twentynine

Chapter 12

Sweet Sixteen

A/N: Hello, darlings! Today I give you a sweet chapter and a short author's note to go with it.

PLEASE READ: Would any of you be interested in me writing a one-shot for you? It could be of any pairing you like, with the genre however you want it. I'm thinking of doing a "giveaway" of a one-shot in celebration of the end of Season One, but for now I'm just testing the waters to see if anyone's interested. Leave me a review if you like the idea!

Disclaimer: I own neither OHSHC nor any of the other copyrighted things referenced in this chapter.

XXIX

Ariel

"So how do you like being back in Japan?"

I roll my eyes at the question. Hikaru's asked this question twice already today. It seems like he was more worried about my running off to LA than I thought. I guess he's trying to make sure I like it enough not to leave again (at least, not to leave so suddenly). "I like it fine here. Aside from the butt-load of homework from the classes I missed, I'm fine. Speaking of which, do you think Tamaki will be mad if I miss club today and work on it in the library?" I say the name 'Tamaki', but everyone in the club knows I'm really talking about Kyoya. He's the one who'll really be pissed if I miss too much club.

"No!" Kaoru waves his arms back and forth. "You have to go to club today!"

"Uh, why?" I stare at him suspiciously.

"Um… Kyoya said he'd be mad if you missed any more club than you already have," Haruhi chimes in.

I gear up to argue - something here smells fishy - but the teacher shushes us loudly and I slump back into my seat where Momoka gives me a look of sympathy.

When the last bell rings, the twins each take one of my arms and drag me toward Music Room #3 with Haruhi following closely behind us. "What's going on-"

The twins drop my arms and pull open the doors of the Music Room. Inside, the whole host club plus even the guests are lined up on either side of the entrance, each holding a Dream Come True rose - my rose. In the corner is a huge pile of presents in every shape, size, and color. Ominous.

"Happy Birthday, Ariel!"

Dumbfounded, I need a little push from Haruhi to get me moving down the aisle. Each guest hands me the yellow-and-red flower that represents my membership in the Host Club and I take each one carefully so as not to prick myself on their thorns. At the end of the aisle, Tamaki gives me a huge bouquet of roses in every color - each representing a different member of the host club. I tuck the roses I received into it and then look up at him, wide-eyed for and explanation.

"Your birthday was this Sunday, but no one knew about it. Princess, I am so sorry for this grievous mistake. I beg your forgiveness."

He's doing the 'Prince' thing to me? Me? "How did you find out my birthday, anyway?"

"Akito told me after you came back," Kyoya tells me. "I couldn't pass up such an occasion to… celebrate." Something about the way he says it sends chills up my spine, but not the bad kind. Definitely not the bad kind.

"We prepared a party for you!" Honey's face is shining with excitement, probably due to the promise of cake in the near future.

"Thanks, but you really didn't have to do this." I protest, but Tamaki shakes his head.

"Nonsense. It's our pleasure to celebrate such an occasion as our newest host's sixteenth birthday." He sits me down in a chair at the head of a large table and the guests crowd around me, giving me congratulations and asking me questions.

"It was so hard not saying anything about your party," says Momoka, "but it was worth it to see the look of surprise on your face."

"You were so surprised, Ari-kun! It was hilarious." For the thousandth time, I'm grateful that I can't blush. Did I really look that surprised? I was, though.

The twins disappear into the kitchen and then emerge holding a huge birthday cake. Three-tiered; frosted in yellow, red, and peach-pink; covered in candles; it looks like Honey's dream cake. The two of them set the monstrosity in front of me and I wonder how we're going to eat the whole thing, even with all of us here.

"Do you like it?" Tamaki asks, his puppy-dog tail wagging back and forth repeatedly.

"Yeah," I grin up at him. I still can't believe they did this. No one outside of my family has ever thrown me a birthday party before. This is way too much, but I love it all the same.

Honey gets ready to dig in with a fork and knife, but Tamaki stops him at the last moment. "Wait! We have to sing the birthday song."

