Chapter 42: Family Outings!

Ranka attempted to lounge comfortably in his train seat. His legs were crossed at the ankle, tucked a little bit below his seat, arms folded in front of his chest. But he couldn't seem to stop moving: tapping his fingers, bouncing a foot, which was really unlike the man. He wasn't a fiddler. His wife had been, and so was his eldest daughter, but not him.

In an effort to calm himself down, Ranka did his best to keep his mind focused on something else. Anything. The perfect weather outside. The Kane Chronicles book Haruhi was flying though on his left. His outfit? Right, he could focus on that. After all, he had made sure to look extra cute today. It wasn't often he got to spend a whole day out with his two favorite people in the world!

It had taken him almost half an hour to get ready. Late last night, Ranka and the girls had laid out their clothes for the next day so they could have an early start, but right after he pulled on his red jacket over the white blouse, Ranka had recalled that there was a perfect bright red ribbon lying around somewhere that would match the jacket perfectly. So, he'd hunted it down for fifteen minutes, found it buried in his closet with a bunch of scrunchies, and tied it in a neat little bow around his high ponytail. He'd been tempted to put a few curls into said ponytail, but Jin and Haruhi had threatened to leave him at home. So he had quickly thrown on a pair of dark blue jeans and settled for looking both beautiful and casual, like he hadn't put a lot of though into it. Just your typical dadmom outfit.

But the scowl marred the look.

A small elbow dug itself into his side, "Dad, quit it."

The man groaned and looked over at his youngest daughter, who hadn't even bothered to look away from her book, "I'm trying, sweetie, I really am, but…"

"You promised. "

Ah, yes, that promise again. Ranka rubbed at his forehead. Why he had agreed to it, he might never know, but he definitely regretted it. This was supposed to be a happy time for them all; the Fujioka family's annual 'First-Weekend-of-November-Apple-Picking' trip at Harada Farms. It was one of those things they looked forward to every year, never skipping or moving the date around, and just enjoyed their time together as a family.

It had been a major healing point after Kotoko…

A laugh wormed its way through Ranka's memories, shattering his concentration. Scowling a little darker, he glared daggers at the couple sitting across the train car from him and Haruhi. Kyoya was telling Jin something that she must've found funny, making her press her left palm against her cheek and turning away to hide the laughter. The boy was just sitting back in his seat, a hint of pride on his face.

Then she opened her eyes and saw the way Ranka was looking at her boyfriend. She frowned suddenly and returned the stare, shaking her head minutely. With a huff, her father abruptly turned his head away.

Yes, yes, he had said that he knew Kyoya and Jin should get together and all that, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to be protective of his daughter. It was only because of that promise that he wasn't sitting in between the two of them right now. The promise he had made a few weeks ago when Jin asked if she could invite Kyoya on the family excursion. Ranka had said 'No' immediately, because it was to be a family outing, but Jin quickly reminded him of the many times they had brought friends who weren't family before. Besides, if the relationship she had with Kyoya worked out…

He had cut her off quickly before she finished that thought. Of course, as soon as he agreed that she could invite her boyfriend along, Jin had crossed her arms and made him promise to 'behave'. This meant, in her terms: No threatening, no unnecessary noises, no purposeful separation, no bodily harm, no bribing Kyoya to keep his distance, no forcing his body in between them… the list had gone on for a while.

At first, Ranka tried to not have to actually promise anything, but both of his daughters refused to let him off the hook. When asked, Haruhi simply stated that she had to deal with them during school days, so their father should be able to handle a single day. Unfortunately, he had eventually made that promise... before hearing about the punishment for breaking it.

So now the four of them were sitting on the train and Ranka wanted to explode. Jin, knowing what the stakes were, smirked as she turned back to Kyoya, shifting her foot against his and gently connecting their hands. The boy cast a wary glance at Ranka, but Jin merely laced their fingers together a little tighter and leaned up to his ear.

A few whispered words later, and Kyoya was sporting his own pleased expression.

Thankfully for Ranka's sanity, the train pulled into the station in Numata City only a minute later. The four walked out onto the platform, the teens side-by-side in front while Ranka brought up the rear. Jin and Haruhi were talking about the different apples they wanted to pick while Kyoya listened politely, smiling softly at Jin when she wasn't looking. The expression was so cute and perfect Ranka felt like he was going to be sick.

"HAAARUUUUHIIIII!"

Before the quartet could blink, a blond-headed blur shot between the teenagers and Ranka, bowling the shortest one over in a tight hug. Already high strung, Ranka leapt forward and hauled the boy off of his youngest daughter. When he recognized the face, it didn't make him want to let go any sooner.

