So...I know I'm a a bit of a disappointment, but be it that it's winter break, I'm back to give you another chapter of Maria and Kyoya. I know I left you guys on a cliffhanger so I want to take you all off of it and resolve everything! Now, the reason I came back was because miss MikaXichi and I have had a brief but heartwarming PM conversation, and I was reading through it again and it inspired me to publish what I had stored away. I don't know how long it will be before I finally write more, but I want to continue to try and come out with something every once in a while. If you still read this, thanks so much and know that your emails don't go unnoticed. I'm super happy that all of you like this story so much, and you keep me inspired. Please review this chapter and tell me what you think of the resolution...and Kyoya's true feelings. Tally ho!

After the third straight day of missed classes, Tamaki shows up at his friend's place and stumbles upon a very tired and stressed Kyoya. It was clear he hadn't eaten much and hadn't slept at all, and on top of that probably hadn't showered. His entire coffee table and the floor around it was covered in documents, photos, anything and everything that could be thought of. Tamaki figured it was research of some sort that he was doing, and more than likely, it had everything to do with Maricella and her family.

His friend was even smoking cigarettes to keep himself awake. And who knows how many cups of coffee had been poured into the mug sitting beside him. Tamaki was astonished by what he was seeing, not sure whether to believe his eyes or not.

"Kyoya, what the hell? What is all this? I've never seen you like this." Kyoya looks up at Tamaki, not even realizing he had been there. He shrugs and takes a drag on his cigarette.
"This is all of the dirt I could dig up on the Estrella Corps and their entire family. Criminal history, bank records, bad business deals, mafia ties...you name it, they've done it. They're worse than the average business, and that's saying something." He puts out his cigarette and readjusts his glasses, rubbing his eyes.
"You need some sleep, my friend." Tamaki says, trying to sound encouraging and convincing at the same time. Kyoya stretches and groans.
"I can't, Tamaki. I've tried, and all I see when I close my eyes is Maria. I can't sleep until I have so much dirt on Maricella that, if she released her videos and photos, would bring her more harm than good. I can't sleep until Maria is mine again." Tamaki is taken back a bit, never having heard his friend speak like this. Is that what was driving him to be like this?
"You should shower and sleep. You have all of this covered. Maria will be back before you know it. Right now you need sleep...and no more cigarettes." Kyoya grumbles.

"I...I can't. I've tried to sleep, Tamaki. I can't." Kyoya tries to explain desperately to his blond friend. Tamaki looks confused and shows it.
"Why?" Kyoya runs his hand through his greasy hair, his heavy and dark eyes looking at the ceiling.
"...I love her, Tamaki. I fell in love with her, and I can't just...sleep when I know she's still out there, alone and hurt. She was blackmailed by Maricella into doing this to us. I have to get her back...I have to set things right." Tamaki sits down next to his friend.
"How do you know about the blackmail?" Kyoya gestures to his phone.
"Maria just went to bed. Tori called me and told me everything. Maria's just as much of a mess as I am, if not worse...she refuses to eat and said she doesn't want to paint anymore. She needs me just as much as I need her." Tamaki smiles. His two friends were really such pains when they were separated. The world fell apart when they weren't together. Of course it would be like that, Tamaki thought to himself.
"She's not going anywhere, Kyoya. Get some rest so you can meet Maricella in the morning and tell her. Then you can go get Maria back. You have everything you need. I'll even make sure Tori's out of the house for the day so you have Maria to yourself." Kyoya chuckles at Tamaki's insinuation, knowing nothing too lewd would really happen, but he did want to get his hands on her again and remind her why she was his.

And so, Kyoya eats, falls into bed, then wakes in the morning and showers. He gets to school and meets Maricella at lunch in the same room she'd blackmailed Maria into breaking things off with him...the third student council room.

