And so, after nearly a year of fangirling this ship something HARD, I have succumbed to my muse's nagging.
I humbly share with you my first OHSHC fic. Although I have read the manga, I will be taking this from the Anime's standpoint. More Chapters to come!
I love feedback, just like any other writer here. Leave me cookies! lol Bon Appetit!
~Destinies Entwined
"That's a very intriguing notion, in it's own way."
A pair of steely eyes followed the petite brunette as she walked away from behind the dark strands that conveniently shaded his bespectacled gaze. His pulse had suddenly accelerated with the shock she just delivered to his system. The flowing hem of her pink shirt swished back and forth as she walked toward the escalator, her white shoulder bag bouncing lightly against her hip. He couldn't fight the smile that forced its way onto his lips as he gawked at her inexplicable ability to see through his emotional defenses.
"It just doesn't make any sense…you go through all that trouble acting like your such a big jerk, when being a nice guy comes so naturally to you. It seems counter-intuitive."
She had given him this shy, yet knowing smile as she walked away. It was in that moment that a switch was flicked. His shock only given away in a soft "humph".
She saw right through me, just like that fool. He glanced back over to the blonde sprawled out on the floor, willingly overtaken by a spastic golden retriever. How do they do that?
Kyouya looked back in Haruhi's direction, to catch her turning back to look at him as she descended. Suddenly his chest tightened and he held his breath a moment. The icy cool façade only tarnished by a faint glimmer of surprise.
Is she…blushing?
She could feel the heat of his eyes on her as she made her way to the escalator. Her senses on high alert, after giving in to the need to unearth the true nature of the so-called Shadow King. The flash of vulnerability in his eyes told her she had hit the nail on the head. She allowed her satisfaction to show in a soft smile as she left him there with his thoughts. The sudden revelation was a like a spark in her heart.
He really wants to be appreciated for who he is…but he's simply been conditioned to keep his emotions to himself.
The young honors student stepped onto the escalator, feeling slightly unnerved, and obeyed the sudden urge to look back over her shoulder to Kyouya, catching his pensive stare. Her heart jumped and her face tinged with a rosy blush.
What is my problem?
Little did either of them realize that moment had become permanently etched in their hearts.
During the following semester, weeks passed somewhat uneventfully. Though at one point, in the middle of a kotatsu service, Haruhi learned a little bit more about Kyouya, the beginning of the club, and how he and Tamaki met. She was a bit surprised at his admission. The story, though packed with information, gave Haruhi the impression that Tamaki's wealth of emotion had moved the reserved young Ootori to truly think outside of his box. Or as Kyouya-senpai described it, 'painting outside the frame'.
"I got the feeling that if I shared his world, I would experience something different than anything I had ever experienced before."
Haruhi smiled as she recalled his words as he finished his mellow recollection. She realized in that moment that Kyouya truly valued Tamaki-senpai's friendship. He always has to keep up appearances with the others. She paused to take that back as she recalled the last day of summer vacation, at the expo with Kyouya. Her face grew pink. …except for Tamaki…and me.
As October drew near, they planned for the Ouran High School Fair. They prepared their tea services and other functions for the two-day event. Despite Tamaki's insistence on her dressing in a feminine manner, throwing fits of self-proclaimed "fatherly concern", the rest of the club ignored his selfish pleas. Haruhi spent virtually no time alone, unless at home. She'd stay and study with the twins occasionally. But even on a couple of weekends, she found her self wrapped up in the whims of her fellow hosts.
The first afternoon of the fair arrived quickly. Dressed in her suit, she served tea to fellow students and their parents. During tea service, Kyouya's father, Ootori Yoshio appeared in the main hall. All the hosts were occupied as the head of the Ootori family approached his third son.
The sharp sound of the palm of a hand meeting a face echoed through the hall, instantly silencing the crowd. Everyone, including the school chairman, who was in the middle of flirting with a certain female host, froze and turned to find Ootori with his hand still raised and Kyouya's glasses on the floor.
"Is this how my son has been wasting his time?" Ootori-san shot scathingly at his son. "You are an embarrassment to the Ootori name."
