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Description
We Dance Before Sleep

I looked up at them with a tired, happy smile. What's going to hit them the hardest?, I pondered. "You guys should go out and make some girl's night. Isn't it your job to make every girl happy?"

It got Tamaki at least, even if only for a second. Taking that advantage, the twins verbally jumped on me.

"What did you mean about the drink?" Kaoru shot.

"And why weren't you trying to find one of us instead of running away?" Hikaru added harshly.

I shot them a scowl. "Who said I wasn't looking for you guys? Besides, it's not like I had time to sit and chat about what had just happened," I grumbled.

"Because trying to pull away when you know it's us is really trying hard to find us to help," they retorted together. "You should've just stayed with us when we offered."

"What?" Tamaki perked up. He looked from me to the twins then back again. "They offered to stay with you, and you rejected? Why did you do that?"

"Hey, if I would've known that I was going to be cornered by those assholes, then of course I would've stayed!" I spat. This was annoying.

"Still, it wasn't a very smart idea to go off on your own in a place that has so much room and people," Kyoya spoke up unexpectedly. I centered him in my glare unforgivingly, though he didn't seem fazed. "It would be hard to find anyone in this crowd, let alone in an emergency."

I huffed. "Well, not everything goes according to plan in your notebook; things happen without warning. And this was one of those times." I threw my hand out casually, brushing the topic away hopefully. "Besides, it's not like I haven't had to deal with that stuff before. I'm the one that's always coming here, so I know the ins and outs better than a lot of people. Another few minutes and they'd still be out of here with Viktor's parting gift."

I threw myself back into the booth heavily. I clamped my eyes shut and pushed out a full breath slowly. Let it go, I told myself solidly. If you do, then they're more likely to. You've been in some bad spots, maybe not quite as close as this, but it's done and over with, like all the other ones. That thought seemed to help me, and I felt a smile tug at the corners of my mouth.

"Hey, come on, don't let something stupid like that ruin our night," I said with a soft smile. Everyone, the twins especially, turned to me with a questioning look. I turned to Kyoya, fighting the laughter bubbling inside of me.

"What about you, Kyoya? You were talking with one pretty red head just a little bit ago. So how come you're here instead of with her?"

As planned, everyone looked to a disgruntled Kyoya. "She was simply someone who I had danced with earlier and wanted to talk, nothing more."

"You know, the fact that you're saying there's nothing more to it implies, if not determines, that there is something else," I replied coolly.

He shot me a glare through his glasses. I smiled brightly and waved, then turned to talk to the rest of the group. "So, are we still up for dancing tonight? We still have . . . two hours to go until we should start to head out," I said, glancing at the clock.

They all looked at me sternly. I returned it reproachfully. "What?"

"If we do anything else tonight here, then we're going to have at least one of us with you." Surprisingly, it was Honey who spoke. I locked onto him with wide eyes. "I'm sure I speak for everyone here when I say that I don't want to see you get hurt. . ." He trailed off, his bottom lip quivering and looking down.

I literally flung myself on the table to envelope him in a huge hug, smooshing my face next to his. "You are SO cute!" I exclaimed, unable to help myself. "Don't worry, if you want you can all stay with me! It's just nice that you care so much, too," I said, releasing him slightly so I could smile broadly at him. He was back to his usual self, his brown eyes alight with happiness as he laughed and hugged me back.

"Ugh, do you mind getting off the table?" the twins asked snobbishly. "You're butt's sticking in the air and it doesn't look right."

Knowing they were right behind me, I waggled my butt for a few moments before using my leg to kick them all out of the booth.

"Hey what was that for?!" they yelled, stumbling to regain their balance.

Pulling my face out of Honey's shoulder, I stuck my tongue out at them before saying, "We still have two hours to dance, so I'm going to use that time – as are you." I flicked my head over to Tamaki and Kyoya. "You're coming too," I practically growled.

"Ee! Yes ma'am!" Tamaki answered squeakily.

"Does that mean you can dance with me?" Honey asked, eyes lighting up hopefully.

I smiled down at him. "How could I say no to that face?" He yelped his delight, dragging me into the midst of the club, full of energy. The rest of the boys followed us, diligently keeping close to my side.

-X-

I breathed in a lungful of cool summer air, letting it all out in a happy sigh. I gave Viktor a wave as I headed down the street with the boys, Honey clinging to my arm. "Man, it feels great out here after being in that stuffy room."

There was a happy murmur of agreement from the boys; through the two hours, I had managed to pick their spirits back up till they were laughing and dancing again. I knew they didn't forget about me running around before, but I hoped that they'd at least put it in the back of their minds for now.

"Hey Shay," Tamaki started. "How come we're leaving now? There were still a lot of people in there, and it didn't seem like they were planning on leaving any time soon."

"It's nice to know you like that place so much. Maybe we can go back sometime. And we're leaving now because the cops will show up in a few minutes to help clear out the room," I notified him nonchalantly. "People never want to leave, especially on Friday nights, so they call in help every now and then." All the boys were looking at me with their mouths slightly agape. I shrugged. "It's a fun club, and now you guys know that."

