A/N: OMG, I'm sorry, it took me about weeks longer then I wanted to. My computer just been on crack lately or something though, so I apologize. Well, my last chapter I hope you enjoy! (Oh, I deleted this chapter twice, everytime I posted it, it omitted certain important parts).

Disclaimer: I do not own this anime ( or do I...??...I wish...).

Chapter 11

Hikaru shifted nervously as the clock finally struck 11:58am, they were gonna be here in a few minutes.

Oh God, I don't think I can do this.

He fumbled with the plates, hurrying to get them outside, wishing he hadn't sent the maid off for a vacation for a good week..He set them down in the middle of the glass porch table, and making sure the hamburgers weren't being burnt. Though, something smelt like it was burning...

"Oh, fuck!," Hikaru ran back inside the house to get to the kitchen on time and shut off the stove, that was boiling a pot of water for macaroni, and picked up the burning rag in and threw it in the sink, turning on the water. Hikaru took a deep breath trying to calm his self.

Deep breaths, deep breaths.

Arms slid around his waist and a chin rested on his right shoulder. Hikaru nearly jumped as his wife laughed because she had finally been able to scare him.

"Would you calm down, I'm sure everything will go fantastic. You've been working like a slave, trying to find out how to cook so many different foods. I'm sure our friends will appreciate it." she kissed him on the cheek lightly before going out to the back porch.

Hikaru nodded, taking in another breath before letting go of the granite counter and going back to their backyard to continue grilling. Then the door bell rang, Hikaru's heart started to beat fast, hoping that some big, bad fish or however the story goes, was at his door other than the people he was expecting.

He slowly walked towards his foyer, before finally reaching the door. When he opened the door, he was greeted by a smiling Satomi and content face Kyoya, though much more grown up. Hikaru managed a smile forcing the words from his throat, the speech he had wanted to say and practice in front of a mirror for a month. It all turned into a few simple words:

"Long time, no see," Hikaru said struggling to smile and not break down in tears in front of them saying that he missed them so much he couldn't stand it any longer.

"Hikaru, I thought I would never see you again in a thousand years!," Satomi said lunging forward and hugging him in a tight embrace. He had seen her during his wedding about 4 years ago, because she had been invited, but the reason he was so nervous because he hadn't seen Kyoya in a good 10 or 11 years.

Hikaru hugged her back awkwardly, because he wasn't expecting her to attack him like that. When she finally let go, she was still smiling an anxiously looking over his shoulder to look into the house, holding Kyoya's hand. They were fiances and were getting married in 3 months. To Hikaru, they were the least likely couple, but it seemed like both of them changed at least a little.

Though, they weren't the ones he really wanted to see.

"So, where are they," Hikaru said looking straight at Satomi as she still didn't recognize how shaky his voice had gotten for a second, the mute Kyoya seemed to recognized it though.

"They're coming," he said then pulled Satomi inside as if he didn't want to stand around for it.

Hikaru heard as voices, talking low, were coming up the short cobbled stone path that lead up to the house. He closed his eyes, not sure if he was ready for them. Hikaru took one last deep breath before he opened his eyes to see them come around the corner from a bush.

Haruhi was smiling the same smile she had when she had been younger, except her hair was longer to her shoulders. Though she still had the same innocent Hazel eyes, shining with happiness. She also had grown a little taller, not to much, and she walked like she wore high heels everyday, and she wore a yellow dress that went to just above her knees and a simple white ribbon that went around it, right above the waist. Though, one other thing was different about her. She had something, or someone attached to her hand.

And who would it be other then Tamaki. He had recovered from his wheel chair, and could actually walk pretty well. Though, he couldn't walk around to much, but that's wasn't what was going through Hikaru's mind.

Frustration, happiness, relief, worry, sadness, curiosity, and excitement all filled him at once. Just her looking at him- took those 10 years having not seen her- made everything melt away. Until he followed up to where the other hand that was latched onto hers came from, which made him snap right back into reality again.

