Taking Care - (3 Parts)

[Spoo]

From Star Trek to Ouran? I'm all OVER the fangirl spectrum, aren't I? Anywho, I was suddenly inspired around four o'clock this morning (writers work at strange times...) to write something of an Ouran nature. I always pick on poor Tamaki, so this time I focused everything on his best friend, Kyouya Ootori. Isn't he handsome?

I'm still in the process of updating my Star Trek story Captain's Orders, and I'm also writing a special story for cherry, but I always have a bit of time for these boys. Tamaki and Kyouya forever!

I don't plan on continuing this. Why? Because it fits better as a one-shot. HOWEVER! There is a slim chance I might at some point in the future, just because the thought of Tamaki fussing over Kyouya when he's sick warms my heart and gives me fuzzies.

I hope you all enjoy!

Taking Care

It was truly remarkable that Tamaki Suou was never late to class. One would think the boy would have had a tardy record beyond repair—what, with all the time he dedicated in the mornings to speaking with his devoted fans and such. Two minutes before the first bell rang, the blond slipped into his first class, waving and winking at those who greeted him upon entry. Before he sat down, however, he noticed something odd. Kyouya was always there before he arrived, but this morning there was no sign of the dark-haired second year. It puzzled Tamaki and furrowed his golden eyebrows as he looked at the empty desk behind his own.

A little confused, he sat down and hung his bag on the golden hook located on the side of his desk. Perhaps his best friend was running late? The thought seemed impossible, because Kyouya Ootori was never late for anything, let alone school. It didn’t matter that he was first in his class and of the top thirteen in Ouran Academy. And that wasn’t including the fact that he’d never missed a day of school. His attendance record was as polished and refined as Kyouya himself.

Tamaki tried to banish his unease while he opened his notebook and prepared for the lecture to begin. Before he could write the date at the top of a clean page, he heard a nearby feminine gasp and looked up. His blue-violet eyes averted to where most of the students in the room were currently looking at. There, at the front of the classroom, entered a notably disheveled -looking Kyouya. His normally neat black hair was tousled, yet that was nothing compared to the features on his face. His eyes were two sunken charcoal abysses with darkened rings underneath the lower eyelids. His nose looked a bit swollen and painfully irritated; his nostrils were flushed crimson and damp around the curved edges. His lips were slightly parted, emphasizing an obvious conflict with his nasal passages.

Whispers circulated from all sides of the room, but Kyouya appeared oblivious to them as he walked down the aisle of desks to arrive at his own behind Tamaki. The Host King, being the closest to him, turned around the moment he sat down with a worried expression.

“Hey, are you okay?” Tamaki asked, unable to dismiss his concern. “You don’t look so well.”

It was a moment before Kyouya even looked up, having taken that time to retrieve his ledger and a pen. His voice was even worse than his appearance when he eventually spoke.

“Fine,” he answered in an unmistakably thickened tone.

Tamaki was unconvinced. “Are you sure? You sound really stuffed up.”

The large clock tower on campus chimed loudly before Kyouya could answer, informing everyone that class was now in session. Reluctantly, Tamaki turned around in his seat and faced forward as their professor began the lesson. His shoes scuffed into the fancy floor impatiently. At the moment he wasn’t all that interested about Shakespearian poetry. He wanted to know what was wrong with Kyouya, because the ebony-haired adolescent was most certainly not fine.

Luckily, Tamaki managed to calm himself enough into paying moderate attention. He was in the middle of writing a sentence some twenty minutes later when he heard a faint gasp behind him. The action was followed by three equally breathy gasps before he also heard shifting in a desk. Eventually, the blond heard a most curious noise behind him.

“Hhm’PHFFSSH!”

A sneeze. It was quiet—muffled even, but it was most definitely a sneeze.

Curiously, Tamaki turned in his seat once again to view the outcome. He found Kyouya hunched into a dark purple handkerchief, his nose buried in the soft folds of the cloth. What sounded like a sniffle—or at least that’s what Tamaki thought it was; it sounded more like the sound a straw made when sucking the last remnants of a drink— left the handkerchief before Kyouya straightened and gazed at Tamaki.

“Can I help you?” he inquired, looking none too happy about the way the half-French, half-Japanese male was staring at him.

“U-uh, no. I just…uhm…bless you.”

Kyouya frowned. “Turn around.”

