These characters and etc. are not mine; they belong solely to Bisco Hatori, the awesome creator of Host Club. (:

This is kinda my first fanfic, so please send me back input. Hope you enjoy, mon amis!

It's taking place during the ordeal with Éclair, but I changed the scenario a tad. (Or possibly a smidgen more.)

-------------------------------------------

"Hmm… something's wrong with Milord, Kaoru."

"Yes… I wonder what's wrong with him?"

It was a normal day in Music Room 3. The Host Club catered to every wish and whim of the young ladies that sat upon the various sofas and seats scattered about the extravagant room, blushing scarlet as their favorite host spent the day devoted to them and them alone. Yes, all was normal and predictable… except for one thing. Tamaki wasn't participating.

The president of the club was the most called upon host; for his lean body, the golden, sunshine like hair, the blue eyes that sparkled and shimmered with a life of their own. His genuine smile and the warmth of his words was also plus, not to mention his habit of spouting out romantic poetry at the drop of a hat, no matter what situation they were in. But Tamaki was not reclined in one of the sofas with one girl on each side, as he usually was, with his legs crossed and his hands resting contentedly on his knees; nor was he seated by one of the tea tables, breathing romantic promises in a blushing girl's ear, while he brushed the petals of a dark red rose down her throat, sometimes breaking into French if he got truly excited.

No… the charismatic king's presence could not be found. The twins had been scouting the room all day, and so had the rest of the host club. They had called his cell phone at least ten times and left six voice messages, and still, there was no reply back. Deeply unsettled and growing more so when he didn't call back—at first they had supposed Tamaki forgot the charge his cell phone, something that happened frequently, since he was such a scatter-brain—and at the close of the day the six closed up the room, feeling much more stressed then they ever had with Tamaki around. To be honest they were surprised that the absence of Tamaki made them feel this way; some, like Haruhi and Kyouya, had supposed it would be a refreshing break to be able to serve their customers without hearing Tamaki's mushy diction floating around the air till the echo of his voice in their heads was a familiar thing.

Hikaru and Kaoru walked to their waiting limo outside the school, troubled by the absence of their lord as well, though not wanting to admit it to the others. To be honest they adored being around Tamaki, secretly wanting his approval, to have those vibrant, smiling blue eyes turned in their direction. He was also the only one they knew in their lives that could take the brunt of their teasing and not be offended by the slightest. The half-French, clumsy, fatally handsome and overly dramatic Suoh had opened up their world for them… and they couldn't just let him slip away, like too much sand clutched in too small fingers. And though they didn't admit it, even to each other… each was attracted to the golden-haired king. Kaoru knew that his heart did a few more extra beats when Tamaki approached him. Hikaru knew that he wanted to take the blonde's head in his hands and… well…

When they slipped into the plush leather seats of the limo, Hikaru suddenly looked to Kaoru with a meaningful expression on his face, and they both nodded in unison. "Driver, take us to the Suoh mansion," Hikaru drawled, reclining back into his seat with a smile curling his lips up.

------------------------------------

"Play me something, Tamaki. I have so wanted to hear you play…"

The sun was beginning to set below the horizon. Tamaki Suoh sat upon the sofa in his spacious room, blue eyes staring distantly out at the melting sun beyond the large window at the opposite end of his room. Seated quite close to him was a rather beautiful young lady; though she would have been more so if her blue eyes weren't so chilled with cold, if her lips didn't smirk as much, like when she reached out a hand at that moment and stroked it through her future-husband's hair. Yes, Éclair Tonnerre had already gotten to Tamaki; had found him in his mansion in the morning and explained to him, in a quiet, seductive whisper, as he lay half sitting up and confused in his bed, that if he agreed to do as she said, he would be able to see his mother again. And Tamaki could not refuse.

Noticing the way Tamaki didn't reply or even move from her affectionate touch, the girl pulled her hand away, putting a pair of opera glasses against her eyes to scrutinize the handsome blonde's face. "Now now, Tamaki. Don't pout, so. If I let you see your friends, then you'll miss them more when we move away. This is really the best for you."

