Haruhi sits as far away in her seat as she can from Tamaki, eyeing him out of the corner of her eye as they sit in silence. Tamaki clasps his hands in front of himself and stares out at the people and rides below them. She watches him sit perfectly still and sighs as the Ferris wheel finishes its first round. Biting her lip, she prepares herself to speak; if someone doesn't say anything soon, things will get really awkward.
She clears her throat and opens her mouth to speak, only to be cut off by Tamaki's sad voice "You don't have to say anything, Haruhi. I understand that sometimes these things just happen and it's fine. As long as we're still friends, I'll be happy."
Swallowing back a nervous knot, Haruhi responds, "No, I need to talk to you. If we don't, things won't get better."
A blush creeps into Tamaki's cheeks. "If that's what you really want, Haruhi, then I will listen."
"Thank you, Senpai." Haruhi sighs before she continues on, "I need you to know that it really hurt me to do what I did. I just thought you would be better off without me seeing as I don't even know how I feel about us anymore."
Tamaki glares at her, small tears in his eyes "Better off without you?! I was happy with you. You could have stayed with me and I would never have known you didn't feel the same about me. Why didn't you just stay, Haruhi?"
Haruhi's heart drops and she returns the glare "You would have noticed eventually. What's the point in staying with someone if you're not sure you love them? I'm only trying to do what's best for us."
Tears start to stream down Tamaki's face and he turns away from her. Haruhi frowns as she stares at him, watching him wipe his face furiously. She places a hand upon his shoulder and he gently shrugs it off.
"I don't understand it. I thought we really loved each other, Haruhi. What happened?" Tamaki sniffles as he stares straight ahead.
Haruhi tears up as she tries to think of a good answer. Her heart constricts as she runs through the many memories of her past, trying to remember when she had realized her feelings for Tamaki had changed. Immaturity, selfishness, and narcissism are the only real problems she can think of among the many amazing memories of him. Yet her spark for him had disappeared and she doesn't know why. Unable to come up with an answer worth the pain she's putting him through, Haruhi bites her lip in an attempt to prevent herself from breaking down.
"I don't know what to tell you. I just don't know." She hides her face in her hands as she turns away from Tamaki.
Tamaki turns to look at her and frowns as he watches her shoulders shake "Haruhi, please don't cry! I never meant to upset you. You said you want to talk and we're talking right?"
Haruhi takes a few deep breaths as she tries to compose herself. She almost never cries, so what's come over her and why can't she stop crying?
"Haru-chan!" Honey shouts happily, standing up quickly as the trio walks into the dining room.
Mori and Kyoya smirk at them as they make their way towards the table. Haruhi blushes as Hikaru pulls out her chair for her and she takes a seat. Tamaki looks up at the two boys and flashes them a small smile of gratitude. They nod their heads at him before taking their seats. Glances are exchanged between one another as they return to their food, silverware clanks filling the air as they eat in silence. Tamaki and the twins constantly sneak looks at Haruhi as she chows down on tuna while staring straight ahead at Kyoya.
Haruhi sets her fork and knife down upon the table and breaks the awkward silence, "Sorry for leaving abruptly." All heads turn toward her and she blushes brightly while wiping her mouth off with her napkin.
"You don't need to be sorry Haruhi, you did nothing wrong." Hikaru says, glaring at Tamaki.
Taking the hint, Tamaki scoots his chair back and bows towards Haruhi. "I'm very sorry if I ruined your party. Please forgive me, Haruhi."
A small smile spreads across Haruhi's face as she stares down at him. "It's okay, Senpai. The party isn't ruined. If anything, its only gotten better."
Tamaki sits up and flashes her a goofy grin. "I'm so happy to hear you say that! I promise I won't open my stupid mouth anymore."
"Just relax, okay?" Haruhi places a hand upon his arm and he nods his head at her in acknowledgement. She returns the nod before turning her attention back to the others. Crossing her hands in front of her, she clears her throat before beginning a small speech "Mori, Kyoya, and Honey-Senpai, I would like to apologize on behalf of Tamaki and I for any harm we have caused you in the past."
