Mitsukuni ate cake as he always did. He laughed and played his cutesy role well as he always did. However, something was clogging his mind. His friends could tell. His smile didn't reach its fullest, he wasn't eating as much cake. At first, they thought he was feeling sick. However, after Haruhi checked, she confirmed he wasn't warm, and he wasn't complaining of a stomachache. That couldn't be it. What could it be? None of them knew, not even his ever-silent best friend, who was just as perplexed by the situation. Whenever Takashi questioned Mitsukuni, his cousin would always just smile and say it was nothing for others to worry about.
It was his to worry about and his alone.
Haruhi sat with Reiko and Mei, the three of them had gotten accustomed to hanging out with each other oddly. They weren't exactly the perfect friends. Reiko was a more foreboding and quiet girl. Mei was outspoken and sometimes brash. Haruhi was blunt but kind. The Host Club wasn't serving anyone that day, but they were all required to stay for a while to go over future cosplays and work out the university hosts schedules for the next couple of weeks.
"Why is he so distant?" Mei asked, leaning on her elbow and staring towards the cousin sitting across the room. "Normally when we're here, neither of those boys stay away."
"Are exams coming up?" Haruhi asked, frowning. University schooling was different than high school and she wasn't use to the way it worked. She had read up about it quite a bit, but nothing beat actually experiencing something to figure it out. She lifted up her cup as Reiko shook her head.
"He already took his tests," she commented blandly, taking a small piece of cake and eating it. "He has something on his mind but he won't tell anyone what. His aura is very bleak at the moment. I am worried about him." Her usually void face turned down with worry, revealing to the girls her emotions. Her dark eyes watching Mitsukuni as he ate some cake slower than usual. Haruhi frowned and turned towards them. Takashi looked over, offering a one armed shrug before turning back as his cousin started to talk again.
"Maybe you should talk to him about it," Mei suggested, staring at the cup in her hand, "I mean Valentine's Day is coming up. You gotta be all cutesy and couply on that day."
"Oh! Isn't that tomorrow?" Haruhi asked, looking surprised and pulling a pocket calendar from her bag and looking at the date curiously. She let out a light curse and shook her head, "I need to prepare some chocolates then."
"Kanazuki-chan, you and Haruhi should make chocolates together. Show him them tomorrow to show that you care," Mei said thumping her fist lightly against the table, enough to make the china clatter.
"Isn't it rather rude for me to invite myself over?" Reiko questioned, raising her teacup up, her blank face back up.
"If you are free, I don't mind if you come over. Making chocolates is much more fun when you have someone there. It takes a lot of time," Haruhi replied with a smile, the words and the smile combined made the guys close enough to hear her swoon. Tamaki floated to the ground with happiness, dreaming about Haruhi offering him chocolates the next day. The cousins paused in their sparse conversation to watch as Tamaki wriggled on the ground, and Haruhi's eyebrow raise before the twins commented. Mei laughed as Haruhi looked on blandly. Reiko wasn't paying attention to the group, but instead was watching Mitsukuni intently.
"I should curse him."
"Eee?" Mei's voice raised, looking at the girl, "That's no way to get a guy to pay attention!"
"Exactly how do you get a guy to pay attention, Mei-chan?" Haruhi asked as she poured them all more tea, a habit she had developed during the Host Club. Mei smirked and slid her eyes over to the cousins who were back into their conversation if nothing happened.
"Well, if you aren't dating the guy you try to make him jealous. If you are, you remind him how lucky he is to be your boyfriend," Mei said quirking an eyebrow, "Which one are you going to use this Valentine's Day, Ha-ru-hi?"
"Don't say my name like that, the twins and Tamaki do it enough," Haruhi groaned, rubbing her forehead and sighing, completely missing the implication Mei had said. "Back to the chocolates, do you want to come over Reiko-chan?"
"Yes, if that is alright with you, Haruhi-chan."
