STELLAR AND STRANGE

Alone, unknown

Yet fearing nothing but ourselves

could be scarier than any crowded room.

I'm more alone with you than when I am by myself

- My Hotel Year, The Ataris

CHAPTER TWO: THIS, NOW (I)

"H- Haruhi?"

Dead, uncomfortable silence. I must be dreaming, Haruhi thought. Through the dim lights she could see that Tamaki was wearing a wavy blonde wig with a pair of huge shades perched on top, a white turtleneck, tight jeans and black clunky boots. Someone wake me up now, pleaded Haruhi silently. This is…

Bizarre.

Ryoko's gaze turned from Tamaki to Haruhi. "Oh! Haruhi, it seems that you know our star performer, Aimimi-san!"

Aimimi? Haruhi felt a hot, heavy feeling swoop down to her stomach, sinking slowly and painfully. The red-haired singer.

I should've known.

"When did you guys know each other?" Ryoko asked excitedly, clueless at the tension that wrapped thickly around the room.

Tamaki cleared his throat. "We… we go way back. A long time ago."

A long time ago. Yes, it has been a long time ago, hasn't it? Haruhi tried to think of something to say, but there were a lot of things. A lot of painful, confusing things. Questions she couldn't even begin to ask.

Ryoko clapped his hands. "Well, that's great! Now, why don't you two go ahead? I'm sure you'll have a lot to discuss! Don't worry, I'll lock up," he stood up and ushered them to the door. "Now take care and have fun, okay?" He winked at them and disappeared.

Once Haruhi felt that Ryoko was at a safe distance, she quickly reached for the packet of cigarettes inside her coat pocket. She lit one and took a long, relieving drag. Tamaki's plastered expression of surprise broke into a frown.

"Since when did you start smoking?"

"Four years ago." Haruhi answered, looking up into Tamaki's eyes. Silence.

"What are you doing here?" They both asked at the same time.

A few minutes later they were sitting on the curb across a liquor store, both clutching bottles of beer.

"You go first." Haruhi said.

Tamaki took a swig. "Since when did you get here?"

"Two days ago." Haruhi turned to look at his blond mane. "Nice hair."

"Thanks." Tamaki raised his bottle. "It's my best."

Haruhi stared at their shoes. In contrast to Tamaki's sleek boots, she wore scruffy gray sneakers, sneakers that she had ever since senior year in high school. Her mind was racing, trying to piece together questions. All this was too confusing. Suoh Tamaki, the king, the prince, the lord, the leader, the founder of the most popular (and pointless, as Haruhi always added in her head) school organization at Ouran High, right here, sitting on the curb drinking cheap beer and wearing faux-leather boots? It was unthinkable. If anything, it was the oddity of the setting that staggered her into that pregnant, insoluble silence. Never did it occur to Haruhi that she would meet him here, if she ever met him again. What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be somewhere else?

…Someone else?

Tamaki downed the last of his beer before turning to Haruhi. "Didn't expect to see you back there."

"Well, neither did I." We should stop this now, this meandering. We could sit here all night doing this, and we'd be going nowhere.

"What happened, Tamaki?" Haruhi asked, lighting up another cigarette. Tamaki sighed and set his bottle next to him and watched the embers fall into the pavement and disappear. It was disturbing to watch Haruhi drinking beer like water, but watching her smoke was something else. If Tamaki was surprised and upset, he didn't show it. Admittedly, seeing Haruhi again caused him more than ripping sensations down his insides. His mind was swimming in fragments of thought. He didn't know where to begin.

"Let's walk." He got up and offered his hand. Haruhi had another pang rising to her throat. His outstretched hand, his face in the dark. Things that once meant so many things to her.

She took his hand and hoisted herself up.

"Where are we going?"

"To my apartment. We can talk on the way there." Tamaki was looking straight ahead, as if trying to steel himself.

"Okay." They started walking down the empty street, the yellow lights shining down from the lampposts drawing their shadows on the sidewalk.

Author's Notes:

Whew. Chapter Two (I) is done. It shall be a two-part chapter, as I am still trying to piece together their dialogue, and it would be too long to just to put as one. Anyway, thank you to those who have added Stellar and Strange to their alerts! I think it's as good as getting a review. Thank you for your interest!

Oh, and if you're having trouble imagining how Tamaki's wig would look like, imagine him with his mother's hair. With those huge-ass shades on top of it. Haha!

Stellar and Strange © Shiroi Ryuu