It was Christmas and Haruhi was running around trying to get the house cleaned up before the host club arrived. Her father at the moment was out working and wasn't expected to be home for a good few hours or so. Her doorbell rang through her ears and she fell over with a thump! "Ow" Haruhi groaned and rubbed her head. She looked at the door and yelled "coming!" She hopped off the ground and rushed to the door and opened it to find Tamaki leaning up against her door frame. She smiled happily. "Good morning Tamaki-senpai." Haruhi said cheerfully and backed up a bit, "Please, come in." Tamaki waltzed into Haruhi's home and grinned at her. She smiled, her dark brown eyes shining.
"Sorry to arrive so early" Tamaki said.
"It's no problem." Haruhi said quickly.
"Are you sure about that dear Haruhi?" Tamaki asked and put his arm around the small of her back. Haruhi giggled at him. "Now when will the others be getting here?" Tamaki asked.
Haruhi looked around for a clock and her eyes fell upon one. "An hour or so" She replied calmly.
"Why don't you let me help set up?" Tamaki asked pleasantly. Haruhi nodded and Tamaki let her go. She felt slightly sad that she was free of his warm and gentle embrace, even though he had only been using one arm. "You OK Haruhi" Tamaki called as went to find a box of ornaments for her very bare tree.
"Yes Senpai" Haruhi replied and walked over to a cupboard to get out the angel she put atop the tree every year. Tamaki reappeared with a box that was filled with boxed and home made Christmas ornaments. "Shall we get started?" Haruhi asked and glanced back at the king of the host club who had somehow stolen her heart over the past year. Tamaki smiled his charming heart warming smile at her and set the box down. He pulled out an ornament and walked over to the tree and placed it on. Haruhi walked over to the box and followed suit. "Thank you Tamaki-senpai." Haruhi said thoughtfully as she placed her favorite ornament onto the tree.
"No need to thank me Haruhi." Tamaki said sweetly and placed a fourth ornament onto the tree. "By the way" Tamaki said as he bent over to find an ornament he liked. "You don't have to use "senpai" around me, this is Christmas." Tamaki informed her and stood up with an ornament that had a picture of three people smiling and it was encased with in a small gold holder attached to a string and read "love, faith, and hope". "Is this you and your parents?" Tamaki asked. Haruhi looked up from the box at the ornament he was holding.
"I thought I got rid of that thing." Haruhi said and went to snatch it but Tamaki held it away from her.
"Why would you like to get rid of such a beautiful ornament?" Tamaki asked surprised.
"It was my mother's, it used to have a picture of her and her family but when she started one of her own she replaced the picture with us." Haruhi said quietly. "I didn't, couldn't understand that she would cover up her precious family with me and dad. Now she is gone and I couldn't stand looking at it, dad must have found it and kept it." Haruhi finished.
Tamaki frowned at the teenage girl standing in front of him. "Haruhi, I don't think your mother was trying to cover up or get rid of her family, but show the love she had found within a newer one." Tamaki said and hung it up on tree up high so Haruhi couldn't take it down.
"Tamaki" Haruhi whined and tried to get the ornament.
"It is a good picture, and you look so adorable!" Tamaki sang out.
"Hey" Haruhi said and blushed slightly and looked down. Tamaki walked over and brought her head up and he had to do everything he could to not blush.
"Please don't be so frustrated over such a little thing princess." Tamaki said charmingly and brushed some of Haruhi's bangs out of the way. Haruhi blushed even more and hated herself for doing so but she couldn't help it. "Why don't we finish this tree and wait for others to show up?" Tamaki asked. Haruhi nodded faintly and Tamaki walked over to the other side of the box and pulled out another ornament. The two of them put up almost all the ornaments. Tamaki looked at the tree to inspect it. "I think its missing something." He said in speculation and crossed his arms over his chest and tried to figure it out. Haruhi laughed and walked over to where she had set the angel out.
"Want to help me put this up there?" Haruhi asked.
"I would love to help you at any time." Tamaki said and he walked over to where Haruhi stood. He bent down slightly and scooped her up. Haruhi let out a squeak of surprise. Tamaki walked her over to the tree where she leaned over and placed the angel on top. Tamaki let Haruhi drop slightly and maneuvered her into the classic bridal style so he could see her eyes better.
