Here's the thing, I'm a Tama/Haru shipper, and have yet to write a story solely based on the two. I have a sort of soft spot for Hika/Haru so that's what you're getting. Got the idea from listening to We Are Young. It has some romance in it. So, enjoy this two/shot.
Disclaimer: I don't own Ouran High School Host Club
[+-+] ~(~)~
Haruhi relaxed into the plush cushions of the purple velvet chaise lounge chair. Mei was in the washroom, adding another layer of lipstick. Haruhi flipped through the leather bound book, images of dresses, cakes and flowers flooded her brain.
She groaned and slammed the book closed, throwing it on the table. Tamaki had proposed to her four months ago, and she rejected him. She said no the first two times; making the third time their charm. When Haruhi finally said yes, Tamaki was ecstatic and hugged her tightly. They were well into planning for the wedding now, set two months later, the two months that were approaching far too fast.
Her eyes closed for a moment, and she pinched the bridge of her nose.
[-+-] ~(~)~
Hikaru smiled, a bitter thing, stretching across his face. Tamaki was getting jittery, and called all the former Host club members—excluding Haruhi—to his office.
"So you called us here for what reason exactly, tono?" Hikaru asked, barely covering the cynical tone in his voice. Tamaki paced behind his desk, running his fingers through his hair every few moments.
Kyoya snapped his black book shut and adjusted his glasses, "Tamaki, sit down for Christ's sake! You're creating a draft."
Tamaki paused, turning his stressed bluish eyes towards the group, "What if I mess something up and she leaves me? I can't lose her, don't you understand?"
"Pacing around like an idiot won't solve things, Tamaki. If you weren't sure Haruhi was going to stay with you, why did you ask her to marry you? Three times if I might add." Kyoya said, waving his hand towards the stacks of unfinished paper work.
Hikaru shook his head slowly, "Yeah, tono, Haruhi wouldn't have said yes if she loved you." {Why am I helping him?}
Tamaki smiled tiredly, "You are probably right, Hikaru. Thank you."
Hikaru forced a smile and Kaoru pursed his lips, "If all you needed was for us to confirm Haruhi's feelings for you, why did you call us here? I mean, couldn't you have just asked Haruhi? You do live together, so what's the problem?"
Tamaki blanched and Kyoya sighed, "You just set him off again, Kaoru." Kaoru laughed nervously and Tamaki threw his hands up.
"You are certainly correct, Kaoru! Why didn't I just ask Haruhi myself? Well, for one thing, I simply couldn't!" Tamaki said raggedly, rubbing his chin.
"And why would that be, tono?" Hikaru asked, curious to know the problem Tamaki was facing. Even if he did hold slight resentment towards the older man, Tamaki was still his friend, if not close acquaintance.
"Last night when I went to insinuate things with Haruhi, sexually, she brutally informed me she was menstruating and kicked me out of the room to sleep on the couch! Antoinette didn't even bother to join me, preferring to stay with Haruhi instead! Does that answer your question, Hikaru?" Tamaki said, rather harshly, and flopped down in his chair. "Maybe I should just call the whole thing off."
Kyoya rolled his eyes, "Don't do something that stupid, Tamaki. Calling off the wedding would do nothing to help the situation at hand. If you're in the dog house, work it out with Haruhi. She's a reasonable girl; things will go according to plan." Honey and Mori shook their heads at the nature of the conversation.
"One can only hope." Tamaki muttered, a grave tone to his voice.
[+-+] ~(~)~
Mei and Haruhi were choosing dresses, Mei demanding on a purple bridesmaid dress.
"Mei that dress would ruin the colour scheme of the wedding! It's supposed to be black, gold and blue." Haruhi explained, groaning and running her hands through her now just under her shoulder blades length hair.
Mei had been confused to why Haruhi had chosen those colours in the first place. Haruhi although, refused to elaborate and insisted on those colours even if her life depended on it.