He thought he would have to see them kiss first before his brain snapped back to reality, but his brain seemed prepared for this now. Though, his brain kept dying every time he looked down at Haruhi's left hand with a diamond ring, sparkling in the sun, catching every ray of light.

Heh, way better then the one I had for her. Hikaru joked to himself to feel better, but only brought the thought of breaking down and crying, Hikaru remembered when he had asked her...

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Hikaru was smiling so much it looked like he had just answered the world's most hardest question to answer. His eyes looking into Haruhi's to get a hint of what she might say, if she was going to say yes. He looked so proud and sure, to sure that if she said no...

And then, Haruhi. Her face looked like it just shut down, not looking surprised or even happy. She looked at him like they were having a casual conversation, and he wasn't on one knee in front of her asking her to marry him. Her face was content, but inside her mind she was melting away, little by little. She felt like throwing up, laughing, crying, screaming in horror, running as far as she could. He stomach was in a tight knot and felt like a ocean during a storm. The room seemed small all of a sudden, and her voice was caught in her throat. Though she finally let out a breath and gathered the courage to say something. Everyone in the room saw she was about to say something, and what seemed like hours she finally answered the question.

Haruhi let out a laugh that echoed through the foyer, and everyone in the room tensed, and Hikaru's smile faded. She had just laughed like she had heard a joke or something.

"Hikaru," Haruhi said sympathetically slightly smirking, "I'm sorry, really, but don't you think that's kind of...childish?"

Before the word "childish" echoed out, Hikaru shot up and threw the ring down as hard as he could. It made a clinking sound, and spined before landing on the floor with a sharp clink.

"Childish? Childish!? I love you Haruhi, and that's what you call me!? Childish!"

Hikaru rushed out the door before anyone could say anything to him. Haruhi stared at the front door as it slammed closed, thinking that maybe she should have choose her words a little more carefully.

Hikaru had rushed out to the car that was supposed to drive them to the airport swinging the door open an slamming it closed, ignoring his mother's worried glace. He mumbled the word "Go" and his mother simply told the driver he could go ahead and drive them to the airport.

After a good 10 minutes, Hikaru's mother finally spoke, "Do you know why we're really moving to America?," she paused, as if to expect and answer, then continued " I felt that we, as in me, you, and your father, needed to get away, to get over Kaoru's death." Her voice got shaky at the words "Kaoru's death" which made Hikaru look away from the window at his mother, who was looking down into lap without interest.

"I've been trying so hard to be strong for you, Hikaru. But, every time I looked at you...he comes up in my mind. Your father blames it on you that one of you is dead..." Hikaru had wondered why his father seemed so mad at him the past few weeks, and why he had deiced to go ahead of him and his mom a few days early.

" ...but I don't Hikaru," his mother sniffed and looked up at him straight into his eyes as tears fell down her cheeks and onto her lap, "I cried just as much as you-even more- but it seems I can't stop, but you...you've been able to become stronger then me. I'm sorry, I'm sorry." his mother finally pulled away form his eyes and buried her face into her hands.

Hikaru stared at her like he was a little child who didn't understand completely, and would go right back whatever he was doing without worry, but instead he opened his mouth to say something.

Though his mom beat him to it, "I'm so sorry, Kaoru," and wept even more.

Hikaru frowned and stared back outside his window, grown ups always seemed to be the ones who didn't understand a thing, but seemed to think they knew everything

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As Haruhi and Tamaki approached, Hikaru couldn't even manage a smile, though he couldn't stop staring. They were really coming, Hikaru panicked of what to say. Trying to assemble at least one word in his mind and settle for it. But, he couldn't even remember one letter. Nothing

"Hi, Hikaru,"

Shit

That was Haruhi's voice and Tamaki was standing there too, right in front of him.

