I haven't written in so long! But I listened to Kyouya's character song one day and I knew I just had to write this one-shot. It is quite clear that he loves Tamaki more than just a friend. I feel for him. This takes place after they all settle down in Boston. His thoughts on how it all began. I strongly recommend anyone to listen to his character song to get a better picture. You can follow the links on my profile. Stupid site won't let me post it here. I don't own Ouran as well so there's no reason to sue me.

Something More Precious

It was a bright, early morning in Boston. The sun was blessing the day with it's gentle morning rays, the birds were chirping in chorus, creating a melody of their own and the constant breeze ruffled leaves on trees nearby, making them sigh almost contentedly. All was right in the world… Until—

"MOMMY! WAKE UP! YOU PROMISED YOU'D GO SIGHTSEEING WITH US TODAY!"

Suoh Tamaki woke up the Demon King. At seven-thirty a.m. sharp.

The rest of the gang were also there, encouraging, or rather screaming at Kyouya to get up. Haruhi was dragged into it as usual, but she kept her mouth shut—a wise decision. Mori's lips were sealed as well. Mostly because, he was Mori. But that didn't quell the noise the other four were making, which was enough to wake someone back at Ouran.

Kyouya rose slowly, and Haruhi thought she was watching a scene from one of those movies, where great evils awakened the same way. She shuddered as Kyouya turned his head slightly, his glare piercing holes right through the offending quartet. Haruhi blinked once, twice, not really doubting her sanity as she saw a dark aura radiating off the man. And was it just her, or did the temperature in the room just drop to sub-zero? So much for being cool… Haruhi mused.

"What." Kyouya's eyes burned under his mussed up bangs. "The hell do you want."

That definitely wasn't a question.

"M-mommy?" Tamaki yelped, backing off.

"I've had to make a profit of two-hundred million USD from a five-hundred million turnover last night. I didn't get to sleep until six-thirty in the morning. And I will not sacrifice my rest just to look at Boston on a bike." The Demon King spat, his glare intensifying with every word.

"Uh-oh. He's mad, milord." The Hitachiin twins huddled over to the 'depressed corner' of the Host Club president.

Kyouya collapsed back onto the bed, too exhausted to say anymore. Haruhi let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding and was about to suggest to Tamaki that maybe they should head out first without Kyouya, but Tamaki opened his mouth before Haruhi finished thinking.

"MOMMY!" Tamaki wailed in anguish, shaking the Demon King back and forth by the shoulders. "Don't waste this precious day! The sun is already high up, beckoning us with it's brilliant rays and—,"

"Do not make me repeat myself." Kyouya opened an eye, quite literally driving a stake through Tamaki's forehead. "Prat."

Rivulets of tears once again streamed down Tamaki's cheeks as the rest of the Host Club hurriedly escorted their president away to safety. The door was closed very, very softly behind them, leaving Kyouya to once again bury himself into the warm confines of his covers and continue his slumber.

By the time he finally got up, it was almost half-past one in the afternoon. Glancing over at his bedside table, he noted that he only destroyed four out of the six digital alarm clocks lying there. An improvement… Maybe he could cut down costs again. Tachibana, his ever-faithful servant/bodyguard/driver and whatever else Ootori Kyouya wanted him to be, greeted him with an extravagant lunch. Kyouya seated himself at the dining table and began eating his truffle pasta, which was topped with parmigiano-reggiano cheese. Yet, as he gazed out the window, his mind drifted from the divine richness he was swallowing.

It all started about… three years ago. They were now in the third year of their friendship. Since the starting point, so much had happened and eventually, Kyouya had learned to follow the wild pace that only belonged to Tamaki. It was… profitable enough, both in terms of social relations and cash flow. However, there had been an unexpected development on Kyouya's part.

Only after a day, he had been promoted to the title of 'best friend'. And because of that, the Suoh heir had constantly glued himself to Kyouya's side. The first five weeks was pure torture—he would always get swept up in Tamaki's personal whirlwind, only to be flung out of it abruptly just as he was starting to collect himself. To think, Kyouya allowed himself a slightly rueful thought, that I could have actually come to yearn for him.

