Breaking the Quiet
Warnings: angst, whumping
Haruhi had paid no attention to the newspapers. Usually it was full of rubbish and misinformation and the sports. Just because his face was emblazoned upon the front page with garish text didn't mean that it was true. Worse things had been said before and all had turned out to be misrepresented and untrue. This one garnered her attention however.
She still rang Kyouya, because the article had unsettled her. It couldn't be true, but Haruhi just wanted to make sure.
Instead of answering her questions, Kyouya asked her to visit him. Now.
Though it was important, Haruhi cancelled her next appointment without a second thought and rushed out of her office to the Ootori headquarters. Other people were worth more.
Once inside the building she was quickly escorted through a series of lifts and stairs to Kyouya's office in half the time it usually took.
Kyouya's office door was opened for her. Haruhi walked in, feeling the unease in her gut tense and clench further. Kyouya was illuminated with the bluish light of his laptop. The curtains of his office had been hastily closed only letting in a narrow streak of pale wintery light.
For a moment, Haruhi waited, for Kyouya to speak. "About Tamaki - " she started, impatient.
"He's missing." Kyouya interrupted curtly.
It finished their conversation.
"If he left by flying then surely he would be on record, they would have checked his passport." Haruhi suggested, searching her mind for clues.
"There's nothing under his name." Kyouya replied.
"About the Souh private transport, maybe - "
"It was his father that contacted me, Tamaki has not been at the second Suoh mansion for three days, this morning. He has simply... disappeared."
"I thought," and she stopped, looking away. Kyouya raised his head and stared at her with probing eyes. "I thought you watched him, made sure he was safe."
There is an awkward pause. Kyouya shuffled some papers, and returned to his laptop. "I did have a small security detachment placed to watch him," Kyouya said in a quiet voice. "Tamaki found out recently and demanded I stop. For a short time, I decided to indulge him. No one had threatened him before. He was the Souh heir, his grandmother had people watching him as well." He sounded frustrated.
"Have you spoken to her?" Haruhi muttered, disturbed at the mention of Tamaki's grandmother. She clenched her fists.
"No," Kyouya said shortly. "She refused to have any contact with me, regarding anything to do with Tamaki. Mostly, when I deal with the Suoh I go through their various contacts or Tamaki's father and he is not responsible or even allowed to take care of Tamaki's security."
"I will go see her then," Haruhi said, standing up.
"Do believe that wise? She has no liking for you, Haruhi. It could make matters worse."
"Tamaki has to be found," Haruhi murmured, uncertain herself.
She cancelled her appointments for the rest of the day on her way to the first Suoh mansion. It was hard to keep still, and Haruhi kept fiddling with her fingers as she was driven to the more opulent area of the city.
It was silent.
Haruhi didn't expect to be taken to Tamaki's grandmother. She had tried to be polite, and not demand to be taken to see her, but Haruhi wasn't sure she had succeeded.
Perhaps she had, Haruhi mused, still jittery, as she was escorted to an elegant, traditional room where Tamaki's grandmother awaited her. Canny eyes slitted in warning.
"Hello," Haruhi murmured, bowing low in a gesture she hoped would integrate her with the old lady.
"You're here about him then," and there was no mistaking over 'him'.
She nodded, before replying, "Yes. I was wondering if you had any idea about his whereabouts." Haruhi then enquired.
For a time, the old lady did not reply. "No, I would have expected that fool to be gallivanting in Okinawa, or -"
"You have no idea where Tamaki is then?" Haruhi questioned again.
"No, Tamaki has vanished." It is clear to even Haruhi that she is not pleased about being interrupted.
"Have you received a ransom note? He could have been kidnapped," Haruhi suggested. It is hard sometimes to believe, but the rich fools she had went to school with were powerful and... were wonderfully wealthy. Though, that had been very obvious, Haruhi hadn't placed too much value on the thought on the power of their yen.
"There has been no note." Her tone was tense.
