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Work Header
Rating:
Teen And Up Audiences
Archive Warning:
No Archive Warnings Apply
Category:
F/M
Fandom:
Ouran High School Host Club - All Media Types
Relationships:
Fujioka Haruhi & Original Character(s)
Ootori Kyouya/Original Female Character(s)
Characters:
Fujioka Haruhi
Original Character
Ootori Kyouya
Suoh Tamaki
Morinozuka Takashi
Haninozuka Mitsukuni
Hitachiin Kaoru
Hitachiin Hikaru
Additional Tags:
Sibling AU
Original Character enters late
ooc haruhi
Slow Burn
Nonbinary Haruhi
Language:
English
Collections:
Amazing OFC fanfiction, ♡ OC's for the Soul ♡, completed_Zmark, My recommendations/Rereads
Stats:
Published:
2016-07-06
Completed:
2022-10-09
Words:
560247
Chapters:
71/71
Comments:
91
Kudos:
886
Bookmarks:
330
Hits:
39902
Big Sister Fujioka
hostclubmanager17
Chapter 32: Playing the Name Game!
Summary:
Super fluffy chapter, and my attempt to tied the KyoJin shippers until the *chapter that must not be named* chapter. Also a little more Jin-is-the-twin's-older-sister trope. I just like the dynamic between the three of them.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Mother Nature was trying to drown them all.
Ever since the thunderstorm two days ago, the rain had been nearly constant, and Pension Misuzu was more popular than ever. Summer campers looking for a dry place to sleep and travelers searching for a reprieve from the downpour and a warm cup of tea came in droves. The host club boys were quickly put to work in anyway they could help. Whether it was serving or cleaning or ensuring no rainwater was leaking inside, there was never a dull moment.
On the rare occasion the rain showers would escalate into an actual thunderstorm, Haruhi would be quickly placed in either the bedroom or at a table with her headphones on high. She'd never admit it, but Haruhi was touched by the concern and care she was receiving from everyone. If not a little embarrassed.
Unfortunately, having nothing to do for extended periods of time gave her ample time to think. Since she couldn't focus enough on her homework with all the music in her ear, she would just watch her friends work around the cafe, which made the tension obvious.
Jin wasn't speaking more than two words at a time to Kaoru, and neither was Kyoya. As the sisters hadn't had a free moment to talk about the first thunderstorm of the summer except for the morning after, the younger Fujioka was a little in the dark over what exactly had happened between them all. As far as Haruhi understood it, Kaoru had had something to do with the reason Jin hadn't gone after her and Hikaru to get them back to Pension Misuzu before the thunderstorm started. Apparently there had been some serious miscommunication, which made Jin mad at Kaoru and by extension, Kyoya was mad at Kaoru, too.
The youngest twin clearly wasn't unaware of the tension.
"Hey, Jin-senpai? Do we have any more pails?"
"Office storage."
"Oh… alright. Thanks." Kaoru hurried away with his head low. Haruhi felt bad for him, but she knew her Nēchan was almost done with her lesson.
"Lesson?"
"Hm?" Haruhi looked up from her evening cup of tea to see Tamaki's confused face, "Oh, right. Sometimes I forget people can't read Nēchan like I can. Well, I can tell that Nēchan's not really mad at Kaoru. Or, perhaps she was earlier, but now she's just putting him through a time out phase. She's forgiven him, but it's the forgetting that we're working through now."
Tamaki shook his head, walking back into the kitchen, "Remind me to never get on Jin's bad side."
"Noted."
Sighing, she went back to her tea. The rain was finally starting to let up, thankfully. The weather station had actually said that they wouldn't have any more precipitation until tomorrow night, then a sunny week! Haruhi couldn't wait. Even if tomorrow was supposed to be ridiculously hot, it would be better than this rain!
Jin paused in her sweeping to look out the window she was by. As the raindrops gently pitter pattered across the huge bay window the tall brunette's figure relaxed. Haruhi knew that if it were up to her, Jin would be standing under an awning or have a window open, her arms outstretched into the rain and giggling when the wind blew the water into her face.
Crack!
Haruhi jolted in her seat, pulling herself out of a memory just in time to see her sister running out the front door of the Pension, broom lying on the floor where she'd dropped it.
"HEY! What are you two doing?"
