Authors Note/Introduction
Looooooong time no see guys. Yeah. Amazing, I know. I'd just like to explain why this story came about.
Recently I joined a lovely group of roleplayers on Facebook. We play the Ouran High School Host Club. I've come to fall in love with each and every one of them. And my creative juices have been flowing ever since I joined but I have not been able to properly... use it. Well, I have a few times, but now I think I'll get down to something a little more serious.
This is dedicated to our Kyouya, who's just as annoyed at Fanfiction as I am about the lack of GOOD Kyou/Haru. God. Damn you Tamaki... and your cute, innocent... asd;lkfjasdf;lkj. You know. (ILU. Tamaki. You know that and sorry this is the fic that came about first. I'll get around to you... soon. I'll get around to trying to write ficlets for everyone. I really will. And I'll try REALLY hard to write something HaruHani and HaruMori.... god, I'll die, I know it. XD)
So, here's the dark side. I might post up something of a sister fic to this, but for Tamaki instead. I'm thinking of titling it, "Being too Loud." Ahahahaha.
Also, speaking of Tamaki, have a look at his fic, "Done With Professionalism": http:// www. fanfiction. net /s/5653654/1/
GET ON WITH THE FIC.
***
Sitting there.
For some reason, it was both the easiest and the hardest thing for him to do. Be it she was being tortured by the Twins or Tamaki. He just sat there, typing away on his laptop, pretending not to pay attention until someone called him by name. At this time he would look up, push up his glasses and give some monotone remark. At this point, he would see her expression change, be it whether to upset or exasperated, but it would change and cause him to look into her eyes and be lost.
The expression would change again here, to questioning, and his glasses would glint in the light and he'd be back to typing away on his laptop, not a word spoken and the chaotic noise would begin around them again. Had it honestly gone dead silent in the time their eyes met? The youngest Ootori shut his laptop once most of the Host Club had left, leaving just her. He sighed softly and rubbed the bridge of his nose tiredly, lifting his glasses in quite an unprofessional way.
"Kyouya-senpai, are you feeling okay?" came her voice, soft and very near. Too near.
He looked up, seeing her standing right next to him and he blinked. "I am fine, Haruhi-san. Just a little tired."
She nodded, accepting this answer, and set a hand to his shoulder. "You should rest early tonight, maybe, Kyouya-senpai." She then turned to make her way out of the Third Music Room.
I've tried. But you run though my thoughts every time I close my eyes.
The doors to the room clatter shut with her exit and he sat back in his chair, which he was finding uncomfortable as of late and wished, for some reason, to sit next to her, while she was serving tea to the guests. But that would raise suspicion. He leaned forward, resting his cheek in his hand. Maybe there was a way...
The Shadow King smirked.
***
January 11.
"KOTATSUUU~" Tamaki was yelling at the top of his voice, upon entering the club room that Monday afternoon, causing him to close his eyes for the briefest of seconds to shake off the initial pain of the volume of their President's voice. "Kotatsu everywhere! Where did you come up with this idea, Kyouya?"
"I can--" Kaoru.
"Only wonder--" Hikaru.
"Tono." The twins harmonized, rolling their eyes.
"Har~u~hi~ would you like to sit at the kotatsu with daddy~?" Tamaki said, looking hopefully to Haruhi who had a look that said 'save me.'
The young Ootori grinned, mentally counting the seconds in his mind until...
"Tama-chan~ Haru-chan's sitting with Kyou-san today," Honey piped in, smirking, looking at Kyouya from the corner of his eye and winking.
Tamaki's eyes widened in surprise and misunderstanding. "He is? But..." He titled his head towards Kyouya, confused before he took on a look of mock hurt. "Mommy's trying to take my daughter away from me!"
Kyouya raised a brow, "it was randomly done, Tamaki. I put our names into a generator online and that is how it came out. You will be joining the Twins, Daddy." He then turned his attention back towards his laptop as Tamaki continued his tantrum from before, Kyouya drowned him out.
