Tamaki had just announced to all the Host Club about his engagement to Miss Éclair Tonnerre, when his Grandmother had showed up to take him to France for the engagement announcement. Haruhi just stood there shocked by the news her friend had just given them. Unconsciously her hand went to where her heart was and squeezed the material.
What's wrong with me? Why do I feel this way about his announcement? I should be happy for him, shouldn't I? Haruhi thought to herself
The group was all over congratulating Tamaki, but a few were also watching Haruhi wondering what her reaction was to this news. They could tell she was in shock and probably also hurt and they were upset over this.
Finally Haruhi smiled and moved over at Tamaki and took his hand, " That's wonderful news Tamaki-sempai! I'm sure you and Miss Éclair will have a wonderful life together."
Tamaki's Grandmother was nodding at everything Haruhi was telling him. Tamaki though looked down at her and she looked up into his eyes. It was then Haruhi saw the truth; Tamaki didn't want any part of this engagement. He didn't loved Miss Éclair it was all his Grandmother's doing.
Haruhi let go of Tamaki's hand and moved backwards. The group all watched as she stumbled moving back. Tamaki went to grab her to help keep her up, but she looked up at him frightened and turned bolting out of the room.
" Well that was just plain rude." Tamaki's Grandmother said annoyed at how the boy had acted
The other Hosts all looked back at Tamaki, who just stood there shocked at Haruhi's reaction to him.
" Well are you just going to stand there or go after Haruhi?" Kaoru asked Tamaki
Tamaki looked at the one twin and nodded running out of the room after Haruhi. He looked both ways not really knowing where she had gone. He heard loud footsteps above him and saw her running up the steps heading to Music Room 3. Tamaki bolted running after Haruhi to find out what was wrong.
Why did she react the way she did? She doesn't care for me, at least she's never shown it, so why look at me as if I scared her? Tamaki thought as he rushed up the many flights of steps after Haruhi
" Were did that annoying grandson of mine go?" Tamaki's Grandmother asked the others
" Probably to go find out what's wrong with Haruhi Madam Suou." Kyouya said to her
" Well I'm going to go find him we must leave soon if we are to be back to Miss Éclair's family estate in time to the announcement." Tamaki's Grandmother said and left the room
" Do you think she'll find them?" Huni asked the group
" Hopefully not as fast as Tamaki will find Haruhi." Hikaru said smiling
" Yeah I think the King has a internal homing device for that girl." Kaoru said smiling at what his twin had just said
Mori nodded knowing the other were right.
Haruhi had just made it into Music Room 3 as she opened the door she quietly shut it behind her and put her back against it. Her breathing was hard and fast from running all the way here. She slid to the floor exhaustion setting in on her. For a couple of minutes that's all she did. Finally she picked herself up and moved looking around the room. Without the Host Club doing their parties in here and room was actually really empty and felt lonely. Haruhi sighed as she moved about the room. Her heart still hurt from what Tamaki had said and unbeknownst to her she had started to cry. She moved to the windows near the back of the room. There sat Tamaki's chair for the King of the Host Club, which he was almost always sitting in when ladies would enter. She moved her hand over the ornate wood and velvet fabric.
" It's just like him all show." Haruhi said smiling as she moved to sit down
And that's how Tamaki found her sitting in his chair looking out the window at the setting sun. He could see her reflection and could tell she was crying and her eyes they were like she was lost. Not knowing what she should do, confused over something.
Tamaki quietly moved towards Haruhi watching her as she was so lost in thought and crying. As he stood behind the chair he moved his hand and grabbed a handkerchief he always kept with him. He moved forward and dabbed it on Haruhi's face making her gasp in fright.
" You know I don't like you crying, especially if it because of me." Tamaki said moving in front of her and wiping her face and dabbing her eyes again
" Crying?" Haruhi asked confused at his words
Tamaki chuckled at this, " Well why else would I be using a handkerchief on you?"
Haruhi looked at him shocked by his words, " But I didn't…"
Tamaki looked up at her, " You didn't know you were crying?"
Haruhi just shook her head. Tamaki sighed at how aloof she was with her feeling sometime. He finally got the last of her tears and moved to stand up looking down at her.
" You know I think you look better sitting it that chair than I do." Tamaki said joking with her
" Sempai! Be serious." Haruhi said puffing her cheeks out annoyed at his words
He moved his hand towards her and she took it as he helped her up out of the chair.
" Now will you tell me what that was all about back there? You looked like I had hurt you. I've never seen you afraid of me before Haruhi." Tamaki said upset at this
Haruhi looked down at the floor, " I…I don't know. I know I felt strange when you told us about your engagement, but I went to congratulate you and looked into you eyes."
Tamaki looked at her, " What did you see Haruhi?"
