Haruhi stares down at her phone, wondering why Renge would text her such a strange message right as the Hitachiin limo pulls up out front. She shuts her phone and places it in her pocket, stepping inside the back seat and closing the door behind her.
"Thank you for the ride." Haruhi says with a smile, still giddy about her phone conversation with Tamaki last night.
"Don't mention it." Kaoru says with a shrug as he looks out the window.
Haruhi notices them acting slightly down and frowns. "Is everything okay, you guys?" She says, staring at Hikaru across from her.
"Just peachy." Hikaru mumbles as he slowly draws his eyes up from the floor to look at her "Congrats on your little date with Tamaki, by the way."
Blinking in shock, Haruhi lets out a sigh of irritation "How did you find out?"
"Tamaki called us and bragged all about it." Hikaru barks. Haruhi rolls her eyes, irritated that Tamaki couldn't keep quiet.
Kaoru looks over at her and frowns "Does this mean you two are back together?"
"No. It doesn't." Haruhi says quickly "It's not really a date. We're just going as friends. I wanted to thank him for ending the rumors, that's all."
Hikaru lets out a snort of irritation, making Haruhi feel guilty about her date.
"Well, I hope everything goes well." Kaoru says quietly before turning to look out the window. Haruhi smiles a little at Hikaru as he stares at her, feeling sad as he turns away to look out the window without returning the smile.
"Why are you guys so upset with me?" Haruhi barks as they remain turned away from her.
Kaoru lets out a long sigh before slowly turning to face her "If we tried telling you the truth, you'd never believe us."
"Try me." Haruhi says, glaring at him.
Hikaru lets out an annoyed growl and turns to face her "Because anything we say or do will just look like an attack on Tono, so we're not even going to bother."
"But, you don't even know how I'd react to the truth that you guys are talking about." Haruhi snaps, making Hikaru roll his eyes and turn back towards the window.
Kaoru frowns sideways at his brother before turning his attention to Haruhi. "Let's just stop talking for now okay, Haruhi?" He says quietly, looking out the window at the passing scenery.
Haruhi lets out a huff of irritation and crosses her arms against her chest "You guys can be so immature, sometimes."
The three of them sit in silence for the rest of the way to school.
After a rumor-less day spent with her best friends being irritated with her the whole time, Haruhi was glad to hear the last bell signalling that school's out for the day. With one last look at her identical friends, Haruhi frowns and exits the music room where Tamaki leans against the opposite wall waiting for her.
"You look upset, Haruhi. Are you okay?" He says, standing up from the wall.
Haruhi lets out a sigh "It's nothing, really. Hikaru and Kaoru are just upset with me, that's all."
Tamaki frowns "It's because of me, huh? I'm sorry I told them about the date."
"It definitely didn't help." Haruhi says, feeling her heart constrict as Hikaru and Kaoru walk past her with glares upon their faces. She feels sadness building up in her chest as she watches them retreat down the hallway "But, I guess they would have figured it out eventually."
Placing a hand upon her shoulder, Tamaki smiles at her and messes up her hair to try to cheer her up. She brings her eyes back to him and smiles slightly, trying to forget about the twins "Ready to go?"
Tamaki wraps an arm around her shoulders and they head down the hallways together, Haruhi staring down at her feet so as not to catch a glimpse of the twins ahead of them.
"I made us a reservation at this nice French restaurant in town called Le Stella." Tamaki says, smiling happily at the people who walk past them and eye them with curiosity, glad to have Haruhi beside him again.
Haruhi notices the looks and pulls away from him "Perhaps you should hold off on affection until after we're off campus."
Tamaki chuckles nervously "Sorry, Haru, I forget that I work here sometimes."
Trying his best not to touch her,they walk down the hallway side by side through the crowd of students. Haruhi's thoughts wander to the twins, hoping that they'll eventually forgive her for going on a date with Tamaki. While she has the right to date whoever she chooses, she just can't help but feel bad about upsetting her best friends.
They soon reach Tamaki's limo and he holds the door open for her, excited to begin his date with her. He climbs in after her and slams the door shut, commanding the driver where to go.
"La Stella has the best Fettuccine Alfredo." Tamaki says, smirking at Haruhi who sits across from him in the back seat of the limo.
