HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY! If you have served or have loved ones who have… thank you.
A/N: Ok, I will make this promise to you now… I won't go a year without writing Kyoya/Haruhi again. I can't believe I stayed away from it as long as I have. Also, if you haven't seen it, I wrote a second chapter/epilogue for Drink A Beer. You will see more of the Kyoya/Haruhi relationship in that one along with the other hosts. For this story… I was a little surprised at the response I got and was beyond happy. Ergo the promise. I'm not sure what all will happen or how long the story will be, but you can bet there will probably be drama, antics, crazy adventures, and a few twists and turns (how can I not?). Enjoy the new chapter!
Chapter 2 – Still Hurting
"Haru… Haru… Haruhi… HARUHI!" A loud shrill voice rang out in an attempt to get another person's attention.
Snapping out of her dreamlike state, the brunette in question almost fell out of her chair as she came back to a conscious state. She gripped the desk and grabbed the pencil that had started to roll before it could fall, frowning as she turned her head to catch the seemingly innocent and giggling face of her friend, "What do you want Ruth? Class is…"
"Over," Ruth stated simply before she could no longer control her merriment. She couldn't help but laugh at seeing her friend's current state.
"Ov…?" Haruhi looked around her and sure enough the room was empty and the class had ended. How long had everything ended? How long had she been sitting there this time? This wasn't the first time Ruth had busted her sitting in an empty classroom staring off into space. "What time is it?" She sighed as she gathered her books and supplies. Thankfully she didn't have another class after this.
Ruth shook her head and snickered, "Don't worry, class only ended about five minutes ago. So it's better than the 30 you sat daydreaming last week."
Blushing slightly, Haruhi did not remark and finished throwing her items into her backpack. She had been thinking about him again. It was an affliction she couldn't help. She still loved Kyoya Ootori and it appeared time away from each other and moving to a new country had not cured her of the disease. He was the one that broke up with her right after he convinced her to accept the offer to study abroad. Why had he done that? He claimed she should go because it would help her future… their future. What future? Now that they were apart, there was no future together, and that's what hurt the most. She wanted a future with him, and only him. In another month, they would have been celebrating their three year anniversary, but no more. Now it was just another day on the calendar. Now it meant nothing but heartache and despair. Okay, so that was a bit melodramatic, but when would the hurting stop? When would she heal? It was amazing how adept she had become at hiding the pain she felt. No one around her seemed to know she was suffering, and on the rare moments it slipped through, her friends were nice enough not to say anything, to keep their questions to themselves.
"Hey Haru!" Ruth attempted to get her friend's attention. Six months ago, Haruhi had come to study at Stanford and became her roommate. They were hesitant around each other at first, but soon a friendship developed and were now close friends, and as a friend, she could tell that Haruhi was hiding something. She was hurting and Ruth knew the root of the problem lay in Japan. What had happened? It was the one subject that was taboo and that she was never allowed to ask the brunette about. The only thing Ruth knew was that Haruhi was single, had some really close friends that were all guys, and she stares at a group picture of her and the guys for hours on end. Maybe the cause of the problem is one of the people in the picture? Ruth didn't know, but she wished she could help her friend.
Haruhi scowled at her roommate and found twinkling blue eyes staring back at her, "I told you not to call me that." It was funny, she never had a problem with Hunny calling her that, but Ruth… she didn't like it. Maybe because the simple nickname reminded her of someone she rather not think about. Once a week she allowed herself to wallow when she talked to all of her friends, but everyday… it would be too much.
"Yah, yah Haruhi," Ruth stretched out the name like it had its own zip code as she flung her long flaming red hair over her shoulder and giggled.
Was it all redheads that acted like this or just the ones the brunette found herself associating with? It was a question that plagued the former female host everyday she was around Ruth. On more than one occasion per day, her roommate reminded her of two other redheads Haruhi was very well acquainted with. Another pang. Trying to quell it, Haruhi suggested, "Let's go grab some lunch. I'm hungry." She really wasn't, but she had to eat something since she had not eaten since lunch the day before. She just wasn't hungry. Knowing Ruth would follow, she walked out of the room and started down the hall that would take her towards the exit.
An idea formed in the redhead's mind and she grabbed Haruhi's arm just as they left the building and were bathed in the harsh glare of sunlight, "Hey, let's go to the Sigma Nu party tonight!" It may help to get Haruhi out of her funk and Ruth personally knew that there were a few guys interested in her friend who would be at the party.
"Tonight?"
"What? It's a Friday night, you don't have class tomorrow, and all your all important phone calls happen on Sunday!" After she said the last part, Ruth wished she would have kept that part to herself.
"I don't know."
