Chapter 2: Tamaki's Confession
Thanks Saranha de Angelo for the positive review of the first chapter. I hope everyone enjoys this chapter as well. Any comments / reviews would be great. Sorry if Tamaki is a little out of character - it was really difficult writing his dialogue. Hope you enjoy it :-)
The Suoh second residence, Monday, 8 p.m.
Haruhi endured the twins' cries of 'Kawaii! Kawaii!' and their groping hands on her strapless tulle ball gown, as they exclaimed over how cute she was. Haruhi had been stuffed into the black and white dress against her will by the twins' maids; somehow they had managed to make the dress stick to her flat chest, but this didn't stop her tugging on the material every so often to make sure it stayed up. Tamaki was hovering nearby, strangely subdued for once. Come to think of it, he hadn't called her his 'daughter' since the whole carriage incident, she realized uncomfortably. 'What could that mean?' she wondered silently. She raised her eyes to see Kyoya watching her over the top of his notebook, his mouth set in a grim line. Perhaps he was regretting his offer to tutor her, she decided. After all, she had been rude to him earlier. Telling Kyoya-senpai she didn't want or need his help probably wasn't the smartest move. She was sure he was plotting to invent a new debt for her to pay off, just to exact his revenge. Or worse...
'Haruhi?'
Tamaki was standing behind her, his blue eyes serious for once, his hand extended towards her. 'Would you do me the honor of dancing with me, my lovely princess?'
'Um, senpai? I'm not a customer, you know,' Haruhi said bluntly. 'You don't need to call me 'princess' to get me to dance with you.'
'Ah,' Tamaki said, rubbing his neck with a soft smile. 'You see, I - I wondered, how you would like to me to ask, now that I can't call you my 'daughter,' he said, blushing red.
'You finally worked that out, eh senpai?'
'Hai,' Tamaki laughed nervously. 'I think so. But,' he bit his lip. 'We are still family, aren't we?'
Haruhi laughed, her bright face and lovely smile making the other members of the host club turn and look at her, and some of the regular customers squeal in delight.
She danced with Tamaki, her hand clasped in his, feeling suddenly self-conscious about their proximity. Perhaps it was the memory of tumbling from the bridge in his arms one week ago, or the gentle look he gave her as he gazed down upon her upturned face.
'Haruhi -,' he said gruffly. 'I'm confused, Haruhi. My father - my father has asked me to try and persuade you - to be - to be - my bride. I thought it was only fair you should know.'
Haruhi almost stumbled, but Tamaki kept her balanced by pulling her closer. 'Please don't run away,' he begged her. 'I will not rush into another engagement so soon after Miss Eclair, and my grandmother has no knowledge of my father's wishes, so she may not even approve.'
'Tamaki-senpai...' Haruhi was lost for words.
'Haruhi - do you think you could ever fall in love with me?' Tamaki asked, his blonde hair falling gracefully into his warm eyes, his hands tightening over hers. She felt like she couldn't breathe. He was beautiful, and he was so sincere... Tamaki was easy to trust.
'I don't know, senpai,' Haruhi whispered truthfully, her face turning red. 'Could you fall in love with me?' she asked him bluntly, wondering what his answer would be.
'I - I'm not sure,' Tamaki's brow furrowed, his expression slightly fearful. 'I thought of you as my daughter, but now I can see I was mistaken. I worry about you and I want to be near you - I'm not sure what that means. Are we friends, Haruhi?'
She paused, wondering why she felt a bit relieved. What would she have said if he had replied that yes, he could fall in love with her?
'Senpai,' Haruhi sighed, wondering how it was that Tamaki could be so wise about others' feelings, but so dense when it came to his own. 'I chased you when you tried to leave us, didn't I?' She smiled warmly, making his eyes light up.
'Then can I finally have your phone number?' the Host Club King asked, his eyes going round with excitement. In Haruhi's imagination, she could see Tamaki's tail wagging.
