The term "excited" was not one Jin used often. After all, most of her work involved morally questionable actions that would've indicated something not quite right in her brain should she find them exhilarating. But there were times when the emotion was called for, and now was one of those times. Jin's nerves were firing, sending sparks of energy down to her fingertips as she struggled to stay still. There wasn't anyone else in the lobby at the moment, but she needed to keep up appearances should that fact change.
She wasn't doing so well with that. Rocking back and forth from her heels to her toes, she stood in front of the large, ornately designed double doors that lead out into the street. Hands tucked behind her back, Jin stared intently at the dark wood. Watching… waiting… listening…
Tap, tap, ta-
Before the person even finished knocking, Jin leapt forward and yanked the doors open. The two people on the other side jumped in surprise before huge grins filled their faces.
"Haru! Dad!"
"Nēchan!"
"Oh, my baby!"
Jin pulled her family into a tight hug, letting herself enjoy the feeling for a moment. It was the first time she'd seen her father in over a year, and she wasn't going to waste it, despite the fact that he and Haru were moving into the Suoh House today.
But unfortunately, they couldn't very well stand in the doorway hugging for the rest of the day. Gently easing herself out of their iron grips, Jin gave her father and sister another huge smile. Grabbing one of their suitcases, she took a step back and gestured into the foyer.
"After you."
Haruhi nodded and entered without hesitation, the girl's father taking an extra moment to survey the room before stepping inside. Jin frowned as she closes the door, noticing now how her father and sister only had three medium-sized suitcases and one backpack between them. Not to mention that most of their bigger furniture items had been left behind, replacements of much higher value awaiting them in their bedrooms. Sometimes Jin forgot that even with all the extra money she had sent to her family for the past three years, most of it had gone to Haruhi's education. It was going to be a massive shift for them to go from barely scraping by to having every little thing handed to them on a silver platter. It was exactly the life Jin wanted her family to have… she could only hope they'd adjust to it in time.
Banishing those thoughts for another time, Jin fixed a smile onto her face before guiding her family up the stairs. She helpfully pointed out the elevator's location as well as what rooms were located on which floor, telling her sister and father that they were allowed anywhere except inside other member's living quarters and training facilities, unless given permission.
They arrived at Ranka's new bedroom first, as he was located a floor below where his daughters would be staying. Jin watched nervously as she handed her father the key. He had been mostly silent during the whole tour, giving everything they passed a critical eye. She knew that his judgement, no matter how negative, would be given a pass from the other mafia members since he was so new to the family. Not to mention he was also officially one of the oldest members and Jin's immediate family, therefore giving him a lot of respect. But that didn't mean his disapproval wouldn't backfire hard on the moral that had built up after the Spring Massacre.
With a solid click, the lock in Ranka's door slid out of place and allowed the trio to enter.
"OH MY GOD!"
Ranka dropped his suitcase and covered his mouth in shock. Before him, a room larger than any house he'd ever set foot in lay in waiting. Sleek, grey wood panels stretched the length of the room, save for the elevated carpeted platform that housed the king sized bed and lounging chair. Small spotlights lined the edge of the ceiling, shining down on the bed, nightstand, chairs, television set, window lounge, and fireplace while also providing enough light for the rest of the room. The whole place reeked of elegance.
Ranka fell to his knees and sobbed into his hands, leaning into his daughters as they crouched down and hugged him. The poor man shook, crying harder than ever before. Even more than the day Jin got her job and moved them into the marketing district. This room… this place was far more than he ever thought he'd have in life after Kotoko.
It took Ranka a full minute to compose himself, and afterwards Jin and Haruhi left their father alone to become better acquainted with his new home. The girls beamed at their father before shutting the door. Jin hummed and slung an arm over her sister's shoulder, steering her and the remaining luggage back towards the stairs.
As they walked, Haruhi's body grew tenser. Jin knew exactly what was going through her sister's head, considering Haruhi had spewed most of her feelings over the phone last night. Yes, Haruhi knew what she was getting into by being Tamaki's pet, but she wasn't sure if she was really cut out for this life. The lavishness? The danger? And if their father's room was anything to go by, Haruhi would have more money than she'd know what to do with. And if Jin's scars were to tell a similar story, then how would Haruhi be expected to go outside at all? Oh, what had she gotten herself into?
"Hey."
A squeeze to Haruhi's shoulders was enough to pull her out of her own head. Jin watched her silently with questioning eyes. Haruhi took in a deep breath, but shook her head all the same. She didn't want to talk, and while Jin wanted to reassure her, she would respect her sister's wishes. Jin gave a small hum before pushing open the door to the top floor of living quarters.
