Disclaimer: I do not own "Ouran High School Host Club" or any of the characters in this wonderful manga/anime in any way.

Missing his heart

Previously in chapter nine… "…Since he started the Host Club, it has been his baby. He calls all of the hosts his family. And in fact, thanks to his grandmother, Tamaki sees us as his ONLY family. And we are about to be torn apart. He just wants to spend time with the only girl who he has felt truly close to before we all go our separate ways. I can understand where he is coming from."

Chapter Ten

The pair makes their way to Kyoya's limo as he adds, "And he's not the only one who was showing signs of longing to spend time with someone special today. Although the twins will get a whole other year with you since you three share the same class, Huni and Mori will not. And I have it on good authority that when I asked you if anything happened while I was away, you lied to me. You became weak and nearly fainted, so one of our fellow hosts carried you to the garden and held you. My source tells me that the one thing that the whole club finds fascinating about you is your lack of awareness when someone is essentially confessing to you. The 'special someone' that was referred to when you were being held in the garden, is the same person that Tamaki wants to spend time with… the same, no, the only person that the twins ever fought over. Even Huni-senpai skipped time at the dojo to try to spend time with that special person. The special person that each host wants to spend time with is the same person that is going home together with me right now." He let's that bit of information sink in. Knowing Haruhi, it will take a minute. She is intelligent, but not very fast on the uptake when it comes to social skills.

Kyoya pulls out his cell phone and looks up a text that he received a few days back. "Ahh here it is. And according to my very reliable source, let's see… weeping into his chest, and then the conversation went something like this… Senpai, do you have a girlfriend? No. Do you have someone that you like? Yes, but she is out of reach. Out of reach? What do you mean? Like an idol or star, of sorts. Everyone sweetheart, no one can claim her as their own. She must be special. She is. So why don't you tell her? She wouldn't believe me if I did. Why not? She doesn't know how special she is, and to how many people she is special to. She thinks that she is just an ordinary girl. But she couldn't be more wrong. Would she, maybe, get jealous if she saw me like this? Apparently there was no verbal response to that question. Anyway continuing on with the conversation, it goes on… She should be. Because you will get snatched up if you ever put yourself out there seriously. You're too good to pass up. Shall we go back? After I stop by the restroom to wash my face, that is. I'll be right there. Ahh here it is, the part you wouldn't have heard… Why would 'she' be jealous, when you are the 'she' in question, my dear sweet Haruhi? End of message. So, either you didn't see that as something worthy of reporting, or you also harbor feeling for Mori-senpai. Haruhi, I have to ask, please forgive me for prying into your personal affairs, but do YOU have someone special that you like?"

"Wait, wait, wait! How did you get the conversation between me and Mori-senpai that took place while you were not at school, and in a text? And how can I be sure that he actually said that last part. Mori-senpai would never call me his dear sweet Haruhi, would he?"

"I told you that I put bodyguards on you the day that your dad disappeared. They are still in place right now. After your dad and I sign the contract tonight, that is when I will feel comfortable enough that no one will come after you; that is when I will call them back. And, in addition to guards, someone was doing some checking up on you on their own. Afraid that I would get burned if I got involved in this deal, this text was sent so that I was fully aware of my situation. Even without knowledge of this conversation I am still fully aware." They slide into the waiting limo and rode in silence until just before reaching their destination.

"Haruhi, may I ask a very personal question, again" he paused, waiting for a response.

"Uhn, what is it, Senpai?"

"Do YOU have someone special that you like? Someone that caused you to look towards Mori-senpai for advice? Or maybe even Mori himself?"

"I, well, I don't know how to honestly answer that because... I, umm... Well you know that I love my Host Club family, but there is someone who, over time, my feelings have grown stronger for him than the rest, but..." she trailed off, staring out the window.

"But?"

"But, I doubt he cares. In fact, out of everyone I know, he seems to be least likely to return my feelings. He finds fault in everything I do. But it doesn't matter really, because if I were rejected by him, it would be near impossible to do what I need to do at school. So I will not confess."

Kyoya adjusted his glasses and wiped away a tear, thankful that Haruhi was not looking in his direction at that moment. It took him a moment to find his voice, "Could you ever find it in your heart to love someone else? Someone who would give you the world if you only asked, but had not approached you yet because of the club members?"

"I suppose it's possible. As long as he didn't call himself my 'daddy'. But it might take some time." Ironically, the one who referred to himself as her daddy had, at one time, been the one her heart leaned towards and Kyoya knew this. But if it wasn't still Tamaki, then who would he have to compete against? He was completely baffled.

The limo pulled up to her apartment, and they climbed out. They made their way to the front room and Haruhi excused herself to go make coffee and change clothes. When she returned with the coffee, she took the breath away from both men who had been discussing repayment plan.

Instead of sloppy clothes that hid her late-blooming figure, she stood there in a classic vision of girlish innocence, wearing a simple white dress with pink accents. Nothing frilly or over-the-top, ala Tamaki and the twins, but simple and understated. Kyoya's hand covered his mouth, but it was moments before he forced a cough to try to cover his reaction. He thanked her for the coffee as he noticed that she made no pretence of offering sugar or cream, as she knew that he preferred his coffee black.

Ranka continued to stare as he mumbled, "my baby girl is growing up" over and over again. Finally taking the coffee, he asks her to join them. Her reply, "I would, but I need to run to the store for supper" send Kyoya for his phone.

"Take Miss Fujioka to whatever store she desires," he says into the phone, and then turns to Haruhi. "Please don't make us both worry, and accept a ride."

