Disclaimer:

I don't own the characters of Ouran or anything else really. I just mess with them. Disclaimer for the whole story.

Warning:

Spoilers for the anime.

Author's Note:

And my second Ouran fic :)

Writing the first one has got me in the mood, so I've decided to start posting this early. Chapter length will vary, so don't be upset if one's a bit shorter.

This is based off the events in the anime, unlike my other story.

It's Hikaru/Haruhi with lots of Hikaru/Kaoru brotherly friendship and Haruhi/Kaoru friendship.

I'm not too bothered by reading the twincest, but I won't write it myself. Sorry!

Reviews Appreciated. No Flames. Constructive Criticism Welcome.

I hope you enjoy :)

Chapter One:

|| The Aftermath ||

xxx

The familiar school bell rang, reminding students of their next classes.

Hikaru and Kaoru walked towards their next class, the usual expression of boredom clearly showing on their faces. Kaoru's was slightly more thoughtful than his brother's, subtly watching everyone as they passed.

Life had changed drastically since the near dissolution of the Host Club.

Tamaki had decided to reveal Haruhi's true gender, believing too many people had come to light of the situation anyway. He also had used his father's approval as an excuse, so her now exposed secret wouldn't be a huge deal with the Faculty at Ouran.

He also reasoned that since Mori and Honey weren't able to attend the Club daily due to coming exams, introducing Haruhi as the first female Host would return some flair and interest to the Host Club.

Tamaki's ideas were for once not too outrageous, and everyone had accepted them.

So Haruhi, obediently following the twins to class, now wore the female uniform instead of the male.

But it was Kaoru who had first grasped the true consequences of these events.

With the aftermath, situations had developed that distressed the twins, and Kaoru felt the weight of it all worse than his brother.

Since Haruhi had been revealed as a girl, it had shocked many people at the school. This was to be expected, of course.

Keeping her as a female Host hadn't been too hard, there was some confusion, but it made sense. She could still spend time and keep a connection to her friends. It mattered less to the twins since she was in their class and probably would be until they graduated.

At present, Haruhi now sat down at her desk and prepared herself for the day's lesson.

As well as the switch in uniform, she was letting her hair grow out again.

She had tried just keeping it natural, but as she arrived at school, Kaoru and Hikaru had forcefully changed its style to suit them. Understanding that she couldn't change their minds, she now put a small amount of effort into her hair in the morning, keeping it from looking masculine. She was unbothered by cutting it and reasoned it would have grown back sooner if she hadn't been posing as a male student.

This wasn't particularly worrying for Kaoru.

He sat, head resting on his arms as he observed the room.

Haruhi wasn't just a classmate to him; she was his closest friend. With one glance she could not only separate him from his brother, but understand the feelings that swarmed within him.

Hikaru was his other half, easily blinded by his emotions and felt more strongly for anything than Kaoru, but he was also ignorant and stubborn. He didn't deal with change easily.

It also didn't help that Kaoru recognised that he was the more logical and reasonable of the two.

So while his brother fumed and grumbled by himself, Kaoru could see the unwanted situations slowly beginning to develop that involved the trio.

It was startling how many guys were curious with Haruhi once they had discovered that she was in fact, female.

The twins had figured their reputation and the fact that Haruhi had decided herself to dress as male would keep them away. It seemed the twins had softened so much that curiosity outweighed any fear that might still exist for them as well.

But what was worse, was Haruhi's female fans, who were unbothered by male-male relationships, now found themselves confused, trying to sort out their feelings for Haruhi. They were noisy, emotional and very hard to deal with.

Haruhi was having enough trouble trying to shift around her routine at school without boys and girls doting on her, (or so the twins thought).

And so this caused many problems.

Hikaru was darker than usual, short tempered and closed off from everyone but his brother and Haruhi. Knowing she had been female all along made him feel superior and it was hard not being acknowledged for that fact. He disliked that Tamaki was taking all the credit for it, when the twins had done just as much work to keep her secret hidden.

He also got upset for himself for not knowing why he was so emotional. Once this would have made his younger brother laugh, but instead Kaoru was burdened by this.

And being the less emotional of them, dealt with the problem philosophically. He knew that eventually this would have happened and it was lucky it had only lasted a year and not longer, and that the Chairman of Ouran was not bothered by the deception.

But both the twins were possessive, either way.

So while glances were being stolen in Haruhi's direction, at least no one could get close because the twins sat protectively on either side of her.

Class was hard, full of tension that seemed to go past unnoticed by Haruhi.

"You look happy." Hikaru commented dryly as she packed up her stationery.

Haruhi merely gave him the slightest of smiles, reminding them once again at how nerdy she could be.

By the end of it, she was content, feeling fulfilled after absorbing information. After all, she was at Ouran because of her intelligence, not her money.

Kaoru looked doubtfully at his twin.

Eventually he sighed, taking Haruhi's arm and dragging her out of the room. Hikaru followed, arms folded behind his head, a shadow looming over his expression.

'This day isn't going to get better, straight from class to the Host Club. Hikaru might not make it.' He thought, eyeing his brother critically.

The guys and girls Kaoru could handle, but Tamaki's affections and attempts at seducing Haruhi were stifling.

Regardless that Haruhi was now set to entertain male guests; Tamaki was finally able to show his fondness for her. Once the Prince had truly grasped his feelings for her, he wasn't going to give up until he won her over. (Kaoru was sure he hadn't come to light of his feelings, but it wouldn't be long.)

The worst part was that most the Club agreed with Kaoru. They all showed their irritation in different ways.

With Haruhi's obliviousness to everything, it was hard watching Tamaki try and fail repeatedly. They all also wondered how long it would be until Haruhi became aware of everything, and if she would actually return Tamaki's feelings.

Kaoru's eyes slid to his brother.

He wished that wouldn't happen.

Mori and Honey took everything in stride, being able to understand the unfairness of the situation. Realising long ago that Hikaru was developing feelings for Haruhi (which he was in denial of) they could see how frustrating it was when Tamaki one day came out of his secluded world and began wanting change without completely committing himself to it.

Kyoya wisely did not involve himself in the situation, calmly going about his usual business within the Club.

Kaoru mostly ignored everything, but there was only so much change he could handle. He knew it was impossible for Hikaru to do the same.

It really wasn't easy seeing his brother threatening to snap each time Tamaki concocted another stupid ploy, especially since he wasn't ready to admit he had feelings that could ultimately destroy his kinship with Kaoru.

A second year student passed by, giving Haruhi a curious glance.

Knowing it wouldn't do to idle in the hallways with Hikaru's bad mood, Kaoru snapped his finger's in his brother's face and brought him out of his haze.

"Comon Haruhi, we'll be late for the Club." He muttered, taking her hand in one hand, and his brother's in the other.

A/N:

This chapter and the next are more or less prologue chapters. It was split so it's easier to read.

There will be more dialogue, just for now and the next chapter, I have to explain what's happened since I've set it a few weeks after the end of the anime. I'm assuming Honey and Mori are still at school, because I can't bear to get rid of them.

- Mae.