Tamaki squeaked at the intimidating tone, obeyed, and returned his attention forward, only to be selected to recite a passage from their current studies. It was a good thing he’d memorized said passage the evening before or else he might have actually made a fool of himself. Well, an even bigger one than he already was. Standing, the tall foreigner began to deliver the lines in practiced English. Several girls sighed and swooned around him, watching their beloved prince speak the words that sounded simply beautiful leaving his full, smooth lips.

Halfway through the recitation, Tamaki was interrupted by the same sound that occurred not two minutes before.

“Mh’PTSSHH!”

As if it wasn’t already hard to focus. For Kyouya’s sake Tamaki forced himself to continue, even if he had taken a small pause after the third Ootori son sneezed. Again. When he was finished and allowed to sit down Tamaki turned his head back slightly, though not enough to see Kyouya.

“Bless you.”

~*~

The remainder of class consisted of several more of the handkerchief-caught sneezes, and there was even a cough or two in there as well. When the period finally ended and students were granted a ten minute reprieve before their next class, Tamaki took full advantage and attacked his best friend with a fiery opinion.

“Kyouya, please. I don’t care what you say, but you’re as sick as a dog. Can I at least walk you to the infirmary?” he begged, facing the individual that was gathering his belongings with one hand and using the other to hold his handkerchief against his leaking nose.

“I can’t afford to miss a day, Tamaki,” Kyouya snuffled. “Besides, who would clean up after your messes?”

Tamaki tried pretending he didn’t blush after hearing that. “But you sound terrible!” he protested, grabbing his bag and walking with the slightly shorter host out of the classroom and into the hallway. “And I’m sure the club could manage without you for one day, or however long you need to feel better!”

Kyouya wasn’t listening, and it wasn’t because he was intentionally ignoring Tamaki for once. No, the reason he didn’t hear the Suou boy anymore was because his breath had begun to hitch. He was forced to stop in the hallway and surrender to a waist-bending, harsh, “huh’MPHTSSH!” Kyouya was suddenly very grateful he’d kept his handkerchief pressed to his nose, for the aftermath of that particular sneeze was anything but pleasant.

Tamaki winced and looked away, giving his friend some privacy to assess the ‘damage’. Something told him that dark purple cloth was no longer very sanitary. Or dry for that matter. When Kyouya began walking again, lowering the soiled handkerchief from a nose that was horribly red, Tamaki reached into his pocket and retrieved his own handkerchief; it was light blue and wonderfully soft.

He walked after the other and casually offered it to him with a smile. “Here.”

A sheen of light captured Kyouya’s glasses, masking the dark irises beneath the lenses as he looked at the offering in silence. For a moment Tamaki feared he was about to have his head bitten off, so he was genuinely surprised when the Shadow King pocketed his spent handkerchief and accepted the light blue one without a word.

Tamaki was unsure if the crimson hue that bloomed across Kyouya’s cheeks was from fever or appreciative embarrassment.

[Zane]

OMG!!! This story sounds so frickin awsome! I love it! YUM!!!!! I seriously think you should continue but if you don't its totally fine! I'm just finally happy I got to read a kyouya fic with him being sick! Thank you so much!!!!

[a red nine]

Oh the -ness! That was adorable, I'm so glad you wrote some Ouran! Heh, still looking forward to the Black Butler story, if you think you'll get around to it. I won't force you to, though, I'm sure it isn't easy to focus on three things at once. Is this a one shot? If not, I'll keep checking back for updates. And by the way, you're such a good writer too! I'm not much of a Star Trek fan, but maybe I will take a look at that other story you're in the middle of.

Once again, thanks for the full dose of cuteness!

[chui]

*FLAILS* omg... soooooo yummy! Kyouya-sempai is just NUMMY!!!!! i do love your fiction, Spoo!!!

[Spoo]

OMG!!! This story sounds so frickin awsome! I love it! YUM!!!!! I seriously think you should continue but if you don't its totally fine! I'm just finally happy I got to read a kyouya fic with him being sick! Thank you so much!!!!

No problem! I enjoyed writing it.

[lalaland~]

mmm yummy =9

I've never seen a Kyouya one before! I liiiike ^^

[Spoo]

Oh the -ness! That was adorable, I'm so glad you wrote some Ouran! Heh, still looking forward to the Black Butler story, if you think you'll get around to it. I won't force you to, though, I'm sure it isn't easy to focus on three things at once. Is this a one shot? If not, I'll keep checking back for updates. And by the way, you're such a good writer too! I'm not much of a Star Trek fan, but maybe I will take a look at that other story you're in the middle of.