"YOU?"

"Ah, hello, Ranka- eep! - H-How are you- ow! " Tamaki tried for a winning smile, but it was hard to ignore the pain that came from his arm being twisted behind his back. Keeping the blond boy immobile in his arms, Ranka looked over to his daughters. Jin was helping Haruhi off the ground while Kyoya scowled unhappily at the other Host Club boys walking over to them.

Well, I suppose that means he didn't invite them.

"Ranka, please… you're gonna break my arm... "

The man rolled his eyes, "If I wanted to permanently damage you, I would've already done so." Despite the threat, Ranka released the teen and marched over to the original group. "Did one of you three invite your other friends to join us?"

"I assure you, Ranka, I did not."

Haruhi and Jin shook their heads, but the twins smiled happily, "They didn't invite us. We overheard Haruhi and Jin talking in the hallways about inviting Kyoya on this little trip weeks ago."

"So we figured why not check it out ourselves?"

They continued to smile despite the dangerous looks coming at them from the four they had intruded on. Honey quickly bounced forward, "Come on, Jin-chan! Tama-chan said there were hay rides!" The small blond grabbed his old friend's hand and started pulling her down the train station. " You too, Haru-chan! We've got alot to do!"

"Honey-senpai! Wait up!" Haruhi quickly followed after the blond and her sister, Kyoya on her heels. The twins high-fived and darted after them. Mori, of course, silently nodded his head at Ranka before heading off to join them all.

The girl's father hummed in thought, staring off after the group. Jin was trying to get Honey-senpai to slow down, but he refused to let go of her hand. Now… there's an idea...

"Well, we should probably follow them…" Tamaki froze in the middle of a step when a familiar hand fell on his shoulder, gripping it tight.

"No need to act so tense, Tamaki. As much as I was annoyed by your arrival… I may have a job for you and your club."

* Time Skip *

"Where do you wanna start first, Jin-chan?"

The brunette pursed her lips. The wood-woven basket hanging from her right hand swayed back and forth at her side as she looked out across the orchard, "Actually, Honey-senpai… I was kinda hoping-"

"Hey, Jin!"

"Jin-chan! Haruhi!"

The whole group turned their heads towards the new voices, eyes widening when they recognized two boys jogging across the crunchy grass to meet them.

"Ben-kun! Hiroshi!"

Jin and Haruhi ran over to greet their friends, the other boys not far behind. Skirting around the group of teens, Ranka approached the brother's parents. While the three adults began chatting, the teenagers finally calmed down enough to talk plainly.

"What are you two doing here?"

"We wanted to pick apples with you again!" Beni swiped at Jin's shoulder, just barely cuffing her shirt, "Just because you guys go to some 'fancy-smancy' school doesn't mean you can't hang out with us 'common folk' every once in awhile. Invite us out to coffee sometime, geez."

Jin responded with a light punch to his arm, "I had enough trouble inviting Kyoya along on this trip. I didn't want to stretch out my Dad's hospitality by adding you to the list."

The older Arai boy cocked an eyebrow at the rest of the host club, so Haruhi quickly spoke up, "We didn't invite the others, in case you were wondering."

At that, Beni's expression turned just as twisted as Hikaru and Kaoru's, "Oh… but you invited Kyoya… that's interesting…"

"They already know we're dating, Beni."

"Really? When did you tell them? How'd they react?"

"When Aaron, Chelski, Kat, and Mara came up to visit. It was-"

"WHAT?!" Beni's expression was thunderous, "YOU TOLD THEM ALL BEFORE YOU TOLD ME? AFTER EVERYTHING WE'VE BEEN THROUGH TOGETHER?!"

Jin didn't look fazed, crossing her arms over her chest, "One word: Go-rou."

Her friend's expression flickered for a moment before abruptly flattening, "Right. Fair enough, I guess." He turned his head to look out at the many rows of apple trees, completely missing the way the host club cast wary glances at each other. Even Tamaki had picked up on that emotional shift. But before anyone could ask about it, Ranka and Mr. and Mrs. Arai walked over.

"Jin? Haruhi? I'm going to stay at the shop with Mikio and Aika for a few hours. You kids have fun picking apples!"

Jin opened her mouth, then hesitated. Dad's… letting me out of his sight? Even with Kyoya hanging around? Feeling a tentative finger touching her wrist, the brunette shut her mouth and shifted a little closer to her boyfriend.

"If you're sure, Dad. Do you want us to get you a basket of apples?"

