Haruhi was on edge, anxiously waiting for Kyoya's planned arrival. She wasn't going to be doing this alone. But she had said that she was doing it today and if Kyoya didn't show up she didn't want to postpone it.
"You alright there kiddo?" Her father asked over his coffee cup in hand, casually flicking through the magazine he had in his lap. He had the afternoon off for once and was trying to have a lazy moment of peace.
Haruhi unfortunately planned to ruin that. She nodded her head stiffly and smiled, eyes not really reading the text book she had assigned herself as a distraction.
Where was he? She thought, tapping her finger nervously.
Knock, knock.
Oh no. Her face paled and she stopped breathing.
Her father lifted his head, "Who's that?"
"I'll get it." Her voice wavered but she ignored it, shakily opening the door.
There he stood, a neutral look plastered on, but she could tell that perhaps he was just as nervous as she was.
He gave a pleasant smile and fingered the manila file in his hand.
"Ah Kyoya! What a surprise!" Ranka called joyfully. "Was this a social or business visit? I do hope social because have I got some gossip for you."
"Sorry Ranka, but I'm here on business." He toed off his shoes and entered, the smile still hanging by a stern upbringing.
Ranka waved him off, "What did Haruhi forget now? I swear, she has a fuddled brain these past few weeks -"
"The business does concern Haruhi. Although we - I mean she - would like to inform you on this decision too."
Haruhi sat herself down and Kyoya followed, settling onto a floor cushion.
Ranka seemed concerned but intrigued, "Oh?"
Waiting for an indication from Haruhi, Kyoya eventually put the manila folder onto the coffee table and instructed Ranka to read it.
"What is this?" was his response after a few nail-biting moments, throwing the folder onto the table.
He was answered with silence.
"I didn't think Kyoya had a sense of humour, but this is taking a joke a bit far don't ya think?" Ranka gestured to the document.
"Dad-"
"No!" He raked his hands over the morning stubble still on his chin. "No! You - You're 16 Haruhi!"
"I Know - "
"So? - What? - Kyoya!" Ranka didn't seem to be making sense but in his own mind he must have pieced something together because he leapt over the coffee table, his fist aiming for Kyoya's face.
Kyoya must have been expecting it but did not try to deflect the punch as it connected with his nose. Knocking his glasses off his face and sending them to the floor.
Haruhi gawked and Ranka took in laboured breathes, shifting this time to finally move around the low table. "Dad! Stop! Kyoya - Kyoya didn't do this!"
Her father was seething, the only thing stopping him from making another attempt to maim Kyoya was Haruhi's outstretched palms.
"Well why is he even here!" He shot a daggering look at Kyoya who was silently trying his best to nurse the nosebleed he had sprouted.
"For support. Do you really think I had the guts to tell you myself?" She retorted, feeling herself start to sweat from the high tension. She reached up to her tie and began to loosen it from around her neck, undoing the top two buttons on her blouse to try and cool off.
"With all due respect Ranka, I am not involved, nor have ever been involved with your daughter." Kyoya placated, deducing that this was a relatively safe moment and finally reaching for his glasses. He didn't put them on but instead enclosed them in a case which he procured from his Ouran jacket. Perhaps his nose was too sore to have the weight on them?
Haruhi's eyes flickered between her father and Kyoya before scuttling off to the freezer to acquire some ice. After wrapping a handful up in a tea towel and grabbing the box of tissues she returned to the sitting room to witness Kyoya and Ranka engaged in what Haruhi would describe as a stare down. Her father was livid. She knew Kyoya could hold his own but after placing the objects in Kyoya's hands Haruhi faced her father once more.
Her throat felt too tight. Had she wallowed her tongue? Could one do that? "Dad, Kyoya's not the father."
Ranka slammed his fist down on the table, making Haruhi flinch, "Give me his name. I will hunt him down and castrate him!"
"Da-" She was cut off short when her father grabbed her shoulders and shook her.
"A name Haruhi!"
"Ranka -"
"That's Mr Fujioka to you Ootori." Her father spat back, his rage filled eyes never leaving Haruhi's face. For once she actually felt scared of her father. She tried to shake his hands off her, but he was holding on firmly.
"Give me his name Haruhi and I will report him to the police. Clearly this has been an attack -"
"Dad listen!" She pulled free, swallowing past the huge lump in her throat. Was she sure people couldn't swallow their tongues? She met her father's gaze with steel eyes. "I wasn't forced, or coerced. Quite the opposite actually." The last sentence was suppose to make her sound more strong but really felt silly saying it in front of Kyoya. He now not only knew that she'd had sex with Tamaki, but it'd been her idea to begin with. Winding up pregnant though . . . Well that hadn't been her idea.
