Hello all!
Pairing: TamaHaru, and just a bit of HikaHaru at one point.
Setting: Future fic
A JkawaiiNeko One-shot
They were sitting in a small café on Tamaki's request. He, of course, enjoyed eating at 'commoner places' and so he had picked the spot and dragged Haruhi along with him. She was sipping her raspberry flavored tea while he continued to stir his own with his spoon. Haruhi took notice that for once, the twenty-three year old male was quiet.
It was one of those days that they both had time on their hands. She still chuckled at the prospect that back in high school, they had nothing but time on their hands.
"What's wrong Sempai?" Haruhi finally asked. The silence was uncomfortable when Tamaki was the one making it.
He looked up at her, his eyes glistening with his usual charming way. He let a small smile grace him, and shook his head ever so slowly so that his blond locks swayed from side to side on his forehead. "I was just thinking…I'm going to marry a beautiful person."
Haruhi stared at him, her spirits dropping. There was a time that, for a short period before he graduated, they had dated. Somehow though, life got in the way and they had slowly drifted apart. They had never had an official break up but they both knew that they were no longer a pair. They were simply friends who were once something more.
But when you love someone, those feelings never truly go away. And though Haruhi had reverted back to calling Tamaki her sempai, that didn't change the way she felt. Her emotions were locked somewhere inside her heart, perhaps for safe keeping, but once in awhile she still felt her heart thud whenever Tamaki had an outburst and he would wrap her in a bear-hug, just like old times.
"Oh, do you know her?" Haruhi asked, her curiousness getting the best of her even though she didn't want to pry too far.
"Yes, I do," Tamaki replied. He leaned up and continued, "I've known her for a long time now."
"I see," Haruhi looked away. 'Damn…' she thought.
"I'm nervous though," Tamaki said, he too now looking away as a small tint of blush reddened his face.
"You shouldn't be." Haruhi said, now looking at him again. "I'm sure whoever you're choosing will be happy."
Tamaki's face brightened and Haruhi jumped back a bit when he suddenly grasped her hands in his. "You really think so Haruhi?" he asked excitedly.
She nodded and pulled away from him, "I really do Sempai….but I have to go now." She stood and Tamaki followed her with his eyes as she walked to the glass door. "I'm sorry it's so sudden, but I just remembered that I have something to do…I wish you luck on your proposal though."
Tamaki didn't say anything more, so she left.
Haruhi stared at herself in the mirror as soon as she had made it to her apartment. Since high school, she had grown her hair, cut in and was now growing it back again. It rested gently on her shoulders now. Her eyes were still big and shiny. She hadn't gained the curvaceous body that some girls loved to flaunt, but she wasn't a freshman anymore either. Now, she looked a bit more grown.
'I already knew that I wasn't beautiful.' Haruhi thought as she pulled her hair into a high pony-tail. 'So why do I suddenly want to be?'
Haruhi had never cared too much about her appearance. She was always fine with herself even when she was wearing more boyish clothing. But now that Tamaki was marrying this 'beautiful person' something in her had collapsed in on itself. She buried her face in her folded arms on her desk and groaned.
Of course Tamaki would want someone as beautiful as he was! Haruhi didn't know why she once thought otherwise. Tamaki would need a beautiful wife, children and everything that comes with them.
Obviously, that meant that Haruhi was out of the picture, no matter how much she wanted to be that picture.
Haruhi was in the public library, a place where she often had little visits with Takashi. He hadn't changed much since their schooling days together and she was still able to take comfort in his quiet nature. If there was anyone who would listen to her dilemma, she knew it would be him.
"Mori-sempai," she said, her brows closing in concentration on how to form her sentence in just the right way. "I think I have a problem."
He looked up from the novel he was reading as if to say "continue." So she did.
"Tamaki-sempai…he's getting married."
"He's engaged?" The deep-voiced man asked, his surprise not showing through his voice.
"Well, not yet. He plans on proposing to a 'beautiful person' soon though."