Haruhi smooths out her school uniform and smiles slightly back at him "I've never had Fettuccine Alfredo before."
"You'll love it!" Tamaki says happily, his face taking on a goofy grin and making Haruhi laugh. "I'm sure I will, if you say so." Haruhi chuckles, her worry over the twins slowly dwindling away.
The scenery races past them as they sit in silence, simply staring at one another on their way to the restaurant. They soon come to a stop outside of a well-lit two-story building made out of crumbling brick. Tamaki jumps out of the back seat and opens the door for Haruhi, bowing at her as she clambers out beside him.
"It looks... quaint." Haruhi says, staring up at the neon sign above the building.
Tamaki rests a hand upon her shoulder and smiles up at the sign "Dad used to take me here all the time whenever he missed mom badly."
Haruhi looks at him sideways, her eyes shining with empathy "How is your mom doing, by the way?"
A big smile lights up Tamaki's face "I get to visit her during Christmas vacation."
"That's wonderful!" Haruhi says, squeezing his hand gently "I bet you're looking forward to it."
"That I am." Tamaki says happily, turning to look at her "It's getting kind of chilly out here. Let's head inside, yeah?"
Haruhi nods her head in agreement as he grips her hand tightly and pulls her into the restaurant behind him.
Their reservation is soon checked off and a waiter in a black suit leads them to a small table on the second floor. Beside it, a wide window overlooks the town before them, offering them an excellent view as they eat. Tamaki pulls the chair out for Haruhi and she blushes, sitting down in her chair and scooting it close to the table. Sitting across from her, Tamaki places his napkin upon his lap and orders a bottle of champagne for them to drink.
As they wait for their drinks to be brought to them, two dark-clothed males are quietly led to a table not too far away from them. Hikaru and Kaoru frown at Haruhi and Tamaki as the waiter sits them down and asks them for drinks.
"We'll have two glasses of sparkling water." Kaoru says, dismissing the man quickly so as not to draw any unwanted attention to them.
Haruhi smiles at Tamaki from across the table as their waiter pours them some champagne and takes their food orders. As he exits, Tamaki clears his throat nervously before beginning his apology speech.
"So, uh, listen, Haruhi..." He says quietly, blushing as she sips her champagne and stares at him "I wanted to apologize for bragging to the twins about our date."
Haruhi sets down her glass and shrugs "No use crying over spilled milk. What's done is done."
"Well, either way, it was wrong of me to share our business with others. I hope you'll forgive me." Tamaki says, bowing his head respectfully at her.
"Of course I will, Senpai." Haruhi says sweetly, their waiter interrupting them as he brings them their bowls of Fettuccine Alfredo and a basket of breadsticks.
Tamaki smiles happily before he starts to attack his pasta with his fork. Haruhi watches him and giggles before picking up her fork and examining the food "It smells delicious. I bet it tastes even better." She tries her best to copy him, accidentally dropping some noodles onto her lap. Tamaki chuckles and tries his best to show her how to hold a fork.
"They seem to be having a great time." Hikaru says morosely, looking the other way as their waiter brings them their waters.
"Is there anything else I can get you tonight, gentlemen?" The waiter asks, pulling out a paper tablet from his apron pocket.
Kaoru and Hikaru both wave him away "Nothing else for now, thanks." He slightly glares at them, but nods his head and takes his leave as the two boys continue to watch Haruhi and Tamaki's date.
"So, how is school going, Haruhi?" Tamaki asks her as he slurps up some noodles.
Haruhi dabs her mouth with her napkin "It's going pretty good, now that the rumors have stopped. Is your job still treating you well?"
"As good as it can. It can get pretty boring, but at least I feel at home." Tamaki says before taking a sip of his champagne "And, it helps having you there, too."
Blushing, Haruhi looks down at her bowl of noodles, making Tamaki smirk at her nervousness. He takes another drink of his champagne before dabbing off his mouth "Haruhi, about those rumors-"
Haruhi lights up and smiles as she holds up her glass of champagne "A toast to show you my thanks. I really appreciate what you did for me, Senpai."
Tamaki chuckles nervously and holds up his glass, gently clinking his against hers. With nervous smiles, they both take drinks of champagne and set their glasses down.