Jin lead them to the other end of the hallway, explaining, "So, as per your agreement, you'll be living in Tamaki's room which is at the end of this hallway and to the right. My room is technically directly across from yours, but I rarely use it unless Kyoya has pissed me off somehow. Anyways, I'm usually in Kyoya's room, which is-"
Suddenly, the door next to Jin's room opened and a tall man walked into the hallway, his eyes glued to his phone screen which was reflecting coldly in his glasses lens.
"That one! Morning, Kyo!"
At Jin's call, Kyoya, Haruhi reasoned, looked up. Immediately, Haruhi noticed several things about her sister's "fiance". For one, while Haruhi had called him a man earlier, she could now see that Kyoya couldn't be much older than Jin or Tamaki, making him roughly nineteen years old. Secondly, with his glasses and the way the lights were shining in the hallway, a sufficient enough glare was able to hide Kyoya's eyes from view, no doubt adding to his overwhelming air of mystery and aloofness. And third… he barely reacted to Jin's call, other than looking up and giving Haruhi's sister a small smile. If it even qualified as that.
"Good morning, Jin. I see your family have finally arrived."
"Yup! Dad's downstairs getting adjusted already. Haru's signing her contract tomorrow morning, so I was planning on letting them take a few minutes for themselves before giving them the longer tour."
"An excellent idea." Kyoya briefly pocketed his phone and walked over, offering a hand to Haruhi. "It's an honor to finally meet you, Haruhi. Jin has told me quite a bit about you."
Haruhi shook his hand, letting go as soon as she could. "Thanks. And likewise."
Kyoya gave her another one of those small, "not-really-a-smile" smiles before turning back to Jin. "I have a… meeting later on today with Kaoru across down. I should be back before 5, but if it takes longer I'll message you."
"Thank you, Kyo. Good luck."
"Thanks." Kyoya leaned in, pecking a kiss on Jin's cheek before offering his cheek for Jin to do the same, which she did, before walking down the hallway in the direction the girls had just come from.
Jin giggled before calling out after him, "Love you!"
"Love you, too."
Haruhi's lips curled into a sneer at the almost amused tone to the man's voice, waiting until he had entered the elevator and the doors closed behind him. As soon as he was out of earshot, she turned back to Jin and whispered furiously, " That's Kyoya? That's the guy you hooked up with? The guy you're marrying in a few months? Him? "
Jin blinked in surprise at the harsh tone. "Yeah. Is something wrong?"
"Something wro-" Haruhi pursed her lips. "Look, I know I've only just arrived and all, but I can't shake the feeling that he's dangerous!"
"...Uh… yeah. We do work for the mafia, Haru."
"But! But-" Haruhi groaned, trying to find the right words. "He's so… cold! He barely reacted to you! He seems so shrewd and calculating… if I didn't know any better, I would say that he was the one running the mafia! Don't take this the wrong way, because I'm just saying this because I'm worried about you, but how do you know his interest in you isn't purely sexual?"
Haruhi let out a long sigh, relieved to finally have all her worries laid out in the open. Now she could stop worrying and maybe get some answers for her trouble.
But to her surprise, Jin didn't say anything. She didn't even look bothered by Haruhi's words. A puff of air that might've been amusement escaped Jin's lips before she shut her eyes and softly shook her head. Another puff of air came out before she opened her eyes again, fixing Haruhi with a stare that said Jin definitely was finding humor in what Haruhi had said.
"Nēchan?"
Jin rolled her eyes, still not saying anything as she turned back to Haruhi's new bedroom and unlocked the door. A smile lingered on her face as she did so.
* One Week Later *
Tamaki was upset.
As head of the Suoh Family, he had gotten pretty good at hiding his emotions if he didn't want to show them. But he didn't need to hide them now, so damn it all he wasn't going to! Mouth twisted in what was definitely not a pout, the blond rolled off his bed with less grace than he'd hoped for and made his way to the door. Haruhi's latest book obsession was resting on her favorite chair, waiting for whenever the girl finished with her long-ass shower. Not that Tamaki was irritated by that at all. If anything, he was thrilled that Haruhi was finally giving in to some of the more lavious parts of being his "Pet". But that didn't stop Tamaki from glaring heavily at the book before slipping out into the hallway.
Stomping his feet, Tamaki marched a short distance down the hall before reaching his destination. Ignoring the moans and squeaking furniture from the other side of the door, he pushed his way in without a knock and announced, "I am upset! "
At the sound of Tamaki's voice, the two occupants of Kyoya's bed let out matching screams of alarm. Jin abruptly fell off of Kyoya, grabbing a bedsheet from behind her and clutching it against her chest as she stared at Tamaki in shock. Kyoya similarly pulled at the bedsheet, swearing none-too-quietly through gritted teeth. As per usual, Tamaki ignored the unwelcoming reactions and walked over to the bed, flopping onto his back over what he assumes were Kyoya's feet and throwing his arm over his eyes.