Tamaki had coloured his life in his own grand way, also not hesitating to press the fast-forward button from time to time. But he still didn't like the boy. In fact, Kyouya hated the Suoh back then. He lived life so haphazardly even though he had the entire Suoh empire served to him on a silver platter. He was privileged—he got to do whatever he wanted. Kyouya was chained, restricted and wasn't to do as he pleased, yet he wanted to inherit the Ootori group from his father. Not that he was complaining—challenges were a part of his life—but to think that the Suoh would throw everything away so easily… It irked him.

And so, on that fateful day, his patience snapped and he lost control, in his own home nonetheless. For once in his life, thoughts of how his father would view his behaviour, of how he should use this relationship to his advantage, of how much he profit he would lose, all of that was thrown to the wind. Anger danced brilliantly in those onyx eyes of his as he closed his hands around Tamaki's neck, wanting to crush it. So what if the Suoh had a grandmother in the way? Kyouya had seen his grades, his potential and obviously his blessed position as the only child. Yet he—!

"Who actually forbids you?"

Tamaki had stared at him with those lavender orbs, seeing right through his act. Kyouya was shaken. Maybe this idiot wasn't such an idiot after all. Beyond the silly antics, lay a mature, sensitive mind. The words he uttered had broken the collar that Kyouya had placed on his neck, had smashed through the wall Kyouya had always longed to pass through. He, Ootori Kyouya, was freed.

And then, the blonde had to rant about that damned kotatsu, of all the things. Kyouya allowed himself to have a real good laugh since the day he was born. The world now lay before him, and he finally revelled in the joy of finally calling the blonde idiot a dumbass. It was as if everything was flung off his shoulders.

Time skip to four months later. Being Kyouya, he was not one to waste time denying his own feelings. He had grown rather fond of Tamaki and his frivolous plans. Even with all the harsh treatment (what greater joy would there be than to freely call an idiot an idiot, after all?), Tamaki stayed. For the long run. The Host Club wasn't such a bad idea as well. He had made two-hundred percent more than he had expected, even with all their crazy spending. Numbers aside, he was introduced to those of similar social standings—the Hitachiin family, the Haninozuka family, the Morinozuka family and others besides.

More time passed and Kyouya knew. He was falling, and falling hard. He found himself putting up with more and more of Tamaki's nonsense, appreciating the fellow's melodramatic speeches and more than anything, he wanted to protect that carefree smile. He spent the whole field trip to France looking for Tamaki's mother, nearly killing himself in the process. He spent nights persuading himself that he wouldn't be afraid if he lost the hyper blonde. It had taken a herculean effort for Kyouya to keep his feelings to himself when Tamaki was massaging his shoulders, the two of them alone in the Third Music Room. He wanted so desperately to reach out, but he refrained himself. He had analyzed. He had calculated. But no. There was just too much to give up. Not only the Ootori group, but given Tamaki's situation with his grandmother meant that the blonde would never be acknowledged, much less considered an heir. Then, there was his mother to add to the equation. It was at that time, Kyouya had truly learned the meaning of 'so close, yet so far'.

As always, the emotions never reached the black-haired teen's face, and albeit being a bit wistful, he was pretty content with the way things were.

Enter Fujioka Haruhi. Her existence was… probably for the best. Really. Not only Tamaki, but Hikaru pined for her, followed by a less aggressive Kaoru. Kyouya knew the moment Tamaki jumped into the sea, that he would never have a chance. That night, Haruhi bluntly told him what he already knew as he pinned her on the bed. He had wanted to let her know who he was entrusting her with before said person threw open the door. He left, knowing things would be taken care of. Though his heart wouldn't stop reminding him of the one thing he just could not have.