"Nēchan?" Haruhi runs to the doorway, bumping shoulders with Kyoya and Misuzu as they watch but don't follow the girl out into the storm. It's too dark to see any details, but Haruhi can just barely make out her sister as she runs after two more shadowy figures. "Nēchan!"
"Put it down! Just set it down on the ground! Get over here!"
Whoever she was talking to apparently did not like what her tone was implying, because they quickly dropped a bundle of something on the ground before booking it down the road. Jin stopped beside what they dropped and picked it up, shouting out a few garbled words in German before running back towards the Pension.
It wasn't until she reached the ray of light from inside that Haruhi could tell what her sister was carrying in her arms.
She gasped.
It was a little, muddy kitten.
The poor thing was soaked, shivering, and mewling pitifully. And the worst part was it's paws were bound in rope.
Jin's face was tight as she cradled the small animal in her shirt, her left hand shielding its head from the rain, "They… they were trying to drown it in a puddle… those…" She didn't finish the thought, running inside to get the kitten warm.
"I need towels, a heating pad, cotton balls, and a volunteer to run to the nearest pet store!"
Misuzu-chi is already pulling on his raincoat and umbrella, "What do you need?"
The brunette unwrapped the kitten a little and began inspecting it, "Opened eyes… amber color… 4 to 5 weeks old. Right. I'll need one can of KMR or some other kitten milk replacement formula and a few cans of wet food; it's probably already weaned or close to it. Don't forget a bottle!" Turning back to the others she began marching for the kitchen. "Kyo-kun, you're with me. I'll need another pair of hands to help cut off the rope and clean her up. Mori-kun, find a cardboard box and place the heating pad on one half of it, then cover the bottom with a blanket or a towel."
Kaoru ran up to Jin, his arms full of towels, "What about the rest of us?"
"Well," she smiled, "We need to keep Pension Misuzu running, don't we? You're down four hands. Good luck."
* Time Skip *
"Hold it! Hold it hold it hold it! "
"I'm trying! "
"Ah!" Jin flinched as a spray of water and soap hit her face, "Kyoya!"
"I know, I know!"
" Mew! " The kitten protested, trying to get away from the water. Jin gritted her teeth and speed-sprayed the last of the soap off of the stumpy tail.
"I know, sweetie! Just hold on a little longer… and done!"
Both teenagers pulled away quickly, breathing heavily. The kitten thankfully calmed down almost immediately once it was out of the spray, starting to explore the sink it was placed in. Jin glanced at Kyoya and started giggling.
"What?"
"You've got a little somethin' on your cheek there."
Rolling his eyes, Kyoya wiped the glob of soap bubbles away as Jin selected one of the fluffier towels to pull the kitten out of the sink. Now that the mud was washed off she could see the little cat was a pretty little calico Japanese Bobtail.
"It's a female. Unless this little cutie has a mutation..."
Kyoya moved closer, grabbing another towel to gently pat-dry the kitten's head, not questioning her assessment, "What shall we name her?"
"I'm not sure if we should… There is a chance those heathens stole her from someone to have some barbarian fun. If no one goes out looking for her, then we'll see."
The ravenet nodded, then noticed Jin's hands had gone still. A glance was all it took to make his heart clench up. Jin looked like a mess; her whole body soaked from the rain and her shirt muddy where she'd wrapped the kitten up. Her chest shook with the effort to rein in her sobs, a thick tear spilling over her lower eyelid before Kyoya could pull the girl into his chest. Her cries were still silent, but they stabbed at his insides all the same.
" H-how could they do that? Wh-why? "
" Shhh… I think you've cried enough this summer. You saved her. That's the important part. No more tears. "
He rubbed her back in what he hoped was a calming gesture. Peeking over to make sure the kitten hadn't wandered over to the edge of the counter, Kyoya was pleased to see it was happily batting at the large pile of towels. Jin's knowledge of animals had saved the kitten's' life. She was truly remarkable.
Jin took in a shuddering breath, lifting her head away from Kyoya's shoulder but keeping her gaze on his collarbone, " Sorry I keep using you like a teddy bear… "
Her classmate smirked, tightening his grip around her lower back, "I don't mind it."
He earned himself an embarrassed giggle and a shy look through her eyelashes. All at once, Kaoru's words flashed through Kyoya's mind. Don't wait too long trying to figure that out in your head... don't lose her just because you're afraid of rejection... at least think about how much she means to you...
