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From an outsiders point of view, it appeared to be a normal day at Ouran's Elite Private Academy. The students attended their regular classes, met with friends to eat lunch, and discussed plans for after school which were as mundane as any day prior.
However, the school's most popular student, was currently bouncing his leg in anticipation as he impatiently waited for the end of the school day. His desk rattled and he could hardly keep his script tidy as he struggled to pay attention to the notes he was supposed to be taking in his English class. What did it matter, he was fluent in French so learning English was never hard for him, ergo a bit of the grammar. Missing the lesson was the farthest from his mind anyhow. Tamaki was known to make every event more dramatic and important than it most likely deserved, but today was a date that held priority to him more than any other.
Not to his surprise, the subject of excitement was seemingly unaware of the holiday-or, more likely, choosing to ignore it. Kyoya, who sat only a desk away from him in this particular class, took his notes in his usual neat penmanship. He only once glanced over to shoot Tamaki an annoyed glare at the squeak his desk made from his leg twitching. Though Tamaki knew his best friend better than anyone else, it still astonished him that Kyoya gave no mind to the one day designated to him.
How could Kyoya not care about his own birthday? Birthdays gave a reason to be a bit selfish for the day, an excuse to hang out with your friends and family, and it made one feel the slightest bit more mature. Tamaki already knew Kyoya would respond with something like "One day doesn't gain any person more maturity, Tamaki. Besides, while the number signifies that I'm 'a year older,' I'm only a day older than yesterday so really nothing has changed. Stop putting so much emphasis on something so trivial." Despite that, Tamaki could not wait to spoil his friend for the remainder of the day with the (probably far too many) gifts he got him and the numerous activities he had planned from them.
As the class was finally excused, Tamaki shook from his daze and grabbed his things quickly, making sure to beat Kyoya from leaving the room without him.
"You ready for the club today?" Tamaki asked, trying casually to initiate conversation without being obvious about his eagerness.
Kyoya failed to return Tamaki's eye contact as they strode into the hall side by side. "As ready as I am any other day."
Tamaki nodded and directed his attention forward. "Do you have any plans afterwards?"
Kyoya glanced to the side, already deducing Tamaki's plans. "Unfortunately no, although I should get home and do schoolwork."
Tamaki chuckled. "Nice try, but I know you already got it done. I saw you working on it when I was over the other day. Besides, I know you aren't dumb enough to leave yourself busy on a day like today. I know you hate your birthday but you know that I won't let you slide without celebrating and the last thing you'd want is to be dragged out by me and then have to go home and finish all your work wicked late at night."
"I hate that I forget you're smart sometimes." Kyoya deadpanned. "Fine, so I did plan for you to ruin my night so you might as well tell me what's in store-"
"Nope! Sorry, that's a secret. You'll just have to find out." Tamaki gave Kyoya a devious smirk and a wink before they continued their walk to the clubroom in silence.
"Hey Kyoya-senpai, I know you hate the attention, but happy birthday." Haruhi politely greeted after the pair had entered the club and parted ways.
"Thank you." Kyoya responded with a polite nod. Sure, he hated his birthday, but he wasn't going to be an ass about it. He saved that energy for the inevitable future of certain other members who would no doubt piss him off.
Haruhi glanced up at Kyoya with a curious smirk. "I'm assuming Tamaki-senpai gave you a huge gift?"
"Nothing yet, but I do know he has an elaborate evening planned that I'm forced to partake in. If you have any last minute excuses to get me out of it, I'd sincerely appreciate it."
Haruhi gave a short chuckle and glanced at Tamaki. "As much as I relate to hating the attention, I think it's best you go. It'll probably mean more to Tamaki but... well, I think it'll be worth it, don't you?"
Kyoya looked at Haruhi, trying to find an explanation to her statement on her face but finding none. Tamaki would enjoy the evening more than himself, that part he understood, but what exactly did she mean by it'd be worth it? To whom? What gain would Kyoya get from wasting an evening on shenanigans?
