Chapter 1:
"Welcome to our Host Club," Prince Tamaki Suoh purred. He brushed his glove-clad hand against the cheek of one of the second-year girls. She broke into giggles, her surrounding classmates squealing excitedly. They oohed over Tamaki's newest costume, a Sanzo priest cosplay complete with scriptures written by Kyouya to drape across Tamaki's handsome shoulders.
"So dreamy," the girls sighed, melting to their knees as Tamaki struck a pose fitting of his costume. Meanwhile, off to the side, the other Host Club members waited for their turn in the limelight. The Hitachiin twins, dressed as demon exterminators in matching white trench coats and multi-colored scarves wrapped gracefully around their slender necks.
"Boring," they moaned in unison. "Things need to liven up a little."
"Cake might work," Honey grinned, "and other sweets, too!" Hikaru shook his head.
"That's your answer for everything," he sighed. "Something new for a change, please." Kaoru playfully elbowed his brother's arm.
"What about that girl?" he murmured. "I haven't seen her here before." Honey bounced on his toes next to the brothers.
"Where?" he asked. "I don't see anyone." Mori quietly followed his youthful master. Gently, he tapped Honey's shoulder/
"The girl standing at the back of the crowd," he whispered in Honey's ear, "is whom the twins speak of." Honey craned his neck to see pas the girls crowding around the princely Tamaki.
"Oh, I see," he giggled. "She looks like a nice lady."
"Then, we mustn't leave her unattended." The other Host Club members turned to the boy who spoke.
"Kyouya-senpai," Haruhi gasped under her breath.
"If none of you are willing to entertain this guest," Kyouya informed them, "then I shall do it myself." He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. Kyouya's long strides quickly brought himself across the floor and face-to-hair with the mysterious customer.
The girl's uniform scarcely matched the others surrounding her in the same yellow dresses. Trimmings of organza and lace adorned her sleeves and hem. Her long black hair was loosely braided, and her bleached blond streaks were nearly invisible amongst her dark hairs. Cheap chains and jewelry dripped from her arms and fingers, like a summer rain at the peak of the storm, when the sun decides to come out from behind its shroud of clouds. Kyouya raised his eyebrow in curiosity.
"Dear lady," he said, reaching for her hand, "you're so quiet amongst these other girls. May I see your face?" The girls crowding around Tamaki all turned their attention to Kyouya at once, leaving the bewildered prince behind.
"Kyouya-senpai," one chimed, "Yukimura-chan doesn't like boys. She won't let you touch her or see her face." Kyouya flashed the girls an enigmatic smile.
"If she truly hated men," he cooed, "Yukimura-kouhai1 wouldn't have some with you to this humble host club." Sweeping his arm out to the other club members, he laughed proudly and said, "Come, ladies, and enjoy yourselves." As the other girls ran off to their designated hosts, Kyouya and the girl stayed behind.
Kyouya faced the girl at his side, his cool smile tugging at his lips. "Yukimura-kouhai," he soothed, "I won't touch you unless you give me permission. I promise you that."
"Winter." Kyouya stopped smiling for a moment. He leaned closer to her, trying to catch a glimpse of her face behind her bangs. A pair of pale brown eyes the color of champagne watched him intently, waiting for Kyouya's next move. "Your cosplay is terrible, the girl continued. "What are you supposed to be?" Kyouya frowned at her audacity.
"My costume is irrelevant," he answered, trying to maintain his cool composure. "Yukimura-kouhai, if you're simply going to stand here, then I'm wasting my time. Good day, Yukimura-kouhai." Kyouya held his shoulders back proudly, like a rooster that oversees the hens, his feathers neatly preened and head held high as he struts to impress his girls as well as protect them all. So Kyouya held himself as the girl stood at his side.
"My name," the girl murmured, "is 'Winter.'" Kyouya snatched Winter's chin, his free hand restraining her arm. He jerked her face up to the light so that he could see her face better.
Winter's eyelids were caked with thick black liner and purple shadow. The mascara clinging to her lashes made her frightened expression look fearsome.
"A Malice Meizer fan?" Kyouya smirked. "You wear your makeup just like them, Yukimura-shinpai, and it looks heap on you." Winter clawed at Kyouya's arm with her long nails, trying with all her might to make him let go of her person. "Black polish, too? Yukimura-kouhai, trying to tear me apart won't do you any good."
"Shut up," Winter growled. "I'm not even here for you, Ohtori-senpai. I came for Tamaki-kun! He invited me here personally. Let me go to him." Kyouya released Winter's arm. He watched her trot toward Tamaki's posse, and his chest grew heavy.
