Chapter 3 - What kind of girl?

-General Disclaimer- Characters Notminenotminenotmine Story mine

Read and Review thanks! Another short-ish one, but at least its something!

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He didn't say anything in response to her rant. She wished he would. She turned her head so he wouldn't look into her eyes. Without her anger she wasn't brave enough. His arms felt so safe and secure but Haruhi knew they would go back to France. They weren't hers and she was not going to be theirs if it meant spending all her time pining like the lovesick girls who visited Tamaki so often in the host club. But none of them had ever been in his arms like this.

Tamaki took a deep breath. He had been afraid of this; she wouldn't look at him. He put his hands on her cheeks and turned her towards his own face. He was so soft and gentle. Haruhi started to tremble slightly but her eyes didn't open.

She was trying not to think of him, as she had all year, but it was much more difficult with his trunk so close and his hands on her face. He seemed so much bigger than she remembered. He whispered her name so quietly it was like a breath of wind or perhaps a flower petal on her ear. Her eyes fluttered and half opened. His face was so close. Her heart was trembling behind her breastbone. It was crying out in pain, as if it was being torn apart. Haruhi wanted it to be hers, safe and strong, but somehow Tamaki was taking it away and he would fly away with it, leaving her heartless on the shores of Japan. But this close, his face was so beautiful. Normal people did not look that good, half an inch away. Half an inch away. She flushed in embarrassment on top of her anger.

His eyes were so deep, like the sky in color but like the sea in shine. They were apologetic, almost mournful. She knew her own were sorrowful as well.

Tamaki's nose gently brushed Haruhi's cheek, what his hand wasn't covering. Her eyes shut again as his own eyelids slid slowly closed. The school disappeared and there was only the two of them. His lips brushed hers briefly, carefully; as if he wanted to know what she would do, being so opposed to him. In answer, they parted a little at his touch, her breath escaping. Before she could inhale again, he kissed her tenderly, giving her his own breath. One of his hands moved to her shoulder and the other behind her neck. She shivered.

The kiss was so pure Haruhi could barely move, but it was over so quickly. As soon as he pulled away, his lips wishing to remain, to hesitate, Haruhi found her senses. The school rushed back into focus. She blushed breathlessly at first, then her anger and embarrassment rushed through her veins as soon as her heart restarted. It was her heart and she was ready to protect it.

"No!" She said indignantly, her voice trying to rise above a whisper but failing. Her breath wasn't quite back to normal. Her hands moved from her sides to push him away, the heels of her palms against his chest. He was going to leave. Haruhi wanted something steady, true, not flighty as Tamaki would eventually prove to be. Indeed, he would fly away. She didn't want to fly after him.

"I'm not that kind of girl." She said over her shoulder to him as she left. He stood there, his forehead in his hand, his other palm in his back pocket. He had a lot to think about.

She found Ranka immediately; he was talking to the twins, trading jokes and Haruhi stories. Her stomach felt sick. Ranka looked up, yelling her name joyfully before stopping short. He became somber; no longer the happy-go-lucky okama but rather Haruhi's father. Her eyes were rather red and she was about to burst into tears, he could tell. She was begging him with her eyes. He lifted a manicured hand dramatically to his face.

"Oh Haruhi! I forgot! We are hopelessly late to our very important appointment!" He exclaimed rather unconvincingly but with his usual over enthusiasm. For once she was almost relieved he was so ridiculous. He took her by the arm and was whisking her away when she heard a nasal "Haruhi".

She stopped for a moment and turned to the twins as soon as she was sure she could have a happy face. She smiled genuinely for them and bowed.

"Thank you for everything." She said and meant it with all her heart.

"Ehh? Does Haruhi think we'll never meet again? Does Haruhi think that we would abandon our home? Or Haruhi?" They spoke in tandem, asking their rhetorical questions to each other with deadpan faces.

Haruhi sniffed and shuddered as her tears spilled over her lashes and ran down her face.

"Should we hug Haruhi?" They asked each other.

She nodded as her shoulders shook from silent sobs.

They drew her into their arms and embraced her protectively. They knew it was not for them that she cried, but they wanted her to be happy. They had loved her and she fell for someone else, yet the twins could not find it in their twisted hearts to wish for Haruhi's sadness. They only wished it could be them to cheer her up.

"Haruhi," Kaoru said as the three of them pulled apart. "No matter how far we travel…"

"…We can never be pulled apart." Hikaru finished for him.

"This is our home. We will all eventually return here. I feel it." His twin said. He leaned in, host-like, to Haruhi's ear. "Even Tamaki."

Haruhi looked up at both of them and smiled. They were the best friends a girl could have.

Ranka pulled on her arm.

"We'll see you soon!" The twins waved, not wanting to say good bye, not wanting this to seem like a good bye.

Haruhi collapsed in her father's arms as soon as they were safely inside their car. He ran his fingers through her hair, gently soothing her as she cried. He held her close as her breathing slowed and she fell into an exhausted sleep. He remembered doing this for her when she was small and afraid. She seemed like she hadn't changed. Her body and her heart had grown, but somehow she had come full circle. She was again the same scared child, even after working so hard to become a woman.

"Love does that, doesn't it." He whispered as he started the car, glad that it wasn't too violent an ignition. "But don't worry; it's more worth it than even you could guess." He thought of his beautiful daughter, always so self reliant. He wanted her to understand that he could hold her up when she couldn't stand on her own, but when she found someone she wanted to hold her up even more, he would let her go. He only wished he could make love easier for her, so she would never have to cry.

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Tamaki stood in the third music room, so empty after the host club left it vacant. He wondered if Haruhi had ever used it as a quiet study space, as she had originally intended. He closed his eyes and tried to feel her presence. She had spent so many happy days here with Tamaki and the others. He wanted to see her smile, the one he hadn't seen at the graduation ceremony. But she had liked his kiss, perhaps she hadn't kissed him back but she had relaxed as soon as their lips met. She tasted so sweet; he wanted to kiss her again. But Haruhi's words as she ran away troubled him.

"I'm not that kind of girl." He whispered to the moonlight on the floor.

"We didn't say you were, Tono." The twins had appeared in the doorway. The light from outside filled the far half of the room, sharpening the contrast between light and dark. Tamaki remained in the moonlight and shadow.

"We need to talk." Kaoru began.

"About Haruhi." Hikaru finished.

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