Much to Kyoya's surprise, Tamaki didn't announce to the ladies that it was Kyoya's birthday that evening (which he was more than thankful for). However, it as completely expected when the twins decided to start messing with him not that their guests were gone.
"So, I hear the boss is taking you out for your birthday," Hikaru started, appearing over Kyoya's left shoulder. "Taking someone out on such a special day, with just the two of them... that seems an awful lot like a date." Kaoru continued, leaning over the other shoulder.
Kyoya rolled his eyes and ignored the two as he continued to work on the club's budget. For once, he couldn't wait to go with Tamaki if it meant escaping these two faster. From a few feet away he heard Honey make a comment on his situation.
"Usually I ignore Hika-chan and Kao-chan since I know they're just teasing, but they do have a point, don't you think Takashi?" He frowned for a moment. "Not that all interactions between two people have to have romantic implications, but the fact that Kyoya is spending his birthday with just Tamaki rather than his entire friend group or even his family is strange. I know he isn't a fan of it, but there is no way he would give in to a party if it were put on by all of us. But since it's Tamaki, he'll go. I think that says a lot, don't you?" Mori only nodded in response.
Kyoya scowled. This was not what he wanted the other hosts to think of him. What was this weakness they were casting onto him? Couldn't they tell he was just giving in because Tamaki would annoy him into going no matter what? This is Tamaki's fault, this is his doing, not a product of Kyoya feelings. His nonexistent ones, of course.
"Ready to go?" Tamaki suddenly approached him and he was reluctant to be seen leaving with the blonde, despite everyone else already knowing that was his plan. He grabbed his things and walked out with a single glance at the others. He needed to show them there was no emotion behind his actions.
Tamaki jogged to catch up with Kyoya and regained a steady pace beside him. "So I've got a few different things planned but I promise to have you home at a decent time. Although I know that hardly matters to you, night owl." Despite Kyoya's silence, he continued. "And hey, don't let what those guys said back there ruin your time. I know you're only doing this for me, but I sincerely planned things I thought you would enjoy, so let yourself have a little fun, okay? No one's around to see but me."
Again, the boy didn't reply, but his body seemed to lose its stiffness just slightly.
After a short car ride, Tamaki led Kyoya into a bookshop. "There's a starbucks here, too!" He explained, as if Kyoya read his mind as to why they were there in the first place. "I'll go order whatever you'd like. You go browse, and feel free to sit if you find something you like. I'll leave you completely alone. And whatever you like, I'll get for you. I know that doesn't mean much, coming from another rich man, but it's the thought that counts right?"
Kyoya nodded, not despising one of Tamaki's ideas for once, and all he said in response was "earl grey."
Once Tamaki left to order them drinks, he turned to look for a section to his liking. It'd been quite a while since he shopped for books-or at least, ones he chose to read; he bought textbooks quite frequently. He found himself wandering down the autobiography aisle when Tamaki returned.
"Careful, it's hot." He said as he handed Kyoya the cup. "Also, if you find a book, the back of the shop has some comfy couches to sit on and I just looked-there's no one over there." Without another word, the blonde disappeared.
Kyoya was surprised. He expected Tamaki to be all over him. He hated to admit that it almost disappointed him. Putting the thought aside, he grabbed a book that had previously interested him and sought to find the location Tamaki told him about.
He found a long sofa with two end tables, both of which held abandoned books of all genres. There were two other lounge chairs on either side, and nearby was a long table with wooden chairs and a desk lamp that contained USB ports-the perfect place for a student to study. He sat at the end of the sofa and opened the book, but thoughts kept him from finishing each page with his usual speed.
After about 10 minutes went by, he noticed Tamaki in the corner of his eye.
"How are you doing? Sorry to bother you, but I wanted to be sure you were enjoying your birthday! Because if you aren't, we can always move on to the next activity early!"
"Where have you been?" Kyoya asked, placing his book in his lap.
"Oh" Tamaki glanced behind him to the café section connected to the shop, where a brunette in a green apron currently served an elderly couple. "I was talking to that woman. I wanted to give you some space."