"I've been trying everything I can think of and nothing works! Is this how I end? Trapped in a figurative nightmare of my own failings circling around me like rabid wolves?"
"No. If anything, I'd assume your ending would come by the barrel of my gun the next time you walk in on us."
Ignoring Kyoya's blatant threat upon his life, Tamaki continued on, "Ranka still hates me, despite my efforts to extend the olive branch of peace!"
Kyoya scoffed, pulling his feet out from under Tamaki's body. "He doesn't like me all that much, either. It'll take more than a few days for him to warm up to us."
"Haruhi is still so stiff and cold around me."
"Her contract is to give you companionship, and most people assume that means sex. Love wasn't in your agreement."
Tamaki whined louder, rolling over so he was face down in the blankets. "I would never force Haruhi to have sex with me! I am the perfect gentleman! But she doesn't even like the gifts I give her! I'm trying to make her feel like a princess, but she refuses to cooperate!"
Jin sighed, nestling her head into the crook of Kyoya's shoulder. "That's because she's not used to it yet. She doesn't see the point to such extravagant gifts. Ease up a little, learn what she does like, and keep the purchases minimal."
"You're not helping either, Jin!" Tamaki pushed himself up onto his elbows, definitely pouting now as he glared at the girl. "Every time you girls go out you buy her something that she loves! You're taking my role!" He continued to scowl even when both of his friends had the exact same exasperated look on their faces in response.
Jin blinked slowly before saying, "She likes books. Take her to the bookstore downtown tomorrow and tell her to buy anything and everything she wants. She might fight it, but she'll leave with at least three books and she'll be thrilled."
"That… that's brilliant! Jin, thank you so much-"
"Keep your hands to yourself, Tamaki." Kyoya wrapped his arms around Jin and glared at the blond furiously, hinting heavily what would happen should Tamaki ignore the warning. Keeping his hands held up high in surrender, Tamaki smiled and backed out of the bedroom.
Neither Jin nor Kyoya relaxed until they heard Tamaki's footsteps retreat back down the hallway and into his own bedroom. With a heavy sigh, the two slipped further into bed until they could lie down comfortably together. Kyoya immediately rolled over onto his side, winding an arm around his fiancee's waist and hiding his face in her neck.
"Remind me again why we didn't lock the door?"
"Because Tamaki's the only one who walks in without knocking, and he has a master key to let himself inside whenever he wants to, so it would be pointless anyways."
"Oh." Kyoya let out a wide yawn before pressing a quick kiss to Jin's neck. "Right."
The training room was filled with the sound of fighting and bodies hitting the floor. Thankfully, that was how the trainers wanted it to be. Honey and Mori circled the perimeter of the sparring mats, occasionally calling out tips or reminders for the newer recruits. They were excelling faster than the instructors had anticipated, which was good news all around.
With that thought in mind, Honey nodded to himself before walking back to his pile of things on the bench near the front of the gym. Shuffling through his bag, he pulled out a small pile of papers that had photographs paperclipped to them before turning back to the room. Right in front of him, one of the mats had been pulled away from the rest of the group, signifying that despite the shared space, the mat's occupants were not a part of the overall training group.
On said mat, Jin was currently in the midst of beating Honey's younger brother to the ground. Honey smiled brightly even as Chika was brought to his knees yet again, because while he certainly wasn't winning, Chika was lasting a few minutes longer than he used to. Probably because he didn't have that nervous, love-struck look on his face whenever Jin so much glanced in his direction any more.
Waiting until Jin released Chika from her hold, Honey stepped onto the mat himself. "Jin-chan? I need you to do something for me."
"Mm? What's up?"
"I think it's time for the recruits to join us in the field. Can you take these up to Kyo-chan? They're the agent pairings and job specifications I think would work best for everyone's first time out."
Jin took the papers and gave them a once-over. For a second, she was about to inform Honey that his errand might have to wait a while longer. Kyoya was in a phone meeting right then, which is why she had meandered down into the training quarters in the first place. With Haruhi entertaining herself with her daily hot shower and Kyoya distracted, there was little Jin could-
An idea sparked to life in her mind, and Jin suddenly gave her friend a big smile. "No problem, Honey! You can train Chika in my place for the next hour!"
