Chapter Thirty-seven;
Haruhi jolted awake as the car came to a stop, Tamaki's warm arm wrapped comfortingly around her shoulder was the only thing that reassured her she was safe. The flight to France had taken a lot out of her and her anxiety was not making things any easier. She had refused to sleep the entire flight, insisting on listening to any and all stories her blonde Adonis was willing to tell about the mother she would be meeting shortly.
"Hello, Sleeping Beauty," he cooed, nuzzling closer to her for a moment in a brief attempt to calm her nerves.
"I didn't mean to fall asleep," She apologized, groggily rubbing at her eyes as she relished in the feel of his body close to hers. "I wanted to stay awake."
"And worry more?" He teased her, pulling back and brushing a few stray hairs from her face. "You need to stop. I already told you that she's going to love you. You're worrying for nothing."
Haruhi turned her gaze to the beautiful home they had parked in front of. It was a tall building with ornate bars wrapping around the porch and ivy crawling up the siding. Her heart was beating rapidly in her chest as she wondered what his mother would really be like. "This is just so big."
He placed his hands on either side of her face, pressing their foreheads together gently. For a moment he said nothing, breathing in her scent and relishing in their closeness. "We can do this… together." He breathed, pressing a feather light kiss to her nose as he pulled away from her.
She could practically feel the excitement radiating off of him in waves, taking a moment to breathe and center herself as he stepped from the car and walked around the back end to open her door for her. He reached into the car, holding his hand out to her in a comforting and safe way. His gesture alone reaffirmed that he would always protect her and that he would not let her face this alone.
She was halfway out of the back seat, her hand resting gently in his, when a soft voice called out his name. She could see the way just hearing her voice brightened his features instantly. She did not miss the way that Tamaki kept his hand in hers as he turned towards the sound of his name.
"Mama." He smiled warmly, opening his arms as his mother closed the distance between them, wrapping his free arm around her shoulders as they held each other. Haruhi watched in wide eyed fascination as the two exchanged what she assumed were greetings in French, talking much too rapidly for Haruhi to even pretend to understand.
His mother was gorgeous, tall and lanky with soft blonde curls falling around her pale features. It was evident that Tamaki got all of his looks from the beautiful woman now standing before him, but it was immediately evident that his personality mirrored his father's.
It was after a few more muttered French pleasantries that both turned their attention back to her.
"You must be Haruhi," Anne-Sophie smiled sweetly, her French accent thick upon every word. The woman leaned in, pressing gentle kisses to each of Haruhi's cheeks in warm greeting. "I've heard so much about you." She purred, her eyes kind and filled with the same deep compassion Tamaki's held. "All good things, of course."
Haruhi blinked, she knew that wasn't true. After everything that had passed between them over the last few years, she couldn't believe that Tamaki had only spoke kindly of her. "Your home is beautiful." She stated awkwardly, nibbling gently upon her bottom lip.
"Well come in!" She smiled, turning to head back into her home and motioning for the couple to follow behind her. "You're only in France for three days. I simply will not allow you to spend it all on my stoop."
Haruhi let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding, leaning gently into Tamaki as he kissed the crown of her head reassuringly and led her inside.
Xxx Later xxX
"He's out cold," Haruhi whispered, glancing down at the childish features of her boyfriend as he slept soundly, curled on the corner of the small sofa that decorated the living room.
"He did just chase you across two oceans," his mother spoke gently, brushing a few stray hairs from her son's forehead. Haruhi doubted Anne-Sophie meant to be cruel or passive-aggressive, but her comment still stung at the girl slightly.
"He always looks so peaceful when he sleeps…" Haruhi mumbled, hoping to change the subject and turn it away from her transgressions.
"He always has. Even as a small child I would find myself jealous of how innocently peaceful his dreams must have been." She spoke before waving for the smaller girl to follow her into the kitchen. "He has quite a sense of timing, no?" She sighed as she glanced at the mess that had become her kitchen. Tamaki had a good excuse to be fast asleep, but it still left all the clean up to the women. "I'll wash. You dry. I hear it's therapeutic." She joked, starting immediately in on the pile of dirty dishes.
Smiling sheepishly, Haruhi nodded and accepted the towel that Anne-Sophie held out to her. A long silence passed between them, filled only by Tamaki's mother's soft humming as she washed dish after dish.
"May I speak freely with you, darling?" Anne-Sophie asked, keeping her gaze trained down upon the dishes in the sink and never glancing up at the small girl beside her.
"Please," Haruhi acknowledged even though she could feel her anxiety levels rising.
"He loves you, quite desperately, you know. And from what I understand of you, you've allowed your own insecurities to ruin your relationship twice. Do not let the fineries of Tamaki's position in life scare you away. Remember that most of his younger life was spent here with me. He understands loss and he understands sacrifice much better than he would let you believe." The elder woman explained.