"Its been a long time," Haruhi said, Hikaru still trying to grab any word in his vocabulary other then love or anything else associated with it, "how are you?"

I'm about to explode, that might describe how I am.

"Fine," Hikaru finally managed to say.

"Well, it's good to see you again," Tamaki finally said, destroying the fact agian that Haruhi wasn't alone.

"Come on in," Hikaru said finally gesturing for them to come inside.

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It wasn't as bad as he thought it would be. Weirder, yes. Bad, no. Shannon seemed to be in a good mood to see her friend so she talked constantly, which got Satomi to talk a lot, which got Tamaki talking, which got Haruhi talking a little. Kyoya would show a hint of a smile every once in a while, yes a smile. Not one of those "I'm plotting something smiles" just a smile. Hikaru seemed the most awkward, but bared it. Smiling and nodding but most of the time glancing at Haruhi.

When Haruhi had congratulated them about his marriage to Shannon, he secretly cringed inside. It wasn't that he didn't love Shannon, it was just...it didn't seem right coming from her.

Finally, when it seemed like everyone was pretty much done, he decided to get up. Getting away from Haruhi would be good, anything for he could relax and at least enjoy this reunion a little. He started picking up plates, glad now that he actually let the maid go on vacation.

"Let me help you," Hikaru looked up to Haruhi smiling from a joke Satomi said getting up from her seat. Just when he thought he would be safe...

Hikaru nodded before they started towards the door to the house. Hikaru listened to the others in the background and Haruhi heels hitting the wood porch. Heels...she could hardly walk in them before, and now she was walking in them as if she were an expert.

When they came into the kitchen, they set the plates down on the counter.

"So, how long have you and Shannon been married?," Haruhi said breaking the silence.

Hikaru didn't look up but kept his attention on opening the dishwasher and turning on the sink, " About three years."

"Oh," Haruhi "do you want me to help you with...?"

Hikaru only nodded. Haruhi rinsed the plates off as Hikaru put the plates in the diswasher.

"Hikaru,"Haruhi said in a worried tone, "are you okay? You seem...uncomfotable around everyone."

Hikaru shrugged, " I guess...it just seems weird to see everyone after all these years."

"Is it because what happened before you left," Hikaru looked at Haruhi who was staring right at him, "I'm sorry if-"

"No, it's ok." Hikaru interrupted looking back down as she handed him a plate, knowing that he had been hoping this wouldn't come up,"...but...did you have to laugh?"

"Actually, you never let me finish my sentence," she said as he put in the last dish. He looked up to ask what did she mean, but he froze up. Their faces were less then an inch apart and she was getting closer. Hikaru wanted to move and quickly close the dishwasher's door and walk right back outside, but he couldn't move.

As their lips met, he expected someone to walk in, anyone. Satomi, Shannon, Tamaki...but no one came. Not like the time he and Haruhi had their first kiss in the hallway and Tamaki spotted them, or when he had kissed Satomi and Haruhi came out at the worst possible time.

But nothing happened. As they pulled apart Haruhi had a smile on her face, as if she had something planned. She closed the dishwasher as Hikaru stood there, not knowing how to react. The kiss seemed more of a "goodbye, I'm gone" kiss then passionate, Hikaru realized. As Haruhi started to walk away, Hikaru still stood shocked listening to her heels on the tile floor. Then, just before she left, Hikaru turned around to see her turn out of the kitchen.

A/N: I hope you enjoyed! Thanks for every single person that ever reveiwed, and thank you to the people who will reveiw after this story is old, lol. -hands out cookies- x3 Oh, and I have a alternate edning being posted up about a few days from now, I'm hoping no less then 2 days since everyone is going back to school soon, and most a week before me. The altenate ending will be the same title as this but will have alternate ending in parenthesis. (And trust me, the alternate ending was bad ending idea to go with the story, but I deiced to show it to you anyway because kind of random ).

THANKS EVERYONE!!!

-the end