"No. But you girls want apple cider, right?"

"Yes!" Haruhi and Jin answered in unison, grins back on their faces. A few seconds later and the adults were walking away, leaving the group of kids to their own devices. Tamaki tried to take control the first chance he got, spinning around on his heel to face the others.

"Alright! I say we split up into two groups! The Fujioka girls and Arai boys will go one way, and the rest of the host club will go another! This will maximize our first experience at an apple orchard and let Jin and Haruhi spend time with their old friends!"

"Or," Kyoya chimed in, looping an arm loosely around Jin's waist, sparking a small blush on her face, "I could go with Jin and her group. That would make them even at least; five and five?"

"But, Kyoya! We should explore on our own! It's like a field trip!"

"Yeah, Kyo-chan! Like the Expo we went to in the summer."

"Ah… right." Kyoya adjusted his glasses, "That same Exposition you dragged me to while I was asleep and forgot me on a bench without my wallet or phone. Yes, now I see the similarities…"

The hosts shrank a little underneath his 'stare-of-death', prompting Haruhi to speak up before one of them started crying, "Look, how about all ten of us go around together? Okay? None of us want to start an argument, right? Good. C'mon Nēchan. Oh, and bring your boyfriend. The others will follow him. He's like their Momma Duck." Jin snorted, but did her best to hide the smile from Kyoya's glare.

"Come on, Jin-senpai!"

"Where do we go first?"

Before anyone else could argue, Hikaru and Kaoru were pushing Jin forward, looping their arms through hers and steering her away from Kyoya. The ravenet hummed, eyebrows crinkling in mild confusion, but followed anyways.

Behind him, Tamaki let out a sigh. Ranka is trusting us with keeping an eye on them. I cannot allow Kyoya and Jin to be unsupervised while we are here! The blond shuddered at the thought of his best friend discovering his job for the day, but he managed to quickly shake it off.

There's no way he'll figure out we're doing this on purpose… right?

Kyoya was fairly sure Ranka had put them up to this.

Their little band of ten had been walking up and down this apple orchard for at least an hour, and not once had his hand come into contact with Jin's. Every time he got close enough for physical contact, one of the other hosts stepped in. Kyoya was positive Jin was aware of it, too, but she wasn't saying anything.

Still, it was becoming very annoying very quickly, especially when Tamaki literally hip-checked his friend to the side so he could drag Jin to another tree.

At the moment, Kyoya was watching as the rest of the group tried to coax the twins down off of a tree. Since there was no room left in anyone's basket for even one more apple, the Fujioka's suggested they head back to the barn and pay for the fruit, then enjoy some of the other attractions around the farm. But the twins weren't having it. Kyoya, not bothering to play their games, found himself standing in the background. Beni was with him, shaking his head as Hiroshi ran off to grab another ladder.

"I almost forgot how crazy your friends were…"

"Well, they are Jin's friends, too."

Beni nodded appreciatively, "Truth. But, now that you mention it, there is something I need to talk with you about-" The boy raised an eyebrow as Kyoya held up a hand.

"No need to continue. I have already been threatened by Haruhi, Ranka, Jin's friends from America, the rest of the Host Club, Nekozawa-senpai, Kagome-sensei from the elementary school, most of the tenants in her building, and, most recently, Aki Hayashi." Kyoya frowned, his hand dropping about a millimeter, "Hayashi-san also mentioned a bet that had been going around the shelter… but back to the matter at hand. A majority of them simply stated that if I broke her heart, they'd be on the sidelines watching her tear me limb from limb."

The blond crossed his arms, "You don't seem very nervous about those threats."

"If I was worried about that, I wouldn't have asked her out in the first place. Besides, I'm far more concerned that she will be the one to break up with me rather than the other way around."

Beni nodded, "Exactly what I wanted to hear. You have my blessing."

"Thank you." The two boys looked back at the tree where Jin had wrestled Hikaru back onto the ground and was now holding him in a headlock to bargain with Kaoru. "Out of curiosity… why did you seem upset when Jin mentioned Gorou earlier?"

The air around the two was suddenly charged with tension. Beni's posture stiffened, making his crossed arms display more muscle than before. The blond glared daggers at the bespectacled boy, and for a brief moment Kyoya thought he was about to be told off for sticking his nose in other people's business or perhaps even punched.

But just as quickly as Beni's defenses came in, the boy wilted. He sighed, "I guess I should tell someone… if you all noticed it. Do you remember that internship Gorou had over the summer?"

Kyoya nodded.