Kyouya fought hard to ignore the sting, keep a straight face and reclaim his glasses. He choked back the anger and embarrassment welling inside him. All of the hosts gathered around him, voicing their concerns. And there came Haruhi to his side with her big empathetic eyes.
"He wasn't upset with you because of the host club, was he?"
He couldn't answer her question without losing his cool. He swallowed it all down and drawled out a snide and vague response. "Don't worry about it," he waved off the insult. "It's not like I haven't been expecting this."
Kyouya disappeared for some time, while things began to unravel. During the time that Tamaki was designated to be Éclair Tonerre's personal slave, Kyouya began to plot a sweet revenge on his arrogant and spiteful father. He easily executed his plans under the guise of staying on top of host club business.
On the second day of the fair, after having been dealt a huge blow from Tamaki-sempai, the host club rallied to continue their service without their beloved friend and president. Haruhi was fuming at the audacity of Lady Éclair as she sat with her at the table. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ootori-san return to the Central Salon. He stopped behind Kyouya as a few noticed and watched. Yoshio didn't even glance in his son's direction before hurling more insults at him and, indirectly, the host club.
"When they're young, many assume they have all the time in the world. But really, that is never the case. Don't waste your time with something that will ultimately have no value."
Haruhi was infuriated at what she had just heard, knowing that her fellow hosts had a kinship that was invaluable. No one, not even he, had the right to demean it. There was no stopping the bitter retort about to spill from her lips.
"You don't know anything about the host club," she defended. Thoughts invaded her mind of the twins egging her on, Mori-senpai's quiet strength, Hani-senpai's sweet pearls of wisdom, Tamaki's genuine enthusiasm for life, and Kyouya's deft handling of all the chaos that surrounded them all. He was the rock that the Host Club's house was built upon.
He's done so much for us…for me.
"Kyouya-sempai works around-the-clock to make sure that everyone here is enjoying themselves. And did you ever stop to think that entertaining others might give each of us some fulfillment? How can you possibly say that what we do here is just a waste of our time?"
Kyouya was frozen in place. He was consumed by the shock of Haruhi daring to speak out against his father in the first place, never mind on his behalf. What on earth is she doing? She's defending me? I don't dare speak to him that way, and yet she just stands up blindly against unknown forces…for my sake.
Then came the words that etched themselves into his heart.
"I don't care what you say. I think Kyouya-sempai is amazing!"
Never in his life had anyone fought for him like that, or given him such simple and meaningful praise. Coming from that particularly brilliant young woman, the young Ootori took it quite personally. After Haruhi's bold declaration, the elder businessman silently walked away.
As the fair ended, and having nearly lost Tamaki to his Grandmother's under-handed devices, autumn break was upon them. There was a sense of relief mixed with hurt and disbelief. It had been a very emotional couple of days for the seven hosts. But overall, they knew that their friendships would survive the turmoil.
They would have a week off before continuing the second trimester. After the events of the Ouran Fair, the break would indeed benefit their friendships.
However, as the handsome second year student had taken Haruhi by the hand and danced, thoughts began to swirl in his head. Her bright eyes looked up softly at him as she followed his lead. For that one moment, they were seemingly able to tune out Tamaki's jealous protests and enjoy themselves. All the while, his heart began to beat double-time as he realized how much he had grown fond of her. Only one thing stood in Kyouya's way: His best friend, and his blatant, yet still unrealized, love for the truly unique young woman. He really didn't want to hurt him, but in this case, a little competition would do the whimsical blond some good. Kyouya had been racking his brain for way to spend some quality time with his lovely dance partner.
To his advantage, the aspiring young businessman had continued to communicate with Ranka; who just happened to call after the ball on the last evening of the fair. Fujioka-san was informed of some general chaos, and how 'Haruhi handled herself quite adeptly under the circumstances.' Within the same phone conversation, Kyouya learned that Kotoko's anniversary was in a couple of days.
"I know she tends to be very quiet about her attachment to her mother. But if you are around that day, I know that your friendship would be an unspoken comfort to her."
The middle-aged transvestite's tone had be gently pleading, concerned for his daughter's well-being. Kyouya took this as the perfect opportunity to dig a little deeper, and get to know her better. The pang of pain he felt as he empathized with her strengthened his resolve. He considered the other hosts, but knew better than to involve them, especially Tamaki and the twins, as they'd do nothing but drain Haruhi on an already somber and emotional day.