"Come on! It'll be fun and you could use a break. You have been working your ass off, so now you need to experience the other side of school life. Besides next week you have that trip and will be gone for a week. So this is the day to live it up!"
The other side of school life… That was one of the things Kyoya had wanted her to experience, and one of the reasons he gave for breaking up with her. The pang slashed through her heart again. She needed to forget, she needed to move on, and even if it was only for one night, she would do it, "Fine, let's go to the party." She didn't want to go, but she also didn't to think about him the entire night. Tonight she would forget.
Back in Japan…
"Is everyone here?" Tamaki inquired as he looked at his computer screen.
"What's going on Tono?" Hikaru and Kaoru questioned their leader at the same time.
Hunny, like the others, had gotten a mysterious text from Tamaki instructing them all to get on Skype so that they could have a conference call… and just like in the past, everyone immediately jumped on, but he noticed someone was missing, "Where's Kyo-Chan?"
"He won't be on today," the blond announced.
"EH? Why?" Kaoru asked.
"Does Kyoya-senpai know you're having a meeting behind his back?" Hikaru inquired.
Nodding, Hunny added, "You know how Kyo-Chan is about you planning things without him Tama-Chan."
"They're right," Mori agreed.
It felt as if everyone was against him, but he had to stand firm. Banging his desk, Tamaki declared (it came out a bit whiney though), "Kyoya is finally doing it!"
"Doing what?" Everyone asked.
"Wait, didn't Kyo-Chan have an omiai today? Is he actually getting married? What about Haru-Chan? She still loves him and I thought he loved her!" Hunny panicked.
"Mitsukuni, calm down and let Tamaki explain," Mori told his charge.
Everyone stared pointedly at Tamaki's face on their screens and asked, "Well?"
Clearing his throat, Tamaki began, "Yes, thank you Mori-senpai. Now, as I was saying…"
Hikaru interrupted, "Get on with it boss!"
"Yah, the rate you're going we'll be here until New Years," Kaoru added.
Together they said, "Of 2020!"
"NOW LISTEN HERE YOU TWO DOPPELGANGERS…!" The three continued to yell at each other and hurl insults. This was just a normal conversation/planning session with the Host Club.
Sighing, Hunny picked up his phone and called Mori while placing his computer on mute, "Takashi, let's conference Kyo-Chan. I don't think those three will be done anytime soon.
"Yah, I agree," Mori stated and waited for the other man to be added to the call.
Sitting at his gate, Kyoya heard his phone ring and noticed Hunny was calling him, "Yes Hunny-senpai, how may I help you?"
"Kyo-Chan, Takashi is on the phone with me. Are you getting married?" Hunny immediately queried. If it was true, he would do his best to stop the wedding.
Kyoya pinched the bridge of his nose and had a strong feeling Tamaki was behind this phone call, "No, at least not right now."
"What about the omiai? What about Haru-Chan?"
A small smile appeared on Kyoya's face, "I'm on my way to get her back. I'm at the airport now."
"WHAT?" Hunny screamed.
Mori grinned and said, "Good luck. She misses you."
"Thank you Mori-senpai," Kyoya politely said.
"It won't be easy," Hunny announced.
"I know. I messed up, but I sat there today and realized that I can't be with anyone else. No one else could ever compare to her," the bespectacled man stated.
Mori and Hunny smiled. This was the Kyoya they knew and respected. They never agreed with the breakup and Kyoya never acted like himself after, but now… now this sounded like the real Shadow King; it was all in his tone of voice.
"Do your best. We're rooting for you!" Hunny announced and then said, "We got to go. It looks like Tama-Chan and the twins are done arguing." He disconnected the line and took his computer off mute. It appeared as if things were about to go back to the way they should be.
"Mommy is at the airport and is going to get daughter back! So we are going to go and support him. Remember Haruhi is mad at mommy, so we need to help him as much as possible. My family's private plane will take us to California. Be ready to go in two hours! Since we are not flying commercial, we should land before him, especially since his flight doesn't take off for another three hours. Remember, no one is to speak of this to Haruhi!" Tamaki informed them all.
"Wait! You want us to just drop everything?" The twins asked, although they didn't have a problem doing just that, they actually just wanted to give Tamaki a hard time.
"Yes, of course," Tamaki stated.
Hunny sent his cousin a text, "We have to keep them out of trouble."
Mori responded, "We do."
It appeared that the Host Club was about to head to California in order to bring happiness into the lives of two of their friends. As hosts it was there duty to make sure every girl who had ever entered their doors was happy. Haruhi had long ago entered through those doors, and now she was hurting and in pain… no longer joyful. They would do everything in their power to make sure the sparkle was put back in her eyes. It was their duty and mission to succeed!