Business Matters

[Spoo]

Hey, guys! This was originally written for Leap-Year-Kisses as a personal 'thank you' for a little project she's working on for me. I was utterly delighted when she suggested something of the Ouran nature (you know, not because I'm a HUGE FANGIRL or anything). Anywho, I had so much fun writing this, and I wanted to share it on the forum.

Just a slight warning first: This story contains shounen-ai, which is basically BOY LOVE. If this makes you uncomfortable in any way, please turn back now. Thank you.

If you're still with me, GREAT! I hope you all enjoy the Tamaki x Kyouya goodness.

~*~

Business Matters

For those lucky enough to be involved in large companies and extreme riches arrived a rather well-known exposition that settled in the finer part of the city. Businessmen from all over the world were cordially invited. Rather than display popular products from each corporation, the exposition itself showcased the largest and most successful families. Needless to say one wasn’t invited to the event unless their last name was known worldwide. Thus, it was accurate to assume the show was solely compromised of the most well-groomed, refined, and wealthy.

Naturally, both the Ootori and Suou family were invited, along with the Hitachiins as well. Hikaru and Kaoru didn’t attend, seeing as they had ‘better things to do’, yet the youngest and only son of the Ootori and Suou family were present on the scene. Whereas Kyouya was expected to come, regardless of his personal preference to decline or accept, Tamaki’s attendance was purely optional. His father suggested that his ditzy boy attend, if only to get a grasp of his potential future.

While Tamaki wasn’t all that interested in his father’s line of work, he went nonetheless. After all, it wasn’t often this young man said ‘no’ to a new opportunity. Going to a business convention might have been fun!

Considering it was a high-class occasion, the attendants were each expected to present themselves in nothing less than formalwear. That itself wasn’t much of an issue, considering suits were popular amongst this particular genre of society.

Presently, the opening ceremonies occupied the weekend schedule. The sound of laughter and foreign tongues littered the sophisticated convention hall as business cards were exchanged. In the far left corner, beside the magnificent dolphin fountain, stood the proud Ootori family.

“It is good to finally meet the Ootori Group,” a German man spoke in accented English. Due to the diversity of languages present, English was dubbed the universal one amongst the well-off crowd.

Yoshio Ootori, the family patriarch, nodded. “And it is good to meet you as well,” he replied. “These are my sons.”

Each son stepped forward when introduced and shook hands with their father’s client. First was the eldest, Yuuichi Ootori, who resembled his father in every way. Next was the second oldest, Akito Ootori, whose plain expression concealed his belligerent attitude. Lastly, there was the youngest, Kyouya Ootori, who was by far the most handsome of his brothers. Some would argue that he was also the most brilliant as well, though that was up for debate according to Kyouya.

Meanwhile, a certain half Japanese, half French teenager was across the room, marveling at Hikaru and Kaoru’s mother’s dress. The woman was a fashion designer (and a rather exceptional one at that). The Host King couldn’t help but compliment her gorgeous gown. Briefly, and rather embarrassingly, he imagined how such an outfit would look on Haruhi.

When a moment of inactivity was granted between both Tamaki and Kyouya, they arranged to meet outside of the room in the hallway to converse. Tamaki arrived a few minutes after Kyouya had (he’d gotten caught up in conversation with his father). Walking out of the room, his blue-violet eyes scanned the area for his best friend (and secret boyfriend as well.) He was genuinely surprised to find the dark-haired boy…in the middle of a sneezing fit?

Tamaki watched as his suit-clad companion surrendered to the kitten-like expulsions, which were aimed between two steepled hands. Silently, he wondered how long Kyouya had been at it. From the looks of it, it appeared to have been going on for at least a minute, give or take. Having nothing else to do, other than wait for the fit to end, Tamaki stood back and continued observing.

“Hpt’KSShh! Hih’KTSShhh! Hhp'tschuu! Hh—! Hih... Hih’tsschuhh!”

At last, the sneezes began to die down, and soon they stopped all together. Sniffling, and twitching his nose as a rabbit might, Kyouya lifted his head up; his expression contorted for a moment, which lead Tamaki to believe he was going to start sneezing again, yet the look melted away as Kyouya cleared his throat and pushed up his glasses. Within seconds he was back to looking as polished as ever, despite his pinkish nose and liquidy sniffles.

Tamaki took this time to approach. “God bless you!” he exclaimed, sounding nothing short of impressed. “Are you alright?”

“What kept you?” Kyouya inquired, completely ignoring the question.

“Huh? Oh! My father pulled me aside for a moment and spoke with me, but really, Kyouya. That was quite the sneezing attack. Are you feeling okay?” And then, without warning or permission, he reached out a hand and swept it beneath the curtain of Kyouya’s black bangs. “You don’t feel like you have a fever…”

“That’s because I don’t have a fever,” Kyouya replied curtly, reaching up and removing Tamaki’s hand. His actions were gentle, however, as he kept the hand within his own for a beat before releasing it. “A client of my father brought his wife, and she seems to be wearing a rather strong perfume. I had to excuse myself immediately.”

“Awww, I’m sorry. That sounds terrible!” Tamaki cooed with a frown. “At least you were able to get away.”

