Chapter 1

The sunlight slowly streaked through the window as I turned and felt it's warmth on my face. What was I doing? Was I really that lonely that I was going to take Haruhi up on her offer?

I twirled my finger around my blonde hair and sighed as I looked at my reflection. A thin curved body that looked perfect to hold the long golden extensions that draped to my shoulder while my soft blue eyes stood out on my smooth young looking face. People sometimes would mistake me for a younger school kid. It was a good thing I was the same height as Haruhi. I couldn't imagine being small and looking that young… but people don't really like that kind of thing… do they?

I wore soft light heeled shoes and a black jacket with blue coloured dress. Haruhi often said I had a good fashion sense but a lot of the time it was because she would help me pick out the outfits… or her father would.

I frowned at the reflection, Haruhi had helped me out once a very long time ago and she had often helped me. She had even helped me get the forms to come to Ouran academy… though those rich snobs never let me live down the fact I was a commoner.

"Music room number three." I sighed and looked at it, "Haruhi, for god's sake I hope you know what you are doing." Plus why the hell did you tell me to come and make me eat lunch in a music room. I couldn't help but wonder.

I opened the double doors and instantly felt dread slow me down.

Stood in a row were a line were six boys all wearing Greek style tunics, wearing golden arm bands while the tall blonde one wore royal robes and stood next to… "Haruhi?!" I stared disbelievingly as a seventh joined them.

"Tamaki I am not wearing that other outfit!" she growled.

"But you would look so cute in it. Won't you do it for daddy?"

"My dad is out working. You are not my father Tamaki."

He paused and for a moment. Everyone stared at both of them before he curled up next to a pillar with his arms around his knees and began murmuring like a man who has lost his faith. Oh god.

"Hey boss. We have a new customer." Two voices said at the same time and I raised my eyebrow at them.

Oh Haruhi… you didn't do what I think you have done have you?

The two stepped forward. The infamous Hikaru and Kaoru who had broke the hearts of so many girls that they had actually left a reputation behind them. I could easily tell which one of them was which. Hikaru stood to the left with a slight glint of immaturity in his eyes while Kaoru stood to the right with a silent more understanding.

"Come my princess. My goddess. Come let us entertain you." I felt that guy named Tamaki pull me closer as he half closed his eyes holding a rose his lips were close to mine that I could feel the warmth of his breath slowly roll over me. Even his breath smelt of roses.

I bet this worked with the girls…

"Come any closer." I whispered and watched as Haruhi grinned knowing how I hated it when people were this close to me, with the exception of her and her dad. "And I will kick my leg right up between your legs that you will sound like a chipmunk. Permanently." I lowered my voice but kept it calm to add effect and he looked like I had punched him.

"Katie!" Haruhi smiled and hugged me and I returned the gesture.

"You never told me you worked with the host club." I looked around at them. The tall dark haired guy with glasses was running his eyes over me as though he was analysing me. Someone as smart as him… was bound to guess the truth already. I could respect his intelligence and I nodded respectfully, "It is nice to meet you Kyouya."

"Like wise. Katie was it? It seems Haruhi has put you down for our free trial sessions." He frowned a pointed look at Tamaki who was on the floor as though he was passed out.

"When did we start giving free trials?" the twins asked.

"When we started loosing our profit. It seems girls are looking for something new."

"Haruhi? What does he mean? Free trial…"

"Well I know you were lonely." She awkwardly played with the jacket of her uniform. She looked so much like a boy. It was strange to see her like this… though I can't exactly talk.

"So she signed you up for our free trials." Kyouya grinned; I bet he thought that I would fall head over heels for that dark grin. "Anyway, down to business." He held his hand out to the members. "You already know the twins."

I ran my eyes down over them… well, mainly at Kaoru and I guess he must have seen my interest in him already growing. That soft looking head of hair and beautiful eyes made me want to be held by him. Hikaru although may resemble him greatly, I saw more than just appearances, Kaoru was more mature than Hikaru, I knew that from many times I had heard about them from Haruhi. Plus he already was in love with her.

"You..." he coughed stifling laughter, "have already been introduced to prince Tamaki." He indicated the pathetic pile next to my feet and I looked away from the obnoxious, ego inflated… where was I? Oh yeah.

"This is Honey and Mori." I looked over to the tall strong guy who must obviously been what drew the girls wild when they wanted the bad boy package. What I didn't understand was next to him the small blonde haired boy who looked his complete opposite. A fool would believe the cute innocent act behind those eyes. I knew the family Honey was from and I knew how dangerous they were.

"Katie-Chan!" he giggled and ran up hugging me, "Come on, have cake and sweets with me." He smiled holding a large pink bunny.

"humph." Was all Mori said, before he scooped Honey up putting him on his shoulders.

