So, this would be my second story on the Host Club fandom. It's a Hikaru/OC fanfic, so I hope you enjoy it. I really don't know where I got this idea from, but I made it up while watching a walkthrough for one of the Fallout: New Vegas DLCs. Don't ask me how I connected Host Club to Fallout, but I did somehow. So, anyways, like I said before, I hope you enjoy it. And review, please, it makes any writer on extremely happy.

Disclaimer: OHSHC belongs to Bisco Hatori because it I owned it, I would still be popping out volumes...and more anime...

Step #1:

Finding A Spark

...\~/...

He hated being rejected. It took a total of three times in love and a handful of failed dates to finally come to this conclusion. Another thing he knew for sure was that his friends had all found someone to cuddle up against on the couch during movie night or leave cheesy Post-Its on the fridge, telling each other to have a good day or to buy milk because the last jug's gone dry. He hated hearing (though he always kept this hatred secret) his brother constantly talk to him over the phone about how he and his girlfriend did this and he and his girlfriend did that and blah, blah, blah. Hell, even Hunny-senpai, who was always deemed cute and the not-boyfriend material had a wife! Don't get him wrong, he was happy for everyone, but being alone and watching everyone interact with their significant other...it got to him after awhile.

Hikaru sighed as he swished his latte around in the Styrofoam cup, chin resting in the palm of his hand. The café he had grown fond of was unusually busy today, but then again, all the college students were hanging out before the Christmas holiday began. His golden eyes scanned the area, frowning when he saw a couple practically joined at the hip in one of the booths, making out without a care in the world. He found it mesmerizing and bothersome at the same time, but he couldn't help but watch. Her fingers were making their way into his hair, entangling themselves, and his hands were grasping tightly onto her waist, one gliding up the side of her body, and cupping...hmm...

"Excuse me, don't you think that belongs in a bedroom?" Hikaru shouted from his seat. "There are people trying to eat here!"

The couple broke apart, the boyfriend sending a dirty look in Hikaru's direction before whispering something to the overly embarrassed girlfriend. Hikaru watched the two of them slide out of their booth, hurrying out of the café, hand in hand. Hikaru frowned, resuming his scanning of the room, eyes flicking from table to table, booth to booth. It seemed like every couple in New York City seemed to have gotten together at this café just to torture him. Every single one of them was touching, kissing, cuddling, doing everything a normal couple would do. And it was beginning to piss him off!

"Um, sir, is everything okay?" a small voice asked.

Hikaru looked up, snapping out of his thoughts to see a young woman standing at the other side of his table. She was cute; dark brown hair that reached her shoulder with big, brown eyes that reminded him of a doe. She even reminded him of a certain brunette that he met six years ago in classroom 1-A. He gave her a reassuring smile, faking an optimistic attitude. "Oh, everything is all right. I've just had a long week and I was just lost in thought." He sat up straighter. "Is there something you needed?"

"Oh, no, I just wanted to make sure you were okay. That's all. Glad to see that you are."

Hikaru smiled, this time it was a genuine one. It had been a long time since a girl actually showed some concern for him. Maybe he could buy her a drink or-bzzzz...bzzzz... He watched the girl jump a little, then root through her purse, trying to find the source of the buzzing. Hikaru watched her take out her vibrating phone and he internally cringed when she mouthed that single word-boyfriend. She gave a small wave before leaving the café. The ash-haired young man lowered his head, his hair shielding his eyes from the surrounding people. He slid off his stool and threw his coffee away before pushing the exit door open, a cold wind inviting him to the outside world.

At least the bitter cold was better than the suffocating mushiness from inside the café...

...\~/...

New York City was beautiful around Christmas time. The city took the time and energy to set up lights everywhere and the Rockefeller was undergoing some changes that would definitely draw tourists from around the nation. Hikaru smiled appreciatively; he had made a good choice in studying graphic designing at New York's School of Visual Arts. He remembered the time in Spain when he and Kaoru had finally decided what they wanted to become- Hikaru a video game designer and Kaoru had decided to follow in their mother's footsteps and study in fashion. His little brother had moved back to Japan while Hikaru registered for his visa and moved to New York, New York. Well, it had been a year since then, and everyone still kept in touch. Hikaru stopped at the crosswalk, standing behind a cluster of people waiting to get to their destinations. Hikaru put all his weight on one foot, shoving his hands into his pockets, and he couldn't help but think about how his brother and the other Host Club members were doing.