He wasn't afraid of rejection… right? No, that's totally not what this was. It was simply… waiting for the right moment. When the two of them weren't in the middle of some crazy idea or overcome with emotion-
Jin was looking at him oddly. Kyoya suddenly became very well aware of her hands resting just beneath his collarbone, fingertips lightly pressed into his shirt fabric for that added bit of purchase. One of them shifted their stance -he wasn't quite sure who- and they were pressed together from the waist down. The contact sent a weird thrill down Kyoya's spine. Slowly, hoping not the scare her away, the ravenet pressed his forehead to Jin's. With their small height difference, it would only take one of them to tilt their head to close the remaining distance between them. Her grip on his shirt tightened.
This is a good moment. As good as any.
"I'm baaaack~ "
Kyoya isn't sure whether he would've actually kissed her or not. He definitely thought he was going to, but before they could make another move the kitchen door burst open. Misuzu-chi seemed completely unaware of the moment he had interrupted, mostly because the two had immediately withdrawn from each other with flushed faces.
"I got kitten milk and a cute little collar and some fun toys! Oh! There you are you little miracle, you! Oh, you're so cute with your little tail and your white fur! Is it a boy or a girl?"
Jin was trying to rein in her wild heartbeat as she cleared her throat, "It's a girl. But, Misuzu-chi, don't you think we should try looking for an owner first?"
Misuzu-chi froze in the middle of placing the pet store bag on the counter, "Well, Jin… when I was walking to the store I saw a little, um… box on the sidewalk. It was empty, except for a wet blanket, and the side of it read 'Free Kitten'. I don't think this little one had any owners. Or siblings for that matter."
Jin's mood went sour once again, but she managed to pull herself together this time around, "At least we don't have to worry about any other kittens getting hurt. Um…" she started messing with the bottle and formula can, filling the bottom of the sink with a few inches of warm water, and attempting to regain control of her train of thought, "Tomorrow morning we can start looking for new homes. The boys would probably be thrilled to draw up some flyers-"
"What a silly idea, Jin! She's going to live here, isn't she?"
The brunette paused, staring at Misuzu-chi, "Wait… are you serious?"
"Of course! I've always wanted a cat to roam the cafe! I'll just have to make sure she doesn't go into any of the guest's bedrooms! Oh, this'll be perfect! I'm going to go set up her bed for the night!" Just as fast as he ran in, Misuzu-chi was spinning out the door with the rest of his purchases in his arm.
Jin hesitated for a brief moment before scooping up the damp kitten and a fresh towel into her arms, "Did you hear that, little one? You've already got a home! That was fast, huh?"
Grinning cheekily, she slid down to the floor and held the newly warmed bottle up to it's mouth. Immediately the kitten started nibbling the end of the nipple, its paws happily kneading Jin's palm through the towel. She had completely forgotten about the embarrassing moment that had occurred not even a minute ago until Kyoya sat down beside her, their knees barely brushing each other's.
In typical Kyoya fashion, his emotions were difficult to read from the outside. Jin was unaware that on the inside he was wavering between dying of embarrassment and exploding with anger at being interrupted. ( Yet again, he may as well add.) However, Kyoya knew it wasn't likely for him to get another good chance at the perfect first kiss for a while, so he tried to put that out of his mind.
For now.
"I guess everything turned out for the best." He reached out and gently stroked the kitten's back with a single finger. The creature purred happily, continuing to lap the formula. Kyoya had to admit, the kitten was very cute.
Jin, on the other hand, was too busy blushing at Kyoya's closeness to notice. They had been a second away from kissing each other, she just knew it! But at the same time, she was what some might call 'emotionally compromised' after discovering the kitten with its nose forced under a puddle of water, so perhaps it hadn't been the best time. For all she knew, she would've burst into tears the moment their lips touched.
And to be honest, the thought of having a boyfriend frightened her a little. There was just so much pressure that came with dating. It was a little daunting. Though, if she were to be honest -Jin let her head rest on Kyoya's shoulder- she had a feeling dating Kyoya would be a little different from the norm.
"Thanks for your help, Glasses."
His cheek presses against the top of her head and she swears she could feel his smirk against her hair, "It was no problem."