"Fine," Mei sighed, "can I have a black bridesmaid dress then?"
Haruhi shook her head, "No, definitely not. I was thinking more along the lines of a soft blue."
"Blue is so not my colour!" Mei all but wailed and Haruhi rubbed her temples.
"Mei, please, whose wedding is this again? At your wedding, I'll wear any colour you throw at me. Now, find a pale blue dress, I have a case to work on and I have a feeling Tamaki will be home soon." Haruhi gestured to the large pile of papers on her desk, indicating she needed to finish them soon.
Mei sighed in defeat. "You win; I'll wear a blue dress." She pointed to a random picture and Haruhi smiled in approval. After all her years in the Host Club, Haruhi had learned to appreciate fashion in a sense, and knew what she wanted. The dress was a pale blue, made of silk that flowed in a delicate way ending at the models feet in a deep blue.
"Perfect. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a case to finish." The twenty-four year old all but rushed her friend out the door and sighed.
Settling down behind her desk, she prepared for a long work period ahead of her.
[-+-] ~(~)~
Hikaru blinked rapidly, stunned for a moment, lapsing into complete silence. He had gotten back to the office at a break neck pace, stopping only to pick up some commoners coffee, still a favourite of the old Host Club member. Hikaru wasn't positive of the exact reason he still drank the bitter substance, maybe because it still in a sense connected Hikaru to Haruhi.
He stared blankly at the computer, raking his brain for something logical to think of. He needed an idea, a spark to start him on his new fashion line he was designing. When nothing came to him, he growled in frustration and reached for his empty coffee mug.
"Damn."
[+-+] ~(~)~
Haruhi shook out her hand, which throbbed slightly from all the writing she was doing. When she began to write her name, the pen ran out of ink, and she finished her sentence with invisible ink.
"Damn." She growled, tossing the empty pen into the garbage can and took a sip of her luke-warm tea. Haruhi opened the drawer to her desk and noted with dissatisfaction that she was out of fountain pens.
She stood up, stretching and left her office, walking towards Tamaki's office. She knew he wasn't home, because if he was, he would have greeted her with a smile and a kiss. Neither of those things happened.
Haruhi plucked a fountain pen from his desk and went back to her office, knowing Tamaki would hardly notice if he was missing a pen. As soon as she sat back down in her chair, Haruhi divulged herself into work, skipping over dinner when the maids tried to bring it to her. She'd put off her client's case for a little over four days, and that was something Haruhi despised doing in her haste to be known as a top lawyer in Japan.
The clock ticked on, and Haruhi still had a bundle of work to be completed. Around ten o'clock, her eye lids started to droop, and she desperately fought off sleep deprivation.
[-+-] ~(~)~
When Hikaru arrived home that night to his pent house suite, he dreadfully wanted to collapse on the couch and sleep for hours on end. But he still had a job to do. He needed an inkling for his line and he needed a name.
Something itched at the back of his brain that he couldn't quite put his finger on, but ignored with a great deal of difficulty. He sat on the couch, typing and clicking fashion pages for even a trivial idea for him to come upon.
Hours passed, and yet Hikaru still could not find anything for his new product. Sighing in frustration, he closed the lid of his laptop with a satisfying slam and put it on the coffee table. Sleep was weighing on him heavily and before Hikaru could decipher what happened, he was out cold.
[+-+] ~(~)~
When Haruhi woke, the sun was just barely peeking over the horizon. She found it difficult to believe that somehow she magically transported to the bed she shared with Tamaki, until she noticed the blonde mop of hair peeking out of the sheets. Haruhi sighed and a ghost of a smile brushed her lips.
"Tamaki, how will I ever thank you?" She whispered, pinching a piece of his golden hair between her fingers. She felt guilty about the things she'd been doing to Tamaki lately, and wanted to make things right. Haruhi let go of his hair and yawned. She briefly wondered if she had actually finished her work from last night but pushed the thought aside.