"So, do you have the deal from your father or not?" Maricella asks, all formalities dropped now that his father isn't present. It irks him that she has no sense of mutual respect, not to mention that she was the cause of his break-up with Maria.
"There is no deal, Maricella. You blackmailed my girlfriend into breaking things off so that you could have what you wanted." She gives him a nasty scowl.
"What makes you so sure? When your father finds out about your relationship with that commoner, he'll—"
"She has a name, Maricella. And my father knew about your ploy as soon as you came to us. Your family is desperate for money because your brother owes severe gambling debts to the mafia. You also happen to have a sex tape that, if leaked, counts as child pornography and sends your lover to jail. Your father has been laundering money for drugs for over 20 years now. Should I keep going? Any one of these stories, if leaked, will ruin your family and overshadow any possible photos or videos that you may have. You will be marked a whore and thrown into the streets, and your family will go into severe debt. Is that really what you want, Maricella?" She sits down, scared but defiant.

"You can't threaten me! She is a commoner and nothing more! Why would you want to be with her in the first place? She is nothing compared to people like us!" He clenches his fists, the answer clear as the blue sky.
"I love her. And you need to leave. You aren't welcome in this school or this country anymore. If I so much as get a hint of you coming to this country, I will release all of this information. And if you release any of those photos or videos, I will also release your family's history. Do I make myself clear?" She swallows hard, then nods.
"Then get the fuck out of my face and go home." She gets up and leaves, her face pale. Kyoya sits down to cool off, taking a deep breath.

I have the house to myself today. I woke up early, cleaned, then showered and dressed in some nice clothes. Despite a heavy heart, I'm feeling okay today. I pulled on a white blouse and a red pleated skirt that falls to just above my knees. I have my blouse unbuttoned a little bit, and my hair is curled and long. I sigh as I clean the studio, pulling everything out and putting it away neater than before. If I'm ever going to paint again, I want to have easy access to everything. I sit in the studio for a while, pencil and paper in hand, but nothing comes to my mind. I've lost my spark, my fire, and my inspiration. I feel so demoralized. The one thing I could always use as an escape...gone. I sniff and try to hold back tears as I throw the sketchpad and pencil aside, hugging my knees and looking out the large glass wall to see the Tokyo skyline.

I'm glad I finished up my commissions stack before I broke things off with Kyoya. I wouldn't have been able to finish if it had happened sooner. For that, at least, I am thankful. It'll keep money around for awhile...but I may have to find a job or start pawning off my other paintings. Tori does what she can, but gigs are few and far between for her. Not reliable enough to live on. I sigh, standing up and walking toward my art supplies.

I go back to cleaning, and I notice a picture laying on the ground as I move my paintings around the room. I pull it up, and it's from the festival. Kyoya and I are dancing, my violet dress in motion. Tori and Tamaki are in the background, dancing as the orchestra had played without their principal violinist.

Kyoya was wearing a matching violet boutonniere that night. I look so happy...and so does he. I remember that night...how it felt to be in his arms. Perfection. Like nothing else mattered. Like we were the only ones in the world. Like I was his...

I feel a tear fall down my cheek, my heart aching.

"I miss you so much, Kyoya." I say to myself. I hug the photo to me, remembering that beautiful New Years night.

I will make you fall in love with me.

"I wanted you to. I was already starting to...and I'm so sorry that I ruined it." I say out loud. I sob for a while, memories of what used to be haunting me. He was gone. He wasn't mine anymore. He now belonged to some stupid rich bitch with too much influence and power over my life. The Kyoya I knew was gone...and there was no hope for me. I feel like...I should just quit. I should just stop trying. Why bother when everything seems so hopeless?

He was mine and now he's gone. I don't know what I did, karma, but I don't think even a sinner like me deserves this.

I sob uncontrollably for a while, wallowing in my pain. I want to remember it. I will get that rich bitch back some day. One day she'll regret ever getting in my way.

I hear a knock at the door, and I ignore it. I don't want to see anyone right now. I don't want to be bothered. I'm having a really intimate and vulnerable moment...the least I could have was some privacy, right?

The knock sounds again and I groan. Picture in hand, I descend the stairs and look out of the peephole. I put a hand over my mouth to keep from gasping.

It's Kyoya. He's wet from the rain, but the umbrella in his hand shows he's not soaked to the bone.

What's he doing here? Shouldn't he be at school?

"Maria, I know you're in there. I want to talk." I lean my back gently against the door and sigh after he steps forward to the door, placing his hand against it.