The two snuggled a little closer together, content with watching the kitten continue to drink it's milk. It eventually began to slow down, giving one last valiant lick before yawning widely. Jin pulled the bottle away and dabbed at the kitten's white mustache with the towel in her hand. It mewled once more, stretching out on the fabric as its purr nearly caused its entire body to vibrate.
" A-CHoo! "
All three of them jumped at Jin's violent sneeze. She sniffed once, then sneezed again. The kitten was trying to be on alert, but was having a hard time as it was so full and sleepy. Kyoya, on the other hand, was quick to react.
"Are you alright? Do you need a tissue? You didn't catch a cold from running out into the rain, did you?"
"Kyoya, I'm fine. It's just my cat allergies."
"...Are you serious?"
"Yeah. I usually try to stay clear of them at the shelter, but on days I have to be with them I take meds. A-CHEH! Can you hold her while I get some Claritin, please?"
Kyoya lets out a sigh and gently takes the kitten and towel, "Sure."
"Thank you."
The ravenet's eyes widen as Jin presses a quick kiss to his cheek before running off, hiding her huge blush and holding back another sneeze. He doesn't even move until the door is swinging shut, lifting a hand to caress the tingling spot on his cheek.
The boy and kitten stare at each other for a moment before Kyoya shakes his head, "I'm in so much trouble, aren't I?"
A deep purr was his only response.
"Okay! Let's find you a name!" Jin scratched the kitten behind its ears, contently holding the animal in her lap.
The kitten had made a complete 180 from the night before. She was fluffy, energetic, and followed Jin around the cafe like she wouldn't dare let her out of her sight. Jin clearly didn't mind, happily stroking the kitten and playing with it, to the great amusement of their customers. Of course, she had taken her medication early this morning, so she was in a full cat-playing mood.
"Do you want to do the honors, Haru?"
"Nah, you start us off, Nēchan." The shorter brunette smiled from the nearby table. Her eyes flickered from her sister to the ravenet beside her. Kyoya was sneaking little looks at the girl as he worked on his science homework, a small half-smile gracing his lips. And whenever he would look away, Jin would risk her own glance, cheeks changing to a light shade of pink each time. Did something happen between them last night? Haruhi made a mental note to grill her sister later.
"Hm… how about… Emi? After all, she clearly didn't have the greatest start in life."
"Emi…" The others tested the name out. "Emi, Emi, E-mi."
Kaoru was the first to nod, reaching forward from his seat on Jin's left side to rub at the cat's cheek, "It's a nice name. And you do have more right to officially name her than any of us, Jin-senpai." He smiled broadly at the 2nd year student, oblivious to the way his female classmate was rolling her eyes behind him. During the whole kitten fiasco last night, Kaoru (and Hikaru, to an extent) had really stepped up to the plate. They pretty much ran the Pension while Tamaki and Haruhi worked the cafe. Jin must've decided that the youngest twin had suffered enough of the silent treatment to have learned his lesson, and she was once again speaking full sentences to him.
Seeing the way his Senpai was grinning at him again, Kaoru must've just realized it. At least if the regained shine in his eyes was anything to go by. Haruhi felt her heart warm at the sight of her Nēchan becoming a big sister for yet another person. In all honesty and truth, the Hitachiin twins really needed an older sister. Not to mention deserving of one like Jin.
Then Tamaki had to go ruin the moment. Again.
"That sounds perfect, Jin! Your incredibly literary works are showing through your everyday lifestyle again in this beautiful name! Little Emi will adore -"
"NO!" Jin and Kyoya frantically stood from their chairs, interrupting Tamaki's beginning spiel as they tried to pull Kyoya's multiple papers and books away from the growing spill of tea.
While everyone had been distracted, little Emi had jumped from Jin's lap to the table top, quickly batting at the full cup of tea Kyoya had cooling beside his homework. The cup toppled to its side, spilling all over the ravenet's papers before rolling off the table and shattering.
In the end the hosts were left with a disbelieving Kyoya and a smug kitten.
"Or… maybe a different name?"
Kyoya's left eyelid twitched, "Maybe."
Behind the two, Haruhi eyed the kitten who was suddenly looking very evil, "This isn't going to be easy, is it?"