'I suppose so,' Haruhi shrugged with a smile. 'I'm surprised you didn't beg the twins or Kyoya-senpai for it.'
'None of them would give daddy your number,' Tamaki said sorrowfully. 'Not even mother. He said I would only misuse it and waste precious national resources when my imagination lost all sense of rationality.'
Laughing, Haruhi looked up at him. 'Kyoya-senpai really looks out for you, doesn't he, senpai?'
The dance ended, and Tamaki made a show of putting Haruhi's phone number into his cellphone. He was occupied for some time in picking a ringtone that would suit Haruhi, and in the end made her record a message instead.
'Say it once more, Haruhi,' he begged her, pressing the record button on his cellphone once again. 'It has to be perfect.'
'I love Tamaki-senpai more than fancy tuna,' Haruhi repeated woodenly, painfully aware that the twins had tears of laughter streaming down their faces.
She sighed, and her gaze wandered to Mori, who was dancing with one of the Host Club's customers, but who was obviously keeping one eye on Huni, who was surrounded by girls holding silver forks, begging to be allowed to feed him cake.
She felt as if she were being watched too, and noticed that Kyoya was leaning against a pillar, for once not writing anything in his notebook. His eyes met hers, his face expressionless, and she wondered how long he had been observing her.
When the clock struck midnight, all the guests began to leave in their limousines, and Haruhi heaved a sigh of relief. She didn't like being out so late on a school night, especially when she had missed so much school last week. She stretched her arms above her head and nearly hit Kyoya in the face as she lowered them again.
'Gomenasai!' she gasped, looking up at him anxiously.
'I'm fine, Haruhi. Incidentally, I've already made it clear to the others that I'm giving you a ride home,' he informed her. 'So please say your goodbyes, as it's getting rather late.'
'Uh, I can get a cab, senpai,' she started to argue.
'I promised Ranka-san I would see that you arrived home safely,' he said curtly. 'I'll be waiting outside.' He turned and walked away, notebook safely tucked under his arm, his coat tails fluttering behind him. Girls called out their goodbyes to him as he passed them by, but he merely acknowledged them with a plastic smile.
Fuming, Haruhi allowed herself to be hugged goodbye by everyone else, and endured Hikaru and Tamaki's usual protests that they should be the ones to see she got home safely, not Kyoya. When she finally escaped, there were only three limos left in the mansion's driveway. Kyoya was waiting in the closest car, already typing away on his laptop.
The drive home was silent, except for the soft classical music playing on the speakers and the soft tapping of Kyoya's laptop keys. Haruhi began to feel more and more uncomfortable. Was Kyoya aware of Tamaki's situation? Knowing the Shadow King, it was very likely. She wished she could ask him, but she was too emotionally drained to deal with his calculated conversation.
'When they pulled up outside her apartment block, Kyoya undid his seatbelt and got out of the car, opening her door before she could move. He gave her his hand and helped her step out into the cool night air, then towed her gently up the steps to her front door.
'Arigato, senpai,' Haruhi smiled, her large brown eyes taking in Kyoya's impassive face and liquid black eyes. He moved his hands to her tiny waist, bending so that his lips were inches from her own. She could feel his warm breath on her face, and her hands moved to his chest to push him away, but he held onto her tightly.
'Normally,' he told her slowly, 'it is in my best interest to keep Tamaki happy. However, do you remember me telling you about my new philosophy?'
Haruhi nodded. 'The self-serving philosophy?'
'I've decided that tutoring you is in my best interest,' Kyoya smiled slyly. 'You're a very interesting girl, Haruhi Fujioka. Almost interesting enough to make me forget that I'm an Ootori. Almost.'
He straightened up and released her, his hands falling to his sides. 'Goodnight, Haruhi,' he murmured, striding confidently away towards his waiting limousine. She fumbled for her key, aware that he was watching her, waiting to see her go inside. Locking the door behind her, she sank down onto the floor in the darkness, her head in her arms. It had been a very confusing day.