"You don't have to do this, Maria. I know you didn't mean it." I shake my head, not wanting to believe what he's saying. Why haunt me with this? Why reaffirm how stupid I am?

"You lied to me. Maricella blackmailed you. I know that now." I shake my head again. Why did Tori tell him? It only makes things that much worse.

"You did it to protect your sister and Haruhi. You did it to protect Tamaki and Hikaru." I wipe away my tears, but they're flowing so fast I can't stop them. So he knows that, too. That's just...fantastic. Thanks a lot, Tori.

"You didn't have to. Maricella's going home." Another pause. I sniffle, looking at the photo. And? We can have a secret relationship while she's gone? What's his point?

"My father wants us to be together." My heart stops. What did he just say?

"Maricella leaked him the video anyway. He didn't really care about that, at all. He wants us to be together, Maria." I stand up straight, not sure how to react. My body is numb.

"Maria...I don't know what else to say. I can't be without you. I don't want to be. And...I want to tell you the truth about how I feel about you. But I want to tell you to your face. Please, come out and talk to me." He sounds so desperate and hurt. He sounds like how I feel.

If this is all true...then we're in the clear. I don't have to be without him. Tori will be happy. So will everyone else. We can move on...forget about what happened and be happy together. It's almost too good to be true...like some sappy love story in comic book form.

I turn around and open the door, flinging myself into his arms. He holds me close, his arms squeezing me tightly as he drops the umbrella. He holds me tight as I cry into him, sobbing uncontrollably. His embrace is tight...desperate. He missed me just as much as I missed him. God, this boy is perfect.

"God dammit, Maria. You make me so mad sometimes...I just want to strangle you." He says, and I sob into his arms more, unable to form words. He lifts me up, bringing me inside and shutting the door. He locks it and presses me against the wall, my legs straddling his hips as he looks into my eyes. There is fire in his eyes, a burning flame I don't quite understand. His closeness feels so good to me...so hot, so...attractive and dominant. I'm like jelly in his arms, tears streaming down my face.

"Don't you ever—and I mean ever—do that to me again. Next time you come to me, no matter what she or anyone else ever says. Got it?" I nod, tears falling down my face as our eyes lock.

God, he's gorgeous. I could fall into those eyes forever.

"Good. Now shut up and let me kiss you." I cock an eyebrow. Had I said anything since opening the door?
"But I haven't—" He silences me with a kiss, and it's hungry. There's nothing gentle about this kiss. His hips press harder into me, one hand on the back of my neck, the other on my thigh, holding me as I'm pinned to the wall. I help him shrug off his coat as he continues to kiss me, his tongue invading my mouth. A soft sound escapes my lips. It only spurs him further, kissing me even more feverishly and making my hair stand on end and shivers run up my spine.

I can't stop the moan that falls from my lips as he nibbles at my neck. I pull his dress shirt out of his pants and undo the buttons swiftly, one by one. He smirks and lifts me into his arms again, carrying me into the studio, closing and locking the door and laying me flat on the floor. He kisses me again, climbing on top of me. I flush furiously, unsure what to do or say. Was this really happening? Did we really just take four huge relationship steps in the last three minutes?

My heart is pounding so loud and fast I'm sure he could hear it. And probably the neighbors too.

His hands paw at my shirt, but then the buttons start coming undone. I flush and try to hide myself but he stops me by kissing down my neck to my collarbone, leaving a trail of kisses down my sternum and then to the valley between my breasts. He kisses the top of each one lightly.

"Kyoya...what are you doing?" I ask, nearly breathless. He smirks, lifting himself to my lips and kissing me. He puts a hand on the small of my back, pressing my hips into his. The friction feels so good, and the heat...I feel something pushing against me, and I flush furiously when I realize what's pressing into me. I moan into the kiss as he gently bucks into me. I feel heat pooling in my belly. What is going on? Is this...are we...
"I love you, Maria." He says as he pulls away from my lips slightly, his forehead leaning against mine, looking into my eyes. My heart stops as I hear this. First the passionate kisses and embraces, and now this? All while he's so close? What...is going on?
"...what?" I ask softly, and he smiles. It's a genuine, happy smile. And it's beautiful.
"I love you. I wanted you to know that I love you, Maria." I flush. He's got to be joking. And it's not funny.
"No you don't." I say, denying it. He chuckles at me, caressing my cheek gently.
"I love you." He says again. I feel my face on fire.
"Stop saying that!" I say, and he shakes his head. I feel tears pouring down my face.
"No. I can't lie to you and I won't stop until you believe me. I love you, Maria." He says, kissing me again. We stay like this for so long I become lightheaded. A groan escapes his lips as I adjust my body to accommodate his weight.

