Haruhi spent the rest of the event in the clubroom, thinking in the dark. She was so... so confused. She'd never dated anyone, obviously she'd never even kissed anyone, but she had just kinda assumed she was straight. She never had to think about it before. But that kiss with Alex, she liked it. She really liked it. She knew that she and Alex had been play-flirting with each other before, but Haruhi thought that was just how close girls could be. But what Haruhi felt when kissing Alex was decidedly not how one felt when kissing someone that they weren't... in to. And deeply at that. Her stomach still flopped around every time she relived the moment, and she couldn't stop reliving it. While she was still feeling bold, she decided she would wait until Alex came in, but she heard Tamaki's rare soft voice past the door and she dove behind the couch to hide.
"You did a good job tonight, Alex."
"Oh please, I was just doing what I came here to do. You're the one to be praised for tonight, Tamaki-senpai."
Haruhi froze and slid against the couch to the ground. Alex and Tamaki were here, thinking they were alone. They wouldn't do anything, would they? Haruhi could tell that Alex looked at Tamaki in more-than-a-friendly way, she was sure of it. He's so handsome after all. Did Tamaki feel the same way though? But how couldn't he, Alex was so bright and beautiful and talented- and in that dress! Haruhi remembered how flustered Tamaki was when he saw her in that dress, a sentiment Haruhi shared. How could he possibly resist?
But he's a gentleman. He wouldn't do anything, would he? He couldn't! He isn't allowed to! All his guests would be so heartbroken, Yes! He can't because he wants to make the other girls happy!
"Alex?" The soft mellow tone of his voice made Haruhi start thinking otherwise. She couldn't resist. She peeked over the couch, trying to get a view of them without being seen. Alex hadn't changed out of her sexy little costume yet, Haruhi could still see it barely peek out from under Tamaki's suit jacket.
"Yeah, Boss?" Alex looked like she was being magnetized to him, leaning toward him and standing on only the balls of her feet.
"I'm sorry for being so rude earlier tonight. I know it's my fault you're dressed that way, no matter how much I regret it... As your father-"
"Father? I don't want another dad, what are you-"
"As your father I couldn't stand seeing my little girl being gawked at and fawned over!" Tamaki stepped closer to her with every word, nearly on top of her with his last. "No boys should be looking at you that way, you have to stay pure!"
Alex's cheeks began to flush and she began to push at his chest. "Tamaki I don't think you-"
He stopped her by pulling her into a tight hug, burying her head in his chest and his nose in her hair. Haruhi gulped and her fingers dug into the couch watching them.
He continued softly. "Alex, I'm sorry for doing this to you, I just... I heard some boys talking about what they'd like to do to you and I just got so angry. I would never let anything happen to you. Please let me keep you safe, Alex."
She said nothing but nodded. They stayed embracing for a minute before they heard the door open, all of the hosts filing in and decompressing from the party on the couches strewn around the room. Haruhi took advantage of the distraction to slip into the prep room. Kyoya glanced between Alex and Tamaki who had guiltily jumped away from the embrace. "Tamaki... are you taking her home, then?"
Tamaki quickly nodded yes.
"Wait, where's Haruhi? Have you guys seen her? I don't want her walking home alone..." Alex quickly glanced around the room. Haruhi's shoulders relaxed a smidge and she started changing back into her street clothes. Alex entered the room and beamed at Haruhi. "Haruhi! I was looking for you! You scared me! Come with me and Tamaki for a ride home?"
Haruhi silently nodded and continued changing. She no longer felt bold enough to ask Alex about the kiss. She wasn't even sure Alex could be into girls at all and it made Haruhi's chest burn. Haruhi intentionally grabbed all of her stuff as Alex changed, guiltily sneaking glances here and there and furiously blushing every time. She wasn't sure how to feel at Alex being comfortable enough to change in front of her. Alex smiled and slid on her bag before taking Haruhi by the hand and leading them to Tamaki.
"Ready, girls?"
"Yeah," Haruhi grumbled. "Let's just go home."
"What are we doing today, Kyoya?" Alex leaned against a cherry tree next to the dark haired boy. She had learned by now that he expected more from her than just looking pretty in front of a camera. If they finished or just didn't have a shoot planned, Kyoya would ask her help serving guests food and drinks or helping him with brainstorming sessions or money management. Though Kyoya had learned at that point that numbers were not her strong suit. "I assume you didn't just dress me up for fun?"
Kyoya eyed over Alex's costume, today being a maid outfit that matched the server's outfits. "Of course."