Hikaru rolls his eyes and downs his glass of water "Is he ever going to tell her the truth?"
"He's had so many opportunities to tell her." Kaoru sighs, taking a drink of his water "I don't understand why he hasn't told her yet."
"Isn't it obvious? They're having a good time, so he's just going to pretend he ended the rumors so he'll continue being in her good graces." Hikaru says, glaring at Tamaki.
As Haruhi continues eating her noodles, Tamaki finishes off his and lets out an 'ahh' of satisfaction. "That was delicious." He says, patting his mouth clean with his napkin as he stares across the table at Haruhi. She gives him a small smile before slipping some noodles into her mouth. He returns the smile happily, his eyes nervously leaving hers and turning their attention to two familiar boys sitting not too far behind her.
"Is something wrong?" Haruhi mumbles as his mouth slowly turns down into a small frown.
Tamaki flashes a pained smile at the twins, a feeling of guilt overcoming him as they return the same smile. He quickly averts his attention to Haruhi and sighs, standing up from his chair.
"Wh-what's he doing?" Hikaru says, looking to Kaoru for help.
Kaoru finishes off his water and sets the glass down "I have no idea, honestly."
"We're done already?" Haruhi says, eyeing Tamaki with confusion as she swallows her mouthful of noodles.
Looking down at her sadly, Tamaki walks over and places his hands upon her shoulders. Haruhi stares up at him and frowns, having no idea why he's acting this way. "What're you doing, Senpai? Is everything okay?" She asks him as she places her hands upon his.
"Haruhi, I'm not the one who stopped the rumors." Tamaki mumbles quietly as he looks down into her eyes.
"I don't understand what you're saying." Haruhi says, puzzled "If you're not the one who stopped them, then why did you take the credit for it?"
Tamaki runs his hand through his hair and chuckles nervously. "You see, Haruhi, I really miss you." He explains "And, well, I tried to tell you the truth, but you just got so excited about going on a date with me and-"
"And, you let me believe you stopped the rumors so I could stay happy." Haruhi finishes for him.
"Yes, that's exactly it." Tamaki sighs "I really was going to tell you the truth, but I just didn't want you to be upset anymore."
Haruhi blushes as he bends down and kisses her upon the forehead, slight tingles running down her spine. "If you didn't stop the rumors, then who did?" She asks as he pulls away from her. Tamaki gently turns her head towards the twins "They really did stop the rumors. I'm not the one you should be thanking."
Haruhi stares at the twins, her jaw set tight with disbelief as they nervously chuckle and wave at her from their table nearby. Tamaki stands to leave and she frowns, quickly grabbing a hold of his hand to stop him.
"You don't have to leave, you know?" She says to him, drawing her attention away from the twins.
"I know that, but this isn't my date to be on." Tamaki says, patting her on the head before he heads over to where the twins sit.
"Is everything okay, Boss?" Kaoru says, looking up at Tamaki as he gives them a small smile.
"What's going on?" Hikaru asks him as he looks over at Haruhi.
"I believe someone owes you both a date." Tamaki says sadly "She knows the truth, now. Go collect a thank you from her before I change my mind."
Hikaru and Kaoru blink at him in shock before throwing their arms around him. He giggles and hugs them back "Looks like I actually have competition for Haruhi's heart, this time."
"I-I don't know about that." Hikaru mumbles as he pulls away from Tamaki.
Tamaki chuckles and messes up his hair "I've seen the way she looks at you both. I know there's something there."
"So, you're not mad at us?" Kaoru asks him, taken aback by the sudden turn of events.
"Why would I? You didn't do anything wrong." Tamaki says quietly "Just keep her happy."
"You're just going to leave, then?" Hikaru says, eyeing him suspiciously.
"Tonight I am. But, make no mistake, I still love her and am still going to wait for her to make up her mind." He says "I wish you two good luck. I'm glad you both get a chance to win her heart." With a pat on both of their heads, he waves goodbye and heads out of the restaurant.
Hikaru and Kaoru share looks of apprehension before slowly making their way over to Haruhi. She glares at them as they approach her, completely embarrassed as the surrounding people eye them with interest.
"Hey, Haruhi." Kaoru says, giving her a hesitant smile.
