Fujioka Haruhi was known as many things amongst his classmates: brilliant, kind, unflappable, gentle, a great cook, and poor. Very poor in fact. What he was not known for but it was undeniably true was that he was: female, and perhaps not so poor and generally believed.

Of everyone the only person to know this was Ranka, Haruhi's father, and he knew not to say anything not even to his own beloved daughter. His dear wife had in fact been from a very wealthy family but their engagement had seen it fit to disown her. Secretly they had kept in contact with her brother until her early death, when as their son's grief Haruhi's grandparents became suspicious and continued contact became impossible. Alas Ranka's continued silence was an impossibility.

After his choice to change his lifestyle following his wife's death he had begun to visit a free clinic. That was not to say he became promiscuous, quite the contrary really, he was very picky but there were lovers. Haruhi knew them all, there was no room for secrets between them, at least not many. Ranka had taken a new lover, been cheated on, and then been comforted by his ridiculously adult teenage daughter. Sufficiently comforted he had then gone to the clinic, thinking all was well, he was also very safe during lovemaking. Two weeks later he received his results, HIV positive.

Not wanting to alarm Haruhi, or himself, overmuch he had gone to a hospital for a second test. Hopefully proof that it was a false result and to prepare if it was not. Once again his result came positive. The doctors arranged for treatments… but they told him that there was little they could do beyond ensure that his last few months… or years were comfortable. Ranka was determined that it be years, he didn't even feel sick yet so no loss of immunity and he was pretty hearty in any case. Still, he needed a back up plan.

He had at first considered not talking to his wife's brother at all about the situation. After all in a way it proved her parents right. Plus, there was the Host Club, ready at all times to take care and spoil his beautiful little girl. But the fact of the matter was, well…. He didn't want to share her with them while he was still around. As an excuse he would use the family card, who knew, maybe Haru-chan would fall for it.

Sometimes he wished his daughter wasn't so clever.

Really, he did.

So here he was almost 35, with AIDS, secretly meeting with his daughters maternal uncle. And no one could say secrecy was his strong point. That was why they were meeting in a park, at night. He brought mace. His brother-in-law brought three very large bodyguards. A couple of them were pretty handsome. All three of them glared at him. He flirted back, take a little give it back. His brother-in-law laughed. Ranka had always liked him.

"Tetsuya-san." Ranka bowed slightly to his relative by marriage. "I am sorry to have contacted you and forced a meeting on such short notice."

"Forced? Never. You are the beloved husband of my much loved sister. Now, what is it you needed to tell me, I undestand it was important."

"Uh, yes." Ranka smiled weakly. "As you know I have made certain life choices since my wife died. They have finally come back to haunt me."

Tetsuya went very still, all traces of mirth gone. "Haunting you how?" Ranka stared out of the park at the city lights surrounding them, finding himself momentarily unable to tell the other man. "How?"

Another moment of hesitation before he found the courage to reply. "I have AIDS." He sighed tiredly and ran a hand through his hair. "I just found out for certain a few days ago."

"How long do you have?"

"No clue. I think a while, the doctors are running some tests…. I don't feel ill but…" he sighed heavily.

"Does Haru know?" Tetsuya sounded so tired and momentarily and Ranka felt guilt creep over him. It was so unfair of him to ruin so many lives for his selfishness.

"Yes, of course I did." Ranka smiled weakly. "I try not to keep things from her, I have omitted the large factor of you and your family, there does not need to be anything else."

"Of course." Tetsuya looked at him for a long moment. "My mother passed away a few years back, I am not sure you saw it in the papers. My father is currently in the hospital with a machine keeping him alive. The doctors tell me he will never recover."

Ranka looked to his brother in law and with pure sympathy. He did not like his wife's parents but that did not mean he had ever wanted them to die. Especially because he loved Tetsuya as much as if the man was his blood relation, he did not care that they had not seen each other in over fifteen years. "I am sorry for your loss, and the pain this must cause you. Don't worry about anything for a while, I understand what you are going through."

Tetsuya turned to him, smiled, and Ranka noticed how very tired the other man truly was. "Of everyone who has said that you are the only one I believe." The other man paced briefly before turning to Ranka once again. "I am going to leave you with some money." He raised a hand before the drag queen could argue. "You need the money I may not have contacted you but I have kept tabs. You are not in the financial situation to fund the treatment your illness requires. Haruhi is probably already trying to skimp as much as she can and you don't want her to worry overmuch…" He looked at Ranka for a long moment. "Haruhi would have had to come into the family anyway, I have no one other that the two of you."

"Sh-should I tell her about you all now, or wait?" he did not mention what they would be waiting for.

"She is very capable of keeping it quiet, and my niece should have some time to process the information." Tetsuya took out a checkbook and wrote swiftly before handing it to his brother. "That should be enough."

Ranka looked at the amount and shook his head. "It is too much."

"Sadly, as the one giving you the money I don't agree."

"Tetsuya…."

"Do not argue Ranka, I have been cowed by my parents for years, allowing them to coerce me into ignoring my beautiful niece and the grieving husband of my beloved big sister. I will watch over you both now in ways I did not before."

Ranka did not argue with him this time, Tetsuya would blame himself for a long time for something Ranka had never held against him. "Tetsuya, thank you."

Tetsuya merely nodded and walked away, his bodyguards trailing him.

Ranka stared out at the city for a long while before heading home.