Kyoya stares at her from across the table and pushes his glasses up his nose. "No apology is necessary, Haruhi. I would, however, like for you to run the Host Club this year in my stead. The stress caused by you and Tamaki cost the club a good deal of money. Finish the whole year and the past will be forgiven."
Haruhi's eyes open wide and she runs her hand over her face in irritation. "Are you sure that's such a good idea? I don't want to ruin your reputation."
An evil glint shines through Kyoya's glasses. "Then, don't ruin my reputation. It's as simple as that." Haruhi glares at him from across the table as he flashes her an evil smirk. "Rich bastards!" She mumbles under her breath. He continues eyeing her, his hands folded professionally upon the table.
"You don't have to apologize to Takashi and I, Haru-chan." Honey says from across the table, "We're just happy to have you and Tama-chan as friends, still." Haruhi draws her eyes away from Kyoya and smiles down at Honey, smiling as Mori nods his head at her and flashes her a smirk.
"So, feeling any better, Haruhi?" Kaoru says, placing his hand upon hers, "It seems everyone is at peace with the past."
Tears of joy form in the corners of Haruhi's eyes and she wipes them away, sniffling and nodding her head profusely. Tamaki watches her cry and places a hand upon hers to comfort her.
"I have a great idea!" Tamaki says, sitting up quickly in his chair, "Tomorrow is your last day of summer. Let's go on a group date to celebrate!"
Hikaru glares at him. "A group date? Don't you mean hanging out together? Group date sounds kind of odd." Kaoru nods his head in agreement as he stares across the table at Tamaki.
A small blush creeps into Tamaki's cheeks. "Well, yeah, that's what I meant. I was just trying to say we should go do something fun together."
"That would be fun!" Honey says happily, "We could go to the fair that's in town?" Tamaki and Haruhi look at one another and frown. Memories of their first date together flood into Haruhi's mind and she sighs as a heaviness sets in her chest, worried that their outing might get awkward if they go.
Hikaru and Kaoru exchange mischievous glances at one another as they turn towards Haruhi. "The fair sounds exciting. Let's go, Haruhi!"
"I'm not sure I want to go." She shrugs. "Can't we go do something else like go to the zoo or the movies?"
Tamaki's frown is replaced with a smile. "I think we should go. It's been a year since we last went, Haruhi." Haruhi cringes as she watches sadness flash in his eyes at the mention of their past date.
Taking a deep breath she turns to the twins as they flash her sad looks, their lower lips in pouts as they wordlessly beg her to agree. She smirks at their efforts, making them both blush. How can she say no to faces like that?
Rolling her eyes in amusement, Haruhi nods her head. "It has been a while, huh?"
Squeals of excitement ring through the air as the twins hug each other happily. Laughter erupts from Haruhi as she looks around at the smiling faces of her friends.
Both boys whoop excitedly as the pod shoots through the air at a rapid speed. Kaoru throws his hands in the air, laughing as the pod hits its highest point and starts to fall back down. A small squeak issues from between the two boys and they look sideways at Haruhi. Hikaru frowns as he notices small tears in the corners of Haruhi's eyes as she shrieks out in fear.
"I can't believe I let you guys talk me into this." Haruhi grips her lap guard tightly. The wires dangling above them make a creaking noise and she swallows back a nervous knot. "Why did I say yes to this?"
Hikaru smiles sideways at her as she scrunches her eyes closed "It's gonna be fun, Haruhi. Thrill rides are supposed to cheer you up." He rattles the cage above their heads, excited to get the ride started.
"It's okay, Haru. This ride is perfectly safe." Kaoru chuckles, slapping his lap guard, "You've got us, so there's nothing to worry about."
They look down at the line forming outside of the ride and smirk as the other hosts hug the fence near the exit. Tamaki grips the fence tightly, his face all red as he cries out to them, "You better not break my Haruhi! I'll kill you devil twins if she doesn't return in one piece!"
Haruhi internally cringes at Tamaki's words as her eyes remain shut. She appreciates that he cares, but why does he always have to embarrass her?
Rolling his eyes, Hikaru waves to Tamaki. "Don't worry, Boss, she's safe with us." Kaoru smiles and throws an arm around Haruhi's shoulders, giving her a small hug. The ride operator walks up to them and shakes their guards. Haruhi's heart beats nervously as she prepares for the ride to start.