Tamaki was still her only heir, despite the old lady's loathing for him.
Haruhi left the first Suoh mansion disturbed. The visit had solved nothing.
"It shouldn't be this hard to find him," Haruhi mused, "He's just a fool," she said this almost carelessly. "Just a fool." Haruhi took one calming breath, then another, when she didn't find any relief. "Fool," she said, not sure of who she was directing this at. "All of you, Mori, Honey, Kaoru, Hikaru, Kyouya and all those resources and still he is missing." She breathed in deep again.
"You will hyperventilate if you continue to do that," Kyouya muttered without looking at her. His face is wan with exhaustion and there are deep shadows under his eyes. Haruhi knew she didn't look any better, but she took those signs of worry in. It had been three days since she had first visited Kyouya about Tamaki and six days since Tamaki had disappeared.
"You should sleep, Kyouya," Haruhi murmured.
"So should you, Haruhi." He said tersely in a tense reply.
"I can handle mornings, Kyouya, and you can barely handle waking up at noon."
"That is an exaggeration." He said, hating his weakness.
"You need the sleep more than me." Haruhi prodded again.
He rolled his neck, clicks and snaps jolting her. "Very well, keep an eye on the phone, Haruhi."
She can't sleep. Haruhi is too restless to close her eyes.
"There is news! There is news!" Kaoru and Hikaru shout together as they open the door. Honey and Mori enter behind them.
Honey appeared unusually serious and solemn. Mori stood behind Honey, one hand on Honey's shoulder in a sign of support. "Tamaki is in France."
Relief spread through Haruhi and she sagged into a seat, a grateful expression on her face., "France? Paris? Is he in Paris? I would have thought that he would have the sense to say something about - "
"His mother is ill, dying." Honey murmured kindly, placing his arms around her in a soothing gesture. "Haruhi, Tamaki sounded broken."
Haruhi hugged Honey, needing some comfort after the last week of hectic, frantic worrying. Honey wrapped his arms around her, disturbed by the tiny tremors that shake her body.
Hikaru and Kaoru exchange anxious glances, patting her, cradling her as well.
"I have to go see him." Haruhi said determinedly. She stepped away from the embraces of Kaoru, Hikaru and Honey.
Kyouya nodded behind her. "I'll book the next available plane to France. I will be accompanying Haruhi."
She would have to cancel the next week's appointments as well. Haruhi didn't care at this point. She stared at the other members of the Host Club and knew that they felt the same.
Someone, Tamaki, was missing. And it didn't feel right without him.
When they arrived, after finally tracking Tamaki down, Tamaki's mother had already died.
Seeing him look so fragile, eyes red from weeping and him almost frozen in shock, made Haruhi rush up to him and embrace him tenderly. Behind her, Kyouya placed one hand on his friend's shoulder.
"I'm here," she whispered, hoping he can hear her and respond. "I would have been here, I just wished you could have asked."
Tamaki cried then, breaking down and weeping as Kyouya and Haruhi try to soothe him.
"I couldn't let anyone know, Mother wanted me to be happy and be with my family in Japan. She was ill already, I had to leave, because otherwise she wouldn't have gotten the treatment she needed. That was all I could do. I couldn't take care of her. Mother." He said between sobs.
"You made her happy Tamaki," Kyouya murmured gently, surprising Haruhi. "Everything you have done has made her proud of you. By making so many people happy, you brought light to her life and so many others."
"I didn't do enough. I didn't - "
Haruhi pressed her lips against his forehead, like how her mother used to do to her when she needed soothing. "Tamaki," she said carefully, stroking his hair, "We care."
He looked up at her with wide violet eyes, "Haruhi..." Tamaki murmured her name with wonder.
"Thank you, Tamaki." Haruhi smiled at him, linking their hands together.
"Y-Yes." Tamaki nodded at her, not ready to smile yet.
"Idiot," she said fondly,"You should have told us."