Dear Angel

Chapter 1: Five Years?


Five years. It had had been five years since she had seen that face. But of course, she didn't forget ever little detail of it. It was hard to when you had to spend every day of two years with the man. Not to mention she had inadvertently fell in love with him. Which was why she was so relieved when it came time for his graduation. She didn't shed a tear like the twins, who sobbed through the whole thing. She just watched the man she had accidentally fell for get up and take his diploma, and pretend like it was just any other document he was being handed.

That hadn't been the last time she had seen him though. Of course he came back like Huni and Mori did sometimes. And every time he did, she just put on a mask, that she had learned to keep up around him. Because she was just a commoner, she wasn't allowed to love him. It wasn't fair to put him into a position, that just might make him be shocked, for once.

And of course, she never did tell him. Why would she do that? Did she expect him to sweep her off her feet and marry her that second? No, he was sensible. Marrying her would hold no value, so of course he would never do that. Because Kyouya Ootori never did anything that held no merit.

So she kept it to herself. And when she had graduated, and said her last goodbyes to the club, she just told herself, she'd never see him again. Never have to put that mask up again. Never have to pretend that you loved another because that's what was expected of her, because the other was in love with her, while the one she really was in love with just sat back and watched.

Then when Tamaki married, arranged by the President, and even Suoh-san, Haruhi could breathe freely again. That had been about a month before she graduated. Tamaki had moved to France with Éclair. No he wasn't in love with her, but then again, when your married, in the upper-class, then you know you don't marry for love. You marry for value.

Five years later, Haruhi had established a nice little law firm and she worked excessively, thinking that if she didn't she might find something to complain about. Since she was pretty good at it, she made a fair amount. She definitely made more than Ranka ever did when she was a kid, so she could live a little bit more luxuriously, but then again, a commoner didn't know luxurious until they had stepped inside of a rich spoiled brat's house, like Tamaki's. Which Haruhi had.

It had been five years and of course, the only thing that could come out of her lips when she saw the painfully familiar face was, "What are you doing here?"

Smooth Haruhi. What are you doing here? Just smooth.

"What I can't come and see my old…err… friend?" He said pinching the bridge of his nose and smiling that, oh so heartbreakingly breath taking smile.

"No. Not you, if it was Tamaki, or the twins, or even Mori-senpai, then maybe, but not you Senpai." She told him narrowing her eyes. Haruhi may have been oblivious but she wasn't stupid. Kyouya was here for something. And it wasn't just for reminiscing about the good ol' days.

"Fine then. I'm here to offer you a proposition." He told her. She raised her eye brows in a curious manner and studied him for a short bit. He didn't seem to be hiding anything. She looked around, no hidden cameras, no blond hair sticking out randomly telling her that the old Club was going to jump up out of nowhere and yell surprise.

"Well, make your offer." She said bluntly to him after a few moments. Kyouya wasn't known for beating around the bush, and she had no idea what he was stalling to. It wasn't like him to work up to something, he liked to take it quickly, because to him, time is money.

"Haruhi, will you marry me?" He asked.

Time stopped for just a moment, and my masked slipped. she was in shock. The man Haruhi had been in love with for seven somewhat years, the one who had no idea that she had loved him for as long as she had, just asked me the words that she had dreamed of him saying, so many times.

When she saw the look on his face though, all thoughts of him ever loving her disappeared. Of course he could never love her. She was just some commoner after all. Just some smart girl that happened to get into the same school as him. Some girl who had happened to go looking for a quiet place to study, and ended up breaking a vase that had made her spend two years with him.

"Why do you want me to marry you Kyouya, there's more to it." She asked, recovering her mask of little emotion. He sighed and looked at her. She hated it when he looked at her like that. Like he could see right through her mask. Like he knew she was in love with him, and not Tamaki. Like he knew just what to say to make her say yes, which he probably did.

"Honestly? I need to get married. And my father said I can either find someone to marry, or I can marry on of his bimbos." He said his own mask breaking slightly as he made a face at the mention of the women his father would choose for Kyouya. Haruhi sighed. He had said the right thing. Well not the right thing, but he said what it was to make her say yes. She can't say no to him, when he's asking something like that of her.