Kyoya's eye twitched at the sight of the woman, but he kept his composure. "I thought the point of you dragging me out for my birthday was so you could spend time with me?"
"Well, that's what I wanted. But I didn't think that's what you'd enjoy, so I planned this stuff instead." Tamaki explained with an obvious shade of ignorance.
Kyoya hesitated to speak, not wanting to make his true feelings apparent. "Well, you're here too, so you might as well enjoy yourself." And, before Tamaki could make any sentimental dimwitted comment, he shoved the book he held at Tamaki and added "I want this one."
Tamaki blinked as Kyoya stood and headed to the exit of the store.
Kyoya wasn't too surprised when the next place he was taken was Tamaki's house, but he was surprised when he was instructed to wait in the main hall.
"I just have to make sure they're ready-" Tamaki muttered as he ran to another room.
The manor was as empty as ever, aside from a maid scuffling through every few minutes. There were many definitions of lonely, but Kyoya was sure Tamaki's was one of the worse ones. At least Kyoya could say he lived with his family. The silence made his gave him chills. Tamaki may have been a dunce, but Kyoya respect him for being as happy as he was given his situation.
"Alright, you can come in!" Tamaki yelled from down the hall, giving Kyoya no other direction but to follow his voice.
He finally found Tamaki in a random parlor where him and a few women were hovering around some beds and towels.
"Your very own spa! I know how stressful the club can be, so I wanted to let you take some of the weight of your shoulders and relax for a bit!"
Kyoya wanted to scowl at the idiotic idea but in all honesty, it may be nice. He couldn't remember if he had ever been to a spa. Such frivolous treatment wasn't respected in the Ootori household. While they did own a medical facility, mental health and self care were not even considered science in his house and were thought of as a waste of time and money.
"You can disrobe behind that privacy screen and use a towel to cover yourself." One of the women instructed him.
When Kyoya did as he was told, he noticed Tamaki following him. "You said at the bookstore that I might as well participate... but if you changed your mind I can leave-"
"Don't bother. You deserve it as much as I do." Kyoya mumbled.
Tamaki nodded, and without another word, the two began to disrobe, backs facing each other.
"You are enjoying this, right? You can tell me and I'll cancel it all and you can go home and-"
"Don't be ridiculous Tamaki, of course I am." Kyoya said, serious tone masking the emotion behind his statement. "Thank you for taking my feelings into consideration when planning this for me. I know you would have preferred to be more extravagant."
Tamaki was surprised, but didn't want to scare the honest side of Kyoya away by reacting. "Of course, you deserve to celebrate in a way you'll actually enjoy."
"I probably would've enjoyed anything you planned to some extent, but this is much more-"
"AH, really Kyoya?" The blonde was suddenly clung to his bare waist. "You're the best. The absolute bestest friend."
Kyoya rolled his eyes as the Tamaki who was trying to hard to be calm and please Kyoya disappeared and became his normal excited self. Tamaki continued spurting out words, but Kyoya was no longer listening, suddenly noticed how warm Tamaki's arms felt on his abdomen. Tamaki had hugged him plenty of times, but he was surprised to think this was the first time it happened while he was shirtless. Though he supposed the times they were shirtless were during trips to the beach, where Tamaki's focus had been shifted to Haruhi in a swimsuit.
"-yknow maybe you don't even need the spa treatment, your skin is already so smooth! It's like-"
"Are you done yet? I'm getting cold standing here practically nude." Kyoya interrupted.
"Right" Tamaki responded, smiling sheepishly as he let go of Kyoya and followed him back out. They both laid on their respective beds and let the women get to work.
Not only did the two get massages, but they got cupping and stone treatments as well. It left Kyoya feeling the best he had since he was a child. He never realised his shoulders could feel this light. Even his mind felt cleared of all his usual stress-except the thoughts of his blonde best friend beside him, which begrudgingly remained. How could he help them, after all, when he was lying there completely naked? Although Kyoya had no view of this with his head facing the floor, he could only imagine the indecency. Did friends see each other like this? He remembered them changing in the club a few times, but that was only down to their boxers. What was the difference now though? The towel covering him now served the same purpose as underwear.