* Time Skip *
Groaning, Kaoru leaned back over the armrest of the chair, feeling his back crack all the way down his spine. He froze for a moment, reveling in how good that movement had felt, but the feeling soon dissipated. The redhead could literally feel his good vibes draining out of his skin in beads of sweat.
"It's too hooooot! " He weakly lifts his hand to point at the kitten, "I blame you ."
No one argued, but perhaps it was because they were all too hot to speak.
Of course Misuzu-chi would kick them all outside on the hottest day of the summer yet. It was 34.5 degrees Celsius out and all of the customers who had come in the day before for some hot tea were replaced by the joggers and cyclists who were on the cusp of passing out if they didn't get some cold water in their bodies. And it was totally the cat's fault that the Host Club was now suffering in the heat. And, perhaps, a bit of Kaoru's fault as well.
The youngest twin had been laughing to himself at Kyoya's rotten luck with the kitten. It's almost like it knows those two like each other and wants to keep Jin to herself. How funny! In an attempt to poke fun at Kyoya -a small punishment for not following his advice regarding Jin yet- Kaoru had suggested the name Hideko for the kitten.
No one had any time to contemplate the name before he had tripped over said kitten a second later and face-planted the floor.
The redhead had begun chasing the cat around the cafe, Tamaki announcing loudly from his chair that it was totally and completely Kaoru's own fault for being tripped. Clearly , he stated, she knows the perfect name for herself and you insulted her by messing it up. Obviously her name should be Miki, as she was rescued by the Host Club! It just makes sense!
The blond had been allowed three seconds of smugness as the others mulled over the name before the calico raced over to the boy and scrambled up his leg, away from the redhead chasing her. With claws.
Tamaki, for his credit, didn't scream or cry. Just smiled at the kitten in his lap with tears lining his lower eyelid. The name hadn't stuck.
Figures Misuzu-chi would kick them outside for 'causing a disturbance' in the cafe, and now they were all melting in their chairs.
"Well… there's no use just sitting here waiting for our skin to fry. Let's find something to cool off with." Jin moaned in disinterest at her own suggestion before slowly crawling out of her chair, the kitten jumping off her lap as she moved. The others were slow in following her, carefully peeling their skin from the plastic and drenched in their own sweat.
"Ugh…. I hate you, Mother Nature!"
The sun beat down harder.
Jin tucked her hand into her tanktop before grabbing the metal door handle and pulling it open. The heat wave from inside nearly bowled them over, daring any of them to risk their lives by entering. Since she couldn't see anything through the darkness yet, the brunette pieced together her memories of the room; it's metal shelves making about 4 aisles up and down the room, filled with everything from gardening equipment to snow shovels to dirty lawn gnomes.
Honey was the first to say something, "Jin-chan? What exactly do we need from in here?"
The brunette huffed, wiping as much sweat off her forehead as she could manage before poking her head into the dark, "Okay, I know that we have not only a sprinkler in here, but also a plastic pool, some water guns, and maybe even a few pool toys. That'll not only help us cool down, but it'll make the Pension looked even more family friendly. Maybe some of the families staying here will come down and join us. That should definitely get us on Misuzu-chi's good side. Haru, do you think we still have those packets of water balloons?"
The other brunette tilted her head, "Maybe. We'll also need some buckets for the water guns and water balloons, if we have any. I could call Hiroshi and Beni to come over with some; I know their uncle uses really big pails for displaying his fruit. He might be willing to loan some to us for the day." She stepped past the doorway, the kitten on her heels with its nose wriggling. It would appear the small animal also had a soft spot for her savior's sister.
"Great idea, Haru-chan! Come on, Takashi! Let's find the water guns!"
"Mmm…" It was clear the tall boy wasn't looking forward to going into the warm storage, but he quickly tossed his shirt off over his head and began leading the way inside for the other boys.
"Mori-senpai has the right idea!" Tamaki was the next to lose his shirt, quickly followed by the others. "We'll change into our swimsuits when Misuzu-chi allows us back indoors, but until then we make do."
Jin frowned after the shirtless boys, "Lucky…" She should've worn a sports-bra today. At least then it would've been somewhat socially acceptable for her to take her own shirt off. "Society is stupid. Now… where are the-"
"Nēchan! I've got the water balloons!" Haruhi ran over to her sister, the kitten on her heels, "The cat found them, actually! What do you think of the name 'Chie'?"