"Yeah, okay, fair enough," the twins said giddily. I had found out that once I got them pumped up they were good to carry on by themselves. I figured they were still energetic from the shots we'd taken hours ago. Honey was still feeling affects, that was for sure.

He jumped up on Mori's shoulders, wrapping his arms around his head. "I love you, Takashi!" he screamed into the night. Even though I shushed him, I couldn't help but grin.

Walking back, even when talking, the night seemed totally quiet compared to the club. Normally I didn't like walking back home on nights like this; I was always scared that someone could sneak up on me and I wouldn't hear because of the music from the club. But I had to admit, I felt a lot safer with these boys, even if I was just starting to get to know them.

I lifted the hair off the back of my neck, and the cool air felt incredible when it touched my skin. "Ah, that was really fun. I haven't had that much fun for a while." I let out a breath, relaxing. "And Viktor even let us in for free – I'd hoped that he was but I didn't expect it to be so easy."

"Yeah. Better yet, we didn't even have to wait in that long line," the twins said in their position on either side of me.

"Well, then we are indebted to you," Tamaki said kindly, and I swore I saw Kyoya twitch. "How much would it have been if we had to pay?"

I placed a hand on my chin and looked to the night sky, thinking. "Other than waiting in line for at least an hour, I'd say about 3,830 yen for each of you since you're new, and 2,300 for me. So that'd be around 6,130 yen, not including the drinks."

Tamaki gaped at me. "What, seriously?!" I threw a curious look at his surprise; I didn't think it was that much money compared to what he was used to throwing around. "I guess we really are in debt to you then," he said, rubbing the back of his head.

"Come on boss, it's not that much money," the twins shot back. It is to me, I growled in my head.

"Yes, but Tamaki does have a point," interjected Kyoya. "A debt is still a debt, and we hold to our word as gentlemen."

"If you didn't talk so tightly you wouldn't sound like such an ass," I said playfully. I gave him a smile to show that I didn't totally mean it. "Besides, that's what friends do for each other, the whole give and take."

I was grappled in a hug from behind by Tamaki. "How sweet of you to call us friends!" he exclaimed dramatically, swinging me in his arms as I struggled to escape. "And what's more is that you took us, your friends, out with you to have a night of joy and fun!!!"

"Hey boss!!" the Hitachiins yelled over him, trying to pry his arms off of me. "If you don't get off she's gonna hit you next!"

At their warning he jumped back quickly. The twins were in a stunned silence then looked at each other. "Wait . . . so why did we tell him that?" Tamaki gasped in dramatic betrayal but he was ignored by nearly everyone.

A cop car pulled slowly around the corner. I felt everyone else freeze up around me but stayed calm; I can't count how many times this has happened before. He stopped on the curb and got out, waving at us kindly as he walked over.

"Hey," he said with a strong smile. Authority rang in his voice. "What're you kids doing out on the streets so late tonight?"

"Out late, or out early?" I countered. He seemed like he could take a joke and I saw I was right when he gave me half a laugh. "Actually, we're just heading back home from the club you're going to clear out."

Light shone in his eyes. "Ah, so you know our schedule then. You must go by there pretty often," he said and I nodded. "Okay, well go ahead and be on your way; you don't want to get stuck in the traffic. Have a good night," he called, getting back into his car.

I waved as he pulled away, continuing to walk ahead. I twisted my head back to the boys, most of whom still seemed a little shocked. "See, I told you cops come by around now," I said with a leering grin.

"Let me guess," Hikaru said blandly.

"You're used to the cops coming by, too?" Kaoru finished.

I gave them a disgruntled look. "It's not like it's a bad thing. If anything, it's good." I turned my nose up in the air and walked down the street, spotting my car. "Come on, let's go back home." I heard Tamaki squeal in joy at my words. Knowing what was coming, I sprinted the rest of the way to my car and getting in, dodging his hug. Everyone filed in a few seconds later.

Turning the car on, I plugged in my iPod and selected a song. I drove home – faster than I should've with the boys varying in singing and screaming, of course – to the Party Rock Anthem, bass shaking the frame of the car.

-F-

Before turning the corner to my house I braked – hard. I had to settle this or I'd be vulnerable.

"Ow!" the twins screeched together, in perfect harmony as always. "What'd you do that for?!" Kaoru rubbed his chest and neck where the seatbelt had cut into him and Hikaru simply seemed to be aimlessly groping his stomach to help comfort him. I raised an eyebrow at them before answering.

"You two are weird," I shot before turning to the rest of the boys, ignoring the twins' dejected look. "Alright, so no making fun of my house. I only agreed to this because of my enthusiasm earlier today, and to be frank, it's starting to wear off. You all know I'm not rich so don't rub it in my face or you'll be sleeping outside tonight." With that, I set my eyes forward and pulled the car around scared eyes looking at me before snapping to the houses on the street.

"Which one is yours, Shay?" Honey asked, setting his head on the arm rest to stare out the window. Mori adjusted his grip on him, probably thinking I would brake again.