Across the room, Winter took a seat beside Tamaki as another girl moved on to the next Host. Tamaki tenderly stroked Winter's dark hair, and he draped his arms around her shoulders.
"You came, Winter-chan," he smiled. "I'm glad." Winter wrapped her arms around Tamaki's waist, burying her face into his Sanzo robes.
"Tamaki-kun," she sighed, enjoying her prince's caress, "you didn't forget, did you?" Tamaki shook his head, and he replied, "Of course not, my dear. How could I ever forget my plans with you?" Winter drew away from Tamaki's arms.
"You called me 'dear,'" she said. "Something's wrong." Tamaki gently stroked Winter's chin.
"No," he replied, his voice straining as he lied, "there's nothing wrong." Winter clenched her skirt in her hands, trying to stop her tears from coming. The black organza rustled and scratched her fingers as she gripped the fabric tighter.
"Tamaki-kun," she murmured, "you're not going to dump me, are you?" Tamaki sighed with his head in his hands. Winter had figured him out. "How dare you!" Winter snapped. "You knew this entire time that you'd leave me, so why did you promise to make love to me?" Tamaki grasped Winter's slender hands.
"I'm sorry," he pleaded. "I just can't see you outside the Host Club anymore." Winter bowed her head to hide her brimming tears from Tamaki's pleading gaze.
Don't look at me like that, she thought. You'll only make me cry more.
She took her hands away from her prince, whimpering and choking back sobs.
"Good bye, Suoh-senpai," she murmured, her voice wavering as blackened tears, stained by her makeup, trickled down her pale cheeks. She turned and ran from princely Tamaki. Like a stream that gurgles sadly over craggy rocks as it runs its course singing laments of the past, so Winter cried for her dearest Tamaki.
Kyouya smirked as Winter ran away. Her disappointment wasn't a new event to him. Many girls came to the Host Club only to have their hearts broken. Winter was only one of many who dared to get close to Tamaki.
"Winter," Tamaki sobbed, "I'm sorry!" He buried his face in his knees, hiding his glistening tears while he sulked. Kyouya's smirk faded, and he sighed as Tamaki's pitiful whining.
"So, you really loved her?" he asked. "Tamaki nodded, keeping his face hidden. "Don't cry, my lord," Kyouya continued. "She wasn't worth your time or energy." Tamaki sniffled and wiped his eyes.
"But, I was actually going to make love to her," he whimpered. "I would never have thought about promising something like that to the other girls, but Winter was different from them. And, now I can't see her anymore." Kyouya briskly patted his club mate's shoulder.
"You'll be alright, Suoh-kun," he said.
Tamaki's sobs caught the attention of the Hitachiin brothers. Hikaru dragged his brother behind him as he raced to see what was going on. Of course, no one could leave the twins out of something so dramatic as this.
"Yo, Kyouya," he said, "why's Tamaki crying this time?" Kyouya sighed impatiently. He explained how Winter figured out Tamaki's plan, and how she chose to leave him before he ended things himself. The twins listened with less enthusiasm than they had when they hurried over to hear about the big news. Finally, Hikaru spoke up.
"My lord," he said, smiling at Tamaki, "what about the other girls here? They'll feel unwanted if they see you pining for a girl that is not them." Tamaki wiped the last trickles of his tears from his cheeks.
"You're right," he said. "I have to keep myself together for the sake of the club." So, Tamaki rose and mindlessly brushed the invisible dirt from his costume. Within seconds his posse returned, all with concern etched on their fine, young faces. Several girls drew out their handkerchiefs for Tamaki, each silently hoping that their prince would choose her as his princess by taking her square of fine cloth. But, Tamaki didn't take one. He forced a smile, gently stroking the cheeks of the girls nearest him. "I'm fine, girls," he said. "No need to worry about me."
Over the course of two weeks, Kyouya watched Tamaki's slow recovery from his recent heartbreak. Before long his princely nature returned. Winter had once been the center of his life, but he seemed to have left her behind with all his tears.
At least he's less clingy, thought Kyouya. Now I can actually perform my duties without his interference.
"Ohtori-senpai." Kyouya looked up from his clipboard. The familiar smell of thick makeup filled his nose, and he rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Don't roll your eyes at me, Ohtori-senpai. I came here for you." Kyouya cracked an amused smile.
"Welcome back, Winter Yukimura-kouhai."
Author's Notes:
1 Many thanks to Lien-chan for giving me the correct suffix for lowerclassmen. I feel better knowing what to use for younger students instead of making something up and acting like an idiot. Thank you, Lien-chan:D