They'd just get in the way.
It was the second day of Autumn Break and Haruhi couldn't shake the early rise that morning. The doe-eyed teenager stared blankly out the window at the gray fall morning. The sky reflecting the emotions swimming inside of her as she tried to grasp at the ever-fading recollections of her mother. After a few long minutes, Haruhi heaved a sigh and walked out to the living room to kneel at her mother's shrine.
"Hey, Mom," she began quietly as she stared longingly at Kotoko's familiar image. "I can't believe it's been eleven years already. I hope you can see everything I'm doing down here," she admitted, a thoughtful smile gracing her lips, "even if it is a bit crazy."
She sat in silence for another minute, pondering what she would talk to her mom about if she were right there in the room with her. A tear slid down her cheek as the loneliness hit her instantly.
"You know, mom…the guys are my good friends, as annoying as they can be sometimes. Is it crazy that I'm missing their company after only a couple of days?"
She thought about each of her fellow hosts: Hani-senpai's predilection to impose sugary snacks on her; Mori-senpai's knack for saving her from uncomfortable situations; The twins' constant banter and endless supply of 'games' to play; Tamaki's big dreams and eagerness to do good for others; and Kyouya's…
Her thought was cut short by a shiver when she recalled staring into his smoldering eyes as he hovered over her that evening in the Ootori Okinawa villa. Her thoughts shifted to their inadvertent day at the expo, and then to their conversation during the recent kotatsu service. After discovering the depth of Kyouya's friendship with Tamaki, she had begun seeing other things he had said and done in a different light. And every seemingly friendly conversation or casual touch had begun to take on some deeper meaning. Although she didn't verbalize it, Haruhi could tell that the enigmatic host acknowledged her dimissal of his guise and he seemed oddly accepting of the fact. It was the way he would say something snide but give her a sideways glance as a smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. Kyouya didn't hide as much from her as he used to, and it made her feel…special.
"Mom, I don't know why…but I can't get one of them off my mind," she admitted aloud. "We have this unspoken connection. It's weird. He always tries to be the jerk, but I know it's just his emotional defense. He seems so cool and collected all the time, but his eyes tell me there is so much going on underneath. I can't help but be curious about him." She closed her eyes with a sigh and shook her head. "I don't know, Mom. Maybe I'm just going a little crazy."
What am I doing? Why am I talking about this to Mom? It's not like she can really help me. But I can't talk to dad about it.
Her stomach rumbled, reminding her that she hadn't eaten breakfast yet. With another sigh, the somber brunette got to her feet and headed to the kitchen.
It was about nine-thirty when Haruhi had finished cleaning up after herself. She paused a moment when she realized her dad wasn't home yet from working all night.
He probably went over to see mom before coming home.
With a flick of the light switch, she stepped into the bathroom to brush her teeth and hair. She was mid-brushing when there was a knock at her door. Not thinking much of it, she went to open the door for who she assumed was her father.
Suddenly, Haruhi found herself frozen by those amazingly dark eyes she had been thinking about just a short while ago.
Toothbrush still in her face, with a tiny drip of foamy toothpaste hanging from the corner of her mouth, she managed to mumble, "Kyouya-senpai?"
Kyouya smiled coolly with a raise of his brow. He failed to completely stifle his amusement and a chuckle escaped his throat.
"Good morning, Haruhi. Did I catch you at a bad time?"
Trying to avoid sounding like an idiot, or accidentally spitting on him, she gestured for him to come in. She stuck her head out the door, expecting the rest of the Host Club to be clamoring toward the door right behind him. Once the door shut behind her, she raised her index finger to wordlessly ask him to wait a moment for her.
She returned, the toothbrush no longer impeding conversation. "To answer your question, it's not a bad time exactly, but-"
"It's the anniversary of your mother's passing. Yes, I know," he finished her sentence and adjusted his glasses on the bridge of his nose. "That's why I'm here."
Haruhi was floored. She went to speak but nothing came out.
And then it occurred to her…
"Wait…did my dad ask you to come here?"
