I just finished this series on Netflix and fell completely in love with it, Tamaki, and Vic Mignoga. As I was rewatching the last couple episodes for no particular reason, this story came to my head.

Yes, I am a HUGE TamaHaru shipper. In fact, that whole scene with the thunderstorm made me have a record-breaking fangirl attack which my best friend got to witness much to her dismay.

It was time for Ouran Academy's annual school fair. Everyone was frantically preparing to showcase their skills for the incoming parents, hoping that it would help them prepare for their future.

The Host Club was no exception. All of the members of the club were doing their best to impress the visiting parents, especially the mothers, with their various traits.

The whole room had been done up beautifully and everyone looked even handsomer than usual.

There was one woman in particular who was observing the whole event with curious eyes and a small smile on her face. She hadn't been approached by any of the hosts yet, but that didn't matter to her. She had other matters she needed to attend to. Much more important matters.

She was currently walking around the room, getting a feel for what each host was like and what kind of secrets they might be hiding.

All of the hosts were exceptional people. She quickly learned how to tell the twins apart. Kaoru had the deeper voice and was a bit more mature than Hikaru. Not a lot, but some.

A part of her still wondered why Honey looked like he was a child when he was one of the oldest hosts in the club.

Mori was quite attractive, but he certainly wasn't talkative. All the same, it was kinda cute to see the way he cared for Honey.

Tamaki, the leader of the Host Club, certainly impressed her the most. The way he could sweet-talk pretty much any woman in the entire place was fairly amusing. Within seconds, he had even the most skeptical mothers practically kissing his feet.

"Father!" Tamaki exclaimed to the entering man who was wearing a blinding white suit.

"Do not refer to me as 'Father'," the man said icily. "The term is far too familiar. You will address me properly as Chairman."

The woman frowned as she watched another host come up behind Tamaki.

"Ah, very good welcome, sir," Kyoya said pleasantly. "Please let me show you to your seat."

"Thank you." Kyoya led Tamaki's father to a sofa while Tamaki listened to the conversation from atop a chandelier. "Kyoya, my boy, if not for your being here, I'm sure this club would be in shambles. My son must give you no end of trouble."

The lawyer who had come with Tamaki's father looked up at Tamaki sadly with a hint of embarrassment.

"Oh, on the contrary, sir," Kyoya said to the man. "Your son's ambition is what keeps us viable. May I bring you anything?" Tamaki's father pulled Kyoya in closer and quietly whispered his request. "Yes, yes, of course. Haruhi, you're needed."

"What?!" Tamaki yelled.

His outburst caused him to fall from the chandelier and land on the hard ground. The woman winced a little. That had to hurt.

Haruhi turned around from her place at one of the tables where she was entertaining the young Lady Éclair.

The woman looked at Haruhi curiously. She knew the girl's secret right away. It made her smile to think that this girl had been putting on the façade that she was a boy for about a year and a half. She had to wonder if she ever got tired of the whole charade.

Haruhi slowly went over to Tamaki's father as Tamaki watched from behind a fountain.

"So, you're Haruhi Fujioka. Come, sit with me."

"All right. Thank you, sir." Haruhi sat on the couch next to the man, quietly observing him much like the woman was. "Nice to meet you, Chairman. I was just thinking earlier that I ought to have paid my respects to you a long time ago. I'm so sorry."

"You know, 'Chairman' is so dry. Why don't you call me…yes…" He held out a rose for her. "Call me your Uncle. It would please me."

Tamaki fell into the fountain in surprise. Haruhi's eyes narrowed a little at the man's actions.

"I find that I'm just so busy lately that I'm seldom here in person," Tamaki's father continued. "But I've certainly heard some wonderful things about you."

"Oh, why, thank you sir," Haruhi chuckled nervously.

She started to take the rose, but Tamaki's father grabbed her hands in his before she could. "Ah, if ever you find yourself in trouble, I want you to know that you can come to your uncle for anything."

"Kay…"

"Father!" Tamaki said irritably as he rose up from behind the sofa.

"That's 'Chairman'!" his father growled.

The woman watching frowned again. She couldn't understand why this man was so harsh to his son but acted favorably towards others. What kind of parent did that?

"What do you think you're doing?!" Tamaki yelled. "Remove your hands at once, please!"

The woman's attention was drawn away from them as a loud slap echoed out across the entire room and all chatter silenced. She turned around to find that Kyoya was the recipient of the slap. His glasses clattered to the ground as his father turned away from him. Kyoya knelt down to pick up his glasses, expertly hiding his face.