"I'll let you all guess," I grumbled, pulling into the driveway of the blue-gray house on the corner lot.

Getting out, the boys stared at my house. "This is where you live?" the twins asked scornfully. I glared at their mirror images of their hands in their pockets.

"You're half a step from sleeping under the stars tonight," I growled, stalking up to the door of my house. They jumped, taken aback before snapping into saluting postures.

"It's a beautiful home!!"

"Whatever, just come in and take your shoes off," I said as I unlocked the door, slipping my sandals off easily. I took in a warm breath of my home and smiled at its scent. Home always smelled perfect.

As the rest of the boys clambered in, grouping around the front of the door to get their shoes off, I walked in to pull open the fridge. I really needed to take a shower but I did not want to leave them all with nothing to do. I figured I could flick on the TV and have them watch it while I made a pizza. Then I could shower.

"Wow Shay, your house is so neat and pretty!" Honey said with shining eyes. I smiled down at him, patting him on the head.

"Thanks, cutie. So, what do you wanna eat?" I asked, turning back to the contents in the fridge and pursing my lips to the side of my face. My parents had stocked up when they left town, knowing that I couldn't cook for myself unless it was boxed or canned.

"Uhm, how about this one?" he asked timidly, pointing to an everything pizza with one hand while putting the other on his mouth unsure. He looked up at me when I didn't answer. "Is that okay Shay?"

I fell to my knees and wrapped him up in a hug. "My god, you are SO cute!!" Setting him in front of me when I was done, I fixed him with a hard stare. "Don't ever change, Honey. Ever." He nodded and I swooned at how adorable he was before I got myself together, pulling out the pizza.

"What's this do?" the twins' voices rang out. I could practically see them hovering over something that could break.

"Don't. Touch. Anything," I said in the darkest voice I could manage. I glared at them with one eye and saw shivers run through them as I pulled the pizza out and set to work.

"Scary," they mumbled together, intertwining for comfort.

Pulling the pizza out of the box and setting the oven, I put my hands on my hips. "Make yourselves at home; just don't touch anything that seems like it'll break. My parents don't know that I'm having people over, let alone a handful of rowdy boys."

They did as I said, settling around on the couches in the living room. I flicked the TV on. There seemed to be a movie playing on the current channel. "Are you guys good with this?" They all mumbled something that resembled an agreement, so I shrugged and left it on. I guess it was a horror film; creepy laughter followed me down the hallway to my room.

Being quick about it, I pulled off my shorts and shirt, exchanging them for soccer shorts and a t-shirt. I would actually have to sleep in a shirt tonight since they would be staying over. I almost groaned aloud. I made sure to pile on more clothes where I hid my bag for the club – I did not want them to stumble across it. I threw some used soccer socks on top of the pile to further deter them.

I set my sports bra and underwear in the bathroom before coming back out into the kitchen. The oven was already preheated, so I popped the pizza in and set the timer. I would be out long before it was done. But just in case. . .

"Hey, if this thing beeps, cover your hands with this," – I motioned to the oven mitt – "and pull the pizza out. Just set it on top of the oven and turn it off if you know how to do that."

"Of course we do!" the twins rebuffed. I raised an eyebrow at them distrustingly. I had been the one to make them go into their own kitchen in the middle of the day after all.

"Right, well then I'm gonna take a shower, and I should be out before it goes off. Just, keep watching this until I come back out and we can do something else." I walked down the hall, tightly locking the door before turning the water on and pulling my clothes off. This is gonna have to be fast.

-O-

I made it out in record time – about five minutes give or take. I had made the water colder than normal to help me rush out. Even with so little time I had still managed to wash my hair thoroughly and get most of the makeup off. I walked back into the living room, wet hair in soft waves around my face, and using a piece of toilet paper to get the rest of the makeup off.

I checked the time on the oven's timer and leaned against the counter to wait for the beeping to go off. The movie was scary, but didn't have much of a story from what I could tell. Just some killer springing up randomly. Not surprisingly, it was centered around a group of teenagers doing something stupid in some sort of haunted woods or something.

"Unoriginal," I pronounced, changing the channel. The twins expressed their complaints, but Honey peered over the couch, eyes shining with thankfulness. I felt bad for making him watch that. "Here, let's try this," I said, settling on some other channel that looked like it was a romantic comedy.

Once the pizza was done, I called the boys over. It was devoured almost instantly despite it being straight from the oven. Taking them all in with wide eyes I slowly grabbed the last piece, sure it would be pulled from my hand.

Although I wasn't really paying much attention to the movie, it seemed like there was a happy ending. The two characters were holding hands and walking on the beach as the credits started to play, so I guessed it was as close to happy as it was gonna get.

Boys being boys, they left their dishes on the table, but I didn't mind. Collecting them, I set them in the sink and got the water running to wash them by hand.

Tamaki looked over, seeming nervous. "Do you want us to do that?" he asked.

I was a little shocked – a rich person, offering to do labor? Le gasp. "No, that's fine. I'm used to cleaning up around here, so it's nothing big," I replied as I set to work. "But thanks though."