"Well, he really enjoyed it and the company liked him. So… they offered him a scholarship for one of the elite schools closer to their multinational headquarters… in Finland." Beni completely deflated, leaning against the tree behind him and letting his hair hang down in his face, "At first… he thought about turning it down, but I talked him out of it. Finland has amazing schools, and it was his dream. He's gone up to that country at least three times before now and he loves it up there. But… well…"

A loud peal of laughter interrupted him, and the two boys looked up to see Hiroshi hanging upside down from a branch, Kaoru almost falling out as he continued to laugh. But the happy atmosphere didn't have the faintest effect on Beni's mood.

"We tried to keep our relationship going for a while, but two weeks ago I… I told myself I wasn't being fair, forcing Gorou to keep our relationship in the back of his mind. I was worried about him cheating, he was worried about me cheating, and we're both too busy to be thinking about each other every second of every day. He never told me he felt that way, but he didn't have too. So… I told him we should take a break."

Kyoya blinked. He hadn't expected that. From the one day he'd seen Beni and Gorou together, he'd known that they harbored some very deep feelings for each other.

"What did he say?"

"Well… he was half-panicked, half-relieved. But he told me he still really liked me… and that distance shouldn't stop us if we wanted to be together. So we decided to make it an 'open-relationship'. When… I mean, if he comes back to Japan… then I guess we'll see."

The two regressed back into silence, watching as Kaoru finally fell from the tree and Jin made a big show about being more concerned about the tree than him. He and his twin playfully tackled the girl, only managing to bring her to her knees before Mori hauled them off by the back of their shirts, like kittens.

"I'm sorry."

Beni chuckled, but it was a hollow sound, "For what? You didn't have any role to play in our decision. Just don't tell Jin, please? I want to tell her what happened myself."

"Even so," the blond blinked as he was pulled into surprisingly sincere eye-contact, "I'm sorry that it happened to you. I hope things work out." Beni manages a small smile, but a nagging thought stops him from smiling fully.

"Hey… you alright?"

"Of course."

"No, something's off. You're a lot more emotional than I thought you'd be."

"Am I? Must be my own relationship. Jin does seem to make me more emotional about certain things… such as other people's experiences. Is that a bad thing?"

The third-year snapped his fingers, "That's it. You're comparing my story to you and Jin, aren't you?" Kyoya didn't respond, so Beni shook his head and laughed a little, "Hey man, don't do that. Jin likes you way too much for you to be worried about that. Seriously, she did nothing but talk either to you or about you all summer long. You two… I think you'll be together for a really long time. I mean, come on, she probably spent hours pestering her dad just to let you come here today."

Finally, Kyoya's smirk reappeared on his face, "I believe she said it only took 46 minutes before Ranka promised to not attempt to interfere with us. Though his punishment for not following the rules almost gave him a stroke."

"Punishment?"

The ravenet smirked a little wider, drawing out that faint 'evil' streak he managed to hide so well, "If Ranka breaks any of Jin's rules for today, she will no longer honor his 'No Co-Ed sleepovers' Rule of Boyfriends."

Beni snorted, "Oh man… oh man … I would've paid to see his face! That's a surefire way to make sure Ranka behaves himself, huh?"

"You would think so. Unfortunately-"

"Hey, are you two wallflowers done gossiping? We're ready to head back to the barn!"

Jin was walking over to the two of them, all smiles and laughter that made her eyes dance with light. Kyoya took one step in her direction when Honey collided with the girl's side, babbling about donuts and cider and the other attractions on the farm that they had yet to partake in. The brunette sent an apologetic look at her boyfriend over her shoulder as she was herded back the way they had come.

Beni's eyebrows reached his bangs, "Ranka?"

"Ranka."

"Maybe Ranka will be our always."

Kyoya looked at the older boy in utter confusion, "What?"

"Nothing, nothing, just a book reference. Go on. I need to talk to Haruhi about this little… problem you and Jin have."

The way the other boy said that produced numerous possibilities in Kyoya's head, but he decided that, for once, he'd let someone else sort out the Host Club. He couldn't always be the one to make them not act like idiots. So, he simply walked after his girlfriend and her make-shift bodyguards. After all, he was a little intrigued with the notion of apple cider.

"I used to think maybe you loved me, now baby I´m sure~

And I just can't wait till the day when you knock on my door~

Now every time I go for the mailbox, gotta hold myself do-own!

Cause I just can't wait till you write me you're coming around...

I'm walkin' on Sunshine~

Woah-oah!

I'm walkin' on Sunshine~

Woah-oah!