Their relationship progressed as expected. A few tweaks here and there with the twins' playing a bigger role than he had foreseen. In the end, Kyouya just needed to do what he did best—sit back and watch. Thing was, it hurt. Now, Kyouya was strong, and everyone already knew that. Most people tend to have a hard time recalling though, that Kyouya had limits. He was human. Plus, of all the meddling, Tamaki had to organise some stupid sports competition in order to build relations with Takeshi Kuze. And also for Kyouya's own enjoyment. It was obvious that Tamaki had meant well, but he was a dolt and didn't understand anything. He didn't know how Kyouya felt for him. The raven had opened up to Tamaki first and preferred to just leave it at that.

Kaoru was enlightened of that fact on a whim. The younger Hitachiin was didn't show it, but he took notice of a lot of things around him. Kyouya knew that Kaoru was aware of his feelings. His actions were subtle enough but Kaoru was unexpectedly sharp when it came to these sort of things. But they never discussed it—they had no need to. Kyouya reminded himself to keep a tighter rein on his emotions, but he was just tired of having something he wanted always prancing around in front of him.

"Kyouya-sama. It's time." Tachibana spoke, bowing before addressing him.

Kyouya nodded, pulling back his long fingers that had unconsciously rested on the glass, "The others?" He inquired.

"They will be arriving shortly."

"I see." Kyouya got up, heading for the car.

Five minutes later, he was in front of corner shop lot in one of the most busiest streets of Boston. Sure, he had pulled a few strings to get this place, but the merits would far outweigh the expenditure. Kyouya nodded in satisfaction and turned around, only to be tackled by the person responsible for all his heartache.

"MOMMY!" Tamaki cried in perfect English, "Where on earth have you been? We've enjoyed such a wonderful ride through town! Truly a commoner's experience!"

"Why is that man calling another man 'mommy', dad?" A little girl tugged on her father's arm as they were walking past.

"Now honey, as you grow older, you will learn that there are some people who change their genders…"

OK, screw it. Suoh Tamaki was going to die a very slow, very painful death. Today.

"K-kyouya?" Tamaki backed off with a yelp, turning to the twins (also partially to avoid Kyouya's glare). "Why is mommy so angry with me today?" He dragged out the last word, whining to his 'sons'.

"Geez, milord. You're making such a fuss." The twins shook their heads. "But you do know that…"

"You woke us up three hours ahead of time." Hikaru snorted.

"You crashed into the elderly twice on your ride." Kaoru shook his head helplessly.

"And you even spilled ice cream on Haruhi." They finished, jerking their heads in her general direction.

This, unfortunately, opened the floodgates again. Tamaki was about to turn and run off when Haruhi grabbed his arm.

"Senpai, don't mind it. It's fine. Just learn to control your excitement." Haruhi sighed.

Tamaki's eyes sparkled.

"Or rather try to." She added, blunt as always.

"If Tama-chan actually did, would there still be cake, Takashi?" Honey turned to his cousin who shrugged in reply.

"H-honey-senpai…"

Kyouya cleared his throat mildly, instantly getting everyone's attention. He gestured towards the shop lot and led the group into it. The room was filled with a chorus of gasps as the rest stared in amazement. The setting pretty much looked like the music room back at Ouran, complete with even the high ceilings. Marble floor, antique furniture, large windows, even the red silk curtains were present. There was a grand piano smack in the centre of the room as a final touch. Haruhi's left eye started to twitch as she looked expectantly at the Shadow King.

"Don't tell me…" Hikaru started.

"You plan on…" Kaoru turned to him, eyebrow raised in suspicion.

"This is a great opportunity to gain back the profits we're losing in Japan, don't you think?" Kyouya said, in a tone that left zero space for argument. "I've already talked to the school about it and they allowed us to hold club activities here everyday after lessons as long as it didn't interfere with our performance."

Already in business mode… Five people shared the same thought, looking away to hide their expressions. Tamaki was excluded, hyped up by the idea of hosting once more. A ghost of a smile crept onto the Shadow king's face, lingering there for a few seconds.

"Kyouya, this is brilliant! Bravo, mon ami! Bravo! I can already see the throngs of ladies flocking here to enjoy our services! It is a most wonderful way to start off in a foreign school! And shouldn't there be more things to fill up the space? I think a vase would do that corner some good! You know, something from the Roman Empire!"