Even so, he stood up and walked over, grabbing a towel. "Well, the least I can do to thank you is by drying them. Would that be okay?" His blue eyes shimmered as he looked at me. Yep. He's cute, was the only thought that ran through my head.

"Okay, sure if you want. Don't bother with putting them away since you won't know where to put it though." With that I washed the dishes, handing them to Tamaki who dried them furiously. I slid him weird looks but he didn't seem to notice.

I put them all away, and then stared at the TV with my hands on my hips. I was really getting tired, and it seemed like everyone else was too. Honey was practically falling asleep in Mori's cradling arms.

"How about if we all go to bed about now? Do any of you want some shorts or something to sleep in? I can't sleep in jeans so I've got lots of shorts or sweats if you want," I offered.

Just about all six of them raised their hands; Honey was either too tired or comfortable enough in what he was wearing. "Wow, all of you?" I griped. I didn't know if I had that many that would fit them. "Alright, well lemme see what I have."

I came out of my room a few minutes later, holding five pairs of shorts. Immediately I gave the largest pair to Mori, who nodded at me in understanding. "Uhm, you can change in the bathroom or my parent's room I guess, I don't really care. I'm gonna start to lock up though, and we should probably figure out where you're all sleeping."

"It doesn't matter where I'm sleeping, so long as I get to be with Kaoru," Hikaru's soft voice drifted over to me. I irked.

"Oh, Hikaru," Kaoru said weakly.

"Alright, then you two get my parent's bed if you're gonna be doing that twincest shit," I replied coolly to their antic, locking the front door.

"What?! No! We don't want to sleep in your parent's bed, that's gross!" they yelped, tongues sticking out in distaste.

I furrowed my brow, thinking. "That's right. Damn, I guess my parent's bed is out then. That means you could all sleep out here, though some would be on the floor," I mumbled. I ignored the twins' and Tamaki's looks of denial, but something about Kyoya's stare turned my mind to the other option.

"There's also my room. Hmm, I guess four could go on the bed since it's big enough, and there's a couch in there that could fit someone and Honey probably," I said aloud, thinking.

"Wait, then what about you?" Honey asked sleepily.

"Eh, I'll just sleep on the floor. Just because you're all kicking me out of my bed doesn't mean you can kick me out of my room," I said solidly.

With that we headed down the hall to my room. Thankfully it was one of the largest rooms in the house or I would've had a hard time finding space for everything. My bed was king sized, the frame a simple low to the ground dark cherry wood set. The couch was pushed up against the wall to the right of the bed, a stocked bookshelf standing next to the closest arm to the door. My dresser was facing the foot of my bed against the wall. On the far side was a simple desk and chair, a lamp sitting on the desk.

It wasn't much, but it served its purpose. Plus, I had gotten the bed that I'd always loved, so I was happy.

"Right," I said, giving a sharp nod as everyone filed into my room looking around. "Do you think you guys will need blankets tonight?" I asked. They all shook their heads like I expected; a room full of seven sleeping bodies was sure to keep us warm enough, even with my window all the way open.

I took a pillow from my bed and set a blanket down between the couch and bed, where I'd be sleeping.

"Uhm, I think Honey needs to go to sleep right now," Hikaru offered up and everyone looked at the boy in question.

He looked about ready to pass out, but Mori caught him with gentle hands. "Come on, Mitsukuni, you need to sleep," he said, sounding dead tired himself. "I'll take the couch with him."

I gave a short nod and swiveled to the rest. "Meaning you four get the couch. Kyoya, sorry it's not made from gold. And you two," I spoke, pointing fingers at the twins. "I don't care if you cuddle just no twincest in my bed. I'd really rather not have to burn it."

They scoffed and started to rebuff me, but I held up a silencing hand. "I'm way too tired. And you two should be, too; you look it. Everyone just get to bed. If you need, bathroom's out the hall and around the corner. Door on the left. You'll have to wait until I get out though," I said, leaving my room.

I came back after my teeth had been brushed to see that Mori and Honey had already crashed on the couch, Mori's arm slung over the little boy protectively. I smiled and glanced at my bed.

Kyoya, no surprise, was sleeping the farthest away from everyone as possible and closest to the open window by default. Tamaki had settled himself in the middle of the bed comfortably, the twins closest to the couch and right next to where I'd be sleeping. Awesome, I grumbled to myself. They'd better not play any tricks on me or they'll be in for a bad night.

It wasn't much of a surprise to me to see Hikaru spooning Kaoru already, but I just rolled my eyes and laid down after turning the lights out. The soft breathing of Mori and Honey, soon joined by Kyoya helped me relax, but it didn't fight the heat away.

I felt like I was already sweating and there was a slight pounding in my head from the heat. I raised my hands above my head and set my legs apart so I wasn't touching any part of my skin. It didn't seem to do anything to cool me off. I groaned.

Listening closely, I could hear Tamaki, Hikaru, and Kaoru already heading off to sleep. I took in a deep breath and focused on the soreness of my muscles. My mind slid into sleep almost instantly after that.