Tamaki stirred and Haruhi gazed idly at his head. He sat up, sheet falling off his body, giving Haruhi an eye full of his toned body, not that she hadn't seen it before.
Tamaki grinned goofily at his fiancée and stifled a yawn, "Good morning, Haruhi."
"Good morning Tamaki, how was your sleep?" She questioned, like she did every morning.
"Pleasant," He leaned over to kiss her, "but it could have been better." Haruhi flushed and kissed him back.
"In your dreams," She said playfully, and Tamaki kissed her again.
Something, though bothered Haruhi in the back of her head, but she wasn't sure what.
[-+-] ~(~)~
Hikaru had over slept that morning, and rushed into work, dishevelled and all. His dark brown hair was all over the place and purple bags were under his golden eyes.
He was agitated over his lack of creativity, blaming previous fashion designers for using all the good ideas.
His mind raced as he finished off his fifth cup of commoners coffee that morning, trying to log into his computer.
Nothing seemed to be working for Hikaru that morning, and he almost sent his laptop flying if it weren't for his secretary walking in with the morning's meetings schedule.
[+-+] ~(~)~
For the first time in a week, Haruhi entered her office building, taking the elevator to her office. On her floor, she was informed that her meetings had been rearranged and moved to today's date. She was also told Otori Kyoya was here to speak with her and waiting in her office. Haruhi raised her brow slightly at that and went into her office, adjusting her black pin-striped pencil straight skirt. She walked in, heels clicking on the hard wood floor.
"Kyoya-sempai, this is a surprise. To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" Haruhi set her files down on her desk.
Kyoya gave her a calculating look, "Haruhi, I'm assuming as much that Tamaki was pleasant last evening?"
Surprise flittered across her face, "I'm not sure. I had fallen asleep before Tamaki had gotten home. Why do you ask?"
He waved off her question, and asked his own, "Why did you say yes to Tamaki on the third time he asked?"
Haruhi pursed her lips, "I don't see how that is any of your business Kyoya-sempai." With one look from him, Haruhi proceeded to tell him, "Well, the first time I believe I was too stunned to answer him properly. The second time he had asked, we were visiting his grandmother and she asked me for him. I said yes on the third time when he asked me in front of my mother's grave."
Kyoya nodded slowly, and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, "I see. Now, tell me Haruhi, do you want to marry Tamaki?"
She stared at him incredulously, "Of course I want to marry Tamaki!"
"It's not out of pity is it?" Kyoya asked cruelly and continued, "I know Tamaki is a complete idiot, but he's a good person. Are you sure you're marrying him for the right reasons?"
Haruhi couldn't believe this! Kyoya had supported their relationship from the very beginning, and he was saying this?
"I'm offended Kyoya, that you would even insinuate such a thing." She huffed, signalling to his book, "You should know very well out of all of us that I love Tamaki very much and am not doing this out of sympathy. If you'd please, I have work to do."
Kyoya took the hint and stood up, "Very well, Miss. Fujioka." At the door, Kyoya faltered, "I should just let you know, Tamaki believes you'll leave him in the future." And Haruhi's sempai was gone.
She narrowed her eyes at the door. Could Tamaki be doubting the very foundation of their relationship? If so, she needed to speak with him as soon as possible to sort out the problem once and for all.
Haruhi picked up the phone and dialled her secretary, "Cancel my meetings for the rest of the day and reschedule my clients for tomorrow. Push other clients further along the calendar but be sure to check which days' work for them. If the day they originally need is still required over-book me." Haruhi hung up without letting the women talk.
She dialled another number, and was answered with, "Suou Inc., Hikari speaking. How may I help you?"
Haruhi gazed at the diamond engagement ring and said, "It's Fujioka Haruhi, and I'd like to schedule an urgent meeting with Suou-san."
"I'm sorry, miss, his schedule is full."
"Tell him I'm on my way." Haruhi hung up and left her office, readying herself to speak with her fiancée about the issue at hand. . .
