Chapter Text
Kyoya sighed.
Sitting, legs propped up against his chest and staring out his bedroom window, he couldn't be more at ease. Leaning his forehead on the glass, his steady breaths formed a faint cloud of serenity, partially veiling his view of the night. He was staying in one of his fathers villas. From his father’s grounds to the mountains in the distance, there was a sweep of prairie, green and jovial by day, freckled with wild flowers and frisky fauna. It was now but a patchwork blanket, stitched from the gloomy night sky. It always amazed him how something so unassuming as the time of day could change something so… plain.
Exhausted from the long day, Kyoya stepped down from the window sill and slumped into his bed. Sinking into his pillow, he slept.
………………
“Kyoya~”
Kyoya’s eyes shot open. The room was streaked with the white rays of the early morning sun. He immediately squinted, taking in his surroundings as his eyes adjusted. A spacious room: a desk with my laptop and papers, a wardrobe and other pieces of furniture against the walls; an open window blowing in a fresh breeze, my bag with my belongings on the floor and…
“Kyoya?” Oh… yes. Tamaki is staying here.
In an instance, the room's door flies open, Tamaki sweeping in, face alight. “Kyoya! Were you asleep or just ignoring me?!” He paces around, animatedly waving his hands. After affirming that his friend is, in fact, awake and glaring dead at him, he grins. His previous exasperation vanished. “Aah, my dearest and most valued friend, fellow club member AND current host of this marvellous resort,” He twirls around, and runs a hand through his hair, “I require your highly esteemed and valued assistance at this given moment. You see, I’ve been thinking—”
In the time Tamaki had rambled, Kyoya had crossed the room, grabbed him by the arm and hauled him out the door. Leaning against the doorframe in fatigue, he watched as Tamaki stumbled ungracefully into the corridor, eyes wide and holding his hands out in feigned innocence, “Now, now. There’s no reason—”
Tamaki.” Kyoya dead-panned. He pressed his fingers against his temple. “It appears my incredibly straightforward rule of not being disturbed before I’ve had a good night's rest has yet to firmly fix itself into that big head of yours. But — more likely, you have purposefully chosen to completely discard everything, in favour of presenting another one of your fanciful ‘ideas’. I’m sure you already know what I intend to say about one of those.
“So, for the love of God, go away.”
Kyoya shook his head and shut his eyes. He had never been fond of being woken up in the morning, and was even less fond of speaking more than a few words so early in the day either. Especially not to someone so heedlessly energetic. Even though his harsh words weren’t anything that wasn’t commonplace between them, Kyoya was surprised that he felt a smidge of guilt. At that moment, he realised that it had been a while since Tamaki had invited himself along on one of his vacations — claiming that he wanted to go ‘sightseeing’ or whatnot. Though his presence got in the way of Kyoya’s work, he never once refused him. It’s always been like this. Since they met in the final year of Middle School. But still, he could never quite put his finger on what it was about Tamaki that he couldn’t stay away from. Even if he tried.
He truly was beautiful. Neat, golden hair falling around his face, a singular, velvety strand curling effortlessly to his nose. His bright, cheerful eyes caught the light from the corridor window as he merely blinked back at his friend.
“Huh...” Tamaki began, holding Kyoya’s intense stare and standing upright. He smiled, slightly confused but decidedly dismissive. “Well then. I’ll leave you to your work and… and perhaps Haruhi can help me. Unless, of course, she’s begun preparing for school. The Summer break is coming to a close…” He trailed off, tapping his lips in thought. Kyoya sighed and made his way to close the door. Tamaki’s rapid mood changes would never not catch him off guard. Despite them being unpredictable and, therefore, annoying, they were useful in the sense that Tamaki would never truly hold a grudge against him. That, for whatever reason, relieved him a bit.
Before Kyoya’s hand had shut the door completely, Tamaki hastally grabbed onto his wrist, blurting, “Wait!”
Kyoya paused and let the door fall open.
“Come meet me in the fields tonight.”
Well. That’s… unexpected.
“When you’re free, of course, ” he added hastily, catching Kyoya’s raised brow. “We can have a picnic!”
“Late night picnic’s aren’t exactly my thing.”
“But I’ll be out with Haruhi all afternoon, and after all, you did refuse to accompany me for that!”
“I’m not interested.”
“But Kyoya—”
“Find something better to do with your time.”
“Pleasee~?”
Tamaki looked so downhearted, Kyoya wouldn’t be surprised if he began crying on the spot. And — in that face could he be seeing desperation? An innocent desire to be with me, to want to spend time with me… simply because he wants to? Wants me? Kyoya dispelled the thought quickly. Before it could solidify in his mind. He knew Tamaki operated in peculiar ways and it likely meant nothing important. Even so, it did still strike him as unusual that Tamaki would be so interested in something as mundane as a picnic.
He made the decision that he would go after all, and grumbled as such to Tamaki before collapsing back in his bed, defeated.
As he drifted into unconsciousness, he heard Tamaki’s distant cheers. Vibrant and genuine.
Kyoya smiled.