-X-

Description
We Dance Before Sleep

I looked up at them with a tired, happy smile. What's going to hit them the hardest?, I pondered. "You guys should go out and make some girl's night. Isn't it your job to make every girl happy?"

It got Tamaki at least, even if only for a second. Taking that advantage, the twins verbally jumped on me.

"What did you mean about the drink?" Kaoru shot.

"And why weren't you trying to find one of us instead of running away?" Hikaru added harshly.

I shot them a scowl. "Who said I wasn't looking for you guys? Besides, it's not like I had time to sit and chat about what had just happened," I grumbled.

"Because trying to pull away when you know it's us is really trying hard to find us to help," they retorted together. "You should've just stayed with us when we offered."

"What?" Tamaki perked up. He looked from me to the twins then back again. "They offered to stay with you, and you rejected? Why did you do that?"

"Hey, if I would've known that I was going to be cornered by those assholes, then of course I would've stayed!" I spat. This was annoying.

"Still, it wasn't a very smart idea to go off on your own in a place that has so much room and people," Kyoya spoke up unexpectedly. I centered him in my glare unforgivingly, though he didn't seem fazed. "It would be hard to find anyone in this crowd, let alone in an emergency."

I huffed. "Well, not everything goes according to plan in your notebook; things happen without warning. And this was one of those times." I threw my hand out casually, brushing the topic away hopefully. "Besides, it's not like I haven't had to deal with that stuff before. I'm the one that's always coming here, so I know the ins and outs better than a lot of people. Another few minutes and they'd still be out of here with Viktor's parting gift."

I threw myself back into the booth heavily. I clamped my eyes shut and pushed out a full breath slowly. Let it go, I told myself solidly. If you do, then they're more likely to. You've been in some bad spots, maybe not quite as close as this, but it's done and over with, like all the other ones. That thought seemed to help me, and I felt a smile tug at the corners of my mouth.

"Hey, come on, don't let something stupid like that ruin our night," I said with a soft smile. Everyone, the twins especially, turned to me with a questioning look. I turned to Kyoya, fighting the laughter bubbling inside of me.

"What about you, Kyoya? You were talking with one pretty red head just a little bit ago. So how come you're here instead of with her?"

As planned, everyone looked to a disgruntled Kyoya. "She was simply someone who I had danced with earlier and wanted to talk, nothing more."

"You know, the fact that you're saying there's nothing more to it implies, if not determines, that there is something else," I replied coolly.

He shot me a glare through his glasses. I smiled brightly and waved, then turned to talk to the rest of the group. "So, are we still up for dancing tonight? We still have . . . two hours to go until we should start to head out," I said, glancing at the clock.

They all looked at me sternly. I returned it reproachfully. "What?"

"If we do anything else tonight here, then we're going to have at least one of us with you." Surprisingly, it was Honey who spoke. I locked onto him with wide eyes. "I'm sure I speak for everyone here when I say that I don't want to see you get hurt. . ." He trailed off, his bottom lip quivering and looking down.

I literally flung myself on the table to envelope him in a huge hug, smooshing my face next to his. "You are SO cute!" I exclaimed, unable to help myself. "Don't worry, if you want you can all stay with me! It's just nice that you care so much, too," I said, releasing him slightly so I could smile broadly at him. He was back to his usual self, his brown eyes alight with happiness as he laughed and hugged me back.

"Ugh, do you mind getting off the table?" the twins asked snobbishly. "You're butt's sticking in the air and it doesn't look right."

Knowing they were right behind me, I waggled my butt for a few moments before using my leg to kick them all out of the booth.

"Hey what was that for?!" they yelled, stumbling to regain their balance.

Pulling my face out of Honey's shoulder, I stuck my tongue out at them before saying, "We still have two hours to dance, so I'm going to use that time – as are you." I flicked my head over to Tamaki and Kyoya. "You're coming too," I practically growled.

"Ee! Yes ma'am!" Tamaki answered squeakily.

"Does that mean you can dance with me?" Honey asked, eyes lighting up hopefully.

I smiled down at him. "How could I say no to that face?" He yelped his delight, dragging me into the midst of the club, full of energy. The rest of the boys followed us, diligently keeping close to my side.

-X-

I breathed in a lungful of cool summer air, letting it all out in a happy sigh. I gave Viktor a wave as I headed down the street with the boys, Honey clinging to my arm. "Man, it feels great out here after being in that stuffy room."

There was a happy murmur of agreement from the boys; through the two hours, I had managed to pick their spirits back up till they were laughing and dancing again. I knew they didn't forget about me running around before, but I hoped that they'd at least put it in the back of their minds for now.

"Hey Shay," Tamaki started. "How come we're leaving now? There were still a lot of people in there, and it didn't seem like they were planning on leaving any time soon."

"It's nice to know you like that place so much. Maybe we can go back sometime. And we're leaving now because the cops will show up in a few minutes to help clear out the room," I notified him nonchalantly. "People never want to leave, especially on Friday nights, so they call in help every now and then." All the boys were looking at me with their mouths slightly agape. I shrugged. "It's a fun club, and now you guys know that."