Takashi studied her momentarily before looking down at the book again and mumbling a low, "Ah…"
"I'm happy for him. But it just…gets to me," she admitted with a sigh at the end. He looked up at her then and moved to ruffle her hair as if they were once again kids with a smile.
"You'll be fine," he said. Haruhi nodded, knowing that she probably wasn't going to get much more than an 'un' or 'ah' from him if she continued on with the subject.
Haruhi found that as the days went on, the more she longed for company. So she had invited Honey over her house for a 'play date', as he liked to call it. He wasn't much different from their old days; he still enjoyed sweets very much. But he had grown some and you could see his age in his eyes.
"Honey-sempai-"Haruhi started but was immediately cut off by the little man sitting across from her.
"Haru-chan, you can just call me Honey now, remember?" Honey reminded her. "I don't mind."
"Gomen…then, Honey…I've been thinking lately."
The blond stuffed another spoonful into his mouth and looked at Haruhi with a questioning eye. "About Tama-chan, ne?"
"Yes," she replied, "He's going to propose to someone."
"Then we should be happy for Tama-chan!"
"I know…but it bothers me a bit." Haruhi said.
"Tama-chan chooses someone he loves a lot." Honey said. He then moved to the couch she was seated on and whispered in her ear (even though there was no one around to hear it anyways), "He's always loved her."
That didn't make her feel any better. "For how long?" she whispered back, afraid to know the answer.
"Dunno!" Honey chirped and bounced back to the seat he had previously been sitting on. "We'll see at the wedding when they set the time, right?"
Haruhi wished she had never asked. She didn't want to go to the wedding…she found she didn't want to see this person at all anymore.
"Haruhi, you're being boring," Hikaru moaned as he moved his glass around so that the ice inside made a little sound. They were in a restaurant that Hikaru had chosen himself, and luckily it wasn't too expensive. Still, all Haruhi wanted was a glass of water.
"I'm sorry," she said, "I just have something on my mind."
He grinned, sat forward and rested his head in his hands. "Do tell…"
She looked away, wondering if it would upset the older twin or not. The memory of rejecting him had never faded away in her mind, and she knew it would never go away from his heart. So she started slowly with a voice that was an almost-whisper.
"It's about Tamaki."
He raised his eyebrows, "You two are going out again?"
"No," Haruhi shook her head.
"Is that the problem? Cause if it is then you should just talk to him about it. Milord will probably leap for joy," he said and rolled his eyes.
She wished. "No Hikaru, he's planning to propose to someone…someone beautiful."
All was silent for awhile as Hikaru stared at her. Haruhi could've sworn that she was seated across from Mori, the way Hikaru's face held no emotion. Then, slowly, a sly smirk started and she could see that oh-so-familiar glisten in his golden eyes that teased her. That glisten said I know something you don't know.
She decided to take the bait. "Hikaru, do you know something about this?"
He nodded slowly…he was teasing her! Haruhi narrowed her eyes at the Hitachiin. Finally, he spoke.
"I know exactly who Milord is talking about." Hikaru said. So, Honey and Hikaru knew who this mystery person was. Was she the only one who had been left out of the secret? Haruhi didn't want to pry…she didn't want to invade Tamaki's privacy, but this was too much to handle.
"I mean," Hikaru leaned back in his chair, with his drink in his hand. "This person is so beautiful…" he shrugged, "It's no wonder he chose her."
Haruhi looked away. She didn't need to hear anymore. "I get the point Hikaru."
"Good," he said with a grin. When Haruhi looked up he was extending his hand out to her. She sighed and let him help her up. He walked towards the door with her not far behind him. Then he suddenly stopped, causing her to bump into his back.
Then he turned around, pulled her chin up, and kissed her lips. She felt her muscles tense, but she couldn't stop her heart for fluttering for just a bit.
Then it was over.
He pulled away, and stared down at her, his eye still slightly slanted. He rubbed her cheek with his thumb and whispered, "Think of that as my closure." And walked away, leaving Haruhi still stuck to the same spot.