Tamaki blinked and turned to face her, his eyes tired, lips turned down. But then he tilted his head to the side a bit and smiled at her; a genuine smile, a smile that could melt a heart, that had already begun to melt the icy heart of hers. "I understand. Thank you."

He stood and walked to the piano, adjusting the bench and then taking a seat, hands raising to skim his fingers along the ivory keys as he thought of an appropriate song to play. But then he began to play without really thinking, and what came forth was a delicate song, a song of sadness and e-minors and the delicate trill of high notes. Tamaki slipped into his quiet, serious, sensitive mode as he played, as he always did when he played; eyes closed, body moving forward and back with the music. Éclair thought that she had never seen anything more beautiful. His cell phone clutched in one hand, Éclair stood and walked behind him, arms moving to circle his neck, to press her body against his broad back.

The feeling was simply delicious—Tamaki smelled like soap and the airy yet spicy scent of some type of French cologne. Warmth radiated from his body, which rocked back and forth ever so subtlety, more stilled from before with her arms and body against him. Éclair nuzzled her lips against the shell of his ear and thought, you belong to me, now. Not that girl at your host club that you've been talking about, not your friends. Your voice, your body, your blue eyes… I want all of you. Through all this Tamaki continued to play, eyes still closed, as if he didn't notice the pressure of her body, the hands that smoothed up and down his chest and abdomen, the cherry red lips that kissed down his neck and up again to rest at his ear. Was it because he was so used to the attentions of girls, that it didn't effect him? Or was it because he was simply lost in the music, or hiding in some remote place in his body, trying to ignore his future wife's administrations?

And as the music spilled from his fingers, Éclair's fingers slowly unbuttoned the buttons of his white, rather rumpled dress shirt, starting from the top to the bottom, and when she was finished she pressed her hands to his bare chest, feeling the warmth and intimacy of his bare flesh against her palms. As she smoothed her hands up his chest and opened up his shirt more, Éclair thought she could hear a huff of breath escape Tamaki's lips. She couldn't see, but his eyes were open and wide now, staring down at his hands and wondering if this was really happening to him.

"Tamaki," she whispered. "I want you." Her hands smoothed down his forearms to still his hands, and the silence was deafening.

Tamaki stood abruptly and turned around, and Éclair pressed herself to him, his back bumping into the keys and sending a chaos of notes into the air. Kissing his neck again, which already had the lipstick red evidence trailing up and down it, she noticed the taken aback expression of his face, the stiff way he held himself. "You said you would do whatever I tell you to. If you don't, you can forget about seeing your mother." She smiled as a resigned expression came into Tamaki's eyes, and she led him to the sofa, his shirt slipping off his shoulders and falling into a crumpled heap onto the floor. White hands gripped into blond hair as they slipped upon the sofa.

----------------------------------

"We want to speak to Tamaki."

"Yeah, let us in, we're his friends. He hasn't called us all day, you know."

The two twins had their arms crossed over their chests, prepared to have a battle with the old lady who stood in the doorway if she didn't let them in. She cocked her said to the side but then smiled, beckoning the two inside. "I apologize for Tamaki Suoh's behavior, if he hasn't responded to you today," she said, leading the two into the lush, marble-floored room. From the tall ceiling hung glittering chandeliers, making the room glow with golden light and illuminating the tall staircase that began at the center and broke into two parts at the 2nd floor; the left, they knew, was Tamaki's room, and the right they hadn't quite explored yet. "He had an unexpected guest this morning… because of her status, we couldn't deny her." The old lady shrugged; apparently this wasn't really her problem.

"What guest? Tamaki never told us about a guest," Hikaru said, glancing at Kaoru.

"Lady Éclair. She's just arrived from France. Apparently she came all the way there to see him."

