Yuki frowned and moved the begonias to the right.

Nope. Not quite.

She moved the lilies to the next shelf up, and the chrysanthemums to the third one down.

She scratched her head at the display, frowning even harder. "What's wrong with it?"

"Yuki-chan, where do you want the new shipment of vases?" Hiro joined her outside, carrying a basket of daisies.

Yuki barely glanced at him. "What? Oh, anywhere, I guess— HIRO! That's it!"

He jumped, staring at her. "What? What? What'd I say?"

She hugged him and snatched the basket from his hands. "Daisies! Of course! How could I forget daisies?" She put the basket in the center of the display, grabbing a few of the little white flowers to sprinkle around the shelves of the cart.

Yuki clapped her hands, delighted. "C'est magnific!"

Hiro grumbled at her, still put out about getting his basket taken away. "I hate it when you speak French."

"Oh, don't be such a downer! All I said was 'it's wonderful'. And it's only because of the daisies you brought! If you hadn't walked out here with that basket, I would've been out here for hours trying to figure this out! Thank you, Hiro-kun!"

"Oh, well, in that case, you're welcome. Now, about the vases…"

She smiled. "Hiro-kun, you're the owner. Don't you think you should make a little effort to order me around like a good employer?"

He waved a hand. "Nah, it's easier letting you make all the decisions. You're so good at it."

"This is the craziest flower shop I have ever seen."

"You should see the inside. The vases are everywhere."

"What? We can't have that!"

She dashed inside to make order out of the chaos. Hiro yawned lazily. "I wonder if I should pay her more. Eh, it's not like she'd let me." He shoved his hands in his pockets and followed her inside. "Lemme give you a hand, Yuki-chan."

"Careful! Watch the vases on the ground!"

"Oh, yeah. I forgot I put those there…"

%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Hikaru!"

He looked up from his book. "Eh?"

Tamaki leaned over him with Haruhi right behind. "You're not still mad at us for getting married, are you?"

Hikaru gazed up blankly. "Why should I be? Did I ever say I was mad?"

Tamaki blinked, not knowing how to respond. "Uh— uh— uh — uh—."

Haruhi stepped in before her husband embarrassed himself (not that he wasn't already doing that). "What he means, Hikaru, is we're a little worried about you. I know the host club location hasn't been secured yet, but that doesn't mean you have to disappear. We still want to see you besides at the planning meetings."

Tamaki brightened. "Right! What she said."

"I haven't disappeared. I live two doors down from you two."

"Yeah, but," Tamaki lowered his voice as if were a secret. "Kaoru says you read all the time."

Hikaru shrugged. "So? I'm still in college, unlike you. Of course I read all the time. I have to study."

"He also says you eat… ramen noodles all the time."

"I have Haruhi to blame for that. She got me hooked."

"Guilty."

"Today I'm trying ramen with shrimp and mushrooms."

"Ooh, good choice. Have you tried squid and—."

Tamaki interrupted hurriedly. "No! No! Bad Haruhi! I already told you, you don't have to eat ramen anymore! We have good food to eat! Rice! Curry! No ramen!"

She rolled her eyes. "Relax, I haven't eaten any lately. I was just referring him to one I've tried before."

He blew a sigh of relief. "Good."

Hikaru stared dryly at them. "See, this is why I don't hang around you two. Tamaki is exhausting."

"HA!" Tamaki yelled, pointing dramatically. "So you admit you're avoiding us!"

Haruhi watched him, agreeing with Hikaru. "Yeah, now I see. Don't worry about it, Hikaru. You don't have to spend so much time with us."

"Whaaaaaa…?"

She nudged Tamaki. "Stop that noise coming from your mouth. It's very annoying. We'll see you around, Hikaru. Tamaki, get out of the corner and stop growing mushrooms." She went ahead, not waiting for her husband, who eventually stopped sulking and went running after her. "Wait for me, Haruhi!"

Hikaru watched them, rolling his eyes. He tried to go back to his book, but it was difficult after being hit by hurricane-Tamaki. So instead he sat with the book open in his hands, sitting on his bench, looking around him at the peaceful park. It was beautiful, but it was missing something. Flowers, maybe? The green of the shrubs and trees were serene, but it needed a little color to give it balance.

He shook his head. There was the designer coming out in him again. Kaoru warned him that he couldn't run away from it, but he was trying hard to forget that stuff. Every time he thought of a new design for a dress or outfit, he always saw Haruhi as the model. Kaoru said it was because she was the kind of person who looks good in lots of things, but Hikaru knew better.

Hikaru sighed and closed his book. Obviously his mind was not on the story, and he'd just be wasting his time. He stood and was about to leave the park and go think more very serious and depressing thoughts in his room, when a little white fur-ball went flying across his path. He stumbled, trying not to step on it, and was nearly knocked over by a bigger, brown mass of fur, headed in the same direction. He steadied himself, watching the brown thing chase the white thing up a tree.

He almost laughed. A dog chasing a cat. When he looked closer, though, he realized that the cat was only a kitten. Hikaru frowned. The poor kitten was stuck, and the dog didn't look like it was going to leave. It only took Hikaru a split second to decide what to do.