Hunny had gone back to Japan with Mori to continue his education in engineering. The last time Hikaru heard from him, Hunny was doing well, excelling in all his classes, as well as already having a job in nuclear engineering at the ready. His little senpai had recently married to the creepy, curse-loving Reiko Kanazuki; weirdly enough, they completed each other, which made them incredibly cute together. And then there was Mori, who had successfully managed to land a job with a law firm that paid excellent money. It didn't take him long to build up a reputation and he had clients calling him every day, asking him to defend them. From what Hunny had told him, Mori's quietness was his strong point, making others think that he didn't have anything good to say, then suddenly spitting out evidence that lead to his client's innocence. Hikaru promised to visit them both in Japan some time and watch Mori do his work; heard it was quite the spectacle.

Then, there was Kaoru. As mentioned before, he had moved back to Japan to study under their mother, and develop his own clothing lines. Hikaru knew his brother was doing exceptionally well because he constantly saw women in New York walk around with his labels on, looking warm and comfortable. During one of his photo shoots, Kaoru had become taken to one of the models that a fellow designer had hired to walk down the catwalk. His little brother asked her out, managed to charm her, and now they were dating. Hikaru never really cared for her because she was overly dependent and too needy for his tastes. Plus, she had that nasally voice, when added with the constant whining, quickly got on his nerves whenever she and Kaoru came to visit. But she made his brother happy, so that's why he put up with her.

Surprisingly, the person Hikaru visited most often was Kyoya and his girlfriend, Tara. Their former vice-president was currently studying at Harvard, earning his business major with a minor in medicine. Like always, Kyoya had an ingenious plan, consisting of him buying out the Ootori business from under his father, ruling the coop with an iron fist. He was finally going to achieve his dream of both owning the company and succeeding his brothers. However, the minor in medicine came from his philosophy that all business owners should have some kind of experience in the field or else they were worthless. His girlfriend, whom everyone was pretty sure Kyoya was going to marry, was studying at one of Boston's culinary academies. She had finally decided that her passion in cooking was going to be her lifetime career and both Hikaru and Kyoya had the pleasure of trying out any recipe she cooked up. She was also earning a business degree, taking online classes at Harvard, so in the future she could manage her own restaurants. The couple were slowly becoming masters in what they were studying; Hikaru hoped that he would too.

Finally, there were the newlyweds, Tamaki and Haruhi. Their wedding was the most recent and truthfully, even amongst all the joy and happiness, Hikaru had found himself to be miserable all throughout his visit. Watching Haruhi's father lead her down the aisle on the wedding day had caused his insides to churn and a painful coil in the pit of his stomach writhe uncomfortably. She had looked beautiful, all gussied up in pure, virgin white. And he had been angry that day, questioning what Tamaki had that he didn't. Was it Tamaki's natural good-natured attitude that she was attracted to? Was it his uncanny ability to make even the most grave of situations better or at least bearable? At the reception, he had drunk his questions and worries away, eventually being carried away by Mori because he had drunk himself senseless. From what his brother had told him afterwards, his actions had embarrassed the hell out of Haruhi. She was the one person he hadn't called in awhile.

"Hey, watch it, buddy!" someone shouted beside him. Hikaru's thoughts were interrupted when a passerby shoved past him roughly, rudely bumping shoulders with him. That's when he realized that the walking signal had lit up on the other side of the street. He followed the crowd, rushing across the crosswalk, making it to the opposite curb right when the signal switched to 'stop'. The cold wind nipped at his cheeks, causing him to duck his head, popping the collar of his coat up. Thankfully, his apartment was only a couple of blocks away and not that far of a walk from his favorite café.

He knew he was getting close to his apartment when the smell of fresh bagels filled his nose. The bakery at the corner of the street he lived on was aglow, looking warm and comfortable on the inside. He had only gone in a couple times to pick up a quick breakfast and the owners were extremely kind, always asking questions about his day when he went in. Sometimes, they would come up to his apartment, dropping off bags of bagels for him just because they were impressed by him. Their visits always made his days a bit better.