"Oh, and once we're finished, I figured we could bathe, traditional Japanese style! I never have but it seems so calming!"
Fuck.
Did Tamaki know what bathing was in Japan? Did he watch a few anime and think it'd be a fun idea? Was he expecting to help Kyoya wash? Being full Japanese, Kyoya should find no problem with this. So why was he freaking? It seemed as the evening went on, it became more and more intimate. Was Honey on to something earlier? No way would he admit that the twins were right. But their comments suddenly seemed to apply to his current situation. Or was he overthinking it all?
"You two are all set" A women announced, so Kyoya sat up, trying his best to act normal.
He heard one of Tamaki's maids ask to lead them to the bath, but he ensured her that he knew his way and wanted some privacy with Kyoya. Wait... was he hearing that right? Why would he want privacy? He could just be saying that because it's a bath and he's shy but-no, Tamaki had no problem undressing in front of anyone it seemed. Or was Kyoya overthinking all of this? Was this an elaborate scheme or was he giving far too much credit to his blonde best friend? Perhaps-
"You coming?" Tamaki beckoned from the door. Kyoya nodded, gulping inadvertently, and followed him to the bath.
"I thought your estate was western style?" Kyoya inquired to steer his mind a different direction.
"It is. That didn't stop my father from putting in a traditional bath. I always opt for the shower on my floor though. I wanted to save this for a special occasion." He turned to look back at Kyoya, who was following suspiciously far behind, but thought nothing of it and continued. "I actually brought the idea up to Hikaru and Kaoru once, thinking they'd be the easiest to convince to do it with me, but they said the fact that I was so interested was pervy, especially with me not being full Japanese. I tried to tell them I was approaching it from a cultural aspect and had no ill intentions! But they just laughed. I was so ashamed I never brought it up to another host again." He sighed as he finished his dramatic retelling.
"And you thought because it was my birthday you could get away with living out your perverted fantasies?" Kyoya asked as the entered the room.
"No! I just said it's not-well, never mind, here we are. You'll have to walk me through this a bit."
Walk him through this? It's not exactly a complicated practise. But Kyoya didn't want to be caught with his blush deepening any more, so he knew he had to take the first step. He took a seat by a washbowl. "Wash off before you get in the bath." He briefly instructed.
He felt Tamaki's presence behind him and it gave him goosebumps. "Here," Tamaki offered, and Kyoya felt a sudden warmth on his back. His brain, previously going a million miles per hour, suddenly stopped. He could no longer think, he could no longer breathe. All he could focus on was the drips of water running down his back. All he could feel was Tamaki's fingertips brush him softly.
"Don't worry, I don't have anything else planned after this. I got a cake, and figured if it was still early we could watch a movie, but other than that, you're free to go." Kyoya could feel Tamaki's breath on his neck as he spoke. Too close.
"A mov-" Kyoya's voice cracked, and he quickly cleared his throat in embarrassment. "A movie would be nice."
"Yeah?" Tamaki stopped and swung around to face Kyoya. "I was thinking The Road To El Dorado! But obviously it's your choice."
Too close.
Kyoya couldn't keep his eyes on Tamaki's as he responded. "Mhm. That's... fine..." His lips were damp and shiny. His bangs hung just in front of his eyes. Kyoya reached a hand out to brush them away, but suddenly Tamaki was gone again.
"You're so skinny, Kyoya." He felt Tamaki's finger run down his spine. "You should eat more."
Kyoya was fortunate enough to say he'd never been in a situation of torture or extreme pain. This had to be closest he'd ever gotten. It was a psychological nightmare.
Tamaki appeared in front of him again, now washing his chest. "Oh, and if it gets too late after the movie, you can spend the night. I know it's a school night so I won't be offended if you say no. But-" He finally looked up at Kyoya and suddenly their faces were only an inch apart.
