Random one-shot that just popped into my head yesterday. Takes place when Haruhi's mother dies. I thought it would be interesting to try a Ouran fanfic where they cross paths before the host club. I'll consider this to be dedicated to my bff MJ who got me hooked on Ouran but we'll see if he can find this on his own...
Please read and review! First Ouran fic so feedback would be appreciated!
Haruhi looked up at the ticking clock again, tugging on her long dark hair. It had been almost an hour since her father had brought her from her mother's hospital room to the small hospital waiting room. While her father had run back to the room, after making Haruhi promise not to leave the spot, the smaller girl wondered if this was what she had been warned about since her mother had gotten sick. If this would be the day her mother would die.
Dad should be back by now, she thought. I wanna see Mom.
She slowly examined the strangers around her. Some were anxiously waiting for good news, others nervously awaiting bad. Haruhi sighed and met the eyes of a lone boy standing patiently by the entrance. He seemed serious for his age, which could not have been more than a year or two more than Haruhi's own age, and he smiled dangerously as if he was up to something. He slowly reached up and adjusted his glasses before scribbling something in the small black book in his hands.
That's rather strange, Haruhi thought to herself.
"Kyoya, what are you doing here? You're supposed to be at home," a man said, approaching the boy. "You have no business being here. Leave this to your brothers."
The boy, Kyoya, glared at the man, his father, but finished his notes before allowing himself to be led away. Kyoya took one last glance at Haruhi, quickly committing her to memory before he left the room.
Over the next few minutes many others came and went, and Haruhi was getting more and more fidgety by the minute. It wasn't like her to be this impatient, but she could just tell something was wrong and she was tired of sitting around not knowing. She glanced up again as two young boys entered the room. They seemed like an odd pair, one was tall for his age and the other was short and child-like. The shorter one had his arm in a cast, having just injured it that morning while training for an upcoming tournament. Both were still dressed in martial arts clothing.
"Are you all alone?" the shorter one asked.
"I'm just waiting for my Dad to come back," Haruhi answered quietly.
"So you're visiting someone?"
Haruhi nodded.
"I'm Mitsukuni," he continued, sticking out his good hand. "This is my cousin Takashi."
"I'm Haruhi."
"It's nice to meet you. So who are you visiting?"
"My mom. She's been sick for a while."
"I hope she gets better soon," Mitsukuni replied. Behind him Takashi nodded in agreement.
"Me too," Haruhi whispered.
Mitsukuni reached into his pocket, removing a small stuffed rabbit and holding it out.
"Here, you need this more than me. I have more at home anyway. Just don't tell anyone. I'm not supposed to like cute stuff."
Haruhi slowly reached for the stuffed rabbit.
"Now you won't be alone anymore!"
"Thank you."
"Mitsukuni, Takashi, it's time to go home," someone called.
"We gotta go. I hope we see you again, Haruhi!" Mitsukuni smiled and waved as he and Takashi left.
Haruhi smiled softly, holding the small toy tightly in her arms. Somewhat comforted she looked up with hope when she heard someone else enter.
"You two have caused enough trouble, now you sit in here and don't leave," a woman scolded.
"But we-"
"Enough. Hikaru, Kaoru, I will not have you two causing trouble."
"Which one is Hikaru-" one twin asked.
"And which one is Kaoru?" the other finished.
The woman looked between the two of them. "I don't have time for your games," she snapped walking out.
The two red-headed boys exchanged a glance. They slowly took seats near Haruhi, moving in unison as if they were one person. Together the three were quiet, until the boys grinned at each other having more tricks up their sleeves. In unison they stood and moved to sit on either side of Haruhi, who looked between the two nervously as their arms went around her shoulders, sandwiching her between them.
"She seems just as bored as we are," one of them said.
The second nodded in agreement. "Maybe we should all play a game…"
"Together," they said in unison.
"What are you two doing?" Haruhi asked, sounding slightly annoyed.
"She seems like she's the same age as us," the second one said.
"So she can't be content just sitting here," the first finished.
"She could play with us…"
"But first…"
They both jumped up and spoke at the same time. "We play the 'which one is Hikaru game'."
"If you can guess which of us is Hikaru-"
"And which of us is Kaoru-"
"We'll let you play with us," they finished together.
"I don't want to play. I'm waiting for someone," Haruhi said. "And how could I guess which one of you is which without knowing you? You look a lot alike."
"She doesn't want to play with us," the first twin said.
