Light through the Night

Fandom: Ouran High School Host Club

(Setting: Sometime after Ch. 75 and before Ch. 77)

Genre: Romance (Pairing: Tamaki/Haruhi)

A/N: Wow. This is the first fic I've done in a LONG time, and it's my FIRST Ouran fic!! Bear with me. ;D I'm scared of how it turned out, but that's what reviews are for!! You tell me how it is! So, read on, fabulous readers! (I was expecting to write a long A/N, but oh, well. :P)

Haruhi stood in a dark room, pitch black, where she couldn't see her own body in the abyss, let alone move it.

Suddenly, a bright white light was cast, blinding her. There was a long table, and people—old people, about six or seven of them—came out to sit behind it. The one in the center began speaking, the only one whose silhouette Haruhi could see somewhat clearly. She didn't recognize him at all.

"Haruhi Fujioka," he called her name. "Do you know why you are here?" His voice was low and menacing to some extent.

Haruhi literally didn't know how to answer. Her voice was lost, hidden somewhere beyond the darkness. She opened her mouth, but nothing came out, so she shook her head. The man registered this action and continued.

"You attend Ouran Academy, correct?"

She nodded.

"And being…non-wealthy, you got there on a scholarship." He stated bluntly.

Haruhi frowned at the way he phrased this, but nodded slowly anyway.

"So," the man raised his voice, "since you are the one that must receive the highest grades in the class to continue attending Ouran Academy, pray tell me why you are spending your time fraternizing with young men in a Host Club!"

Anger rose inside Haruhi, causing her to find her voice. She firmly replied, "I don't see what my free time has to do with how I maintain my perfect grades. Being at the Host Club has no effect on my school work."

"Are you so sure?" Another voice asked accusingly. This woman's voice sounded a tiny bit familiar to Haruhi, like the arrogance in her tone increased with age. A light shone down on the speaker.

Haruhi tilted her head a little bit to the side. "Tamaki's grandmother." She quietly named the new woman.

"As I know it, you spend every free period of your day at the Host Club instead of doing homework or studying—"

"And yet it still gets done! Why am I here exactly? You never told me." Haruhi cut in, annoyed with this panel of elders.

"I'm not going to play around here, Fujioka. I forbid you to interact with the Host Club and its activities any further. Doing so will result in immediate expulsion and transfer." Tamaki's grandmother replied coldly. "To a school in America."

Haruhi's eyes grew wide. She couldn't understand why this was happening, why these people so urgently wanted her away from the Host Club…why even Tamaki's grandmother had to step in.

She had been controlling Tamaki's every move lately, ever since he moved into the Suoh's main mansion. First Tamaki, and now her? And Mori and Honey had already graduated. That left only three members of the Host Club.

Haruhi tried to struggle. "You can't force me to do anything, and you certainly can't blackmail me into leaving the Host Club! I won't let this happen!" Her throat felt thick now, and tears were trying to push their way out, but Haruhi held them back.

"Who are you going to run to?" Another elder sitting at the table spoke, and another light shone on them, revealing a frightening police officer. "The cops?"

More lights came on, exposing every person at the panel.

These were all people Haruhi knew.

Her father? His young laughter echoed.

Yuzuru Suoh? Tamaki's father smirked, raising an eyebrow.

Yoshio Ootori? He leaned forward on the table, glaring darkly like she saw Kyoya do once.

The final person Haruhi saw, at the very end of the table, was none other than her own mother. She was expressionless, staring at her daughter blankly, almost as if she was the only one on her side.

"Mom?" Haruhi called to her. "What is this?" She only focused on her mother, and ignored the horrifying faces of the people she knew.

Kotoko looked across the table at her spouse, who smiled evilly. Then Kotoko did the same.

Now Haruhi couldn't take it anymore. She was appalled at the people she trusted, and furious at the ones she didn't know. She just wanted to get out, fall into the warmth of the arms of someone who loved her...surely there was still someone who hadn't turned against her.

The adults stood up, walking around the table towards Haruhi. She couldn't escape; she couldn't find her legs.