With a nod of his head, the operator walks off and approaches the ride control panel. A loud buzzer sounds and they hear a popping noise from below them as their pod launches upward into the sky; cries of excitement and fear echoing through the air. Tamaki dramatically falls to his knees in tears as he watches them soar overhead higher and higher.
Haruhi's hand moves towards Hikaru's hand and grips it tightly as the pod hits the ground and starts its journey back up into the air. His heart flutters in his chest as he grips her hand back, smiling as she opens one eye to look at him.
"I've got you, Haruhi. I won't let anything happen to you." He says as he grips her hand tighter.
A small blush creeps into her cheeks and she cautiously opens her eyes to gaze back at him. Hikaru chuckles at her nervousness, making her smile at his laughter. The pod starts to fall down and she shrieks, making him laugh even harder. Kaoru eyes the two of them out of the corner of his eye and sighs, slightly jealous at the attention she's showering Hikaru with.
"See? This wasn't so bad." Kaoru smirks as the pod makes its way back to the ground and slowly bounces a few more times, trying to get his mind off of the fact that his brother had just been flirting with Haruhi mere inches away from him.
Haruhi turns towards him and nods her head in agreement. "It was a little scary. But, I had a lot of fun." She lets out a little squeal as the pod makes one final bounce, making Kaoru chuckle.
"All Better?" Hikaru asks and she nods her head profusely.
"Didn't mean to kidnap you from the others as soon as we got here." Kaoru says, watching the operator messing with buttons. He smirks mischievously, obviously not sorry about kidnapping her.
"We wanted you to forget about the awkwardness between you and Boss." Hikaru says, watching the operator turn a key, "We just want you to have fun, today."
The ride operator comes up the stairs and unlocks their lap guards, signaling for them to get going. Kaoru pulls his up and jumps down, offering Haruhi his hand. She smiles at him and takes his hand, jumping down from her seat. Hikaru slides down behind her, grabbing a hold of her hand as they head towards the exit.
"Haruhi, oh thank gosh you're okay!" Tamaki shouts as the trio make their way towards the exit gate, "Nothing is out of place, right?" The twins glare at Tamaki as he pulls Haruhi into a hug.
Sighing, Haruhi hugs him back. "I'm okay, Senpai. Really."
Tamaki looks down at her and blushes. "Sorry. I was just worried about you."
Hikaru crosses his arms angrily. "It's not like we'd let anything happen to her. All we did was get her excited for today."
"Don't worry too much, Boss." Kaoru says, "It's over now. Now we can all go find something to ride together."
A bright smile flashes upon Honey's face. "We should ride the carousel, next. What do you think, Haru-chan?"
Haruhi pulls away from Tamaki. "That sounds like a good idea. No more thrill rides for me."
Tamaki stares at her, his lower lip trembling as she wipes her tears away. "Would you prefer we drop this conversation, Haruhi?"
Haruhi gazes deeply into his eyes as she continues to take deep; slow breaths.
"Talk to me, Haruhi, please." Tamaki begs her, "Should we drop this or continue-" A muffled gasp escapes his mouth as Haruhi cuts him off, throwing herself forward and pressing her lips roughly against his. He blushes and grabs her head, pressing his lips to hers as he returns the kiss.
Haruhi closes her eyes, her heart slightly jumping as she continues kissing him. Her hands make their way around his neck and she starts to sob against his mouth as a slight tingle spreads through her body. Despite all the convincing she had done to herself to believe she didn't love him anymore, a small flicker of her feelings still remains. She feels her heart drop in her chest and wishes her mother was there to help her figure things out. Why is love so confusing?!
Before they know it, the host club members find themselves standing before the carousel.
Giggling, Honey jumps onto a white carousel horse and grips its head tightly. Mori grunts and takes a stand beside him, holding onto the pole his horse sits on. Kyoya sighs and takes a seat upon one of the carousel benches, taking out his phone and losing himself in his work. Today may be a celebration about Haruhi, but he can't put his work on hold. The remaining teens stand around looking at the last three horses and frown.
"Haruhi should go ahead and take one." Tamaki chuckles, scratching his head nervously, "Ladies first, after all."
