One Last Romantic Dance
It was a cool fall night, the last night of the Ouran Festival, and the courtyard was alive with lanterns and dancers as far as one could see through the crowd. Everyone was so happy it seemed to almost erase the events of earlier. The events that almost led to the dissolution of the Host Club and the hastily arranged marriage of their Host King, Tamaki Suoh, to the Lady Éclair. But this was ended by the skills of all the host club members, particularly the bravery of their secret princess in disguise as a host, Haruhi Fujioka, who at the moment Kyoya was watching dance with the ever silent Mori-sempi.
There were three things in life that Kyoya Ootori loved, one of them far more than the other two. The first of these was Haruhi Fujioka. That said he felt no jealousy as Haruhi danced with Mori, as he knew there was no romantic love between them. Kyoya was logical and could read such situations well. Nearby Tamaki was watching Haruhi with upmost jealousy, but he was an idiot and could not read the situation as Kyoya could.
Instead of wasting time with jealousy, Kyoya took the opportunity to fully appreciate the beauty of the girl turning on stone dance floor in Mori's strong arms. Her short hair that swayed in the breeze; the skirts that complimented her slight yet somehow sturdy frame; her large dark eyes that seemed to take in everything even when they were gazing a thousand miles away. Eyes that could see through anything, could tell apart twins thought completely identical, could see through Tamaki's theatrical performances for women to his sincere intentions. Could see through Kyoya's false smiles to his manipulation and then even past that, to the part even Kyoya hadn't realised he had until she mentioned it. She had told him that it was odd to act as if he were malicious when being kind came naturally to him.
An interesting way to look at it, he had replied. Looking back, it might have been because of that sentence that he decided to turn the company back to his father's control after he bought it out from under other investors. Undoubtedly kind… he wondered if he would have done it if Haruhi hadn't made him aware that even the maliciousness was another façade.
But that was, of course, not to be pondered now. Not while Haruhi swept before him, an angel in skirts who had no idea just how important she was to the Host Club, and to him.
Without warning though, Haruhi was released from Mori and Kyoya watched as Tamaki approached the girl. He was sweating, blushing, looking for all the world like an elementary school boy bringing a flower picked from the field to the girl he had a crush on. Even if he had yet to acknowledge it, Tamaki loved Haruhi. It was obvious. As much as Kyoya didn't want to admit it, Haruhi was also at least very fond of Tamaki and if she fell in love with any host it would likely be the king. When it came to women, Kyoya could not complete with his blond friend. He knew that and yet that did not stop him from dashing in and snatching Haruhi before their hands could meet, pulling her into a dance for himself. This was of course, only a delay. She would dance with Tamaki eventually, but Kyoya couldn't help but capture one romantic moment with his love Haruhi before he gave over the angel to Tamaki. He was capturing one last dream.
Having taken in enough of the sight of Haruhi as he watched her sway in other arms, Kyoya closed his eyes to commit every other aspect to firm memory. The sound of their breathing beneath music. The wind that cooled the air heated by the bodies around them. The girl in his arms; so soft, so small, so bold, so blunt, unlike any other girl he'd laid eyes on or had the opportunity to hear. If only he was the only one to love her. If only she loved him back.
But she did not.
Once every feeling of dancing was so ingrained in Kyoya's mind that he could be an old man and still recall each second perfectly, he opened his eyes. Because Haruhi was so short the first thing he saw was not her but the blond standing behind her, looking at both of them with rage in his eyes. He looked so childish, Kyoya nearly laughed.
There were three things in life that Kyoya Ootori loved, the second of these was his best friend, Tamaki Suoh. Before that blond idiot entered his life, he had no one. He was well liked, but liked no one. Every person he met was only a step on the ladder to connections and power. But even as talented as he was at using people, he was always blocked on every side by his position in his family as the third son, and by his own resignation to that role. Until Tamaki came. Tamaki with his stupid ideas, his open affection, his beautiful piano and his startling ability to look past smiles, see the monster within, and yet still want to be around that monster. He was the first to see past him. The first to make him wish for something more and tell him that he had the power to be something more if he only reached out and decided to take it. With Tamaki he experienced things he never had before. He was made angry, made sad, and made happy. So happy. And if Lady Éclair had succeeded in snatching Tamaki away from him, even if it left him with Haruhi, part of Kyoya would have died. With clarity in that moment, watching the blond King in his childish rage- so like him- Kyoya loved his friend dearly. Very dearly.
With resolve, Kyoya released his adored Haruhi and pushed her playfully toward Tamaki. He caught her easily and when both pairs of innocent eyes gazed at him in confusion Kyoya only bowed. A smile was on his face, but he wasn't worried about his two perspective loves seeing through it. It was genuine.
Because as Tamaki and Haruhi began to dance, looking at each other with warm smiles their happiness seemed to radiate from them straight into Kyoya's heart and in the cool fall air he felt warmer than he ever had.
There were three things in life that Kyoya Ootori loved. The first of these was Haruhi Fujioka. The second of these was Tamaki Suoh. But the third he loved far more than either of the others. And the third was seeing his two loves together; together and happy.
So Kyoya witnessed with a warm, peaceful smile, content to observe this vision of loveliness dance on this magical, cool fall night.