"Anyway." Kyouya watched me as though seeing me in a new light and I guessed he had put two and two together. He nodded to himself as though he was silently saying; you will do, I guess.

"So who would you like to spend some time with?" Haruhi smiled, "choose wisely."

"Kaoru." I said.

I wasn't sure who looked more surprised, Tamaki, Kaoru or Hikaru. Kyouya look a little confused like the others but it seemed Haruhi was the only one who understood me. "You mean the twins?" he asked.

"No. I mean." I looked directly at the right twin, "Kaoru."

"I'm Hikaru." He said but I just rolled my eyes.

"Kaoru. Katie isn't a fool. A deal is a deal Kyouya. Katie chose the person she wants to have an hour with."

"I guess." He frowned slightly; I guess he didn't like the idea of splitting the twins act up anymore than Hikaru did. Kyouya looked at Kaoru expectantly then walked away with a fuming Hikaru.

"So… like tea?"

We both took a seat on a red couch as he poured us both cups of tea. "How could you tell me and Hikaru apart?"

"A magician never reveals their tricks." I quickly replied and took a sip. "You make really good tea." I smiled and I watched a sparkle in his eyes.

"I have to admit, I have never really had someone ask for just me before. They are usually suckered by the whole brother act." My eyes flashed over to where Haruhi was laughing with Hikaru. "So how do you know Haruhi so well?"

"Well… I live with her and her father."

"Are you sisters?" that idea made me want to burst out into laughter.

"No." I smiled sadly, "Haruhi and her father took me in after some… incidents that happened with my own family." He looked curiously at me as though he wanted me to continue but he never pushed me to do so. "Thanks for agreeing to this Kaoru." I smiled and I watched a faint blush move over on his cheeks.

Yeah. I had moved in with Haruhi. Her and her father had saved me when I was at my lowest point and had helped me in ways I could even imagine. I remembered the darkness of my mind before they had saved me. The way my parents had…

The darkness which had always come to claim me at my weakest point…

I held my hand over my chest as I felt panic and pain rushing through it. "I have to go." I gasped feeling the air rush out my lungs as though I had been sucker punched.

"Katie?" Haruhi looked at me as I turned pale and clutched my side finding it hard to breathe as panic took hold of me.

"What's happening?" Kaoru placed his arms around me to stop me from collapsing and I blushed slightly.

"Katie!" Haruhi looked into my wild eyes then as I pushed both away and turned to run I heard the crashing and smashing of the fine tea set next to me. Kyouya locked his eyes on me and my heart plummeted further.

"Calm down." Kaoru locked his arms around me and whispered into my ear. His chest rose and fell with mine as I felt my mind coming back to my own grip.

"That was a very expensive piece of tea set." Kyouya appeared and stared me down.

"Kyouya! Not now!" Haruhi snapped.

"Very, very expensive." He waged his finger mockingly at me as though I was a kid.

"Just give Katie the same deal as you gave me!" she bit at him though she kept breathing slowly setting the pace for how I should.

Wait… Haruhi had been pulled into this stupid club after she had…

"But we don't have a place for girls."

You bastard Kyouya.

"You are really going to do this aren't you?" Haruhi muttered then looked at me with defeat. "His family owns the police. I'm sorry but… you are going to have to come clean."

"You planned this, didn't you?" I stared at him with hatred.

"Come clean about what?" Kaoru pursued but Haruhi shoved both of them away as she took me into the other room to change.

~Haruhi's POV~

"Kyouya. You planned it didn't you! After you figured out!" she felt the anger biting deep inside her as she could hear her beloved friend silently crying in the changing room.

"I don't know what you mean." His voice showed now emotion and his eyes gave nothing away.

"Will someone please explain what is going on?" Kaoru leaned against the wall as the others came over.

"You needed someone new to start drawing the girls. You really think this is really going to help?"

"Pain is just in the mind."

"HEY!" she snarled and pushed him against the wall, "treat people how they deserved to be treated." The others members watched this heated exchanged. Honey and Mori had been teaching her some self defence moves. She wasn't helpless any more, "It's cruel and unfair what you are doing."

"So sue me."

Slowly the changing room door slightly, "Haruhi, can you help me please." She could make out the sadness thick on his voice as a faint splash of a tear hit the golden knob. "Sure Kuruma." She smiled.

"Kuruma? That sounds like a boy's name." Kaoru joked then he hesitated. "Wait! Haruhi!"

She just slammed the door in his face as she heard fighting and shouting break out among the members. No. she had to forget about them now. Her priority was making sure Kuruma was okay.