Soon enough they were all in thick cotton winter kimonos and had sat in their places to await the princesses arrival. Haruhi made herself comfortable beside Kyouya at their kotatsu, eying him nervously as he continued to write in his black notebook. Her ankle hit something under the table that felt cool. Probably his laptop. Kyouya looked to her from the corner of his eye, grinning secretly. "Haruhi."
Haruhi jumped slightly, looking to Kyouya, however she smiled at him, "I hope I find you well in this... rare circumstance?"
Kyouya forced himself not to chuckle. "You do, and I hope you fare the same?"
She nodded, "actually. Better than usual."
Kyouya quirked an eyebrow in genuine interest, "oh?"
She just smiled, as the doors to the Host Club Opened.
"....this was a fabulous idea, don't you think Haruhi-kun? It is still quite chilly out, so having tea under a kotatsu with you is quite warming!" chirped the girl who sat across from Haruhi. "However, I still don't understand while you were paired with Kyouya-san."
Haruhi smiled naturally, "it was fate. I know him not to speak much, so I was the logical choice. It was either me or Tamaki-senpai, and surely that would have not ended well."
"Too true..." said the other girl who sat adjacent to Haruhi and across from Kyouya, who was still scribbling note. The girl eyed him, a slight blush on her cheeks. "It has always been a wish of mine to be hosted by the Cool Type.
Kyouya took this cue to close his notebook for the moment and look to the girl across the table from him, smirking. "Why, my dear, I am honored to be joined by one as beautiful as yourself."
The girl's face filled with color and she giggled, unable to speak.
Haruhi forced herself not to roll her eyes as she prepared the tea for herself, Kyouya and the two girls with them, apparently concentrated on it a bit too fiercely. A hand came from beside her to wrap around her wrist causing her to freeze and look up. Kyouya was looking at her, over the top of his glasses, his face still cool and clear of emotion but his eyes held something... something that blazed. Kyouya was leaning in, her eyes widening.
"Careful."
She looked down at the tea set, to see she was holding the tea pot no where near the cup she was to be pouring the hot water in. Her face erupted with color as he released her wrist. "G-gomen nasai, Kyouya-san."
He merely nodded.
She continued, heart racing, with the tea. Just what was THAT? I've never had such a... a feeling!
Kyouya had gone back to his notebook, as the two girls with them cried in "moe", writing in short neat strokes, mind reeling internally. He watched her pour the tea out of the corner of his eye, her face was still flushed. There was laughter from behind them, from the Twins and Tamaki's table. The Twins were yowling about Tamaki failing to make the tea right.
"...would you like?"
He blinked, coming to focus back on Haruhi, who was staring at him expectantly. "I'm sorry?"
Haruhi blinked, "sugar, how much would you like?"
He looked down at the tea cup in front of him, feeling... not of himself, "two spoonfuls, please."
Haruhi smiled, and stirred in the substance, and soon she was in conversation with the two girls at the table.
***
The Host Club was leaving for the day, after cleaning up. However, Haruhi has returned to sit under the kotatsu after changing back into her uniform, another cup of tea in her hands. She was bidding each of the members good bye as they left, but she herself did not move. Kyouya looked to her, curiosity peaked, "Haruhi-san, shouldn't you be getting home?"
"Ah. Ano, I thought just a few more minutes here under the kotatsu would not be worrying to my father. He knows as long as I am with you all I will be safe."
And he'll continue to have confidence in that, Kyouya thought. However. "It is getting dark. Would you like a lift home?"
Haruhi blinked, looking behind her at the setting. "Oh. I didn't realize it was so late. I suppose that would be smartest, wouldn't it?"
Kyouya nodded and watched as Haruhi gathered the tea set before here and taking it to the kitchen and then returned to grab her bag. "Well. Let's go, I guess."
Internally, the Shadow King grinned.
***
The sky was gray with threatening clouds out side.
Haruhi shifted uncomfortably in her set next to him, her knuckles turning white as she gripped the lanyard that held her house key with a vice grip. She was chewing her bottom lip worriedly and he wondered what could be causing her such distress. Suddenly, there was a crack of thunder and she jumped, gasping sharply and her hands covered her ears.
