The Dance, Chapter 4: The Dress

"Is that... is that mine?" Haruhi asked, voice barely above a whisper. She was sure that any second, the twins would whisk away that mannequin telling her no, not that dress. But they never did. They just appreciated the expression on her face for a moment before Kaoru finally spoke.

"Whose else would it be? C'mon. We have to get you changed into it before we can fix anything."

For once, she did as they asked without question or complaint. Even as they spoke to each other and maneuvered around her with scissors and sewing articles like a practiced dance, it felt like a dream. It had to be, she figured, because the clothing she was wearing was simply too good to be true.

She didn't speak as the twins worked around her, just held as still as she could. They were finished in just under forty-five minutes with the help of a few maids, and as she shimmied out of the now-perfectly fitting dress, she had to hand it to Hikaru and Kaoru. What they'd done in the amount of time they did it was not only incredible, it seemed impossible. They had even managed to find the perfect pair of shoes for it.

She was almost sorry when she was back in her normal clothes, but for the first time, she was just a little bit excited to show it to the Host Club. But just a little. They were her friends, after all, and the only people other than her father who could appreciate her in the dress as a girl. She thanked the twins once more as she was guided out by the maids and into the second part of her visit: etiquette with Miyomoto hakase.

As the maids led her through the many winding halls of the manor, she realized that without them or a map, she would've easily gotten lost, even though there was an entire wing dedicated to whatever Miyomoto was privately tutoring the twins in. Thinking that, Haruhi came to wonder what exactly that was. After all, they already attended Ouran. What could a private tutor possibly be teaching them that the school didn't cover?

Etiquette must've been one of those things, although it seemed as though the twins hadn't retained any of it. She was again asked to wait in yet another sitting room and left to her own imagination for a good five minutes before a set of regal looking double doors opened, making her turn her head to find the source of the sound.

It was on her left, and she watched as a striking older woman entered the room. She had such a presence about her that Haruhi felt herself stand up as she walked in. The woman looked her over, and while her face was set sternly, Haruhi could see the softness in her eyes. It was amazing what she'd learned to pick up after meeting Kyoya just from seeing someone's eyes. Granted, she'd already been perceptive, but trying to decipher Kyoya had just honed that skill.

"Fujioka Haruhi, I presume?" her stately voice matched her face and stature.

"Yes, ma'am," she replied.

"You may sit," Miyomoto said after a moment, but it was more of a request than a command. Still, Haruhi found herself sitting.

"Hitachiins Hikaru and Kaoru have informed me what it is you need to learn today and I must say that after so long with those two, I am happy to teach it to you, Miss Fujioka." As she said this, her whole face began to soften.

"Please ma'am, just call me Haruhi," she said. "No one calls me Miss Fujioka."

"One should not speak in definitives, Haruhi. Someone just did. In the future, should you want my attention, you may call me Miyomoto hakase, or simply Hakase."

Haruhi nodded.

"Good. Now we may begin our lesson. Since, fortunately for you, we are not encompassing all etiquette and only very specific parts of it appropriate for the event you are attending, we can cover it in one sitting."

That was the beginning of three grueling hours learning about utensil positioning, acceptable conversation topics, and so many posture tips it made her head spin. But at the end of it, when Miyomoto hakase had smiled ever so slightly and told her she just might pass for a wealthy young woman for one night, it was all worth it. Haruhi left the Hitachiin manor with her head held high and her back straight, feeling more certain of herself than she had in weeks.

And when she finally made her way down to the supermarket, the sale was still going, the cherry on top of her unbelievable day.


Monday morning found Haruhi running through her mental checklist she'd created.

Dress?

Check.

Etiquette?

Double check.

Reviewing Kyoya's important people list?

Hm...

Only one thing left to do then. With that, she headed to the Ouran library. The library, while almost always noisy, housed an excellent computer lab. She pushed the doors open to Library #2, which was the one she defaulted to because it was usually the least crowded of the three.

Since it was an hour before school started on a Monday morning, what would normally be a clamoring din was now more of a murmur. Haruhi maneuvered through the shelves of books to the door marked "Computer Lab." She made her way inside to a two-story circular room with curved tables lining the walls and a computer for each table. The chairs, unlike the normal plastic ones someone might find at a public school, were cushy, high-backed, leather office chairs that were both luxurious and expensive.