His blonde highlights lay in a pile next to the neatly folded dress and heels. "Haruhi?" he sobbed quietly as he stood only in his boxers looking at his reflection, now he wasn't as quit it she could hear his true voice, the way it wasn't as soft but still made her heart beat a little faster. His skin was light, not pale but still a bit light like he had spent a while out of sunlight. It was easy to see how he could be mistaken for a girl, though without his long blonde air, his spiked golden mess of a hair made his face seem more masculine like, to Haruhi he was actually quite handsome but he stared horrified at his reflection.

"It's okay." She hugged him and felt his head rest against her shoulder. "You look great." She picked up the tunic costume and he put it over himself before tying a belt around his waist then placing the sandals on.

"I just… I remembered when my parents had caught me and beat me." He whispered. His voice was full of hurt like a wounded puppy.

She knew what Kyouya would do. He was going to try and put Kuruma in a sweet innocent first love category. "Hey, Kaoru seemed pretty annoyed with Kyouya for doing this to you."

"Do you really think that he's going to like me like this?" Kuruma whispered as he stared at his reflection and Haruhi resisted the urge to aw at him. But oh how she knew Kaoru would like him like this.

She definitely knew that.

She snuck out the doorway first and bumped into Kaoru who was waiting intently for Kuruma to come out. Her eyes drifted over the bunch of them. Kaoru and Kyouya both had slight bruises just under their eyes and cheeks and she frowned at them all. "You better be nice! He hasn't been like this for years and if anyone is mean to him."

"Then you deal with me." Honey smiled though the weight of the threat set on the lot of them like a weighted piano falling from a 100 storeys high.

The door slowly creaked open and the lot of them stared mouth open at the beauty and innocence of Kuruma. He blushed and lowered his gaze seeing how all of them were staring at him.

But she grinned seeing Kaoru's bright red blush.

"Come on Kuruma- Kun." Honey giggled sweetly as he pulled his new friend into a hug and got a smile from Kuruma, "let's have some cake and sweets."

"With some tea." Kaoru said and Kuruma's eyes went wide with surprise when an arm was wrapped around his waist and all three boys walked forward while the fourth of their group stayed at the back like a loyal guard and Mori slowly looked at the remaining members before he went to guard his little gang.

"Why didn't you say?" Tamaki asked quietly as he and Haruhi watched Kuruma and Kaoru laughing at Honey who went through slices of cake as though they were what he needed to breathe.

"Because I had no right to tell you, just a Kyouya had no right to do this to him." she folded her arm then watched as the leader of the club's eyes became serious.

"We've already had requests come in reserving him for tomorrow." He said and Haruhi raised an eyebrow.

"You really didn't hang around to get him to start working did you!? You realise how big it is for him just to be like this?"

"No I don't." Tamaki snapped. She had never heard him like this before. "I have no idea because you won't tell me anything!"

"HE WAS ALMOST BEATEN TO DEATH BY HIS FAMILY AND LEFT ON THE STREETS!" she almost screamed. Honey conveniently chose that chance to shout down Kuruma's ear so he could ear.

"Come on Kuruma-kun. Choose some cake to eat!"

"Thank you Honey." She mouthed over to him and she watched for the slightest of seconds his cute act break as he nodded a serious face at her before that smile slid back on his face as though it had never left.

"Maybe doing this can help him."

"How can forcing him into debt be a way to help him?"

"Because now we can get down to helping him sort his head out!" he growled, "I saw the way he panicked. Heck, we all did! Do you think that it's healthy for him to keep all those emotions bottled up?"

"Tamaki…" she looked at a loss for words.

"We won't force him to do anything he isn't willing to do. But now with the club behind him, he can make some new friends with the other members. Just let him try Haruhi."

She looked over and saw Kuruma lying back along the couch resting his head on Kaoru's leg as the twin began stroking his golden hair. "I swear though, if any of you are mean to him."

"They will deal with me directly." Tamaki whispered as Hikaru and Kyouya had come back.

"What happened?" she asked. She noticed similar bruises and cuts over Hikaru as well.

"Kaoru punched Kyouya." The twin's eyes locked on the black haired… maybe she better not use that word to describe Kyouya. "Then he punched back, I kicked him in the face then we three got in a fight."

"Humph." Kyouya went away and started working on his accounting as his laptop had increasing amounts of blipping sounds from incoming requests.

"Hikaru please." She begged him and took hold of his hands. She didn't understand why a blush crept to his face but she continued anyway, "just let your brother bond with Kuruma, he needs new friends. Please."

"And who am I supposed to talk to?" his shaky eyes rested on her.

"Me. Come around to my house later with Kaoru and we can study together. Maybe you can even stay for dinner."

"WHAT?!" Tamaki looked between the two as he stumbled back.

"It's a date." Hikaru smiled and then walked away trying to hide his amounting blush.

"NO! not a date!" Tamaki looked between the two of them as they walked away but secretly Haruhi was blushing silently too.

She had a date with Hikaru.

And she couldn't wait.