As usual, I must thank my reviewers for inspiring and encouraging me to continue (although the story provides enough incentive as it is). I wouldn't be able to without you guys. Special thanks to Tank who provided insightful comments about some details I overlooked.


Chapter 7 // Dinner and a Date

His violet eyes sparkled like amethysts in the glow of the fluorescent lamp of the kitchen. Cheeks flushed, he grasped the hand of his favourite shomin maiden and gazed at her adoringly. "Oh Haruhi, you are surely an angel descended from heaven, destined to grace this wonderful occasion by virtue of my fervent prayers! You have granted us sojourn for the night in your abode and for a mere mortal such as I! I humbly bow before your ethereal presence, my lady!" He brushed his lips across the smooth skin of the back of her hand.

He sure recovers fast, the unwilling seraph thought. Tamaki had been speechless barely a moment ago when he had set his eyes upon what could only be termed as unnecessary fashion extravagance. She gave him a perfunctory smile and nodded. "You're welcome, sen… ah… Tamaki."

She made a mental note to visit the bathroom sink later.

"My name on your lips, my sweet, is everything I could ever ask for!" He slid his arms around her waist and buried his nose in her hair. Haruhi briefly contemplated the feasibility of escaping, but decided to be agreeable. It was Tamaki's birthday and she did promise Kyouya to indulge him. She had to consider the integrity of her linen closet and her sanity since she would likely have to deal with both Puppy Eyes and the Alcove of Gloom.

"Tono! Try not to crush the dress!" The twins were beside themselves with indignation as they tried to pry Tamaki's arms off Haruhi forcibly. "You'll ruin it!"

The dress was a little strapless cocktail number in a fetching shade of pale pink with a delicate French lace hem ending two inches above the knee. Haruhi was glad that it was reasonably understated although wearing a strapless dress was somewhat of a challenge. Both Hikaru and Kaoru had convinced their mother to add strategic padding to improve Haruhi's bust because it was "too miserable for words" and "might cause the dress to slide right off".

"Noooooooooooooo! Don't remove my ethereal goddess from my person!"

Kyouya gave the twins a pointed glare and they released Tamaki reluctantly.

I wish he would let go of me. My enhanced breasts might cave in. He was practically crushing her in his arms. I can't believe I consented to the padding in the first place. She sighed. "Tamaki, we have all night. Let's eat. I'm hungry." She prayed silently that he would completely forget about hugging her at all. She was, admittedly, used to his antics by now, but it was nonetheless troublesome to say the least.

"Yes, we do have all night my love! Alas, I cannot not resist such a vision of loveliness!" His eyes sparkled with unshed tears. Poignant tears, no doubt, Haruhi thought a little cynically.

As he released her, Haruhi wondered whether he knew exactly what he was saying. It was a shame that she was required to restrain her usual remarks tonight. In a completely different setting, she would have told him that she was not his love and would insist he snap out of Host Mode. It was one thing to lavish the girls who patronised the Host Club in such a manner, but quite another to heap a whole mountain of drivel on one who was nothing like them.

"Such lavish decorations! A veritable rainbow of colours! Oh, what a privilege this is!"

"Tonooooooooo, they're just streamers, balloons and tinsels," the twins whined. "Let's eat!"

Tamaki continued with his worshipful admiration, clasped his hands together in rapture, eyes shining like glossy marbles, shomin items which he had secreted away by the thousands much to Shima's annoyance. "Yes yes, let's! I anticipate the delicious meal with bated breath!"

The twins rolled their eyes heavenward and sat themselves by the table. So much for anticipating the meal. Tono was in a world of his own. "Haruhiiiiiiiiiiiiiii! You can serve the food now."

"Don't order my daughter around like a maid!" Tamaki had seated himself and flailed his arms in the air in order to emphasise his protests against the maltreatment his precious Haruhi was receiving. "Haruuuuhiiiiiiiiiiiiiii… may I please have a glass of shomin tap water???"

Kyouya restrained himself from smirking. What was that about child abuse again?