The silence was so strong she thought she could hear ringing in her ears.
"But why? You're only 16."
"Why does anyone do anything?" Haruhi huffed, her mouth turning down. Yep. She could feel the waterworks about to start.
"This is so unlike you Haruhi! Look what those boys have done to you, not thinking things through. And now you're -" He hiccupped, stifling a sob of anger. "You'll abort it."
"What?" Haruhi's eyes grew wide.
"Mr Fujioka that's up to Haruhi to decide -" Kyoya butted in, looking dishevelled with blood seeping down from his nose, over his lip and into the collar of his white shirt.
"One more word from you Ootori and I will knock you out with a fry pan until your body is cold." Ranka bit back, jabbing a sharp manicured finger at Kyoya's face.
Kyoya looked like he was going to follow through regardless of Ranka's threat, he stood up, moving around the small table until he was standing as a poor excuse of a shield in front of Haruhi.
She put her hand on his arm in a sort of way to tell him she was all right and didn't need it.
"Leave Ootori, you've done enough damage. This is a family matter." Ranka seethed.
"I will not have you emotionally hurt Haruhi. As you can tell it's been ripping her apart for weeks not to tell you. But do you honestly think she hasn't already berated herself the most?"
"Once we sort this I'm pulling you out of that school Haruhi. No doubt it's one of the boys from the club -"
There was a steady knock on the front door. The room fell silent as all eyes were glued to the wood. Was it some nosy neighbour coming to complain about the noise?
"Haruhi?" Tamaki's voice called outside. "I know you're home. What's been up with you and Kyoya lately? No one else in the club will tell me. Haruhi, please talk to me. I know you're home." He knocked again and Haruhi could make out his silhouette trying to peer into the small window.
There was what seemed like a heartbeat of a moment before Ranka charged toward the door, yanking it open. They heard the yelp of surprise Tamaki emitted before there was the sickening crunch of bone breaking.
"You bastard!"
"-Waaah?" Tamaki groaned.
Haruhi and Kyoya had raced to the doorway to witness Tamaki sprawled on the cement floor, sprouting a bleeding nose and Ranka poised for another punch.
Haruhi and Kyoya both moved forward, Haruhi struggled to drag her father up and off Tamaki whilst Kyoya was kneeling down before Tamaki, hand on his shoulder trying to shove him away from Ranka even in their difficult position.
"Stop!"
"How could you?" Ranka screeched at Tamaki, trying to get around Haruhi's arms which were holding him back.
"Ow coulb I what?" Tamaki mumbled around his hand holding his nose.
"Oh, as if you don't-"
"Dad he doesn't know!" Haruhi interjected quickly.
"Wath ith gowin on?" Tamaki moped from the floor.
Ranka looked ready to explode, possibly wanting to take Tamaki with him to the grave.
Kyoya was looking over the balcony banister to a few people who had stopped walking pass. Gawking up at the scene outside the Fujioka residence like it was something from a drama TV show. They couldn't be closer to the truth.
"Perhaps we could hold back murder for the moment and move things back inside the house?" He made a nodding gesture to their unwanted audience.
Ranka clamped his jaw shut and marched back inside.
Haruhi wished she could run away in that moment. It was so very tempting. Just step over Tamaki, take the staircase and keep walking until she grew tired. She had told her father, yes, but she didn't really want to tell Tamaki this way. Let alone witness her father murder him because Tamaki had the gall to show up at the most unfortunate time.
Haruhi bit her lip and made to reach out to Tamaki to help him backup but Kyoya made it obvious he had it handled. Tamaki's eyes though were looking at Haruhi. Like they were pleading her to reveal what the hell was going on.
She hated that the look was aimed at her and turned around, walking back through the gates of hell. Ranka seemed to be on fire, a look of absolute disgust etched on his face as Tamaki shuffled in behind her.
Haruhi made a move for the tissue box, pressing it into Tamaki's hand before moving to get more ice, but by the time she'd returned from the kitchen there'd been the goose bump raising crunch. Kyoya had reset Tamaki's nose into position again. Ranka was on the other side of the small room, clearly trying to refrain himself. Maybe wanting to break it a second time.