"You guys seriously couldn't have just told me the truth?" Haruhi snaps, standing up from her chair.
Hikaru smiles hopefully "You mean, you believe us?!"
"Can we not do this here? It's bad enough you drove Tamaki off." Haruhi says sternly as she heads towards the stairs.
"We didn't drive Tamaki off. He chose to leave." Hikaru barks as he follows her to the stairs.
"Honestly, Haruhi, we didn't mean to ruin your date." Kaoru says as he trails behind them.
Haruhi's jaw tightens up as they make their way down the stairs, trying her best not to yell at them in the middle of the restaurant. Hikaru and Kaoru chase after her in awkward silence, confused as to why she's so mad at them. They walk through the restaurant with people giving them strange looks.
"Why are you angry, Haruhi?" Kaoru says as they exit the building and come to a stop on the sidewalk outside of the restaurant.
Haruhi crosses her arms over her chest and glares at them "Why did you guys have to spy on me?"
"We were just trying to make sure things went fine." Kaoru says quickly.
"And, to ensure that Tamaki actually told you the truth." Hikaru adds, glaring back at her.
Letting out a guffaw, Haruhi narrows her eyes at them "I highly doubt that you guys would do something so selfless."
Hikaru and Kaoru frown at her, taken aback by her rudeness.
"It really is true, Haruhi." Kaoru mumbles quietly.
"This sucks! We do something nice for you and you do nothing but chew us out." Hikaru growls, turning away from her.
"You ruined my date, you upset our friend, and you embarrassed me." Haruhi says angrily "And, now I don't even have a ride home."
"We can give you a ride home if you'd like." Kaoru sighs, pointing his thumb towards their limo.
Haruhi rolls her eyes and shakes her head "You think I'm just going to forget about this because you're giving me a ride?"
"No, we're not. We just want to make sure you get home safely, Haruhi." Kaoru says, smiling genuinely at her.
"Alright, fine." Haruhi sighs in defeat, heading towards their limo. Kaoru quickly opens the door for her and she climbs in without saying a word, taking her usual seat and staring out the window. Hikaru and Kaoru climb into the backseat after her and shut the door slowly, both of them feeling slightly dejected as they sit there in silence.
The limo starts up silently and begins its journey through town, the city lights passing them by. Haruhi lets out a sigh and turns to face them, feeling slightly bad as they cuddle together upon the seat with glum faces.
"If you guys really did stop the rumors, when and why did you stop them?" She says, trying her best to remain civil.
Kaoru eyes Hikaru out of the corner of his eyes before looking at her "We did it Friday afternoon after Host Club."
"You remember that girl from the hallway?" Hikaru mumbles "She was spreading the rumors and Renge helped make things worse."
Haruhi blinks in remembrance and takes her phone out, re-reading the text from Renge.Her eyes widen as she reads it, finally understanding the context of what she meant. She closes her phone and turns her attention to the twins.
"Exactly how did you stop them?" Haruhi says, eyeing them curiously.
"Threats and the usual." Hikaru shrugs, smirking with satisfaction.
Haruhi glares at them "I hope you weren't too mean to them."
"Hikaru may have gone a little far." Kaoru says with a grin. "But, I only gave them a taste of their medicine, that's all." Hikaru chuckles.
"So, why did you do it?" Haruhi says, crossing her arms over her chest as she waits for an answer. Hikaru and Kaoru's cheeks turn a slight shade of pink as they stare at her across from them."Because we love you, Haruhi, and just wanted to see you smile." Kaoru says as he chews on his lip. "And, we promised you we'd stop them." Hikaru mumbles as he notices a blush crawl into Haruhi's cheeks.
Averting her eyes to the floor, Haruhi continues to talk "We could have avoided all of this if you guys had just told me the truth."
"Well, as we said, you wouldn't have believed us if we had told you." Hikaru says, folding his arms.
"We didn't need gratitude or anything, so we figured you didn't need to know." Kaoru explains "Just seeing you smile and relax was enough for us."
Hikaru rolls his eyes "But Tono had to go and ruin everything, basically leading you back to him."
"It didn't lead me back to him, so quit saying that." Haruhi barks "And, even if it did, I'm not yours so you have no control over my actions."
