A taxi, an old enemy, and Valentine's Day.
A HaruxHika drabble.
A/N: I do not own Ouran High School Host Club, unfortunately. It would make a great birthday present though!
The woman shoved the last of her clothes in the suitcase that was too full. The only item left to be packed was an old photograph framed in simple black, but one that meant the world to her. She tenderly lifted it off the bare table and stroked the glass. The longer she held it, the more she remembered him... them. The woman shook her head. She couldn't afford any distractions now. Their time was done. She quickly zipped her suitcase shut and placed the picture in her handbag before closing the door to her apartment forever.
Outside rain poured into the street as cars rushed by still trying to get to work. Only the occasional person walked by and the spring morning lacked the mellifluous chirping of the usual song birds. Groaning, the woman pulled her jacket tighter around her and gripped her suitcase firmly before rushing towards the street to flag down a taxi. She didn't hear the clatter of the photograph as it slipped out of her handbag and fell to the concrete sidewalk.
"Excuse me miss!" a gentleman cried from behind her. She heard footsteps jogging towards her and turned to see what it was he wanted. "I believe you dropped-"
A small gasp left the woman's mouth. "Hikaru?" she asked quietly. Silence descended as the man stared at the photograph he had salvaged from the urban mire. Long seconds passed. The couple continued to be drenched in water before his gazed moved up to her face.
"Haruhi? I... Wow..." Hikaru stuttered. He was absolutely speechless. It had been years since he last spoke to her and they hadn't ended on good terms. In fact, she said that she never wanted to see him again. He awkwardly shuffled his feet, trying to think of a casual way to start a conversation. "So... how have you been?"
"Fine. Just fine. I've been pretty well actually," she said curtly. Internally she fought to suppress how she really felt. The formality of their conversation unnerved her. She and Hikaru had never held back anything they wanted to say to each other in the past, so why was she starting now?
"That's good. Hey... since it's Valentine's Day and all, maybe you'd want to grab a bite to eat with me?"
"I'm sorry Hikaru, I need to go," she said as she swung her suitcase into the taxi. Her wet hair clung to her face from the rain but she pushed it away delicately with one hand, revealing her chocolate brown eyes. The eyes that had captured Hikaru's heart the moment he met her. He almost had to force himself not to cup her face in his own hands like he used to.
"Where to?" he asked instead.
"The airport. I'm moving to New York."
"What? Why?"
"I'm engaged. His business is moving to America."
At the sudden news Hikaru took a large step back. His chest felt like a thousand bricks had barreled into it and the pain was he felt was unmatched to anything he had experienced before. Haruhi... his Haruhi... was getting married?
"And you didn't bother letting me know?" he asked through gritted teeth.
"I didn't think it mattered," she lied.
"Didn't think it mattered? Haruhi, I love you!"
She was taken aback by what he said. "You... you what?"
"I love you. I'm sorry about what happened five years ago, but not a day goes by without me wishing you were still mine." Haruhi's eyes widened, but she looked away. She was afraid that if she apologized she'd want him again.
"It's too late Hikaru."
"No!" he refused. "This photograph tells me otherwise." Haruhi lunged and grabbed the photograph from his hand.
"We were only eighteen. It wasn't love, just a foolish child's game," she said as tears began to fall from her eyes.
"Then you won and I lost," he shrugged. "But you know what? I want a rematch."
Haruhi shook her head. She needed to leave, now, before he crumbled her defenses any further. "Hikaru... I can't. My fiance-"
"Will have to understand. Haruhi, love like ours is only found once in a lifetime. Why else would fate have delivered me here, at this very moment?"
"Fate. That's funny."
"Haruhi, give me another chance!" He felt exasperated.
"No... No, no I have to g-" Her response was cut short by the inevitable: a kiss.
"Excuse me," the taxi driver interrupted, "but are you getting in or not?"
Hikaru watched Haruhi, waiting for her answer. She looked from him, to the cab, then back to him. "No," she said at last. "I'm not going anywhere."