Every word felt like a knife into her chest, reminding Haruhi once again of her transgressions. "I know… I never wanted to hurt him, you have to believe that." Haruhi sighed, drying the dishes nervously as Anne-Sophie handed them to her one at a time.
"I don't believe that you did. I can see in the way you look at him that your love is deep. It's obvious to anyone with half a brain," she laughed lightly. "But still. You must promise me this." The elder woman turned off the water, crossing her arms over her chest and turning to look at the younger girl. "Do not let him fall so desperately for you again if you have no intention to love him in return. It is cruel and unfair, the path you've chosen to take in the past. So you must promise me you'll love him, promise me you'll care for my darling boy, and he will give himself to you completely. He knows no other way."
"I promise." Haruhi breathed, some of her anxiety filtering off of her. "I love him. I really do. Leaving him behind was the worst decision I have ever made and I plan on spending every day of the rest of my live proving that to him. I will never let him go again. Not as long as he wants me at his side."
Anne-Sophie brightened instantly. "Good. Because he adores you and so do I. I can see how happy you make him and how happy he makes you…. And I am very glad you chose to come with him, darling."
Smiling up at the elder woman, Haruhi felt silly, ashamed of her previous fear. Tamaki's mother was everything he had built her up to be. She was kind and caring and forgiving. She was loving and accepting and she knew exactly what to say and when it needed to be said. Haruhi had broken Tamaki's heart, but his mother would not hold that against her. She could see the truth behind their love and accepted the small commoner girl for who she was.
And Haruhi had never felt so lucky in her life.
Xxx Later xxX
"I love your mother," Haruhi breathed, leaning on her elbows on the cold metal railing. She gazed out over the expansive city, breathing in the scents and relishing in the beauty of it all.
"She's quite a woman." Tamaki breathed, leaning over her body from behind, his chin resting gently on the top of her head. They fit perfectly together, like two pieces of a puzzle. "But so are you."
Haruhi huffed, a light smile on her lips. "I can't believe I almost didn't come here with you."
"Oh?" Tamaki chuckled lightly. "You really considered getting on a plane with the twins?"
Haruhi turned in his arms, leaning her back against the railing so that she had turned away from the city, her eyes staring up into her whole world. "I thought about it. They are a lot more fun, after all." She teased.
"I see how it is. You like them better than me," he feigned hurt, his body leaning gently against hers. His hands rested upon the bars on either side of her waist, his eyes focused in on only her.
"I can't lie," she winked, biting down on her lower lip gently. "I had a great time today. You really know this city like the back of your hand."
"Wait until you see Paris." He smiled, an undying affection lingering in his eyes. It was evident that he held a deep love for the country.
"You'll take me one day, right?" She asked, a light in her own eyes as the thought of all of their future adventures came rushing back to her. She remembered all the times they had talked about their futures, all the plans they had made and all of the things they had wanted to do together. Everything they had ever wanted to do suddenly seemed so real and tangible.
"Just say the word and we'll go." He spoke, pressing a gentle kiss to her nose.
"I want to see everything," she could hear her voice wavering slightly. Haruhi was not good at asking for what she wanted, she was usually much more mousy than that, but Tamaki was making her braver every day. "I want to know France as well as you do. I want to love it just as much as I love you."
He stared at her with wide eyes for a moment before he breathed two words that would change their lives forever.
"Marry me."
Haruhi took a sharp intake of breath, her heart stopping in her chest. "What?"
"Marry me." He wrapped his slender fingers around the red velvet box that had been weighing heavily in his pocket since his departure from Japan. "I've known for years that I've wanted to marry you. I've known that you're the only person in the world who makes me feel like I can be more than I am. You've pushed me farther than I ever thought I could go and you make me better. You can spend the rest of your life pushing me away… or you can marry me. I promise I will never stop proving to you how beautiful and perfect I think you are." He took a half of a step back from her, his body lowering slowly until he was on bended knee before her.
"Tamaki…" She breathed, her voice shaking.
He popped open the box, revealing the same simple engagement ring he had picked out for her in High School. "I love you, Haruhi."
Time seemed to freeze around them, stopping Haruhi in that moment. It was as if none of her past mattered, as if they hadn't spent years apart from each other. She was suddenly a teenager again, standing in Music Room Three with her heart pounding in her chest as she tried to act normal around the tall blonde Adonis who had taken her heart in its entirety. She remembered their first kiss, the first time they spoke of their love, the first time she had felt his hands upon her skin.
"Will you marry me?"
She felt her heart lurch in time with her body, falling to her knees and capturing his lips in a desperate kiss. She would never walk away from his love again. They would be together forever.
"Yes."