Hikaru stopped outside his apartment building when he saw something out of the ordinary. A bulking silver Ford truck was parked at one of the meters, jutting out dangerously into the lane. Hikaru winced when a car whizzed by it, barely grazing the back bumper by a couple of inches. That was the one thing he didn't like about the city: the small streets.

But there was only one reason why a Ford was parked outside: Kyoya and Tara had come for a visit.

...\~/...

He couldn't help but smile when he heard their bickering from the inside. With Tara's short temper and Kyoya's irritating ability to have a response (usually stated in a way that made you feel like an idiot) for everything, the two always had arguments, amusing to the max. It was a wonder how they managed to survive for so long, especially since the two were polar opposites. But whenever he asked Kyoya, the ex-vice would always reply he had never been shot at and never wanted to experience the thrill of being so. Hikaru leaned against the door, crossing his arms casually, listening in on their conversation.

"It's a wonder that you haven't been arrested yet, my love." came Kyoya's voice.

"Well, I wasn't going to sit around and wait for him to get home out in the cold." Hikaru wouldn't admit it, but he had missed Tara's southern drawl.

"You broke into his apartment. What is that called again? Breaking and entering?"

"I could've kicked his door in, but I didn't want to embarrass you, hun."

"How thoughtful of you and I'm sure I'm going to be the one to pay the ticket when the police realize that the parking meter's time expired, hm, about a half hour ago?"

"...let's hope they don't notice..."

"Hm, we shall."

Hikaru turned the knob and opened the door, revealing his homey apartment. Kyoya looked up from the couch, glasses glinting from the sunlight pouring in from the window. A book was propped on his knee, opened about halfway. He was dressed in a simple black button-up and jeans, a large difference compared to his usual way of dress. But Hikaru's eyes didn't stay long on Kyoya when he noticed his coffee table and grinned. "Your girlfriend always manages to make my day, Kyoya-senpai." His coffee table was decorated with serving trays and glasses of desserts-pastries, gelatos, cakes, and every other sweet delicacy. Each cupcake and cake were frosted with vibrant colors and fruits lined the outside of the cakes. His apartment smelled of apple caramel, pecan, and peach pie. And he had never seen so much chocolate in his life: chocolate cheesecakes with strawberries, fruits drizzled with the sweet substance, chocolate-flavored desserts displayed in crystal clear serving glasses.

"I apologize about breaking into your apartment." Kyoya started, but then he eyed the desserts displayed out in front of him. "But I think it was for good reason."

"Tara's cooking is always a good reason."

He heard hurried footsteps and Tara appeared from the kitchen, holding two platters in her hands, one lined with fruit tarts and the other with mini-cakes. "Finally, you're here." she said, sliding the platters into place. "Where the hell were you? You should know when we're coming."

"Sorry, Tara-senpai, that I don't possess a sixth sense for your surprise visits."

"Hm, you're forgiven." That's when she put her fists on her hips. "Well, are you two just gonna sit there and drool? Dig in."

And they did that exactly; well, Kyoya dug in with as much poise as he could. Hikaru bit into a fruit tart, the crisp, sweet crust clashing with the tart taste of the berries within. He loved their visits, probably because they always left him with his stomach full and a fridge full of Tara's latest concoctions. He sometimes wished he had a personal chef running around the apartment, ready to make him anything he wanted with the simple snap of his fingers. Kyoya had mentioned something about Tara going through the dessert process at her culinary school. It was a wonder why his senpai wasn't fat yet. But it wasn't only the food that he enjoyed, it was their company too. It got lonely being cooped up in his apartment with no one to talk to and they always had something to talk about so conversations never went dead or awkward. Plus, they were the only couple he could stand to be around; everyone else always flirted and threw themselves on each other when they were around, practically rubbing their relationships in his face, but Kyoya and Tara weren't the kind of people to display their affections out in public to which he appreciated enormously.

Tara gave a smirk when she noticed the delight on Hikaru's face when he bit into one of her decorated cupcakes. "In a couple weeks, we'll be getting into the candy-making process. Hikaru, you're going to be my guinea pig because this bastard right here doesn't like sweets." She gave Kyoya's foot a swift kick. "I try and make my desserts as tart as I can, but that's kind of hard to do. They're called sweets for a reason." That's when Tara got real excited, sitting on the edge of her chair. "Oh, and I made my first attempt at making Baked Alaska last night."

"Emphasis on the 'attempt' part." Kyoya stated coolly. That earned him a slap to the arm.