"Well, not exactly," he replied with a lilt in his voice, "I would say it was more of a suggestion."
"If you're doing this because my dad asked you to, you don't have to. I'm fine on my own, you know," she defended. "So don't feel obligated."
Kyouya's eyes flashed with disappointment, and he exhaled sharply through his nose.
He had forgotten lately, thinking about Haruhi more so than usual, that there was still that lingering taste of his overtly manipulative nature. That's what she's quick to assume…but I thought we were past that. I guess I was wrong. I haven't proved enough to the contrary that I'm not selfish when it comes to my friends.
"Where's the rest of the guys? Are they off on vacation or something?" Haruhi asked with obvious curiosity.
The slight twist of frustration on Kyouya's face smoothed into a hint of a smirk . "No, actually. To be honest, I thought on a day like today, their drama would probably be more of a hindrance than a help. So I didn't tell them."
This thoroughly confused her. Even if Dad had told Kyouya about today, and asked to keep me company, why did he choose to come alone?
"I sure you are quick to assume that I am here purely on some opportunistic bent. On the contrary, I'm here because I know you need a friend right now."
Haruhi's heart skipped a beat. Kyouya-senpai's here…because he wants to be?
"I…don't know what to say, Kyouya-senpai. I'm sorry I made an assumption. I'm actually quite glad to have your company," she gave Kyouya a sad smile as she revealed her true feelings. He placed his hand on her shoulder, in a surprising yet comforting gesture. They exchanged unspoken words with a knowing look. The spot on her arm tingled as she became hyper aware of the warmth of his hand. Her breathing became a bit shallow as she understood that he actually cared about her. Kyouya sensed the growing tension and cleared his throat, snapping her from her daze.
"How far away is the cemetery from here?" Kyouya asked casually.
"About a twenty minute walk…or we could take the-" Haruhi was cut short by bespectacled boy.
"Let's take my car," he quickly suggested. "I kept the driver waiting, just in case. It's a bit chilly today, seeing as it's overcast."
"Oh-thanks, senpai, I really appreciate that," Haruhi said with a bit of a blush.
"It's nothing," he replied, buttoning up his jacket. "Shall we be off, then?"
They made their way slowly, almost strolling, down the rows of graves. She carried a small bouquet of flowers and some incense to burn. Kyouya noticed the dark aura beginning to overtake her as they drew closer to their destination. She grew uncomfortably quiet and he wanted to distract her from her thoughts.
"Haruhi, I don't believe you've told me much about your mother. I assume if she was anything like you, that she was a woman of conviction."
The smooth tone of his voice eased her out of the void she was sinking into. It was then that she realized just how valuable his company was, and why her father requested it. She smiled softly and stopped in her tracks. Her eyes gazed ahead at nothing, as if recalling something in a distant memory. Kyouya's heart softened at the sight of that look, which was full of adoration for the woman who gave birth to her.
"From what I remember, yes, she was," Haruhi replied, turning her melancholy gaze to him. "I hope someday I can make her proud."
Kyouya rested a hand gently on her upper arm, giving it a small squeeze, "I'm sure she already is."
His honest words were shock to her system, coupled with his increasingly familiar touch. It wasn't that he'd never touched her before, but today he just seemed unusually warm. It was like he was truly being himself for the first time. His air was still aloof and a little distant, but she felt like, for whatever reason, he was trying to reach out to her. And the feelings it awoke in her both comforted her and rattled her nerves.
With a nod, she turned back in the direction of her mother's grave and continued toward their destination. Kyouya watched for a moment as he relished the feeling of letting go of his calculated façade for once. The warmth of her smile and the connection they had formed in recent months had enticed him to this point: where he could truly get to know her, one-on-one, and share such a personal thing as the depth of human emotions. He started after her and kept up close behind the solemn young woman.
She stopped before a small memorial labeled "Fujioka Kotoko" and paused a moment. She crouched down to lay the flowers in front of the grave and, as she got back up, pulled a lighter from her pocket that she had grabbed from her kitchen to light the incense. Haruhi placed the sticks in the incense holder and stepped back. Without even a glance in his direction, she continued her thought from moments ago.
