Haruhi awoke early Sunday morning to an empty house; light streamed by the edges of her blinds worming it's way into the darkened room. She could hear a mixture of faint clinking crockery and the sound of birds chirping as they passed her window.
Her father had taken a double shift today, leaving her in complete solitude until late this evening. Not that she minded, it allowed her to complete homework given over the last few days and prepare for the following week undisturbed. Once she had eaten and dressed she leisurely strolled to the supermarket to buy their weekly supplies.
Upon her return she noticed a very shiny, expensive black car outside her apartment block. Her shoulder slumped, one of the boys had decided to visit herwhich usually didn't bother her, but honestly all she really wanted was to spend some time alone and be with her mother today. She looked around but couldn't see anyone she recognized, maybe she was mistaken?
She continued up the stairs to her apartment unlocking the door. Party poppers exploded all around her covering her in colorful streamers. Haruhi's face remained blank as the host club and her father cried 'Welcome Back!' giant smiles plastered across their faces. The apartment was filled with multi-coloured helium balloons flooding the ceiling. Her small living room table was covered with a white tablecloth and filled with food; her mother's shrine had an enormous bunch of roses beside it.
"Dad? Why aren't you at work?" she wondered ignoring everyone else.
"Haruhi darling" he bounded toward her pushing Tamaki over along the way and enveloping her in a hug. "We both have been so busy lately we have barely had any daddy-daughter time" he said with his cheek pressed against hers. His long hair was bound back in a high pony-tail and was wearing light brown pants and a cream knitted jumper. He must have shaved his morning as his face felt smooth against hers.
Haruhi face was still a blank mask. That did not explain why everyone else was here.
"We both know it was Kotoko's birthday this week…" her father continues, pulling back to face her. Haruhi's head and shoulders droop in shame; her father squeezed her shoulders urging her to look at him.
"All we ever do to acknowledge her each year is buy flowers for her, but not this year" Ranka-san voice pipes up excitedly. Haruhi lifts her head to look at her father curiously.
"These lovely young men are interested to know how amazing your mother was and I thought in honour of her birthday instead of mourning her we can celebrate all the amazing memories we shared with her during her life" Ranka-san's excited voice had started to crack slightly toward the end of his speech exposing his sadness at the loss of his wife.
Kyoya was standing way in the background expressing his usual cool demeanor yet utterly focused on Haruhi. Haruhi's eyes filled with tears that threatened to spill over.
Hikaru and Karou dragged her into the apartment relieving her of her bags. "We want to hear stories of you growing up" both grinning and kissed her cheeks simultaneously. She let the boys pull her over to the table of food, Honey-senpai pointing and explaining all the food they had brought for the party. Mori-senpai placed a hand on her head and ruffled her hair lightly.
The rest of the day was filled with fun and laughter, Ranka-san told stories of how he met her mother and Haruhi as a little girl. Mori-senpai had brought over an old-fashioned slide projector to watch some old photographs of her family. A large white sheet had been string up against one of the walls of the living room enlarging all the embarrassing photos that existed of Haruhi as a baby.
"Oh my goodness baby Haruhi is so cute!" Tamaki cooed wriggling in happiness next to Haruhi.
"That's a little perverted even for you Tamaki-senpai" she replied but smiled at the joke.
Kyoya had spoken little to Haruhi all day but watching the sadness dissolve from her eyes was satisfying enough.
"I'm going to make some tea" Haruhi announced while standing from her seated position.
"No allow me" Kyoya spoke intercepting her from behind and gently pushed her back to a seated position on the floor. Kyoya's hands were warm on her shoulders and she peered up into his face. His features were gentle with a hint of a smile on his lips. The fading light from the window painted a smooth orange line along his jaw and made his eyes appear a smoky grey. Before she was able to reply he wondered into her kitchen.
Kyoya placed the kettle on and starting hunting for enough cups for the group. "I should've hired a set to bring along…or bought her set a birthday gift…for her mother" Kyoya thought investigating her shelving system.
"They are over here senpai" Haruhi appeared behind him and handed him the appropriate number of cups as he set them on a serving tray.
"You didn't have to do this, you know…but I am still grateful you did" Haruhi said.
"What did I do?" he replied coyly.
"This party was your idea right? I don't know how you got my father to play along but…he is really enjoying himself." Haruhi had turned to watch her father. He seemed to be reenacting how Haruhi would push a shopping trolley even when it towered over her, everyone was laughing.
"And you?" Kyoya responded gently. Haruhi turned backed toward him.