With Kaoru, it was different. He was busy trying to figure out a new hairstyle for himself that didn't involve laying it down and that didn't have too many spikes. "Haruhi, pass me that spray when I tell you to, okay?"
"Alright," Haruhi said. They were in Kaoru's bathroom, which just happened to probably be bigger than her entire apartment. He turned around, his brush still in hand, and studied her. Then he broke out in a wide grin.
"So Haruhi," he moved to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. Haruhi could imagine Hikaru on the other side of her. "Tell Kao-nii-chan what's wrong."
Haruhi smiled a bit. Since high school, he had started to jokingly say that he was like a brother to her. Haruhi knew that it was only Kaoru's way of pushing his feelings to a controlled limit. She didn't mind though, she actually thought it was kind of sweet.
"Well…" There was always the chance of hurting him, just like there was when she spoke to Hikaru. "It's about Tamaki."
"Oh?" Kaoru smirked, "I heard he's getting married."
"Hikaru told you?"
"Who says my only source is Hikaru?" Kaoru asked, but Haruhi could tell that Hikaru was definitely who he had heard the news from. "And anyways, isn't that good for him?"
"Of course," Haruhi replied, handing him the towel he was looking for to dry his wet hair off with. "But that doesn't stop me from feeling bad."
"And how do you think we felt when we were rejected for an idiot like Tamaki?"
That stung so badly that Haruhi actually cringed. She should've known that the topic of relationships were still touchy with the twins. But when Kaoru faced her again he had a warm smile on his face.
"It hurts, but it feels good when you see the one you love happy," Kaoru said, and Haruhi let out a relieved breath. "But I don't think you'll be worrying about that much longer."
His voice was practically a whisper, as if he didn't want her to hear that last sentence but he had needed to say it. She eyed him suspiciously before he laughed and took the can of spray from her hands. He walked out of the bathroom with a "wait right here" to Haruhi and came back a few minutes later. When he came back in, he posed in the doorway in a much Tamaki-like way, but with his own sly smirk.
"Like it?" he asked.
Haruhi smiled, "It's perfect."
His hair style was exactly the same as it had been in high school.
Haruhi still felt uneasy. She couldn't answer Tamaki's call for fear that he had news- news that meant he now had a fiancé. When someone knocked on her door and rang her doorbell, she didn't go anywhere near the door because she knew it was Tamaki. She could feel it.
She hated Tamaki for doing this to her; for falling in love with someone else so quickly and leaving her behind in the dust. Now she could only feel the pain that the twins probably had felt. She shivered just thinking about it.
Lost in thought, Haruhi was laid out on her bed in the complete darkness of the night without a light on. She closed her eyes, and that's when she heard a sound. She snapped her body up and looked around. There was a sound as if someone was walking- and it sounded too close, as if it were in her apartment. She swallowed and as quietly as she could, grabbed the metal bat from her closet.
She wrapped her fingers around it tightly and eased her way out into her kitchen. Haruhi looked around, and suddenly a hand wrapped around her mouth from behind her. She would've let out a scream that could wake people three miles away if the hand hadn't been on her.
He whipped her around, and flipped the light switch that was sitting conveniently next to him. Now he could see her big eyes wide with fear.
"K-Kyouya-sempai?" Haruhi stuttered, taking an unconscious step back. Her heart stopped beating so quickly and her fear was replaced quickly with anger. "What the hell are you doing in my house?!"
He smirked and waved his hand to the stove, where her tea kettle was sitting. "I was simply making us some tea."
Haruhi wanted to strangle him. "Go get your own damn tea!"
He walked past her, pulled out a wooden chair and said, as if she was a dog, "Sit."
She did as she was told, but not without trying to bore holes into his back with her eyes. He sat in the seat next to her and waited for the question that he knew she was going to ask.
"How did you get in my house?" she asked.
"I have my ways," he replied simply. "That's really not what's important today."
"Oh really?" she replied sarcastically.
"Haruhi, why have you been avoiding Tamaki?"