"Hey! You, dog! Shoo! Get away from that cat!"

The dog turned, barking at him. Hikaru waved his book. "Go on! Shoo! Leave the cat alone."

The dog, obviously realizing that he was dealing with something larger than he was, barked a few more times and slunk off. Hikaru watched him to make sure he left. "That's right! Just keep going!"

He turned to the tree, where the kitten was already making its way down. Reaching up, he said, softly, "Come on now. I won't hurt you. Don't worry; the dog's gone."

"Hisssss!"

"Ow!" The kitten jumped to the ground, scampering away as Hikaru clutched his hand. Three little claw marks showed red and stinging on the back of his hand. "I was just trying to help!" he yelled after the kitten.

The kitten paused, looking back at him. Hikaru blinked. "Are you smirking? Is that a smirk?"

The white feline swished its tail and turned its back on him. "I just saved you from that dog, you know." The kitten paid no heed, padding it's was across the park and into the street. "Hey, get back here!"

Hikaru ran after the cat, almost losing it as he emerged from the park. He looked around. There! He followed the kitten, walking calmly behind it so he wouldn't spook it. It was obviously on a mission, because it didn't stop to rub up against things like normal cats do. It led him down the street, taking a right, then a left, then a right, then another right. Hikaru soon realized he didn't know where he was anymore.

The white kitten suddenly stopped, making Hikaru come back down to earth. It waited on a curb by a green sign. Hikaru moved so he could see what the sign said. He couldn't believe it. "A bus stop? The cat's taking a bus?"

As if his words had brought it, the bus turned from around the corner, stopping right in front of the sign (and the kitten). The doors opened with a hiss, and the white cat climbed aboard. Hikaru stared, dumbfounded.

"Hey, kid. You gettin' on or what?"

Hikaru almost didn't realize the driver was talking to him. "Uh, hai. I mean, yes. Sure," he answered in English.

He climbed up the stairs that said WATCH YOUR STEP, and the bus-driver pointed to a little machine next to the doors. "The fare is two dollars."

"Oh, right." Hikaru dug in his pockets, first producing a yen piece, then two American dollar bills, which he stuck in the slot.

The driver nodded. "Take any seat you like."

Hikaru nodded back, moving past him to where the seats were. The white kitten was looking out the window from its perch on the back of one of the seats, as the bus started moving. Hikaru cautiously sat down on the seat next to the kitten, which gave him a bored glance, then went back to the view.

No one else was on the bus except the driver, and Hikaru felt very uncomfortable sitting silently next to a cat that wouldn't spare him a second look.

The white kitten leapt down from the back of the seat and to the floor, padding quickly towards the exit. Hikaru followed it carefully out onto the street, staying a few feet behind. The kitten glanced back at him, knowing that he was there, but not really caring. Hikaru frowned. Where was this crazy cat going?

And why was he following it?

He was about to turn around and find someone who could tell him how to get to his apartment complex, when the kitten turned into a shop. Hikaru stared at the shop awkwardly, trying to figure out what to do next.

The Anagawa Flower Shop.

The owner was Japanese. Hikaru was pleasantly surprised by this revelation, feeling a little less uncomfortable, but not much.

He suddenly noticed the flower display standing on a charming cart in front. It was beautiful, with a variety of flowers giving it vibrancy and color. It was also perfectly balanced— a plus for the designer in Hikaru. He smiled. The daisies scattered around the display were the perfect touch. They presented a carefree style to the otherwise perfectly placed arrangement.

Argh. Designer coming out again.

He was jarred out of his reverie by the ringing of his cell-phone. He scrambled to retrieve it, fumbling to open it in his moment of surprise. "Yes, hello?"

"Hikaru, where are you? I've been looking everywhere for you!"

Hikaru sighed. He should have turned off his phone. "I'm—." He stopped, looking around. "Actually, I have no idea where I am."

"What?"

"Kaoru, would you stop yelling in my ear? I followed a cat and now I'm lost."

"You followed a what?" Hikaru heard his twin say to someone in the background, "…He finally lost it."

"I did not lose it, Kaoru."

"I didn't say you did."

"Yes, you did. Just now, to someone else."

"We-e-ell, maybe, but that's not the point. We're having a meeting about the new host club because Kyoya finally found a place for it. You have to get over here right now."

"Where exactly is 'here'?"

"Tamaki and Haruhi's apartment."

Hikaru groaned. "Alright I'm coming. One question, though."

"What's that?"

"…Can you give me directions to get out of here?"

#################

A/N: hi guys, quick info about this story: obviously it's after the events of the manga series. the host club is still living in that one apartment building in America. due to college and other circumstances, they're just now getting their American location host club together. by the way, i didn't get to read the whole series, just most of it and the end (also watched the anime), so i might get some stuff wrong. just go with it ^_^; oh, and if anyone's wondering about the name of this fanfic, there's going to be a general theme of Nat King Cole's "L-O-V-E" sprinkled around.