I'm walkin' on Sunshine~

Woah-ah-oh!

And don't it feel good?

Hey!"

Jin continued singing the trumpet hits as she danced on top of the hay bales. They were technically supposed to be lining the little maze for the younger children to enjoy, but the tall brunette was enjoying jumping over the grass and jamming out to the song in her head. There wasn't anyone else around, so why not? Every so often, she'd have to pause to let Honey-senpai run in front of her, but neither of them really bothered each other.

"Nēchan!"

Spinning around, the brunette quickly located her sister. When she recognized the location, her heart jumped for joy. Jumping daintily off of the hay, Jin started running towards her. Haruhi was waiting at the top of a hill, bouncing on the balls of her feet. It wasn't a very tall hill, as far as hills went, but it was big enough to be a somewhat popular place to go for sledding in the winter, and long enough to accommodate plenty of sleds. There wasn't any snow on it now, of course, but that didn't bother the Fujioka's at all.

Jin finally reached the crest of the hill, 'Walking on Sunshine' still being hummed from behind her lips, though it was much jerkier as she tried to breathe evenly. But the girl was smiling, and so was her little sister.

"Ready?"

Haruhi nodded, quickly laying down along the crest of the hill and pushing herself down. Jin watched for a while, seeing Haruhi's form slowly shrink the further she got, rolling a little to the left before disappearing into the huge pile of leaves that had been dumped at the bottom of the hill. Then it was her turn.

As the world regressed into dirt, sky, dirt, sky, dirt, Jin tried to repress the urge to laugh. The last time she'd laughed while rolling down this hill, she'd ended up with a mouthful of grass and probably more bugs than she even wanted to think about. From somewhere around the general vicinity, she heard a boy call out her name. It wasn't Kyoya. Probably one of the twins.

Whish.

The world was thrust into darkness. Jin had ended up on her stomach, so she propped herself up on her elbows. Big brown eyes just barely peeked up above the pile of dead leaves, proving how deep it really was. From her hiding place, seeing as there was a blanket of leaves still covering the top of her head, she saw Haruhi trying to shake small flakes of leaves out of her short hair, either sitting up or at least kneeling to keep her head in the air.

Pushing herself up onto her knees, Jin looked up the hill and crossed her arms, fingers gently rubbing at the leaf fragments still stuck to her skin. The twins were rolling down the hill now, Tamaki running up to the top to join in on the fun. Hiroshi popped his head out of the leaves a little ways past Haruhi's spot just in time to have Beni run into him. Honey and Mori probably weren't far behind everyone else, but where was-

"Looking for someone?"

Jin looked behind her as best as she could, seeing a familiar hand offering itself to her. For a moment, she considered taking it. After all, she could feel the cold dirt/mud/decomposing leaves combo soaking through the knees of her jeans, which wasn't the greatest feeling in the world, and with the other boys distracted she might get to actually touch her boyfriend for the first time since they started this 'adventure'.

Then she got a better idea.

Jin turned around to sit properly on the ground, even though her butt was probably going to get just as dirty as her knees now were, and held out her hands, fingers splayed. Kyoya smirked at the needy position, but obliged in grabbing her hands. Except instead of pulling his girlfriend up onto her feet, she pulled him down.

Jin sort of swung Kyoya down to her left side. The leaves cushioned his fall, even though they immediately started attaching themselves to his expensive dark green sweater and black pants, slipping into his shoes and poking him through his socks in the way that only leaf piles can do. But before he could even get mad, the brunette placed her head on his chest, looping her right arm around his waist and hooking her right leg over his.

For a brief moment, Kyoya remained frozen. It was like he'd fallen into a different dimension. He could smell nothing but decaying leaves and Jin's mint scented shampoo/ conditioner. The sky above them was a perfect crystal blue, not a cloud to be seen and neatly framed by red and orange leaves that were piled up around him. It was a bit chilly today, even with his sweater and long pants, and now the dead leaves and cold ground beneath them were slowly pulling out his body warmth. The only warm parts of his body were where Jin's head rested gently in the middle of his chest and his cheeks. And it was… peaceful.

It was only when the furtive itching on the back of his neck from the leaves was too much to bear that he even bothered to move at all. Jin lifted her head as he shifted beneath her, a sheepish smile on her face as she awaited his verdict.