" Sadness, a never ending sadness in what you had said. You don't want to be with Miss Éclair do you sempai?" Haruhi asked
" No, I don't I'd rather stay here with you and the others. But this marriage had been arranged and it can't be undone I know Grandmother won't allow that." Tamaki said
Haruhi looked up sadly at his words, Is this what it's like to be of a High Class and rich to not have freedom? To do what someone else tells you to do?
" Haruhi you said you felt funny when I told you about the engagement. What did you mean by that?" Tamaki asked, Please let it be what I think.
" I…I don't know I mean you are the only one that make me feel this way. But it felt like I was broke inside I still feel that way. Like you leaving will kill me. I…I don't know why I feel like this. I don't understand it. It's times like these I wish my Mom was still here, so I could ask her." Haruhi said to him sadly
Tamaki smiled, So she does care for me. I just wish my life didn't have to be this way.
Haruhi looked up at the smiling Tamaki. Her heart and breathing stopped seeing how handsome he looked smiling down at her. She moved her hand slowly up to his face. Touching his cheek and rubbing it back and forth. He moved his head a little so his mouth was under her hand and kissed each finger. Haruhi jerked her hand down from this and looked at him shocked.
" I'm sorry…I didn't…" both said at the same time with equally shocked looks on their faces
Both smiled at each other and broke out into laughter.
" Haruhi would you like me to tell you what you've been feeling? I know, for I've felt the same way about you since the trip to the Nekozawa Beach." Tamaki stated
Haruhi nodded, " I'd like to know."
" It's love Haruhi. Just as I love you, you love me." Tamaki said
" But…but you said it was because I was like a daughter to you." Haruhi said shocked by this
" At first it was, but as time when on I saw you more for the beautiful lady you are. You are a wonderful person Haruhi, caring and kind. I've fallen for you and hard, but I was afraid you didn't love me back, so I kept silent." Tamaki said
Haruhi was looking at the ground now, not saying anything. Her hands moved up as she started to pound on Tamaki's chest.
" Why…why didn't you tell me? Why wait until now? I didn't know. I didn't know how I was feeling, so how could I know I've fallen for you." Haruhi said tears starting to fall from her eyes again at hearing Tamaki's words
Her legs buckled and she dropped to the floor. Tamaki shocked by this moved down with her.
" Haruhi are you all right?" he asked her
" No, I'm not all right." Haruhi said to him as she cried into his chest
" Are you hurt then? Tell me what's wrong?" Tamaki asked worried she had hurt herself in the fall
Haruhi moved back, but didn't look at him, " I hurt here sempai." She said grabbing into her clothing where her heart was, " I hurt here and it won't stop. Make it stop, it hurts so much."
Tamaki looked at her sadly at what she was saying, " I'm sorry Haruhi, but I can't."
She looked up at him tears falling from her eyes and pain laced in them. Tamaki looked at her shocked by all the sadness and pain he saw.
I've caused this. I've caused her to feel this way. How could I have done this to her? How could I have hurt the one I love so much? Tamaki asked himself
Haruhi had her face in her hands now crying her eyes out at what she was feeling for Tamaki. Tamaki just looked down at her with sadness too.
I can't do this to her not anymore. He thought
Moving his hand he softly lifted Haruhi's head up and out of her hand to look at him. She hiccupped a couple of time as time passed both looking into each other's eyes. Haruhi saw something she had seen before in Tamaki's eyes. It was a strange look, but also hypnotizing in a way. Tamaki leaned forward and kissed Haruhi on the lips. Her eyes widened at this upon understanding what he was doing, but soon she found comfort in the action and closed her eyes allowing Tamaki to continue to control the situation. Both were so lost in enjoying themselves that neither heard the Music Room door open.
" Tamaki Suou! What do you think you are doing?" Tamaki heard his Grandmother's shocked and angered voice
The two moved apart and looked at the door shocked that the woman had caught them kissing.
" What…what are you doing with that tramp?" his Grandmother asked
Tamaki, who normally was a polite to his Grandmother as can be became enraged at her words, "Haruhi is not a tramp, Grandmother!"
" I don't care you are engaged to Miss Tonnerre and you are not getting out of it." Grandmother Suou said to him
Tamaki stood up Haruhi following him, but moving behind him to hide from his Grandmother.
" You! You are the one that ran out a while ago. You have a girl in that stupid club of yours." Grandmother Suou said shocked
" It's not like that…" Tamaki tried to explain
" What using her as a slave? You all were having your way with her. No better than…" Grandmother Suou continued
" IT'S NOT LIKE THAT!" Haruhi shouted at her angered at what she was saying
Grandmother Suou and Tamaki looked at a heavily breathing Haruhi shocked she just shouted.