[-+-] ~(~)~
Hikaru lobbed his stapler across the room, sending it flying into the face of his brother, Kaoru. Hikaru froze, completely astonished by what he just did.
Kaoru rubbed his face, "Ouch, Hikaru. You sure do have an arm on you." When Hikaru had died his hair, they had been less close, and after high school, the brotherly love act died.
He laughed, "Sorry Kaoru, I'm just extremely on edge lately. I can't seem to come up with a design."
Kaoru smiled, and sat in the chair in front of Hikaru's desk, "No worries. You haven't really been out lately. Maybe a night on the town will do you some good, Hikaru. Just a night to relax and un-wind from the whole stress of work and as if to add insult to injury, tono and Haruhi's wedding is approaching quickly."
Hikaru flinched and massaged his temples, "Not helping, Kaoru."
Kaoru held up his hands in defense, "It's the truth, Hikaru. You pretend like it's not happening, like tono and Haruhi aren't in love so you can hold to the small hope of her loving you back."
He glanced at his younger brother sharply, "That was cruel, even for you, Kaoru."
The younger twin smiled mockingly, "The truth hurts, Hikaru. I have to get going. Nice seeing you." Hikaru watched as his brother left the office and he felt cold. Since graduating from high school, Kaoru had gotten more blunt and vicious when saying things. Changing his hair colour did more than just change Hikaru, it changed Kaoru as well.
[+-+] ~(~)~
Haruhi held her composure while waiting in the elevator to reach the top floor of Suou Inc. If Kyoya had been telling the truth, Haruhi wasn't sure how upset she'd be with Tamaki for not coming to just talk to her.
Tamaki's blonde secretary tried to stop her when she walked past, eyes locked on Tamaki's door.
"Please, miss! He's in a meeting!" Hikari called panicked and stumbled over her feet in attempt to reach Haruhi.
It was already too late. Haruhi had already thrown open the doors to Tamaki's office. Equal amounts of surprise greeted her when the doors slammed against the hinges.
"I tried to stop her, but—" Hikari was silenced and the men in the room chattered tensely.
The great Host club king was at loss of words, "I—Haruhi what are you doing here?"
"We need to talk Tamaki." She stated, face blank but her eyes raged. She was extremely mad at the moment and if Tamaki wouldn't listen, all hell would break loose.
Tamaki cleared his throat and loosened his collar, "Right. Men, would you please wait outside for the moment. When I'm finished in here then can we continue the meeting."
{He really has grown up, hasn't he?} The men shuffled out of the room, sending curious glances towards the couple. Once the door shut, Tamaki gave her an apprehensive look. "What is it, Haruhi?"
"Kyoya-sempai visited me today," She began, tone like a sheet of ice, "he told me you believed I would leave you in the future."
Tamaki growled for a moment, "I only believed so because it took you three times to say yes Haruhi! Three! I thought you were afraid of commitment!" He was pacing again, pulling his fingers through his hair, it was almost mechanical how he did it.
"Why would I be afraid of commitment, Tamaki? You and I both know I'm just as into this relationship as you are!" Haruhi composed herself and smoothed her skirt.
Tamaki whirled around and faced her, "Do you want the truth, Haruhi?"
"My God yes! That's all I ever want from you Tamaki, just the complete and utter truth." Haruhi shook her head slowly, hoping this crazy charade would be over with soon.
He continued in his gait towards her, and gripped her shoulders, "I was so afraid that you would leave me because of me having to ask three times. So, I had wondered if we should have just called the wedding off." Haruhi's heart skipped a beat or two. She couldn't see straight anymore and there were suddenly two Tamaki's.
"I need some air." She gasped, pushing away from the man she loved.
Tamaki opened his mouth to say something—anything at that point, but she wouldn't hear it.
Haruhi held up her left palm, telling him to stop, "If I'm not home tonight, I'm with my dad. Don't wait for me because if I'm not home, I'm staying the night with my dad. Good day, Tamaki." She slammed his office doors and stormed off, glaring murderously at anyone who so looked at her wrong.
