Yuzuru didn't know how long he slept when he was awoken by a knock at the door. There was no clock around, and a look at the window showed rainclouds obscuring any sign of sun or moon. The soft rain that he'd heard earlier had developed into a full deluge, and as he watched, the sky lit up with a lightning strike, followed closely by a huge crack of thunder. He heard a short shriek from the other side of the door, and the knocking became more insistent.
"Just a minute," he called as he swung his legs over the side of the bed. He was still groggy from sleep, and thought the knocking was coming from the front door. Before he could move any further, however, the connecting door to the other apartment opened, and a frightened-looking Haruhi timidly stepped into the room.
The sound of thunder, much softer than the earlier crack, permeated the apartment, and Haruhi flinched, hugging herself, and letting out a soft, "Eep!"
Yuzuru kicked himself. How could he forget that Haruhi was afraid of thunderstorms? It was he who had gotten her excused from classes and provided her with an unused, windowless, and nearly soundproof office for her to take refuge in when thunderstorms hit the school. He didn't know what caused her phobia - he suspected she didn't know herself - but he had read somewhere that trauma sometimes caused bizarre phobias that had nothing to do with the trauma itself. Perhaps losing a mother at such a young age had caused such an inexplicable psychological phenomenon in Haruhi.
Regardless, Yuzuru needed to dispel the grogginess in his mind and focus on the frightened young woman in front of him. Despite the fact that he knew he should be helping her, the first thing he thought when his mind was fully awake was how. . . sexy Haruhi looked. She was wearing a sheer white robe trimmed with white ruffles. It had long sleeves and was so short it barely reached the top of her thighs. Under it she had a white bandeau-style bra covered in layers of white ruffles and thin, white spaghetti straps. Her matching panties were white and boy cut, and also covered in layers of ruffles. Yuzuru recognized it as one of Yuzuha Hitachiin's designs. He had seen it once when he had gone over to the Hitachiin mansion on school business. In their large drawing room had been dozens of mannequins dressed in her designs, and this outfit had been on one of them. Haruhi had been there, trying to fend off Yuzuha's twin sons who were trying to get her to model it. Yuzuru hoped they would convince her. He wanted to see her in that outfit, too, though of course he couldn't say it out loud. Some of what he was thinking must have shown on his face, however, since when Haruhi took one look at him, she turned bright red and practically ran from the room.
Now, here she was, wearing it in front of him.
For a minute Yuzuru's breath stopped. He had to admit that the Hitachiin boys had a good eye. That ensemble flattered her figure quite nicely.
His eyes took in the sight of her lovely arms and torso adorned with white lingerie, then traveled down to her bare, beautifully sculpted legs and painted toenails.
She didn't pose like a lingerie model, showing off her physique and giving him a come-hither stare. Instead, she stood there, with her shoulders hunched and her arms crossed, trembling slightly, looking at him with eyes filled with fear and pleading. She said something, and it took him a moment to register what it was. He forced himself to breathe again and his mind to produce coherent thoughts.
"Y-yes, of course, you can stay with me," he said in answer to her question. He gestured her to sit next to him, and she sat on the bed with her feet tucked under her and her body leaning against him. He grabbed the blanket and threw it over their shoulders, then wrapped his arms around her protectively. Every rumble and crack of thunder, including those so soft he could barely hear them, caused her to shake and tremble. The louder ones caused her to yelp or cry out. She buried her head in his chest with one ear pressed against his nightshirt, and he put his hand over her other ear to block out the noise. He laid his cheek on top of her head, and every once in a while he kissed it. Whenever a particularly loud thundercrack made it through to her ears and she jumped, he would cling to her tighter. He kept up a flow of comforting words, and did his best with his every action to let her know that he was there for her and she was safe.
Fortunately, the thunder part of the thunderstorm didn't last very long. Only about half an hour by Yuzuru's guess. It took several minutes after the last rumble of thunder before Haruhi lifted her head and stopped trembling. She pulled away from his arms, a blush spreading adorably across her face.
"I'm sorry, Uncle Yuzuru. I didn't mean to. . ." she looked down and away. "I'm so embarrassed."