"Don't move too much. I have to control myself enough without your squirming." I flush when he says this. Can he just...not? Please? I'm so embarrassed already.
"Don't say that." I say, and he chuckles darkly.
"Don't believe me? I can show you how much I want you." He starts kissing down my stomach and I squirm. He moves to my legs and kisses my knees, then starts to push up my skirt and plant kisses on my thighs. They're long, drawn out kisses, and they make my body heat up in anticipation. The pool in my belly increases, and I moan as he plants a long kiss on the inside of my thigh.

"Believe me yet?" He asks, and I flush and look away. He gently grabs my chin, kissing me again and pressing his body flush against mine. My hands run over his chest, feeling his skin under my fingertips. He then runs a hand along my hip down across my thigh to my calf, his long arms caressing me. He brings his hand back up and it dips between my thighs, gently squeezing as it makes its way upward very, very slowly. He refuses to let my mouth go from his, but his hand is all I can focus on right now.

"Hey Maria, are you in there? Come out of there right now. Why did you lock yourself in there?!"
"Tori, please...Kyoya's here with her. The umbrella was outside and the limo is parked. Let's go get lunch, sweetheart..."
"No! I have to make sure Kyoya isn't killing her!" There's a struggle as Tamaki pulls my sister down the stairs. Kyoya and I had frozen in terror, afraid to move or speak. Our position was so very compromising.
"She is fine, darling. Let's go eat. You can see Maria later. Let them be alone for a while."
"Why? So he can deflower my sister in the heat of the moment?" I flush a dark crimson at her outburst and Kyoya chuckles darkly.
"Leave them be, Tori. Please, dear, come eat with me. I'm starving and so are you." She sighs and grumbles as they descend the stairs. When I hear the door slam, I relax a little. Kyoya kisses me again, and I break away shortly afterward.

"You weren't really going to go that far, were you?" He looks at me, confused for a moment, then chuckles.
"Not if you didn't want me to, my love. I wouldn't force myself on you." He says, and I sigh heavily with a nod.
"I didn't think you would but...things were getting intense." I say. He nods, standing up and pulling me upright. We fix our clothes and then look at each other. Our eyes lock and we stand there for a few moments. He grabs my hands and holds them firmly in his, his eyes holding a softness that I've never seen before. It's like...something's changed.

Did he really mean what he said? Did he really love me?

That's crazy. So crazy...yet I can't just dismiss it. He's not lying in the slightest. He means what he said.

"Maria...please don't do that to me again. I don't know what I would do if I lost you again." I look at him for a moment, confused. I'm trying to come to terms with what he's said, and I can't form words.

"I know it's a lot all at once. It's not like me to come out and say this to you so suddenly. I know it hasn't been too terribly long, but when I lost you...I thought my heart would die. I couldn't bear the thought of losing you and being forced into a situation beyond my control. I was livid and out of control without you. You keep me sane...you make me happy. I love you, Maria, and if it takes days of hearing it, weeks, years, however long, I will keep saying it until you believe me. I am never, ever letting you go again." He embraces me, and I sob softly before hugging him tightly.

DAWWW! SO CUTE !)&!$(&! #(!*#&!^$

Alright lovelies, let me know what you think and if you liked it. If you have ideas for what you'd like to see in the future, I'm thinking of making small episodes of their relationship to put some time in between the next story arc. It would seem a little silly to jump forward about six months with nothing in between, so if you have any ideas for what you'd like to see happen (besides lemons, because I have that planned out already ;P) leave a review or PM me and I'll get on it straight away! I'll even give you credit for the idea! So go ahead and hit that review button or send me a message! LET YOUR NAUGHTY AND/OR NICE IDEAS FLOW THROUGH YOU!

Much love,

Mari-chan :3 3