"Rather emphasis on the 'first' part." Kyoya smirked in her direction and his girlfriend turned his head towards the pies. "Try the peach pie. You'll like it."

"And how did it go?" Hikaru asked when he finally cleared his mouth. He didn't feel like being scolded for talking with a full mouth.

"How've you been, Hikaru? Anything interesting happening in your classes." Hikaru couldn't help but grin at that. She had changed the subject so he immediately assumed her attempt at making Baked Alaska didn't go very well. He chomped down on a chocolate cake he had had his eyes on ever since he entered his apartment, savoring the bittersweet of the chocolate that melted on his tongue. Once he swallowed everything in his mouth, he replied, "We're just learning how to draw landscapes right now. I've been taking pictures of Central Park and drawing them. My favorite coffee shop's also a pretty good place to draw."

"I envy your ability to draw. Kyoya's too. But, at least I have the ability to make art with food." Tara said.

A screeching noise came from his kitchen. Tara stood up and said, "Tea's done."

Once Tara left the room, Kyoya voiced something that Hikaru wished he wouldn't. "Has anyone caught your eye yet?"

"No." Simple as that. After the incident with Haruhi, he hadn't been that interested in women. Even though he hated being alone, there never seemed to be any girls that caught his eye. He was getting picky, always comparing girls that passed by to Haruhi, and they always seemed to fail to surpass her. He wanted the doe, brown eyes, he wanted the blunt honesty, he wanted the charm of a commoner. It wasn't that he hadn't tried dating again, it was just that every girl he took out reminded him of one of his customers during the Host Club, and he wasn't exactly interested in that kind of girl. And it wasn't that he hadn't loved again...or at least thought it was love. Hikaru knew that he was torturing himself with the thoughts of Haruhi and how he would never be able to have her, but it couldn't be helped: he was still hopelessly in love with her.

"Don't tear yourself up about it. Just get through school and focus on your studies." Kyoya said.

Hikaru smirked, "Yes, mother."

"Please, don't call me that dreadful name."

Tara returned with tea, pouring them each a cup. "By the way, I took the time to go grocery-shopping for you. You're fridge was looking a bit bare and I know you haven't been able to grasp the concept of shopping in a commoner's place yet. I also took the initiative to leave you leftovers," Leftovers were like banquets. "And I also left behind some of recipes. They should be pretty simple."

"You guys should just move in with me." Hikaru suggested.

"You wish, but that won't happen or rather it can't. Kyoya's pretty busy at school." Tara replied.

"Also, Tara already has several restaurants reserving a spot for her in their kitchens." Kyoya added.

"I need to get a job." Hikaru muttered.

"My dad has an opening at his bakery. He'll teach you how to cook and I'm sure you'll fit in great. The staff there is top-notch, but they're really nice." Tara said.

Alexander's Café, plain name, but it was one of the top five places of interest pertaining to food in New York. The café was known for their pleasant staff and Nathan Alexander, Tara's father, was said to always come out and interact with the customers. And the food was to die for. It seemed that the Alexander family was full of natural-born chefs. Hikaru had the honor of meeting Nathan when Tara and Kyoya had first come to visit and Tara dragged them both to the café. Tara was the splitting image of her father: sandy blonde hair, vivid blue-green eyes, tall statures, but Nathan was more laid-back and care-free while his daughter was bossy and sarcastic. The café wasn't that far a distance from his apartment and he knew that Nathan would give him a job.

"I'll think about it."

...\~/...

He was alone again. Kyoya and Tara had left him so they could visit her father before they returned back to Massachusetts. Now, Hikaru had to figure out what to do with all the food they left him. He wondered if the bakery next door would give him pastry boxes so he could at least put all the desserts away. Hikaru pulled on his coat and gloves, hoping that the temperature hadn't dropped since he was out last. That was another thing he hated about New York- the bitter cold. Even though he loved snow and all the festivities and hobbies winter provided, the cold made him hate winter the most out of the four seasons.

Hikaru grabbed his keys from the table beside the door, stepping out at exactly the same time as the girl next door. He racked his brain for her name and he swore it started with an S...Stephanie...Sally...no, Selena... Well, if she started to talk to him, he'd have to avoid saying her name. The girl hadn't noticed him yet so he had the chance to admire her from behind. She had long, silky, auburn hair that had a braided circlet surrounding her head. She had a slender shape with just the right curves and killer legs. Not to mention a nice backside... The girl straightened and turned, Hikaru turning towards his door at the same time. There was no way he was going to let her see him checking her out.