"You have nothing to be embarrassed about, Haruhi. You've seen me at my weakest. You've held me when I needed your strength. I'm glad I got to return the favor," he said, smiling.
She looked up at him thoughtfully, though she was still blushing. "I guess that's true," she said, and gave a brief smile.
Yuzuru expected her to get up and return to her apartment, but she didn't. Instead she sat there for a minute, looking as if she wanted to say something but didn't know how. Finally, she spoke.
"Uncle Yuzuru, I don't think I've ever told you how much you mean to me. I mean, your scholarship gave me the opportunity to study at Ouran. Your study abroad scholarship gave me the opportunity to study here in the United States. The United States! I never would have dreamed I'd end up in a foreign country with all expenses paid!" she said. She smiled at him in quiet joy and gratitude, and he felt a surge of affection for her.
"I'm glad I could help," he smiled and hugged her.
When she pulled away, her voice became more serious. "But it's much more than that, Uncle Yuzuru. I loved writing letters to you and receiving your letters back. I have lots of friends, but I couldn't really have a highly intellectual conversation with any of them. You let me discuss philosophy and law and history. My dad never was into books, and Tamaki and the others at the host club were always focused on fun or on their family or businesses. With you, I got to indulge in one of my secret passions."
Yuzuru had to clear his throat when he heard her say 'passions,' but he forced himself to focus on what she was saying.
"And our visits over tea," she continued. "It was so different from anytime I've had with anyone else. My brain always felt like it was hit with an electric charge, our conversations were that stimulating!"
'Stimulating.' Yuzuru had to clear his throat again.
"Uncle Yuzuru, you're so smart, and kind, and generous, and capable. And you've got a silly, boyish side to you that I now know where Tamaki gets it from!" she smiled. Then, surprisingly, she took his hand. "You've got everything in you that I love about him, but you're more mature, more distinguished, more worldly," she looked down, then peered up at him through her lashes in a suggestive look. "More experienced," she finished in a sultry voice.
He looked down at her, the heat rising in his body as she moved his hand and placed it on her bare thigh. Her hand stayed resting on top of his. "Haruhi-" he began, and stopped to swallow. He didn't know what to say.
"I know you wanted to see how I looked in this," she said, plucking at her sheer robe and blushing. She looked down at his hand on her thigh. He realized he hadn't tried to move it. Her skin just felt too nice. She looked into his eyes. "I saw you, when we were at Hikaru and Kaoru's house. I saw how you looked at me when they tried to get me to wear this. To be honest, Uncle Yuzuru, when they gave me this, I thought of you. I told them I'd never wear it, but every time you visited, I did. I knew it was unlikely, but I'd hoped. . . fantasized," she looked down, embarrassed, "that you'd walk in and accidentally see me in this and you'd. . ." she trailed off, evidently losing her nerve to say what she was about to. She looked up at him and continued in a rush, "Honestly, Uncle Yuzuru, I thought it was just harmless fantasy! I didn't actually plan to go through with it, to have you see me like this! But then it started thundering and lightning, and Tamaki wasn't here to help me through it, and I had just moved the dresser out from in front of the connecting doorway to find something that fell behind it, and I thought. . . I mean. . . the temptation. . ." she floundered, afraid to explain further. "It was a mistake," she said. "I'm sorry, I should go." She let go of his hand and made to get up.
Without thinking, he held her in place and cupped her face in his now-free hand. "I know about temptation," he said in a low voice, then kissed her.
Honestly, he hadn't planned on doing it. But she was there, and she was beautiful, and warm, and sweet, and - God help him! - she felt the same about him as he did her! There was no turning away from that, no letting her slip from his grasp. She wanted what he wanted. He knew if he denied them both now, he'd regret it for the rest of his life.
Haruhi stiffened in surprise for a second, then seemed to melt in his arms. She let out a moan and grabbed his shirt in her hands. He wrapped his arms around her tighter, crushing her to his chest. The feel of her in his arms was better than he had ever imagined. He opened his mouth and she followed suit, and the sensation of their breaths and tongues mingling was absolutely intoxicating. If he hadn't known it before, he definitely knew it now. He was in love with Haruhi Fujioka.