"Yeah, okay, fair enough," the twins said giddily. I had found out that once I got them pumped up they were good to carry on by themselves. I figured they were still energetic from the shots we'd taken hours ago. Honey was still feeling affects, that was for sure.

He jumped up on Mori's shoulders, wrapping his arms around his head. "I love you, Takashi!" he screamed into the night. Even though I shushed him, I couldn't help but grin.

Walking back, even when talking, the night seemed totally quiet compared to the club. Normally I didn't like walking back home on nights like this; I was always scared that someone could sneak up on me and I wouldn't hear because of the music from the club. But I had to admit, I felt a lot safer with these boys, even if I was just starting to get to know them.

I lifted the hair off the back of my neck, and the cool air felt incredible when it touched my skin. "Ah, that was really fun. I haven't had that much fun for a while." I let out a breath, relaxing. "And Viktor even let us in for free – I'd hoped that he was but I didn't expect it to be so easy."

"Yeah. Better yet, we didn't even have to wait in that long line," the twins said in their position on either side of me.

"Well, then we are indebted to you," Tamaki said kindly, and I swore I saw Kyoya twitch. "How much would it have been if we had to pay?"

I placed a hand on my chin and looked to the night sky, thinking. "Other than waiting in line for at least an hour, I'd say about 3,830 yen for each of you since you're new, and 2,300 for me. So that'd be around 6,130 yen, not including the drinks."

Tamaki gaped at me. "What, seriously?!" I threw a curious look at his surprise; I didn't think it was that much money compared to what he was used to throwing around. "I guess we really are in debt to you then," he said, rubbing the back of his head.

"Come on boss, it's not that much money," the twins shot back. It is to me, I growled in my head.

"Yes, but Tamaki does have a point," interjected Kyoya. "A debt is still a debt, and we hold to our word as gentlemen."

"If you didn't talk so tightly you wouldn't sound like such an ass," I said playfully. I gave him a smile to show that I didn't totally mean it. "Besides, that's what friends do for each other, the whole give and take."

I was grappled in a hug from behind by Tamaki. "How sweet of you to call us friends!" he exclaimed dramatically, swinging me in his arms as I struggled to escape. "And what's more is that you took us, your friends, out with you to have a night of joy and fun!!!"

"Hey boss!!" the Hitachiins yelled over him, trying to pry his arms off of me. "If you don't get off she's gonna hit you next!"

At their warning he jumped back quickly. The twins were in a stunned silence then looked at each other. "Wait . . . so why did we tell him that?" Tamaki gasped in dramatic betrayal but he was ignored by nearly everyone.

A cop car pulled slowly around the corner. I felt everyone else freeze up around me but stayed calm; I can't count how many times this has happened before. He stopped on the curb and got out, waving at us kindly as he walked over.

"Hey," he said with a strong smile. Authority rang in his voice. "What're you kids doing out on the streets so late tonight?"

"Out late, or out early?" I countered. He seemed like he could take a joke and I saw I was right when he gave me half a laugh. "Actually, we're just heading back home from the club you're going to clear out."

Light shone in his eyes. "Ah, so you know our schedule then. You must go by there pretty often," he said and I nodded. "Okay, well go ahead and be on your way; you don't want to get stuck in the traffic. Have a good night," he called, getting back into his car.

I waved as he pulled away, continuing to walk ahead. I twisted my head back to the boys, most of whom still seemed a little shocked. "See, I told you cops come by around now," I said with a leering grin.

"Let me guess," Hikaru said blandly.

"You're used to the cops coming by, too?" Kaoru finished.

I gave them a disgruntled look. "It's not like it's a bad thing. If anything, it's good." I turned my nose up in the air and walked down the street, spotting my car. "Come on, let's go back home." I heard Tamaki squeal in joy at my words. Knowing what was coming, I sprinted the rest of the way to my car and getting in, dodging his hug. Everyone filed in a few seconds later.

Turning the car on, I plugged in my iPod and selected a song. I drove home – faster than I should've with the boys varying in singing and screaming, of course – to the Party Rock Anthem, bass shaking the frame of the car.

-F-

Before turning the corner to my house I braked – hard. I had to settle this or I'd be vulnerable.

"Ow!" the twins screeched together, in perfect harmony as always. "What'd you do that for?!" Kaoru rubbed his chest and neck where the seatbelt had cut into him and Hikaru simply seemed to be aimlessly groping his stomach to help comfort him. I raised an eyebrow at them before answering.

"You two are weird," I shot before turning to the rest of the boys, ignoring the twins' dejected look. "Alright, so no making fun of my house. I only agreed to this because of my enthusiasm earlier today, and to be frank, it's starting to wear off. You all know I'm not rich so don't rub it in my face or you'll be sleeping outside tonight." With that, I set my eyes forward and pulled the car around scared eyes looking at me before snapping to the houses on the street.

"Which one is yours, Shay?" Honey asked, setting his head on the arm rest to stare out the window. Mori adjusted his grip on him, probably thinking I would brake again.