"What now?" She asked quietly. Tamaki looked up and grinned. Haruhi followed his gaze and saw what caught his attention. "My fathers own decoration." Haruhi told him.
"Well, tradition must stay tradition." Tamaki said simply and Kissed Haruhi softly and sweetly on the lips and then set her on the ground. Haruhi stood there her eyes wide and unmoving. Tamaki bit his bottom lip. "Haruhi" He squeaked out, afraid he had offended his delicate flower that he loved. She swallowed and looked at him. She smiled and launched herself at him and threw her arms around his neck and he wrapped his arms around her small waist and smiled into what he could only say was heaven. Haruhi's hand weaved itself into the back of Tamaki's head and put whatever feeling and emotion she could into that kiss. Once they broke apart Tamaki spun Haruhi and then put her back on the ground once again.
Haruhi sighed slightly and looked at him again. "Merry Christmas Tamaki-senpai" Haruhi said sweetly Tamaki smiled at her and interlaced his fingers with hers.
"How about we keep this our secret my queen" Tamaki said quietly and dragged her into the kitchen so they could make small little snacks for when he other Host Club members showed up. Haruhi laid out what they had managed to make with the little supply of food she had since her and her father had been so busy they both forgot about going to the grocery store and mainly what was there was for Christmas dinner for her and her dad.
"They should be here soon, right?" Haruhi asked and looked at Tamaki.
"Of course, please try not to fret lovely." Tamaki said playfully and grabbed her hand in his again.
"Before they do get here Senpai"
"What did I ask you about that?"
"Eh heh, sorry Tamaki" Haruhi said and grinned sheepishly. "What are we? At the moment" She asked quietly and was afraid to look him in the eye for fear of being swallowed up by his bright and rich purple eyes. Tamaki chuckled and turned Haruhi's face toward himself with the palm of his hand on her cheek. Haruhi kept her gaze down though.
"Look up at me Haruhi" Tamaki said softly but yet still firm. Haruhi did as she was told. "If you would like I would love to be more than just your superior and your friend." Tamaki said softly and gently. Haruhi bit her bottom lip not sure what to say. Tamaki smiled at her gently "Sorry to have confused you"
"You haven't" She said and shook her head. "Yes" Haruhi said. "Yes, I would love for you, for us to be more than friends!" Haruhi cried and jumped on Tamaki who fell on the floor.
"What is this?" Two identical voices called simultaneously. Haruhi let out a sound of surprise and jumped to her feet and fixed her hair. Tamaki sat up grinning from ear to ear.
"Hello, please come in." Haruhi said and opened her door wider. The twins walked in and looked around.
"Nice decorations." They said simply. "Now what is going on between you and Tamaki?" They asked as they placed themselves on either side of her.
"Nothing" Haruhi said and avoided looking at either of the twins.
"Liar, lair" Kaoru chimed.
"Pants on fire" Hikaru finished. Tamaki then burst into a fit of laughter.
"Tamaki" Haruhi said.
"Sorry Haruhi" Tamaki said and got himself to calm down. Before the twins could continue their teasing and questioning the other three members of the host club appeared.
"Haru-chan!" Honey called and gave her a big hug.
"Afternoon Haruhi" Kyoya said and Mori stood their keeping a watchful eye upon Honey.
"When did tama-chan get here?" Honey asked innocently.
"About an hour ago Honey-senpai" Haruhi replied not even thinking about the response. The twins grinned from ear to ear and Kyoya coughed. "What?" Haruhi asked confused by the reaction to her answer.
"So my lord how enjoyable was this hour?" Hikaru asked and nudged Tamaki in the side. Tamaki blinked trying to register what Hikaru was implying at the moment.
"I enjoyed myself yes, but who doesn't have fun when putting up Christmas ornaments and making small little peasant snacks?" Tamaki replied and smiled his dopey smile.
"You put up ornaments, can I help finish?" Honey asked excitedly upon seeing a missed box of ornaments.
"Sure" Haruhi said and threw out one of her angelic smiles and picked up an ornament from the box to find a place for it on the tree. "If there was one thing my mom liked a lot was ornaments." Haruhi said cheerfully as she peered around the tree. Mori picked up Honey so he could put an ornament up high on the tree where he couldn't reach.
