Chapter 2: The Shadow King and Bedtime Stories

A/N:Chapter two! Do you know I have no idea how to end this story? But I'll think of something. And thanks for the reviews! They mean a lot to me since I haven't written in a while.

Well I did the disclaimer on the first chapter so it goes for the whole story, okay?

x x x x x

The bump hurt. Tamaki felt like it was swelling with every second gone by. His sleepy but perverted comment had left Haruhi stomping away after his wakeup call.

The young master sighed sadly. It was nothing like his dream.

Tamaki got dressed and ran down the stairs. He was so happy that Haruhi was here, he ran past Shima to the kitchen, where all the maids were bringing food to the dining room. He looked around, blinded by the pink skirts, looking for his princess. And he found her, carrying a plate of roast beef.

"HARUHI! I can't believe you're really here!" Tamaki opened his arms as if asking her to jump into them. But Haruhi just frowned and handed him the plate.

"Take it to the table."

The maids and butlers turned around the gasped. Who dares talk to the young master that way? Even Shima, who came in to drag Tamaki to his mannerism class, looked outraged. Haruhi immediately looked at the floor and remembered what she was doing this for. There was no way she was going to get fired on the first day. She glanced weakly at Shima and her red face which could not be good for her blood pressure.

"You insol—"

"No, Shima. It's fine. We're friends. Good friends." Tamaki stated pulling Haruhi into a tight hug. Haruhi's cheeks either flamed with anger or timidly but she knew she couldn't pull out of it. It would just look bad. So she stayed there until the maids all went back to their business. Shima glared at the girl but left with soft, polite footsteps.

Lalala…

Well… Tamaki still didn't let go. But his eyes weren't filled with determination. He had closed them and inhaled her scent just as she pulled away. And he was left to wallow in the corner, which had suddenly darkened. Of course, he looked back every few seconds to see if she was watching.

"Uh… thank you, senpai… I mean! Tamaki-sama!" Haruhi didn't want to get into anymore trouble for her stubborness that day.

Tamaki suddenly regained his dignity and said, "Yes, well, I'd prefer if you call me Tamaki-kun when we're alone."

Haruhi was about to say yes just as a giant hook came from the door and dragged him away.

"DO YOU THINK YOU CAN SKIP ETIQUETTE CLASS! WHAT KIND OF MANNERS IS THAT!"

"… Bad ones?"

x x x x x

The word alone echoed in Haruhi's head. She bowed down to no one but she knew she was defeated. She would suffer the break with Tamaki but it didn't seem so bad. He seemed well, good… normal.

Well, as normal as Tamaki can be.

"Why is there so much food?" She asked one of the clone like maids.

"Master Ohtori is coming today."

"Kyouya?" Haruhi whispered, shocked. He was the one who got her into this mess! If only I could rip him into pieces, I would! But of course she couldn't. She'd get arrested for murder or at the very least, get fired.

After the dining room was set, some of the maids took their position in the room. Haruhi was about the escape but one of them grabbed her into the line.

"We must do as he wishes! Half of the maids wait for a command while others do chore work. This is much easier though!" The maid said happily, but she still looked the same to Haruhi.

Haruhi muttered to herself something that no one else heard, "I'd rather do the chores."

x x x x x

"Is having Haruhi as a maid treating you well?" Kyouya asked as they stepped through the main door.

"She hasn't really spoken to me." Tamaki's face suddenly fell into a gloomy sadness with storm clouds overhead. "Mom, what will I do? Our dear daughter doesn't want to do anything with me!"

"I don't really want anything to do with you either."

Tamaki found a corner in the vast hall and sat there. There were now little thunder storms in the cloud above him.

A small dark figure came behind both of them. "TAMAKI-SAMA. IT IS ONE O'CLOCK. NOT FEEDING YOUR GUEST IS RUDE! RUDE! RUUUUUDE!"

Well, it was just really Shima but Tamaki still shrieked and held onto Kyouya as a shield.

"Ah, Shima. Long time no see. I see that time doesn't affect your youth a bit."

The dark scary shadow that once had been Shima was now a blushing old lady who giggled with delight.