[-+-] ~(~)~
Hikaru still couldn't get over the fact that he wasn't able to piece any ideas together for a freaking clothing line. It was absurd. He was beyond pissed, if anything, he was downright furious all because of a stupid fashion show coming up in three months and his dead-line happened to be in a week.
He buried his face in his sweaty palms and cursed loudly. What good was he in the fashion industry if he couldn't do anything? His mind drifted away from work, onto a few pressing topics. Tamaki's idiocy, Haruhi, what Kaoru had said, and Haruhi… After all these years, Hikaru had yet to get over the extremely blunt and oblivious women who'd been one of the first people to know which one he was. (With a few minor exceptions to the problem he's had forever of course.) He still did love Haruhi, wanting what was best for her and ultimately her happiness.
He eyed the clock, the hands reading seven-thirty. Hikaru pursed his lips in thought, and then stood up, roughly knocking his chair over. There was a new shine in his eyes.
"Yes, Kaoru, I think I will take you up on your suggestion." The budding young fashion designer left his office, bee-lining for a night club.
[+-+] ~(~)~
Haruhi unlocked the door to her father's apartment, a little disappointed her father wasn't there. Ranka Fujioka was a busy man—woman—who worked at the 'tranny' bar for a living. Haruhi was positive he was out at work.
She stood in the doorway awkwardly, not being used to the same apartment anymore since she moved into the luxurious Suou mansion. A few more moments passed, when she finally relaxed and took off her shoes, slipping her feet in the sunny yellow slippers. Haruhi closed the door and went straight to the kitchen, turning on lights as she went. If she was going to be intruding in on her father, she might as well have made tea and dinner.
While the tea heated on the stove, Haruhi went to chopping vegetables she found in the fridge. She had already put the rice on in the cooker and was going to make a fast-cook stew. It had been a long time since Haruhi had actually cooked. That was one of the many perks living at the Suou mansion. It was only four, and Ranka wouldn't be home until at least seven.
Haruhi hummed lightly, a chirpy tune, shoving all thoughts of Tamaki into a drawer in her mind, locking it for now.
[-+-] ~(~)~
Hikaru pushed through the sweaty masses of the club, looking for the bar. He needed to relax before he could have any fun at all.
He noticed almost immediately that women from all over were checking him out as he walked by. A wave of relaxation seeped through him and he smirked. {This was going to be an interesting evening.}
The bartender gave Hikaru a curious look, "You look down, boy."
"It's nothing." He grunted back, gazing at the labels of booze behind the man.
The bartender handed Hikaru a glass of martini, "You can tell Ernie anything. Ernie hears many things and never tells a soul." Hikaru was mildly amused to find the man talked in third person and was named Ernie.
"Well, too be frank, Ernie, the girl I love is marrying one of my close friends." He spat the words 'close friend' and drank a moderate amount of the martini. The music boomed in his ears, and he sighed.
"That's how it always is. Ernie knows from experience what heart-ache feels like. Maybe that's why Ernie makes such a great bartender." Ernie grinned cockily and Hikaru forced a smile.
"I love her. Her name is Haruhi, and she's the loveliest creature I've ever met. If only she loved me back…" Hikaru said wistfully, stirring the olive in the clear liquid.
"Like Ernie said, you can tell Ernie anything." Ernie patted Hikaru's head and offered him a second drink. And that was how Hikaru poured his heart out to the bartender—whose real name turned out to be Frank—managing to drink seven different drinks.
[+-+] ~(~)~
Ranka was given the surprise of his life when he saw his daughter standing in the kitchen cooking and humming.
"Haruhi, dear, what are you doing here?" Ranka asked, confused by the presence of his child.
She smiled softly, "I just wanted to see you, dad. It's nothing terribly special." Being the father he was, he saw right through her lie.
