We Are the Sons and Daughters - Kyoya x OC

Chapter 28

     Having made the unfortunate decision to volunteer and stay behind, Reiko had been at school until five a.m. the next morning cleaning up after the party. School began at 8:30, so she'd seen no point in going home and had instead asked that a maid bring her a clean and ironed uniform and a change of clothes.

     Once the dance hall had been cleared out, the silver-haired teen retired to the club room. The room had been quite cold when she walked in. She hadn't noticed it before because she'd been too busy directing the cleaning effort but the school turned the heating system off at night, and early spring weather made for cool nights meaning Reiko would have to bear the chill until the heating came back on at 7:00 a.m. when the sports clubs met for early morning practice. Thankfully, the uncomfortable temperature helped keep her awake. If it weren't for that and the countless cups of coffee she'd consumed throughout the evening, she would've fallen asleep long ago.

     Reiko sighed and glanced at her watch, which read 6:15. "Time moves so slowly," she thought. To stave off sleep, the silver-haired teen had busied herself by working on the final expense report for the party. Originally, she and Kyoya were supposed to work on the task together as it had been saved to their shared folder, but she was sure the latter wouldn't mind her getting a head start if it would help them in the end. Rubbing her eyes, she shifted her position and tucked her legs underneath her dress to protect them from the early morning coolness. Glancing out the window, she relaxed seeing the sun's first rays peak over the academy grounds in a beautiful sunrise. After admiring the view for a moment, she leaned back against the arm of the couch she'd occupied and continued to type up the expense report as she waited for the campus to be filled with life again.

     It was just past seven in the morning now, and the halls of Ouran Academy were beginning to awaken as the student-athletes and individuals who liked to come to class early entered the grounds. Kyoya, who arrived at the clubroom at precisely a quarter-past, was used to being the first one in the club room and was surprised to see his classmate already at their usual couch while she silently worked on her laptop. She hadn't noticed him entering at all, and the second year took full advantage of the rare moment of her obliviousness to stare at her.

     Reiko looked like a scene straight from a painting. Her posture was much more relaxed when she thought she was alone; he could see it in the way she leaned against the arm of the couch, almost as if she were going to lay down. Her fingers moved across her keyboard lazily like she had all the time in the world to finish whatever task she was working on. Kyoya found himself almost mesmerized by her movements, and his eyes followed her hand as she pulled her hair over her shoulder. The silver tresses had been plaited into a messy braid- a stark contrast from her usual prim and proper hairstyles but he couldn't help but feel as though this style suited her better.

     He tilted his head as though he were examining an art piece at a museum. He knew that many ladies were jealous of Reiko. It wasn't only because she enjoyed the close companionship of the much sought-after Host Club but also because she conducted herself with effortless grace and elegance. Looking at her now, Kyoya could understand perfectly why so many envied her. A slight smile pulled across his lips as a strange sense of pride began to surface. He nodded appreciatively as he mentally acknowledged that he'd managed to recruit such a refined individual into the club.

     Tired of merely observing, he swiftly made his way towards the young woman. "You're here quite early today." He kept his voice low so as to not startle her with his sudden appearance.

     Reiko glanced up at him, her eyes widening slightly for a moment as her tired mind slowly registered his presence. "I hadn't even heard you come in... good morning," she greeted.

     Kyoya sat down beside her. Crossing one leg over the other, he pulled out his black notebook and began to write in it. "Good morning to you as well, Reiko. May I ask why you've chosen to come here so early?"

     She sighed and leaned back a little to subtly stretch out her spine. "Clearing the dance hall took longer than anticipated despite the custodians' help. By the time everything was finished, it wasn't worth making the trip home. I decided that it would be a better use of my time to stay and work until classes began. It was easy enough to send a maid to bring me a change of clothes."

     He stared at her for a moment. "So, you stayed in the club room all night... but the school turns off the heating system each night after midnight; how did you manage that?"

     "The cold actually helped keep me awake. Besides, I was too busy to notice it most of the night, so it wasn't that much of a bother."

     Kyoya sighed as though she had just asked him to do something incredibly bothersome. Sliding his jacket off his shoulders, he smoothly draped it over Reiko's. "I'll lend you this for time being, though in the future, I advise you to be prepared if you ever have to stay at school during the night."

     Reiko blinked at him slowly. If she had been more alert, she would've declined the favor and at least tried to return the jacked. She really was quite cold though, and the warmth the jacket was providing was too relieving to say no to. It smelled like cologne with a hint of lavender- Kyoya's scent.

     "I'll keep that in mind... thank you."

     "You are most welcome," he answered before returning to his notebook.

     From then on, the pair worked in comfortable silence. No words were passed between them as they each attended to their assignments. It wasn't long before sleep began to overtake Reiko, however. The room was now at a comfortable temperature, and Kyoya's jacket provided a sense of warmth that was starting to lull her to sleep. The quiet that had fallen over the room only added to the peaceful atmosphere, but it was the faint scent of lavender that caused her eyes to flutter shut.

     Movement caught Kyoya's eye, and when he turned to Reiko, his breath caught in his throat to see her falling sideways while her laptop slid off her lap. Quickly, he reached out on hand to catch the device before it could fall. Meanwhile, his other arm slid around the silver-haired teen's back and kept her upright though her head lolled to one side.

     Sighing in relief, he gently set the computer on the coffee table in front of them before turning his attention to his classmate. He hadn't noticed it when he first came into the room, but it was clear that she was exhausted. Her eyes were rimmed with dark circles- something he never thought he'd see on her- and her face was a bit pale. A frown settled on his features as he watched her inhale shallow breaths.

     Kyoya debated his options. He could either wake her up and suggest she go home and rest or splash cold water on her face if she was so determined to stay in school, or she could let her rest for an hour until classes started. Glancing at her one more time, he sighed quietly to himself. "Just this once, then," he thought.

     Carefully, he shifted Reiko so that she was now leaning against him and kept his arm around her to make sure she wouldn't slide down or fall again. He set his notebook down for a moment to push her head onto his shoulder for her to rest. It wasn't the most comfortable position but being close to her wasn't bad either. Promising he'd wake her up before class, Kyoya returned to his notebook and continued working.