Chika gave a loud noise of complaint around his water bottle, but before he could lower it and actually speak, Jin was already out the door, papers in hand. Having left her shoes and other personal items behind, Jin's socked feet made little to no sound as she padded across the tiles. Pressing the button for the elevator, Jin spun her idea around in her mind.
Honey's request couldn't have come at a better time for her. Jin had been craving Kyoya's attention an hour ago and had snuck herself into his office to remedy the situation. It wasn't long afterwards that they were making out on Kyoya's desk chair, as per usual. It was only when Kyoya's phone rang that he managed to pry himself away from Jin's mouth. Lifting his fiancee into his arms and carrying her to the door, he fixed her with a dark smile and ordered her to stay away unless she had something business related. Then he metaphorically killed her with a gentle swat to her bottom before disappearing behind his closed office door.
In the present, Jin smiled wickedly at the pile of papers in her hands.
How's this for business related?
As the elevator rumbled around her, Jin quickly pulled her hair out of her ponytail, running her fingers through it to give it that extra ruffled appearance. Her face would still have some red patches of skin from her last fight with Chika, and her neck and collarbone area would still be flushed by the time she reached Kyoya's office. Jin entertained the idea of ditching her sports bra in her bedroom beforehand, but dismissed the thought. If Kyoya figured out she was there for anything longer than a quick kiss, he might just send her right back out before she'd even touched him.
The elevator dinged softly as it arrived on the seventh floor. Jin relaxed her shoulders as best as she could before walking out into the hallway. It was unusually quiet, which meant Kyoya's phone call was still going on. Jin quickly relaxed her smile, hoping to not tip Kyoya off to her dastardly plan.
It didn't take long before Jin was standing in front of Kyoya's office door. Being so high up on the mafia "food chain", Kyoya, of course, got the best office for himself. He had no windows, personalized AC control, the most up to date… everything, more than enough room to comfortably house his desk, bookshelves, and five people, and he was placed right in the middle of the hallway between the staircase and the elevator. Kyoya was in both the most comfortable and the most protected spot in the whole hallway. Not to mention that the secret staircase that connected Tamaki's office to the basement for an emergency exit had only one other stop, and that was the back of Kyoya's office. With everything considered, it was pretty clear that Kyoya's office placement was no accident. It gave Jin the happy fuzzies whenever Kyoya insisted that Jin do her paperwork in his office, even when it wasn't so they could fool around.
And with that in mind, Jin brushed her hair to fall over her left shoulder and quietly slipped inside the office.
As predicted, Kyoya is still on the phone. His dark eyes fall on Jin as she enters and he gives her a smile. Jin returns the smile and lifts the files in her hands for him to see before approaching his desk. Just as she set them down, Kyoya reached over with his free hand. Cradling Jin's right hand in his left, Kyoya stroked his thumb across the back before pulling it up to his mouth, pressing a quick kiss to the back of it. Just because he was busy didn't mean he couldn't show his beloved affection.
He let go of Jin's hand after a brief squeeze and turns back to the phone, smile twisting into a grimace as the man on the other line continued speaking. Jin pressed her right hip against the edge of Kyoya's desk, feinting interest in whatever garbage their client was feeding them. Something about using their money to pay for car parts? Jin shook her head, glancing at Kyoya out of the corner of her eye. He didn't seem too concerned by Jin's continued presence…
Time to kick it up a notch.
Keeping her movements as casual as possible, Jin eased her way around the edge of the desk until she was standing beside Kyoya. As expected, her fiance gave her a more critical look as she sat herself properly atop his desk. Responding with a cheeky wink, Jin allowed Kyoya to release a single scoff before she bent down for a proper kiss. The insignificant person on the phone line kept talking, babbling really, so Jin reasoned that she wasn't interrupting anything important. Besides, Kyoya didn't pull away. In fact, he seemed quite content kissing Jin over and over as the panicked man on the phone jabbered away.
Jin hummed softly, reaching up to cradle Kyoya's cheeks with her fingers. His right hand was now resting on her knee, thumb rubbing back and forth over the thin black sweatpants she was wearing. Jin pressed in further, lips parting-
Kyoya pulled back, shaking Jin's hands away from his face. A betrayed whimper escaped her lips, followed by a pout as Kyoya dared to smirk at her before speaking out loud to the phone.
"Well, as I stated before, sir … we're going to need more than your word for something like this. Surely, you have some form of record? Receipts or-" Kyoya nearly choked on his words, arms quickly coming up to steady himself as Jin fell into his lap, her lips attaching themselves to his neck. He almost attempted to pull Jin off, but he knew better than to try, less both of them end up toppling over onto the floor.