"Hmm. Mayb-" a crash sounded from somewhere further in the storage room, followed by a faint 'oops'.
Bang!
Jin and Haruhi jumped, turning around to see the kitten sitting down in front of a section of wall, looking dazed.
"...Did she just run into a wall?"
"Yeah. Let's not call her Chie."
Something metal hit the cement floor a few rows away, startling the kitten into a nearby flower pot, "Jin? What are we looking for again?"
The tall brunette sighed, "Haru, go ahead and call the Arai boys. Invite them over, too, and see if Gorou can come with them. Beni said he was staying in Karuizawa for the next week and I owe him a 'break-his-heart-and-I'll-kill-you-speech'. Hika-kun, I'm coming!"
* Time Skip *
"Oh…"
"So that's what an inflatable pool looks like!"
Jin smirked, unable to not be amused by the twins' wonder-filled tones. She left the running hose where it was, open end resting underneath the steadily rising line of water inside the plastic pool, and looked around the rest of the backyard. Hiroshi, Beni, and Beni's boyfriend, Gorou, were using the hose on the other side of the backyard to fill up bucket after bucket of cold water for the impending squirt gun battle. Somewhere inside, Haruhi was filling up even more buckets with water balloons, hopefully receiving some help from the other boys once they finished changing. Through the windows of the Pension, Jin could see the excited faces of children watching the preparations.
"Nēchan? How much longer?" Haruhi stumbled slowly through the back door, lugging along a huge blue bucket filled to the top with multiple colored water balloons.
The taller brunette looked around the backyard once more, "I think once all of us have our swimsuits on the pool will be filled. Ben-kun! Keep an eye on the pool! The rest of us are getting our swimsuits on!"
"Okay!" Beni aimed a thumbs-up her way, and Jin was pleased to see Gorou nod in agreement, inching closer to his tall boyfriend and casting nervous glances her way. Hopefully those would wear off soon. But then again, he had heard of her skills in martial arts.
Eh, Beni would convince him Jin wasn't dangerous... so long as Gorou remained on her good side.
The sisters and twins make their way back inside, passing by Mori who was carrying two more buckets of water balloons. The tall boy was already in his dark blue swim trunks, them having been delivered from his family's cottage a minute or two ago.
The inside of the Pension was all abuzz with excitement. There were guests and customers in swimsuits all over the place; mostly kids and teenagers, but a few adults were waiting around as well. Misuzu-chi was cranking out iced lemonade like a maniac, shooting a pleading look over to Jin as if to say 'Hurry up!' She held up five fingers before see-sawing her hand -'Five minutes-ish'- before turning to follow Haruhi into their room.
Quickly throwing on a simple Navy blue two-piece, Jin grabbed her usual blue and green towel and went back out into the cafe. A particular head of hair caught her attention and she smirked. The Arai boys were keeping an eye on the pool, right? Which meant she could just relax and cool down in the AC for a few moments.
She was quick to take the perfect seat.
"Is this spot taken?"
"Not at all, Miss."
Laughing at the mock formal tone in Kyoya's response, Jin sat down on his left and leaned over, "So, what are you working on now?" Something furry rubbed against her bare leg and she reached down to scratch the kitten behind it's ears.
"Well, since the homework I had written was ruined this morning, I decided to switch tracks while at the Pension. I'm currently working on the essay we need to complete for our history class. I'm focusing on the Yayoi period. What were you assigned?"
"Jomon. I wrote out my paper at the first chance I got, the day before you guys showed up. Or at least the first draft of it anyways. Do you know how Tamaki's been doing on his? I think we were assigned the same period, so if he needs any help this summer I'd like to know ahead of time so I can finish the rest of my homework first."
"I highly doubt he's even thought of his homework so soon into summer break. He'll most likely… AM I INTERRUPTING YOUR NAP?"
In that split second between Kyoya's transition from talking into shouting, the backdoor of the Pension had opened and Beni announced everyone could come outside and enjoy the water. The following cheer had completely drowned out the glasses-wearing boy to everyone except the girl next to him. Jin was laughing hysterically as Kyoya and the kitten suddenly engaged in a death-glare match, the kitten lying down over Kyoya's hands and the keyboard of his laptop. Page after page of random keyboard characters were running down the screen as the kitten shifted on the keys.
The boy's glare returned to the girl beside him, "This isn't funny! This cat has something against me!"