Hastily mopping up the blood from his nose Tamaki looked around the room, accepting the cloth wrapped ice Haruhi was holding and pressing it to his nose to stem the swelling.
Haruhi was avoiding his gaze. She was avoiding her father's gaze as well. The only thing she was looking at was the document still on the table. She sunk down to the floor, folding her legs under her as she fought so hard to hold back the tears. Her breathing was coming out laboured and her throat felt like it was so dry. She bit her lip but that didn't stop her mouth from turning down.
Clearly no one was going to verbally clue Tamaki in. They were either too filled up with rage - in Ranka's case, or so close to breaking down that if they opened their mouth they knew that they wouldn't be able to stop the sobbing - in Haruhi's. Kyoya seemed the most put together but appeared very on edge. Like he didn't want to make any moves without Haruhi's permission.
With the faintest nod of her head Kyoya slid the document in front of Tamaki.
If this had been a movie Haruhi would have expected the camera to dramatically zoom in and track the movement of the life altering paper.
Picking it up with his spare hand Tamaki began to read, the ice pack slowly lowing from his nose as he read on. His eyes seemed to be transfixed on a sentence and his mouth moved along, silently reading it out to himself. Afterward his mouth continued to move like a fish out of water. Words were failing the enigmatic prince of the host club. His face seemed to have lost colour too.
"Kyo - Kyoya how could you?" Tamaki muttered, his soulless eyes traveling to Kyoya seated next to him.
Ranka scoffed indignantly, arms folded across his chest and his eyes shooting daggers at Tamaki.
"It's not me you idiot." Kyoya retorted, giving Tamaki a big shove to the side. Toppling over, Tamaki caught sight of Haruhi's eyes which were downcast. Glassed over with tears which had yet to fall.
Suddenly things must have clicked into place in Tamaki's head because his eyes grew as wide as pans. "Me?" Tamaki squeaked.
"Yes, you imbecile!" Ranka jabbed back at him, his mouth looked like it was snarling.
"Me?" Tamaki repeated, like if he questioned it more someone would eventually reveal that it was a big prank and the rest of the host club would jump out of the cupboards and from behind the curtains and laugh at him.
Haruhi hunched up her shoulders as she robotic-ally nodded her hung head repeatedly.
"Bu - but, but, but -" Tamaki blubbered, widely looking around at the three of them. His cheeks suddenly flamed red as he spoke softly, "it was once. We were safe."
"Yes, well that aside, there is always the chance." Kyoya stated flatly.
"And we're not taking any chances with Haruhi's life or future. She's getting it aborted." Ranka laid down.
"Dad, if I hadn't already decided to keep it do you honestly think I would be telling you this? Besides can we really afford that option?" Haruhi whispered.
"We'll manage," his eyes shot to Tamaki, "And Suoh here can cough up seeing as it's his fault also."
"Dad!" Haruhi projected, her head snapping up.
"No Haruhi," Tamaki spoke, "Your father's right." He gave her a gentle smile, although Haruhi wasn't sure if it was genuine. He must have been still in shock but was trying to pull himself together, purely for her sake. "If you decide to take that option then I will help in whatever way I can."
"Of course she will be taking that option. She's only 16." The way Ranka kept repeating her age like it was some unqualified number was really grinding on Haruhi's nerves.
"And I don't get a say?" Haruhi spat.
"You and I both know you'll do it." Ranka stated, "Surely you don't think you can go through this and come out only to breeze through the rest of high school and enter law school?" he tossed his hands out, gesturing vaguely then shook his head, "A child will turn your life upside down. Think of the future you had planned." He took a few steps and knelt in front of Haruhi, trying to get on eye level with her. "Your whole reason for attending Ouran was to open the doors for law school. Not open the door to parenthood and to drag that rich bastard down with you."
"Hey, don't talk to Haruhi like -" Tamaki was cut off.
"Don't take me for being kind but it'll save you too." Ranka started, "Your position in the Suoh family is already on shaky grounds. What's a child out of wedlock going to add to that?" He turned back to Haruhi, "Besides, think about it. What would people say about the school's only scholarship student getting knocked up by the chairman's flamboyant son?"
Kyoya had been silent for a while but it seemed like now was his time to join in again, "Mr Fujioka may be right about that last point guys." He closed his eyes, took a breath and turned his gaze to Tamaki. "Both of your social reputations will be soiled. Your grandmother, Tamaki, may outcast you." He then looked to Haruhi who seemed like a mess on the floor, "and once word gets out I can't guarantee you wouldn't be expelled from Ouran. It is a business after all and anything that would tarnish its image would be eradicated."