Far too close.
His breath smelled like mint, assumedly from the drink he had back at the café. Their eyes were locked, both speechless this time around.
"If you could have anything in the world right now, what would it be?" Tamaki abruptly asked in a low, hushed voice he probably wouldn't have heard if it weren't for their close proximity.
"You." Kyoya breathed, and in a instant, corrected himself with, "you've already done quite enough today."
Tamaki rolled his eyes and sat back. "Yeah, but hypothetically."
That wasn't something he'd ever thought of before, if Kyoya was being honest. He never got what he wanted, not that he even sought after it. He was the third son, so he'd been training all his life to deal with disappointment. If he was the first son? If there was no competition? In an otherwise perfect world... what would he want?
"I enjoy the challenge. But sometimes it'd be nice to relax, and not worry so much about results. No expectations to meet."
"Well, when you're around me, you can relax. I have no expectations of you except to be yourself. Whether that's emotionless Kyoya or vulnerable Kyoya, you can show me, and I won't tell anyone else about it." Tamaki rested his hand on Kyoya's.
Kyoya took a second to stare at his friend, finding no words to voice his gratitude. "I'm cold. Get washed up so we can get in the bath."
Tamaki giggled and nodded, sitting beside Kyoya and washing himself. When Kyoya was sure Tamaki wasn't paying attention he dropped his towel and got into the steamy water. It felt perfect on his unstiffened muscles. He watched his fingers extend in the water, imagined Tamaki's fingertips on his skin again. Why his thoughts were like this, he still didn't know, but he needed it to stop. Maybe staying over wasn't the best idea this time.
Tamaki slipped into the water beside him, so close their arms brushed.
"There's an entire bath, you know." Kyoya hinted with a smirk.
His friend ignored him and leaned back, eyes closed and a content expression on his face. Kyoya couldn't help but take the opportunity to stare. Drops of water were running down his face, outlining his perfect facial structure. They slid down his cheekbones, dusted with a light blush from the heat, and landed on his sharp jawline. Then they would eventually drop into the water by his neck, where his adam's apple gently bobbed. Kyoya's eyes continued to wander to his collarbones. He'd never observed Tamaki in such detail before. No wonder he was the club's most sought host. He was the epitomy of perfection, resembling a model or Greek God.
"Y'know, most people have to pay to look at me for this long." Tamaki smirked, his eyes still shut.
His eyes shot away and his blush grew tremendously.
"I'm kidding Kyoya, please, look all you'd like. It's actually more flattering to me to be coming from you than any girl at the club." His eyes fluttered open and he turned to his friend.
"I was just-"
"You're very handsome too. I couldn't keep my eyes off you earlier. Why'd you think I've been sitting with them closed now? It's hard to keep them from... wandering." He chuckled and shut them again, leaning farther back. "I see why Hikaru and Kaoru opposed to this idea now. Though at that time, I swear I had good intentions."
What was this idiot saying? Kyoya wasn't doing anything more than observing-that was all. So why is he suddenly admitting to all this? What did it mean?
He felt something on his hand under the water. Tamaki's hand. His eyes were still closed. Maybe he didn't need to understand it right now. It was his birthday, he should just enjoy the moment. He shut his eyes and enjoyed the moment.
A while went by until both agreed to get out before they turned into prunes. They both changed into more comfortable clothes (Kyoya already had some there from previous visits). Then they met in Tamaki's room to watch the movie. They found themselves at a comfortable distance on Tamaki's bed. As Tamaki started the movie, a maid came up with slices of cake and popcorn.
They ate in silence until a specific montage in the movie, when Tamaki finally spoke up.
"This scene is super gay." He said through a mouthful of cake. "Two young, eligible bachelors adventuring with each other. Earlier he touched the other guys butt remember? And now they're bathing together! I know there's no way they actually are but like... you know what I'm saying right, Kyoya?"