Thankfully, their client was none-the-wiser as to the diliances going on in Kyoya's office, his voice taking a sudden higher pitch as he attempted to explain away his lack of paper records. Kyoya, after steadying himself and the chair he was seated on, swiftly stabbed at the mute button with his finger.
"Jin, are you out of your mind?"
A sweet giggle answers him, followed by a little nip under his chin as her hips roll. Kyoya's hands clutch at Jin's waist almost against his will, a groan escaping his lips even as he attempts to hold her still. Pulling back from his neck, Jin batted her eyelashes at her fiance. Kyoya's own eyes were narrowed, one part disapproving, another part aroused.
Jin bit her lower lip as Kyoya reached over to the phone, unmuting it long enough to warn their client of his upcoming collection date before abruptly hanging up.
Haruhi had woken up alone in bed, her body subconsciously curled up in a tiny ball against the cold. Eyesight fuzzy, she looked around the bedroom in a sleepy haze. The room is dark save for a bluish-tinged light filtering in through the windows. Out across the neighboring buildings, Haruhi could see that the first freeze of the year had not been accompanied by a snowfall. But that did little to ease her nerves.
Shivering violently, Haruhi tried to curl in on herself even further. Reaching out behind her, she felt around for any lingering warmth Tamaki might have left before his day started. After a few pats, she withdrew her hand. Unsuccessful. Biting back the disappointment, Haruhi took in a deep breath, trying to psych herself into getting out of bed. It sort of works when a few seconds later she's walking over to her closet, the thick comforter from her bed wrapped around her like a cocoon and her backup glasses resting on her nose.
Making it into the closet and onto carpeted flooring is a little better, but Haruhi whines at how freezing cold her clothes are to the touch. Pulling her warmest sweater, sweatpants, and socks into her arms, she holds them in a ball against her chest, still surrounded by her comforter, and waits until they're warm enough to put on.
It's not enough.
A minute later, Haruhi was sitting in front of the portable fireplace she had asked Tamaki to buy last month, trying to stop herself from shivering so badly. Her arms were pulled in from her sweater sleeves, but her fingers felt like icicles against her bare sides. She couldn't see her breath in the air, but it felt cold enough to do so.
What I wouldn't give for a long hot bath right now. Haruhi basically drools at the thought, but she's quick to shake it out. No, no, no. There's no way I could last the wait for warm water to fill the tub. Not to mention how I'd have to take my clothes off beforehand. And then I'd have to get out at some point. No, a bath won't cut it. Neither will a shower.
Slowly, Haruhi's right hand drifts up until she can delicately trace the choker around her neck. It's a simple black color with a red design swirling through the middle. Silk, and more comfortable than she thought it would be the first time she laid eyes on it.
I could… I could go find Tamaki. He's always warm. And being with him makes me warmer.
If her cheeks weren't already red from the cold, Haruhi was positive she'd be blushing. Being a pet wasn't exactly what she thought it would be like. First of all, she hadn't expected to enjoy her new life so much. It was nice to be able to buy whatever she needed without compromises. To not have to worry about food or shelter or other basic necessities was wonderful.
And then there was Tamaki. Unlike with everything else in life, Haruhi was actually a bit embarrassed when she remembered her assumptions about the man before she knew him properly. For one, they had sex way less often than she's prepared for. In fact, they hadn't had sex together at all until near the end of Haruhi's first month there, when Haruhi made the first move on her own. For all his cold moments and idiocy, Haruhi had to admit that Tamaki was a real softy. He treated her so sweetly, if she wasn't careful she would end up liking him more than she had planned for.
But despite all of that, she still hadn't told him about her hatred for the cold.
Cupping her hand around her frigid nose, Haruhi ran her, albeit short, list of people she could reach out to for help through her head. Tamaki was out. She wasn't sure her heart could take something like that right now, when she was at her weakest. Jin or Dad were usually at the top of the list, but Haruhi knew both of them would probably still be asleep, or be getting started on their busy days. Jin was constantly juggling her daily duties and future wedding plans, especially as the date grew closer, and Ranka was swamped in his role as the compound's counselor and parental figure. As the oldest person in the building, he had insisted that it just made sense.
Except that meant Haruhi was left to fend for herself. She wasn't going to bother them, even if she swore the room was getting colder by the second. Sighing, she withdrew her hand back into her sweater and inched a little closer to the fireplace.
A sudden knocking at the door almost has Haruhi dropping her blanket from her shoulders.
"Ah! Uh-um, come in!"
Haruhi smiled at the door, 100% expecting her older sister or father to come walking in. So when the door swung open to reveal Kyoya on the other side, Haruhi had no way of masking her shock.