"Haruhi… what happened? Did Tamaki hurt you?" She stopped smiling, completely frozen.
When her father had walked through the door, Haruhi automatically knew he would see through her façade. "Too be honest, dad, he did."
Flames appeared in Ranka's pupils and he snarled, "What?"
As she retold her tale, Ranka's tick mark had grown so large, it almost covered his head.
After Haruhi calmed her father down, she served them food. The night wore on, the two family members chatting about innocent things such as work and the price on fish lately.
Haruhi was washing dishes with Ranka, him washing her drying when her cell phone rang.
"Excuse me for a minute, dad." He smiled and waved her off. Haruhi dried her hands on the dish towel and checked the caller ID. It was Hikaru. How odd, he never called her at nine, especially of late. There must have been a logical reason, and she answered.
The first thing she heard was awfully loud music. "Hikaru?"
"Haruhi!" He screamed into the phone, and she pulled it away from her ear, "you'll never guess where I am!"
{Great,} she thought {he's drunk dialling me.} "I have one guess Hikaru," She started dryly; "you're in a club aren't you?"
"How did you know?" He demanded, completely smashed. Haruhi sunk into a cushion in the living room, and pinched the bridge of her nose.
"Oh, I don't know Hikaru. My first clue was probably the obnoxiously loud music." Sarcasm dripped from her voice and she sighed in-audibly.
"Haruhi," He was serious now, and his voice sent shivers down her spine, "I need you."
"What?" Haruhi nearly dropped her phone from surprise once he uttered those words.
"I need you to pick me up. I spent all my money and drove here from work." Hikaru was almost pitiful. He sounded like an abused puppy with nowhere left to go.
"What about Kaoru? Why can't he help you?"
He'd grown angry by this point, "I already told you! I need you, Haruhi! Please help me."
Those last three words got to her, somewhere deep inside. "Okay. Where are you, Hikaru? Which club are you at?" She added, not wanting to upset Hikaru any further.
"Black Rose." The line went dead. Haruhi stood up and almost knocked Ranka over who was bringing in ice cream.
"Where are you going?" He called after her.
"Sorry dad, my friend needs my help. Ice cream's going to have to wait!" Haruhi had a feeling that by the time she got back—if she got back—the ice cream would be melted or eaten.
[-+-] ~(~)~
He slumped on the bar seat, snoozing lightly on the table.
[+-+] ~(~)~
Haruhi weaved in and out of traffic, a bad emotion welling up in the pit of her stomach.
[-+-] ~(~)~
"I need you."
[+-+] ~(~)~
She managed to squeeze her way into the club, and needed to find a way to Hikaru. At times like this, she almost wished he kept his hair colour the same as Kaoru's.
Haruhi pushed past people, completely out of place since she was still wearing her work clothes, tripping ever so often.
She was panting lightly by the time she reached the bar. The bartender eyed her.
"Can Ernie help you miss?" Ernie—Frank—asked kindly, cleaning a glass with a rag.
"I'm looking for Hikaru." Haruhi mentally berated herself for saying that. Why would he know Hikaru's name?
"He's over there." Ernie—Frank—gestured to the lump that was Hikaru. Haruhi gave a nod of thanks and rushed over to him.
Once Haruhi had approached Hikaru, she saw how much he was in shambles. His clothes were rumpled, his hair was everywhere and purple, bruise like bags hung under his eyes.
"Oh Hikaru, what have you done to yourself?" She muttered to herself, not realizing Hikaru was awake and could hear her.
"Don't you mean what you've done to me?" His voice was faint and he tried to smirk at her, but failed miserably.
"Hikaru…" Haruhi trailed off, remembering how many times she'd rejected him in the past.
"I love you, Haruhi." Hikaru declared and then he kissed her.
Wow, this was longish. Sorry if it got boring at any part. Feel free to point that out. The second and final chapter should be out soon I believe. Drop a review if you'd like.
~Emerald~