"Oh, Ohtori-san! You do joke too much!" And she was still giggling as they were led to the dining hall.

The long dining table had been switched to a shorter but more elegant one. The tablecloth was ready and the warmth of the dishes had not died away. Both young men were eager to eat. Well… one of them more than the other.

"Haruhi. Nice to see you." Kyouya greeted Haruhi, who stood by the window, trying to hide behind a curtain.

"Uh… hi, Kyouya-senpai." She walked over and served some soup to Kyouya and then walked stiffly over the Tamaki.

Tamaki smiled happily while Haruhi had a blank face. Truly turning into one of the maids. Kyouya just smiled is usual smile. Which is not innocent like Tamaki's is. The one that's sly and evil and you know he's got something up his sleeve!

And he did.

And not the rash that he got from eating exotic fruits.

But the kind that means he has a plan.

I'm just clearing that up. Yep… because you know… rashes hurt and we didn't want to mention it but it's just so you'll know what's going on!

You already got that? Well I always thought it was a strange idiom…

ANYWAY! Back to the story.

So Kyouya stood up and said, "I must excuse myself to use the restroom." And as he walked by Haruhi and Tamaki (who was being picky with the vegetables), he swiftly tripped Haruhi with his expensive Italian loafers.

"AHHH!"

Haruhi fell on top of Tamaki and the soup fell on her. So really, instead of this being an awkward situation (like when Ranka met Tamaki), it was just a really painful one.

"IT'S HOT! IT'S HOT!"

The soup burned her skin and she jumped up in tears and pain. The other maids were hurrying and helping Tamaki up. They cleaned his shirt and brushed his hair. No one paid much attention to the small Haruhi standing in the corner. She slumped out of the room, only to meet Shima.

"WHAT IS THIS! AGAIN? WHY MUST YOU ALWAYS MAKE TROUBLE FOR ME! I WILL HAVE YOU FIRED! AND SUED! TAMAKI-SAMA'S BURNS WILL SCAR HIM FOREVER!"

Of course, she didn't know that Haruhi was the only one burned in the process.

"Shima-san…I greatly appreciated your help with Haruhi. She is a good friend of mine… but if she really doesn't meet these qualifications, please fire her as you wish." Kyouya said, coming back from the guest restroom.

"Ohohohohohoho!" Shima started giggling again. "No, no! I was just kidding. Any good friends of the young Ohtori surpasses all expectations!"

"I am glad." With that, Kyouya grabbed Haruhi's hand and led her upstairs. She was so distraught that she didn't even notice where Kyouya was taking her.

But it was a bathroom, nonetheless. A grand bathroom with marble settings that sparkled white.

"I'll leave you here until you get freshened up." With that he left. Haruhi once again had witnessed the power combined from being an Ohtori and being a host. It was scary, especially from Kyouya.

x x x x x

Tamaki sighed. Kyouya was asking Shima about how Haruhi was doing at this household. So the young master retreated to his private bathroom, hoping for a soak. He had searched everywhere possible for Haruhi. His conclusion was that she hated him and quit on the spot.

"Senpai!" Haruhi yelped as Tamaki walked in… in a fetching white towel around his waste.

Haruhi had suddenly forgotten about the fact that there were fresh tears in her eyes. She had forgotten how wrong everything had turned out with her first day. And since she forgot all that, she threw a shampoo bottle at him.

"Get out!"

"BUT THIS IS MY BATHROOM!"

Silence.

That's when Tamaki noticed the maiden tears in her eyes.

"What's… what's wrong?" He asked, other than everything. But he didn't say that.

"No… it's nothing. Just these burns really hurt." Haruhi uncovered her hand to reveal soft red splotches on her skin. Her back was wet with cold soup but the burns still stayed.

"Oh Haruhi… I'm sorry."

Tamaki walked over and sat beside her. They both leaned on the tub for support. Haruhi's back was facing Tamaki as he slowly unzipped her uniform.

"SENPAI!" Haruhi jumped up, startled.

"It's Tamaki-kun remember? And you don't want these burns to get infected. It's not serious so we'll just soothe them with some aloe vera gel, okay?"