As it was, Kyoya didn't comment on the no-doubt ridiculous expression on Haruhi's face, quiet as he walked over and crouched down next to her. Haruhi didn't even notice the two thermoses in his hands until he held them out for her to take. Slowly pushing her arms through her sweater sleeves, Haruhi raised an eyebrow at her... future brother-in-law.
A chuckle is Kyoya's response, easing himself to sit properly on the floor once he's passed off the thermoses. "Your suspicious nature is very much like your sister's when we first met. She's the one who told me of your aversion to the cold, just so you know. I figured the first temperature drop of the year might be hitting a little hard, especially in a new environment, so I wanted to see if I could help. The blue thermos is tea, and the green is some broth I had the chef whip up. I figured it would be easiest things to keep warm as I brought it up."
Haruhi doesn't make a move to unscrew the lids, but she holds them a little tighter. She continued to stare at the boy, prodding him with her eyes. Thankfully, he seemed to understand what she wanted.
Fingers lacing together in his lap, Kyoya lets his gaze wander over to the fireplace. "I know… we haven't exactly had much time to get to know each other very well, which isn't a good thing for future in-laws, I imagine. But I know how much you matter to Jin, and I'd very much like to ensure that, once she and I are legally married, there is as little awkwardness as possible between myself and her family members. I'd also like to get to know you both better, as you both matter so much to Jin. I know it would make her happy to see us getting along."
Haruhi was somehow able to keep her face blank throughout Kyoya's confession. She remained silent for a good long while after he finished as well, taking note of the way he fiddled with his fingers as the quiet stretched on.
"I have just one question for you."
Kyoya's eyes dart back to Haruhi's. "Yes?"
"What exactly do you feel for my sister? How would you describe it?"
"I love Jin with the force of a thousand suns."
The statement was instantaneous, blunt, and spoken so seriously Haruhi couldn't do anything but laugh. Holding her new thermoses to her chest, she nearly doubled over as Kyoya's words replayed over and over in her mind. Across from her, Kyoya watched warily.
Grinning broadly up at the boy, Haruhi nodded firmly. "That is exactly what I wanted to hear. Kyoya Ootori, you officially have my blessing."
* Early December *
Jin and Kyoya's wedding began with a fresh blanket of snow.
The ceremony was indoors, held in the open back room of a local winery just two blocks away from where Ranka and Haruhi used to live not even a year prior. Haruhi was currently dressed up in an elegant dark green "fancy-smancy" dress (as she had dubbed it) as she stood behind Jin, watching with a soft smile as her sister and Kyoya exchanged vows.
Behind Kyoya stood Tamaki, eyes full of unshed tears and sporting a rose in his suit jacket pocket that matched the dark green of Haruhi's gown. If Haruhi hadn't know Tamaki for as long as she had, she might've been surprised by all the times he had burst into tears since that morning. She had been tempted to tease the man about what a mess he would be on his own wedding day, but just the thought of Tamaki's wedding gave Haruhi weird swirling feelings in the pit of her stomach. So… she would leave it alone for now.
"Jin Fujioka, do you take Kyoya Ootori to be your husband?"
"I do."
Haruhi blinked, forcefully pulling herself back into reality at the sound of Jin's watery voice. She couldn't see her sister's face, but from the sound of it, Jin was also remarkably close to tears. Standing between the couple, Mori nodded with a small smile before turning to Kyoya.
"Kyoya Ootori, do you take Jin Fujioka to be your wife-"
"Yes." The man took a sharp breath in and let it out slowly, eyes never leaving Jin's face. "Yes, I do."
Haruhi knew that her sister had in fact started crying, Jin's shoulder's shaking as Mori announced their union before finally letting the couple kiss. Jin's arms went around Kyoya's shoulders immediately, her bouquet littering white and green flower petals down Kyoya's back as they kissed, Kyoya's arms wrapping around her waist and dipping her backwards.
The small crowd of witnesses started applauding, Hikaru and Kaoru letting out matching wolf-whistles before Ranka smacked the boy's arms to quiet them down. Haruhi applauded too, her smaller bouquet tucked into her left elbow as she did. Giving the audience a quick glance, she noticed that all three of Kyoya's siblings were also in tears, the sister bouncing up and down as she clapped. Seated by the twins and Haruhi's father, Honey was doing the same thing. In the back, through the frosted window designs, Haruhi could swear she saw the workers who had set up the ceremony applauding as well. Or perhaps they had seen the size of their check for this event and were celebrating?