"Lady Éclair…" Kaoru repeated. The name didn't sound familiar, but the two already knew of their lord's history. Perhaps this was an old friend, coming down to visit? Or an old… girlfriend? This was a possibility; they knew how charming their lord was, and how heart-broken a girl could be if he ever departed from her. But the two couldn't quite picture their lord in a long term relationship… it just didn't sit right in their minds. Tamaki seemed to be paid to please a mountain of girls, not just one. They both pictured Tamaki, eyes shining, mouth smiling, pulling all his romantic stunts on one girl, who lay twitching and swooning the floor, over-dosed by too much of… Tamaki.

The two snickered behind their hands and then quieted down when the woman eyed them with a worried expression. "Well, we'll go up there and surprise him," said Hikaru. They both quickly ascended the stairs, pausing in front of his door, which had a sign hanging from the doorknob that read, "Knock before addressing the King!" There was a photo of him below this, finger up, head turned and lips pursed in a "no-no" expression. Hikaru snorted—that was so like Tamaki, it hurt.

"Hikaru, listen," Kaoru whispered. He had his ear pressed against the door. Hikaru opened his mouth to object to this—Kaoru usually wasn't the type to invade other people's personal space—but a noise made this thought disappear. It was a soft moan.

They were both eagerly pressing their ears to the door now, one finger against each other's lips in an unintentional parody of their lord's sign.

"Mm, Tamaki…"

There was the sound of lips kissing against skin, and then a quiet shuffle. "You smell so good, why is that?"

"Because I use cologne imported by my very hometown of France," came Tamaki's "you didn't know that already?" reply. His voice sounded a little less energetic as usual, and there came a quiet gasp from him as another kiss was given, this time louder.

The twins eyes each other and continued to listen.

"Hmm… Tamaki… you belong to me now, you know. That means I can kiss you wherever you like." Kiss. "Like right here." Kiss kiss. "Right here… or…"

"Éclair!" This was Tamaki's voice now, with the voice he usually used when Haruhi said a terrifically cold thing to him (or at least in his opinion). The sofa shifted; apparently Tamaki was standing now. "You can't just do things like this. This is wrong, you must know it is. And you're a woman, a young lady, and I cannot abide…"

"He's using his 'lord' voice," Hikaru whispered to Kaoru. They knew this usually meant Tamaki was especially ruffled.

"Go on, Tamaki. But what do you know about women? You were separated from yours at a young age, for the faults of your father. It must be all an act at your… what do you call it… 'host club?' You live in a fantasy, surrounding yourself with your pretend family… it's sad, really. I know that you know you'll never have one."

It was quiet. The twins looked to each other. 1. 2. 3, Kaoru mouthed, and they both burst in at the same time, mouths dropping open at the scene that greeted them.

Lady Éclair sat upon the couch, fully clothed, yet her hair a bit rumpled. Tamaki was standing across from her, hair disheveled, mouth set, and… a blanket tied around his middle to cover his nakedness below. The two twins couldn't help but stare, for a moment forgetting what they came in there to do. Their lord looked… delicious. His physical attributes were not lessened by his rumpled appearance; they seemed to be heightened. But the two noticed that there were red lipstick marks on his neck, his cheeks, his chest… a sudden surge of protection went through them. This was their lord, not this bitch with the cold blue eyes and the smirk. He was theirs to tease and make angry, and to laugh with afterwards. But they knew that Tamaki could belong to no one; he was a free spirit, so warm and kind and… dense at times. This woman was their enemy.

"Tamaki does have a family. We're his family, and everyone else at the host club. It's only bitches like you that wish you were half his level," Hikaru spat.

A look of surprise and shame and passed over Tamaki's features, but now a warm look was in his eyes… a grateful look.

"Yeah," said Kaoru, putting an arm around his brother's shoulder. He turned to look at Tamaki. "Milord, go get dressed. We'll deal with her."

"No." The three; Éclair, Hikaru and Kaoru, were now looking in the half-naked lord's direction. He stepped forward and then knelt by Éclair's knees.