"Haruhi there you are!" Tamaki wondered in. "You were so cute with your baby pigtails and little sailor dresses." Curling her hair around one finger.
"We should wear sailor costumes next week!" Tamaki exclaimed ecstatic about the idea.
"Would I be the only one wearing a dress again?" Haruhi questioned.
"So you will think about it?" Tamaki's hand snaked around her waist and pulled her back to the party ignoring Kyoya.
"Senpai I'm making tea" she protests.
"Kyoya has got everything under control. Show me more photo's of you growing up" Tamaki continued pulling her next to him in to the living room leaving Kyoya alone with a simmering kettle.
Haruhi walked around the lounge room, cleaning up as she went after seeing the twins and Tamaki to the door. Tamaki was still excitedly proposing sailor costumes as their next idea even as she closed the door soundly in his face. Her father had fallen asleep on the floor and she draped a blanket over him. Upon entering the kitchen, Haruhi found not just clean plates by the sink but Kyoya, quietly drying the last of the dishes.
"I didn't know you were still here Senpai. You don't have to wash up I will..."Haruhi said
Kyoya shrugged "Already finished. I will just collect my things" picking up a leather satchel and slung it over his shoulder.
Haruhi walked him to the front door, Kyoya stood in the open doorway one hand on the handle; Haruhi reached out placing her hand on top of his.
"Thank you for today. I cannot express how much…" Her voice failed, and looked away.
One side of Kyoya's mouth quirked up, without warning Haruhi's head whipped up and kissed Kyoya low of the cheek, dangerously close to his lips. His breath hitched, a hunger awakened deep inside him and desperately urged him to turn his head just slightly and capture her lips. Then as swiftly as it happened she stepped back into her apartment, her eyes twinkling.
"Good night Kyoya-senpai" Haruhi says.
Kyoya could not speak, his mouth had turned dry with the desire to kiss Haruhi, so nodded his head in response.
Walking back to his car, a lone figure leant against the passenger door shrouded in darkness. Approaching cautiously, the figure stood and walked toward him closing the distance between them. The fluorescent streetlight flickered revealing the figure's identity to be Tamaki. They stop facing one another.
"Kyoya do you like Haruhi?" Tamaki asked seriously.
Kyoya remained silent, his face revealing nothing.
Conflict crossed over Tamaki face. "Does she li…does she like you too?" Tamaki managed to croak out.
"As a friend" Kyoya replied truthfully.
"Have you confessed?" Tamaki said panicked.
"NO you idiot" Kyoya snapped and tensed as Tamaki sighed in relief.
"I don't think it is a good idea for you to date Haruhi." Tamaki began.
Kyoya eyebrows lifted all the way to his hairline. "Excuse me?" he stressed the word out, disbelieving what he had just heard.
Tamaki became edgy "Well, you know, it's not good for the host club if two of its' members start dating…it will distract them from the clients" Tamaki's hands were wavering everywhere as if trying to distract Kyoya from what he was trying to say.
"But its' alright for you to whisk Haruhi away anytime you please?" fury coursing through Kyoya at Tamaki's objection.
"She's…A father protecting his daughter..." Tamaki starts. Tamaki's deluded concept of his father-daughter relationship with Haruhi snapped Kyoya's remaining resolve over his emotions.
" NO! Tamaki you are not her father nor her guardian." Kyoya growled in response.
"Kyoya?" Tamaki's face shocked.
"And if you want to keep her to yourself, you are going to have to fight for her. I'm not going to hand her over to you anymore" Kyoya eyes were like blades that cut through Tamaki.
"I will see you at school tomorrow" Kyoya stepped around a stunned Tamaki and drove away.
A mixture of resentment and sadness streamed through him. Sad that he had constructed a wall between himself and his best friend yet annoyed at Tamaki's stupidity when it came to Haruhi. Closing his eyes he clenched his hands into fists, a new goal formed in his mind. Tamaki would have to fight for her, for he had no intentions of watching from afar anymore. The car had stopped at a red light and a deep red flooded the interior of the car making him appear almost demonic.
Unexpectedly, his father's words from the charity function came back to plague him.
"Your actions today will ultimately affect your actions in your future"
He wondered if his father had some kind of foresight that Kyoya would eventually date Haruhi? And what this would mean for him and his family in the future?
Finally, resting back into the leather seat he released a long slow breath, he hand grazed his cheek invoking the memories of Haruhi's mouth so close to his own lips, he closed his eyes and savoured the memory, excited how this small action could change everything between them.