Pillar of Support: An Ouran High School Host Club Fiction by Danielle Winters

"I'm sorry. We did everything we could." The doctor said. Haruhi just stood there and nodded. The doctor squeezed her shoulder tightly as if to give her strength. "Fujioka-san, you may go see your father." He added,

Haruhi slowly opened the door of her father's hospital room. She saw him, lying motionless on the bed. His head tilted and his eyes wide open but it held a dull and lifeless look. Haruhi fought her tears from falling down. She approached the lifeless body of her father, She touched his arm; it was rigid and yet it still held some warmth. She touched her father's head and slowly moved her hand downwards so that she would be able to close the eyes of her father.

"We were so a like in many ways dad. We didn't want to worry each other. If you had told me that you were already sick before I left to study abroad, I would have stayed here to take care of you. But at the end of the day…" Haruhi choked up and could not find any means to stop herself from crying anymore. She embraced her father and cried her heart out.

It was in this state that Ootori Kyoya saw Fujioka Haruhi. When he arrived, he saw a doctor came out from Fujioka Ryoiji's room. The doctor shook his head and it was from there that he confirmed his worst assumptions. Fujioka Ryoji passed away. Kyoya saw Haruhi cry for the first time. He approached her and saw that she was embracing the lifeless Ranka-san, as what all of them would fondly call him. He stroked Haruhi's back gently. Haruhi felt his hand and looked behind her. She saw Kyoya who had a sad yet concerned look on his eyes. Unable to stop herself anymore, she embraced him and cried hard.

"Sempai, if only I knew…if only I knew…I would have stayed here and made the most out of our time together…" Haruhi said in between her sobs. Kyouya just embraced her tightly and stroked her back gently.

"Ranka-san wanted the best for her only daughter." Was all he could say. He was known to be a heartless person and yet in the presence of the only female host member, he could feel a variety of emotions took over his body. He wanted to cry with Haruhi as well but right now, what the girl needed is a strong pillar of support.

"I wanted the best for him as well." Haruhi said.

"It is hard to fathom how a father loves his daughter Haruhi. Your father knew that there a lot of opportunities that await you and he didn't want to be a hindrance. In his own way Haruhi, your father was ensuring that you will have a bright and successful future." Kyouya explained but deep inside him, he was mustering all the courage he had to tell those words. He didn't want to sound heartless or uncaring but somehow, in the deepest recesses of his mind, he believed that this is what Ranka wanted for her daughter. After all, he was the closest member of the host club to him. He knew how much Ranka-san loved Haruhi to the point that he sometimes envied Haruhi for having such a supportive father, who was willing to give away anything and everything for her only daughter.

"Sempai, I'll say goodbye to otousan. Can you leave me alone for a minute?" She requested as she wiped her tears. He nodded in agreement and left her alone in the room. Upon hearing the door close, Haruhi again embraced her father whose body was turning cold. "Otousan, I love you. I know you are with okasan and that the two of you are happy up above us. I will take care of myself and graduate from Law School to make the two of you proud. I'm sorry I wasn't able to tell you how much I love you when you were alive otousan. I'm sorry if I don't talk much about myself and seems to be going my own way. But I know, deep inside me otousan, you knew how much I love you without me even telling it. It's not yet goodbye otousan for I know, someday, I will see you and kaa-san again." Haruhi kissed her father's forehead and then she pulled the white blanket over his head.

Kyouya was patiently standing outside when he saw the door open and Haruhi came out. He extended his hand to her which she took and held on tightly. Kyouya asked permission from Haruhi if he could also have a few minutes with Ranka-san before he was taken away to the funeral home. Haruhi nodded in agreement. Kyouya entered the room and after a few minutes he came out.

It was a bright and breezy Saturday morning when Ryoji "Ranka" Fujioka was interred. It was Hani-sempai who carried Ranka-san's picture. Mori-sempai, Tamakai, Kaoru, Hikaru, Kasanoda and Kyouya who carried Ranka's casket while Haruhi walked behind her father's casket, Ranka-san was like a surrogate father and best friend to everyone in the host club. He joined their crazy antics but strict at times as well. All of them laughed when he blocks off Tamaki's crazy attempts to please him. The internment ceremony was intimated, attended only by close friends of Haruhi and Ranka. When the Ranka's casket was being lowered in the ground, Haruhi fought back the tears but Kyouya held her shoulder tightly and pulled her closer to him. They threw white lilies on the ground as the casket descended. He was being buried beside Fujioka Kotoko.

After the internment ceremony, Haruhi and Kyoya stayed for a few minutes. Both of them were silent. They held each other's hand in their silence, and no one was letting go of the other.

"Sempai…arigato." Haruhi said

"No thanks is needed Haruhi." Kyouya retorted

"What did you tell otousan?" She inquired.

Kyouya pushed his glasses higher on the bridge of his nose. The glasses glimmered from the sun's rays and it hid Kyoya's eyes from Haruhi's view. "It's something between us Haruhi." He said as he squeezed Haruhi's hand. Haruhi just smiled at him.

"Haruhi, Kyouya." Tamaki called out as he approached them. Haruhi extended her hand to Tamaki which he took and held on tightly. He stood in silence with them. Tamaki was holding Haruhi's left hand while Kyouya was holding her right hand. "Ranka-san, rest assured that I will take care of your daughter and ensure her happiness." Tamaki said. He and Haruhi looked at each other. Looking past Tamaki, the rest of the host club were already waiting for them. Tamaki pulled her hand gently and in return Haruhi pulled Kyouya's hand. Kyouya let go of Haruhi's hand. He watched her walk with Tamaki, hand in hand, towards the rest of the host club members.

Kyouya looked at Ranka's grave again and smiled gently. He remembered what he said to Ranka's lifeless body at the hospital.

"I will take care of your daughter, ensure her happiness and watch over her for the rest of my life even if it's not me whom she chooses."

OWARI

Author's Note:

OHSHC is not mine. It was created for us by Bisco Hatori-sensei.

I am dedicating this fanfiction to my father who passed away 13th April 2012. I am missing him already but I know that he is watching over us right now. My dad will be interred tomorrow, 21st of April and he will be celebrating his 62nd birthday on Sunday, 22nd of April. Wherever you are papa, I know I wasn't able to say this often when you were alive but I wanted you to know, I love you so much pa!