"I'll let you all guess," I grumbled, pulling into the driveway of the blue-gray house on the corner lot.

Getting out, the boys stared at my house. "This is where you live?" the twins asked scornfully. I glared at their mirror images of their hands in their pockets.

"You're half a step from sleeping under the stars tonight," I growled, stalking up to the door of my house. They jumped, taken aback before snapping into saluting postures.

"It's a beautiful home!!"

"Whatever, just come in and take your shoes off," I said as I unlocked the door, slipping my sandals off easily. I took in a warm breath of my home and smiled at its scent. Home always smelled perfect.

As the rest of the boys clambered in, grouping around the front of the door to get their shoes off, I walked in to pull open the fridge. I really needed to take a shower but I did not want to leave them all with nothing to do. I figured I could flick on the TV and have them watch it while I made a pizza. Then I could shower.

"Wow Shay, your house is so neat and pretty!" Honey said with shining eyes. I smiled down at him, patting him on the head.

"Thanks, cutie. So, what do you wanna eat?" I asked, turning back to the contents in the fridge and pursing my lips to the side of my face. My parents had stocked up when they left town, knowing that I couldn't cook for myself unless it was boxed or canned.

"Uhm, how about this one?" he asked timidly, pointing to an everything pizza with one hand while putting the other on his mouth unsure. He looked up at me when I didn't answer. "Is that okay Shay?"

I fell to my knees and wrapped him up in a hug. "My god, you are SO cute!!" Setting him in front of me when I was done, I fixed him with a hard stare. "Don't ever change, Honey. Ever." He nodded and I swooned at how adorable he was before I got myself together, pulling out the pizza.

"What's this do?" the twins' voices rang out. I could practically see them hovering over something that could break.

"Don't. Touch. Anything," I said in the darkest voice I could manage. I glared at them with one eye and saw shivers run through them as I pulled the pizza out and set to work.

"Scary," they mumbled together, intertwining for comfort.

Pulling the pizza out of the box and setting the oven, I put my hands on my hips. "Make yourselves at home; just don't touch anything that seems like it'll break. My parents don't know that I'm having people over, let alone a handful of rowdy boys."

They did as I said, settling around on the couches in the living room. I flicked the TV on. There seemed to be a movie playing on the current channel. "Are you guys good with this?" They all mumbled something that resembled an agreement, so I shrugged and left it on. I guess it was a horror film; creepy laughter followed me down the hallway to my room.

Being quick about it, I pulled off my shorts and shirt, exchanging them for soccer shorts and a t-shirt. I would actually have to sleep in a shirt tonight since they would be staying over. I almost groaned aloud. I made sure to pile on more clothes where I hid my bag for the club – I did not want them to stumble across it. I threw some used soccer socks on top of the pile to further deter them.

I set my sports bra and underwear in the bathroom before coming back out into the kitchen. The oven was already preheated, so I popped the pizza in and set the timer. I would be out long before it was done. But just in case. . .

"Hey, if this thing beeps, cover your hands with this," – I motioned to the oven mitt – "and pull the pizza out. Just set it on top of the oven and turn it off if you know how to do that."

"Of course we do!" the twins rebuffed. I raised an eyebrow at them distrustingly. I had been the one to make them go into their own kitchen in the middle of the day after all.

"Right, well then I'm gonna take a shower, and I should be out before it goes off. Just, keep watching this until I come back out and we can do something else." I walked down the hall, tightly locking the door before turning the water on and pulling my clothes off. This is gonna have to be fast.

-O-

I made it out in record time – about five minutes give or take. I had made the water colder than normal to help me rush out. Even with so little time I had still managed to wash my hair thoroughly and get most of the makeup off. I walked back into the living room, wet hair in soft waves around my face, and using a piece of toilet paper to get the rest of the makeup off.

I checked the time on the oven's timer and leaned against the counter to wait for the beeping to go off. The movie was scary, but didn't have much of a story from what I could tell. Just some killer springing up randomly. Not surprisingly, it was centered around a group of teenagers doing something stupid in some sort of haunted woods or something.

"Unoriginal," I pronounced, changing the channel. The twins expressed their complaints, but Honey peered over the couch, eyes shining with thankfulness. I felt bad for making him watch that. "Here, let's try this," I said, settling on some other channel that looked like it was a romantic comedy.

Once the pizza was done, I called the boys over. It was devoured almost instantly despite it being straight from the oven. Taking them all in with wide eyes I slowly grabbed the last piece, sure it would be pulled from my hand.

Although I wasn't really paying much attention to the movie, it seemed like there was a happy ending. The two characters were holding hands and walking on the beach as the credits started to play, so I guessed it was as close to happy as it was gonna get.

Boys being boys, they left their dishes on the table, but I didn't mind. Collecting them, I set them in the sink and got the water running to wash them by hand.

Tamaki looked over, seeming nervous. "Do you want us to do that?" he asked.

I was a little shocked – a rich person, offering to do labor? Le gasp. "No, that's fine. I'm used to cleaning up around here, so it's nothing big," I replied as I set to work. "But thanks though."

