A/N: Just as a heads-up, I have a feeling all the characters will be kind of OOC in this story as it's practically my first attempt at fanfiction. Apologies in advance! And sorry for the late update, March is a really hectic time for me. Plus, I had an ordeal in the emergency room, which really didn't help my schedule at all…but I'm just rambling now. Hope you enjoy, and please review!
Disclaimer: I don't own OHSHC.
Chapter 3
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Her first reaction.
"What. The. Hell."
"Yeah, we're a pretty odd bunch," Haruhi said sheepishly.
"You don't say," Sakura's eye twitched. "So you're pretending to be a guy, but you're dressed in a girl's clothes, so technically everyone else thinks that you're crossdressing now when in reality you crossdress on a regular basis and aren't right now."
"Basically, yeah," Hikaru shrugged.
"What did she say?" Kaoru asked, confused.
Sakura had reason to be shocked and, well, disgusted. There was her beloved older sister who she'd looked up to for a majority of her life (until she got to middle school and realized she could kick ass alone), dressed in a flowing pink chiffon gown plentifully trimmed with genuine jewels and lace. And, of course, a dark brown wig with ringlets.
"Sakura-chan," Tamaki, dressed as a lordly prince in a blue velvet robe trimmed in white fur with a kingly red crown seated upon his blond head. "Wouldn't you like to dress as a princess as well? Like your sister?"
"No," Sakura said flatly. "Just no."
"Rejected…" the twins hissed.
"It's a dance this afternoon," Kyoya remarked. "We have guests showing up in ball gowns and jewels. Tickets were a good sale."
"Sakura, maybe you should go on home," Haruhi suggested.
"Why not let Kura-chan stay?" Honey asked. "She can be a princess too!"
"Yeah," Mori said.
"I don't know if I still want to stay," Sakura said.
"Good, go home," Haruhi replied quickly.
"Nah, let her stay," each twin hurried to one side of the younger girl. "We'll take care of her."
"No," Tamaki said firmly. "She is my young charge. You two dumbasses would probably kill her, or do worse."
"You implying that I can't take care of myself? Sakura questioned, raising an eyebrow. The twins smirked.
"Your attitude is often embarrassing, Kura-chan," Haruhi said, frowning slightly.
"Nah, it's cute," the twins chorused, mischievous smirks playing at their lips. Sakura turned to her elder sister and gave a sweet, innocent smile.
"Tamaki," Kyoya turned to the prince. "It's time to open the doors to our guests."
"Ah, of course," Tamaki nodded, a bright smile spreading over his face.
"I can't wait to see your reaction," Kaoru gave Sakura a small smile.
"I can't wait to see my sister's reaction to my reaction," she laughed.
"Yay!" Honey cried out, running from Mori with his arms outstretched to meet the horde of girls who came flooding through the two double doors.
"Welcome," the hosts (minus Honey) said.
"Where did Honey-sempai go?" Haruhi asked.
"Right there," the twins said flatly.
"I mean, why did he go?" Haruhi responded in the same monotonous tone.
"Look," Mori said simply, gesturing to where the third-year high school student was pleasantly conversing with a group of adoring fans already.
"The most probably answer is that someone brought him a box of sweets," Kyoya answered Haruhi's question.
"…The hell?" Sakura's jaw dropped.
"A little surprised by the stupefying amount of our honored guests?" Tamaki smiled, gesturing vaguely to the throngs of infatuated females.
"I'm disgusted," Sakura said blankly.
"I thought as much," Haruhi groaned.
"Why?" Kaoru asked. Sakura turned to the younger twin, distaste written all over her face.
"Is this what you guys do to girls?" she demanded. "Actually, I'm probably more repulsed by the girls in here. Are they seriously that stupid, to fall for a bunch of guys who're just toying with their hearts? Are they all really that desperate, to the point where they go out and buy the services of a bunch of dorks with nothing better to do with their time? And you guys, you seriously waste your time, your life, the tuition your parents paid to send you to this private high school, entertaining a bunch of worthless girls?"
"Who's the new girl?" a critical voice floated over to where Haruhi was standing with the rest of the hosts.
"She's standing with the twins," a worried one added.
"Could it be she's stealing them away from us?" yet another panicked.
"You guys are all so fucking stupid," Sakura muttered under her breath. "I've had enough."
"I thought as much," Tamaki said with a small smile.
"And I despise you most of all," Sakura said, the calm tone of her voice infiltrated with quiet anger. "You started this stupid club, wasting the time of bright students both male and female, all filled with vivid potential and talent."
"I respect your opinion," Tamaki's voice was serious now, quiet and calm.
"Sakura," Kyoya broke into the conversation. "Please, have Kaoru take you home. After your lengthy journey to Ouran High School, you must be extremely fatigued. It would not do to have you remain here."
"Sure, Kyoya-sempai," Kaoru shrugged. He gently took the strap of Sakura's bag and carefully pulled it over her head. "I'll take your things. Let's go."
