A/N: Another day, and, having made good progress on the YGO fic I should be working on- chapter's almost done now, yay!- I decided to waste an hour with this little drabble. I don't own Ouran, blah blah. Please enjoy a most unusual sight…
Sweet Dreams
Tamaki entered the third music room, full of the exuberance that each fresh day brought. Grinning massively, he cheerily greeted the rest of the Host Club.
"Hello, my loyal servants! Let today be another day that we grace the lives of lovely young ladies to satisfy their deepest desires!"
"Deepest desires?" Kyouya muttered, eyebrow raised. "Don't you have to pay extra for that…?"
Tamaki gasped in surprise and horror. "Mother! Don't be coarse!"
"Who's being coarse?" Kyouya replied, making more notes. "And can you stop being so loud?"
"But it's a beautiful afternoon! Let us enjoy it openly and with joy!" Tamaki declared. The twins finally looked away from the window where the sky was a dark, sludgy grey, wind rolling and rain pouring down the pristine window panes. It was only three in the afternoon, but so dark that they needed the lights on in the room.
"Beautiful?" They echoed together.
Tamaki looked at the window, deflating at the awful weather. Then he shrugged.
"The rain matters not! Any afternoon of which we are part is beautiful!" He declared.
"Tamaki. Shut up." Kyouya said, voicing everyone's thoughts. Only Honey seemed as enthusiastic as the Host Club King. Perhaps it was the hair colour.
"Tama-chan, Tama-chan!" He chanted excitedly. "I like the rain! You can jump in puddles! And it's beautiful weather for ducks, right?"
"Yes!" Tamaki agreed, jumping on the opportunity. "Yes! Let us all be like the noble duck!"
"Since when have ducks been noble?" Hikaru wondered.
"Isn't it when they serve them in that white sauce…?" Kaoru answered thoughtfully.
"Ah." Mori agreed, nodding. Kyouya looked pensive.
"Perhaps we could have an evening when we served our guests a proper formal meal…" He mused, mind scheming as ever.
"No, no!" Tamaki put in before the conversation slipped any further out of his control. "I merely mean we must be like the noble duck and appreciate the bad weather, for variety is the spice of life!"
"Yeah, you can't have duck without spices…" Hikaru agreed.
"Just as long as it's not garlic." Kaoru added. "I mean, it's just-"
"No!" Tamaki absolutely howled. "Stop thinking about your stomachs and-"
"I am a little hungry…" Honey interrupted. "Is it time for cake yet, Tama-chan?"
Tamaki sighed theatrically. "No! First we must greet our guests, Honey-senpai, with our best smiles despite the weather! Why can't you all be like Haruhi; who, as you can see, is already ready and waiting?!" He gestured dramatically to where Haruhi was sitting on one of the settees, apparently waiting for the guests. She didn't bother replying. Tamaki didn't have time to be hurt by being ignored, because then it was time for the first young ladies to arrive. The Host Club was running smoothly as always, as he served his guests with over elaborate and somewhat suggestive comments; the twins wrapped themselves around each other having disagreed over what was the best way to eat duck, Honey was showing people his bunny patterned umbrella and trying to get Mori to try on his raincoat while Kyouya made his guests swoon without any apparent effort. Yet, to Tamaki's ears, there was something missing from the symphony that was this club. A beat was being skipped, a background hum gone. He eventually came to place that there was no sound, no buzz of polite conversation, coming from Haruhi's table. He snuck a glance over there, and could just see the top of Haruhi's head over the edge of the settee. She seemed to be slumped to the side for some reason. The girls opposite her were sitting, blushing, in silent rapture. He excused himself and went to investigate.
"Is everything alright, my princesses?" He asked, standing behind them. Then he saw what they were looking at, and his mouth softened into a small smile.
Haruhi was on the settee opposite them, yes, but she was sound asleep, eyes closed, mouth in a half-smile, head resting on her elbow. He began to blush himself, but, after a moment, forced himself to be professional.
"Ah, I see. I apologise- Haruhi will of course make up the time with you…"
"No, no, it's alright!" One of the girls answered hastily, trying not to raise her voice above a whisper. "We don't mind…" She added, blushing.
"And, and Haruhi-kun has been working so hard recently…" Her friend tried, swallowing. "He probably needs the rest… It would be a shame to wake him…"
By now, Tamaki's guests had wandered over, and, wanting to know what the commotion was all about, the other occupants of the room had gravitated towards that epicentre, where Haruhi lay in peaceful slumber. Soon, everyone was gathered behind that sofa, watching in apparent awe. Renge was whispering something about the Moe Moe Ouran Journal, and Kyouya was taking the opportunity of distraction to get some work done- having known from the start Haruhi was sleeping, he had been able to get all the pictures he wanted earlier- but, besides those two slight sounds, the room was silent.