Once again, thanks for the full dose of cuteness!

Oh, I love Ouran to pieces! It's probably my favorite series as of right now. Black Butler is still looking like a possibility. And thank you! Writing is my passion, so it's lovely when I get praised on it.

[Spoo]

I've decided that from now on I'm not going to even BOTHER saying 'I might not finish this' or 'I don't think I'll continue', because when inspiration bites you, it bites HARD! Thus, here is a second part to this.

~*~

Taking Care

Part 2

It was utterly heartbreaking to watch Kyouya’s health progressively deteriorate as the day went by. Tamaki had a front-row seating to this event, considering he attended every class with the dark-haired boy. By the end of the day and just before they entered Music Room 3, the blond took it upon himself to initiate a much needed intervention.

He stopped Kyouya outside of the large clubroom doors and set two hands upon either of the boy’s shoulders, gazing at him fiercely.

“Kyouya,” Tamaki began, looking into the notably sick face. “You haven’t listened to me all day about going home, and now you expect to actually host in this terrible condition?”

It took a moment for the other teenager to process the question, let alone form an answer around the horribly congested state of his voice; Tamaki hardly understood him when he spoke. “I dodn’t pland on hostig,” he paused to snuffle. “If anythig, I’b simbly goig to calculate our expendses for the bonth. Would you bind releasing be, Tabaki?”

“Do you even hear yourself?!” Tamaki shook his head, yet obeyed his best friend’s request by lowering his hands. “You can barely speak! You sound as bad as an elephant with the flu!”

Kyouya decided to ignore the ridiculous comparison and merely turned towards the doors. His nose twitched. Withdrawing the blue handkerchief he’d been given earlier from his pocket, he quickly brought it to his face, sneezing against it more than actually into it. “Hhp'tschuu!”

Tamaki bit back a whimper. “Bless you…”

The Shadow King said nothing, pocketed the handkerchief again, and strolled into the clubroom as if nothing had ever happened—as if he didn’t feel like death warmed over. Tamaki eventually followed, refusing to leave his worries at the door.

~*~

His mask was cracking.

There was only five minutes or so left of club hours, and Tamaki knew damn well Kyouya was at his façade’s end. The dreadfully ill boy was seated at a table on the other side of the ornate chamber, punching in numbers on his ever-trusty calculator. Occasionally, Tamaki would see Kyouya’s torso snap forward in silence, indicating that he was deliberately refraining from not sneezing aloud. The poor thing’s eardrums were going to explode if he kept that awful stifling business up.

No one but Tamaki had observed all of this, seeing as the twins were currently performing an extended act of “brotherly love”, which captured a good deal of the attention in Music Room 3.

Ultimately, the loud clangs from the clock tower signaled the club's ending and prompted their customers to depart. When final adieus were vocalized and the last daffodil-colored uniform left the room, the remaining hosts gathered in; it had been announced the day before that there was to be a meeting after club hours that day. However, Kyouya hadn’t calculated in the fact that a certain ‘circumstance’ would interfere with his plans.

Not to mention he was beginning to feel a bit…dizzy.

The hosts gathered around the table Kyouya was seated at, waiting to receive whatever information they needed. However, instead of their Vice President taking the floor with an announcement of sorts, it was the oldest, and yet most youthful looking member that piped up.

“Kyou-chan!” Mitsukuni “Hunny” Haninozuka exclaimed. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, Kyouya-senpai,” the twins, Hikaru and Kaoru, chorused in unison. “You look pretty run down.”

Tamaki stood amongst them, his arms folded tightly across his chest. He wanted to interject more than anything and inform their friends that, no, Kyouya most certainly was NOT okay, but he knew it wasn’t his place, and launching into theatrics (for once) would not help the situation.

It was most accurate to say that Kyouya hadn’t heard a word the others said. His head had become a pounding, aching miasma of pain, no thanks to all of the sneezes he’d been forced to muffle within his mouth throughout the duration of the club. His vision began to swim, and the edges grew black. He suddenly felt more ill than he’d been willing to admit.

Perhaps…perhaps it was best if he…if he…

Takashi “Mori” Morinozuka moved forward quickly to catch Kyouya in order to prevent a collision with the polished floor.

Immediately, chaos surfaced.