The limo pulls up outside of Haruhi's apartment complex and comes to a stop. Haruhi slides out of her seat towards the back door, her jaw clenched. Hikaru and Kaoru frown as she opens the door and jumps out without saying a word, slamming the door shut behind her.
As the limo drives off, Haruhi begins climbing the stairs to her apartment, sighing as guilt starts to overcome her. Despite the twins having spied on her date, they really hadn't done anything wrong and she had just yelled at them for doing something nice for her.
"Maybe I should apologize?" She says as she reaches the front door to her apartment and heads in.
The next morning, Hikaru and Kaoru arrive in front of her house as usual. Haruhi takes a deep breath, readying herself to apologize to them and possibly get yelled at. With a smile on her face, she hops into the back seat and shuts the door behind her.
"Good morning!" She says happily, her smile instantly fading as she notices them ignoring her. Hikaru's fingers fly over his handheld game's buttons and Kaoru leans back in his seat with a book in his hands, the both of them seeming to have not heard her.
Haruhi frowns and tries her best not to sound sad "I'm sorry for yelling at you guys, yesterday. I hope you know I really appreciate what you did for me."
Kaoru's brows furrow as he turns a page in his book and continues reading. "What're you reading, Kaoru?" Haruhi says, trying to draw his attention away from his book. He simply licks his finger and turns another page.
Haruhi looks towards Hikaru and watches him bite his lip as he plays his game "Whatcha playing, Hika?" He stares at his screen intently and continues playing, appearing to have not heard her.
A heavyiness builds in Haruhi's chest as they sit there in silence, the two boys minding their own business and Haruhi sadly watching them as they ignore her. The limo soon comes to a stop outside of Ouran and Haruhi breathes a sigh of relief as she opens the door, glad to be out of that situation.
Stepping out of the limo, Haruhi straightens out her dress and waits for the twins to follow suit, hoping they'll talk to her and were simply busy with their hobbies. She smiles expectantly as they clamber out of the limo, watching them gather their things and wave the limo away.
"I'm looking forward to another peaceful day, thanks to you guys." She says as she starts to walk across the courtyard. Silence responds to her as she looks left and right and notices they aren't walking with her. She catches them walking together towards the school out of the corner of her eyes and feels her heart grow heavy. With a somber sigh, she follows after them into the school.
After being ignored in class and having to eat lunch alone, Haruhi was not looking forward to Host Club. Despite feeling dejected because of her friends, she puts on a fake smile and tries her best not to look at Hikaru and Kaoru as she makes her way into the music room.
Kazuo notices the lack of sparkle in her eye and gestures to Satoshi to follow him. With a squeal of excitement, he runs up to hug her "Haruhi, I'm so glad to see you!"
"It's good to see you again, too." Haruhi says, returning the hug half-heartedly. Satoshi appears behind them and pats her on the head as a small frown forms on her face. She swallows back her sadness and forces herself to smile up at him. A poke upon her shoulder brings her attention away from them and she turns to see Renge nervously standing beside her.
"H-haruhi, I'm really sorry about those rumors." She says quietly "You didn't respond to my text, so I didn't know if you were mad at me or just didn't see my text."
Without saying a word, Haruhi stands there as Renge grabs her into a hug, crying like a blubbering baby against her shoulder. "Please don't let the twins hurt me! They told me that I was going to regret starting the rumors and... and-" She mumbles before getting cut off from Haruhi. "Even if they're not talking to me, I won't let them hurt you." Haruhi says with a sad smile, trying her best to reassure Renge.
Renge eyes her curiously "Are you having a fight with them?" Haruhi tears up and nods her head 'yes', wiping her eyes quickly as she pulls away from Renge. Despite being used to fighting with the twins, Haruhi can't seem to shake away the sadness threatening to overcome her. Renge frowns, not used to seeing Haruhi look so sad and pulls her into a hug.
Hikaru and Kaoru glare at them as they take their seats upon the couch, trying their best to continue ignoring Haruhi despite wanting to comfort her. Masahiro claps his hands in the air as usual and has everyone prepare themselves for another day of hosting.
The doors open wide to reveal a crowd of yellow-clad girls who squeal with delight and crowd the music room. Haruhi bows at her usual clientele and leads them to her favorite couch, trying her best not to look at her best friends nearby. They take their seats and begin their usual discussions over cups of tea and plates of cookies.