Haruhi sighed. "I'll guess you're Hikaru," she pointed to the twin on the left. "And I think you're Kaoru."
The two blinked.
"She got it right," Hikaru said softly.
"But no one has before," Kaoru replied.
"It was just a lucky guess," Haruhi told them.
"But no one guesses right," Hikaru said.
"Even our mother can't keep us straight," Kaoru added.
"Or our father…"
"Or anyone."
"Don't they know you enough to tell you apart?" Haruhi asked.
The twins exchanged yet another glance.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt your feelings," Haruhi quickly said.
"You didn't," Hikaru said, instantly brightening. "But since you guessed right…"
"You now have to be our friend," Kaoru finished.
"But I-"
The two reached forward and dragged her over to the corner, where a simple toy box sat for bored children waiting for however long to leave. Finding the twins not to be as horrible as she first thought, Haruhi was slightly disappointed when their mother returned to take them home. She gave a warm smile to Haruhi, who waved goodbye to the twins. She looked to the clock again. It had been almost three hours.
Groaning, Haruhi looked to the window, seeing the sky outside darkening with gray clouds.
Please don't let it storm, she thought worriedly.
"Umehito Nekozawa, come back!" someone shouted as a small black boy covered in a dark cloak ran past.
"No! She hates me already!" the boy replied. "Kirimi already hates me! You knew she would!"
Suddenly a flash of light and loud boom of thunder shook the building. Haruhi whimpered and sunk to the floor, cowering half under a chair. She held the rabbit close to her body, wishing her father would just return already.
"Are you alright, princess?" a soft voice asked.
Haruhi looked up long enough to see the violet-blue eyes staring down at her before another rumble of thunder caused her to cower in fear.
"It's just a little thunder," the boy said. "Nothing will happen to you."
"I'm fine," Haruhi whimpered.
She slowly looked up as she felt a soft hand on her shoulder.
"There's no need to be afraid," he said. "I'll protect you."
"You talk funny."
The boy pouted slightly until seeing that she was looking up, slightly comforted by his touch.
"Where are you from?"
"I live with my mother in France," he answered. "My father had surgery a few days ago, and my mother made me sneak here to see him. I can't stay for long though. My grandmother has forbidden me from entering the country. She doesn't like me, or my mother."
"But you're her family," Haruhi whispered.
The boy shrugged indifferently. "I'll always have my mother. Though she's always been sick, she always manages to get well again."
Haruhi looked down, forgetting the raging storm as her thoughts strayed to her mother.
"Did I say something to upset you?"
"I'm waiting to see my mother. Dad told me to wait in here. Mom's really sick, and no one thinks she's going to make it."
"My apologies," the boy quickly said. "I did not mean to bring up such a heartbreaking topic. I hope all goes well. You will be in my thoughts until we meet again."
Haruhi blinked, thinking that it was a rather odd thing to say. The boy slowly reached into the inside of his jacket, pulling out a small rose that was just beginning to bloom.
"I was saving this for my mother, but she has many flowers. And you need it more. I don't like to see a pretty girl sad."
Haruhi blushed as she looked down at the red rose.
"It looks like it was a small storm," the boy said, smiling softly. "I should be going. I can't miss my flight. Goodbye, princess. I sincerely hope we shall meet again very soon."
"Bye…"
Haruhi watched the boy leave. At that moment her father returned, tears in his eyes. Haruhi stood up slowly walking to meet him.
"I'm sorry, Haruhi," he softly said. "It's just us now."
Haruhi blinked away tears as her father held her close and refused to let go. This was a day she wasn't about to forget, in more ways than one.
Haruhi smiled sadly as she looked at the hosts around her. Club activities were done for the day, and all that was left was the clean-up and for them to change back into uniforms. She sighed letting her thoughts drift back to that day again, and to the stuffed rabbit and dried rose sitting in a box under her bed, wondering if she would be the only one to remember.
On the other side of the room, Kyoya closed one of his former journals, his thoughts on the new host confirmed. Similarly, Honey wondered if she had been the girl he'd offered his special bunny to, while Mori's thoughts strayed along the same lines. Hikaru and Kaoru watched their beloved "toy", asking themselves if she could really be the first person to be able to tell the two of them apart. Meanwhile the hosts' beloved "king" smiled fondly, recalling his last secret visit to Japan before moving to become the Suou family heir. His gaze landed on their newest family member, the young brown-haired, brown-eyed girl whom he'd never forgotten.