Are they really going to sing this? In Japanese? A piano appears out of nowhere (I've pretty much gotten used to things like happening in the host club) and Tamaki sits down at the keys. Apparently so.

He starts to play the intro to a stylized version of happy birthday and I try not to roll my eyes. This is sweet, after all, even if it is incredibly corny. Are they going to sing in Japanese? I kind of doubt that people in Japan know the English version of "Happy Birthday". It doesn't exactly seem like something they teach you in English class in a high-class school like this.

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Ariel, happy birthday to you!" It comes as a surprise when everyone starts to sing in highly accented English (I suppose accents come out more when people sing). During the song, I just sit awkwardly in front of my huge cake wondering what happened to my life. This time last year, I was in my hotel suite smoking a blunt with Luther to commemorate my turning 15. Now, a year later, I'm surrounded by people who actually give a shit about me.

When the song is over, I turn to Kyoya. "Why- how- what?"

He sighs with good-natured annoyance. "Tamaki insisted that we all learn the English words of the song. He said it was 'tradition'. We did it on Monday, when you were at home." This is amazing. I had no idea I was well-liked enough to get even the guests to learn the songs in English. I guess I have to give up my rebel status, huh? Somehow, I'm not too broken up about it.

"Wow. I can't believe you did it too." I smirk at Kyoya, and he turns away and adjusts his glasses.

"I can be a team player when I want to."

"Ariel!" Hikaru calls out.

"C'mon!" says Kaoru.

"What?" I yell back across the table.

"Make a wish!" They shout in unison.

I suppose it's that time of the birthday party. Okay. I usually like to think about my wishes beforehand, but this one caught me by surprise. Maybe it's silly, but I like to put a little more stock into my birthday wishes than most. After all, they represent what you want most out of this year, right? May as well think about it.

What do I want most out of this year?

I wish… I wish to become closer with all of my friends this year. I blow out the candles. Maybe a bit anticlimactic, but at least it's genuine. I want to be close with the hosts, as well as the other friends friends I've made in Japan.

Speaking of which, I wonder where Nekozawa is. He probably didn't know it was my birthday, and I can't see the hosts inviting him. It's too bright in the host club, and the hosts don't really like him (though I don't know why. He and I get along really well).

When I got back, Nekozawa told me how worried he was (not in so many words, however). I guess having a little sister kind of… softens you up a bit.

"What did you wish for?" Honey asks me with wide eyes. I open my mouth to tell him, but Mori stops me.

"She can't tell you, Mitsukuni. If she does, her wish won't come true."

Oh, yeah. I'd forgotten about that little rule. "Sorry, Honey." I smile and put a finger over my lips.

"That's okay! I want Ari-kun's wish to come true!"

When the whole wish business is over with, I get to cut the cake. I try to help serve it out, but the hosts sit me back down and instead serve it to me and the other guests. It's delicious. Soft and moist, the cake has a texture that reminds me of one I once had at a famous parisian pastry shop. The color of the inside of the cake is bright apple red, but it tastes like peaches, light and crisp but at the same time unbelievably decadent. It's moments like these that I'm glad I don't have to worry about my weight too much, because I feel like I'm going to gain a few pounds just from looking at it. Some of the more calorie-counting ladies at the table opt out of the cake and eat a small bowl of fresh fruits instead, provided by Tamaki (who, all the while, insists that they are lovely and have no need to worry about their weight).

After the cake-eating is over, I'm bowled over by Honey's ability to put away slice after slice. Every time he asks for one more, I feel a little more worry that he's going to get a stomachache. Somehow, though, Mori finally stops him sternly and tells him that if he eats any more, he'll get a cavity. From the dark look in Honey's eyes, I can sense that he's had a nasty cavity before, and that it wasn't exactly a pleasant experience. When he finally gives up his quest to finish the entire cake, I breathe a sigh of relief. At least half of the cake is left, but no one at the table can stand to eat any more, we're all so stuffed. That thing was enormous. The twins carefully put in the walk-in fridge in the back room (why does a music room have a walk-in fridge? Oh wait, it's Ouran. Never mind).

