First story! (Ahhhhh!) This is just a little one shot (sort of) I thought up while listening to Nocturne Pour Tamaki and trying to do something before I get sleepy. I don't have much background, it's sort of a developing thing, if I decide it's something I should expand on and make into a story, only time will tell! Reviews and critiques are welcome, I'm really trying to improve my writing! :3

Tamaki broke into a grin, and then chuckled a bit, shaking his head. Nanami could only watch as he reached into the pocked of his suit and pulled out a very familiar letter on lined paper, unfolding it as she put a hand over her mouth.

"'My heart swells every time I hear you, like the crescendos of a movement, capturing my heart like the swell of music and leaving me breathless with the last note'… you're quiet the writer, I have to admit."

Her cheeks were red, and she reached up to put her hands to them, but he caught them in his own, the letter clenched tightly between his fingers. He looked at her for a moment, then sighed.

"You're a beautiful girl, Nanami. And… don't have time for us."

"Don't…?"

"Yes. You have better things to do than sit around the host club every day, talking to us. Like writing. You are an excellent writer, and you need to spend your time writing all the beautiful things that come into your head. Touching people with your note like you touched me."

Nanami forgot it was night. She forgot she was standing in the courtyard of her school, wearing a ball down with her hair done and her makeup done all for him. All she knew were those eyes, beautiful and blue, and that small smile that seemed to fond of her. Hope swelled in her chest, and tears brimmed her eyes as she gazed up at him, opening her mouth to speak. But what he said quickly stopped her.

"Unfortunately, I cannot return your feelings."

The tears began to overflow, but for different reasons. It was like in an instant, everything shattered around her, turning into something ugly. The mirror was gone. Life, which had been so influenced by her own point of view, came to reality for her. This night was just another night. This courtyard was the place she walked through on her way to class. The fountain was just a place she sat to do her homework. And Tamaki was once again a boy who would be forever out of her reach.

He cupped her face in his hand, his long fingers brushing against her cheek as they stopped the fallen tears in their paths. His face looked sad, in a way. Just as beautiful though. Despite how her heart felt like it was dying within her, he was still beautiful Tamaki.

"I truly am sorry. You are very deserving of love, of a wonderful man… one better, much better than I, though the reason is that my heart belongs to another. It feels wrong to keep that from you."

Haruhi. Of course. She had lost.

"… Oh Tamaki…" she said, but a sob stopped her from saying any more. He embraced her for a moment, though it was a sincere moment, with her face buried in his chest and his arms tight around her as if trying to block all the pain in the world from hurting her. But this pain was inside. This pain couldn't be helped.

"Please, don't cry, you're too beautiful for such a thing" he said, stepping back and pushing her hair from her face as she tried to wipe away her fast flowing tears, "You must know this isn't easy for me. But to lead you astray would be wrong. And I do care about you, you are a dear friend."

"I-I'm always a dear friend!" she choked, shaking her head, "I'm always-"

"And it will make you a wonderful partner one day, I am sure of it. You have such a heart, such a strong spirit… I'd hate to have it wounded by undeserving men…"

He looked back towards the tent as laughter drifted through the trees, and stepped away from her, adjusting his jacket. In the moonlight, she swore she saw tears in his own eyes, but if they were there, they were gone when he looked back at there with that same old grin.

"Well, I need to get back to the public, they'll miss me soon. And we have a few raffles to draw and I can't miss that… take your time. I hope to see you soon. Think about what I said, though… you have a definite gift."

And with that, he turned, his long legs not taking long to carry him to the tent's door, which he flung open with a grand sweep of his hands, saying something that started applause. But Nanami barely heard it. Even the sounds of night fell were silent to her ears. She took a few steps back, sitting on the fountain's ledge and clutching at her chest, staring sightlessly at the ground. It was her own fault, really, getting herself so worked up about all this. It was her own fault for letting herself believe she even had a chance. How could she think she had a chance against Haruhi? Even as plain as she has initially tried to make herself believe the girl was, there was no denying it.

Haruhi was beautiful, and for more reasons than her looks.

It was something that Nanami, as much as she tried, couldn't change. She could put on all the makeup in the world, buy the best and most quality dresses from wherever she wanted, she could giggle and flip her hair about. Her fingers went absently to her long, black locks. Silky. Smooth. As always. Her hair was ever perfect, but it didn't matter. Haruhi had such a quality of light about her. It was something she didn't have, didn't know how to have.

Was afraid she would never have.

Her head bowed, and she took in a deep breath. The tears had slowed but her heart felt no lighter. She didn't even want to go back into the stupid party… all this work for nothing.

"I don't know if its such a good idea for you to be alone" came an all too familiar voice. Nanami stood, turning in the direction opposite of where it had come from, pretending to casually brush back her hair as she erased all signs of tears.

"Well I don't know why you're out here there, Haruhi. Shouldn't you be inside? It's your birthday, isn't it?"