“KYOUYA-SENPAI!” This exclamation belonged to the twins and Haruhi, who watched as Mori held the fevered boy in his arms like a bridal ragdoll.

Tamaki was instantly by the tallest host’s side, his expression aflame with concern. If only Kyouya had listened to him! “He’s sick,” he explained, informing the others of what was now more obvious ever. “I’ve been telling him all day to go home, but he didn’t listen to me.” The Host King took a moment to ponder a solution before he looked at Mori. “I’ll take him to the infirmary.”

Despite the fact that school had ended, the medical wing was still open for any after school emergencies that might have surfaced.

“Do you want us to come with you, Tamaki-senpai?” Haruhi asked, watching as Mori carefully set Kyouya on Tamaki’s back.

Tamaki shook his head and offered the commoner a small smile. “Thank you, Haruhi, but I can take care of it.” He looked to the twins and voiced a question. “Can you get in contact with Tachibana-san and tell him what’s happened?” He had a feeling Kyouya’s loyal bodyguard would need to hear of this.

Both Hikaru and Kaoru nodded and then saluted their commander. “Yes, milord!”

Tamaki nodded in thanks and then adjusted the limp body resting on his back; he scooped his arms beneath Kyouya’s legs, as if he were giving him what the commoners called a ‘piggy-back ride’ and then started out of the room.

The walk to the medical wing wasn’t a long one, but it was a difficult one to make. Tamaki could hear the labored sounds of Kyouya’s breathing in his ear, could feel the sheer fevered heat that soaked into his uniform from the body he carried on his back. It was a truly worrisome situation that increased Tamaki’s pace down the corridor.

“You should have listened to me,” he whispered, shaking his head. “You’re not invincible, and it’s okay to admit defeat sometimes.”

There was a small stirring and then a quieted groan behind him, alerting Tamaki.

“Kyouya?” he asked hopefully.

The only response he received was a choppy breath, followed by a quick inhale and wet “Hih’tsschuu!” against the back of his neck.

“Ghhhh!” Tamaki froze, feeling a tiny wave of cold disgust shiver down his spine. “Ahhh…bl-bless you…”

He tried at best to shake the unpleasant sensation as he finally stepped into the infirmary.

[blackrose]

this is great! i love every bit of it! i cant wait for more

[confetishcake]

Whats Tamaki talking about! How I'd love to feel that delightful spray on my neck!

I love you. I adore this. I can't wait for more!!

[chui]

ASLDKFJASASDFKJSLDFJSDLKFJS....... woman...... WOMAN!!!!

you most definintely owe me a new chair AND pants for this! heck, i think you might owe the downstairs neighbor a new pair of shoes for all the flooding the puddle i melted into caused after it put out the fire you started!

<---chui after reading Spoo-fic!

loveLOVElove this!!!

[Zane]

Whats Tamaki talking about! How I'd love to feel that delightful spray on my neck!

I love you. I adore this. I can't wait for more!!

I so agree with Char! thanks so much for writing this and I hope you can continue! mmmmmmmmm............... Kyouya.......... sick kyouya.........

[a red nine]

Hey! You wrote more! And it was epically amazing! I especially liked the end, where Tamaki struggles to put up with Kyouya's illness. I honestly did not think the hosts sneezing would be so cute a few months ago, but I'm totally in love with it! They're all so equally adorable when they're sick. Thanks Spoo!!

Oh, and by the way Spoo... You're really going to like the Tamaki fic I'm writing, I think... So get excited... [i would have most of it over the weekend but I had to go on a college trip. That at least gave me time to plan out the whole thing. Thanks for being so patient, I hope to have it out by Friday at the latest.]

[Aprilcot]

Update! Please quick! Update!

Fantastic!!!!!

Amazing!!!

Need more!!!

*tenses and then relaxes, fainting onto the floor*

[LeapYearKisses]

This is so good! Is it too late to hope for more?

[lalaland~]

you wrote MORE?? Ah-mazing!

[Spoo]

You thought this story was over? I don't think so!

Well, I guess it WILL be after this, but at least I could provide you guys with one final installment. I will shamelessly admit to absolutely adoring the TamakixKyouya pairing, and I don't care who knows it! These boys are perfect for each other in my opinion. So yes, I AM biased when it comes to stories about them. However, I do support TamakixHaruhi! In fact, I plan to write about that pairing in my next Ouran fic.