"Oh, Hikaru, how are you?" she asked.

The ash-haired man turned around, flashing her one of his signature smiles. "Oh, you know, the usual. You?"

"Pretty good. Where are you headed?"

They had started down the stairs now, taking their time to chat. He noticed how she was wearing one of the coats his brother had made for his Winter Collection. She looked real good in navy blue.

"I'm going to the bakery. My friend, who's going through culinary school, brought over a ton of desserts, but didn't leave anyway to put it all away."

"Was that the blonde girl? I saw her earlier with her...brother?"

"Boyfriend. He's another friend of mine. His name's Kyoya and her name's Tara, by the way." Brother? They looked nothing alike!

"My mistake." she giggled. "Well, now that I know they're a couple, they're actually pretty cute together. Do you have anyone special, Hikaru? I bet you do."

Hikaru gave her a forced smile, "Nope, still single."

They had reached the bottom of the stairs, both heading towards the exit. Hikaru eyed her, wondering if she was single too. Might as well give it a shot. "Hey, um, you want to get together tonight? I'm thinking about renting some movies and making dinner. Interested?" Dinner? He couldn't even cook. And renting movies? That's what commoners did when they were bored, right? More questions started popping into his head, like what kind of movies did she like? Or was she one of those people that only like seeing them in theaters rather than watching them in some stranger's house? But the look on her face, the way it lit up when he asked her, and the way she nodded her head enthusiastically gave him the answer.

"Sure! Is it funny that I was actually going to ask you out soon? I've always found you attractive."

"Heh, thanks. Does six sound alright to you?"

"Yeah! I'll definitely be there." And before she left, she added, "Oh, I thought I should let you know, I like comedies." And she was off.

Hikaru stood there, holding the door open for no one. The cold hit his face in a full-out blast and he suddenly found the journey to the bakery unappealing. Plus, he had other things to worry about. The lonely twin rushed back upstairs, hurried into his apartment, and pulled out his cellphone quickly. The phone buzzed on the other side twice before a smooth voice entered his ear.

"Ootori."

"Hey, Kyoya, are you and Tara still in New York?"

...\~/...

"You are so goddamned lucky that we hadn't left yet or you'd definitely be screwed."

Hikaru didn't respond, wondering how Kyoya was doing with the movie-picking. The man had immediately looked up the top 10 comedies and rushed over to the local movie rental store as soon as Tara was dropped off. Hikaru had no idea why he was panicking the way he was; he assumed it was because he wanted to impress this girl. He failed to impress Haruhi and snag her (instead, she fell for that loon of a man), and he didn't want a repeat of that. He had no idea if he was even interested in this girl. For all he knew, she could actually be a slob, or a serial killer. Oh God, what if she actually was a serial killer? Was he going to be her next target? Hikaru began running his fingers frantically, gritting his teeth in frustration. He could only imagine the many ways he could be tortured. What if she was...

"AH! Tara, what was that for?" Hikaru yelled, balancing on his left foot while caressing his now tender right shin. He could practically feel a bruise forming. The ash-haired twin mentally noted that he would have to mark off 'be kicked by a soccer player' on his bucket list.

"You weren't listening to me."

"What? What do you want?"

"I asked you what you wanted for dinner?"

"I don't know. Uh, a regular Bento lunch...?"

"You know what, I want Italian."

"Tara! It's not your goddamn date!" He rushed after Tara, "And what do you mean you want Italian? What? Are you and Kyoya going to spy on me and my date?" The blonde stopped abruptly on the way to the kitchen, causing Hikaru to run into her. She turned towards him, giving him that devious grin she always got when she was planning something. Her grin equaled to Kyoya's true smile on the scary scale. Tara turned back around and headed towards the kitchen once more. "You are, aren't you? Ugh, why do you have to be so freakin' nosy?"

"Because it's in my blood." Hikaru watched her pull pots and pans of all kinds from the cabinet beside the sink, setting them on the stove. She turned on the water in the sink, positioning a pot beneath the water stream. "And this is the first time in awhile that you've been on a date. Do you really think I'm going to miss this?"