Kyoya followed Alex around, instructing Alex on action shots like serving guests tea and examining cherry blossoms. It was when Alex was bent over, picking up a tray of tea sets that she noticed some flashes coming from the wrong direction. Alex's body snapped towards the flash immediately and Kyoya took notice as well. Alex had never seen Kyoya act so aggressively as when he grabbed a middle schooler by the collar and dragged him away from the bush he was hiding in, seizing his phone to look through. Alex watched Kyoya scrolling through the photo gallery, filled with various up-skirt shots and shots aimed at her chest. Soon the twins and Tamaki had rallied around at the sound of Alex chewing out the boy.
"Are you kidding me? What the hell is wrong with you-"
"Alex." Kyoya placed a hand on her shoulder.
"You can't talk to me like a normal person, you have to see what kind of underwear I'm wearing?"
"Alex"
"Is that all you see of me? Of women? Tits and pussy and legs?"
"Alex, stop." The twins pulled her away. "We'll take care of this-"
"No! I don't need you guys to take care of it, I can defend myself!" She threw their arms off of her and turned back to the boy. "Not that I should need it in the first place! You're disgusting! Don't ever let me catch you in my sight again!"
Tamaki stood between Alex and the boy, angering her even more, and dragged him by his shirt to kick him out of the garden.
"M-My phone!"
"You're not getting it back," Tamaki spat at the boy and turned back to Alex.
"Is that all you're doing to him? Kicking him out?" Alex placed her hands on her hips. "With a warning?" Tamaki sheepishly looked from Alex to the phone Kyoya was still holding. "And give me that!" She swiped the phone from Kyoya.
"Well we have his phone and kicked him out already. He won't come back-"
"He can get a new phone! And he can certainly come back! That's sexual harassment at the least, non-consensual porn at the worst! And he gets a finger wagged at him?" She crossed her arms and huffed. "Protect me my ass! You guys are the worst!"
Haruhi, Honey and Mori watched the scene unfold from afar, ending in Alex storming off into the club room. They assured the guests that everything was fine, but as soon as their session was over Haruhi tried to follow after Alex.
"Ah! Haruhi!" Tamaki called after her in a sing-song voice. "How are you doing? Are you having a good time?"
"Yeah sure-" Haruhi turned to leave again.
"But where are you going? You can't view the flowers from inside, or me. I'm in blossom too you know-"
"Actually I can, Tamaki-senpai. You know, with windows and all. Commoners do know what those are."
Tamaki watched Haruhi leave in dismay. "Mama!" He whined.
"What Tamaki?" Kyoya side-eyed him.
"My daughters are mad at me!" Tamaki sobbed on Kyoya's shoulder, who refused to look up from his notebook.
"Well what do you expect Tamaki. You're the son of the chairman, you claim to be a protector of them and you take no repercussions for that slime that showed up today. If he gets off scot-free what is supposed to dissuade the next boy from coming up and trying something more? You need to take these things seriously, and listen to her concerns. We're men, we can't understand the fear she's feeling. Your fans just don't try the same things that her's will."
"You're right, Kyoya! I'm gonna call up my father right now-" Tamaki flipped out his phone
"Ah-" Kyoya snatched it. "I already have, the boys waiting for his sentence as we speak. The issue is your ignorance of the matter. That upset Haruhi, too. No doubt they're probably trash-talking you with the twins as we speak."
"That's another thing! I have a theory, but it seems that because they're all in the same class, Hikaru and Kaoru are able to spend more time with Alex and Haruhi than I get here at the club. That gives those damn twins more time to get close to them, and if that happens-"
"Tamaki," Kyoya wrinkled his nose at him. "Are you just figuring that out? The twins are in class with Alex..." Kyoya looked down at his notes. "well, and Haruhi, nine hours a day, meanwhile, even considering the fact that Alex spends the entirety of club with me everyday, our interaction with them is limited to a mere three percent."
"I don't wanna hear it!" Tamaki charged into the club room, followed shortly by Kyoya, to find all four of the first years occupying too-little space on a loveseat.
Haruhi was sandwiched between both twins, and Alex was laying across of all of them with her head in Kaoru's lap and her socked-feet prodding Hikaru in the face. She was kicking at him while he tickled her, and Kaoru and Haruhi were holding Alex down.
"No!" Tamaki moaned in a soul-crushed voice. "Get away from those shady twins now!"
Haruhi and Alex looked up at the noise but glared and looked back to the twins. Hikaru and Kaoru smiled to each other before Hikaru yelled back. "Hey! Who are you calling shady?"
"Yeah, take a good look at yourself, Boss!"