Haruhi smirks as the girls around her giggle, her thoughts wandering to the twins. As she contemplates how to apologize to them, Renge interrupts her thoughts with a tap on the shoulder. "Would you like me to help patch things up between you and the twins?" She says, smiling sweetly. Haruhi's eyes wander over to the two identical boys as they take turns caressing each other's cheeks. "I owe them an apology. Hikaru and Kaoru did nothing wrong to me and all I did was yell at them." Haruhi says quietly, drawing in her guests as they 'ooh' and 'ahh' over this new piece of drama.
Hikaru's eyes wander towards the group of girls as he hears Haruhi mention their names. He pulls out of Kaoru's grip and turns to glare at Haruhi "You can take your apology and shove it. Go be with your precious Tamaki, seeing as he makes you happy by simply doing nothing."
"Hikaru, this isn't the best time for this." Haruhi hisses at him as she gestures at her guests with her eyes.
Kaoru places a comforting hand upon Hikaru's shoulder "Maybe we should talk things out after Host Club?"
Letting his anger take over, Hikaru ignores his brother and continues snapping at Haruhi "There's no reason to try to talk with her if she's just going to go running back to Tamaki. Clearly me and you will always be second best, Kaoru!"
Haruhi closes her eyes as she feels tears threaten to escape her eyes, again. With a deep breath, she opens her eyes and stands up from the couch "Would you please excuse me?" Hikaru glares at her and Kaoru frowns as they watch her bow at her guests and quickly head for the music room exit. "You overdid it again, Hikaru." Kaoru sighs. Masahiro lets out a groan of frustration, shouting after her as she leaves.
Leaning against the wall of the hallway, Haruhi frowns as she starts to realize that Tamaki isn't the only one she has feelings for. For the longest time, the twins had been nothing but friends to her. However, try as she might, she just can't ignore the feelings building up inside of her.
"I need to talk to them." She says out loud, laying her head back against the wall and closing her eyes.
Kazuo walks into the hallway and spies her quietly leaning against the wall with a gloomy look upon her face. "You okay, Haruhi?" He says, taking a stand beside her. Haruhi opens her eyes and looks at him "I'm doing alright, I guess. This whole break up and fight thing is making me go crazy." Kazuo wraps an arm around her waist and lays her head on his shoulder "Do you want to talk about it?"
A slight blush crawls into Haruhi's cheeks and she smiles sideways at him "I don't want to disappoint anyone or lose any friends, but I really want to take things slowly. Last time, things got rushed and I was basically forced into dating Tamaki because people told me I loved him. I want it to go differently this time."
"Then take it slow and just relax. Enjoy life and things are bound to happen naturally." Kazuo says "But, I definitely suggest talking to the twins. There is clearly something going on between you three and I think you should work it out together."
"Thanks for listening to me, Kazuo." Haruhi says, smiling happily at him. Kazuo caresses her face and gives her a quick peck upon the cheek "Anything for a dear friend." Haruhi blushes as he leans his forehead against hers, smirking brightly at her. As they stand there together, Kaoru comes out into the hallway and frowns as he sees them cuddling. He lets out a sigh right as the bell signalling the end of school resounds through the hall. Averting his eyes to the ground, Kaoru does his best to pretend he doesn't see Haruhi and Kazuo pull away from each other.
"See ya around, Haruhi." Kazuo says with a wave of his hand, walking past Kaoru and winking at him as he heads into the music room.
Haruhi turns her head and sees Kaoru standing there by the music room entrance, frowning as she realizes he must have witnessed what happened between her and Kazuo. "Hey, Haru, I was coming to see if you needed a ride." Kaoru mumbles quietly, stepping away from the doorway as their guests start to exit the room.
"If you don't mind being stuck with me, sure." Haruhi says, smiling painfully at him. He returns the smile, Hikaru appearing behind him with an angry Masahiro. "I hope you plan on making up for the money we lost, today." Masahiro says, glaring at Haruhi. "Put it on our tab and we'll take care of it." Kaoru says, waving him away. With a look of irritation, Masahiro heads down the hallway opposite of them.