"Is this how my son has been wasting his time?" Kyoya's father asked angrily.

"That's Kyo-chan's father, isn't it?" Honey inferred.

"Yes," Mori answered simply.

"You're an embarrassment to the Otori name," Kyoya's father growled. He angrily walked away from his son and began conversing with Tamaki's father as the chatter in the room resumed.

The woman sighed heavily. It looked like her work was cut out for her. She hadn't realized just how bad things were here. She was going to have more work than she had anticipated.

All the other hosts quickly ran over to Kyoya.

"Kyoya, are you all right?" Tamaki asked his best friend.

"Your dad is so mean!" Hikaru told him.

"You should never ever hit someone who's wearing glasses!" Honey said.

Kaoru's eyes narrowed a little. "I don't think it's really about that."

"Senpai, he wasn't upset with you because of the Host Club, was he?" Haruhi asked cautiously.

Tamaki gasped a little as he took a step back. Could he really be to blame for Kyoya's father's harshness towards his son?

Kyoya pushed past all of the concerned hosts. "Don't worry about it. It's not like I haven't been expecting this."

The woman watched as Kyoya discreetly left the room without anyone else noticing. She quickly followed after him.

It was no secret to anyone that Kyoya rarely displayed emotion. In fact, it wasn't until Tamaki entered his life did he finally begin to show his true colors. But even after the two of them became friends, Kyoya was still closed off to everyone. And if he ever did show any kind of emotion, he never allowed anyone else to know.

So he was extremely embarrassed when a young woman knelt down in front of him as he sat against the wall in a heap, tears coming from his eyes. He hadn't meant to cry. At first, it was just his eyes watering as a reflex from the pain of his father's rough hand coming in contact with his cheek. But after a while, he couldn't stop the tears from coming to his eyes try as he might.

The woman in front of him looked to be only a few years older than him, possibly nineteen or twenty, and she was wearing a light blue spaghetti strap dress. Her light blonde hair seemed to almost glow before him. She had an exquisite face that would make any man go weak at the knees. He wondered how he didn't notice her presence before. Surely she had been with the Host Club just a few moments ago.

She gingerly held out a tissue for him with a sad smile. His first instinct was to swat her hand away, but instead he chose to take the tissue from her. If he was being honest, he needed it.

Her eyes saddened even more as she saw the red mark left on his cheek from his father's hand.

"It's all right," she said to him softly.

Her voice…it was like the most beautiful music he had ever heard.

"Your father should not have done that. No parent should ever hit their child, no matter how angry they are."

"You don't understand…" Kyoya said with a more strained voice than he would've liked.

"I understand more than you think, Kyoya. I'm so sorry that this happened to you. But from what I see, you are stronger than him in more ways than one. You can prove him wrong. Without you, this club never would've functioned. I know how brilliant you are. If being in the Host Club is what you love, keep doing it. Show him that you know exactly what you're doing and that this isn't a waste of time. Because as much as it may seem like it, I know that it's not. Being in this club is prepping you for the real things later in life."

Kyoya looked at the woman in front of him in disbelief. "Who are you?"

She gave him a beautiful smile. "You can call me Angelina."

"Well…thank you, Angelina."

Angelina gently reached out and touched his red cheek, her thumb gently rubbing a tear away. He didn't know what it was, but as soon as she touched him, a lot of the sting went away.

"Will you be okay?"

Kyoya nervously cleared his throat and stood up, now realizing that he actually towered over Angelina despite their difference in age. "Yes, I'm fine. Now if you'll excuse me, I should be returning to my post."

Angelina looked after him. The young man definitely knew how to hide his emotions. She was very well aware that he was mortified she had seen him in such a state. But she also knew that he needed at least one person to be there for him in that moment.

She had the utmost confidence that very soon, he was going to show his father exactly what he was capable of.

When Angelina walked back into the room, she saw Tamaki's father speaking with him lowly.

"Whims have consequences, Tamaki. Take my word for it. They do not come cheaply for people like us. Accept it. Life is hard. It's time for you to grow up and realize that dreaming only postpones the inevitable."

Angelina took note of the way Tamaki looked at Haruhi as she entertained some of the guests.

"Start thinking about the future, son. If you plan on becoming head of the Suou family, there's a long hard road ahead of you. You're going to have to live with the choices you make for the rest of your life. I advise you to think very carefully about what it is you really want, before it's too late." The doors at the top of the steps opened. "Now look sharp. Your grandmother is here."

An old woman escorted by two other people in formal business suits came down the steps.

Tamaki's eyes brightened as he ran over to the old woman. "Grandmother! I'm so glad you could come!"