Haruhi accepts and goes to the store. Upon her return, she makes supper. As she serves the food she realizes that the men are now engaged in social conversation instead of business. Ranka told stories of what he had been through, making sure to not mention anything that might upset his daughter. He spoke of a woman he met who reminded him of his late wife, and from there the stories went to ones of the love he had shared with the only woman he ever loved. As he spoke, he observed his guest, who he noticed had the same look he was describing. A look of unending love. He also saw his daughter steal glances at the guest as well, when he wasn't looking, often with the same underlying emotions. He led the discussion to Haruhi, and queried if anything had changed while he was gone. Had anyone made any romantic advances towards her? She stammered and then excused herself before answering, but when she returned, she avoided the topic.

As the evening ended, and Haruhi was walking Kyoya out of the apartment, Ranka chuckled to himself, "That boy doesn't even know that this is no contest. He's won her heart already."

"Haruhi...do you remember the conversation in the limo?" She nodded. "Could you ever find it in your heart... To allow me...allow me to steal your heart away from your unrequited love? I don't know who it is that holds you back, but you deserve the world offered at your feet. I wouldn't be so bold as to ask you to forget your first love, but I am asking that you let me be your second and greatest love. Please."

All she could do was stare. "Are you toying with my emotions?" They had stopped on the stairs so that they were eye level, face to face. She searched his face for clues. The Great Shadow King gave no indication that this was a trifling.

"I would never do that to you, especially after all you have been through this last year. And I know that I would be asking a lot of you, because not only would we have to keep it a secret from the school, but also from the other Hosts as well. That would include whichever it was that currently holds your heart." He felt a twinge of pain and jealousy.

"But why the other hosts?"

He took her hand and brought it gently to his lips, "Because if they knew that you were no longer 'everyone's sweetheart' there would be fierce competition for your attention, and the other hosting duties would be forgotten by more that half of the hosts. It is an unwritten rule between the six of us that you are off limits. And if it was known that I broke that rule, there would be hell to pay. Not that you are not worth it, but it would also ruin the friendship we've built. And I don't want them to treat you badly for rejecting them."

"You make this sound as if everyone loves me."

"They do! And I am sure that if not for the fact that you are considered off limits, that hug with Mori-senpai while I was gone would have led to more if you allowed." He stopped, attempting to regain composure. Why was she the only one who could get him worked up to the point of dropping his façade? "As I said, more than half of the club has an interest in you, and I am selfish. I don't want to share. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if even our senpai who is currently engaged by an arranged marriage doesn't have feelings for you that he is repressing out of respect for his fiancée, the other hosts, and you."

"Kyoya, I'm not..." she started but was hushed be a finger to the lips.

"I am not asking for an answer now... Just that you consider it. I know that you don't like lying to our friends, and that you have feelings towards one, and that if you grew bold enough to tell him, I would lose you to him... But please consider me." He turned to leave but felt hands on his shoulders.

Haruhi turned him around and before he could speak, she kissed him on the lips.

Shocked absolutely still for a moment, when he grasped what was happening, he began to return the kiss, his right hand clasping the back of her head and the other grabbing her waist tightly. When she finally pulled back, her only words were, "considered. It is quite the feat for you to steal from yourself. Goodnight." She turned and ran into her apartment, hoping her father did not see the blush on her cheek. Although he did not see the blush, he had witnessed the interaction through the window, and smiled broadly. He didn't want his baby girl to grow up, but if she had to, becoming an Otori was better than his dreams for her had hoped.

On the ride home, her words replayed over and over again. Had she really said what he thought he heard? Had she really said, "It is quite the feat for you to steal from yourself." Did that mean that he held the keys to her heart to begin with? He knew that she had grown weary of Tamaki's antics, as well as those of the Hitachiin twins. Huni-senpai, of course would not choose her over his arranged marriage, but Mori-senpai was another story.

Fuyumi, Kyoya's sister had gone to the school to spy around, to see if she could ascertain where her baby brother had disappeared to. If her memory served her, the name called out in a fuss behind the doors she was poised at was one often referred to by her brother, often with a spark in his eye. When the door flung open, her presence was hidden by the door itself. Recognizing the situation, she followed the quiet giant and smallish androgynous child. She wasn't seen, as she snuck out close enough to hear what was going on. She thanked the heavens for her stealthy and speedy texting abilities. She may not know where her brother was, but she was sure he'd find this conversation interesting. She was right, he texted her back for the first time in three days. Until that text from his sister, he had never considered his senpai to be harboring feeling for their female kouhai. The message from his sister opened his eyes, and at the same time fueled his fervor to settle the negotiations at hand so that he would have the upper hand. His mind drifted back to the present as he realized that his senpai would not be as big of a problem as he had expected. He smiled to himself as her words replayed yet again, fading into the memory of the kiss. "Oh my god! That kiss! Haruhi would never kiss someone frivolously. How could I have even questioned it?" A peaceful calming feeling came over him as he realized that he was one... No two steps closer to his goal. "But wait, what did she mean when she was referring to the man she cares for and said '…I doubt he cares. In fact, out of everyone I know, he seems to be least likely to return my feelings. He finds fault in everything I do.' Was she saying that about me? Do I find fault in everything she does? Is that how she sees me? Oh god. Has my attempts to increase her debt so that she would not be able to leave the club turned into a fault-finding obsession? Could my desire to keep her near me be a reason she holds back? Oh god, what have I done?" Kyoya ran through the monologue out loud, grateful that the divider was up and his driver was listening to the radio.