Resisting Temptation (A Kyoya Ootori Fanfic)

Chapter 29

(Seina's POV)
The next morning, Kyoya and I headed to the pension for breakfast, something he was none too happy about having being unceremoniously dragged from his bed. Though after our night together he seemed far more inclined than usual to indulge me.
As we walked in, we spotted Kaoru and Hikaru seating themselves at a small table and bickering about something. Haruhi appeared to take their breakfast order and they proceeded to list an elaborate arrangement of things definitely not on the menu.
'None of that is on the menu.' Haruhi informed them shortly. Before they could debate the matter further Tamaki-senpai appeared and hit them both around the back of the head with a rolled up newspaper. Although you had to admire his unusually apt and decisive measures his words rendered them pointless.
'Who do you guys think you are behaving like some affluent members of the aristocracy.'
They looked around at him with raised eyebrows. 'Well we are and so are you.'
He adopted an unnecessarily high and mighty voice. 'When in Rome, do as the Romans do. That is my general rule. So, when in Karuizawa, enjoy Karuizawa!' He then produced a covered dish and presented it with no shortage of dramatics. 'Cold pasteurised jersey steaks with fresh juice from Shinano, highland vegetables and the finest smoked salmon, cooked slowly over cherrywood chips which are the pride of the local community. Freshly baked campagne breads with homemade jam so you can taste the natural flavour. Help yourselves.'
We all stared at him in surprise and Kyoya glanced down at me. 'It's not too late to go back to bed you know.' I gave him a thoroughly unimpressed look even as his arm snaked around my waist and left me sorely tempted to oblige him.
'When did you become such a big fan of Nagano?' The twins demanded.
Haruhi sighed. 'He turned up here too early this morning so Misuzu-san showed him everything.'
'While you were all sleeping, I even made a guidebook for our training camp, so dedicated a president am I.'
'You really don't have anything better to do, do you?' Haruhi asked from her place between the twins.
'See Haruhi,' He said gesturing to the first page as he leaned over her shoulder. 'the first rule is that you cannot treat me as your senpai while we're here.'
Hikaru flicked through the book. 'It says here that we have to get up at 6:00 am, are Kyoya-senpai and Honey-senpai following that rule?' Tamaki-senpai staggered back from them realising the potential consequences and still unaware of our presence.
'Well, I most certainly won't be.' Kyoya declared, announcing our arrival and drawing me to the nearest table. He smirked at me. 'I have much better things to be doing.' I blushed fiercely and gave him a halfhearted kick beneath the table. He just laughed and smiled at me softly. Thankfully no one else picked up on what he was implying.
Sparing me from any further embarrassment the bell on the front door announced the arrival of a young man delivering for 'Arai Produce'. Misuzu-san cheerfully chatted to him about his high school and his summer job while Haruhi stared at him. Misuzu-san called her over to put the fruit away and he dropped his cap in surprise as he identified her. 'Haruhi? Haruhi Fujioka?' His cheeks were pink giving away his opinion of her but her gaze was equally intense.
'Arai-kun.'
The twins and Tamaki-senpai were temporarily united against the boy. He looked down at the three boys seated on the floor, clearly uncomfortable.
'Uh...friends of yours?'
'Yes. This is Hikaru and Kaoru they're classmates of mine. And this is my senpai...an acquaintance of mine.' Tamaki-senpai reacted as if she had struck him while Misuzu-san made things worse by playing a minor chord at the piano. He turned to her slightly dazed.
'Misuzu-san please don't add to my personal despair.'

It turned out that the green grocer boy was actually a friend of Haruhi's from middle school. Since they'd run into each other so unexpectedly, he was invited to stay for a drink. The entire time he was flushed pink like a school girl with a crush. He asked her how Ouran was going and if she was still in touch with any of their old classmates.
By this stage Mori-senpai and Honey-senpai had joined me and Kyoya at our table while the twins sulked at the bar. Hikaru in particular was being more troublesome than usual, commenting on the duo's clear lack of a friendship and demanding Haruhi refill his drink. Tamaki-senpai was making a hamster nest in the corner which looked suspiciously to everyone else concerned like a mess. Bizarrely Arai-kun seemed more amused than concerned.
Hikaru continued to be hyper critical of Arai-kun's 'innocent' and 'refreshing' behaviour before finally declaring loudly that he had a thing for Haruhi. Arai-kun clearly having heard looked really embarrassed. I bent down and slipped off one of my pumps and when Hikaru opened his mouth again. 'Really it's sickening.' I lobbed the shoe at the back of his head.
'Hey! Seina!' He jumped off his stool and turned to face me. 'What was that for!? That was uncalled for!' By this stage Haruhi was annoyed and stood up too.
'No Hikaru! You are the one who is being unpleasant!'
Before she could say anything more Arai-kun interrupted her. 'No it's fine really. He is right after all. I did used to have a thing for you, Fujioka.' That stunned poor, oblivious Haruhi into silence. 'Then again I've already been turned down by you.' Everyone turned shocked eyes on Haruhi who was staring wide eyed at Arai-kun.
Kyoya raised an eyebrow at her. 'Why do you look so shocked?'
Arai-kun then proceeded to explain how he rather too subtly attempted to confess his feelings to Haruhi and how she cluelessly broke his heart. In fairness to her he had clearly done a shoddy job of confessing by anyone's standards. She turned back to him and bowed a little too low.
'I'm really sorry.'
He just laughed her off. 'No it's ok, you don't need to reject me again. I'm over it. Plus if you didn't understand it shows you weren't interested.'
His good natured manner won me over and although he lost points from me for gushing about how wonderful he thinks Haruhi is, that won Tamaki-senpai over and we all ended up sitting together. Well everyone except the twins. While Kaoru seemed casually interested, Hikaru was in a foul mood.
Tamaki-senpai tried to invite them over to hear old stories about Haruhi but Hikaru rudely rejected the invitation. 'I don't especially want to hear about them.'
I went to chuck my other shoe at him, earning a bemused chuckle from our unexpected guest but Kyoya stopped me. 'Seina please put your shoe back on your foot.' I stuck my tongue out at him but did as he asked. I would bide my time.
'Or should I say, how stupid are you!? Getting so excited about stories from the past! And doesn't he get that Haruhi doesn't want anything to do with him? Haruhi has no room in her life for you!'
I was about to get up and deal with him but Haruhi beat me to it. Literally. Before he could say another word, she slapped him straight across the face.
'That's not for you to decide Hikaru! If you do one more rude thing to my friend, you'll answer to me!' He didn't look at her, seemingly unable to process what had just happened.
'What is this? Why do other people matter!?' He jumped to his feet. 'We're your friends aren't we!?' I could hear the tears in his voice and it hurt me to know my friend was in pain but one way or another he had to learn to deal with his emotions and not lash out. So I stayed where I was as he ran upstairs, Kaoru giving chase.
Kyoya put his hand on my thigh, a subtle reassurance that I was doing the right thing. Still it didn't feel that way and I knew it was a 50/50 split as to whether Hikaru would see my choice as a betrayal.