"Thanks," Sakura muttered. She stalked out of the room with a sense of authoritative purpose.
"God," Haruhi murmured. "What am I gonna do with her?"
"She's fine," Mori said quietly. "She's a good sort of girl. Smarter than the rest that are here."
"I know that," Haruhi mumbled. "It's just…her attitude."
"Only one more thing to love about the girl," Hikaru said with a shrug and a grin. "I really like her, even if she gets annoying."
"You barely know her," Kyoya pointed out.
"Gentlemen—excuse me, lady and gentlemen," Tamaki gestured to the group, where Haruhi was supposedly crossdressing as a female. "Let us not dawdle and keep our guests waiting, shall we?"
Here, he cracked a charming smile that had many women in the room swooning. Sakura, who was just about to exit Music Room #3, felt a disgusted expression crawl onto her face.
"Come on," Kaoru looked down at the younger girl with a soft smile. He would effortlessly admit—Fujioka Sakura was something else.
"You really don't have to walk me back," Sakura said as they walked down the hallway. "I'm perfectly capable of getting home myself, you know."
"Honestly, I'd rather spend time with a girl who knows what she's doing rather than twenty who're obsessed with my looks," Kaoru laughed.
"If you disapprove of the guests, why do you stay in the host club?" Sakura asked.
"Because of the hosts," Kaoru said easily. "Tamaki helped Hikaru and me become more accepted in society. We opened up and made friends. Hikaru and I haven't really had anyone we trusted other than each other. But when we met Tamaki, and when he convinced us to join his club, we found that people weren't that bad after all. And plus, entertaining the girls gives us an excuse to be all over each other. I mean, I don't approve of the general idea of the club, but the guests are happy and it's not tedious work."
"You and Hikaru, all over each other?" Sakura raised an eyebrow. "Actually do I even…"
"You probably don't want to know," Kaoru finished for her, laughing.
"You're different when you're not around your brother, you know?" Sakura commented.
"Different in a good way or bad way?"
"Both, I guess. I mean, it gives you your own distinct personality, but I can tell you feel more secure when you're with him," Sakura shrugged.
"Yeah," Kaoru nodded. "Hikaru and I have been best friends since birth; I mean, we're twins. We didn't open up to anyone else. No one could tell us apart. For all you know, I could be Hikaru."
"No, I'm pretty sure you're Kaoru," Sakura smiled. "Hikaru would have probably turned back and left by now because I pissed him off, or he'd have done something stupid and had me kick him in his sensitive area."
"Ouch, so you're that kind of girl," Kaoru pretended to wince.
"Only if you turn me into one," Sakura responded. "I'm really not as bad as my sister makes me out to be.
"I can tell," Kaoru said.
"It's like, I don't know, it's like a defensive barrier I use," Sakura shrugged. "I don't trust people easily. I don't know why either; I want to reach out to people and help them. I really do. I love seeing people happy, I love helping them, but there's something that's holding me back. Something's that keeping up this thorny fence that drives everyone away. Sorry; I have no idea why I'm telling you all this."
"It's fine," Kaoru said quietly. He glanced down at the younger girl, whose liquid brown eyes had become even darker with the pensiveness of thought. "You don't trust people, do you? You want to trust them, you want to be open, but you're afraid. You're afraid of being hurt."
Sakura turned to him in surprise.
"H-how can you say that?" she demanded. "You barely know me."
"I was the same way," he said with a gentle smile. He passed a hand lightly over her head, causing her to look up at him in surprise. "It's okay to be afraid, Sakura. Give it some time."
To himself, he thought, hopefully, time in the Host Club will help Sakura open up. Just like it did Hikaru and me.
"Th-thanks for walking me back," Sakura said quietly as they approached a small, rather run-down cottage off the side of a small road. "I'll be going from here. My guardians have a…weird opinion of boys."
"Sakura!" a stern, nearly hostile, voice called out.
"Too late," Sakura muttered. Out loud, she called, "What is it, Misaki-san?"
"Is that a boy, of all things, you're strolling about so casually with?" the sharp voice morphed into the large shape of a fiercely scowling woman. Kaoru's eyes widened at this more than slightly intimidating figure.
"Y-yes, Misaki-san," Sakura bowed her head. Kaoru glanced down and was shocked to see the confident, fearless girl quaking in the presence of this woman.
"Excuse me," Kaoru stepped neatly in front of the small girl and held out his hand in a professional gesture to Misaki. "I'm a friend of a friend of Sakura's. She happened to stop by our school for a quick chat with that friend. It would have been a shame to have her walk back all alone, so that friend volunteered me to accompany her. I do apologize for any convenience I have caused."
Either the mistress of the café was in astonishment by Kaoru's gentlemanly behavior, or she was bewildered and lost by the amount of the word "friend" he had used in his short speech. Either way, she shook his hand rather doubtfully, but her tone lost some of its severity.