Jin could hardly breath, "M-maybe she just wants you to go outside with me instead of playing on your laptop! Even she knows you're a Workaholic!" Yanking his hands out from underneath the cat, Kyoya scowled at the animal. Jin grabbed his newly freed hands and began pulling him out of his seat, "Come on, Glasses. Misuzu-chi will watch over your computer."
Hearing his name, the owner of the Pension lifted his head from the counter, catching his breath, "You kids run along, I'll put your laptop in a safe place once the kitten gets off it, Kyoya. Go have fun, you two!" He watched with a smile as the teenagers went out back, still hand in hand.
God, those two are too cute to handle!
Jin winced a bit as her bare feet hit the hot wooden deck, quickly jumping over onto the cool grass and releasing Kyoya's hand. There was already a Squirt-Gun Battle Royale going on, the two teams lead by one Hitachiin twin each. Occasionally someone would unfortunately cross over into Water-Balloon-War territory where Mori and Honey's team were dominating over the Arai boys and their team. Half of the pool was completely taken over by the adults who had dragged their chairs over to stick their feet into the water (joined by Haruhi), while the other half had about three little kids happily splashing around little plastic flowers that floated along the top of the water. And Tamaki was happily leading a long line of younger kids up and over the oscillating sprinkler.
"Looks like everyone is having a good time, huh?" Jin turned around to the boy beside her with a smile, only to get squirted in the face with a water gun.
"Ah! Hikaru!" The redhead ran for his life as the girl began chasing him, "You're gonna pay for that!
"Pay for what? Interrupting your moment with your bo-COLD!" Hikaru had made a mistake in his retreat, running too close to the water balloon fight than was probably wise. Jin scooped up one balloon from a bucket and threw it with deadly accuracy at the boy's bare back. The shock of ice-cold water hitting him gave Jin a chance to catch up.
She grabbed his flailing water gun and twisted it out of his hand, ending with the barrel of the gun pressed underneath the redhead's chin and the boy on his knees.
"Any last words?"
The boy grinned, "Jin-senpai, you may be stronger… but I've been blessed with another body."
"What? Eiiii!" The girl arched her back as a stream of cold water hit her. Twisting around she watched as Kaoru ran for the safety of the water gun battle. Hikaru quickly jumped up, kissed her cheek in a quick moment of spite, and ran after his brother, scooping up another water gun on the way. Jin shook her fist after them, "TWINS!"
Rubbing at her cheek, she went back to where Kyoya was waiting for her, leaning against the deck.
"Well, that was quite dramatic."
"No kidding. How are you not wet yet? I could've sworn Hikaru would've tried to get you, too!"
The ravenet smirked, "I believe I was the original target, actually. However, I was able to shift out of the way in time."
"Are you saying you let me take a hit for you? Really? "
Another smirk, "You handled it swimmingly, I might add."
"Oh ho ho… wrong choice of words, Ootori."
The poor boy didn't even get a chance to protest. In one swift movement, Jin lifted the water gun she had stolen from Hikaru and fired, soaking Kyoya's shirt through, very narrowly missing his face. Gasping at the drastic difference between the temperature of the water and the air (a very, very stark difference), the ravenet whipped his wet shirt off and onto the deck, getting the cold fabric as far away as possible.
Of course, it landed on the kitten, who had followed the two of them outside.
It yowled, shaking itself free of the wet fabric and glaring at the ravenet who was now chasing the girl around the yard. The two wove around the sprinkler, Jin always managing a turn or extra burst of speed just before Kyoya could get a grip on her and exact his revenge.
Settling in the shade of a nearby chair, the kitten began grooming it's ruffled fur, keeping an eye on the kind female human. Despite all the water she was running through, the kitten wouldn't hesitate to protect her should the male who was chasing her cause her any harm.
A sudden flash of colors danced in front of the kitten's nose, startling it back up into a sitting position. It's eyes zeroed in on the Alpine black swallowtail butterfly and it crouched, slowly setting one foot in front of the other as the insect landed on a flowering bush. The butterfly didn't so much as flinch when a tall and short boy ducked behind the plant for cover from a sudden rain of water balloons.
The short blond one noticed some movement and turned his head. He looked at the kitten, then at the bug it was staring at. He elbowed his cousin lightly.