"Although Mom was always quite busy with her career, when she was home she never failed to spend as much time with me as she could. I never felt ignored or unloved. She would always leave the house in the mornings with a positive attitude, and tell me that she would do her best. I learned that from her…to always do my best."
Kyouya felt a small pang of jealousy, as he was always told to do his best, but with implied threats and ultimatums accompanying it. He wished that, even just once, encouragement in his family was the positive kind. Shaking the thought from his head, and realized that if he had someone like that in his life, especially as influential as a parent, it would be devastating to lose them. The slight feelings of envy melted into empathy and his heart jolted slightly. He never ceased to be startled by sudden washes of emotion Haruhi managed to incite in him.
Haruhi envisioned her mom, smiling as she walked out the door like she did every morning. Her heart ached to have her there with her, instead of praying for her soul. Her eyes began to water uncontrollably and she let the tears fall freely from her eyes as they slid shut. Wordlessly she lowered herself reverently to her knees to pray.
Kyouya watched in respectful silence as Haruhi unraveled before his eyes. It wasn't until he heard her sniffle softly that he realized she was crying. Before he realized it, he had knelt beside her, close enough for their elbows to brush against each others'. He remained quiet as he closed his eyes and pictured the woman in the picture in the apartment and wished her spirit well.
His eyes flew open at the sound of a sob escaping her lips. Overwhelmed by the urge to comfort her, his hand gently landed on her back and moved languorously between her shoulder blades. Secretly, Kyouya hoped that Haruhi would more clearly understand his intention.
Little did he know that Haruhi could, in fact, sense his genuine gentility and secretly welcomed it.
A few somber minutes passed and her tears subsided. Only then did Haruhi realize that her head had come to rest on Kyouya's shoulder and blushed as she lifted her head and wiped the remnants of her emotional display from her cheeks and eyes. Her breathing steadied and finally looked to her raven-haired companion. She cocked her head to the side and just took in his presence for a moment. His glasses flashed and revealed his gaze, trained on her in return.
"Are you feeling better now, Haruhi?" Her handsome friend asked placidly.
The corners of mouth curled slightly upward, giving him an unspoken answer. "You know, Kyouya-senpai, I'm pretty sure Mom would have liked you-err, and the rest of the guys, of course," she complimented, attempting to conceal the things going on in her heart. But being an equally intuitive person, he had read between the lines.
"Haruhi, do me a favor. When it's just us, there's no need for such formality," he corrected her calmly before continuing. "But, thank you. I'm sure I would have found her just as warm and welcoming as your father."
Haruhi got to her feet, Kyouya following suit. She paused; which he noticed and waited for her to voice her thought.
"Kyouya," she said, allowing a moment to relish the newfound familiarity before continuing. "Thank you for coming today. I didn't realize what a comfort it could be to have a friend at a time like this. I've always handled difficult situations on my own. But having you with me is…nice."
The chestnut-haired girl blushed as she openly admitted to enjoying the Shadow King's company. Her eyes watered a little more, as emotions were still running high. As she tried to hide her bleary gaze, Haruhi found herself being enveloped by two lean, yet firm, arms.
After the initial shock of her intimate proximity to the host club's vice-president wore off, Haruhi became acutely aware of the softness of Kyouya's jacket, and his clean yet earthy scent mixed with a spicy cologne. But rather than fight against it, she succumbed, fatigued by an emotional morning, and relaxed into the embrace.
He's so warm, this nice guy that has been hiding behind the frigid shell.
Overwhelmed by the sentimental mood, thoughts manifested into words. And they spilled forth without her moving an inch, not even a glimpse to see his reaction.
"I was wondering when I would see this side of you, Kyouya…"
What she missed, however was the widening of Kyouya's dark eyes and the slight blush that crept onto his cheeks as she called him out on finally shedding his virtually impenetrable shell. His heart swelled with a warm feeling he didn't dare attempt to identify. But it made him smile, his need to respond honestly to her admission undeniable.
"You're lucky, Haruhi. Not even that idiot has gotten this much out of me."
She chuckled against his chest, feeling strangely proud of herself.
Yeah…Mom would have definitely appreciated Kyouya. For all the same reasons I do.