Chuckling deeply, he looped his own arm around her waist, pulling her over so she straddled his lap, throwing browning leaves all over himself in the process. Jin flushed at the suggestive position, which only deepened when he guided her down for a chaste kiss. He released her chin as the kiss ended, and she rested her forehead against his, noses tapping against each other with every shift. Kyoya was still staring upwards, but instead of that large sky he only saw dark brown eyes and thick lashes calming batting out a rhythm against his glasses frames. For a moment, he considered pulling them off, but the idea of doing anything that required energy didn't exactly appeal to him at the moment. Jin seemed to agree, her eyes sliding shut and a long breath escaping her nose. The boy hummed in response, bringing his hand up to cover hers, where they were resting on his shoulders.

Then Jin's leaf-filled hair fell to one side and in between Kyoya's barely parted lips.

The boy jolted upright, pushing Jin up with him. As soon as her eyes opened she realized what had happened and started laughing. Kyoya wiped at his mouth, turning to the side and spitting out leaf fragments.

"Maybe you should take a note from your sister! That's the fifth time I've eaten your hair in the past month! "

Jin laughed harder, looping her arms around his neck and returning her forehead to its original position. Kyoya wanted to scowl, but he couldn't find the will to with his girlfriend's apple cider breath puffing warmly against his own lips. Casting a glance to the side, where the others had all gathered in the rest of the leaves to play, he looked for the warning signs that they would be interrupted yet again today.

The only person giving them even the slightest bit of attention was Haruhi.

When the shorter girl noticed Kyoya's eyes on her, she smiled and rolled her eyes, turning around and tackling Hiroshi into a deeper pile of leaves, making Beni lunge over to 'save' his baby brother.

Knowing what receiving permission looked like, Kyoya returned his attention back to the girl straddling his lap. She stopped laughing quickly once his lips were on hers. Pulling away again, the two went back to their quiet forehead-touch-cliché. Occasionally their lips would brush, but for the most part they just enjoyed the body warmth blossoming in the space between their chests. As much as Kyoya liked it when Jin sang, or danced, or talked about everything and nothing at the same time, he was also a big fan of a little quiet time with her. Reading, working, studying, and just listening to her breathing while their friends frolicked nearby could almost be considered gifts to the ravenet.

Because when you're a part of the Ouran Highschool Host Club, quiet times are short and hard to come by.

Case of point:

"Dogpile the Lovebirds!"

That was their only warning before Hikaru and Kaoru flopped into Jin's side. Kyoya winced as his forehead and nose were harshly knocked against the brunette's before she was swallowed up by the leaves on his left, Hikaru quickly following. Kaoru, who had been behind his brother, ended up awkwardly sprawled out over both Kyoya and Hikaru's legs.

The younger twins wisely got off of the second year as fast as possible, but his older brother was a little slower in his actions. He pushed himself up onto his hands, a huge smile on his face while muffled foreign curses sputtered out from beneath the huge pile of leaves.

"Jin-senpai?" Hikaru managed around his laughter, "Where'd you go?"

He shifted his left hand closer to his right, trying to find the girl beneath him, and suddenly the leaves exploded upwards.

"Ow!" Hikaru rubbed at his upper arm, trying to wave off his brother. "Geez, Jin! I'm glad you missed my face!"

The girl finally managed to maneuver herself back up onto her elbows. Her face was flushed and clothes mused, head covered in more leaves than hair, but her eyes were angry. Hikaru and Kaoru were quelled by the look. Kyoya thought the whole ensemble was pretty cute.

"Next time you dogpile me while I'm with my boyfriend, I won't miss."

Of course, Hikaru's shout had captured everyone's attention. The large pile of leaves went whish, whish, whish as they all waded towards the small party of four. Jin shifted closer to Kyoya and laid her head against his shoulder with a dull crunch , still recovering from the attack.

One look at Jin's angry face and Beni clapped his hands, "O-kay. How about we head on back inside. It's getting chilly out here."

Jin and the twins wrinkled their noses in unison.

"That was a bad pun, Ben-kun."

"Really bad."

The blond nodded his head solemnly, "I will heed your words, but I have no regrets. And at least you three agreed on something. Now come on, I want some more cider."

On the outside, the barn that reigned supreme over the entire orchard looked like those typical red-door barns that you see in children's coloring books. Nothing especially flashy, but homey.

The inside was not nearly as simple, though it was definitely still homey.

Perfectly swept oak floorboards, warm air beating down towards the middle of the room from all directions, and the scent of donuts baking wafted into the main room from the bakery in the back was the all-important first impression. Then you saw all the photos lining the walls, newspaper articles of the orchard occasionally dotted among them like a timeline. There were chairs and tables littered around the large open space, a few buckets of children's toys placed in the far corner, and piles of fruits and vegetables waiting to be bought filled in the last of the space, save for the cash register and stand for cider and donuts.