"Ah! Haru-chan can borrow my blanket!" Honey whispered kindly, dragging it over and spreading it over his friend. "Haru-chan must be sleepy to fall asleep at this time of day…"
"Ah." Mori agreed, apparently having no further opinion.
And then, Haruhi stirred. There was an intake of breath as she rolled over slightly, nudging the blanket and rubbing one of her eyes.
"Kawaii…" The room mumbled together, blushes increasing. Her eyes flickered open slowly, and she awoke a little bit at a time, rubbing a hand over her face as she sat up. Then she saw them all standing there. For a moment, she seemed surprised; then, blinking the last of the sleep out of her eyes, gave all those besides her guests a glare that would curdle milk. The intruders hastily departed. Haruhi forced herself to smile tiredly at her guests.
"I'm so sorry." She said, bowing. "Thanks for staying all this time- it must have been boring for you, watching me sleep…"
The girls shook their heads, as Haruhi got into action and went to get some tea. As she passed him, Kyouya couldn't help but glance at her; before swallowing and paying attention to the girls before him.
The twins exchanged glances, blushes having not faded away entirely yet. It had certainly not been boring for them, to see her so… cute.
Honey went and reclaimed his blanket, putting it over himself and Mori in his special childish fashion. Mori couldn't help but notice that it had vestiges of her warmth in it, as though it had been over her a long time. Cute.
Tamaki was attempting to keep his princely demeanour of command and control, but it was hard when his mind kept slipping back to the image that had been placed before him only moments before, of Haruhi all snuggled up like that. She had looked so, so cosy. He wondered what she had been dreaming of, and if that sleep had brought her the happiness it had brought him. Who would have thought he'd get to see her looking so… cute?
Reluctantly, the Host Club went on as normal. Yet, as soon as they had bid their last guest goodbye, the smile evaporated from Haruhi's face. She glared at them, hands on hips.
"Okay." She demanded. "Who's bright idea to not wake me up was it?! It's so embarrassing to have been asleep in front of everyone like that…"
Fearing her wrath, only Kyouya was brave enough to say anything.
"Like it or not, Haruhi, your being asleep brought in a lot of customers." He said, sounding the only happy one in the room. "Perhaps we should make it a regular occurrence."
"No." Haruhi said, flatly.
"In that case," Kyouya continued smoothly. "Please ensure you get plenty of sleep at home, or that fever of yours will have you doing this a lot."
"Eh?!" Tamaki demanded, rushing up and placing a hand to her forehead. "Haruhi! You do have a fever! Why didn't you tell us?!"
"You'd make a fuss…" She muttered irritably, but didn't try to pull away. The thing was, his fingers felt wonderfully cool against her forehead. They stood there a moment longer.
"That proves she's ill!" The twins said together, pulling her away themselves. "Tono! Don't take advantage of the sick!"
"What?" Tamaki answered, hurt. "I wasn't! I merely-"
"Come on Haruhi…" Hikaru said, wrapping an arm protectively around her shoulders. "We'll take you home, okay?"
Kaoru added his arm around her too, nodding solemnly. "Yeah, and we'll make sure no-one tries anything… shifty while you're asleep…"
"Shifty?" Haruhi echoed, somewhat slow today. The twins merely looked suggestively at a spluttering Tamaki and lead her out.
The room was in silence for a moment before Tamaki was able to compose himself enough to wail: "I should be the one escorting her home! Those unscrupulous twins are the shifty ones!"
"Tamaki." Kyouya said, quietly. "What should I do with these photographs of Haruhi asleep?"
Tamaki said nothing for a moment, but his face reddened as he spoke. "Kyouya! Under no circumstances must those photos be published! We must protect Haruhi's innocence!"
"Of course." Kyouya agreed. "I'll just throw the film away, then."
"No!" Tamaki protested. "I mean, that is, you never know what sort of people go through your trash! You'd better give them to me, for safe keeping! I am the only one strong enough to resist the temptation of having them developed!" He held his hand out expectantly, but Kyouya placed the film in a different hand.
"Perhaps Mori-senpai could keep them safe." He suggested. Mori nodded, putting the film in his pocket.
Silence fell as Tamaki struggled with himself.
"Or… or perhaps they could go in the next photo collection… so as not to selfishly keep hold of such beauty…" He stammered.
"Alright. I'll prepare everything tomorrow." Kyouya smirked in satisfaction. It was not hard to be the Shadow King.
You just had to know how to press Tamaki's buttons. Luckily, he was rather adept at it. Everything had gone exactly according to plan.
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A/N: Well, there we have it. This was just a little bit of fun, so I hope it was worth reading. Thanks for coming this far, folks!