Even so, he stood up and walked over, grabbing a towel. "Well, the least I can do to thank you is by drying them. Would that be okay?" His blue eyes shimmered as he looked at me. Yep. He's cute, was the only thought that ran through my head.

"Okay, sure if you want. Don't bother with putting them away since you won't know where to put it though." With that I washed the dishes, handing them to Tamaki who dried them furiously. I slid him weird looks but he didn't seem to notice.

I put them all away, and then stared at the TV with my hands on my hips. I was really getting tired, and it seemed like everyone else was too. Honey was practically falling asleep in Mori's cradling arms.

"How about if we all go to bed about now? Do any of you want some shorts or something to sleep in? I can't sleep in jeans so I've got lots of shorts or sweats if you want," I offered.

Just about all six of them raised their hands; Honey was either too tired or comfortable enough in what he was wearing. "Wow, all of you?" I griped. I didn't know if I had that many that would fit them. "Alright, well lemme see what I have."

I came out of my room a few minutes later, holding five pairs of shorts. Immediately I gave the largest pair to Mori, who nodded at me in understanding. "Uhm, you can change in the bathroom or my parent's room I guess, I don't really care. I'm gonna start to lock up though, and we should probably figure out where you're all sleeping."

"It doesn't matter where I'm sleeping, so long as I get to be with Kaoru," Hikaru's soft voice drifted over to me. I irked.

"Oh, Hikaru," Kaoru said weakly.

"Alright, then you two get my parent's bed if you're gonna be doing that twincest shit," I replied coolly to their antic, locking the front door.

"What?! No! We don't want to sleep in your parent's bed, that's gross!" they yelped, tongues sticking out in distaste.

I furrowed my brow, thinking. "That's right. Damn, I guess my parent's bed is out then. That means you could all sleep out here, though some would be on the floor," I mumbled. I ignored the twins' and Tamaki's looks of denial, but something about Kyoya's stare turned my mind to the other option.

"There's also my room. Hmm, I guess four could go on the bed since it's big enough, and there's a couch in there that could fit someone and Honey probably," I said aloud, thinking.

"Wait, then what about you?" Honey asked sleepily.

"Eh, I'll just sleep on the floor. Just because you're all kicking me out of my bed doesn't mean you can kick me out of my room," I said solidly.

With that we headed down the hall to my room. Thankfully it was one of the largest rooms in the house or I would've had a hard time finding space for everything. My bed was king sized, the frame a simple low to the ground dark cherry wood set. The couch was pushed up against the wall to the right of the bed, a stocked bookshelf standing next to the closest arm to the door. My dresser was facing the foot of my bed against the wall. On the far side was a simple desk and chair, a lamp sitting on the desk.

It wasn't much, but it served its purpose. Plus, I had gotten the bed that I'd always loved, so I was happy.

"Right," I said, giving a sharp nod as everyone filed into my room looking around. "Do you think you guys will need blankets tonight?" I asked. They all shook their heads like I expected; a room full of seven sleeping bodies was sure to keep us warm enough, even with my window all the way open.

I took a pillow from my bed and set a blanket down between the couch and bed, where I'd be sleeping.

"Uhm, I think Honey needs to go to sleep right now," Hikaru offered up and everyone looked at the boy in question.

He looked about ready to pass out, but Mori caught him with gentle hands. "Come on, Mitsukuni, you need to sleep," he said, sounding dead tired himself. "I'll take the couch with him."

I gave a short nod and swiveled to the rest. "Meaning you four get the couch. Kyoya, sorry it's not made from gold. And you two," I spoke, pointing fingers at the twins. "I don't care if you cuddle just no twincest in my bed. I'd really rather not have to burn it."

They scoffed and started to rebuff me, but I held up a silencing hand. "I'm way too tired. And you two should be, too; you look it. Everyone just get to bed. If you need, bathroom's out the hall and around the corner. Door on the left. You'll have to wait until I get out though," I said, leaving my room.

I came back after my teeth had been brushed to see that Mori and Honey had already crashed on the couch, Mori's arm slung over the little boy protectively. I smiled and glanced at my bed.

Kyoya, no surprise, was sleeping the farthest away from everyone as possible and closest to the open window by default. Tamaki had settled himself in the middle of the bed comfortably, the twins closest to the couch and right next to where I'd be sleeping. Awesome, I grumbled to myself. They'd better not play any tricks on me or they'll be in for a bad night.

It wasn't much of a surprise to me to see Hikaru spooning Kaoru already, but I just rolled my eyes and laid down after turning the lights out. The soft breathing of Mori and Honey, soon joined by Kyoya helped me relax, but it didn't fight the heat away.

I felt like I was already sweating and there was a slight pounding in my head from the heat. I raised my hands above my head and set my legs apart so I wasn't touching any part of my skin. It didn't seem to do anything to cool me off. I groaned.

Listening closely, I could hear Tamaki, Hikaru, and Kaoru already heading off to sleep. I took in a deep breath and focused on the soreness of my muscles. My mind slid into sleep almost instantly after that.

-X-