Mori stood and walked towards the kitchen of his own accord. He was used to being of service to the Haninozuka family and Mitsukuni himself. It was impossible to ignore a situation such as this where a group of males were almost infringing on the daily life of one of their female friends and expected her to do all the work. Haruhi was busy removing the film wrap off the dish of marinated beef slices as he entered silently.

"Let me." He took the dish from her hands and the hot plate off the counter.

"Thank you," she sent him a lopsided grin of gratitude.

Mori conceded that if that was all he got from Haruhi for the night, the extra labour would be worth it. Not that he was expecting a reward of any sort in the first place. He smiled back.

"Takashi! You two work so well together! Huh? Huh?"

Haruhi felt her face flush as she heard Mori's grunt in reply and was grateful that she was busy in the kitchen where no one would see it. Mori-senpai had been a great help the entire day, but it was nothing to blush over really. Thinking of others came naturally to him. No one else had come to her aid so what Hani-senpai had said about working together was something that had happened through circumstance. And yet, the light pink of her cheeks refused to budge.

Kyouya-senpai's actions were also bothering her a little. He appeared to be scheming something and his schemes, she had realised long ago, were extremely dangerous. They always managed to increase her debt in some shape or form, something she did not appreciate at all. In fact, it was rather disturbing. At the rate she was going, it would take more than three years of furious hosting to clear the outstanding amount.

She had woken up after her brief nap to find her head resting on Kyouya's shoulder. She had discreetly wiped the little rivulet of drool that had somehow worked its way past her lips and that was perilously close to staining his shirt. She was certain he had not noticed since a quick glance revealed that his glasses were on the shelf and his eyes were closed. His arm, however, was wrapped around her shoulder. She had been caught by surprise then, only because it was not a gesture that came naturally to him. Kyouya was more reserved and far more calculative than the twins. Surely an arm around her shoulder meant that he had something up his sleeve. For fear of the integrity of her debt, she had slipped out of the confines of his arm and into the bathroom to take a shower. When she emerged, Kyouya had already left to ensure that Tamaki arrived without getting lost on public transport.

"Haruhi. The tray."

Mori-senpai is a real godsend, she thought as she handed him the tray of food and cutlery. Those other ungrateful rich bastards really have no consideration for others. They had already started pan-frying the meat on the hotplate along with some vegetables. Mori ladled out some curry and soup while she busied herself with the rice.

"It smells so good!" Tamaki beamed at her across the table. His eyes softened. "Thank you, Haruhi."

For the life of her, however, Haruhi could not find it in her heart to stay annoyed. Not when Tamaki was giving her one of his signature sweet puppy looks and sounded so incredibly sincere. "You're welcome… Tamaki."

He nearly went into hysterics at that but halted when the twins slapped some beef onto his dish and chorused, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY TONOOOOOOOOO!" Tamaki, touched that they had given him the first slices of beef which had been "so lovingly sautéed", began to tear in sheer joy while Hani patted him on the back and handed him Usa-chan for comfort.

So he ate, with his closest friends around him, his beloved daughter in the role of the perfect hostess. He was pleased with this, since he could imagine her as the hostess of the second Suou mansion in Inner Mind Theatre mode with relative ease. His only reservation was that Mori appeared to be comfortable in his role as the host. Throughout dinner, he had been helping his precious daughter with bits and pieces, fetching cutlery, napkins, ice, tea… you name it, Mori got it. He knew where everything was, Tamaki fumed jealously. This would not do! His daughter was his and he would be damned if anyone got their grubby hands on her, even if it was Mori-senpai who could kick his behind successfully any given day.

Kyouya himself was not oblivious to the effortless manner in which Mori moved about Haruhi's home. The tall third year had been busy helping out the entire day and it was not surprising in the least. There were two things that Kyouya was perturbed about, however, that he would not likely admit to anyone should they have asked. Mori did not merely do what he was told to or offer a helping hand when it was needed. Instead, he pre-empted what was required, even before anyone said anything. Most notably, before Haruhi even said anything. He always knew what she wanted. Kyouya realised it ruffled his feathers a little to know that Mori could anticipate her needs even before he could. Of course, everyone else could before Tamaki, who was as usual as clueless as a newborn babe.