The carpet was immaculate and there was an electronic internet directory on every computer that was designed to help students with research and contained endless amounts of useful websites for every subject.

Haruhi bypassed all of this without even blinking and sat down at one of the lower level computers. She knew how to handle search engines in such a way that she would always find what she was looking for in the least amount of time possible. It made all of the countless research papers she'd written in public school somewhat worthwhile.

She glanced at the first person on the list: Yoshio Otori. Since Kyoya was not the boastful type, she knew there had to be a good reason his father's name was on that list. When she ran it through the search engine, she got her answer.

He was not only the patriarch of the Otori family, but also the head of the Otori Group, one of the largest medical industries in Japan. Of course, she already knew this. What she didn't know was how many smaller companies in the country were intertwined with his. It seemed that they issued medical supplies to numerous private practices all over Japan and even shipped things out internationally. They also provided thousands of jobs every year.

Yoshio Otori was undeniably an important man, and Haruhi spent the next forty-five minutes reading and learning about his business ventures, catching up on his appearances in the news, and beginning to understand just how far his reach went. When the first bell rang, Haruhi smiled. She may have only covered one person on her list, but she had covered him extensively. Where her knowledge of the Otori Group's business was concerned, she knew she'd be ready for anything Kyoya's father could throw at her come Saturday.


The rest of the people on the list (whom she'd researched during her lunch period) turned out to be just as intimidating as Yoshio Otori, but Haruhi was never one to let others intimidate her easily. Hayashi Takahiro was the head of Hayashi Enterprises, one of the most powerful corporations in Japan. They had a monopoly on almost all technology undertakings, and anything even slightly breakthrough always came out of their company. The last two people on the list had at first confused her, because the matriarch and heir of the Yukimura Research Facilities were mentioned, but not the actual owner himself.

After a little bit of digging, Haruhi came to realize that this was because the woman, Arisu, made all the real decisions for the group. Her husband carried nothing but the title. Apparently, Arisu had a special place in her heart for her only son Katsu, who was soon going to become the owner of Yukimura Research Facilities. It was obvious that Arisu had molded him to fit her liking, and making a good impression on him was crucial because he was basically his mother's spy in the business world.

If you could get on the good side of Yukimura Katsu, you had a good chance of winning over Arisu. Their research facilities were crucial to companies across the country, because they had a reputation for the best researchers and scientists in the world. If you could manage to hire a Yukimura research team for your business, you pretty much had it made.

Unfortunately, though, it wasn't that easy. There was a huge waiting list that even the richest couldn't buy their way out of. A company could only hire a team for spans of one year, and then they were sent back to the bottom of the list. The only way to bypass the list was to be on the ins with the facility, which was extraordinarily difficult. The only company that had ever managed it was (Haruhi narrowed her eyes when she discovered this) the Grand Tonnerre Group, and that was part of the reason they were so successful; they had an unbelievable research team backing them and instructing them on the next best move at all times.

It was easy to see why Kyoya wanted her to be well acquainted with the people on that list. Before she knew it, though, her lunch hour was over and it was time to face the last half of the school day.

"Haruhi!" two very familiar voices rang out in unison as Haruhi approached the classroom door.

"Hey, guys."

"Where were you during lunch? You weren't in the classroom or the cafeteria."

"Just doing a little research in the library."

The twins glanced at each other and dropped it. Then, out of nowhere,

"Kyoya senpai asked us last Friday what color your dress was," Hikaru said with a bored expression as he leaned up against the wall.

"Really? Why?"

"Beats us. Doesn't seem like something Kyoya senpai would ask. We told him, though. No reason not to." They shrugged.

"I guess. Come on, you guys. We're going to be late."

They walked through the door to math, still chatting idly. During the last few hours of school, it seemed Haruhi couldn't keep the Host Club off of her mind. Finally, the final bell rang. Hikaru and Kaoru grabbed her and ran to Music Room #3.

Apparently they're more excited then I am, she thought as they burst through the doors. The other four were already there, getting situated to welcome guests.