"Now it's time to open presents!" Tamaki claps his hands together. "Haruhi?"

"Really? Me?" Haruhi gives Tamaki a look of annoyance. "Everyone in this room has more money to spare than my dad makes in a year, and you want me to go first?"

"Aww, poor Haruhi." The twins and rub their cheeks against Haruhi's. "She doesn't have any money." I can see her face darkening in annoyance, and I try to resist the urge to laugh. The twins really have no manners, do they?

"I guess you don't have to go," Tamaki says, his golden-retriever ears drooping. "But I'm sure Ariel will love your gift anyway, ne, Ariel?"

I nod in response. "It's okay if it's not expensive. It's the thought that counts."

"Fine." Haruhi's gift is a book, All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr.

"Thanks!" I tell her as I put the haphazardly-torn wrapping paper to the side. "This book got good reviews, didn't it? I've been looking for something new to read."

She nods in response, and I can sense a hint of a blush around her cheeks. I can see why Tamaki and the twins fawn over her. It's kinda… adorable.

I quickly unwrap the rest of my presents (what? It's interesting to see what kind of presents the hosts think I would like).

The twins' gifts are wrapped together. From Hikaru is the pair of pretty glass heels I wore to the Black and White Ball and from Kaoru is the opal-and-black-crystal necklace I wore the same night. "Wow, guys," I breathe. "This is too much." The heels are even more gorgeous than I remember them - lined with velvet and shot through with silver in a pattern that almost looks like cracks. They're so delicate, it makes me nervous just holding them. I can't believe I danced an entire night in these shoes.

The necklace is just as amazing. The opal shines with a multicolored, luminescent glow and the crystals glitter in the palm of my hand. I hold it up to the light and it casts an unnatural pattern of light across the room.

"No way. These are yours." Hikaru pats me on the back.

"We weren't sure about giving you something you'd already worn, but Mom convinced us. She said that when she saw you at the ball, it looked like these were made for you," Kaoru tells me.

"We delivered the dress directly to the Ootori mansion."

"We figured you had enough to carry," they say in unison, looking sideways at the huge pile of gifts that I'm going to have to take home.

"Thanks, you two." I pull them both in close for a group hug. They both look shocked at the intimacy, but their expressions melt into identical smiles as I wrap my arms around them. Something tells me these guys aren't used to being hugged so much.

Honey's gift is a stuffed german shepherd puppy. It's very fuzzy and very huggable. I squeeze it in my arms as soon as it's out of the wrapping. It feels good knowing that Honey picked it out personally. "Thank you! What should I name him?"

"His name is Inu-san," Honey tells me with a wide smile.

I raise my eyebrows. "Doesn't that just mean Mr. Dog?"

"You know that? I thought Ari-kun couldn't speak Japanese." Honey tugs on Mori's sleeve. "Did you know she could speak Japanese, Takashi?"

I wave my hands quickly. No use letting them think I actually learned the language. While I have a knack for learning languages and I've been studying Japanese for a few months with a private tutor, Japanese is a difficult language and I'm nowhere near fluency. "No, I just know a few words here and there. Was I right?"

"Yes, Inu-san means Mr. Dog! Is that a bad name?" I can practically see his pretty eyes glistening with tears at my criticism of the name he chose.

"No, no!" I quickly deny any dissatisfaction. "It's a great name. Thanks for Inu-san."

Mori's gift is an expensive-looking hunting bow and a set of arrows. The bow is a deep shade of red, like my hair, and the arrows' tips gleam with malicious sharpness. I can just imagine myself stalking through the woods with the bow and arrows, the predator to any that dared to cross my path. The gift may not entirely suit me, but it suits the person I want to be - strong, powerful, with the ability to destroy my enemies.

Maybe I'm reading too much into it.

By the time we get to Tamaki's gift, he's practically bouncing up and down in his seat with excitement. "What'd you get me?"

"Wait here." Puppy dog tail wagging back and forth, Tamaki strides to the back room and returns moments later with a huge box wrapped in paper decorated with yellow suns and white moons. From inside comes a small sound, almost like… a mew.