Her astraphobia! One particularly loud rant from a certain Host Club King from their stay at Pension Misuzu-chi, rang in his ears at this very moment just as lighting flashed and she twitched again, as if in pain, and whimpering. He looked towards his driver, Tachibana, who returned the confused yet worried look also. Kyouya turned back to Haruhi who had just jumped again at another crack of thunder, putting a hand on her shoulder, "Haruhi..."
"I-I'm okay..." she said shakily, and under his hand he felt her body shudder. "It's just..." Another crack of thunder followed the flash of lightening and she curled up against the limo's seat, breathing raggedly. "I'll get through it."
Alone? The Ootori thought, a slight frown marring his features. Unacceptable. And in one swift movement, he'd turned her around to a face him, pulling her to his chest and wrapping his arms around her in a protecting embrace. She gasped in surprise but another crack of thunder caused her to bury her face into his chest and clutch at his shirt. By this time, the storm had turned violent, more so than usual for their area, and they had arrived at her apartment and which by the looks of it, Ranka was working late. Kyouya made a quick decision then: not caring that he was to be soaked, he gathered Haruhi and her stuff, and taking the house key from her, he sprinted towards the door. He had it open in a matter of seconds and made his way through it before the next roll of thunder boomed.
The apartment door shut with a slam, and this seemed to pull Haruhi out of her fright. "Kyouya?" She looked up at him, only to find his eyes shielded by his glasses once more.
He walked over to the couch and set her down, then went in search for towels. He found them, surprisingly quickly in a cabinet above the washer and dryer. He returned to the living room, just as another roll of thunder boomed and dropped one of the towels nonchalantly onto Haruhi's head before sitting down next to her, drying his own hair. Upon looking to his left out of the corner of his eye, he caught eyes with Haruhi who stared at him in a mix of shock and surprise.
"Kyouya-senapi... why are you?"
"Merit."
"Eh? What merit would you gain from staying here?"
He didn't bother to answer that, only because he didn't have the answer himself. He only sighed exasperatedly and looked to Haruhi again, "dry your hair before you catch cold. I'd suggest changing too."
It was then Haruhi seemed to notice her damp clothes, and a chill ran down her spine. He nodded, stood and proceeded to her room, rubbing the towel over her hair. She vanished into a room that Kyouya only barely caught the inside of. He smiled ever so slightly. You're more of a girl that I thought, Fujioka...
He was surprised, moments later, after another loud boom of thunder, to see her walking back out, a pile of clothing in her arms. She walked up to him, tentatively and held out the bundle to the young Ootori who was staring at her with no emotion on his face. "Here. Something dry for you. I know they're not much, but they'll do until your uniform dries, right?"
Thunder boomed again and she flinched but she seemed to be ignoring it for the most part now. He looked down at the bundle of clothing and took it from her, "thank you."
She nodded and then pointed down the hall. "The bath is down there, to the left."
She turned then, and headed back to her room, but what was most curious and had caught Kyouya's eye was the light blush that stained the girls cheeks and nose. He watched as she awkwardly vanished into her room, again he only caught a sliver of it, and could have sworn he saw a collection of the Host Club books they'd been selling, on her bookshelf. He didn't hesitate, however, to pick up her discarded towel, and his own and then retreat into the bath, to take a warm shower, which heated up his body temperature again, and then changed into the offered clothing. It was cheap, but at least one-hundred percent cotton, which he would deal with. He exited, only to find Haruhi's door slightly ajar and light music coming from it.
Flipping open his phone, he texted Tachibana was was probably still waiting outside, and ordered him to go home and return in the morning with a new uniform for him. The message sent, he closed the phone and then turned to the Haruhi's door, knocking on it gently. "Haruhi?"
Nothing answered but the soft piano music. So he pressed on, pushing the door open just enough to let himself in, and found her asleep on her bed. The music came from a CD player and he finally recognized it: Tamaki's own music. When and how she got a CD, he didn't know. Didn't care. His only focus was the girl, who was wrapped around a thick blanket, none of it covering her, and sleeping soundly. Thunder rolled gently in the distance.
Who knew what a simple thunderstorm could do for two lonely hearts.