Climbing up onto a black horse, Haruhi frowns as she stares at her three friends. "Maybe one of you guys can sit with Kyoya Senpai?" She suggests. The two twins glare at Tamaki who flinches under their gazes and sighs, taking the hint.
"I'll go sit with him, then." He says dejectedly as he slowly walks towards Kyoya and sits down beside him.
Haruhi looks back at him, her heart growing heavy with guilt as he slumps in the bench. She grips the carousel pole tightly and sighs. Despite having had high hopes for the day, she's beginning to feel like it was a mistake to come here. After all, all Tamaki has done is mope around and panic over her.
Hikaru and Kaoru climb onto the remaining horses, smirking as the carousel starts up. Haruhi's horse jerks forward and she lets out a little yelp, quickly grabbing a hold of the pole in front of her. The twins giggle under their breaths at her and she smiles back, forgetting about Tamaki for the moment.
"Yee-haw!" Hikaru chuckles, staring sideways at Haruhi from atop his brown horse. Haruhi snorts with amusement, watching her two friends act like little kids as they ride upon their chosen horses.
A blush crawls into her cheeks as she watches Hikaru bob up and down beside her. He spots her watching him and catches her eye, his face growing flustered. She returns the gaze, her heart fluttering as she thinks of him as being cute; something she had never thought before.
Hikaru and her had always been just friends. She had always known about the many girls who practically swooned over him, but she never understood what they saw in him. Who'd have thought that all it would take was him letting his guard down and having fun on a carousel for her to see him as "cute" just like the other girls?
"Enjoying yourself so far, Haru?" Kaoru says from behind her, snapping her out of her daze.
She quickly turns to face him and nods her head 'yes', almost losing her grip on her horse and making him chuckle. "I don't think Tamaki is, though." Looking backwards at Tamaki and Kyoya over her shoulder, Haruhi lets out a forlorn sigh.
Kaoru frowns. "Don't worry too much about him. He'll get over it, soon."
Hikaru rolls his eyes. "He's such a crybaby sometimes."
"Hey, I heard that!" Tamaki yells, making the twins laugh in sync. Haruhi shoots them angry glares and they instantly stop laughing. She cringes as her and Tamaki glance at one another, wondering why the twins always have to pick on him and make everything worse.
The carousel slowly comes to a stop and everyone starts to scramble off. Tamaki pouts as he fights to get Kyoya to stand up and ignore his phone. "Come on, Kyoya. Your phone can wait!" He yanks roughly on Kyoya's arm, frowning as he barely moves him an inch. "Tamaki, you may have time to mess around, but others have a business to run." Kyoya says, glaring at him for a brief second. Noticing the sadness upon his face, Haruhi slips off her horse and walks up to him.
"Hey, Senpai, are you doing okay?" Haruhi says, flashing Tamaki a small smile. He continues pulling on Kyoya's arm and frowns up at her. "I'm okay, I guess. I just feel like the twins are hogging you, is all." Haruhi groans, "How about we ride the Ferris Wheel next? You can sit with me if you'd like." Tamaki's face turns bright red and he flashes her a beaming smile. "I would love to, Haruhi!" He throws his arms around her shoulders and chuckles, frowning as he catches the twins glaring jealously at him. Haruhi hesitantly pats his back lightly as he hugs her.
"We'll get Kyoya off here and head there next." Tamaki says, quickly pulling away from her. Haruhi nods her head before turning to Kyoya. "Senpai, you don't have to ride the next ride if you don't want to. But, could you at least get off the carousel before we get kicked out?" Kyoya snaps his cell phone shut and stands up silently. Breathing a sigh of relief, the remaining teens exit the carousel together and head towards the Ferris wheel.
"I'm going to sit this one out." Kyoya mumbles as he sits down on a bench beside the entrance to the Ferris Wheel and stares down at his phone, "You guys go ahead without me." Haruhi rolls her eyes at him before making her way towards the entrance of the Ferris Wheel. The operator spins the ride to the first empty carriage and stops it from moving. He gestures for Haruhi and Tamaki to come sit. Both teens nervously walk side by side towards their seats.
