrying her and that not only means she's a part of your family but that you're a part of ours so I can scold you too, young man.”

Kyouya was amused and surprised at this. American morals and ideals were so different. In Japan, the woman became a part of the husband's family, unless the woman was the heiress to the family business and then the husband became part of the woman's family. Typically, though, unless the she died, the wife was the head of the family no matter who inherited what or became part of whose family.

Kyouya offered his arm to Raine, and she slipped her hand in the crook of his elbow. Yet another surprise. Most women he dated after Haruhi had become offended when he had even held the door, saying that it was sexist and rude. That they were perfectly capable of holding and opening their own doors and how the hell did he think they got them open when he wasn't around? He mentioned this to Raine as he walked with her down the stairs and she laughed.

“I personally don't care. As long as you understand that I am capable of opening my own doors and getting on my own coat then doing it for me is perfectly acceptable. Now, how are you today, Kyouya-san?”

“I am well and please, it's just Kyouya. We are going to be married after all.” He smiled. It was nearly killing him, this polite conversation. It wasn't his idea of a date at all. It was his father's. Personally, Kyouya would have just married the girl without seeing her before the wedding at all. After all, this was not something he wanted and he found that, as with all things not wanted but unavoidable, it was best to deal with them in a timely manner and forget about them. “How was your day, Raine?”

“Hell.” She said with a small, cold laugh. His eyebrows knitted together at her choice of words (Okay, word.) and she gave warmer laugh, “Hey, you asked, and I'm not about to start this off by lying to you.”

Even though the laugh this time had been genuine, he noticed that her smile had yet to reach her eyes.

So, you don't care for this either, Miss Raine? He thought. We might just get along better than I thought.

As they approached his car, the silence descended into an awkward one and Raine shifted uncomfortably, tightening her grip around his arm. Kyouya sensed this and laid his free hand over hers and murmured, “Hey, relax.” He was sure she thought he was being kind by telling her to relax but in reality the woman had more strength than it seemed and her grip was hurting him!

He opened the passenger side door of his Porsche and helped her into the low sports car. She smirked slightly at the sight of the car and muttered something that sounded very much like, “Men and their cars.” He pretended not to notice this remark as he shut her door and looked across the street. As usual, Tachibana stood in the shadows, ever watchful. Kyouya nodded and slid into the driver's seat, then started the car. Somehow he always felt better knowing that the man that watched over him since the day he'd been born stood watch over him still, even if he was 28 years old.

“Where are we going, Kyouya?”

“Hmm? Oh, a French restaurant. It just opened. My father is mad with jealousy that I get to try it first.”

“Does your father particularly like French cuisine?”

“No. He likes anything western. He's not too fond of Asian culture. Says it's not refined enough.”

“Ah.”

The rest of the trip was made in silence. Kyouya didn't care, but he could tell that his date was uncomfortable with it. She constantly looked at him and shifted or opened her mouth as if she were about to speak. Something none of his other dates had a problem with. Most of them understood immediately that he was no good at conversation and it was not because he'd never had practice talking lightly but because he didn't care to. It was a waste of his time and got him nowhere.

All at once he realized that this was the first thing he didn't have an interest in even though he gained something from it. Mostly he didn't care because it was ridiculous. He didn't understand why the family had such a tradition. Being married to inherit the business. Ha!

Another reason was because this woman wasn't his Haruhi. Never would be, in fact. She was far too detached from the world. He couldn't fault her for such a thing, as he himself was detached from most of the people he met. But he felt that he could fault the young American for being part of his father's plan, even if she was as unhappy as he was. She at least had had a choice.

The restaurant came into sight, and Kyouya slowed. They had valet parking. Good. He did not feel like parking and then walking a city block and a half. That would be far too difficult. Once inside, he gave his name and they immediately took them to a table. Being rich and famous had its perks.

At the table, they ordered their drinks and then were left to look at the menu.

“My God… I have no idea what I'm reading.” Raine breathed.

