The Hitachiin limo comes to a stop outside of the Haninozuka estates, one of many limos parked out front. Staring out the window, Haruhi takes in the decor and size of the mansion and shakes her head. Having never seen Honey's mansion before, she finds herself in awe over how huge it is.
"Yay! Hika-chan and Kao-chan are here!" Honey squeals happily as he and Reiko approach the Hitachiin limo. Honey, dressed as the Mad Hatter, holds down his tall hat as he bounces towards the limo. Reiko, dressed as Alice, creeps after him.
Opening the door, Haruhi pops out and smiles as she spies Honey and Reiko standing before her. With a squeak of delight, Honey throws his arms around her waist and hugs her tightly "I'm so happy you could come, Haru-chan."
"Hey, Honey-Senpai. Thanks for inviting me." Haruhi chuckles as she looks down at him.
"You're such a cute kitty, Haru-chan." Honey says, pulling away from her so he can return to Reiko's side.
"Finally someone notices that I'm a cat." Haruhi says, glaring over her shoulder "Hikaru and Kaoru keep calling me a raccoon."
"That's because you're our little raccoon." Kaoru says, climbing out of the limo behind her.
"They're still cat ears." Reiko mumbles, causing Haruhi to chuckle to herself. Kaoru flashes her a mischievous grin as he steps aside to let Hikaru climb out.
"I love your costume, Kao-chan." Honey says, watching as Hikaru adjusts his costume "Yours too, Hika-chan."
"They suit us perfectly, don't you think?" Hikaru says, running a hand through his hair as he stares over at Haruhi.
Honey notices this and turns towards Haruhi "I see Hika-chan and Kao-chan are your dates for the night. I'm so happy for you guys!" The twins feel their faces heat up; Haruhi taking a few steps away from them to signal that Honey is wrong.
"It's not what it looks like." Haruhi stutters, too nervous to look at her friends "We're not together, if that's what you think. We just came to the party together, that's all."
Frowns make their way upon Hikaru and Kaoru's faces, saddened by her denial of being their date.
Observing the gloomy looks upon their faces, Honey quickly grabs the twins by the hands and begins pulling them towards his family's dojo "Let's go have some fun! The party just started."He gives Reiko a nod as he walks past her and Haruhi, trying to prevent the trio from making a scene.
"Those boys seem to be stealing your soul." Reiko says, reaching up to play with Haruhi's cat ears.
Haruhi feels her face heat up and she looks away from Reiko "I don't know what you're talking about, Senpai."
Hikaru sighs and lets Honey lead the way, a heaviness growing in his heart as he looks over his shoulder at Haruhi. An equally gloomy look mixed with a tinge of pink graces Haruhi's face as she stands before Reiko.
"They love you and you love them." Reiko says, watching as Haruhi looks towards the retreating boys. Haruhi's eyes meet Hikaru's and she flashes him a small smile, feeling her heart ache as he turns away from her. "Do I really love them?" She mumbles quietly, grasping at her dress "All I've ever thought of them as is friends."
Kaoru entwines his fingers with Honey's hand, gripping his hand for support as they head towards the dojo. He turns towards Hikaru and flashes him a pained smile, wrapping his arm around his shoulder.
"Well, they are my friends. So, I guess I do love them." Haruhi says, turning back towards Reiko. "Not like that, silly." Reiko says, winking at her. Haruhi frowns in confusion, staring at the backs of her friends.
"Just go to the party and have fun with them, okay?" Reiko says, hooking her arm with Haruhi's "Whether you're with them or not, you did come to the party with them." Haruhi nods her head in understanding. "I do want to go to the party and have a good time." She says to herself, watching her friends walk away.
"I should've known it was too good to be true." Hikaru sighs, wrapping his arm around Kaoru's shoulder "No matter what we do, she's just going to wind up going back to Tamaki."
They reach the stairs to the dojo entrance and come to a stop. Honey takes a stand before them and glares down at them "Haru-chan is clearly embarrassed and confused. I doubt she denied being your date because she wants to go back to Tamaki."
"Well, why else would she deny it?" Hikaru mumbles, crossing his arms against his chest. A smile appears on Honey's face as he looks behind his two identical friends.
"Because she loves you guys, but doesn't want to admit it." Reiko says, pushing her way between the twins and taking a stand by Honey. Honey grabs her hand and smiles up at her, enjoying their game of matchmaking.
"We're going to head inside. See you at the snack bar." Honey says, winking at the twins as he and Reiko disappear through the entrance.
Hikaru and Kaoru turn around and spot Haruhi standing behind them, her face slightly flustered. They stare down at her and smile sweetly, blushing as she flashes them her signature smile.
"Let's go have a good time, guys." She says happily, staring up at her two best friends.
"Does this mean we're still your dates?" Kaoru asks her quietly, preparing himself for more rejection. Hikaru chews on his lip as he looks down at her, awaiting her answer.
Swallowing back a nervous knot, Haruhi nods her head 'yes'. Squeals of happiness escape Hikaru and Kaoru and they grab her into a hug, squeezing her tightly between them.
Pressing kisses to her head, they make their way into the party together.
"Yes, I'm aware you don't like it. But, I don't care. Fix it!" Kyoya says sternly into his phone, slamming it shut. He adjusts his tuxedo as he looks out at all the guests dancing on the dance floor. He'd much rather be at work right now, but he just couldn't say no to Tamaki who had begged him to come so he wouldn't be alone while facing Haruhi and the twins.