"Well, I kind of want you to..."

The clattering of the pans stopped when he said that.

"Fine. I'll cook dinner, then leave, but-" There's always a 'but'. "You have to fill me in on the details in the morning. It's too late to head back home now so Kyoya and I are staying at a hotel. We're leaving at ten tomorrow. I'll cook you breakfast. And-" There was always an 'and' with Tara. "The next time we come over, we're renting a John Wayne film."

"Another one?" He didn't even try to hide the whine in his voice.

Tara pointed a finger at him, "I don't want to hear any whining. John Wayne is a fabulous actor and you know it."

"Alright, fine. I'll do it, just finish cooking." Hikaru said, waving his hand for her to continue.

...\~/...

Dinner looked fantastic. Everything Italian was spread out across the island table in the kitchen and the smell was almost unbearable, but in the good way. Several times, his neighbors came by, asking what in the world he was cooking to which Tara sent them home with stomachs full of pasta and oregano tomato sauce.

It was now five fifty-six; four more minutes until his date. Kyoya had returned awhile back, bearing a stack of comedies for Hikaru. There was also one horror film that he picked, "Uh, Kyoya-sempai, she said she likes comedies..." Then it had hit him. "Ohhhh, you're thinking that if I watch it with her, she'll get scared, and jump into my arms for comfort. Very cliché, but very effective."

"Unfortunately, not on everyone." Kyoya had replied, glasses catching the light of the Fluorescent lights while sending a glare towards his girlfriend. Thankfully for him, it had gone unnoticed.

It was now five fifty-eight; two more minutes until his date.

"Are you nervous, Hikaru? Do you need a handkerchief to wipe off the sweat on your forehead?" Kyoya asked, looking up at him from his touch-screen phone.

"A bit." Hikaru's mind, which was rather one-track, went back to his thoughts on Haruhi. He remembered their date in Karuizawa and how it had started off rough, then progressed into smooth, then went back to rough after he ran off. He hoped that he and the girl could pass the awkward stage. Hikaru definitely hoped that he wouldn't cause the girl to cry or run out of his apartment angry...or jump out his window...

"Are you comparing your date with Haruhi with the one you haven't even had yet?"

Damn Kyoya and his irritating ability to read minds.

"No..."

Damn Kyoya and that knowing smirk of his.

There was a knock at the door and all three of them turned towards the noise.

"Well, that's our cue to leave." Tara said, wiping her hands on her jeans. She grabbed her coat from the chair, slipping it on. "C'mon, Kyoya."

"Yes, my love."

Hikaru was the one to answer the door. The girl turned towards him, giving him her biggest smile. Her auburn hair was pinned up, strands framing her face. For some unknown reason, her eyes reminded him of an owl, wide and curious. She was wearing a simple red cardigan over a white blouse with a pair of nice jeans and moccasins.

"Hi!" she greeted sweetly.

"Hey." he replied, trying to sound as cool as possible.

"Hey, dumbass, get out of the way. We have to go." Tara said from behind.

Hikaru side-stepped, allowing Tara and Kyoya to step out. "Oh, hey, I'm Sarah, Hikaru's neighbor."

Tara gave her a small smile, the best that she could manage. The blonde was not known for her smiles. "I'm Tara, Hikaru's friend. Sorry about this; Hikaru invited us over for dinner. He said that he made too much for your date tonight. I hope you like Italian."

"My favorite type of cuisine." She giggled, adding, "Did you actually cook. Hikaru mentioned something about you going through culinary school."

"Oh...yeah..."

Kyoya stepped forward, swiftly taking Sarah's hand, pressing his lips to her knuckles. A blush spread across her cheeks. "And I'm Kyoya Ootori, very pleased to meet you."

"Y-Yeah..." Sarah sputtered out.

Kyoya pressed his hand to the small of Tara's back, pushing her forward.

"How come you never greeted me like that when I first met you?" Tara asked him as they headed down the stairs.

"You seemed to be the type to slap a person if they ever pulled that move on you."

"You're probably right. Good thing you never tried."

Hikaru smirked when their voices faded. He looked at Sarah, who was looking at him, and he bowed slightly, gesturing for her to walk in. She smiled at him, taking the invitation. Once he closed the door behind them, one thing ran through his mind.

Operation Find A Spark.