She looked up in desperation, hoping there was someone up above who could save her, and she shouted out to them, pleading.

"Help me…please!" These people—she couldn't even call the couple her parents anymore—were getting nearer and nearer. The police officer reached inside his jacket and pulled out something. They all entered darkness, and Haruhi knew they were going to get her. They were going to trap her.

The only thing she thought to do now was keep calling out to a savior that would probably never come, and drop to the floor and curl up in a ball.

She fell over on her back, extending her arm out towards the darkness that replaced a ceiling, and she couldn't even hear herself anymore. She was crying out, but she didn't know what she was saying. She couldn't hear the footsteps drawing nearer and nearer, but before she could panic any more, one more final light broke out.

This one was different. It cast away all the black and flooded her eyes, blinding her.

Haruhi's eyes fluttered and she regained all of her senses.

She felt soft cloth wrapped around her.

She heard herself—screaming madly. It frightened her so much, she forced herself to stop.

But she heard another voice. Calm and low, yet cautious and scared.

She saw violet eyes. Blond hair. Creamy skin.

Creamy skin that touched her cheek lightly.

"Are you alright, Haruhi?"

Those violet eyes looked as frightened as she had been, but they were controlled. They let her know she was safe.

Haruhi automatically placed her hand on his face without thinking, and finally everything came back to her.

She was safe. She would always be, as long as she was with him.

"Tamaki."

He chuckled in relief, and she felt his cool breath wash over her face lightly.

"Are you alright?" he repeated, looking her over once. This was the first time they'd made contact in weeks, after Tamaki's life had been taken over by his grandmother and the Suoh business. She had reverted back to her messy hair, thick glasses, and hand-me-down uniform. She suddenly felt very self-conscious.

Haruhi scrambled to find her thoughts. "I…" Then she remembered where shed had been. A place as dark and cold as that could not have been real. "I had a nightmare. That's all." She wanted Tamaki to dismiss any ponders and questions, and just let her be. But, as she thought that, she couldn't help but argue with herself. She wasn't about to let Tamaki leave. He was so valuable to her, and she didn't want him to get any farther away than he was now. And he was actually pretty close enough right now.

"It doesn't sound like that's all to me." He said meaningfully. "Tell me what the matter is, Haruhi." He pleaded.

She tried to change the subject by asking about the blanket that was wrapped around her, but Tamaki's endless charm wouldn't let Haruhi hide anything from him. She grudgingly explained her dream to him quickly, before it could slip away, although she didn't think she would be forgetting a fright like that for a while. It would still linger in the back of her mind.

When she finished (which took a while because she kept getting lost in the indigo pools of his eyes), Tamaki tried to reassure her, naturally.

"Haruhi, there's a reason they're called nightmares. They're not real, nor will they ever be, and—"

"Senpai." Haruhi interrupted him. "I know. You don't need to worry about me. Please just let me rest some more."

"Well, I can't. You can't stay here overnight, Haruhi." Tamaki said. "You should go home."

This confused Haruhi. She had assumed that she was in her apartment, in her bed. She looked around the room and realized she was in the third music room.

She stood up all too quickly, panicking. She lost her balance and almost fell on the floor, but Tamaki caught her.

"Be careful," he said soothingly. "Come with me, I'll get you home."

"No, no, what time is it?" Haruhi asked. "Shouldn't you be home now? Your grandmother is going to be so angry!" She pushed away from him a little too harshly and stood firmly in front of him.

"Haruhi," he slowed down all her actions, "I shouldn't say this, but you are much more important to me than my grandmother, especially right now. I'm sure she'll understand."

"No," Haruhi argued. "She won't. There's no reason I can't go home by myself; I just overslept."

"But you never fall asleep here, Haruhi, so why aren't you getting enough sleep at home? Is something bothering you?" Haruhi wanted to yell "yes" so badly, but she didn't want to explain that he was part of the problem. Tamaki was so concerned for her, when that's the last thing Haruhi wanted. She began to gather up her things and head out the door, but Tamaki beat her to it and blocked her way.

He put both hands on her shoulders. "I want to help you."