'So that's what he wanted…' Haruhi thought. "Is that any of your business?"
"Most likely it isn't. But it seems I've been dragged into this, so it might as well be." He checked his watch, "This is my only hour that I'm not busy this week."
It was three o' clock, to be precise. Haruhi hoped that this was a version of his sick humor.
"I haven't been avoiding him," Haruhi said, "I've just been busy."
"On your mini-vacation you've been busy? That's out of character," he replied coolly. Haruhi sighed…apparently; there was no getting out of this.
"It's just that…Tamaki wants to marry this…person who he thinks is beautiful."
Kyouya cleaned his glasses with a little handkerchief. Then he looked up at her. "Indeed, she is very beautiful."
"And I don't like it."
"I see," he said, leaning back, "You really should go see Tamaki about this."
Haruhi had never felt so helpless. "I can't…"
Kyouya stood and made his way to the door. But before he left, he looked over his should and said, "I suppose the two of you really do belong together."
Tamaki was running to Haruhi's house. He had the ring! Yes, he was extremely excited. He nearly banged down his door with his fists. He knew she was home because there was no way she would wake up early on a Saturday morning on her one-week vacation.
"Haruhi, please wake up!" he shouted.
Haruhi wasn't in her bed. Nor was she in the small kitchen or bathroom. She was standing leaning on the door that Tamaki was banging obnoxiously on.
"Sempai, it's too early," she finally yelled, and that only made the blond go into a frantic frenzy of knocks.
"Ha-ru-hi!"
She sighed and opened the door quickly, leaving him to fall flat onto his face onto her floor. "Sempai, please get up." Haruhi said and rolled his body over so that she could close her door.
He sprung up with new life, almost leaping for joy. He embraced her and swung her around. "Haruhi, I'm so happy to see you!"
She was already busy sitting the tea on the table. "Sit," she instructed, and Tamaki sat.
It was a warm morning, with a bit of breeze. Spring was Haruhi's favorite season, and he knew this. But he was nervous- everyone had said that Haruhi wouldn't want an extravagant proposal. She didn't need to be taken to the fanciest restaurant in town, serenaded or anything like that, even though Tamaki would've gladly done all that. Yes, he knew this was the right way. No, he wasn't sure if she would accept.
"Haruhi," he said, and got out of his seat to bend one knee. He pulled the box out of his pocket, and opened it up for her. "Will you marry me?"
Haruhi was too stunned to speak at first as she stared at the diamond before her. It wasn't too large or too small, thankfully. It was perfect. "B-but what about that beautiful woman?"
Tamaki tilted his head to the side, and then laughed a bit, "You're sitting in that chair right now."
"But I'm not-"
"Haruhi," he said and got up to touch her hand. "You're beautiful on the outside, and the inside. You may not be a model, or rich, or even feminine. But you are exactly who I've always loved."
Her conversations with Honey, the twins, Takashi and Kyouya all came back to her. They had known it was her all along! Kyouya had even complimented her…and it was all without her knowing it. She smiled, thanking her friends for everything they had said.
Then she looked back at Tamaki, who seemed to be growing nervous with the silence.
"Yes," she said, "I'll marry you."
The picture turned out, for lack of words, beautiful.
There was Tamaki standing next to her, their daughter clutching his hand tightly and their son standing next to her, laughing. But they didn't turn out to be the only ones in the 'family' picture. The twins had somehow managed to squeeze themselves in, and were giving Haruhi bunny-ears from behind her, their heads making it into the picture right next to each of her shoulders.
Takashi standing beside Kaoru with Honey perched on his shoulders, smiling a humongous smile. Kyouya was beside Tamaki, smiling faintly.
And the picture that they had painted together truly, was picture perfect.
A/N: I hope you enjoyed it and that you don't think I said 'beautiful' too much. I actually had this written up for awhile, but this was my first time uploading something that deals with romance to this extent. I hope the characters weren't OOC or anything.
You're comments and helpful criticism is appreciated, so please review if you have the time.
Neko-chan