"I thought of you first when he said that, so I came to you first. If you say no, then I'll find someone else, but Haruhi, think about it like this, you'll have all the wealth and security of an Ootori, and you'll be able to see the Twins, Tamaki, and Huni and Mori, as often as you like, because you'll be able to go with them on their vacations. It wouldn't be so bad to be married to me… " He said almost pleading with her.

She had just stopped moving all together. He was doing it again, making her want to flinch. But Haruhi knew better then to show weakness in front of him. Of course she'd say yes, but he didn't need to know that. She kind of liked hearing him plead with her. What drove her over the edge, was when he pulled out a ring and got down on one knee.

Kneeling Kyouya spoke, "Please Haruhi? I'd rather not marry someone that makes me uncomfortable when they enter the room." He told her looking her in the eye. Looking past all those walls she had built up so long ago. All those walls that were made to keep her sane. For a second, she thought he could read her mind, which was screaming yes.

With her mask securely in place she finally spoke.

"Oh shut up and give me the damn ring." She said with a small smile. Maybe she loved him, while he didn't love her, but she couldn't help it. Had he asked her anything else, it would have been a faster yes. Haruhi Fujioka… soon to be Ootori, loved Kyouya, and could not refuse him. She never had been able to.

Kyouya grinned at her. He put the ring on her left hand, and she looked at it making a face at the diamond size. He kissed her cheek and said, "Get used to it." Which made her make another face. "Tell me again what the pros are of this?" She asked with a small smile looking up at him.

Kyouya just shook his head with his famous smirk. Haruhi shrugged, it couldn't be that bad could it? She was just marrying him… Randomly… Without anyone knowing that she even harbored feelings for him… Including him… Great. This was going to be a long life.

Haruhi rand a hand through her hair. It had grown since they had seen each other last. But She still liked to keep it rather short. After the Host Club she had decided that she wanted to look like a girl. Maybe so she wouldn't get trapped into doing that for any longer, maybe just because she had gotten so used to the boys and girls there that she felt like she needed to show her real sex. She wasn't quite sure. But at a compromise, she kept it at her shoulders.

Kyouya looked at her. It was one of those looks. The kind he gave her when he was thinking about something, that involved her. The last time she had seen that, he had invited her out to dinner with his family and co-workers, because he needed a date.

Thinking about it, this was kind of like that. Except more so, because she would be living with him.

Oh dear God. Living with Kyouya. Haruhi nearly sighed of happiness right there. But that would have given away her happy thoughts.

"Oh, knowing you, it hadn't even crossed your mind, but just so you know, Ootori's don't do divorce." He said. She bit her lip. Of course it hadn't crossed her mind. She was in love with him, and he thought she'd want a divorce to get out of it? And she thought he was smart.

"Hadn't crossed my mind. My family's the old fashioned kind." She said and he just nodded at her. The look he was giving her made her want to run into his arms and just stay there. Made her want to find out what it felt like to kiss him. Which she'd learn soon anyway, but that second, she really wanted to kiss him.

Looking slightly flustered he checked his watch. "Okay, so can I meet you after you get out of here so we can go tell everyone the news?" He asked her. That was strange. He rarely asked something like that. Normally it was an order. Haruhi shrugged.

"Sure, I was just going to go home and eat. I get out at six." She said with her normal semi-apathetic smile. He nodded writing it down on his clipboard. That dammed clipboard. Kyouya had brought that thing with him everywhere when he was in high school, Haruhi didn't know why she had thought that that had changed.

"Okay I'll pick you up at six then. What's your dress size, you'll need something formal to wear." He asked her and she gave it to him. Luckily she was a small little size 2. It helped that she didn't eat very much, and she walked everywhere. But genes helped. Haruhi had always been small. It was pretty nice, because she never had to find someone to make her a dress, it was always just go find something from the store.

Before he left though he did something more rash then she thought he had in him. But she had learned before to never underestimate and Ootori. Why should she start now, while she was kissing him? The few seconds she felt his lips on her own she felt something slip. But whether it was his mask, hers, or both she didn't know.

A/N: Wow. That was really fun to write. Review?