And that did it for Haruhi, dropping her head the tears fell silently. Her shoulders shook and when Ranka tried to console her she shrugged him off. She was mad at everyone, everything and especially herself.
Tamaki looked heart stricken seeing Haruhi crumble, but he knew that he had to let her be, even if his entire being was screaming to turn that frown upside down.
Kyoya stood up, latching onto Tamaki's sleeve as he rose to drag him up as well. "Haruhi?" Kyoya spoke softly. She gave a loud sniffle and picked up her head, wiping the tear tracks with her sleeve a moment later.
"Will you be all right?"
She sniffled again and then weakly nodded her head once. Saying "Thank you" so quietly Kyoya only caught the movement of her lips.
"Mr Fujioka," and Kyoya bowed his head in farewell before dragging Tamaki away with him. Tamaki wasn't going to leave quietly though it seemed.
"Wait. What? We can't leave Kyoya -"
"We've overstayed our welcome." Kyoya interjected, tugging Tamaki with him out the door. Tamaki made sounds of protest but was ushered out.
With the click of the door latch catching into place Haruhi sighed deeply and waited with bated breath in the pause that followed. Why wasn't her Dad raging? Surely he should be more furious with her seeing as their company had departed.
"So, it's really true then?" He said monotonously.
Haruhi swallowed past the lump in her throat and croaked out a "Yes." It was so silent she could hear the humming of the refrigerator, but then it was pierced by a sudden snap and Haruhi's cheek stung. She let out a silent gasp which was muffled by her father's shoulder as he knelt down and hugged her tight. She buried her face in his collarbone and wept as he smoothed out the hair on her head.
"Why Haruhi? Why?" He muttered over and over again as she continued to cry. Perhaps this was both better and worse than she had expected. She'd expected him to be recklessly furious, sure, and she'd endured some of that, but what hurt the most was probably the fact that he was disappointed in her. The silent and calm disappointment which she had never received in her life. It cut away at her insides and made her cry even harder.
Eventually Ranka's repeated questions turned into hushing noises as he tried to comfort her. At some point Haruhi's head began to throb and her tears had run dry. The sky outside had turned to a dark twilight and she knew that dinner had to be served up soon. Retracting her arms from around her father and avoiding his eyes, Haruhi mumbled about getting dinner ready.
"It's alright Haruhi. We can have take-out." He shrugged, "Wouldn't kill us."
Haruhi shook her head and frowned, "No, I don't mind. I need to keep busy anyway." Which meant she wished to immerse herself in a task and avoid her father even more.
Ranka sighed but didn't press, his eyes lingering on his little girl before he proceeded to clean up the mess he'd made in the living room. When his eyes came to rest on the piece of paper, Ranka scooped it up and then entered Haruhi's room, dropping it gingerly on her desk.
By the time Haruhi had prepared dinner and they were awkwardly eating it, Ranka was onto his third Asahi beer.
"I thought you should know I'm sorry." Haruhi started quietly. "And that I'm embarrassed, ashamed and really, really hope you can one day forgive me." She scrubbed away a stray tear before standing up with her half-eaten plate. She turned around and made her way to the kitchen, putting her leftovers into a container for tomorrow's lunch and hastily washing up her plate in the sink.
Ranka's heavy eyes followed her back as she disappeared into her bedroom, closing the door behind her with a soft thud.
He didn't know what to do. He honestly didn't know what to do. Perhaps Kotoko would have known? But if Kotoko was still alive would Haruhi even be in this position? Was a lack of a tough mother figure the reason for Haruhi's actions?
Sometimes Ranka wished he could know what went through his daughters' mind, to better understand her. She'd grown up so fast that Ranka had often wondered if she'd ever resented that? It seemed that now she was growing up faster than he'd expected.
He wasn't a fool nor blind and knew perfectly well that all the boys in the host club were attractive. And as much as Ranka would like to deny it, they certainly weren't stupid. But never had Ranka ever seen Haruhi allude to or make noticeable advances in the relationship department. She'd never come home gushing about crushes or declaring she had a date. He'd just assumed she wasn't interested; perhaps she still wasn't interested, maybe it had just been some quick experimental thing? Tamaki had said it was once.
Grinding his teeth thinking about that blabbering blond oaf Ranka moved himself to sit in front of Kotoko's shrine. Her smiling portrait soothing the edge somewhat. Oh, how he wished she was still here.