"Ready to go, Haruhi?" Kaoru says as he and Hikaru turn to head towards the front of the school. With a smile of relief, Haruhi follows after them, glad to have Kaoru at least talking to her.
Sitting there in silence, Hikaru and Haruhi stare at one another in the backseat of the limo; Kaoru frowning as he tries calming Hikaru down with a hand upon his shoulder. The town rushes by them as they make their way towards Haruhi's apartment complex.
Haruhi bows before them "I'm sorry for being so mean to you both. You're the best friends I could have ever asked for and I feel like I almost pushed you away."
Cringing at the word 'friends', Hikaru lets out a sigh of irritation "It's fine, it just really hurt to be hated for simply helping you out."
"We like having you as a friend as well, Haruhi. That's why we were fine with helping you." Kaoru says "We just wished you would have talked things out with us last night instead of getting so angry."
"That's why I'd like to thank you properly for helping me." Haruhi says, smiling sweetly at them "Would you like to come up for dinner and tea?"
The two boys stare at one another out of the corner of their eyes, remaining silent as the limo comes to a stop outside of Haruhi's place. She stares at them expectantly as they continue to stay silent.
"Sorry for being a bother." She says quietly before jumping out of the backseat of the limo.
Taking the stairs quickly, Haruhi feels her eyes water as she tries to forget about the limo behind her. She reaches her front door and tries to unlock it, her shaky hands having trouble with the keys.
Kaoru and Hikaru sigh in sync, both of them deciding that their charade has gone on long enough. Afraid to lose their friend and possible lover they both climb out of the backseat and shut the door behind them.
Cupping their hands to their mouths, they decide to call out to her. "Hey, Haruhi-!" Kaoru shouts, making her accidentally drop her keys as she hears his voice. "Does your offer still stand?!" Hikaru finishes for his brother; Haruhi turning around and smiling brightly as her eyes brim with tears. She nods her head profusely, the twins breathing sighs of relief.
As Haruhi wipes away her tears and picks up the keys to unlock the door, the twins make their way up the stairs to meet with her. She slides the key into the lock right as they come up behind her and hug her from behind. "You do owe us a dinner date, remember?" Hikaru says with a mischievous smirk. Haruhi pushes open the door and wiggles away from them "I remember, silly."
They head into her apartment and Kaoru closes the door behind them as she walks into the kitchen to begin their tea and dinner. "I hope you don't mind leftovers." She says as she puts on a pot of tea. Hikaru and Kaoru lean against the door frame of her kitchen and watch as she digs through her refrigerator for some leftover ramen. "You know how we feel about leftovers." Kaoru says with a smirk as she starts to boil the ramen.
Haruhi prepares their utensils, bowls, and cups for their dinner as the two boys watch her go about the kitchen without saying a word. She becomes nervous as they remain quiet, jumping as the teapot whistle breaks the silence. As she goes to grab it off the burner, her hand accidentally touches the pot itself and shrinks back as it becomes burnt. Kaoru leaves his place on the wall and grabs her hand, bringing it to his lips and kissing it gently. Haruhi's heart flutters at his touch, her cheeks turning a slight shade of pink as she stares at her hand.
The sound of water boiling over breaks their moment and she quickly pulls away, grabbing the ramen off of the heat. "Would you guys set the table?" She says, pointing to the stack of bowls, cups and utensils upon the counter as she prepares their meal. Hikaru and Kaoru do as they're told, exiting the kitchen.
Moments later, they find themselves sitting at the Fujioka kotatsu with bowls of ramen and cups of green tea. Kaoru takes a bite of his noodles and smiles at the taste, making Haruhi blush as he stares at her.
Hikaru looks down at his bowl of ramen and sighs "Hey, Haru, how do you feel about Tamaki right now?"
Haruhi sets down her bowl "I know that I still love him, just not as much as I used to."
"So, do you plan on still going after him?" Hikaru asks her quietly.
"Honestly, I don't know. I really want to take things slowly and just see what happens." Haruhi shrugs.
Kaoru gives her a nod of understanding "That's a good idea, Haruhi. Me and Hika will back you up until you figure things out."
"Like we said, Haruhi... we love you." Hikaru mumbles quietly.