"Of course, I think we can leave now," Haruhi spoke kindly. Reiko nodded, and the three girls gathered their things. Haruhi spoke to Kyouya before heading over. "I need to make a pit stop over at the grocery store to pick up some ingredients, so I'll be heading the opposite direction. I think we should meet up tomorrow morning to make the chocolates." she added as they left, not noticing Takashi and Mitsukuni looking after them. Takashi looked down at his cousin and ruffled his hair with a smile.
"She makes you happy," Takashi hummed quietly as the twins and Tamaki bickered and moaned about not being able to see Haruhi cook chocolates. "It is a good choice."
"I just hope Rei-chan wants to..." Mitsukuni mumbled staring at his hands before digging into the cake, "Thanks Takashi!"
-X
After a failed attempt by Reiko, Haruhi helped the rich girl more and soon they were decorating the chocolates. Idly chatting about nothing. Occasionally Haruhi would inquire about Reiko's club and her cursing hobby, but more often than not they were discussing their respective romantic interest, or in Reiko's case, her boyfriend. Haruhi finished and placed her chocolates onto a plate before placing them into the fridge to cool. Reiko was taking more time to decorate hers. Adding pink bunnies to some and curse symbols to others. When asked about them, she said they were good curses. Long life, happy life. Things like that. Haruhi had smiled at that.
Reiko finished and placed them into the fridge as well before they sat down and enjoyed some tea that Haruhi had prepared while they made chocolates. "I hope he accepts your chocolates," Reiko commented lightly after they finished eating and were sipping tea quietly. "He is a good man. I can add a curse to steal his heart to your chocolates if you wish?"
"Ah, no," Haruhi said with a smile, "I'd rather be rejected than to have him love me because of a curse. Figuring out who a person is through all the ups and down is better than fallacies."
"Even if I added the curse, he wouldn't be affected. He has a strong sense of self and-"
"Reiko-chan," Haruhi interrupted lightly. "Are you worried that Hani-senpai was affected by a curse and that he doesn't love you anymore?"
Reiko stared at the teacup for a while before shyly nodding. It was silent for the longest time as they sat silently. "You are good friends with him, do you know if...?"
"I'm not sure about curses and auras and things like that," Haruhi said softly, "However, I do know that he wouldn't feign affections as the affections he gives you."
The woman smiled warmly at Haruhi before they finished making the chocolates. Haruhi put hers in a clear box and put a red ribbon around it and placed it back into the fridge. Reiko put hers into a clear box, put clear wrapping paper around it and tied it off with a pink ribbon and a bunny charm. Haruhi smiled. Knowing that Mitsukuni would love it so much. They said goodbye. "He loves you, don't worry about it," Haruhi spoke up, "Even if I'm considered dense in these subjects."
"He loves you," Reiko replied with a soft smile, "Why else would he be visiting you without his cousin?" Haruhi looked towards the stairs in surprise, and indeed saw the tall man standing their looking a bit awkward. Haruhi gave him an awkward smile before bowing slightly to Reiko.
"Good luck!"
"Too you as well, Haruhi."
"See you later, Reiko."
The woman walked past Takashi, who bowed his head with a smile and then walked up to Haruhi. She invited him in with a smile, and saw Reiko smiling at the sight. She waved before entering her apartment after Takashi. He stared down at her, looking awkward still. "I'm sorry."
"Why?" she asked, wondering if he was already rejecting her affections even if, she hadn't made them known.
"For coming uninvited..." he trailed off, looking off to the side. Haruhi let out a discrete sigh. Thank god, he didn't reject her.
"Actually," she said with a smile, and heading to the fridge, "I wanted to give you something."
-X
Reiko stood at the park with the package of chocolates in her hands. Waiting for her boyfriend to show up. She was nervous. What if he broke up with her? What if he didn't want the chocolates? What if he was actually cursed that entire time and he didn't love her anymore? It was nerve wracking to her. It was hard enough to communicate with him at certain times that involved access romance, but near Valentine's Day? She was ready to just hide under a rock and forget about her responsibilities until it passed and lovey dovey stuff was taken down from stores.
