for hostclubmommy: echo
for the song drabble meme
I am your thought but the water is amnesia
My name is on the tip of your tongue
My image is slipping
But your memory is gripping it
This is my breath in your lungs
Kyouya was home from France.
Kyouya was home from France and had returned with various souvenirs and one particular anecdote. Kyouya was home, but now it was far too quiet in the Third Music room.
Tamaki couldn't stand silence for too long, specifically this kind of silence. It was even worse knowing that this silence was for Tamaki himself. Silence like this was suffocating. Most silences were, save for a few exceptions. He would have plenty of time tonight for silences, he didn't want it here as well.
So he went into recovery mode, because that would obviously solve the problem of silence at the very least. He turned around, any evidence of tears having disappeared.
"Thank you, Kyouya, but...where are you hiding my two meter Eiffel Tower?"
There was silence for another few heartbeats. Kyouya walked over, punching Tamaki in the arm.
"Idiot. After all the trouble you caused me, you don't deserve a two centimeter Eiffel Tower."
That seemed to break the spell of silence and things felt like they were quickly shifting back to something that felt far more normal.
"Haruhi, you wanted to see our books!"
"But..."
Haruhi's protests were cut short as Hikaru and Kaoru dragged Haruhi away to another corner of the room.
"Takashi, Takashi! Let's have cake~"
"Mmm."
And just like that Honey-sempai and Mori-sempai planted themselves at a table and began to dig into the baked treats Kyouya had brought back for them from France. The room was filled with the sounds of voices and laughter and tiny unimportant frustrations and forks and tea cups clinking against Ginori china, and Tamaki finally felt like he could breath again. Things were normal and loud and slightly chaotic and far less serious, and that was good.
Tamaki turned to Kyouya, still standing by his side. Tamaki took Kyouya's arm and smiled.
"Let's have tea and I'll tell you about everything that happened while you were away."
"One week free of your stupidity is the most I can ever hope for it seems. You'll serve the tea."
Tamaki nodded, still smiling, and dragged Kyouya over to one of the sofas, halfway between the upperclassmen and underclassmen. The noise of the room all seemed to echo back nicely to that spot. That was good.
Tamaki served Kyouya his tea. After so many years, Tamaki knew exactly how Kyouya liked his tea. It was an important thing to know. Tamaki realized that he couldn't quite remember how his mother liked her own tea. He couldn't remember if it was one sugar or two. He was almost certain it was cream and two sugars, but the smallest amount of uncertainty made him doubt his memory. He wondered if Kyouya had tea with his mother in France. Maybe Kyouya could validate Tamaki's memory if he asked.
Instead Tamaki just made his own tea. He liked cream and two sugars in his own tea. He wondered if he could like one sugar and he had just convinced himself he needed two. He could feel Kyouya's eyes on him. Despite the noises from around them, Tamaki felt like he was hit with that suffocating silence again.
"It was so boring this week. The entire staff took the week off because they thought I was going to France. Antoinette even went away. I thought the staff and I would keep busy playing games, but they all left."
Kyouya calmly sipped his tea.
"Maybe if you had told the truth about the class trip, you could have avoided any boredom."
Tamaki looked down at his tea and then looked back up at his friend.
"Kyou-ya."
Kyouya gave Tamaki a cool, disinterested look.
"You said you had dinner with your father, what - "
Tamaki's face lit up at that, and he pounced on Kyouya.
"You did understand the text message I sent you! I was so worried you didn't! Now I will have to -"
Kyouya punched Tamaki, forcing him to fall off and retreat to a corner of the sofa.
"Send me messages like that again and I will be forced to have Mei-chan and all her descendants deported."
"But Kyou -"
"She's the one who taught you how to do that, isn't she?"
"Yes, but -"
"Then it's only fair, unless of course you can think of a better punishment."
"But Kyou -"
Kyouya merely smiled at Tamaki.
"Yes, Tamaki?"
"...nothing."
Kyouya smiled, sipping his tea.
"Good. Now tell me about dinner with your father."
Tamaki thought back on the dinners, specifically the last one. That felt far too serious and real and it was nothing that Tamaki really wanted to think about or rehash right now. He would have to call his father back tonight, however. He would call him back...he would call him back and say yes. How could he not at this point, especially after the news of his mother. She was in good health, and she was happy, and perhaps now if he worked hard enough and proved himself then he might be able to realize his dream of the four of them together under the kotatsu. He had told Haruhi she should go after her dreams, and just last night she had told him much the same. He would be a hypocrite if he let this chance go now.
"My father is considering expanding our company's hotel chain, and he wants me to take an active role in the corporation."
Kyouya was silent for a moment, and Tamaki could feel himself being watched.
"And what do you want?"
Tamaki went to take another sip of his tea, and discovered his cup was empty.
Tamaki poured himself some more and made himself another cup, one sugar this time instead of two. He reached for Kyouya's cup as well, but found Kyouya's hand coming down on top of his own to stop him.
"Ah, Kyouya, let me make you another -"
"Tamaki."