"Fine then! Haruhi, we can't go on hiding the fact that you're a girl from the school any longer! It's time you dress like a girl! Then you can't be so close to the twins!" Tamaki turned his finger on Alex. "And you, Alex, are not to leave her side! And you are especially not to interact with the twins any longer!"
"Oh you have got to be kidding-" Alex started but was silenced when Tamaki ripped the twins off the couch to hug Alex and Haruhi.
"All Daddy wants is for you both to be safe from them!"
Haruhi pushed him off. "Who are you calling Daddy?"
"Do it! Go change right now! And Alex! No contact with any boys at all! No speaking, no looking, no thinking of any boys!"
Kyoya grabbed the back of Tamaki's neck, silencing him. "Tamaki, you're being obtuse," At Kyoya's strength, Tamaki was forced into the nearest seat. "Sit down and think about what you're asking for a second."
"Yeah, Boss. There's no rush, physical exams are the day after tomorrow," The twins pointed out.
"Physical exams, that means..." Haruhi's words caught in her throat at the connotations, she looked back at Alex for support. "They're gonna find out I'm a girl."
...
Standing at the school gates was Alex and Haruhi, Haruhi now wearing the girls' uniform and clips in her hair, a matching one in Alex's hair also in the shape of Tamaki's bear. Tamaki approached them wistfully as they whispered to eachother, surrounded by a gathering of students.
"My girls! What's the matter? You both look a little down,"
Haruhi blushed and looked up at him. "It's just that everyone's staring... I'm so embarrassed, I can't help it."
"And I've been feeling so lonely without you, Tamaki!" Alex begged for his attention. "I only want you!"
"Girls, girls! I'll take care of you both! No need to worry!" Both girls wrapped their arms around him, nudging each other for a better hold of him.
"We're in love-love with you, senpai!"
...
Tamaki woke up from his daydream with a slap on the back of the head. "Hey! Oh you devil twins, when I'm done with you I-"
He turned around, expecting one of the Hitachiins but saw Alex glaring down at him with her hands on her hips. "You were thinking something creepy weren't you?" She scoffed. "Whatever, you need to do something to help Haruhi."
"Ah-ah-ah! But this is all part of my strategy!" He turned around to the rest of the hosts. "While you all have been blinded by your jealousy I have forseen the outcome of this charade! This anime is obviously a harem romantic school comedy, starring Alex, Haruhi and me! They can't be distracted over boys or hosting when they're busy fighting over me!"
The twins glared at Tamaki, unamused. "If we aren't allowed to be around them in class, the other boys certainly will be. We're Alex's only protection there as it is!"
Alex and Haruhi scoffed at the twins but stayed silent, watching Tamaki argue back and forth with the twins.
Kyoya sighed and stepped in. "Tamaki, if Haruhi is found out as a girl, she can't be in the club anymore. And according to my calculations..." Kyoya flipped through his notebook. "Someone would declare their undying love to her once a month. Do you really think you can protect them both? You're already failing with Alex."
"And I'm willing to forget all that if you just do something!" Alex pleaded.
"On the other hand," Hikaru grew a mischievous grin. "If he doesn't, he won't even be able to get close to them-"
"But we'd be able to since we have class with them all day long! There's no way they could stay away from us."
The blood drained from Tamaki's face. "No way! Don't you worry, Haruhi! We're determined to keep your secret. No one will find out you're secretly a girl!"
Tamaki turned back to the other hosts to devise a plan before Haruhi cocked her head in recognition. "Oh I get it, you guys are worried I won't be able to repay my debt if I can't host!" Haruhi giggled and shrugged, bumping shoulders playfully with Alex. "Guess I'll have to find another way to pay it back, huh?"
Alex looked back at her in dismay. "Haruhi you can't-"
"Haruhi are you saying you hate being a host? That you hate this club?" Tamaki jumped back in.
"If I'm being honest, I have to say yes senpai. You guys aren't bad but if word gets out I'm a girl there's not really much I can do, ya know?" Haruhi laughed blissfully to herself until she felt Alex tightly grip her hand.
"Haruhi," Alex locked her pleading eyes onto Haruhi's. "Please stay."
Haruhi tried to hide her flustered face with a cough and turned back to the rest of the club, busy making suggestions for what could make Haruhi stay. Fancy Tuna was thrown around quite a bit. She cleared her throat for their attention. "Fine, I'll stay. What do you want me to do?"
After a deliciously successful prank on Tamaki had finished, some sort of revenge by Kyoya and the others for being called the homosexual supporting cast, Alex and Haruhi were headed to the special clinic. The plan was to keep Haruhi's gender a secret and provide special protections for Alex from more perverted peepers. They were both given adjoined dressing areas, and Alex was just about to undo her dress until she heard Haruhi exclaim "Excuse me," before a small yelp.