"Look Takashi! Maybe we should name her, Cho? It's a really pretty name, don't you think?"
"Mmm."
"Yeah! Let's go tell Jin-chan about Cho! I saw Kyo-chan chasing her around the plastic pool a few seconds ago, they're so cute together! Anyways, lets go before Beni gets back with more water balloons!"
The blond stood up, shaking the bush and finally dislodging the butterfly. It fluttered for maybe three heartbeats before a white, brown, and black blur launched itself at the insect, catching it in a row of sharp teeth.
Honey stared at the calico cat in horror, not responding as his cousin lifted him up and away from the scene of the crime.
"We're not naming her Cho."
The kitten seemed to agree, licking it's lips before returning to it's previous grooming session.
* Time Skip *
"That was a lot of fun! Can we do that again this week?"
Jin laughed, fiddling with the hair clip she had put back in, ensuring her newly washed hair wouldn't drip down the back of her shirt and unintentionally making her look cuter. The brunette leaned against the doorway, watching the light drizzle of rain sprinkle against the sidewalk. "Maybe. If we get another ridiculously hot one like today. But even if we don't, you guys are still invited to hang out at the Pension for the rest of summer, you know? The Host Club is becoming pretty fond of you boys hanging out with us."
Gorou smiled, leaning backwards against his boyfriend's chest, "I appreciate the offer, but unfortunately my summer internship starts up next week a few towns over. I'll definitely visit you guys until then, though."
The brunette nodded, smiling as Beni looped his arms around Gorou's waist and pointed out his uncle's car pulling up in front of the Pension. Last minute hugs were exchanged before the three boys raced through the rain and into the car. The Fujioka sisters waved after the car until it rounded the corner out of sight. Haruhi was quick to duck her head back inside, but Jin dawdled with her hand outstretched into the weather. The cold water clashed wonderfully with the hot air, tickling her skin with each drop.
A tired-sounding voice called out to her from inside, "Jin? Just because you were lucky enough to not catch a cold the first two times, I would not tempt Fate."
"Fate? I never would've expected you to believe in such things, Kyo-kun." Despite the jest, Jin shook her wet hand off and took the half-step back inside the Pension, closing the door. "Well, it is probably time to feed… dang it! We still haven't named the kitten yet, have we? I can't believe we forgot to do that!"
The boy readjusted his glasses, lips set in a tight frown, "I hardly feel like that was our fault. Each and every time we tried to find a suitable name for that animal, we were proved wrong."
"...Kyoya? Where is the kitten?"
The two looked around. The cafe was pretty much empty save for the Hosts and Misuzu-chi. They were all sitting at a table on the far side of the room, exchanging stories about their view of the day and slathering Aloe on the twins who were redder than cooked lobsters. But no kitten.
"Oh no…"
Kyoya could hear the rising tension and worry building up in the girl's voice and cast a concerned glance outside the front window, knowing the eldest Fujioka would never forgive herself if they had forgotten the animal outside in the rain. Thankfully he was able to relax.
"Jin, look."
The brunette followed his pointing finger and sighed. The kitten was curled up on the piano bench, eyes fixed on the outside rain. It's stumpy brown-tipped tail was flicking back and forth, ears occasionally twitching whenever a rather large raindrop hit the windows.
The two second years moved closer (Kyoya was only following Jin, considering he had no real desire to be near the cat any longer than necessary) but the cat didn't react. Once Jin was seated on the other half of the bench, the two of them could finally hear the light purring coming from the small animal. Jin reached out with a hand and gently stroked the kitten from head to tail. It purred louder.
Kyoya tilted his head. This kitten was calm and content in such a way that he was almost convinced it was a completely different animal from the one that had followed Jin -and therefore him- around all day long. Was it tired out from a full day of trying to ruin his summer? Or…
"Amaya."
"Mmm?"
"That's my name suggestion. What do you think?" The brunette looked up at her crush, confused. The boy cleared his throat, "I'm not really that interested in whatever name to pick for the animal, of course, nor am I especially fond of her but... it's a decent name. It does speak of the night you found her." Tentatively, the ravenet reached out and gently stroked the cat's head with his fingertips. The calico purred harder, bucking it's small head into the boy's palm. Jin smiled, glad to see the two of them engaging in a single act of non-hatred for each other.
"It sounds perfect."