"Haruhi!" Tamaki exclaimed, standing up to meet her. "It's Monday, and you promised we'd get to see the dress, so come on!" He looked so childishly excited that Haruhi almost felt bad saying,

"I can't put it on now, senpai. There's not enough time before people start showing up. It'll just have to wait until after close."

Tamaki wanted to sulk, but he knew she was right. Soon, the room was abuzz with talk and activity, as well as plenty of giggling and swooning. From the moment he'd arrived, Zuka had the girls captivated. He was immediately dubbed by Renge as the "friendly type," which was hitting the nail on the head. He was outgoing, popular, and well-liked, especially by the Host Club princesses. And, at 5'9" with thick black hair and clear grey eyes, he was undeniably good-looking. A perfect addition to the group.

All in all, it was a normal day. But, if one was to really stop and pay attention just for a moment, they would easily be able to feel the unusual level of excitement shared by the hosts; it was in their movements, speech, it was all over their faces.

The Host Club was absolutely filled with anticipation.

But the girls were not there to be perceptive. They were there to hear pretty words, and so they missed it. Still, the minute the last guest left, Hikaru and Kaoru dashed into a side room and came out with a white box held shut with a wide blue ribbon and a smaller box on top of it. They handed them to Haruhi with a flourish.

"Your dress, princess." Haruhi rolled her eyes and took the boxes.

"I'll be right back," she said before disappearing behind the changing room door.

She undid the ribbon, lifted the lid, and oh-so-carefully removed the dress that had been neatly folded. She held the fabric in her hands, rubbing it in between her fingers and yet again trying to convince herself that it belonged to her. She sat for a moment just staring at it before finally standing up and slipping her school uniform off. Just as she began to think how the dress would look with her camisole peaking out she noticed the white bando tucked in at the bottom of the box. Trying not to imagine just how potentially embarrassing that was, she chose to be grateful as she replaced her undershirt with it. Then she slipped the dress on and zipped it up. Finally, she opened up the smaller box, pulled out her shoes, and slid her feet into them. Taking one last look in the mirror, she took a deep breath and pushed the door open.

She was met with five eager faces but didn't look at a single one of them. Her gaze was on the man at the Pineapple laptop as she whispered,

"How do I look?" She was met with cheers of 'Kawaii!' from Tamaki, the twins, and Honey, a patented grin from Zuka and a silent smile from Mori. She only glanced at them with a slightly unsure smile before returning her eyes to Kyoya. He took his time finishing his thought as if determined to show her that he had not been holding his breath on her entrance like the others (though he had been, but he refused to let her see that). Finally, after what felt like an eternity and only a work of God had kept the club from surrounding her, Kyoya looked up.

And he was absolutely stricken.

Her dress had been designed specifically for her not just in measurements, but in personality. The fabric was a midnight blue, so dark it would almost look black if not for the way it sparkled in the light. The dress itself covered her so she wouldn't get embarrassed but it also hugged her body, bringing out every hidden curve. It sang elegance in the way it draped to the floor and just slightly flared out around her knees. And it would have been sleeveless, if not for the single strap twisted into a stone brooch on her left shoulder. In a word, it was completely and utterly Haruhi.

She studied him carefully as he took it in, and honestly believed she couldn't have asked for a better reaction. He looked like he'd been left speechless when he first saw her, but reigned it in quickly as his face shifted to something softer, something she'd never seen before on his face and couldn't quite identify. After he took her in for a moment, he uttered one word, just loud enough so she alone could hear it.

"Breathtaking."

Then, Haruhi's face broke into a stunning smile, and that's when the dam broke loose. Tamaki rushed over to give her a hug with Hikaru and Kaoru yelling after him.

"Careful, or you'll wrinkle it!"

"Oh, Haruhi, you're just too cute!" Tamaki said, for once heeding the words of the twins and refraining from wrapping her up in a bone-crushing hug. Honey came skipping up to her with Mori and Zuka right behind.

"Haru-chan, Takashi and Satoshi and I thought it was really special that you're going to this dinner and so we wanted to give you something." Mori and Satoshi nodded. Before Haruhi could do anything but look surprised, Honey brought a small, long box from behind his back, Mori pulled one more akin to a ring box from his pocket, and Satoshi, a square cardboard box.

Honey opened his first, revealing a delicate bracelet, a silver chain with tiny diamonds spaced evenly around it. Haruhi's eyes widened.