"Thank you Mori" Honey said happily. The twins, Tamaki, and Kyoya sat and watched as the three of them put up a few more ornaments and Kyoya deemed the tree decorated enough. All of the host club members stepped back to admire the fully decorated Christmas tree. "It's so pretty." Honey exclaimed his eyes wide.
"Haven't you seen one before?" Haruhi asked and looked at Honey.
"Yes, but none of them have been this pretty." Honey replied as he continued to stare at the tree as its lights sparkled, the many colored and homey ornaments that hung upon its branches, and the gorgeous yet simplistic angel that brought it all together at the very top.
"It is really pretty isn't it?" Haruhi said thoughtfully and she glanced up at Tamaki who smiled down at her.
"You had mentioned something about snacks, correct?" Hikaru asked.
"Yes of course!" Tamaki said and showed them to the little place he and Haruhi had set up the snacks. Little sugar cookies were here and there along with some star shaped onigiri that Haruhi had made before Tamaki arrived and some chocolate covered strawberries sat in a small bowl in the middle of it all.
"What a quaint and pleasant little display you have set up here Haruhi." Kyoya commented as he picked up a strawberry to taste it. "Delectable" Kyoya said and looked at Haruhi a funny way. She just smiled at him.
"Glad you like it Kyoya-senpai" She said sweetly. Haruhi walked over to an onigiri and picked it up and walked over to Tamaki who was shooting Kyoya a glare.
"Tamaki" she whispered he spun around to see her. "This is for you" She said and handed it to him. His eyes widened and he blushed.
"Thank you Haruhi." He said and accepted the onigiri. He gave her a slight bow and took a bite of the food. "This is incredible!" Tamaki exclaimed. Haruhi smiled and looked around to see Honey choosing out which cookie to eat, Kyoya taking notes, and the twins eyeing the same onigiri. "One ting that it isn't more incredible than this is your kiss." Tamaki whispered into Haruhi's ear. She giggled and backed up slightly.
"You are special Tamaki-sen" she cut herself off quickly. "Tamaki" She said.
"Yes?" He inquired of her. She rolled her eyes at him and walked off but not before glancing back and winking at him. Tamaki watched as she was chatting with Mori about something, he didn't say much but he was talking. As the time passed the high standard high school boys she had befriended dwindled away seeing as it was Christmas so they had other engagements to attend.
Haruhi sighed and slumped down at her table and glanced at the clock, her father would be home within the half hour and she didn't know what to do with herself. She let her head rest upon her arms as thoughts of Tamaki and herself drifted through her head. There was a knock and her door opened she sat up quickly only to see a smiling Tamaki with a rose and a little card in his hand. She smiled at him and stood up.
"What is this?" She asked skeptically.
"Just a rose for my fair maiden by the name of Haruhi Fujioka, would you know where I might find her; because I have some business I wish to discuss with her." Tamaki said charmingly and his eyes sparkled with his playfulness. Haruhi laughed and so did Tamaki.
"What do you wish to discuss with me?" She asked and batted her eyelashes and pretended to move a nonexistent skirt. Tamaki chuckled and set the rose on the nearest surface.
"I wanted to discuss our future." Tamaki said regally.
"Oh really?" Haruhi asked playfully and took a step toward him. He nodded his response.
"You will be my girlfriend, right?" He asked hopefully a slight pink brushed his cheeks as he said this.
"Yes" Haruhi said a blush crossing her entire cheeks and she looked down. Tamaki chuckled and brought her chin up.
"I much prefer to see your beautiful and heart warming smiling face and deep chocolate brown eyes than the top of your shining and smooth hair." Tamaki said sweetly and placed a soft gentle kiss on her lips. "I sadly have to bid you a farewell but I hope to see you soon, my queen." Tamaki said and kissed her hand softly and left. Haruhi smiled and watched him go to his limo and leave. She closed her door and picked up the rose and the card. She sniffed the rose and smiled again. She placed the rose into a small crystal vase that had been a wedding present to her parents. She then looked the card and brushed a small tear from her cheek. She went into her bedroom and pinned it above where she slept so she could always see it before she went to bed and so she could see it when she awoke.