Hikaru crosses his arms against his chest as he watches Haruhi and Tamaki scramble into the same seat. "Of course they get to go together on this ride." He looks away from them and frowns, irritated that they get to ride on one of the most romantic rides for couples.
"Don't worry so much, Hikaru." Kaoru says, "She's only going on this ride with him because he was whining so much." He bites his lip as he watches them leave, hoping that his assumptions are correct.
Mori and Honey exchange glances of understanding as they approach both the twins. Honey wraps his arm around Kaoru's waist and smiles sideways at him. Kaoru returns the smirk as they watch the operator spin the Ferris wheel to the next open carriage beneath Haruhi and Tamaki.
"I'm gonna ride with you, Kao-chan. Okay?" Honey says, eyeing him sympathetically.
Kaoru stares sideways at him and sighs, "I'm that obvious, huh? I guess I could really use someone to talk to."
"It's not really obvious. I can just tell you're acting nervous around Haru-chan, again." Honey frowns as he watches Kaoru blush.
The operator gestures for Kaoru and Honey to take their seats. Honey grabs a hold of Kaoru's hand and drags him towards the carriage. Kaoru turns around and waves goodbye to Hikaru as they head towards the ride.
"I refuse to sit anywhere where I can't watch them." Hikaru mumbles, crossing his arms against his chest.
Mori looks at him and nods. "Let's move back in line, then."
They allow the other people in line to cut ahead of them as they count their way back to ensure they get the right seat. Hikaru nervously chews upon his bottom lip as he watches the operator slowly fill up the Ferris Wheel.
"You still love her." Mori mumbles as he eyes Hikaru out of the corner of his eye.
Hikaru blushes. "What makes you think that?"
"You've been nervous around her." Mori says quietly, making Hikaru's blush darken.
"Alright. Fine. I'm still in love with her and she's obviously still in love with Tamaki. Happy to know the truth now?" Hikaru barks.
"It's our turn to sit." Mori grunts, elbowing him in the side to get his attention.
Hikaru spots Haruhi and Tamaki sitting silently in their seats and breathes a sigh of relief. He scrambles into the seat and stares straight ahead at Haruhi. Kaoru catches his eye from the seat in front of Haruhi and nods his head before turning back around. The operator locks their lap guards and heads to the controls to start the ride.
Honey stares sideways at Kaoru as he watches Kaoru struggle to sneak glances over his shoulder. He chuckles and pats Kaoru's hand as a gesture of comfort.
"I take it your feelings are back?" Honey asks him gently, watching the corners of his eyes start to tear up.
Kaoru takes a deep breath. "Yeah, since the airport. I got so happy hearing Haruhi ask for a break, my heart felt like it was going to burst."
"Hikaru, too?" Honey eyes him and he nods his head 'yes'.
Kaoru mumbles, "It's so confusing. We're happy that we have a chance at Haruhi. But-" "But, you feel guilty because Tama-chan had to be dumped in order for you guys to go after her." Honey cuts him off.
Nodding his head, small tears begin to form in the corners of Kaoru's eyes. His heart feels heavy as Tamaki's sad face flashes in his mind. Honey frowns and places his hand on his shoulder, patting it gently to help comfort him. Kaoru lays his head against Honey's shoulder as he looks down at the fair grounds below them. Memories of times when he was happy with Haruhi and Tamaki flash in his mind and he frowns.
"I told you before to think about yourself more, remember?" Honey sighs, watching as Kaoru nods his head in acknowledgement, "Haruhi is trying to think about herself, too. The break up may be sad, but it might be needed for all of us to learn something new. Cut yourself some slack, okay?"
Kaoru sniffles and sits up to look at him. "Are you saying I shouldn't feel bad about liking Haruhi, again?"
"No, you shouldn't." Honey says, "You have the right to feel how you want. Tamaki may be our friend, but it doesn't mean you can't still love her simply because he got dumped. I'll root for you and Hika-chan if you do decide to go after her."
A smile lights up Kaoru's face and he blushes as he stares at his friend. "Thank you! I was so worried that it made me a bad friend and brother." Honey chuckles and messes up Kaoru's hair. They share nods of understanding before Kaoru sneaks another glance over his shoulder. "I wonder how Hikaru is doing."