"You can bring this friend of your friend in, I suppose," she took a step back and primly wiped a meaty hand on her apron, as if to cleanse it of any germs Kaoru may have. A hygienic, though not quite polite, practice to keep in mind.
"Uh, no, it's o—" Sakura was about to decline the offer before Kaoru cut in.
"I'd love to come in. I heard that this is a delightful little café, and I'd be more than happy to patronize it," Kaoru gave an endearing smile that instantly won over the harsh, though not heartless, elder woman.
"Do come in, my boy," she said with a smile that was nearly fond. "Sakura, go get changed into your maid outfit quickly, dear. We'll be expecting customers soon as it's teatime."
"Yes, Misaki-san," Sakura rushed into the café after grabbing her bag from Kaoru and muttering a thanks.
"So, how do you know our little Sakura-chan again?" Misaki asked Kaoru as the two walked at a leisurely pace towards the tidy little house. "A friend of her friend, eh? What sort of friend?"
"A girl friend from a few years back," Kaoru said carefully. He wasn't sure if Sakura had told Misaki about her family and didn't want to say anything that would ignite the small but powerful girl's wrath. Though he hadn't done much (in his own terms) to upset her, that didn't mean he wanted to try.
"And do you plan on dating Sakura?" Misaki questioned. Kaoru gave a start, but recovered quickly.
"Come on, now!" he said with a rather quick laugh. "I only just met the girl."
"Do you like her?" Misaki demanded, suspicion quickly crawling into her voice as they stepped up onto the porch.
"Of course I like her, she's a nice girl," Kaoru said cautiously.
"Hmph," was the only response. Misaki peered into the doorway, "Sakura!"
"Yeah?" Sakura came to the front from the backroom, tying the strings of her apron behind her back. "Did you need—the hell is wrong with you, Kaoru? You look like a tomato just hit you straight in the face."
"N-nothing," Kaoru suddenly lost all his natural smoothness in an attempt to keep his cool. He averted his eyes, willing away the red flush creeping up his face and the back of his neck. Fuck.
Truth was, though she was a young girl (a whole year junior to him), she had a decent, no, more than decent, figure and definitely a pretty face. Combine these charms and throw in a classic maid outfit and, well, damn.
"So it's the hormonal phase for you, eh?" Misaki smiled in a knowing manner.
"What are you talking about?" Sakura cocked her head in confusion.
"Nothing, dear, we'll be expecting customers soon so please open the curtains," Misaki said to the junior high girl.
"Got it," Sakura gave a cheerful grin in return before moving to complete her task. Kaoru noticed that she lost a lot of her shyness inside the teahouse. Apparently this was something she was familiar with. She was a different person here. Sweeter, milder, gentler. Kaoru shook these thoughts from his head. He barely knew her. It wasn't his place to do anything but keep his mouth shut and sample that, what was it? PMT?
"Hey, Kaoru," Sakura called.
"Yeah?" Kaoru answered distantly.
"You want to try some PMT?"
Holy shit, was she reading his mind now?
-o-o-o-
"Kyoya-sempai," Haruhi approached the tall, slim boy.
"Yes?" was the brief response. He didn't bother to look up from his laptop screen. Haruhi sighed.
"What do you think I should do about Sakura?" she asked straightforwardly. Now, this got his attention.
"What do you mean?" he questioned.
"Her attitude, her bluntness, and her holier-than-thou way of carrying herself," Haruhi explained.
"She seems fine to me," Kyoya returned disinterestedly to his typing.
"She won't survive at the junior high here if something isn't done," Haruhi pleaded. She never would have thought to approach the taciturn vice president for advice, especially when it came to her rather unusual little sister.
"She's the survivor type," Kyoya commented, the whirlwind of his fingers slowing for an instant. "I presume she will be perfectly fine."
"Hey, do you know when Kaoru's gonna get back?" Hikaru approached the two, disgruntled. "The girls aren't interested if he's not around."
"It's because your brotherly and often questionable affection for each other delights our honored guests," Kyoya explained. "Without it, you are practically worthless as hosts."
"Arigato," Hikaru said flatly. "I definitely needed that…"
"Hey, just because they don't recognize you for who you are as an individual doesn't mean the rest of us don't," Haruhi placed her hand on his arm gently with a soft smile. "I think you're pretty great."
Hikaru gave a start, drawing his arm back with a speed unknown to himself.
"Th-thanks, I guess," he stammered. He cursed inwardly at his lack of elegance. Damn Tamaki and his ability to charm his way into the lives of girls so easily. Especially this particular girl. Damn him.
A/N: I know; not the best quality. But I felt the need to get something up fast because it's been practically a month since I've published anything at all. Towards the end, I may not have gotten to the Tamaki/Haruhi, but there was just a hint of Hikaru/Haruhi. It's gonna kill Hikaru…
Please review! :)
