Me
(A/N: I decided to continue this. Rare for me to decide that. I couldn't help it, I just wanted do Tamaki too! And Haruhi, but that's for later. There's TamakixHaruhi fluff at the end...just a little bit. I'm rather proud of this one, too. Review please?)
Disclaimer: I do not own Ouran High School Host Club.
Sometimes, Tamaki would wake up in the middle of the night and panic. There were three reasons this usually happened. 1, he'd remember that he'd forgotten to feed Antoinette (and, of course, said dog would be whining pitifully at the foot of his bed), 2, he'd have a dream about how Haruhi lived (usually in fanatically extreme poverty), and 3, when he thought about his mother.
His mother was frail outside, but strong inside. She may have been frail physically, but she made up for that with her sharp mind. She'd always told Tamaki, "You are yourself before you are a Suoh or anything else." She wanted to let Tamaki know that whatever became of him, he didn't have to cast off who he really was. She wanted Tamaki to do the right thing.
When Tamaki agreed to leave France, his mother had been upset, he could see. So he had pulled her aside and told her, "It's for the best, Maman. I will go, and you will be able to get better. Then someday, Maman, I will see you again." She cried to see her little boy grown up and serious like this, but gave her consent with a nod of her head. "Someday, cheri."
On those nights, when Tamaki remembered and panicked, he'd go downstairs, to the piano, and play. It was his mother who had first taught him, on one of her better days. He'd heard the tinkling sounds, stringed together into something beautiful, and had been instantly hooked.
The truth was, his mother was the reason he played so well now. Every time he played now, he'd think of his mother, hovering over him as he belted out whatever Minuet he was learning that time, correcting his fingers and gentling reminding him to count. He could close his eyes and see her smiling face, saying "Wonderful, Tamaki!" as he played. That used to be the only reason. But now, when he opened his eyes after closing them, there was another person standing next to him, who also smiled and said, "That was wonderful, Tamaki-senpai."
His mother had always told him that he was himself before anything else. Haruhi had said that he was just fine the way he was. They would have gotten along, Tamaki thought. So he smiled at Haruhi, still clutching her hands and the fork.
"I'm me before I'm a Suoh."
Haruhi saying that Tamaki was just fine the way he was is from episode 3 of the anime. The one where Renge has an otaku moment. (And is probably in the manga, but I can't remember which chapter.)
The moment at the end is from Volume 6, when Haruhi is dressed like a girl.