Staring ahead at Haruhi, Hikaru nervously chews upon his thumb as his head runs through the many possible scenarios that could happen between the two exes. Thoughts of them kissing, giggling together, holding one another, and even deciding to get back together stream through his head. He grips his head in frustration and tries to shake away the thoughts as the corners of his eyes tear up.
"How long do you plan to drive yourself crazy for?" Mori says, staring sideways at him.
Hikaru turns towards him and glares. "For as long as it takes me to figure out what to do about Haruhi."
"Go after her." Mori grunts, staring him down as his arms fall to his sides, "What's there to figure out? You have a chance again."
Shaking his head 'no', Hikaru frowns. "I can't go after her. She isn't thinking about love anymore."
"So, you're going to give up?" Mori says, making Hikaru close his eyes in frustration.
"I don't want to give up. But, I can't stand seeing Haruhi and Tamaki so sad." Hikaru mumbles. He looks down at his lap and wipes at his eyes as Haruhi and Tamaki's smiling faces flash in his mind. His thoughts turn to the skiing trip his class went on and he sighs. He had felt bad back then about standing in the way of Haruhi and Tamaki getting together. And now here he is doing the exact same thing all over again.
Sighing, Mori pats him upon the head. "Think about you. Not them."
Hikaru stares at him in shock. "But, they're our friends. I have to put other's needs first before mine, right?"
"Wrong." Mori shakes his head 'no.'
Wiping his eyes off with his fingers, Hikaru smiles slightly at him. "You're saying I should ask her out again?"
Mori nods his head. "Wait til after she's settled things with Tamaki."
Hikaru nods his head in understanding as a wave of relief washes over him. He turns back to watch Haruhi and Tamaki ride together, thinking about how he's going to ask Haruhi out in the future.
Tamaki drags his thumbs across her eyes and wipes away her tears. "Haruhi, why are you crying?"
Shaking her head, Haruhi pulls away from him as the Ferris wheel comes to a stop. Tears stream down her cheeks as the operator approaches their carriage and unlocks their lap guards. Tamaki goes to comfort her and she shakes him away, climbing quickly out of the carriage and towards the exit.
Kaoru watches Haruhi run away from Tamaki, her cheeks streaked with tears. "Haruhi!" He calls after her, wondering what happened.
Tamaki climbs out of the carriage below him and looks up. "I don't know what happened, Kaoru. She just started crying and-"
"Don't worry about it. Just stay away from her and I'll talk to her okay?" Kaoru cuts him off, wishing the ride operator wouldn't take so long to let them off. He starts to chew upon his lip, his leg shaking in anticipation as the operator finally approaches the controls. Honey places a comforting hand upon his shoulder and smiles at him. "It's okay, Kao-chan. Our turn is next." Kaoru nods as the ride slowly starts up and moves their carriage to the bottom.
The operator turns the key and slowly makes his way towards Kaoru and Honey. Kaoru taps the lap guard impatiently as he watches the operator take his sweet time to approach them. "Hurry it up already!" He growls under his breath, worrying about Haruhi as the seconds tick by.
The operator unhitches the guard latch and lets them off. "Finally!" Kaoru shouts, jumping out of the carriage and running for the exit. Honey follows after him, hoping that he catches up to Haruhi.
Looking left and right for the girl he loves, Kaoru finally spots her and runs over to where she is sitting.
He finds Haruhi sitting upon a bench not too far away from the Ferris wheel. She sits slumped over her knees, tear drops falling off of her cheeks to the ground. His heart grows heavy as he watches her sob, wishing he could beat Tamaki up for making her cry. Taking a deep breath, he slowly approaches her.
"Haruhi?" He says gently as he takes a seat beside her.
Sniffling, Haruhi sighs and sits up to look at him. "Hey, Kaoru. What're you doing here?"
"I saw what happened back there." He wraps an arm around her shoulders and pulls her closer. "What happened between you and Tamaki?"
Haruhi frowns. "I'm so confused. I don't know what's wrong with me, Kao."
Kaoru wipes her cheek. "There's nothing wrong with you, Haruhi. You're perfect."
