Disclaimer: I do not own Ouran High School Host Club.
Special thanks to my beta-reader and friend Ayame Harushino. I couldn't have done this without you. ^_^
As the snow fell around the vast campus of Ouran Academy, the popular Host Club was busy attending to their respective clients. Everything was going as usual when an exuberant shout suddenly erupted from the Host Club king, Tamaki Suoh.
"Look, look at the windows everyone! The first snow of the year has fallen."
Upon hearing the announcement, everyone went flocking to the windows. Everyone was looking forward for snow to fall for various reasons. Some were excited to take up snow related activities such as skiing while some were looking forward to having a white Christmas. The Third Music Room was buzzing with excitement.
"Let's play in the snow, Tama-chan." The adorable senior, Hunny-senpai, suggested.
"That's a wonderful idea, Hunny-senpai! Everyone, attention, let us all go outside and play in the snow. Let us en-"
Before Tamaki finished his speech, a snowball went flying hit him square in the face. Then the Host Club's resident troublemakers, Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin, doubled up in laughter.
"Tono, you're so stupid to get hit by a snowball!" Hikaru said teasingly.
"How did the two of you make that snowball inside?" Tamaki questioned.
"We will never tell you that, stu-pid Tono!" the twins said in unison as they ran outside.
"Come back here, you evil twins!"
As Tamaki gave chase to the twins, the rest took it us a signal for them to go outside and play in the snow. While the others were outside frolicking, Kyoya Ootori and Haruhi Fujioka busied themselves with typing and reading.
"Haruhi, I expected you would be playing outside with the others."
Haruhi put aside her book. "I would have but I was feeling a bit under the weather earlier so I decided not to join. Would that be alright, senpai?"
"It's fine. Tamaki decided that without thinking anyway."
After that conversation, both of them resumed what they were doing in comfortable silence. However, two sneezes from Haruhi destroyed the silence and caused the Shadow King to leave.
"Senpai must have been disgusted or he didn't want to get sick," Haruhi mused as she turned the page on her book.
A few minutes later, Kyoya returned but Haruhi failed to notice as she was engrossed in her book. She also didn't realize that her senpai was in front of her until he cleared his throat.
"Haruhi."
"Yes, senpai, is there something wrong?" Haruhi said as she put aside her book for the second time.
"Here." Kyoya pushed a cup of tea into her hands.
"What's this, senpai?"
Kyoya raised an eyebrow. "Obviously, it's tea."
"What's it for?" Haruhi asked as she gave a confused expression.
"You sneezed earlier and I thought it would help. Drink your tea before it gets cold," he replied sternly as he resumed his typing.
Not wanting to disobey her senpai -especially this particular senpai, Haruhi started to drink her tea. As she drank the steaming liquid, Haruhi took a glance at Kyoya while thinking of logical reasons as to why her senpai would even bother to make her tea. Sensing the gaze upon him, Kyoya stopped typing and closed his laptop, and sat beside her.
"What's on your mind, Haruhi?"
"Well, senpai, I wondered why you made me tea."
"I wouldn't want you to catch a cold before tomorrow's Christmas party. If you're not there, there will be a decrease in our sales."
"But you could have just told me to get medicine or make the tea myself. Why bother doing it yourself?"
"If I told you to get medicine you would buy the cheapest one which might not be effective enough to help you, and as for the tea you were too engrossed in your reading that I doubt you would even bother to make one."
Haruhi took again to drinking her tea as she analyzed what her senpai just said and with that she blurted out the first thing she thought of.
"Are you concerned about me, Kyoya-senpai?"
"Since you are part of the Host Club, I must be concerned about you. Why are you asking such a question, Haruhi?"
"I don't know. I just feel that out of all the other members of the Host Club, you're the only one who doesn't want his good deeds known."
"You are mistaken, Haruhi. I make all my good deeds known. I never hide them as it would benefit me greatly with business."
"That's true, senpai. But the kindness you show in public is different from what you show in private. I deduced that with the way you are concerned with Tamaki-senpai and the other host club members. It's totally different."
Kyoya chuckled at her perception. "I must say I am amused by what you said, Haruhi." He inched closer to her. "Somehow I'm intrigued with your observation of my character."
"I apologize if I have offended you in any way," Haruhi said with a slight bow.
Kyoya lifted Haruhi's chin slightly. "I'm not offended in the least. But what you said about my kindness differing from person to person is true. But the concern I showed for you earlier was far beyond what you are expecting."
Haruhi blushed at what Kyoya's words implied and it was also then that she saw how close they were to each other. She found herself looking at his eyes and thinking that they were beautiful. There was silence between them once more but they were slowly gravitating toward each other. Both of their faces were coming near to each other with each second but the slamming open of the door waked them from their dream-like state.
"I'm so sorry, my dearest daughter," Tamaki exclaimed as he entered. "I just noticed that you weren't there outside with us so I came rushing back."
"Ah, that's all right, senpai. I was feeling a bit sick earlier that's why I didn't go out."
"Oh my darling daughter, are you all right? Would you like daddy to take you to the hospital?" Tamaki asked as he felt Haruhi's forehead.
"I'm feeling much better now, senpai. So please don't worry."
After reassuring Tamaki multiple times that she was fine, Haruhi excused herself from him saying that she would go make tea for those who played outside in the snow. Alone in her thoughts while brewing the tea, Haruhi recalled the near-kiss situation she had earlier with Kyoya and she felt a sensation she has never felt before. Haruhi looked at Kyoya and saw him typing again as if nothing occurred but she knew that something changed between them, and she found herself happily looking forward to what will happen.
Author's Note: It's been years since I wrote anything and I'm glad I finally finished writing this fic before the year 2010 ends. I hope you all like it. Feel free to review and to criticize constructively. Have a Happy New Year!