Kyouya looked up and then silently cursed himself. He'd forgotten she hadn't grown up with the same lessons he had. She only knew one language fluently and was slowly learning Japanese. She had only been one of the better off members of society for maybe 14 or 15 years if he remembered correctly. She hadn't bothered to learn how to discern fine works from knock offs nor had she learned all the languages that were pertinent for businessmen to know.

“Here, let me help you.” He laid his menu on the table and asked, “What would you like?”

“Nothing strange. I seem to recall that the last time I went to France, I was served cow brains and rabbit liver.” She made a slightly disgusted face and then resumed looking disinterested in her surroundings.

“Ah, I see. Then…” The waiter had returned and stood waiting for the order, “She wants this, and this and I'll have the same.”

Raine raised an eyebrow at Kyouya. He shrugged.

“You're not ordering something worse than cow brains and passing it off as chicken are you?”

He looked innocent, “Why would I do that?”

This time she shrugged. “I've had a few asshole boyfriends who would do something like that and laugh about it with their friends later.”

“I promise I wouldn't do that. That's more up the twins' alley than mine.”

“The twins?”

“My friends.”

“Oh. What are they like? Your friends, I mean.”

He looked up at her, finally looking into her eyes, “They're crazy, I guess you would say. Complete nutcases. The twins, Kaoru and Hikaru, think everyone is their toy and put on this planet for their amusement. Tamaki is obsessed with all things common. Hani is about 4'11'' and eats about 8 cakes a day, while his protector, Mori, watches and never says a word. Ever. Haruhi is the only normal one of us. She handles the lot of them pretty well. I always just put up with their antics; she questions them and tells them they're being stupid. Brave little thing, Haruhi is.”

I wonder if any of them know that I'm engaged… Tamaki's in France with his mother and the rest are in Sweden at Hani's home… He then wondered what Haruhi had to put up with. The Host Club hadn't grown up at all over the years and still acted very much like they were teenagers. He smiled at the thought of Haruhi and looked at the woman sitting across the table from him.

She looked so much like her. Tiny, short hair and a round, pretty face. It almost hurt to be sitting here looking at her and seeing his ex-fiancée.

“What are your friends like?”

“Normal, I guess. My two best girlfriends are absolute basket cases. They think a good time is going out and making complete fools of themselves and my guy friends are all about video games and practical jokes. I never have a moment of peace. Well, I didn't until they went to college and I learned how to run my father's company.”

“You didn't go to college?”

“I did, but I had already graduated. I skipped 3 years of high school and got my MA in Studio Art and a minor in Music in 3 years at an all girls' private college.”

Kyouya nearly choked on his water. Even he hadn't graduated that quickly. He had a Doctorate in Medicine and that had taken him 5 years instead of the usual 8 excluding the 4 years of pre-med.

He thought he saw a smile in her eyes when he had started coughing and his eyes narrowed. She had wanted to shock him and it had worked. No one had been able to surprise him like she had. Not even Tamaki and his crazy ideas when they had first met. But what shocked him most that it was deliberate and she was pleased with herself for doing it.

Note to self: Future wife is expert in subtle manipulation. He thought.

Any further conversation was cut off by the arrival of their dinner and they ate in silence and rode home in the same. Neither seemed to have more to say and Raine no longer seemed to be bothered by the silence.

He walked her to the door of the penthouse suite and waited until she was inside. Neither had said goodbye.

Once inside, Raine seethed. He had been so polite and she had gone along with it! How could she have done that? She needed to hate him, so that they could call this idiotic engagement off and she could go home and live comfortably and alone.

She told herself that starting the next date, she was going to do everything she could to get him to hate her. This wedding was not going to happen. At least, it wasn't if she had any say in it.

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A/N: Long chapter….. I'm pretty sure I just gave myself carpel tunnel typing this. Yeah, I know, Kyouya's out of character but I think he's learned to loosen up a bit since he's 28 and has probably dealt with everything the Host Club can dish out. OH!!

POLL: I'm wondering if I should make Kyouya and Haruhi's past together a story separate from this one or if I should just incorporate it into this story. If I do make it a separate story should it be a one-shot? Or a chapter-by-chapter thing? Either leave your opinion in a review or email to me.

Thanks!