"I do want to see my mother, more than anything in the world. And I thought, for a while, that the host club would be better off without me. But now I realize that… they do still need me, that I'm not just a nuisance to them. They truly are my family. And I hope, my princess, that you can understand this in time." He stood to his full height, smiling down at her. "Thank you, Lady Éclair, for the wonderful day." Tamaki gave a graceful bow and then walked out of the room, his clothes slung over one shoulder.

The three stared after him.

"That idiot, why did he thank her?" Hikaru muttered.

Éclair stood, looking after the closed door that Tamaki had disappeared through. Then she looked to the twins. "Your lord… he is… remarkable. He…" she touched a hand to her heart and then shook her head, heading back down the stairs and to a waiting car in the driveway. With that, the Lady Éclair drove off… but not without a token. Tamaki's tie lay on her lap, and it was with this she fiddled instead of the spectacles.

--------------------------------

It was the contented smile on Tamaki's face that even caused Kyouya to smile. As soon as Tamaki and the twins came into the room the host club crowded around him; Hunny circled small arms about his waist, Mori patted his head, Haruhi laughed and smiled up at him and the two twins circled their arms around his neck. Kyouya stood apart from the crowd, but for once he wasn't calculating. The girls swooning and gasping happily in the background, Tamaki stood straight and tall with his hands in his pockets, eyes closed, smiling happily. The lipstick marks were washed away, the golden hair was groomed once again; though strands still fell naturally in his face. Though Kaoru and Hikaru agreed, by the exchange of looks, that Tamaki half-naked was a much more appetizing Tamaki then with a Ouran High School uniform on, they were proud that their lord was back to his old self.

Breaking apart from the hug-orgy (Tamaki was now grasping all and pulling them against his chest, even Mori, who was a tad disgruntled, though Hunny squealed with pleasure), Hikaru and Kaoru approached Kyouya. "Mm? What is it?" he said, pushing up his glasses, pretending he hadn't been enjoying the happy union.

"We think you have something that might interest you," said Hikaru. He slipped a small digital camera from one of his pockets, turning it on and letting the Shadow King browse the photos they are taken.

Kyouya's eyes widened a bit behind his glasses. There were photos of… Tamaki. And a half dressed Tamaki at that, looking thoroughly sexed up, with his disheveled hair and lipstick marks and the flush on his cheeks. "Where did you—"

"No questions. We give these to you, you put them on the host club site and…"

"My twiiiiins!" Tamaki's warble sounded not far behind them, and before they could bolt Tamaki had his arms around both of them, planting a French-like kiss on each of their cheeks. "Ah, mon amis! You have saved me from a most undignified fate! I can't believe I didn't notice it sooner, that you all truly need me, like two sparrows waiting on their mother bird to provide for them some food…"

"Milord, that's a gross analogy," muttered Hikaru.

"…and food I shall give you! With the host club I will uplift your spirits, open up a world that you have never seen, no… two worlds, three worlds, an infinite amount of worlds. Beau! Beau! But what is Mother looking at…" Tamaki's attention was now focused on the digital camera in Kyouya's hands; Kyouya made an attempt to slip it into his jacket pockets, but Tamaki quickly took it from his hands, curious. All three stood as still as stone, eyes on the king's face as he looked at photo after photo of himself scantily clad. He stood very still.

"Hikaru… Kaoru… did you… take these?" he whispered. They couldn't see his eyes because a curtain of golden hair kept them in shadow.

"Y-yes, milord," said Hikaru, eyes fixed on him.

"These… these are…" He snapped his head up. " Ce sont beaux!!!! "

"What does that mean?" Hikaru muttered to Kyouya.

"He thinks they're lovely."

"…what an idiot."

"Come on you two! Let's go take more! A photo shoot!"

Tamaki shoved the camera into Hikaru's hands and dragged the two to one of the sofas, immediately stripping off his shirt and laying on his side across the sofa, elbow propping himself up, head thrown back.

"Milord, this is a public place, but your shirt back on…"

"What about this pose?"

"Hunny, don't look at that, you'll dirty your eyes."

"Hikaru, Kaoru, wait for me! Mommy, tell them to stop!"

"...leave me out of this."

...Fini