It shouldn't hurt, right? Tamaki was bound to be going to Europe to be married to his fiancé, Éclair.
But it did. Haruhi gripped her bag tighter.
Just when she had to understand her feelings, life snatched her love away. It wouldn't hurt so much, the brunette decided, had Tamaki not been too happy being married to the leech.
But in the photo the twins handed to her, he couldn't be happier to hold the money hungry monster in his arms.
And the genuine happiness from his eyes shattered her heart.
"Haruhi-kun?" One of the girls worriedly asked.
"Yes?" Haruhi forced a smile.
"Are you okay? You seemed to have spaced out," another one asked, worriedly placing her hands on her cheeks.
"I'm fine," Haruhi forced a nervous laughter to fill the awkward silence, "But if I were to say this clubroom has become significantly quieter, would you agree?"
The girls thought for a moment before a long haired brunette nodded her head, "I guess so. Tamaki-sama's childishness is what made this Host Club so lively."
"We miss him," Haruhi admitted, "Because each member in this club has a type. When you take one out, it doesn't seem so balanced anymore."
Hikaru and Kaoru looked from their musings and grew silent on Haruhi's comment. Their eyes narrowed in jealousy. Tamaki had Haruhi all to himself and now he goes away to get married.
"You're Hikaru and you're Kaoru!"
"Boo-boo! Wrong again!"
"No… I'm not. I know I'm right."
"Should we tell her?" Hikaru, the ever impatient one whispered to his other half.
"No, Hikaru, we should wait," Kaoru whispered back once their customers walked away as the club hours ended.
"Why not?" Hikaru pouted.
"Because we never experienced what heartbreak is like," Kaoru whispered, "We only implied it."
-x-
Haruhi walked home after the train stopped and let all the passengers out.
She walked through marketplaces, shops, and so much more. As Haruhi looked around, she couldn't help but feel even sadder at seeing all the cute stuff on display.
If he saw it, he would buy it all, Haruhi thought as she trudged even slower to her apartment complex.
It wouldn't die, those feelings overflowing. Haruhi lowered her head, feeling the urge to cry.
Tears slipped from her eyes as she hobbled to her apartment.
-x-
After Haruhi had silently done her homework and ate dinner, she went to bed. Ranka had refused for Haruhi to do any chores for a while and she gladly obliged for once.
"Hmm," Ranka tapped his chin, "She's sad."
Then the phone ring, as if the timing couldn't get even better.
Ranka picked it up and spoke, "Hello?"
"Hello? Is Haruhi-chan there?"
Ranka sighed, "No, she just went to sleep. Is it urgent?"
"Well, you see, we know you have to work somewhere for Christmas, and Hikaru and I wouldn't like it if she spent it alone, considering what she has been going through recently…"
"Yes, I understand. If it isn't too much, is it all right with you two if she stays at your mansion for two weeks?" Ranka asked, his voice so solemn.
"That would be great, Ranka-san!"
Ranka laughed, "Okay I think I know what's going on. Do the both of you like her?"
On the other side of the phone it became quiet. There was slight fidgeting and a bit of a cat fight and the phone seemed to be snatched.
"Hi this is Hikaru, and yes we do like her," another voice said.
"Hikaru, you moron!" Kaoru growled. It was too early to confess!
"What?" Hikaru shrugged, "Now or never."
"You two have my blessings. But treat her like that blond moron and leave her crying, your heads is what I will be having for breakfast the next day," Ranka laughed.
"Y-Yes…" Hikaru's voice on the other side stuttered.
Ranka, satisfied with himself, hung up the phone. He better see some improvement in Haruhi's health if those twins get a chance with her. And if he doesn't…
"I wonder if seasoning their heads with teriyaki sauce is delicious…" Ranka mused before walking off to do Haruhi's duties for her.
-x-
Haruhi placed her pencil down. The last exam for the midterm was over. And she had made sure to answer every single question on it.
As the teacher collected the answer sheets and exam booklets, Haruhi sighed as the air immediately erupted into excited chatters about Christmas.
"Haruhi," two voices called out in exact synchronization.
"What do you want, Hikaru and Kaoru?" Haruhi answered.
"We heard from your dad that you can stay over to our mansion for two weeks," Kaoru said.
"That's fine," Haruhi shook her head, "I can stay home alone."
"It was a request, Haruhi, from your dad to us," Hikaru sighed.
"I don't have a choice, do I?" Haruhi looked at the twins in a suspicious manner.
"We won't try anything," Kaoru looked at Haruhi in mock disappointment, "Do you really not trust us that much?"
"It's not that," Haruhi sighed, "But the last time I came to your house underneath that same promise, you two made me model in a photo shoot, remember?"
The three of them remembered the day as well as if it happened yesterday. They had to put up with Tamaki's obsessive yelling over not treating Haruhi like some money machine.