" I chose to be in the club, he didn't force me none of them did. They didn't know I was a girl at first granted, but when Tamaki-sempai found out he wasn't going to make me stay. But I wanted to stay and became friends with everyone and…" Haruhi said looking at Tamaki
They heard Grandmother Suou humph, " Well girl I will give you credit you have some never to yell at me."
Haruhi looked shocked at what she said and then thought over what she had just done and turned red with embarrassment and moved behind Tamaki again. Hiding from Grandmother Suou. Tamaki looked behind her and chuckled at her reaction.
" Don't laugh at me, how could you just stand there and let me talk like that to your Grandmother of all people?" Haruhi whispered angrily to him
" How was I going to be able to stop you?" Tamaki asked her back
He looked up at him and glared at his words, but knew his was right.
" Tell me girl what's your name?" Grandmother Suou asked Haruhi
" It's Haruhi, Madam. Fujioka Haruhi." Haruhi told her still hiding behind Tamaki
" Fujioka Kotoko." Grandmother Suou said knowing the last name sounded familiar
" The lawyer that helped the Dad out years ago?" Tamaki asked remembering the name
" Mom?" Haruhi questioned
Tamaki looked down at her shocked, " You mother's first name way Kotoko?"
Haruhi nodded her head, " Mom's name was Fujioka Kotoko. Remember I told you she was a great lawyer, that's why I wanted to get into Ouran, so I could be just like her."
" Yes, I remember you tell me this, but you never said what her name was. Always Mom was a great lawyer." Tamaki said
Haruhi giggled at this, " Well Sempai you never asked."
Tamaki smiled at her.
" So you are Mrs. Fijioka's daughter then?" Grandmother Suou asked
Haruhi looked back at her and nodded, " But how did you know my mother?"
" Years back Tamaki's Father was in an incident that resulted in us needing to go to court, but we were wanting it to be kept out of the media." Grandmother Suou explained
" You mean one of Dad's associates called my mother and whore and Dad punched him in the jaw breaking it in two." Tamaki said remembering clearly even at such a young age what had happened.
" Something like that." Grandmother Suou said annoyed her at what her grandson said was exactly what had happened
" That's what happened Grandmother, even if you don't want to acknowledge it. You didn't want the media knowing about it and about my mother, so you tried to bribe the man into not talking, but he knew if he could get us into court he could get more out of the family. That's when one of the maids mentioned to you about Mrs. Fujioka and how she was a great lawyer who helped anyone anyway she could." Tamaki said to her
" Yes, that they did and so your Father called Mrs. Fujioka and told her what had happened and what the man was wanting. You mother had a spark in her I haven't seen in anyone in years. She was bulldogged in her actions going so far as to have the judge decided the verdict. All the media the man had called were then told by an anonymous source that the man's location was false and the trial was being held at a different location, so they never showed up. She was able to have the case done in a day and in the end the man didn't get a dime. She was able to do everything we asked for and more." Grandmother Suou said
" More?" Haruhi asked
" Yes, I never thought she keep the cases information to herself and not even tell her own family." Grandmother Suou said to her
" Mom didn't really talk too much about her cases. Maybe she was afraid someone would come to hurt us if we knew anything. She just say ' Haruhi! I'm going to go work hard! Get ready for a feast tonight' that was how she'd leave in the morning." Haruhi said smiling at the memory of her Mother like that
" Yes, I can see Mrs. Fujioka being like that. We never did pay her though." Grandmother Suou said
" Grandmother how could you not pay her for all her hard work?" Tamaki asked shocked by this news
" Your Father and I argued for months with Mrs. Fujioka about this, but she didn't want any money." Grandmother Suou said
" She wouldn't take any payment?" Tamaki asked shocked by this
Grandmother Suou shook her head, " No even when we heard of her death we tried to pay your Father her payment and he wouldn't take it either. He said that before she died his wife had given him instructions that if any member of the Suou Corporation came with money he was not to accept it. So that's when I decided that we repay her anyway we could."
" What do you mean?" Haruhi asked
" Well originally I was going to pay for you to go to school here at Ouran, but you my dear are as smart and hardworking as your Mother was and got in here on the scholarship we provide to one special everyday student." Grandmother Suou said
" But Tamaki's Father is the school superintendent, so are you doing that anyways?" Haruhi asked
Grandmother Suou laughed at this, " No, no. Tamaki's Father has no say in the scholarship winner, and neither do I. We have a committee that does that and you were the top and best, so you got the scholarship far and square. So here we are now…"
Haruhi looked at her confused by her words.
" This is your chance girl for I will be going back to my house after this. I will ask you now, how can I repay your Mother's kindness to us?" Grandmother Suou asked her
Haruhi looked at her shocked by this, She's asking me what I want?