"Senpai, you didn't have to-"

"Don't be silly, Haru-chan! Let me see your hand." Then he took the bracelet out of the box and draped it on her outstretched wrist, fumbling with the clasp a little before it snapped shut.

"It looks great!" he said with a smile. Mori stepped up wordlessly and popped open the top to the second box, revealing matching earrings. They looked almost like stars, gleaming in their case. He looked at her, silently asking for permission, and she nodded. He handed the box to Honey after lifting one earring from where it rested. Then, ever so gently, he slipped it into her ear and did the same with the other. His fingers were ghosts, barely there as he fastened the earrings in place. When he was finished, he took a step back and smiled.

Finally, Satoshi stepped up to her and opened his box. His, too, was a silver chain decorated with tiny leaves that formed half of a gleaming silver laurel. He stepped behind her, draping the necklace gently and closed the clasp.

"There ya go, sis!" he said with a grin, using his favorite nickname for her.

"Thank you, Zuka-kun," she said softly.

"Now you really look like a princess!" Honey said gleefully. She smiled softly, fighting back the hard ball of emotion sticking in her throat as she felt the jewelry in her ear and on her chest and gazed at the bracelet resting on her wrist.

"I don't know how to thank you enough," she said to the three boys standing in front of her.

"Just knowing that you like them is all the thanks we need, right guys?"

"Hm."

"You bet," Zuka said with a thumbs-up.

Then she smiled again, this time more affectionately, letting a small laugh escape.

"Well, now I look the part. That's half the battle, right?" The six boys nodded and took her in, their secret princess.

"Now hold on," Kyoya said suddenly from the table. "Your ensemble isn't complete just yet."

Haruhi glanced over at him as he finally rose from his position at that infernal computer, made his way over to the piano and lifted the top of the piano bench up. From the small space inside he pulled an elegant black box with the words 'Carolina Herrera' etched carefully on top in shining dark grey. He pushed his slightly slipping glasses back up onto the bridge of his nose and walked back over to Haruhi.

"There will be a slight chill the evening we go. I wanted to make sure you had something to wear that would match your dress, so I asked Hikaru and Kaoru what color it was. It would have been rather tasteless otherwise."

She took the box from him, questions in her eyes. The rest of the club watched with baited breath as she opened up the box to reveal a gorgeous black bolero jacket that perfectly complemented her dress. Haruhi placed the box on the nearest table and ever so gently removed the jacket from where it rested. She knew it had to be some sort of silk just by the way it felt, and when she slipped it on over the dress, it not only matched perfectly, but it was the softest coat she'd ever worn.

"It's silk faille. A light material, but soft and warm. It should do you just fine, especially since we won't be outside for long," Kyoya told her, reading her thoughts again.

"Kyoya..." she breathed, not even wanting to know how much the beautiful jacket had cost him.

"Think of it as my thank you for attending this event with me," he said simply and straightforwardly. Haruhi simply nodded.

The two made eye contact with each other, and a short, intense burst of a moment passed between them. You could almost see the spark and hear the electricity, and the others felt almost as if they were intruding just by witnessing it.

But then, Haruhi's face broke into the smile they all knew and loved so well, and the tension was gone as quickly as it'd came. She went to change out of her dress, but begrudgingly stayed in it just a few more minutes longer at the insistent cries of the others.

And as the jubilee of his friends surrounded him and he appreciated seeing Haruhi in a way hardly anyone got to see her, Tamaki realized that all of his friends had provided her with a gift, and he had not. Everyone had brought something for their princess except him.

Determination suddenly flooded through him. He would just have to set that to rights.


Uh-oh! Tamaki's begun scheming... just what will he do? By the way, for all of you Curious Carls, there is a drawing of Haruhi's dress and a picture of the jacket that Kyoya bought Haruhi, and the links to both are located at my profile. Well, I know a lot of you were waiting with baiting breath to know what the dress looked like, and I hope it was absolutely everything you dreamed it would be, because it certainly was for me. :D Thanks for reviewing, you all rock out loud~ Until next Thursday, my fluffies!

Thanks for staying at the Fluff Factory, and I'll see ya next time!

Much love,

The Fluff Machine