Tamaki… at the thought, Haruhi lowered her head and walked out of the classroom, not sparing the twins a second glance.
"Hey, come on," Hikaru yelled, as the twins ran up and caught up with her again.
"Just come and we won't try anything, okay? We just don't want you to spend Christmas alone," Kaoru explained.
Haruhi knew they were right. Had they not made this offer she would have been content on sitting alone in her house, bawling her eyes out over Tamaki leaving her.
Readjusting the scarf around her neck, Haruhi muttered, "Fine."
-x-
"Are you done?" Hikaru yelled up from their limo parked in front of Haruhi's apartment complex.
"I said I am coming! Just wait a minute!" Haruhi yelled down.
"60, 59, 58, 57…" Kaoru started to count obnoxiously.
Haruhi's breath picked up and she sped up, packing even faster.
"I didn't mean literally!" Haruhi wailed as she sped up her packing to keep up with the devious twins.
"Well you said-"
"IT WAS JUST AN EXPRESSION, KAORU!"
-x-
"Really, I thought you would have more clothes than this," Hikaru shook his head as he saw Haruhi pack only ONE suitcase.
"Yeah, what about your essentials for school? We have homework over the holidays," Kaoru nodded.
"I finished it," Haruhi sighed, "And I guess I am stuck helping you two as well."
Hikaru and Kaoru made identical puppy glints in their eyes and Haruhi turned her head to the side.
"I guess it doesn't hurt," Haruhi sighed miserably.
"We have ootoro," Hikaru grinned.
"Then I will be happy to help!" Haruhi clenched her fists, momentarily forgetting about her heartbreak.
-x-
After packing and getting settled down for the night, the twins explained that they can do some studying the next day, and Haruhi had a whole grand guest bedroom to herself.
Haruhi sighed after drying her hair. The rich sure had it comfy. A hundred buttons personalizing oils, soaps, and water pressure was beyond necessary.
Haruhi flipped her phone out and went through her pictures as a habit. Her thumb clicked the next button and her heart stopped at the photo.
It was a photo of her and Tamaki, he had snatched her cellular device out of her hand and snapped a selfie of them two. Tamaki had taken dozens but she liked this one the best. Because that photo had only the two of them in it.
Haruhi hit the 'options' button and quickly deleted it. She sniffled. The damn tears were coming out.
It hurt to try to get over Tamaki and the fact that she hadn't confessed her feelings earlier. Now he was happily married to Éclair, not her.
As Haruhi cried herself to sleep, two pairs of eyes sadly watch the brunette.
"She has it tough, ne Hikaru?"
"Milord is a jerk."
"Don't worry, we'll confess soon enough."
-x-
Days had gone by. Christmas had ticked closer. Haruhi taught and tutored the twins and watched them get their holiday homework done.
The twins noticed that Haruhi would either cry or have such a faraway, resigned look in her big brown eyes and they couldn't help but hate Tamaki even more.
Between doing worksheets and looking at the clock, the twins would catch a snippet of Haruhi. She was looking out the frosted window panes, counting the star flakes falling down.
Haruhi's eyes darted from the frosted window pane to the twins' eyes. She tilted her head.
"Are you done?"
"Yes."
"Then let's check your worksheets and go to the next section, all right?"
-x-
Haruhi walked down one of the hallways. She was lost. She didn't know where she was going. The twins said they would find her if she ever got lost so she didn't have to worry so much.
She stopped when she came in front of one portrait with a veil covering it. It was the only portrait in the long hallway that was hidden from the rest.
Haruhi, being suddenly curious, pulled the velvet drape covering it. She tied it back so the veil couldn't come back down.
Looking into the portrait, Haruhi saw the twins in their middle school years. Their hair was cut in ridiculous bob cuts where the bangs were either slightly pushed to the left or the right to differentiate Hikaru from Kaoru.
"We're not smiling in that one," two voices hummed in perfect synchronization but Haruhi could tell who was who.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to snoop…"
"No it's fine," Hikaru grinned.
"If it's you then it is okay," Kaoru grinned.
Haruhi blushed and then murmured, "Well I remember you two telling that back then it was either just your world and everything else."
"Sharp as always," Hikaru sighed, "We thought no one would be able to take us apart."
"But you're different," Kaoru chuckled.
"With one look, you can tell us apart. It doesn't take thinking. Even blindfolded you can differentiate who is who," Hikaru slung a hand over Haruhi's shoulder.
"You really broke our bubble," Kaoru remarked, copying Hikaru's actions.
Haruhi gently smiled. She looked at the stoic expressions of the middle school Hitachiins and looked at the duo on either side of her.
They were happy, and it was because of her. Somehow, in the bottom of her stomach, a happy feeling bubbled. She hadn't felt this happy since she hit depression.
-x-
Haruhi was happily sleeping and would have had the sheets not been tugged away from her body.