A mew?

I tear through the wrapping paper to reveal a large pet crate. Within, the sounds of insistent meowing grow louder and there is a sound of scrabbling at the bars of the door.

Oh my god. He didn't. I peer into the crate with bated breath. Two sets of wide, nervous eyes stare back at me.

He did!

I open the crate and carefully reach into it. My face pulls into a wince as a set of minuscule claws dig into my arm. The aforementioned arm emerges slowly, with a tiny little kitten hanging off of it.

Dear lord.

The kitten in my arms is about the cutest thing I've ever seen in my short lifetime. It's ears and paws are larger in proportion to the rest of it and I stare at it in awe as it clumsily pushes its way to its feet stare up at me.

"You got me a kitten?" I breathe, facing Tamaki with the tiny bundle of fur clinging tightly to my arms. It's getting its hair all over my ugly yellow school dress, but I don't really care.

"Two kittens," he says, smiling at my expression. "The other one is in the crate. She's a bit more shy."

I look back into the crate, and sure enough, inside is a sweet-looking white kitten with frightened blue eyes. "So she's a girl, huh? Is this one-" I motion to the kitten in my arms. "-a girl or a boy?"

"A boy." Tamaki replies, still smiling like a madman.

I run my hand over the boy kitten's fur. He looks like a tabby - orange and white stripes and a pure white tummy. The other cat is sleek and a pale, pale grey, except for splotches of blue-black on her tail and feet. They're both softer than clouds. My mind is working in overdrive at that moment, so I just say the first thing that pops into my head. "Are they brother and sister?"

"I think so. A few weeks ago, I saw them in a box in the rain. Their owner was giving them away, and I couldn't stand to leave the out in the cold, but I have a dog at home so I can't keep them." Well. It's nice to know that I'm getting Tamaki's cast-off kittens, but they're so precious that I can't summon any annoyance. At my pondering looks, Tamaki's golden-retriever tail droops. "Was this a bad idea? If you don't want them, I can take them back. I'm sure they'll be able to find homes…"

"No, no! I love them. I totally want to keep them." I turn to Kyoya. "That is, if you think your mom and dad would be okay with it."

Kyoya has a very odd expression on his face. The way he's looking at me is… embarrassed, almost, as if he's been caught doing something he shouldn't be. But what?

He swallows, adjusts his glasses. "Yes, I think it would be fine as long as you keep them out of the main house."

"Yay!" I cuddle the boy kitten close to my chest.

Hmmm. I can't just keep calling him 'boy kitten'. "Do they have names?" I ask Tamaki.

"No, not that I know of. You get to name them."

Oh. Well… I catch a glimpse of the sun-and-moon patterned wrapping paper. "How about… Sunny. The girl kitty can be Luna." I scratch the top of Sunny's head. "How do you like that, Sunny?"

He purrs in response.

I reach into the crate to give Luna the same treatment, and pretty soon I've coaxed her out of her hiding place into my lap. She stand still on wobbly legs, and lets me pet her, eventually giving in to a soft purr like the whirring of a tiny, adorable machine.

Before long the guests and the other hosts are crowding around me. They all take turns admiring the sweet little kittens, giving them more TLC than their tiny minds could possibly comprehend. At least I'm out of the spotlight. Honey in particular is enamoured with Sunny, who seems to take a liking to the oldest (but most childlike) host.

We all get caught up in the excitement of having two real-live kittens to adore, but the still-large pile of presents in the corner reminds me that I have a while to go before this party is over. When I begin to open thee guests' presents, I'm shocked at the variety and sheer absurdity of some of the things they bought. Since they all go to a school like Ouran, I'm not entirely surprised at the extravagance, but there's certainly a few odd items that I'm not sure I'll find a use for.

For one, there's a bicycle. Now, it's not such an odd item, but to be given a bicycle on your sixteenth birthday is just a bit… weird. I only learned how to ride a bike a few years ago - when I lived in my parents' mansion, there was always a car to take me wherever I want to go. Still, I appreciate the gesture. The bike - retro-style and sea-foam green - is a bit more feminine than I would have chosen myself, but it's aesthetically pleasing and I like it.