A genuine smile of happiness spreads across her face, her heart swelling with love at the sincerity of her friend's words. She stares at the two boys across from her, seeing them in a different light than before.
Hikaru and Kaoru notice the strange look upon her face and frown. "We can't help you if you keep things to yourself, Haruhi." Kaoru says, setting his bowl down upon the table. "Tell us what's up." Hikaru says, copying his brother.
Haruhi shakes her head to clear her thoughts and smiles "It's nothing. Don't worry about it. I'm okay." "We're not taking okay for an answer." Hikaru snaps, making her swallow back a nervous knot.
Heart beating nervously, Haruhi decides to share her feelings "I'm just happy to have you guys as supports." Both boys blush slightly as she continues on "I regret being so mean to you guys. I could barely stand a day without you guys. I don't want to imagine what a whole life would be like." Her face heats up at her words "I-I've got to go do dishes." She gets up and quickly runs into her kitchen, closing the door behind her. Her chest constricts as she stands there, completely shocked by the fact that she just admitted her feelings to her friends.
Sharing looks of confusion, Hikaru and Kaoru approach the door and open it slowly. Haruhi stands there in the middle of the kitchen with her back turned to them. Kaoru approaches her and gently places his hands upon her shoulders, making her heart skip a beat. "Are you okay, Haruhi?" He says softly.
Hikaru leans against the door frame and smirks "You sure do dishes in a funny manner." Haruhi lets out a small chuckle, making both of her friends smile. Kaoru wraps his arms around her waist and rests his head upon hers. He sighs and gently squeezes her, making slight tingles run down her spine.
Coming around to the front of her, Hikaru looks down at her and notices her face turning bright red with embarrassment. He grips her chin and brings her face up to look at him, blushing as their eyes meet. Haruhi nervously chews on her bottom lip as he stares down at her.
"We feel the same way about you, Haruhi." He says quietly, his blush darkening as he confesses their feelings to her. A bright smile lights up Haruhi's face as she looks up at them.
"Let's not fight like this again. Okay, Haru?" Kaoru sighs as he hugs her tightly "And, let's not ignore each other, too. It hurt a lot to do that to you."
"I like that idea." Haruhi says, burying her face in Hikaru's chest as he pulls her into a hug.
Both boys smile happily and kiss her upon the top of her head, the three of them nervously hugging one another. Too busy with paying attention to one another, they don't notice the front door opening or Ranka walking into the apartment. He blinks in shock at the scene before him and angrily clears his throat, watching as the three kids quickly pull away from each other.
"H-hey, dad, is everything okay?" Haruhi stutters nervously, pretending nothing was happening between her and the twins.
Ranka eyes the teens, noticing the nervousness upon their faces "I forgot my wallet." He glares at the two boys and they quickly feign yawns, pardoning themselves as they rush towards the front door. Haruhi frowns as she watches them slip their shoes on and leave, saddened by the abrupt ending of their visit.
"So, what was going on in here?" Ranka says, noticing the sadness upon Haruhi's face.
Haruhi runs a hand through her hair nervously "Nothing, dad. I was just doing dishes."
A smirk plays upon Ranka's face and he pats her on the head,"I'll look the other way for now. But, I know something is going on between you three and I really hope you'll tell me when the time is right." Haruhi blushes as she watches him leave, trying her best not to think about what just happened. She breathes a sigh of relief as he closes the door behind him, glad that she's on good terms with the twins. Now she would just need to make up with Tamaki and everything would be great.
Ranka approaches the Hitachiin limo still sitting outside of his apartment and knocks on the back window. Hikaru and Kaoru nervously open the door, trying their best to flash him genuine smiles. He glares at them and points a finger at them both "You better take good care of my daughter or I will kill you both. Got it?" Swallowing back nervous knots, they nod their heads 'yes' profusely, watching as he smirks and waves goodbye; heading down the street in the opposite direction.
"Did he just give us his blessing?" Kaoru says, taken aback by Ranka's sudden actions.
Hikaru smiles brightly "I think he did..."
"Guess we'll just have to work harder to win Haruhi over." Kaoru says, feeling giddy at the thought of Haruhi being with him.
"Right you are." Hikaru nods his head in agreement, imagining a future with Haruhi in his arms.
The two of them daydream as their limo takes off towards their home.