"What the heck!" Haruhi clawed for the blanket and played a mini tug of war with the twins.
"It's Christmas morning!" The twins' eyes lit up like those of children.
"What are you two, kids?" Haruhi groaned as she checked the phone for the time.
"Yes," the twins answered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"It is three in the morning. Wake me up in three hours," Haruhi groaned.
"No, we're going down now," Hikaru pouted and formed a secret way with his brother on how to drag her downstairs.
"L-Let me go!" Haruhi protested when she figured that she was hoisted up in the air by two pairs of arms.
"Never."
"Ugh you guys," Haruhi sighed as she let the two drag her downstairs.
The tree was grand itself, but Haruhi marveled at how beautiful the Christmas tree was when it was lighted up.
"Beautiful…" Haruhi looked like a three year old marveling a new toy on display at a toy shop.
"I know, right? The tree's imported," Kaoru chuckled as he watched her.
"Don't even tell me from where," Haruhi whispered.
"Switzerland," Hikaru picked a random country name just to get on her nerves. When he earned a punch on the shoulder, he knew he succeeded.
"Just kidding!" Hikaru laughed and the twins dragged her to the presents piling from underneath.
-x-
Soon the room was a pile of opened gifts and a pile of wrappers and ribbons.
"I never got so much clothing in my life," Haruhi sighed as she sat back. She got so much clothing from the twins' mother and the twins in 'sympathy' of not having expensive and cute clothing. She practically earned a new wardrobe.
As if my dad's clothing gifts for me aren't enough, Haruhi looked at the twins who were imagining Haruhi in one of the outfits she received.
"Hey look you forgot one package," Kaoru spoke up and grabbed a little box from underneath the tree. The twins shared a knowing glance.
"Is this the Christmas prank?" Haruhi asked the twins as she took the little box from Kaoru.
"No Haruhi, we promised not to pull a prank on you, remember?" Hikaru wagged a finger.
Haruhi wanted to retaliate but she knew that the twins surprisingly kept their word. It was suspicious why they would make such a promise and actually keep it. It was like they were cooking up one big prank on her.
"All right…" Haruhi rolled her tongue, clicking it, "I'll open it."
The twins became excited when she read the label on the wrapped box.
To: Haruhi
From: Hikaru & Kaoru
Haruhi tugged on the ribbon and it came loose. She ripped the paper away to find a black box. Just by looking at the little black box her heart rate sped up.
Clicking open the box, she was stunned to see the most beautiful, elegant, and modest diamond ring ever. Shocked, she looked up from the gift to see the twins down on their knees.
"We know you're still in a shock from milord and his big show off wedding," Hikaru started.
"But we really love you," Kaoru finished.
"We honestly thought that no one would be able to take us apart but you, you really proved us wrong," Hikaru laughed, "And you really are something."
"We were disappointed to learn that you loved milord but we were willing to give you up, if your happiness lied in him," Kaoru explained, "But when he left, we couldn't help but want to confess."
"We understand if you don't want to marry us. I mean, who would want to marry two people?" Hikaru laughed, but it was one filled of pain.
It was as if time had stopped. Haruhi clutched onto the little black box with her face blank and still.
The twins' eyes trained on her stoic face.
Suddenly tears brimmed at her eyes and spilled down, making the twins shocked.
"Haru-chan, make a wish!"
"Why would I want to make a wish?"
"Mou… you have to write a letter to Santa! And if you have been nice, he might give you anything you want for Christmas!"
With that, Ranka gave a blank piece of paper, an envelope, and a pen. He put the milk and cookies down next to the tree and went to bed.
Haruhi went to the table and put her stuff down. Looking at the paper hard, she made up her wish.
Dear Santa,
I want a boyfriend who will wipe my tears away when I cry. That's all I wish for.
From,
Fujioka Haruhi
Haruhi thought she would never get that one wish so she just gave up on Christmas all together. When she felt fingers gently wipe away the tears from her eyes and kisses being peppered on her cheeks, she knew she got her wish for once.
"Thank you… and I accept," Haruhi gently smiled, and to make the twins even happier, she slid the ring on her left ring finger.
-fin-
A/N: Just an early Christmas one shot. I would like a boyfriend like that too, who else would like a nice guy? PM me if you do! And happy Thanksgiving! And early Christmas!
I would like to say, I am very thankful for a nice family, good education, good clothing, a roof over my head, food to eat, and miscellaneous stuff to have. I am even very thankful to have EternalNight88 as my co-author.
Eri-chan (EternalNight88) will make one good author one day. She takes criticism well from me and she always tells me she will work twice as hard to improve her writing skills. A person like her is too good to be my co-author yet she still sticks through thick and thin for me and I am so happy for that. Writing is so much enjoyable with her as my writing partner.
Love you girl and love you awesome people who liked my works, followed my works, reviewed my works, and even followed or favorite me!
Infinite Snow