Disclaimer: I don't own OHSHC, nor the song Niji by Ninomiya Kazunari, which this is based on.
Haruhi stood outside in the rain. The drops gently slid down her face, mixing with the tears already there. They'd had another fight, and she'd run out on Tamaki again. She didn't mean to, not really, and certainly not in a storm.
There had to be something wrong with her.
She had the perfect guy: beautiful, strong, protective, kind, but all she could do was fight with him. This time it was over a statuette. Of a dog. That was it. But she'd spent so much time looking for one that looked just like Antoinette for his birthday, only to find the exact same one on his mantle when she visited the mansion. He'd just happened to find it in a window as he walked home that night, and it had taken her months to finally find a store.
It might have been selfish of her, but she'd taken the one he bought and was on her way to her usual spot. The rose garden at Ouran was full of hiding spots where she could stash it, at least until she calmed down some. It wasn't the first time something like this had happened.
The gate to their school was the same as always, and closed as it should be. Haruhi pulled out a key she'd copied from Kyoya, but stopped. The lock hung open on the chains.
She pushed the gate open, the bottom scraping the dirt road leading to the school. It shut behind her, barely making a sound, but she didn't notice.
Her footsteps seemed to echo in the emptiness of the grounds as she made her way to the maze. She tilted her head to the sky, letting the raindrops fall down her face. The path was familiar to her, and she didn't need to watch where she was going.
The maze was in full bloom, roses sprouting everywhere. She stood at the entrance, held the statue in her hand, then opened the small gate that blocked the entrance. There was no hesitation in her steps, as the twists and turns were second nature to her by now.
The small gazebo where they'd hid the first time the Host Club played hide and seek came into view, but she stopped before approaching it. There was already someone there, someone with blonde hair.
It stopped raining then, as she asked him why he was there, and the setting sun dyed the sky red and orange. He smiled, but shook his head in amusement, and said that she never changed, no matter how much time passed.
She stuck out her bottom lip in a pout and turned her back to him. His hair fell back from his face as he pushed himself off the muddy ground and began to walk towards her.
He stopped before he reached her side and apologized for getting upset over her anger. Haruhi didn't say anything, but gestured toward their shadows – they overlapped, and he knew he was forgiven, the same way he knew she was silently asking his forgiveness as well. He held out his hand, and they walked back home.
They were window shopping together for things to put in their new Boston apartment. It was raining gently, the water sounding like small pebbles hitting their umbrellas. Haruhi darted up to a home goods store and began talking excitedly – apparently the store was having a sale – but when Tamaki went to follow her, he stumbled and fell against the brick wall of the store.
Haruhi began laughing at him, and he pouted, blaming his temporary lack of grace on her and her umbrella, which had caught his as he tried to stand next to her.
Her gentle smile makes him forget everything as she held out her hand. He gripped it as if she would disappear if he let go. Her chocolate brown eyes questioned him, but he merely smiled and held her hand a little tighter in response.
She pulled him into the store, careful not to let him fall again. The small smile still graced her lips, and he thought she was the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen. The girls they'd entertained a couple years ago would never compare.
She was the most precious thing in his life; she was his heart, and he would die if she ever left him. So he just held her hand, wishing he could keep her by his side forever.
Tamaki bent down on one knee, a modest ring nestled in a jewelry box as he asked her to be his for eternity. He knew she wouldn't want anything large, and he wanted to tie her to him in every possible way, so he would do things her way.
At first she didn't say anything – she was too shocked at his proposal, and it took time to process – but then she pushed her bottom lip out in a pout and told him to put her ring on her finger. She blushed slightly at her command, and apologized to him.
Before he could say anything, she knelt to the ground in front of him and kissed him on the lips. They were in their gazebo at Ouran, and it was sprinkling lightly. A drop of rain slid down the petals of a rose – the only one still in bloom – and landed on the tip of Tamaki's nose. Haruhi giggled and continued to kiss him.
Their future was shrouded in darkness and uncertainty, but Tamaki didn't care. Her father hated him for taking away his precious daughter, and his grandmother hated both of them. It would be a long and strenuous journey for them, and there was nothing he could do. The only thing he knew was that he could never let such a beautiful creature get away from him.