Another is a huge stack of books that appear to be the entire works of Stephen King. How exactly did Momoka Kurakano guess that I was a horror fan? Still, I'm not sure it's wise for me to read all of these; there have to be around fifty little volumes here. I pack the books into another gift - a neon green set of luggage that, according to the giver, glows in the dark.

Aside from the oddities, I get a lot of handbags, a lot of jewelry, and a lot of clothes that are way too flowy and pink for me. I'll have to give them to Haruhi (though it's doubtful that we're the same size. Maybe I can have them altered). Even though she's so masculine at school, I've noticed that when dressing as a girl, she goes all out with the girlie-ness. Nevertheless, I'm touched at every gift as a gesture of kindness and goodwill. For once in my life, I'm well-liked, and it feels good.

At the end of the gift-giving, I have to wonder about Kyoya. Didn't he get me anything? It's not he had to, but I really thought he of all people would have gotten me a gift for this party. Even though he's under no obligation to buy me anything - it's not like we're dating or something - I still feel a little twinge of disappointment. I really don't care what he'd've gotten me, just that he cared enough to get me something, anything.

This is silly, I tell myself. Don't get all upset over him. It's almost like… you're into him. And you're not.

As I clear away the wrapping paper of the last gift and reach out to take Luna into my arms, I feel a hand on my shoulder.

"Did you really think I'd forgotten you?"

XXIX

Kyoya

Her soft blue eyes glance up at me, her features wearing the same expression of surprise that barely seems to have left her face all day. In her arms, the white kitten, Luna, purrs gently.

I don't blame it.

As Ariel's long fingers trace mindess patterns over the kitten's back, I can almost imagine what it would feel like to have those fingers trace my own wrists in the same way, delicate and fleeting as a whisper. What, then, would it feel like to have her breath play across my skin as she speaks my name? Would it be as gentle? As careful?

"Kyoya?"

Has she noticed my odd expression? Though there is no way that she could possibly know what I've been thinking, her eyes are sharp and questioning and I feel the urge to confess that for the past few weeks, I've been seeing her in ways that don't entirely make sense. No, that would be absurd. It would be ridiculous to tell her, when I myself don't quite understand.

Teenage hormones happen to the best of us. A line from a long-forgotten film jumps to the forefront of my mind, and I balk at the suggestion in the actor's voice. Could that be what this is? Desire? For Ariel? It couldn't be.

"Kyoya?" Ariel's voice, more insistent this time, prods me to regain my composure and adjust my glasses yet again. I am confident that she will be fond of my gift above all the others', even Tamaki's (I am amazed, as usual, at his lack of tact in choosing a gift - though Ariel seems willing to accept the burden of the kittens).

I repeat my question. "Did you think I had forgotten to get you a present?"

She looks down and shuffles her feet. "I wasn't sure. I know it's short notice. You didn't have to."

I feel a bit affronted. Did she really think I would be the only host to not get her a gift, even when I'm the one who has been entertaining such an odd fascination with her? I suppose she has no way of knowing this, but I still want her to think more of me.

Perhaps this gift will do the trick.

I reach into the inside pocket of my school blazer and retrieve a small, flat black box. As I feel its hard wooden edges press into my palm, I suddenly have a rare moment of doubt. Will she really appreciate this gift, or will she see it as an invasion of her privacy?

It's too late now to take it back. I hold it out in the palm of my hand and she takes it, ever-so-hesitantly.

Her fingers brush mine.

I feel a jolt - not like electricity, but like passing my hand over an open flame. Her hand is burning hot, but I know it is just my imagination. Nevertheless, another irrational spark plays over the skin of my finger pads and I meet her eyes. For some reason, I want to believe she can feel it too - the faded blue of her eyes is wide and exposed, as if she'd had as much of a shock as I'd had, and her hand lingers in mine just a second too long.