Tamaki let go of the cup and pulled his hand away, resting both his hands on his lap. He looked around, smiling softly as he watched the Hitachiin's harassing Haruhi. From the other side of the room he could see Honey-sempai and Mori-sempai and Usa-chan having a tea party with the new stuffed toys that Kyouya had brought back for the upperclassmen. He finally returned his gaze to Kyouya.
"I'm going to call him tonight and tell him that I've decided to take him up on his offer."
"I see."
"When I went to visit my father, there was this older woman who was trying to get onto an escalator, but for some reason they had a step right before the escalator that made it difficult for her. After I helped her, I thought it was very inconvenient to have that step there when people would have trouble. There was also a restaurant where my father took me to have nabe, and he said that a lot of foreigners come there, but it only offered traditional seating. So I thought it would be good to provide alternate Western style seating for tourists. There are lots of things that could be improved upon. I want a career that will make people happy and smile, and maybe this is that career."
Kyouya was quiet for another few beats.
"Have you thought about how this decision might effect your duties to the club?"
"I," Tamaki stopped, and then finally shook his head. "No, I haven't."
Kyouya pushed his teacup towards Tamaki.
"Make me another cup."
Tamaki obliged, knowing by heart how Kyouya liked his tea.
"You still haven't answered my question."
Tamaki looked up at Kyouya in confusion.
Kyouya let out an annoyed sigh.
"What do you want?"
"I all ready told you I was going to say yes."
"That's not an answer."
Tamaki could feel himself growing frustrated, oddly enough. He thought this might be something that Kyouya would encourage or perhaps he might even be proud of Tamaki for this decision. That first day at Kyouya's home, when Kyouya had gotten so angry, he was angry about Tamaki not taking the opportunity to be heir to the Suoh Corporation seriously. Now he was taking it seriously. This felt like a good, responsible decision that Kyouya would appreciate. Instead it felt like Kyouya was treating this the same way he had treated Tamaki's carefree attitude about the Suoh Corporation all those years ago.
Tamaki finished making the tea and pushed the tea cup back over to Kyouya. He just wanted to change the subject now.
"Where did you find her?"
Tamaki was surprised at himself for the question. He didn't mean to change the subject in that direction. He quickly regretted it, and picked up his tea and took a sip to hide his face. After only one sip he was certain he needed two sugars. This was far too bitter for his tastes.
Kyouya seemed just as surprised by the question, although Tamaki wasn't sure why. Surely Kyouya must have anticipated that Tamaki would have questions. Or maybe he didn't. Tamaki didn't anticipate it himself.
"Barbizon."
Tamaki nodded. He shouldn't be shocked that they would have a new home. It would be hard to afford their old home with the failure of the Grantaine family business. Grandmother was offering them assistance, but Tamaki wasn't exactly sure how much that entailed. Despite this, the news that his mother's family had a new home still caught him by surprise. A whole new life with new memories and who knew what else. It wasn't fair to expect his family in France to be frozen in time while he created a new life for himself in Japan. He would never want that for them, but still, the fact that they had a home with new memories he would never even know about seemed to stir something in Tamaki he didn't quite like.
"It must be new."
Kyouya watched Tamaki carefully.
"I wouldn't know."
Tamaki only nodded. He focused on fixing his tea.
"Thanks Kyou-chan, bye Tama-chan~"
Tamaki looked up, startled to find the upperclassmen, coats on, heading out the door of the Third Music Room. The twins and Haruhi were close behind, Haruhi looking torn between leaving and staying.
"Thanks for the books, Kyouya-sempai." The Hitachiins stopped to make a face at Tamaki. "See you, Tono."
Tamaki stood up, ready to go after them.
"Wait! Where's everyone -"
No one stopped to answer Tamaki's question as it was cut off by the sound of the door shutting behind Haruhi. Tamaki looked at the door, and then resigned himself to sit back down on the sofa.
Tamaki sipped on his tea, the room completely silent again.
"How did you find her?" Tamaki finally asked, resting his cup back on the saucer.
"Hotta got us lost and we asked for directions."
Tamaki couldn't help but laugh quietly at that, looking at Kyouya incredulously.
"We were lost and asked for directions," Kyouya repeated, giving Tamaki a look that would terrify most.
Tamaki tried to hide his smile. "Of course."
"Hotta is troublesome, especially in foreign countries."
Tamaki only nodded, still trying to hide his smile. "Poor Hotta."
"He's lucky I keep him employed," Kyouya responded. He liked to think that deep in that statement and the look Kyouya was casting his way, Tamaki could detect a touch of humour in that statement.
Tamaki looked at Kyouya, resting his chin in his hand to hide his smile.
Kyouya cleared his throat, sitting back on the sofa.
"Hotta spotted her first, she was walking a dog that looked just like Antoinette."
"Is that why you asked her for directions?"
"What?"
"You said you asked her for directions because you were - "
"Yes. That's why. Now be quiet, I'm telling you a story."
Tamaki looked at Kyouya, and then nodded, sitting back and falling into listening mode. It almost felt like hosting in a strange way, especially on this sofa with the tea.