Someone tapped her shoulder and she turned around to see a smiling face that made her heart flutter. A light blush dusted her cheeks as he gave her a quick kiss. She extended her hands slightly and Mitsukuni smiled largely.
"Did you make this, Rei-chan?" he asked taking the chocolates as she nodded and looking at the details before grinning. "It's beautiful! I love it! I bet the chocolates will taste really yummy! Specially since you made them!"
She smiled slightly, happy by his praise. He took her hand and led her to a bench to sit down. He opened the bag and the box before tasting one of the pink bunny chocolates and grinning. "It's so yummy! Just as good as any cakes!" he praised, kissing her cheek and offering her a chocolate to taste. She held up a hand with a shy smile.
"I made them for you," she commented. He shook his head an reoffered the chocolate. Finally, she accepted and she tasted it. Sure, they weren't the worst chocolates. Reiko knew that he was just saying they were as delicious as any cake because she made them. A smile spread on her lips, a genuine one. Not a shy one or an awkward one. She kissed her boyfriends cheek. It wasn't a curse. She knew it then. A curse couldn't make someone stop loving something they were passionate about for a while. If she had accidently cast a love curse on him, then he probably would have said that they were almost as good as cakes. He was genuine.
"Come, Rei-chan! I planned the entire day out for us!" he called excitedly. So, she was dragged about the entire day. Doing various things about the park, and since it was celebrating Valentine's Day there were many vendors and street performers there. Reiko held a pink balloon as her boyfriend munched on some cotton candy. Her chocolates still being savoured by him. Something she knew he would do if he enjoyed something. It made her heart flutter.
They returned to the same bench and Reiko turned towards him. Doing various hand motions shyly. The man stared at her curiously before smiling. "A curse wouldn't have made me fall in love with you, silly!" he said kissing her hand and squeezing it. "I love you because you are you and not anyone else! You have a love for something and you wouldn't give it completely up, just like I wouldn't give up cake. You are really unique, Reiko!"
"You are unique as well, Mitsukuni," she said quietly. Mitsukuni didn't reply, just stared at her hand for the longest time. She got nervous until he finally hopped off the bench and bent down, smiling at her.
"Rei-chan, I love you a lot. More than cake, I can say! I hope that you love me more than curses, because I wanna ask you to marry me," he said as he pulled out a box from his pocket and opened it. Inside was a silver ring with a fair sized white diamond with two black diamonds beside it. He had picked it because it reminded him of her, and not himself. He wanted to get something that she would wear instead of something that he would want her to wear. Reiko was silent her face bright red as she stared at the ring. Slowly she nodded and Mitsukuni cheered kissing her. Excited as he began chattering away at how relieved he was and how he had been worrying that she wouldn't want to marry him because he was too obsessed with cake and cute things. After a while, Reiko laughed gently.
"Mitsukuni," she lifted her left hand, still void of the ring. He blushed and quickly slid the ring onto her finger and kissed her.
"I love you Rei-chan!" he said resting his forehead against hers. She smiled, quite relieved by the day. All the tension over the last few days removed from her shoulders. Their phones both went off at the same time, tearing them from the moment. They both blushed in embarrassment before pulling out their phones and looking at the texts. "Ne, wanna go on a double date for dinner?" he questioned looking up with a smile, "I wanna tell Takashi about you saying yes in person! He has a date too!"
"Haruhi is quite relieved," Reiko said with a laugh, "I would like to tell Haruhi in person as well."
"You guys stopped using honorific's for each other!" Mitsukuni said looking entirely pleased. He kissed his girlfriend again, hugging her tightly. "This Valentine's Day is the best!"
A/N: Happy V-Day! Spending it alone again *rests face against desk* Oh well, don't care that much. That just means I don't have to spend money on someone, or have someone spend like a bajillion bucks on me.
I honestly really like the Reiko x Hunny pairing, it's really cute.