“Hardly,” Kyouya sighed with another tickly sniffle. “My father has arranged to have dinner with them later this evening. I believe you’ll also be attending, won’t you?”

Tamaki thought about the question for a moment and then looked surprised. “Ah! So that’s what father was talking about. He said we were invited to dinner this evening, but I didn’t know it was your dad who arranged it.”

“It is in his best interest to acquaint himself wiiiihh…w-with…hih’ktsshuu!” Kyouya broke away to sneeze into a fist. Luckily, it was only one this time. “Nnn. Pardon me. As I was saying, it is in my father’s best interest to acquaint himself with as many new clients as possible.”

“Bless you,” Tamaki added, reaching into his back pocket. While he knew Kyouya had a handkerchief on his person, as all gentlemen did, he still offered his own. “Your nose is running a bit, darling.” The soft cloth was delicately dabbed beneath the other’s wet nostrils.

Throughout the duration of their relationship, Kyouya had learned to accept Tamaki’s affectionate ways. It wasn’t easy at first, and often resulted with him pushing the blond away, yet he had gotten used to the “little things”, such as what Tamaki was currently doing. He waited until the taller male pulled away and pocketed his handkerchief before sighing softly.

“I must return, but I’ll see you later tonight at dinner,” Kyouya stated.

Tamaki nodded, knowing that he, too, needed to go back inside the convention hall. “Alright. See you then.”

Before they parted, Kyouya stepped forward, reached out, and took Tamaki’s chin between his slender fingers. Pulling the foreigner close, he applied a single kiss to his lips. Then, releasing Tamaki, he adjusted his glasses and walked back inside, leaving his boyfriend in a dreamy daze.

~*~

The evening arrived quicker than anyone could have anticipated. The upscale restaurants that surrounded the convention were filled with guests. The nicest restaurant – one of Italian cuisine – was where the finest families dined. A large table had been prepared under a reservation for ‘Ootori’.

Just short of 8 PM was when members of this party began to arrive. Yoshio and his sons were the first, followed by Tamaki and his father, and then the German clients. Once they were all seated and sipping on glasses of sparkling water, Tamaki turned to his left and took note of the boy seated next to him. Kyouya sat straightly and stared rather intently at his father, who was holding a conversation with the German man. To his right, Tamaki’s father – Yuzuru Suou – was speaking with Kyouya’s eldest brother.

Awkwardly, seeing as he had no one to talk to at the moment, Tamaki unfolded his napkin from the table and laid it to rest across his lap. He had attended a few other business affairs with his father in the past, but not as many as everyone else seated at the table. In a way, he felt out of place, yet he hoped the feeling would disappear as the night progressed.

His doubts were temporarily laid to rest when he heard something beside him; it was the tiniest sniffle if he’d even heard correctly. Without making it seem too obvious, Tamaki looked at Kyouya again, only to observe that the boy was casually rubbing his nose.

Ah, so the perfume was still getting to him.

“Tamaki?”

The blond snapped his gaze away and looked at his father, who was now speaking to him.

“Yes, father?”

“Yuuichi is interested in your future goals. Would you care to explain to him what you have in mind?” Yuzuru smiled, and beside him Kyouya’s eldest brother nodded.

“A-ah…certainly!”

It wasn’t easy to explain something when one’s mind wasn’t entirely on topic. Tamaki had yet to remove a small portion of his attention from Kyouya, whose sniffling was growing more frequent as the minutes passed. In fact, at one point he could have sworn he heard the other’s breathing hitch, yet it could have been something else entirely. He wasn’t sure. By the time Tamaki finished speaking with Yuuichi, the main course had arrived.

Silence dominated the table.

No one spoke as they ate, which created an unmistakably awkward vibe. At least for Tamaki. He was used to dinners that involved animated conversation, and possibly even laughter, but… This was different, and horribly plain. Trying to keep his spirits up, he worked on his pasta dish while occasionally glancing over to Kyouya.

For now it seemed that his boyfriend had gotten himself back under control. At least, that’s what Tamaki thought before he yet again witnessed the Ootori boy nursing his nose. This time, however, it appeared the urge was stronger.

No one else but Tamaki watched as Kyouya brought his napkin to the lower portion of his face. A strangled ‘ngk’t!’ left him, followed by two identical releases. That wouldn’t have been much of a problem, and it would have been easily ignored, yet it appeared that was only the tip of the iceberg. Tamaki could see the other’s nose wrinkle just above where the napkin was placed, indicating that the irritation was still there.

Beneath the table, Tamaki reached out and set his hand on one of Kyouya’s legs; he squeezed gently. Across the table Yoshio Ootori looked at his youngest son, his eyes reflecting a cold sentiment. Having witnessed said sentiment, Kyouya understood immediately. Politely, the dark-haired teen excused himself from the table and walked off.

Tamaki watched Kyouya’s retreating form until it disappeared around the corner. Suddenly, he wasn’t very hungry. In fact, the idea of eating when his boyfriend wasn’t feeling well bothered him immensely. It was why the tall blond also conveniently excused himself, making it seem as though he needed to make use of the facilities.