Haruhi was silent but she didn't protest as his hands smoothed a cool liquidly substance over her back. She couldn't see how uncomfortable Tamaki was doing this. She couldn't see the blush on his cheeks nor the determination in his eyes.

What is this…? Why does it hurt so much to see her cry? Thoughts comforted the silence but it wasn't like they could hear it. They only hear their own thoughts which frightened and confused them both.

I can't believe he's doing this. And I can't believe it doesn't feel wrong. There was a strange fluttering in her stomach that only intensified when he stopped. Disappointment clouded her and she didn't know why.

"All done. We probably should've done this after you've washed up." Tamaki hesitated for a moment and then said, "You can use this bathroom when you want."

He then leaned in and kissed her forehead. There was nothing wrong with that, he told himself.

They stood silent for a moment as Haruhi bowed her head low. Should I say thank you or yell at him for being a pervert?

Tamaki was lost in his own thoughts as he rearranged himself to sit cross legged.

"Uh… Sen—Tamaki-kun?"

"Yes, Haruhi?" Tamaki was happy she said his name.

"You're… towel is… open. And I can see your… erm…."

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

x x x x x

It was 9:30PM. Haruhi had almost gotten through a day at the household. Her last job was to tuck Tamaki in bed. Which was a bit early, especially for summer break.

"Well, I don't really sleep at 10." Tamaki said, distracted from playing PS2. Antoinette barked at his side.

"Then why am I supposed to tuck you in!"

"You're not really. Shima just thinks that because I have large windows and it's fairly cold at night. But all the maids know that they come up here to entertain me."

Haruhi suddenly had a dark cloud also (ooh! Everyone gets clouds…). "What… do you mean… entertain!"

"Nothing gross like what you're thinking!" Tamaki defended himself quickly. "I mean like… play video games with me, take Antoinette out and… maybe a bedtime story…?"

Haruhi looked at Tamaki with wide eyes.

Tamaki looked at her with pleading eyes.

She sighed, defeated.

And so, they played Street Fighter until Tamaki's character was a bloody mess, Haruhi took Antoinette next door to the doggy room, which was still bigger than Haruhi's apartment. Rich bastards and their dogs.

Finally, Tamaki laid on his bed, looking up at Haruhi, who sat by his side. Her spilled uniform was dry cleaned and bleached for a brilliant white and pink combo. Haruhi opened the picture book that was by the nightstand and began to read.

"This tale is a tale of many sadness and woe. There once lived a princess who was strong and stubborn. She always knew what she wanted and thrived to be independent. She refused to marry a prince but dreamed of ruling a kingdom by herself. But there was a prince who was so madly in love with her. When all the other princes had given up, he still pleaded for her love. He was overly protective of her but only told her that it was because they were friends. His own thoughts were of denial because he knew she would never feel the same.

"One day, the prince realized his love for the princess as he looked over a slain dragon. He had killed this dragon because the princess was foolish enough to think she could. His realization killed him inside for he knew he could never just be friends with this princess. He would never accept that life. But this is not a story of loss. A story of sadness and woe, it is, but not of loss. The Prince was a man with dignity. He boldly went into the chamber of the princess and looked into her eyes and asked her, "Could you honestly say you don't love me?"

"All this time she had been so sure. So sure that now she wasn't at all. The princess could not answer. But no words were needed."

Haruhi looked at Tamaki, who hadn't fallen asleep, but looked very close to it. His eyes were drooped and his cheeks were flushed innocently.

"Good night, Tamaki-kun." Haruhi said, wondering about the story. It didn't even end with happily ever after. This was a strange fairy tale, if a fairy tale at all. She thought about this as she left the room, never hearing what Tamaki said.

"Good night, My Hime."

x x x x x

A/N: Phew! Dramatic scenes are hard to write for OHSHC! Cause it's usually so funny in the show. Now, I didn't think this chapter was funny and the characters are kinda OOC don't ya think? I was trying out for the romance part for the genre. XDD;

Did I give away the ending? O: Who knows? What if I change it completely? Who knows! Because I sure don't! xD But I do know that the next chapter will feature the twins!