It was Kyouya's niche to be painfully aware of every single meticulous detail. It annoyed him somewhat that he did not have telepathic communication lines open with Haruhi, which Mori seemed to have. The second thing that irked him was the intimate looks that Mori kept giving Haruhi. The slight quirk of the eyebrow, the minute twitch of the lips… small gestures that others would have missed, except him. He was observant to a fault after all. It might have been better had he not noticed. He winced inwardly as Haruhi flushed pink again as Mori handed her some chilli which, once again, she had not asked for, but was wanting. He wondered belatedly whether it was some form of ninjutsu that Mori practiced on the sly which gave him these abilities.

What was she to him, he wondered as he chewed on the deliciously spiced beef while watching her out of the corner of his eye. Haruhi had once again outdone herself. She was an excellent cook. Was she willing to cook in his kitchen? Rather, the kitchen they shared? Kyouya had reached an epiphany while she was asleep on shoulder as he watched her breathe. She was extremely adorable, he admitted, as his eyes widened in surprise at the little trail of drool that had started to develop at the corner of her mouth while she slept. Was being "adorable" one of the important criteria in a potential mate? He was young and playing the field seemed to come naturally to those his age, but he was not interested in chasing after girls. He had an ambition to fulfil. The question was whether he wanted to fulfil it alone or with someone else by his side.

The women he had met at various parties and functions did not interest him in the least. They were vain, scheming moneygrubbers. If it was one thing he detested, it was girls with a hidden agenda. They were unable to hide their superficiality, at least around him. It was painfully obvious that they had something else in mind and that stood out in greater relief if he compared them with the artless Haruhi. She had spoiled him. Before he had met her, he might have seriously considered marrying for the future of the Ootori Group, but it would no longer satisfy him. Haruhi was the only girl he could seriously consider being with. She was intelligent, independent and most importantly, straightforward. What you saw was what you got. And then she had those large brown doe eyes…

He continued watching her surreptitiously as he picked some vegetables off the hotplate. Tamaki was now going on about presents, hands gesticulating everywhere in a typical kingly fashion. "Did you get your dearest father anything Haruhiiiiii?"

"Ah. Umm… well, not exactly," she hedged. What, was this entire shomin party insufficient for His Highness? "I thought that since I've gone to so much trouble…"

Tamaki gasped. "Trouble? Trouble??? Ohhh you wound me, my sweeting! You mean it was troublesome to prepare all this for meeeeee?"

Haruhi coughed. "No, no. That's not what I meant." Curse the foot in her mouth. She had done it again. "I meant that I have had… ah… little time to think about what you might want."

"Oh! Well, why didn't you say so?"

How could I possibly when you began raving? Her eyes narrowed as he gazed at her expectantly. She knew what that look meant. There was something he wanted and it had something to do with her. Worst of all, it appeared that she probably would not like whatever it was he had in mind.

"Haruhiiiiiiiiiiiiii…" Uh oh. "Will you go on a date with me this weekend?"

It was quite possible, Kyouya mused as he watched Haruhi's eyes widen and then narrow once again, that the clueless newborn babe was not as dense as everyone thought he was.


Author's Note(s):

Yes, Tamaki's back in the running. Only because I was dissatisfied with how lopsidedly Kyouya-Mori it was going. A longer chapter this time, with a bit more insight into character's thoughts and behaviours, especially Kyouya's POV. This, however, does not mean that he'll end up with Haruhi. He just gets more fic time because I love the bugger to bits.

I have to confess that at this point, I still have no idea who Haruhi is going to end up with. At times I lean towards Kyouya; at others, Mori. And right now, I want more of my precious Tono in there. I know most of you are rooting for Kyouya though. I'm beginning to wonder who isn't.

Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Thanks for journeying thus far with me. XD