"Aw, that's so sweet!" Haruhi smiled as she joined the other hosts. "So, that's Tamaki-senpai's grandmother?"

"I hate that woman," Honey muttered.

Haruhi was a bit taken aback at Honey's unusually bold statement.

"Please come in," Tamaki said politely. "Take a seat."

Tamaki's grandmother walked past him, moving away from his extended arm. "Don't patronize me. Filthy child."

Angelina sighed and shook her head. This was going to be tougher than she thought.

"Lady Éclair, come over here for a moment, please."

A woman wearing a scarlet dress began walking over to the elderly woman, twirling her opera glasses behind her back. Her eyes were a vibrant blue, standing out against her brown hair.

"Hey, I was just…" Haruhi started.

"What?" the twins asked her.

"For the remainder of the day and tomorrow, you will be Lady Éclair's personal escort," Tamaki's grandmother said without looking at him. Tamaki didn't answer her. "What's wrong? I gave you an order."

Éclair smiled seductively and looked at Tamaki through her opera glasses. "Hello there, Tamaki," she said with a small laugh.

Tamaki looked at Éclair for a few moments before giving her smile. A smile Angelina could see was clearly fake. It looked like Kyoya was not the only one who knew how to disguise his emotions.

"Very well, Grandmother," Tamaki said. "I will do everything in my power to ensure her happiness…just as you wish." He put his hand on Éclair's back and began escorting her out of the room. "Come, my princess. Let us be off."

Angelina watched as Tamaki and Éclair left the room much to the shock of the other hosts.

All of the usual brightness and fire in Tamaki's eyes had gone, forever lost to Éclair's coldness. The same could be said for Haruhi. The look in her eyes had gone too.

"Tama-chan isn't coming back, is he?" Honey asked dejectedly.

"So, does he really plan to spend—"

"—the entire fair escorting some stranger?" Kaoru finished his brother's sentence.

"Éclair, right? Or something like that."

"Who is she to him? That's the mystery."

"I can tell you," Renge said, coming up to the group.

"Oh, Renge," the twins chorused.

"Éclair Tonnerre. She's the youngest daughter of the renowned French Tonnerre family.
They descend from royalty."

"Indeed," Kyoya added from his laptop. "The family has quite a history. Their wealth is something of a legend among financial heavyweights. In fact, just being associated with them makes you part of a very elite group. They also own Grand Tonnerre, a firm that's been buying up a lot of businesses in Japan lately. Of course, that doesn't explain why Lady Éclair has come here to visit Tamaki."

Angelina thought about what Kyoya was explaining to the other hosts. She saw the way Éclair dealt with Tamaki and the look in her eye when she walked out with him. That woman was going to cause nothing but trouble. She needed to help these guys set things straight and fast.

When the other hosts went to go change uniforms, Angelina wandered the halls of the academy, hoping to find some answers. She could hear faint piano music playing and followed the sound. The beautiful music abruptly stopped and she could make out voices.

By the time she got to the door of the music room, she could hear Tamaki exclaiming happily, "Oh, Haruhi! So, is it true? Is it true? You're actually jealous?"

The door opened and Haruhi angrily stormed out. "Sorry, but no. I guess I'll be leaving now. Some of us have work to do."

Haruhi closed the door and ran into Angelina.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Haruhi said quickly.

"Quite alright," Angelina smiled.

Haruhi looked quite angry. She was trying to hide it, but Angelina knew. And it wasn't just because Tamaki had skipped out on the fair. A light shade of angry pink dusted her cheeks. She wasn't just mad. She was jealous.

Why did all of the hosts desire to hide how they were really feeling?

"I shouldn't keep you. Please, return to your club. The others will be lost without you."

Haruhi chuckled a little, but the small smile didn't reach up to her eyes.

Angelina stayed by the door, listening to the conversation within.

"I would appreciate it if you would not refer to my little girl as a shrew," Tamaki said firmly.

"Your little girl?" Éclair questioned, slightly amused. "They're not real family, Tamaki. So stop playing house."

Tamaki let out a cry of surprise. "What are you doing?!"

"Wouldn't you prefer the real thing? Because I can give it to you, you know."

Angelina clenched her jaw a little. Before things could progress any further, she opened the door.

"Oh, excuse me," she said bashfully at the sight of Tamaki and Éclair on the couch. "I'm sorry to interrupt. It's Tamaki, isn't it?"

Tamaki awkwardly stood up from the couch. "Yes, ma'am."