The kiss went on for a long time. Finally, they pulled apart, trying to catch their breaths. He laid his forehead against hers.
"I can't believe how lucky I am," he said.
She let out a relieved laugh. "I'm so glad you feel that way, Uncle Yuzuru! I feel the same way," she replied.
He lifted her chin with his hand and gazed into her eyes. "Just Yuzuru, Haruhi," he said.
"Yuzuru," she said.
The sound of his name on her lips without any titles sent a jolt of electricity through him. He crushed her to him again, his mouth meeting hers. After a minute, he let his embrace relax, but didn't let her go. She wrapped her arms around his neck and this time it was she who pressed their bodies and mouths closer together. She didn't do it very long, however. She pulled back from him, breaking the kiss and lowering her hands to rest on his chest.
"Yuzuru," she said in a low voice, which sent another jolt through him. "I want more."
He looked at her quizzically for a moment as she moved his arms away from her. Then his eyes widened in realization as she slipped the robe off her shoulders, letting it fall in a puddle behind her. She reached up hesitantly and started undoing the buttons of his night shirt.
His heart was already pounding from the kiss, but now it sped up even more. Kissing her was one thing, but going even further was something else entirely. He was almost certain she was a virgin. Did she really want this to be her first time?
"Haruhi," he said gently, holding her hands in his to stop her. "Are you sure about this? How far do you really want to go tonight?"
"I want to go all the way, Yuzuru. I want you to be my first. I've thought about this, dreamed about this, for I don't know how long. As I said, you're mature, and solid, and experienced. I know you'll be gentle," she said. She stared intently into his eyes. "And I know you want this, too, Yuzuru. I've seen the way you look at me, though you've tried to hide it. I've felt your touch linger just a second too long when you hug me or accidentally brush against me. And your kiss just now, and what you said about being lucky. . ." She pulled one hand from his grip and placed it on his cheek. "Please, Yuzuru, take me."
Yuzuru nodded. He took both of her hands in his and guided her to the middle of the bed, then began fulfilling her request. It had been a long time since he touched a woman like this. There was no sense of urgency or animal lust. It was all light caresses, tender kisses, and soft sighs. He was aware of the trust shown him by this gentle creature, and didn't want to spoil it by being crude or rough. He luxuriated in the new sensations, and could tell she was doing the same.
They spent hours in each others' arms, and it was heaven to Yuzuru. He wanted to draw this out as long as possible so he could enjoy it to the fullest. More importantly, he wanted to make sure that the lovely young woman he touched had the most sensual, pleasurable, and exhilarating experience possible. This was not only for her sake, but for his as well. He wanted her to look back on this night for the rest of her life and know that no other lover could ever measure up to him.
When they were finished, they lay next to each other with his arms around her. He couldn't stop gazing at her. She was so lovely. More than lovely. She was like an angel, and he was blessed by the gods to be the one holding her.
He placed his hand on her cheek, looked deeply into her eyes, and said, "I love you, Haruhi."
She smiled and said, "I love you, too, Yuzuru."
He thought what happened earlier was heaven, but now, hearing those words from her, he really, truly knew what heaven was like. He closed his eyes. His whole body and soul was at peace.
Before two seconds had gone by, the front door opened and Yuzuru sat bolt upright, blinking. When had it become daylight? Before he could say or do anything, Tamaki walked in, pulling a suitcase.
"Dad!" He exclaimed, throwing his arms in the air, a huge smile on his face! "I'm glad you're here! I thought you would have stayed at a hotel!"
Yuzuru blinked again, shocked. Tamaki wasn't angry to see his girlfriend in bed with him? Then he looked around, and saw that he was, in fact, alone. There was no sign of Haruhi. Yuzuru was fully dressed in his pajamas, not at all sweaty or breathless, and the blankets were covering him, not cast aside on the floor. In a flash it all came back to him. A dream. It was all a dream! He had fallen asleep listening to the sound of rain, and woken up with a wet spot on his pajama pants.
'Dammit, dammit, dammit!' he screamed inside his head, not knowing whether it was in disappointment that he hadn't actually made love to Haruhi, or shame that he had wanted to so badly he dreamed about it. What he did know, was that he was certainly glad his son could not read his mind.