Before we get into things, I feel as if I should make a fair warning:

There will be light shounen-ai in this update! This means boy love. If that's not your cup of tea then please hit the back button! Thank you.

Now. On with the show!

~*~

When Kyouya’s eyelids parted he immediately noticed two things: The first thing was that he was no longer within the pink walls of the clubroom. The second thing continued to loom over him, gazing into his feverish face with an air of utmost concern. However, said concern melted away into a look of honest relief.

“You’re awake,” Tamaki breathed with a warm, genuine smile. “Thank goodness. I was afraid you weren’t going to regain consciousness for a few more hours.”

The cold sheets of the infirmary bed made Kyouya shiver as he shifted, setting the back of his hand over his naked eyes; his glasses had been removed. He could feel the heat from his forehead and knew immediately he had a terrible temperature.

“What happened?” he inquired, internally cringing at the level of congestion that deepened the cool baritone of his voice.

Absently, Tamaki adjusted the sterile covers over his best friend. “You fainted.”

Well. That made sense. Kyouya sighed and lowered the hand from his eyes, turning his head and squinting at the blond sitting on the edge of the bed. From the viewpoint in which he laid the other boy looked like an angel with sunlight haloing his hair from the nearby window. “Did you take me here?”

Tamaki nodded. “I carried you on my back. Your bodyguard should be here soon to take you home. Until then I’ll stay with you.”

The ill youth’s nose scrunched in a wet sniffle. “That’s unnecessary. I’ll be fihhh…f-fine on my own. Hpt’KSSHhuh!”

“I’m sure you will, but I’d rather stay here,” Tamaki replied, reaching for the tissue box that rested on the table beside the bed. He scooted closer to Kyouya and offered him two of the soft cloths. “Bless you, by the way.”

The tissues were much better than his cupped hand, Kyouya realized, as he buried his nose into the white squares. Another tickle was in the process of working its way out, hitching his breath and snapping him forward a bit. “Hih’KTSShhhuu!”

“Mon Dieu!*” Tamaki exclaimed above the thick sounds of Kyouya blowing his nose. “That is quite the cold you have.”

Kyouya kept the crumpled wad of tissues pressed to his nose as he turned on his side, facing his companion fully. The poor boy looked absolutely miserable, and it tugged at Tamaki’s heartstrings. Without realizing he’d begun to do it, the Host Club president had reached out a hand and grazed the back of his knuckles across Kyouya’s flushed cheek.

“Nnm…” the groaned protest was weak.

Tamaki smiled knowingly and then leaned in, speaking against Kyouya’s hot forehead. “You’ll be better soon. In the meantime, I want you to take it easy, alright? I don’t ever want to see you faint again.” He went to pull away, but a hand clutched at his sleeve. “Hmm?”

Another flurry of kittenish sneezes distracted Kyouya for a moment before he was able to get a hold of himself. When that happened he sniffled and closed his eyes, still keeping the hand that held tissues placed over his nose. The one that was clutching Tamaki’s sleeve tightened.

“I thought I already told you, mon ami*,” Tamaki whispered with a fond smile, stroking the fingers of his free hand through Kyouya’s dark hair. “I’m staying here.”

End.

*Mon Dieu: Literally ‘My God’ in French.

*Mon ami: My friend.

I thought it’d be cute to have Tamaki get in tune with the other half of his blood.

[obsessed]

Mon dieu I love your writing. :]

[Spoo]

Mon dieu I love your writing. :]

Eeee! Thank you so much.

[Zane]

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh sooooooooo amazing!!!! I think I just died cause of the amazingness of these stories!!!!!

[Ciuty80]

soooo damn cute!!!!!!!!!!!

please continue if you can

i LOVE it

[Spoo]

soooo damn cute!!!!!!!!!!!

please continue if you can

i LOVE it

This is actually the last update for this particular story, but I'll definitely write another Ouran fic someday. Thanks for the comment!

[a red nine]

When I saw this on the first page, I thought someone revived it from the depths of the pages; but you updated! Oh glorious! It was all very adorable, Kyouya's sneezes, Tamaki's spontaneous French... So -worthy! I'm glad to see you're posting stories again! (Even if this is short-lived!)

[Maus_17]

OH GOSH! *faints* this was all so wonderful!

[Arty]

I love u so much for this!!! like u i also love TamakixKyouya as well as TamakixHaruhi. This...was awesome!! Kyouya would have kitten like sneezes...adorable just adorable!