However, his course for the restroom detoured the moment he was out of sight from the table.

~*~

When they’d first arrived at the restaurant the sun was nearly gone behind the horizon. Now there was only darkness stretching across the sky in dark hues of blue and black. The nearby sound of cars and masculine voices was only interrupted by a merciless round of sneezing.

Tamaki followed the noise until he found Kyouya, stationed a few feet away from the restaurant’s entrance. It was clear to him now that the other boy was much worse than he’d been earlier. Concerned, he approached the suffering mess and attempted to help in any way he could.

“Hey…”

Up until that point Kyouya had been unable to open his eyes for more than five seconds without falling prey to another sneeze. He did so then, however, looking at Tamaki in a way that contradicted the cool demeanor he was known for. In truth, he looked quite pathetic. His nose was an endlessly twitching vessel, his eyes streaming beneath his glasses.

“Wh-what are you doihhh…hnk’TSHshhh”

“As if I could actually sit in there while you’re out here, completely miserable. I’m supposed to be in the bathroom,” Tamaki explained. “Kyouya, you look terrible. Perhaps it’s best if you retire early. I’m sure your father will understand.”

But Kyouya shook his head, implying that his father didn’t understand. Quite the opposite, in fact. Yoshio had noticed his son’s unusual reaction earlier, and while he didn’t say anything, his words were evident in his stern gaze: ‘Take care of this without drawing attention to yourself.’

Tamaki was used to his boyfriend’s persistence, but this was ridiculous. “Mon Dieu, Kyouya. You’re going to make yourself sick!”

Kyouya already felt lightheaded from the constant sneezing, which was beginning to tire him out, truthfully. “Just go back inside, Tamaki,” he managed to breathe out.

Two could play it this game. Stubbornly, Tamaki folded his arms, his soft features adopting a firm disposition. “Not until you’re better.”

Feeling exasperated as it was, Kyouya reached up, removed his glasses, and wiped at his watery eyes with the back of his expensive suit sleeve. He sniffled liquidly. “Must you constantly act like…hih’KSSChssih! …Like a child.” Sniff!

“Well!” Tamaki huffed, snapping his gaze away. “I’m sorry for caring about you.”

Finally granted a reprieve from his fit, Kyouya looked at the pouting Host King; his cheeks were scribbled pink, his indigo eyes trying desperately not to look back at him. “Fine, Tamaki. I’ve already ensured that my father’s client will accept our business proposal earlier today.” Without his father’s knowledge, of course. No doubt the German man was presently telling Yoshio how brilliant Kyouya was inside the restaurant now. “I’ll have to inform the table of my departure.”

Delighted, Tamaki turned back. “Really? Good! I’ll walk you back to your hotel room.”

In spite of his former allergic misery, Kyouya smirked as he slipped his glasses back onto his nose; the appendage was still twitching slightly. “Won’t that appear suspicious?”

The already present hue of pink over Tamaki’s cheeks darkened. “I-I suppose it might, but…well, you are my best friend!” He nodded determinedly at this.

“That is true, but…” Kyouya stepped forward, his voice lowering into a silky rendition of its former self as he whispered in Tamaki’s ear, “I’m also a little more than that.”

The blond shivered. “Nnn…we’d better get back inside.” But not before he reached over and kissed Kyouya’s cheek.

“I agree,” Kyouya replied with a sniffle. “Your father will begin to wonder if you somehow locked yourself in the bathroom again.”

End.

[LeapYearKisses]

It's just as awesome the second time through. Thank you! XD

[Zane]

I think I just died...... that was and just so........ Kyouya sneezing!! and Tamaki and Kyouya together?!!! thank you so much for writing this! I'm going to read it again and again and again! mmmmmmm Kyouya!!!

[Ciuty80]

woah soooo cute!

will there be more??

i love it!

[melonbun]

Y-you wrote Tamaki and Kyouya?!

*glomps*

[obsessed]

Eeek, I'm late for this boat.

Awww it's so CUTE. <:

[Spoo]

Leap-Year Kisses: You're welcome, dear! I can't tell you how much I enjoyed writing this.

Zane: I know, right?! Tamaki x Kyouya is my favorite yaoi pairing. I'm glad you liked it!

Ciuty80: Thank you! Unfortunately, this is a one-shot. However, that doesn't mean I'll write MORE for these two in the future!

melonbun: Heehee. I sure did write them. Aren't they just adorable together? *Purrs*

obsessed: You were too busy eating POPCORN, weren't you?! ... Just kidding. Thanks for commenting!

[Marshmallow Peep]

In one word cute! In two words super cute! In three words amazingly super cute! In five words amazingly super cute to perfection!

[Aprilcot]

HAHA!!!!

I love it!!!!

Wow! What a present!!!!

Lucky LYK's!!

Thank you for posting!!!

[TheCakeIsAlive]

Hmmm.... love the pairing, love the writing style, love the story in general.

Don't know the fandom at all, but that doesn't mean I didn't thorougly enjoy reading it... twice.

Those boys are so cute together.

[Maus_17]

OH GOSH! This was amazing!