"Hotta spotted her first, but I thought he was mistaken. He's wrong about so many things, I can't expect him to be right about something so important."
Tamaki was startled by that. Something so important. Reason dictated to him that Kyouya wouldn't find her by mistake and would have purposely sought her out, but it was entirely different to have Kyouya contradict himself and admit this fact.
"It must have been a very long -"
"What did I tell you about interrupting?"
Tamaki looked away sheepishly. "Sorry."
"You're much more tolerable when you keep quiet."
Tamaki pulled his feet up onto the sofa to hug his knees, resting his chin on top of his knees as he waited for Kyouya to finish the story.
"The class trip took us all over France. During one of the free days I met a woman who was living in a nearby retirement home. She had worked in an estate outside of Paris for a number of years. Two years ago the staff was dismissed after the youngest member of the household went away to live with his father in Japan. She spoke very fondly of him."
Tamaki swallowed, wondering who it was that Kyouya met. He wondered what happened to the entire staff. There was a sadness in him just then, that everything he had known of a life in France had drifted away or been replaced. He hoped everyone was doing well. He hoped they were all happy wherever they were now.
"I told her I would let you know I met her. She says everyone is doing well and they're all happy, although they do miss their old home from time to time."
Tamaki nodded. If everyone was happy, that's all he could ask for, although it was nice in a strange way to know that he was missed. That was a thought he would keep to himself.
"She recommended that we might want to visit Barbizon, since I told her I had one more free day left before I would be returning to Japan. That's when Hotta became lost and he decided to park the car in front of a house in the area to ask for directions. It was too early in the morning, and I couldn't sleep because Hotta was so noisy, so I decided to rest outside the car."
Tamaki couldn't keep quiet at that, however.
"Kyouya! You could have been -"
"Didn't I tell you to be quiet? One more interruption and you'll be forbidden from talking to me for an entire month."
Tamaki gasped. He fearfully nodded, hugging his knees tightly.
"That's better. Now, where was I?"
Kyouya took a long pause, sipping his tea and acting completely disinterested. Tamaki had to fight the urge to yell at Kyouya or protest to this type of behavior. Kyouya could clearly see this, as the demon lord smile revealed itself. Tamaki hugged his knees even tighter still, if that was possible.
"Oh yes, now I remember. After I took a nap outside, the woman who lived in the house and her parents helped me inside and let me rest on their sofa. I never had a chance to properly thank the woman's parents. They were gone when I woke up and didn't return before I left. In fact, I woke up to someone playing piano, and I thought I was at home and there was an idiot interrupting my sleep."
Tamaki kept his gaze focused on Kyouya, his hold on knees loosening, although he still held onto them.
"She thought I was still asleep so she took her dog for a walk. After she went out, I looked around her home. She had pictures of her son all over the place. She and her her son looked remarkably similar. When she came back in the house, she brought with her some vegetables she'd been growing on land she was renting. She looked healthy and happy, and I was surprised, but she told me that she's working hard and doing her best for her parents and for her son."
Tamaki sniffed, his chest feeling tighter. Perhaps he was growing ill. That's what he told himself at least.
"I also had to correct her on some erroneous knowledge concerning Japan."
Kyouya looked at Tamaki, and Tamaki could detect the signs of a smile somewhere on Kyouya's face.
"The first thing she asked me was whether or not I had a kotatsu. I was also forced to correct some misconceptions regarding Kyoto. She was disappointed to discover Kyoto was not in fact the Wonderland of Japan, but she did recover quickly and seemed happy to learn something new. Fortunately, I have had experience with Western confusions."
Tamaki buried his face in his knees and couldn't help but laugh. He peeked up to spot Kyouya hiding a smile behind his cup of tea. Tamaki unwrapped his knees and took a sip of his own tea, finishing off his second cup. At this rate, Tamaki wondered if he should worry about being able to fall asleep tonight. Tea or not, Tamaki had a hard time thinking he would get much sleep regardless.
"After that we shared tea and we talked for some time, mostly about her son and how she hopes he's doing well and living a happy life."
Tamaki swallowed, and began to make himself a third cup of tea. He was surprised to find the tea wasn't pouring as fluidly as it usually did. He realized with a small amount of surprise that his hands were shaking. He finished pouring the tea and quickly prepared his cup. Cream and two sugars.
"She reminded me of someone."
Tamaki looked up from mixing his tea.
"Oh? How?"
Kyouya put his teacup down, watching Tamaki.
"She took her tea the same way you do."
Tamaki stared down at his own tea cup. At least that part of his memory was still correct. At least his memory was still whole and complete, no matter where they might be living or how empty or different his childhood home might be now. Even if he needed photos or stories to confirm his memories, his memories still existed and that was more than enough until the day his family was reunited once again. And now he knew for certain how she liked her tea so he would be ready to make her a cup when his Grandmother finally forgave his parents.
"Thank you, Kyouya."
After all, it was very important to know how loved ones take their tea.
Echo, my voice is an echo
Of places I don't know
And stories I've been told
Echo, we all are connected
A lighthouse, a voyage
For history's sake
Would you please take notice?