"I know you do." Haruhi replied. "And that's why I can't let you. You're too good for me, and it's going to get you in trouble. You won't become the head of the Suoh business if you keep trying to help me!" She was not going to tell him that he had something to do with her nightmares, because she could fix problems on her own all the time. Haruhi tried to push him away with no prevail. Usually she was so stubborn and determined, but she was outmatched by Tamaki, so she finally just sat down on the floor, staring at it with her head down.

He knew she was troubled, and began putting the pieces together. "I don't care about becoming heir to the Suoh fortune, and I won't let the Host Club fall apart like this, Haruhi. I promise I'll make things right, and then…"

Tamaki knelt down in front of her, brushing her hair out of her face and pushing it behind her ear.

"Stop it." Haruhi commanded, refusing to lift her head and let him see her vulnerable like this. "You lied to me!"

When Tamaki looked genuinely confused, she continued before he could speak. "You said you wouldn't let me out of your sight, remember? And yet you let all this happen! Everything that we all worked for has fallen apart, including me!" Those last two words seemed to echo throughout the room, stabbing Tamaki multiple times.

She heard him gasp softly, and he went back so many months ago to that night. He learned that she was afraid of thunderstorms…she had hidden in a wardrobe…and, at last, she had decided to let him in and flew into his arms…and he had promised her.

He promised to always be there for her. And here she was, having nightmares, sitting glumly on the ground…

"I'm the reason for your nightmares?" He was appalled at himself for his negligence and sorrow that he caused Haruhi.

"I'm so sorry, Haruhi. I truly am." He was pleading for her to acknowledge him somehow now. "I'm not asking for you to forgive me, but I have to make it up to you in any way possible."

Haruhi lifted up her head a little. A dozen tears left wet streaks down her cheeks.

"I'm going to make a promise to you that I will never break."

He took off her glasses and placed them on the ground.

"You know I can't see without those, right?" She said, her voice thick and almost inaudible from crying.

"You don't need to." He lifted up her chin and kissed her lightly on the lips, both of them feeling only bliss and contentment. As their lips parted, the tingle lingered for what seemed like forever, and Haruhi let out a heavy breath, obviously taken by Tamaki's action. He, too, was amazed by what he felt while kissing Haruhi, like he had never known anything more exhilarating.

"I promise to love you forever, Haruhi."

Haruhi swiftly put on her glasses and stared up at him. Then she threw the glasses across the room and jumped at Tamaki, squeezing him with all her might, just as she had that night by the sea. This time, she returned his kiss with many more passionate ones, immersing her fingers in his golden hair. He reacted by putting one hand on the back of her head, and the other on the small of her back, and they both challenged each other's fervent kisses.

Finally, Haruhi sat up to catch her breath. The position they were in was questionable, with Tamaki laying on his back and Haruhi sitting on top of him.

But she didn't care, and neither did he. They trusted each other more than anything. However, they both really need to depart and head home, for their fathers would be worried. The clock on the far wall read a few minutes past five o'clock, and school had ended about an hour ago.

Haruhi picked herself up and held out her hand for Tamaki to grasp. He took it, but instead pulled her down with him, and she fell into his lap. Their lips met once more in ecstasy and bliss.

They desperately wanted to stay like this forever, with only love and no other complications. But this was only a distraction from the many trials the Host Club had to deal with along the way to happiness.

Nevertheless, hand-in-hand, they walked out the door to face whatever.

Together.

A/N: Yippee! A happy little love story. Well, not so happy. After they went home, Grandma Suoh beat the crap out of Tamaki and Ranka had a very feminine hissy fit. (Dontcha just LOVE your elders?? xD)

Mm Hmm, so, reviews=love, and if you don't review, I will wake up Kyoya and Honey from their naps and sic 'em on you! (You know I will.)

Oh, and was it too short? I can't tell, cuz I'm the writer. I made it as long as the little one-shot would take me! :P

About the title: It was so hard picking a name. I had written the whole story and 10 hours later, it still said "unnamed" up at the top. I just settled on that title, cuz Tamaki is Haruhi's light through the night(mares). ;)