When she finally pulls her hand away after what seemed like a longer moment than the few seconds that it surely was, vague, uncertain disappointment brings an uncharacteristic flush to my cheeks. I turn away and fix my glasses so the light flashes off them and obscures my eyes from view.

She pulls her gaze from my face to the box, then carefully undoes the black satin ribbon. When the top of the box is removed, a slow smile spreads across her face at the contents. "Thank you, Kyoya."

Her fingers seem aware of the delicacy and high value of the item in her hands. It is an antique silver locket, oval-shaped and carved with an intricate pattern of leaves surrounding a blooming silver rose.

"Open it," I tell her softly. It is not so much a command as a request. My heart is beating in my ears in anticipation.

Ariel gives me a questioning glance but complies, lifting the silver door. It takes a moment to open, but soon the old silver hinges give way and the locket swings open.

I can't see the contents from here, but I know precisely what lies within. With the deliberation I gave this gift, it's only natural.

On one side of the double photo frame is a tiny photograph of her parents. They both are only half-looking at the camera, half of their attention fixed on each other. They look young, and hopelessly in love with each other. I secured the photo from Ariel's parents themselves. Her mother told me over email that this was the photo they used in private wedding announcements many years ago.

The other photograph is of Aurora.

In it, she is laughing, a flawless smile stretched into the perfect image of mirth and forever frozen in the picture frame. It is barely possible to see her slim shoulders, but they are adorned with thin straps of white. This was Aurora's wedding day.

In the impeccable happiness on her face, I can see traces of Ariel too. While their basic features were vastly different - Ariel's light olive skin to Aurora's china-white, Ariel's red hair to Aurora's blonde, and Ariel's stormy blue-grey eyes to Aurora's cerulean - their facial expressions held similarity, that I can tell from the few pictures I've seen of Aurora.

My thoughts flick back to the present and I notice Ariel's hands trembling. The box slips out of her shaky fingers and clatters on the floor, but the locket is still held secure.

"Ariel? Are you alright?" I ask, coming closer because I just can't help it.

A tear runs down from the corner of her left eye.

I can't help but be shocked still. Ariel, crying? It can't be. I expected to make an impact with my gift, but this was certainly not the reaction I wanted.

"Ariel?!"

She sniffs hurriedly and wipes away the solitary tear with a watery laugh. "Ha, sorry! I didn't mean to cry, it's just…" she trails off and swallows, standing up.

I think for a wild second that she's going to hit me, but she doesn't. Instead, I'm pulled into a tight hug that barely leaves me room for breath. That suddenly doesn't seem to matter much, because my entire body is aflame.

Or at least… something like that. Ariel is like fire.

My every sense is burning with something unfamiliar, some feeling that I can't smell of her wraps around me, mint and the way soil smells after the rain - earthy and fresh. It's the kind of smell that could drive someone to pray for a storm. Her sangria-red hair brushes my cheek as she stands on tiptoe to kiss my cheek.

"Thanks."

It feels like being branded, but it's pleasant kind of heat, and I can't keep the elation off of my face.

XXIX

A/N: There you go! This was the first real chapter of Season Two, and I think it went pretty well. What do you think?

Here's your chapter-ly reminder how much reviews, favorites, and follows mean to me. I love 'em. Reviews especially give me validation that I'm not wasting my time with this story, and they motivate me to write more frequently and give you new chapters sooner. What's not to like? Just answering my Random Question of the Chapter will take you like two seconds, but it'll put a smile on my face and make my day.

PLEASE READ: Would any of you be interested in me writing a one-shot for you? It could be of any pairing you like, with the genre however you want it. I'm thinking of doing a "giveaway" of a one-shot in celebration of the end of Season One, but for now I'm just testing the waters to see if anyone's interested. Leave me a review if you like the idea!

Fun Fact #12: Ariel has a bad habit of leaving her makeup on when she sleeps.

About the Author: One of my (many) bad habits is listening to music loudly without headphones in the middle of the night (actually, Ariel does this too, lol).

What's your number one bad habit? Leave me a review!

Until next time…