The group of thirteen were sitting at the four tables closest to the left wall, perfect for when they all needed another round of cider. The elderly woman behind the register was happily chatting with them from her position, having grown instantly fond of the host club boys when they all tried a sip of her family's apple cider and immediately began praising it. Her husband and son had poked their heads out from the bakery long enough to tell the boys they now had choice but to come back again.

Mikio and Aika Arai were chatting amicably with Jin and Haruhi, catching up with the two girls. Beni and Hiroshi had told them a lot about their summer together, but they hadn't been completely honest. Jin was all too happy to fill in some of the blanks, to Beni's horrified looks. His father busted up laughing when Jin recounted how she had taunted her best friend with his old hair fashion.

The hosts tossed in their two cents on occasion, but they mostly just listened and drank their cider. Well, most of them drank their cider. Honey was more focused on swallowing as many donuts as were available to him. His cousin was keeping a mental tally of the dough balls Honey had consumed, and he was close to breaking twenty.

Ranka was quieter than the others, if that was possible. While it might seem out of character for the Fujioka's father, he was too busy trying to figure out what Tamaki wasn't telling him. He had given the blond idiot a very clear job; monitor Jin and Kyoya, and try to keep their physical contact to a minimum. Yet, as soon as the ten teenagers came back into the barn, covered in leaves and giggling among themselves, he had noticed that the two were hovering very close to each other, hands clasped together. Tamaki was refusing to meet his eyes.

Still, the two looked happy. Maybe that was the reason?

As the man narrowed his eyes further, trying to discern whether Jin was holding the ravenet's hand beneath the table they were seated at, his vision was momentarily blocked by the Hitachiin twins running around in front of him. He briefly noted them, wondering if they ever ran out of energy, before returning to his original activity.

Hikaru and Kaoru didn't care much that they were getting in people's way. The two were hopped up on cider and donuts and the extra energy they hadn't managed to work off when they were in the leaves. Hikaru wanted to run back outside, but Kaoru complained it wouldn't be any fun without someone else with them. And by the looks of everyone else, that wasn't happening whether they taunted Tamaki or not. So, they amused themselves by looking at the photographs pinned up all around the room. Most of them were sweet ones, some silly, and some downright ridiculous.

Hikaru had barely recovered from the photo with the scarecrow in the bridal gown when another picture caught his eye. His laughter slowly tapered off until he was silently staring at the photo. Kaoru noticed his brother's strange expression and joined him. The twins tilted their heads, confused.

They couldn't put their finger on it, but something about the people in the photo looked a little familiar. Yet they don't recognize them either. There were four people sitting down on the hay bales that had been piled up just outside the back of the barn. A mother, father, and their two children, all brunettes. Then Kaoru's eyes widened.

"...Hikaru?"

"Yeah?"

"Doesn't that lady look a lot like Haruhi?"

Instantly it's like the photo had been thrust under a microscope. The man was Ranka, a few years younger and without his makeup or long red hair. That meant the woman was… the late Mrs. Fujioka. And the two little girls sitting on their laps, grinning cutely at the camera…

"Awwww! Haruhi and Jin-senpai were so cute! "

"WHAT?"

The rest of the host club surrounded the twins before you could say 'oops', staring intensely at the wall until they all spotted the same photograph. Then they lapsed into silence, absorbing the image into their memories.

Behind them, Haruhi and Jin approached much slower. They looked at the same photo until Jin had to turn away. Her little sister placed a consoling hand on her upper arm, but she knew it wasn't just for comfort. Every year the Fujioka's came for apple picking, they would try to avoid The Picture.

Jin was five years old in The Picture, and even now, at age seventeen, it still made her throat tighten to see her mother in The Picture. Frozen in time. Smiling, with the cusp of a laugh on her lips. Like it wasn't less than a month before she collapsed in the middle of the shopping mall, her whole body feverish. Like it wasn't less than a year before she passed away, Jin clutching and shaking her hand until she had to be carried from the room, crying for her mother. Like it wasn't the most recent photograph that Jin and Haruhi had of her, smiling and without a million medical tubes sticking out of her.

" Jin? "

The girl hiccuped, holding back a fresh wave of tears, "I'm fine."

Kyoya frowned. Looked back at the photograph, then at his girlfriend. Haruhi's hand on Jin's upper arm had tightened. The ravenet realized that, not only was Haruhi comforting Jin without overwhelming her, but the grip was also a grounding method. Keeping Jin from tumbling down into memories of her deceased mother.