The small crowd took up a louder cheer and Haruhi once again had to zone back into the moment. Jin and Kyoya had finally parted and were turned back towards their family members, hand in hand as they smiled. Jin had her head resting on Kyoya's shoulder, crushing the curls that had taken an hour to perfect, but she didn't seem to mind. As Jin's eyes met Haruhi's, she couldn't help but beam and applaud louder. Her sister looked so happy… happier than Haruhi could remember from their childhood. And it wasn't because of the fancy food that was being served at the reception, or the promise of a week long honeymoon in a penthouse suite away from any upstart cops.
No. Jin was smiling like she had the whole world in the palm of her hand because she did. She had Haruhi and their dad, and finally her world was completed by the man standing at her left side who was holding her hand, and they were officially starting their lives together as a single unit.
Haruhi shook her head slowly, amused by her own sappy thoughts.
Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Ootori.
* Two Weeks Later *
"And don't think this will become a regular thing! You won't get every evening off!"
Kyoya nodded in faux agreement, though his facial expression showed his true thoughts about Tamaki's promise. "Of course I won't. It's not like I'm your right hand man or anything that deserves special treatment."
Tamaki stood up from his desk just before Kyoya slipped out of the office. The married man chuckled to himself as his friend called out from beyond the door, "Smug bastard! I'm sending you to Hoboken for a month! Starting now! I'm calling Hikaru!"
"Sure you are!" Kyoya called back, laughing a little louder as he entered the stairwell, finally out of hearing range of Tamaki's office. Though, if he tried, he was sure he could still faintly hear his friend shouting after him. Not that whatever he was saying was of any concern. They often pretended like they were competing with each other for power or what-have-yous that people thought they argued about. It was all the same. Kyoya would finish a large project or job, he'd pretend that whatever he'd just completed was the "last straw" and he wanted to "quit", Tamaki would go on some long winded rant about honor and loyalty, so on and so forth until Kyoya left the office whenever he felt like it.
Though, he had a feeling Tamaki was in fact going to send him off on a job soon. He had seen Hikaru pass by his door on the way to Tamaki's office earlier. Oh well. He supposed it was sort of fair, he did have to make up for all the time off he'd been taking. But it wasn't entirely his fault. His honeymoon had been much too short. Still, he knew he should pack for his upcoming trip sooner rather than later, so Kyoya walked straight to his room. His wife ( wife! ) was probably busy down in the training rooms anyways. He'd just have to visit her later, hopefully before he had to leave-
Kyoya paused with his hand on the door handle. If he wasn't mistaken, he could faintly hear music coming from inside. Quietly and slowly inching the door open, Kyoya peeked in. Sure enough, Jin was there, carrying clean clothes this way and that as she put them away, dancing and singing along to the radio on the nightstand. Waiting until her back was turned, Kyoya entered the room and shut the door behind him, quite content with watching Jin for a while before announcing himself. She twirled around and hung up a pair of pants at the same time, giggles interrupting her singing every so often, clearly enjoying herself.
As his wife disappeared into their closet, Kyoya gave the bedroom a brief scan. A warm bubble blossomed deep in his chest as he did. His old bedroom was looking more and more like a miniature home as time went on. There were nightstands on either side of the bed, each with their own collection of items on top, bright green plants on the windowsill, two dressers… and so many other signs that spoke of two people contently living together.
Kyoya was sure that he had a ridiculous expression on his face when Jin reemerged from the closet, empty handed. Spotting her husband, her face lit up and she hurried over to him. Kyoya didn't bother to fight back as she took hold of his hands and tugged him into the empty space in the middle of the room. Before he knew it, the two of them were dancing together along to the radio. He was unfamiliar with the song, but he liked it. It was something about being with someone who always made you smile.
Appropriate , he decided, unable to fight his own smile as his wife giggled into his chest, their feet well out of sync with each other and the song, but both managing to make it work.
Just outside the door, Hikaru listened to the sounds of the radio and a pair of giggles coming from the other side. The redhead smiled softly and walked back to his own room. He'd catch Kyoya up on their next mission later.
The mall was busy. Well, busy- ish. Jin and Haruhi had both definitely seen busier times, but the escalator was still reasonably filled with other shoppers as the sisters made their way back to the front entrance. Jin casually leaned against the railing, eyes raking across the lobby they were about to enter with vigilance. No one who bothered to pay attention could say the woman wasn't serious about her job. But once she'd accomplished the requirements of said job...
Jin nudged Haruhi's shin with the toe of her shoe. "So... what brought this sudden shopping trip on? You rarely like going clothes shopping. And you usually avoid… those stores like the plague. What changed?" The look Jin gave her sister could only be described as "sly". She smiled as innocently as she could in response to Haruhi's glare. If Haruhi's face wasn't already flushed to the roots of her hair, Jin's little "inquiry" would've done the trick.