Kyoya was hesitant to respond, finding many similarities between the two in the movie and him and Tamaki. "I think they're just two young men who are very close. Don't they both fall for the girl in the end?"
"That's what it seems like. Sometimes I like to pretend they're a throuple. It's cute when you think about it."
"Maybe..." Kyoya set his plate down and sat back, making himself more comfortable. "It seems a bit more one-sided than that, but I suppose you're entitled to your opinion."
Tamaki copied Kyoya's movements, setting the bag of popcorn between them. "Yeah. Well, I think no matter which one of the guys likes the girl, its obvious to me that the guys like each other. And I don't care who disagrees with me."
"Interesting." Kyoya responded, refocusing on the movie as the montage neared its end. He felt the blonde lean his head onto his shoulder. "And you're not saying all this because you relate to the characters, right?"
Tamaki frowned. "I don't so. Do you?"
"You can't tell me there aren't obvious parallels. The light-hearted, musical, people-pleaser, and the focused, coordinated, greedy one?"
"You're not as greedy as you let on to be."
"That wasn't my point."
"Sure, I can see the similarities." Tamaki started, sitting up to look at Kyoya. "But that's not why I think they're gay. Them being gay and us being gay is completely mutually exclusive. Totally unrelated."
"Hold on, what do you mean by that?" Kyoya asked incredulously.
"Oh. I meant, uh, hypothetically. Not that-I wasn't saying-"
"Tamaki." Kyoya stopped him, placing his hands on the others cheeks. Tamaki became as bright red as the day he discovered Haruhi was a girl. "Freudian slip."
"What? No, I just misspoke. I'm super passionate about this movie, that's all, I swear. How could I-"
He couldn't resist it any longer. Kyoya pulled Tamaki to him and planted a short kiss on his lips.
Both pulled away with wide eyes.
"I knew it!"
"Knew what?"
"The way you've been acting the last few hours. I didn't want to say anything and jinx it. And I certainly didn't want to scare away my closest friend but-never mind that, now, you just KISSED me!"
Kyoya quickly covered Tamaki's mouth with his hand. "Would you keep it down? We don't need the whole world knowing-"
"Why not? You know how long I've been waiting for this?" He said, grabbing Kyoya's hand from his mouth.
"Listen, my dad already hates me, so just chill for a sec, okay?" Kyoya placed his hand on his forehead. "I'm still not even comprehending what I just did."
"Here, I'll show you." Tamaki grabbed Kyoya's face and repeated the kiss, far more enthusiastically. "There."
Kyoya blinked. It somehow felt so much more surreal when Tamaki initiated it.
"Y'know, I always hoped you'd be my first kiss. Even if you didn't have feelings for me, I kinda hoped it be like a best friend thing between us. That was your first kiss... right?"
"Yeah..." Kyoya said speechlessly.
"It's certainly worth all the hype." Tamaki nodded. "But those were short, we should do some more experimenti-"
"You like me?" Kyoya asked, still in disbelief of the situation.
"Well duh. Why do you think you're the Mommy of the host club? I thought that made it obvious enough without all the flirting-"
"Flirting!?"
"You're so clueless, Kyoya," Tamaki chuckled. "Did you even know you had feelings for me until now?"
"I... well I just thought..."
Tamaki chuckled. "I'm so overwhelmingly happy right now. Are you? Aside from still being in shock, of course."
"I..." Kyoya blinked himself out of his daze. "Yes of course, I'm delighted." A slow smile crept to his face. In a sudden burst of happiness, Kyoya pulled Tamaki into another kiss, this one long, passionate, loving. Tamaki wrapped his arms around Kyoya and pulled him closer. Kyoya tangled his hand in Tamaki's hair, still damp from the bath. For it being there-what third?-kiss now, their lips were surprisingly synchronised. They were gentle, but desperate, making up for years of lost time. Both let out laughs as the pulled away, elated and embarrassed alike at the pure silliness of the situation.
"Happy Birthday, Kyoya."
"You're a dork."
"I'll take that as my thank you."