[At seeing Tamaki scoot over a bit to make room for him, Kyouya has to smile, just a little. Because whatever else might have been said or done, that told him he was forgiven. No loud scene from Tamaki, no statement over and over. For as theatrical as Tamaki could be, it was the small gestures -- the little movements, the quiet words -- that said the most about him and his opinions on matters.

And that movement says what Kyouya needs to hear.

A few moments later, he sits. One foot on the ground, one on the bed, body slightly leaned against his knee. No rigidity in his spine, his head bowed. A posture of surrender, not defiance.]

I thought the whole club knew, not that it really matters.

[He hears it only after he says it. That sounded very much like Haruhi.

Except it means more. For her, it is a simple statement of belief. It doesn't matter to her. Boy or girl, straight or gay, rich or poor. None of that matters to her. A person is a person. For him, the same is true, when everything else is stripped away. But it's also something deeper. The same thing that led him to explain to Fuyumi that it didn't matter if he was happy or unhappy. He was an Otori, one who had set himself apart and defied his family order. To stray further was dangerous. So, it didn't matter what he wanted or what he was attracted to, there were standards he had to meet.]

I know I can trust all of you. Even the twins. [Their mischief had a line of malice sometimes, but they knew there were lines.] I just... didn't hear the joke. Not until later.

Because I keep waiting for the day I actually get asked a question like that and I have to defend myself. Against someone who wants to hurt me. So, I panicked. And overreacted.

I had no right to do that to you.

I... I'm sorry, Tamaki.