The secret to a rich life is to have more beginnings than endings.
-David Weinbaum
Haruhi set down her pencil and let out a great sigh. Her last final of the fall semester was complete, meaning she was one step closer in finishing her Pre-Law degree. After the test was handed up, students began to gloves and hats and slowly filing toward the door.
Once outside the prickling cold made Haruhi's pace even more brisk as she headed a few streets down from campus to the best house on the block. It was a roomy 3 bedroom apartment, not your common bachelor pad, but Tamaki Suou and Kyoya Otori weren't your everyday bachelors. She rang the door bell only once before the door flew open.
"Haruhi, Haruhi!!! I've been waiting for hours! How was the test? Was it terribly hard? Of course not, NOT for my genius daughter… To think after next semester she'll be graduating and heading to law school. She's practically a grown woman now!" Tamaki squeezed his precious 'daughter' into a bear hug.
"Tamaki it's freezing out here. Let me in."
"Oh, oh my! Come in, you can't get sick over break."
As Haruhi passed through the threshold into the warmth she heard the familiar tip tap of Kyoya's fingers rapidly moving across his laptop. "Good evening, Haruhi. I trust your exam went well."
"Yes sempai, as expected." Haruhi spied a faint smirk on Kyoya's lips. These days any form of a smile was rare from him.
"Are you listening to me? I found this great place to go celebrate! It's a short walk. Let's get going, not time to waste when there's fun to be had!"
"Tamaki-sempai, I'm tired. I don't really―"
"Please, this is monumental. We have to celebrate."
"Fine, sempai, we'll do it you your way." Tamaki danced around the room at Haruhi's approval. She knew if she didn't give in he would never shut up.
"Let's go. No time to waste, no lollygagging," Tamaki continued pushing Haruhi through the door until he reached the first step outside, "Uhh that means you too, Kyoya."
"You'll have to excuse me tonight. I'm very busy," Kyoya said barely looking up from the screen.
"That excuse won't work tonight, my friend. This is about Haruhi; forget your business stuff for one night."
Kyoya glared at the idiot across the room. He had no idea how important this 'business stuff' and Haruhi were to him. With outstretched hands Tamaki pleaded, "Kyoya you're working yourself to death with med school and your work. Take a break to be with your friends for once." He snapped his laptop shut, surrendering as he got his coat and scarf.
'For Haruhi, for myself," he thought. Tamaki's giddiness boiled over as he animated them in the right direction. Kyoya fell into step behind his friends. Even though it may have seemed that school and work were keeping him from spending time with his friends the real reason was right in front of him. Tamaki and Haruhi walked intimately close to one another with barley an inch between them, their shoulders often brushing each other casually. With the twins studying fashion in the US, and Mori and Hunny joining the military (as was expected by their parents) it had just been the three of them.
Kyoya had noticed that Tamaki and Haruhi bonds were growing stronger. Haruhi seemed to respect Tamaki more, and Tamaki was sometimes more mature. He was still a selfish, pouty baby who was blind to his own feeling, but he was making an effort to work on it. Kyoya saw it best to bow out gracefully, despite his nagging desire to want to be near Haruhi.
He removed himself from Haruhi's gravitational pull by not attending activities exactly like this adventure they were on now. 'One day,' Kyoya considered, 'Tamaki and Haruhi will get married and I won't allow myself to think how things could be different. This is just how things should be.'
It was a self-inflicted pain, a self-containment Kyoya had perfected. Holding himself back so as not to outshine others, just like he had always done with Tamaki and his brothers was a common practice.
"Kyoya, keep up," Haruhi smiled back at him.
"We're almost there," Tamaki was nearly shaking from excitement. Kyoya's head snapped up, he realized they had gone farther than he thought to the more shady side of Tokyo.
'Where is this idiot leading us?' Kyoya groaned internally.
Tamaki's adventure finally ended at a dank club with a bright pink neon sign that boasted 'Worlds Best Karaoke'
"What are you waiting for? This is going to be so much fun. Whoo!!!" Tamaki sprinted his way inside dragging Haruhi behind him. Kyoya stared at the pink glow the neon cast on the fresh snow on the ground, 'Is this what I wasted my precious time for? It's too far to walk back now. How troublesome.' Inside it was at least warm, but this club did not live up to its sign's promise. Tamaki raised up his hand waving Kyoya to a corner booth.
"I got to go check out the song selection. Come on Haruhi, let's sing a duet!"
"NO." The flat rejection sent Tamaki pouting in the corner for a good moment before the blonde sulked over to the song book and found an old classic, which renewed his previous vigor.
The nasally voice of the present karaoke participant was grating on Kyoya's already thin nerves. 'Might as well take advantage of the drink selection to calm me down,' he thought then turning across the booth to Haruhi and said, "Would you like anything to drink?"
"A Coke would be nice, I need the caffeine," Haruhi smiled weakly.
"I thought he was getting better about not doing these kinds of things," Kyoya said before walking over to the bar.
Over the bars scratchy announcement system boomed, "And our next participant, Tamaki S!" Kyoya took off his glasses and pinched his nose in frustration. Several females that were attracted to Tamaki's good looks, gathered around the stage. They swayed with Tamaki, singing the sappy love ballad all in sync.
With drinks in hand Kyoya made it back to the booth right as he belted out the last, 'my heart will go on and on.' When the song ended and the cheers ended Tamaki said, "Thank you my princesses, for you my heart will sing forevermore." Bowing in typical prince fashion he started to make his way off the stage. Through the throng of girls Haruhi saw Tamaki stop and pull out his phone. Almost immediately after putting the phone to his ear Tamaki's jubilant face changed to one of horror. Haruhi looked over at Kyoya; he had obviously seen it too.
"I have to go," Tamaki distantly reported to his friends as he made it to their booth.
"What's wrong sempai," Haruhi's concern was visible on her face as she waited for a reply.
"Everything will be fine. I'll be back soon," then turning to Kyoya, "Make sure she gets home safe." With that he headed for the door.
"Tamaki explain yourself!" Kyoya demanded as he rushed after him outside, "What happened? You know I'll find out anyway."
A black car pulled up to the curb. Tamaki ignored him and opened the door. But then he stopped and turned around, "I haven't seen you smile in so long my friend. I feel I have failed you. Like I've failed so many close to me…When I return I will make it up to you, I promise."
"You're not making any sense!" Kyoya shouted as the car zoomed away. In his anger/confusion he had barely noticed Haruhi beside him.
"Must have been urgent," she noted. Kyoya didn't reply keeping his eyes on the tire marks left by Tamaki's getaway car. "Guess you should call your driver."
"That's not possible at the moment."
"What!?" Haruhi was in disbelief.
Kyoya started to trudge determinedly back to the house not bothering the answer her question or look at her. Instead he called over his shoulder, "We can make it back to the house before nightfall if we hurry."
As she jogged to catch up with him Haruhi wondered why everything had to be so mysterious and complicated. Where was Tamaki going? Why couldn't Kyoya call his driver? Any why was Kyoya so busy lately? Her questions continued to fall like the snowflakes covering the two unfortunate travelers that slowly made their way through the streets of Tokyo.
Author's Note: Whoa! Where to begin? First of all I'm definitely not a writer. This story has been brewing in my head for forever and I thought if I didn't put it down I would bust. As you may have noticed I put at the beginning of this chapter and I hope to continue doing that. So if you have any quote suggestions let me know!!! Just include where, what, or who the quote is from and maybe it'll end up in the story :D. Till next chapter…