"No, I'm not." Haruhi says, closing her eyes as tears continue falling, "I still love Tamaki, Kaoru."
Kaoru's heart drops. "Are you guys dating again?"
"No. We're not." Haruhi throws her hands over her face in confusion. "I just don't understand. I could tell the feelings weren't there. But, when I kissed him there was a small tingle and-"
"Just go back out with him if you love him still." Kaoru cuts her off, fighting back tears as he feels his heart start to break. "It's obviously what you want to do, Haruhi."
Hearing the sadness in his voice, Haruhi removes her hands from her face and turns to face him. "What's wrong, Kao?"
Kaoru flashes her a painful smile. "It's nothing. Don't worry about me, Haruhi. Let's go patch things up between you and Tamaki."
"No." Haruhi snaps, "We're not doing this again. Tell me what is wrong, Kaoru."
Flinching at her tone, Kaoru frowns. "You should already know what's wrong."
Haruhi glares at him, her heart beating angrily. "Quit messing around, Kaoru. We're not leaving this bench until you talk."
"Alright. Fine." Kaoru crosses his arms and sighs in defeat, "I'm just disappointed that we once again lost to Tamaki."
"You didn't lose to Tamaki because Tamaki hasn't won." Haruhi says sternly, "I'm not going back to Tamaki, because I don't want to."
Kaoru's heart beats happily at her words. "But, you just said you love him."
"I like him as a friend as far as I'm concerned." Haruhi sighs, "I'm not going to date him just because of a tiny little spark."
"So, what're you saying, Haru?" Kaoru asks her curiously.
"If I love him, I want to take my time falling for him. Last time, Mei practically pushed me into dating him." Haruhi explains, "For now, I won't be dating anyone. I just want to take things as they come and see what happens."
"I still have a chance?" Kaoru breathes a sigh of relief. Haruhi nods her head 'yes', giving him a small smile. His pulse starts to race as she stares at him; her smile warming his heart. Unable to control his emotions, he grabs her by the shoulders and brings his lips to hers. Haruhi's breath intakes as he closes his eyes and puts all of his love for her into his kiss. Feeling her heart start to flutter, Haruhi nervously accepts the kiss, blushing as Kaoru's eyes light up.
"I love you, Haruhi." Kaoru says as he slowly pulls away from the kiss, "I don't want to give you up again."
Haruhi swallows back a nervous knot as a similar tingle spreads through her body. She takes a deep breath to calm her nerves before responding to him, "Don't you think you're moving too fast?"
"I wasn't making a move on you, Haruhi." Kaoru mumbles, running his hand through his hair nervously, "I just... couldn't help myself, sorry. It won't happen again, I promise."
Haruhi notices the sadness in his eyes and frowns. "I'm not angry if that's what you're thinking, Kaoru."
"Well, that's a relief." Kaoru sighs, giving her a small smile.
Haruhi returns the smile and places her hand upon his, blushing slightly. "I'm just very confused now, that's all."
Frowning, Kaoru looks away from her. "Guess I just made things worse, huh?"
"You didn't make anything worse, Kaoru." Haruhi reaches up and turns him to face her. "You've just given me something else to think about."
Kaoru blushes as she gently pats him upon the shoulders. "I take it you're feeling better now, Haru?"
Haruhi pulls her hands away and blushes. "Let's go join the others."
Heart fluttering happily, Kaoru grasps her by the hand and gently leads her towards the group of hosts surrounding Kyoya upon the bench. Haruhi spots her friend's worried faces and sighs.
Hikaru spots his brother and Haruhi holding hands and smiles painfully, both happy and jealous of the look of joy upon Kaoru's face. "I'm glad you guys are okay." He rushes up to his brother and Haruhi and throws his arms around them.
"Of course we're okay, Hika." Haruhi chuckles as she stares up at him, "You and Tamaki are a lot alike, you know that?" Hikaru blushes, turning to glare at his brother as Kaoru laughs at him. They pull away from each other as the other hosts approach them.
Tamaki flashes the three of them a small smile. "Who's up for some pizza?" The trio return the smile, nodding their heads 'yes'.
"Polyamorous" (Haruhi x Tamaki/Hikaru/Kaoru) an AMV I made for this story on Youtube:
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