She threw open the curtain to see Haruhi, shirtless, with a hand clasped over her mouth by a sloppy looking man in a doctors lab coat, and all Alex could see was red.
"Wait, it's not what you think-" Alex shut him up with a punch directly to the center of his face, shaking off the pain in her hand and reaching to help Haruhi back up.
Haruhi took her hand to examine it. "Alex, your hand," The knuckles had turned immediately a shade of bright blue and began getting puffy. "It's already swelling up,"
Before Haruhi or Alex could do anything they heard a shout and Alex was knocked to the floor with a jumping kick.
"Tama-chan kick!"
Haruhi, and soon after Kyoya, rushed to Alex to examine her. Haruhi glared up at Tamaki. "Watch where you kick, Senpai! What's wrong with you?"
"Tamaki, you idiot." Kyoya sneered at Tamaki without looking up at him. He helped Alex sit up against the wall as the rest of the hosts intimidated the man nursing a broken nose on the floor. He began telling them his life's story, but Alex had to stop listening some point after his wife left him. She tugged on Kyoya's sleeve.
"Kyoya?"
"Yes? Are you alright?" He replied in a voice equally soft.
"My head," She winced. "It's pounding. It really hurts."
Kyoya's lips pressed into a thin line. "Come with me." He lead her to a soft chair near a window to examine her. "Stay here, and whatever you do, don't fall asleep." He let go of her hand, both of them realizing only then that he had been holding it. She nodded and watched him collect things from around the room: a bottle of over-the-counter pain pills, some bandages, an ice pack and a cup of water. He cupped her hand and dropped a few pills into it before handing her the water. "Take these, it should reduce the pain."
Her head rolled onto her shoulder and she smiled playfully up at him. "Aw, are we playing doctor? You should have told me, I could've asked the twins for a cosplay-" She stopped to wince again and Kyoya held back a laugh.
"Stop talking, dummy. I need to examine you."
"No way," She slurred. "I want my fun too. Doctor, I feel a lump here-" Alex had cupped one of her breasts and the two let out a giggle. "I need-" Alex tried to finish her bit but couldn't stop laughing. "I need an examination-"
He gently pushed her head back, still trying to suppress the laughs that threatened to bubble out. "Shut up and let me finish."
She finally obliged, letting him finish and conclude what he had thought from the beginning; Alex had a concussion. By the time the strange man and the rest of the host exited the dressing room, Kyoya was sure of it.
The hosts gathered around Alex near the window, watching the strange man wave back in gratitude.
"Haruhi, are you still mad at me?" Tamaki whimpered.
"About the physical exam? No. About Alex? Yes. And I'm sorry but I'll have to be going."
"You're not thinking of quitting the host club are you?"
"Don't be stupid, senpai. I just have to finish my physical exam. As a male student, of course."
The tops of Tamaki's cheeks turned light pink and he looked to the ground. "Haruhi... what made you decide to stay?"
Haruhi sighed and glanced at Alex, sat in front of Kyoya with her eyes closed, blissfully allowing Kyoya to angle her head so he could properly dress it with bandages. "I'm doing it to... repay my debt."
Tamaki decided it was a good enough answer and let Haruhi pass before kneeling in front of Alex. He pressed both of her hands to his lips and rested his head on her leg. "Alex, I'm so sorry. Our whole plan today was to keep you safe, and I couldn't even do that. I am undeserving of your love and affection, of even my father title. I'm so sorry,"
She giggled and ruffled his hair. "What are you talking about, weirdo?"
Tamaki stood back up, and Kyoya muttered gently to Tamaki. "She's got a concussion. Temporary amnesia is... common. She likely just forgot what she was mad about, but she will remember."
"I- I have to make it up to you Alex! You live alone, you need someone to take care of you-"
"Tamaki," Kyoya's words were low and sharp. "Don't you think you've done enough?"
"No I don't Kyoya. I haven't done enough," Tamaki took a knee in front of Alex once again. "How about I take care of you while you recover?"
Tamaki and Kyoya shared a tense stare, but Alex obliviously chirped. "I'd love that!"
Kyoya sighed, resigning in the fact he could no longer dissuade either of them. "Well, let me know if you need any help."
"Thanks, Kyoya." Tamaki gave him a reassuring pat on the back before shoving the twins down the bench next to Alex so he could wrap an arm around her shoulders. "Just you wait, my dear. The next few days will be nothing but pampering and the high life from dusk until dawn!"