The picture of their family was hurting her.

First thought that came to mind: Get rid of it.

Of course, Kyoya quickly dismissed that idea. Even if it was a painful memory, it was important. Jin had told him about how her family had been coming to this orchard since before she was even born. Everything about this place, even the picture of her mother, was important and kept her memory alive. Getting rid of the picture would cause far more harm than good.

However, it was her family from the past. As far as he could tell, there were no recent pictures of the Fujioka's. Probably because it would've been another heartbreaking reminder that their mother was not with them.

Except… what had Jin once told him? It was a quote from that television show 'Supernatural'. She had really liked that quote…

" Family doesn't end in blood. "

"Kyoya?" He'd spoken out loud without meaning to. Whoops. The ravenet looked up, face blank as he tried to bring up the idea. Jin no longer looked to be on the verge of tears, at least. More curious as to why her boyfriend had zoned out and whispered something that she hadn't managed to catch. "What are you thinking, Glasses?"

"I think it might be time for your family to take another picture."

Haruhi and Jin's face flashed with pain, their eyes glancing over to The Picture and back, "Kyoya-senpai… it's an idea, I guess, but-"

"It wouldn't be the same… just the three of us."

"Three? I believe the number you are trying to pronounce is 'thirteen'." Jin just looked confused now, so Kyoya took her hands, "Family doesn't end in blood, right?"

Oh boy, now she looked like she was really about to cry.

Jin's lower lip quivered before she shot forward, hugging Kyoya around his neck, " Yeah… yeah, you're right. "

*Time Skip*

"Hikaru! Kaoru! Can't you two sit still for five seconds? "

"Nope!"

Tamaki growled and tried to get up, but one look at Ranka and he quieted down.

"Come on, you two! Settle down! It's gonna get dark soon and we have to take this picture now! " The Hitachiins finally sighed, slipping down one hay bale onto their seats, but not looking happy about it. Jin just smiled and faced the front again.

All thirteen members of their little party were seated in a triangle-like pattern on the hay bales. From left to right in the front was Kyoya, Jin, Haruhi, Hiroshi, and Beni. In the spaces between his daughters was Ranka. To the right was Mikio and Aika, beside their sons, and to the left was Takashi, with Honey on his back. Behind them, there Tamaki, then Kaoru, and finally Hikaru. Tamaki had tried to make a fuss that Kyoya was in the front with Jin and he wasn't sitting by Haruhi, but Kyoya had mentioned that he was dating Jin. The blond's face flushed a bright red and he quieted down.

Behind the camera was the same woman from the checkout counter. Her son had stepped in for her while they took the photo, but they were only five minutes away from closing time so it almost wasn't necessary.

"Okay, everyone, just a few more adjustments! Haninozuka-san, could you lean to your left a little more please? Perfect! Ah... all of you scooch closer to the middle. Come on, act like you like each other! Perfect! Now, get ready... and... smile!"

Kyoya gave the camera his usual closed lip smile, but his left hand was suddenly given a warm squeeze, lithe fingers tangling themselves with his. In the split second before the flash went off, his lips parted into a slight grin. Not overly flirty, like the one he shared with the girls at school, just a little small smile with his top row of teeth.

He turned to face his girlfriend, who was conveniently looking off into the distance.

"You did that on purpose."

"I just wanted a bigger smile from you, Glasses."

He rolled his eyes and stood, helping Jin onto her feet beside him, "Fine. If all you wanted was the smile then I suppose I'll let that one slide."

"No, no, no! Don't go too easy on her, Kyoya-senpai!"

"Soon no one will be frightened of you! She's making you soft!"

The ravenet glanced up at the twins, who were climbing over Tamaki's lap, despite his protests, and smirked, "I suppose that could become a problem. But even so, I'm sure Jin will take my place at the top of their fears."

Jin stuck her tongue out at him before walked off, hand still entwined with Kyoya's, "Shut up. Let's head back to the station. Bye, Ben-kun! Bye, Hiroshi! I'll text you about that coffee date later!" The Arai boys waved back, splitting away from the group with their parents as everyone started heading home. Kyoya didn't say anything, however, content with simply walking beside Jin and thinking about coming back to the orchard next year and finding their photograph among all the others. The idea left a warm spot in his chest.

Behind them was a different story, Ranka 'sneakily' berating Tamaki for not following along with their plan.

" Our poor third wheel can't catch a break today, can he? "

Jin's laughter echoed across the rest of the orchard.