He pulled her close and refused to let go. She would be spoiled by him, and live the life of a princess that most girls could only dream about, but it was okay. He would do anything for her happiness, as long as he was the one he chose.
The rain fell harder as they stayed in the gazebo, holding onto each other as if the world was ending.
Haruhi stood beside Renge, her heart pounding in her chest. Today was their day, and she couldn't calm down. The guests were already in the church. Every girl who'd ever visited the Host Club waited anxiously for the King to finally marry the girl he loved. Tamaki's business associates were also attending, as well as other lawyers from her firm.
But she couldn't bring herself to leave the dressing room.
There was a soft knock on the door, and Renge opened the door to let Tamaki in. With a look that promised death if they took too long, she darted out the door and let it slam shut behind her. Haruhi flinched, sure that Tamaki was angry.
Neither one said anything, and the longer the silence went on, the worse Haruhi felt. Eventually she broke it, with just a mumbled apology. The mask was still in place – his lips didn't turn up into the smile they normally would have, but Haruhi didn't even see that. She kept her head bowed and turned away from him. Her hand gripped the smooth silk of her wedding dress.
Tamaki shook his head as he crossed the room to stand in front of her. He asked her why she couldn't do it, but all she could do was shake her head in denial.
Her answer didn't satisfy him, and he asked her if she loved him, to say the three words she could never seem to make her mouth form. But he knew her, and knew how stubborn she was. So he turned around and left, dropping a single red rose on the table outside her door.
The tears began to fall, slipping from her eyes and mirroring the rain against the window. Time passed, but she didn't know how much. She was only woken from her pain by another knock on the door.
She asked, begged, and pleaded for the person beyond to leave, to walk away and leave her alone. But the doorknob turned, and the older of the red-headed twins walked in. He closed the distance between them, just as Tamaki had, but pulled her into his arms. She let herself cry in earnest, knowing that Hikaru would be there for her no matter what.
He asked her the same question – if she loved Tamaki – but this time she knew that her pain wasn't just that of being alone. Hikaru was there now, but the pain in her heart had only worsened. She knew that her tears were for Tamaki.
She nodded into Hikaru's chest, and he only pulled her closer. His breath brushed against her ear as he spoke, and told her the secret he'd kept from her for so long, that he was in love with her. But he knew, like his twin did as well, that it was time for him to move on, to let her go and be with the man she truly loved.
She thanked Hikaru and pushed him out the door so she could fix her makeup. It hurt them both, but it was necessary. They were only friends, and that's all they ever could be. With one last smile at the mirror, Haruhi pushed the door open to meet the beginning of the rest of her life.
She stood at the altar beside Tamaki, and their smiles gave others hope. If they could make things work, then anyone could. Tamaki leaned down to kiss Haruhi at the end, and told her that even he was insecure, that sometimes he just needed to hear her say those three little words, especially on the day that were wed.
Her smile outshone all the others as she said what he'd been longing to hear, making even the rainy day seem to glow.
Tamaki held a bouquet of roses in his hand as he walked across the spring grass. It was happy day, a day to remember and celebrate, and nothing would bring him down. There was a bench next to him, and he took a moment to rest before he saw her. It had been a while, since he'd been on a business trip.
He'd missed her terribly, but now he would get to see his beloved Haruhi. His palms were a little sweaty, and his heart was pounding in his chest. He wondered if she was watching him then, laughing in amusement at his awkwardness. So he picked up the bouquet and kept walking.
When he saw her again, he told her how much he'd missed her, and apologized for having been away. He also told her how proud her was their oldest son, Kyoya Suoh, who had given his first presentation as head of the Suoh company to the board.
He laid on the grass beside her and looked up at the sky, and commented on how beautiful the rainbow was. But then he shook his head and told her that she was so much prettier than a rainbow could ever hope to be. The bouquet rested in his left hand, and he seemed to remember it at that moment.
The roses seemed to shine with life as he placed them on the grave beside him. He smiled and traced the words on her headstone before bringing himself to his feet. The sun shone on him, and the rain drops that were left shimmered in the light. He sighed as he looked back at her, and said the words he meant from the bottom of his heart.
"Thank you."