Tamaki's heart nearly broke in two at the sight that awaited him inside Kyoya's room. He was sitting at his desk, papers and files everywhere, with his elbow propped on the desk and his head in one hand. The other held his glasses at the temple, dangling loosely from his long fingers.

He was the picture of loneliness at that moment, and Tamaki just wanted to hug him.

"Kyo?" called Tamaki quietly, using the nickname in an attempt to cheer his friend.

Kyoya jumped slightly, turning towards Tamaki and instantly masking his emotions into a fairly pleasant expression. He hastily replaced his glasses. "Yes?"

"Hey," Tamaki said gently. "It's just me. Don't be fake with me."

Kyoya's breath seemed to catch in his throat and he exhaled slowly. "You're right, I'm sorry. It's just habit."

"I wish you wouldn't do that," Tamaki said sadly. "Just be yourself, all the time."

Kyoya laughed bitterly. "Myself? Tamaki, even you don't know who that is. I'm not even sure I know who that is anymore."

"I know who you are, Kyoya. I know who you are when you're not trying to hide, when you're just... you," Tamaki said, placing a hand on Kyoya's shoulder.

He turned away from him. "You wouldn't understand," he said, pinching the bridge of his nose. His voice was strained.

"So tell me," Tamaki said. "Stop hiding from me when I'm trying to help you!"

Kyoya stood from his seat and turned sharply to face him. "I can tell you anything, anything at all I'm feeling, and you can't help me because you don't know what it's like. You don't know what it's like to be the third son and be doomed to be the family disappointment from birth. You don't know what it's like to be the top of your class and part of a successful club and a million other things and still not be enough. You have no idea how it feels to have every decision dictated by your name. To have this reputation to uphold, without any chance to do what I want. I can't ever be less than perfect. I have to be impeccable every day. You don't know what that's like!"

Tamaki stood stunned for a moment, shocked by the raw emotion in Kyoya's voice before stepping forward and wrapping him in a tight hug.

Kyoya seemed surprised. After a moment, he softened and wrapped his arms around Tamaki, burying his face in his shoulder.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said so much. I had no right to talk to you like that," he murmured, sounding ashamed.

"You had every right because everything you said was true. But you're missing the point, Kyo. I don't have to understand. I might not know from my own experience how you feel in your situation, but I will listen. I will support you. I will try to help, or I can just be here to share your problems," Tamaki said, holding Kyoya tighter as he started to shake a little.

"Why? Why do you even bother? You'll get sick of me, and then if I trusted you and told you everything, where does that leave me?" he said. He sounded tired and a little hopeless, like he had already resigned himself to the fact that Tamaki would inevitably walk out on him.

"I won't! I am never leaving you, Kyo. I'm just not going to do it. I'd give up everything to stay with you," Tamaki insisted. Kyoya pulled away from him and looked him directly in the eye.

"Why?"

"Because I love you," he said simply. "And that's what love is."

Kyoya looked at him in shock, then gave a crooked half-smile. "I guess it is."

"You don't have to be perfect for me because you already are. You've always been enough for me, always will. You're all I want, and you're what I love most in the world," Tamaki said gently, pulling Kyoya down beside him so they sat with their backs against the wall.

Kyoya's voice was quiet and trembling, as if he were uncertain of himself. "I don't want to picture my life without you. I would've lost my mind by now."

"You would've been fine."

"No, I wouldn't have. You're the one person I trust enough to just... be around. I know I've got you behind me even if I do something wrong. I... I'm just not good at telling you. I'm sorry," he said shyly, ducking his head.

Tamaki cupped Kyoya's face in his hand and tipped his chin up to face him.

"You could show me," he said, raising his eyebrows in a comic exaggeration of his normal flirting. Kyoya laughed.

"That was such a cheesy Host Club line."

"Oh, shut up."

"No. Seriously, that was-" he began, but was silenced by the sudden presence of Tamaki's lips on his own. He kissed him back instantly, wrapping one hand in the front of Tamaki's shirt and pulling him closer. They were instantly lost in each other, as if nothing else even existed.

When they broke apart, Tamaki smiled. "Do you understand now? Why you can trust me and be you?"

"Yeah," said Kyoya breathlessly. "I do."

"Promise to not work too hard if I leave?"

"I can't make that promise. Perhaps you'd better stay a while."

Tamaki smiled brightly. "I think that can be arranged."