"Uh, Tamaki-senpai? Can we give the vases a pass? Please?" Haruhi began timidly, reminded of how she got dragged into this whole charade.

She did not want to add another 8,000,000 yen to her halved debt.

"We open business tomorrow actually, so be sure to pick a theme." Kyouya commented, already holding his notebook and pen.

"On the first day of school?" She groaned.

"Is there a problem?" Kyouya continued to jot things down, without meeting Haruhi's eyes.

"Nope, not at all." Haruhi answered a millisecond after the Shadow King asked.

"Let's go and have a look!" Hikaru grinned, obviously up to something already. "Haruhi? Kaoru?"

"OK." Haruhi sighed, smiling fondly while walking over to an enthusiastic Tamaki who was busy waving a booklet on professional sports leagues in front of Honey and Mori.

"Coming!" Kaoru called after him, risking a side-glance at Kyouya before bounding off.

Their cheerful banter went unheard as Kyouya continued his trail of thoughts. Indeed. It was no lie that he approved of Haruhi. She was someone who brought Tamaki happiness and was not out for just a link with the Suoh company. She was also someone Tamaki could learn from, which was definitely a plus. The best part was that she had changed three generations of Suohs and their way of thinking. Kyouya was certain that now, if Tamaki ever fell in love with someone of the same gender now, Suoh Shizue would definitely be more understanding. Not that he would, mind you, seeing how happy he was with Haruhi. Though every now and then, headaches would still assault Kyouya if Tamaki talked about his date plans for too long. Thankfully, he managed to eliminate any irrational emotions while helping Tamaki realize his feelings for the girl. He was apprehensive about the grandmother's interference but all turned out well. Fujioka Haruhi never ceased to amuse him. Or pique his interest for that matter.

That didn't stop his heart from throbbing time and again however.

"Kyouya-senpai? Are you OK?" Kaoru asked, curiosity getting the better of him as he made his way to Kyouya who was standing by a window. "You seem a bit off…"

Credit to Kaoru, who was much more perceptive than his elder brother.

"There is nothing to worry about. I just happen to be busy making arrangements for the new Host Club area." Kyouya closed his notebook with a soft pat.

"It's fleeting, but it still hurts, doesn't it?" Kaoru let his gaze linger on Hikaru and Tamaki, who were busy arguing about the theme, pulling Haruhi into it.

Kyouya was not surprised. Kaoru was in a similar circumstance after all.

"One can obviously see that Hikaru still feels strongly for her. It will take a while before it actually wears off. You can make use of the chance presented before you." Kyouya spared him a small smile. "You are in a better position than mine." He added after a pause.

"What about you? It's not as if anymore Suohs are standing in your way." Kaoru retorted.

"Hmph." Kyouya smirked, pushing up his glasses. "You need not concern yourself over that."

"I have the ability to sympathise, senpai."

"Are you implying something, Hitachiin Kaoru?" Kyouya raised an elegant eyebrow at the redhead.

"Nothing much." Kaoru smiled, his eyes alight with mischief.

"I have found something more important. I am quite certain you have too." Kyouya replied pleasantly, knowing he did not regret his actions.

He was still an Ootori after all.

Kaoru grinned in return, folding his arms and leaning back against the wall to continue watching. They saw everything, from the way Tamaki's eyes lit up whenever laughter spilled from Haruhi to the way she responded back, her tone often gentle. Kyouya's eyes softened as he watched them, and an affectionate smile slowly spread across his face, lingering for a few seconds before he pushed his glasses up and went back to his notes.

The bond between him and Tamaki had started out as friendship. Then, unrequited love on Kyouya's part. And as the feeling grew, Tamaki's happiness was taken into account in quite a number of Kyouya's actions. He would turn down this chance, leaving Haruhi and Tamaki on their own. If he had to remain a steadfast, loyal friend, so be it. His number one priority now? Protecting the both of their smiles. Even if he had to give up his own.

No one, especially that god forsaken Zuka Club, would be able to even think about destroying the couple's newfound happiness. And he'll be damned if he was the one to ruin it.

Yes… Kyouya had found something much more precious.