Angelina looked at him sadly. While Éclair glared daggers at her, he was barely making eye contact with her now. From what she had seen only a few hours ago, Tamaki flirted with every single woman he came in contact with. It was his job as a host after all, and he was the best one in the club. But after the events that had taken place, that spark inside of him had gone.

"I admire your work with the Host Club. Sometimes what a girl needs most is to feel wanted. If you'll excuse me, I'm sorry to disturb you."

She left the room and closed the door behind her. She released a small breath, hoping that things would go a bit smoother now for her and the others.

Angelina headed back to the main room where the rest of the hosts had also changed their clothes. She had a certain feeling that despite her intervention, things hadn't improved.

"Look, I-I just think that he's being even more irresponsible than usual today," Haruhi said to the other hosts bitterly. "You said it yourself, Kyoya-senpai. He's impulsive."

"True," Kyoya answered. "He certainly is. But in this instance, he's obeying the whims of his grandmother."

At that statement, Haruhi's whole perspective changed. Her eyes softened a little, though the brightness never returned. How could it? Her perspective may have changed, but the situation remained the same.

"Um, you know, now that I think about it, Tamaki-senpai's grandmother seemed a little cold toward him earlier," she admitted. "Is there some special reason for that?"

The hosts all exchanged looks with one another, wondering if they should fill Haruhi in on Tamaki's family life that he hardly ever talked about.

"Well, everyone else knows about it," Hikaru said.

"See, Tamaki-senpai is illegitimate," Kaoru added.

"20 some odd years ago, the Suou family patriarch died at a young age. For political reasons, Chairman Yuzuru was rushed into a marriage at the behest of his mother to a woman of her choosing. That's how he became head of the family. But several years later, the Chairman fell passionately in love with a beautiful young woman he met in Paris."

"Not long after, Tama-chan was born," Honey explained. "The Chairman wanted to leave his wife to marry the young woman."

"The boss's grandmother vehemently objected," Kaoru continued. "Because of her poor health, living in Japan proved too difficult for senpai's mother and so she raised him in France until he was 14. His childhood seems to have been a happy one. But as time wore on, the family business on his mother's side went belly-up, and when they were forced into debt—"

"—the boss's grandmother, worried about there being no heir to carry on the family name, came up with a proposal," Hikaru finished.

"She told Tamaki's mother that she would provide money for her to live comfortably and get the proper care," Kyoya told Haruhi. "In exchange, Tamaki had to move to Japan and sever all contact with her forever."

"Wow…" Haruhi mumbled.

"The current patriarch may be Chairman Yuzuru Suou technically, but for the time being, all of the family's assets remain under the control of Tamaki's grandmother. What's more, with his mother's health being so frail, Tamaki understood the grim prospects facing her. She would have to live in debt. So…he decided that he would have to leave her and move to Japan. Not long afterward, either out of anguish or just plain guilt of bartering her son away for financial security, Tamaki's mother left France in shame and went into hiding. Her current whereabouts are unknown. To this day, he's never seen her again, not once."

By now, all the guests had gone, and Angelina was the only other person left in the room who was not host. Luckily for her, they hadn't noticed her presence yet as they continued to tell Tamaki's story to Haruhi. It helped that she was pretty adept at blending in with her surroundings.

"It's easy to feel sorry for him," Kyoya continued. "But the hardships he endured as a child helped mold him into the person he is today. He'll be fine. The Host Club is his refuge, which means when it's all said and done, he still has us."

Angelina smiled to herself. It was nice to hear that amidst everything that had gone wrong so far today, there was a strong bond between all of the Host Club members. A bond that could not easily be broken.

The door at the top of the stairs opened again and Tamaki and Éclair stood at the top.

"Tama-chan!" Honey exclaimed happily.

Tamaki's blonde hair fell over his eyes, masking any hurt and pain he felt at the moment. Kyoya had done the same thing earlier. Éclair was smiling which gave Angelina a very, very bad feeling.

"Everyone, I have an important announcement," Tamaki said, sounding like he was trying not to cry. "As of today, Lady Éclair Tonnerre and I are officially engaged. Furthermore, the Host Club will be permanently dissolved after the Ouran Fair. That is all."

Angelina gasped lightly. This was bad. This was very, very bad.

The aura in the room iced over completely, and the silence was utterly deafening. Haruhi's eyes widened to the size of saucers at the news. The angry light pink came to her cheeks again.

Tamaki was making every effort to not look directly at the other hosts. If he did, he knew that he would hate himself even more than he already did.

Angelina sighed heavily. It looked like she was going to be sticking around longer than she had expected.