Clutching the black bag in her hand a little tighter, Haruhi looked away. "I just… Tamaki's had a stressful week. I wanted to surprise him."
"Oh, he'll be surprised all right." Jin laughed, swiftly dodging the elbow aiming for her gut. "So, are you going to tell him you love him tonight?"
There was a brief moment of quiet as the two girls stepped off the escalator.
"...Maybe?"
"Dressed in that? Are you sure you're not aiming to kill him?"
Haruhi let out a small whine and covered her face with her hands, knowing that Jin wouldn't let her bump into anyone even as they walked towards the exit. As she wallowed in embarrassment, Jin's cheeky smile faded into a more fond one. She might enjoy teasing her little sister like crazy, but on the inside she was proud that Haruhi was finally able to admit her feelings for someone. It meant that she was finally healing and trusting people beyond her immediate family.
It meant she felt safe.
Haruhi didn't drop her hands until they were outside, both girls taking in deep breaths of the warming air. Winter had finally left the city, and if they were lucky, the slowly warming weather would be here to stay. The ivy vines that clung to the outside of the mall were regaining their green color, so it was looking up.
Jin turned her head only slightly, reaching into her pocket for the car keys, when something caught her attention. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a large van driving towards them along the road in front of the mall. Not very fast, or suspiciously slow… but it went through the stop sign at the pedestrian crossing without pause.
"Haruhi-"
Before Jin could finish her thought, she was knocked to the ground. Beside her, Haruhi screamed, frantically trying to wiggle her way out of the arms holding her. Switching on the defensive, Jin aimed a kick to the back of the knee of the man holding her sister, knocking him down.
Scrambling to her feet, she pulled Haruhi into a run. If they could make it to the car, they'd be safe. The car was bullet proof and had extra weapons for situations just like this. They just had to get to the car. Get to the car, call the family, get the hell out of dodge. The plan repeated itself like a mantra in Jin's head.
Jin grabbed Haruhi's bag of clothes from her hand and spun around, using it to smack the guy following them in the face. It wasn't exactly heavy, holding only a single set in lingerie, but it surprised him enough for Jin to follow up with a punch to the man's jaw. As he shouted curses while cradling his now bleeding nose, Jin pulled Haruhi between the parked cars around them, trying to shake off the van bearing down on them.
Finally, they reached the car. An unassuming little black Toyota that one might overlook entirely if they didn't look too close at the blankets in the back seat, rumpled up to not obviously be hiding a pile of firearms. Pressing the unlock button, Jin threw the back seat open and stuffed Haruhi inside along with her bag. After a moment of hesitation, she threw the car keys inside as well.
Shutting the door, Jin only had a split second to look at the window reflection before the men were on her. She screamed through the window for Haruhi to call Tamaki and Kyoya, wrestling for control over her arms. As she twisted and flailed around, she saw a third man attempt to pull open the car door to get to Haruhi. Thankfully, Jin had a stupid-smart sister who had locked the doors as soon as she realized she had the keys. The man gave her a look of disgust, kicking at the door before joining his buddies in wrestling Jin into submission.
Haruhi couldn't do anything but watch as her sister was dragged kicking and screaming into the van. Hands shaking, she pulled out her phone and hit the number three speed dial.
"Tamaki! Tamaki pick up, please! I need you!"
While Haruhi began to panic inside the car, inside the van Jin wasn't going down without a fight. Using the cramped space and uneven footing to her advantage, she waited until the man in front of her stepped back enough for a solid kick to the chest. He let out a grunt of surprise, arms flailing before he fell back against the driver's seat with a 'thump'.
Letting out a growl, Jin threw all her body weight to the right, slamming the second man against the side of the van before crouching down and throwing him over her shoulder and onto his back. She gave him a swift kick to the side for good measure. She was pretty sure he'd been the one to grab Haruhi earlier, and she was making sure he knew that she knew.
The last guy had a hell of a time keeping hold of her, and Jin used that to her advantage. She squirmed around until she could grab a hold of his hand, bending his middle finger back as far as she could. The squishy sounding "pop" and howl of pain that followed was music to her ears. With a pleased smile, she turned to find the best angle for slamming her elbow into the guy's head.
Something hard and fast slammed into her stomach.
Abruptly, Jin let out a harsh scream and dropped to her knees, hands coming down to hold onto the foot now pressed against her stomach. Vision disoriented, she looked over at the man still laying on his back. He had turned around and kicked her, the steel toe of his boot digging into the soft belly pouch below her belly button. She wanted to push his foot away, but somehow didn't have the energy. She felt dizzy and breathless… and something else too.
Something felt wrong.