She looked up at Tamaki confused at what she should do. He too was shocked at his Grandmother's words. He looked back feeling Haruhi's gaze on him. He smiled at her as he turned around putting his back to his Grandmother.
" Sempai I don't know what to do." She said to him unsure of what she should ask for
" What does you heart say Haruhi? You've followed it before and it's never led you astray." Tamaki said smiling at her
She looked up at his kind eyes and knew what she wanted to ask, but wasn't sure if this request could be made. She nodded and moved in front of Tamaki, who held onto her shoulders.
" Madam Suou does it matter what it is I ask for?" Haruhi asked
" No, you can ask for anything." Grandmother Suou said
" Then I like my Mother require nothing, but I have a request for another. Is that alright?" Haruhi asked worried this couldn't be done
" Yes, you are the one asking, so it will still be your choice." Grandmother Suou said
" Then I want Tamaki-sempai to be happy." Haruhi said
Grandmother Suou looked at Haruhi shocked by her words and Haruhi felt Tamaki's hands on her shoulders tighten at this.
" Are you sure?" Grandmother Suou questioned
Haruhi nodded at her question.
" Well boy it's your call now. What do you want to do?" Grandmother Suou asked him
" I..I don't want to marry Miss Éclair." Tamaki said
" Yes, yes I figured that much. I mean what else?" Grandmother Suou said
Tamaki just looked at her shocked.
" I can have more?" He asked not understanding this
" Well she said she wants you to be happy, so what would that entail?" Grandmother Suou asked him
" To see my Mother." Tamaki asked smiling
" Yes, yes I know you've stated that for many years too. This isn't something new to me." Grandmother Suou said
" But…other than that I don't know." Tamaki said shocked by her wanting to know more
" Well what are you going to do if you don't marry Miss Éclair?" Grandmother Suou asked him
" I…" Tamaki said but stopped and looked down at Haruhi who was looking at Grandmother Suou
Tamaki looked back at his Grandmother wondering if she'd approve of this. After all Haruhi wasn't wealthy and she wasn't from an old family either, so would she approve? He looked down at Haruhi and then at his Grandmother. Telling her without words what he wanted.
" That I hoped you would do and I approve of it, even if it's not our normal circumstances." Grandmother Suou said as she turned around to leave, " With that I'll leave you two to talk some more. I need to call the Tonnerre's and tell them the engagement is off."
With that Grandmother Suou opened the door and left Music Room 3 leaving Tamaki and Haruhi there alone.
After she left Haruhi turned and looked up at Tamaki.
" Sempai, is that what you really want?" Haruhi asked
Tamaki looked down at her shocked, " First off Haruhi stop calling me sempai, just Tamaki, please?"
Haruhi nodded at this confused by why he didn't want her calling him his appropriate title.
" Now what do you mean is this what I really want?" Tamaki asked her
" Will that make you happy not being with Miss Éclair and what did your Grandmother mean by she approved even if it's not normal circumstances?" Haruhi asked him
" Ah that, well first off I didn't really want to be with Miss Éclair. The only reason I was going with it was because I can't go against Grandmother, since she's the head of the Suou family. As for the other, well…she was talking about who would take Miss Éclair's place?" Tamaki said blushing a little bit now
" Take. Her. Place?" Haruhi questioned this confused, but also her heart tightening again over his words
Tamaki nodded, " Even if I'm not going to go on with the arranged engagement, I still have to have some idea of whom I would like to be with for your request to be made."
" But…then how? I mean she said that the engagement would be cancelled, but how can she do that if you don't have someone else." Haruhi asked
Tamaki chuckled at this, " Haruhi what did I say to you before Grandmother came in?"
" That…that you loved me." Haruhi said blushing and then looked at Tamaki shocked, "That's what she meant by not normal circumstances. She was talking about me, because of my status."
She hung her head in shame at this realization.
Tamaki took her head in his hand and lifted it up, " What you are doesn't matter Haruhi. I don't care about you status or name. What I care about is the lovely lady you are. The one I have fallen in love with and hope will be with me. If she'll have this idiot King of the Host Club."
Tears were now falling from Haruhi's eyes at his words, " Oh you!"
She jumped up her arms circling around his neck and kissed him on the lips. Tamaki not expecting this was wide-eyed at Haruhi's actions, but after the shocked left. Tamaki smiled into the kiss bringing his arms around her waist and twirled the two around as a shooting star passed the large windows of Music Room 3.
A side door to the room could be seen cracked and 5 pairs of eyes looking in happily watching what had and was now happening. The eyes moved and the door shut the rest of the way. The five other Host Club members all looked at each other smiling at what they had seen.
" Finally." The group said as they walked away leaving the couple alone for once
Sempai – Upper Classman