"These stuffed mushrooms are delicious." Tamaki says, shoving one in his mouth and grabbing another. "You'll give yourself a stomach ache with the way you're eating." Kyoya says as he punches in some numbers on his phone, an amused smile on his face as he watches Tamaki gobble down appetizers. "I can't help it," Tamaki says in-between bites "I'm worried about how I'm going to act tonight around Haruhi." Rolling his eyes, Yasuchika hands him a napkin to wipe off the juice on his chin right as Haruhi and the twins arrive at the snack bar.
"I see you've made up." Honey says with a playful smirk, causing the trio to blush. He turns to the snack bar and starts sampling a multitude of candies as he cuddles into Reiko.
"Yo, guys, nice costumes!" Satoshi says in between shoveling chips in his mouth. "Thanks. I like your vampire costume. Nicely done." Haruhi says, sampling a cheese appetizer. He smirks at her, flashing his fake fangs.
Tamaki finally notices the trio's arrival and chuckles nervously, setting his food down on the table as he makes his way over to them. He takes notice of Haruhi's dress, blown away by how pretty she looks.
"Haruhi! I'm so glad you made it." He says, yanking her away from the twins and grabbing her into a hug.
"It's nice to see you again, Senpai." Haruhi says, gently pulling away from him.
With a nod of his head, Tamaki acknowledges Hikaru and Kaoru "And, here are the little devils."
"Hey boss, nice costume." Hikaru says, taking in Tamaki's face-paint and dog ears.
"Never thought I'd actually see you turn into a dog." Kaoru chuckles "Now your puppy eyes are more believable."
Tamaki bats his eyelashes at them playfully, flashing them his famous puppy-dog eyes. The two boys return the look with sly grins, watching as Tamaki turns his attention back to Haruhi.
Clearing his throat, he stares down at her "You look really pretty today, Haruhi. Where did you get that dress?"
Haruhi nods at the twins with her head "I think they gave it to me back in Christmas." Tamaki forces a smile "They sure do know how to make nice clothes, huh?" Haruhi nods her head in agreement.
Both of them stare at each other for a few moments, nodding their heads and smirking in silence as they try to come up with a conversation. Hikaru and Kaoru glare at them as they stand there, trying their best not to be so jealous.
"Heya, bro!" Satoshi shouts out happily, breaking the silence. Dressed as the grim reaper, Mori shows up at the snack bar and nods at his little brother.
He takes a stand beside the twins, watching Haruhi and Tamaki stand together in awkward silence. Looking down at the twins, he frowns as he notices the irritation upon their faces.
Placing a hand upon Hikaru's head, he smiles down at him. Hikaru looks up at him in confusion.
"Ask her to dance." Mori grunts, nodding his head towards Haruhi.
"She's currently preoccupied with Tono if you haven't noticed." Hikaru grumbles, trying not to look at Haruhi "Probably doesn't want me to interrupt her."
Mori turns towards Kaoru and pats him on the shoulder "You go dance with her, then."
"You think she'd agree?" Kaoru says, frowning as he looks towards his two friends.
"I don't see why she wouldn't dance with you." Mori says, pushing him towards Haruhi and Tamaki.
Kaoru takes a deep breath and nods his head at Mori before heading over to the two ex-lovers and taking a stand beside them. They turn to face him, wondering what he has to say.
His heart beats nervously in his chest and he takes another deep breath. "Haruhi, would you... dance with me?" He mumbles, bowing before her. A blush crawls into Haruhi's cheeks and she chuckles as he straightens himself out.
Tamaki watches a smile spread upon her face. Turning towards Kaoru, Haruhi bows her head at him "I would love to dance with you, Kaoru."
Smiling brightly, Kaoru offers her his hand and she grips it tightly as he leads her to the dance floor.
Hikaru and Tamaki stand around the snack bar, moping as they munch on food and try to forget about Haruhi being with Kaoru.
"Ask her to dance next." Mori grunts from his place between them "It's not like she can't dance with both of you."
Tamaki shoves a mushroom into his mouth and eyes Hikaru out of the corner of his eye, taking note of the gloomy look upon his face.
"Cheer up, Hikaru." He says, smiling sideways at him "Haruhi hasn't made a decision. She's just dancing with him."
Hikaru looks sideways at him and nods "That is true, huh?"
Kaoru spins Haruhi around as they move to the music, a slight blush on both of their cheeks. Returning from the spin, Haruhi clasps hands with him and smiles up at him.
"Hey, Haruhi, sorry for all the arguing today." He says, moving a hand to her hip.
A slight tingle runs down her spine at his touch "Don't worry about it anymore, okay?" She flashes him a comforting smile and his blush deepens.
The music picks up speed and they change their pace, Haruhi laughing as he grips both of her hips in order for them to dance faster.
"Would it be crossing the line if I asked you to go on a date with me sometime?" Kaoru says, moving them through the crowd.
Haruhi nervously bites her lip as she looks up at him, his eyes sparkling as he quietly waits for an answer. They pass Honey and Reiko as they move into the center of the dance floor. Kaoru looks down at her as they weave in and out of different couples. The light in his eyes begins to die down as Haruhi refuses to give him an answer. She had promised herself not to let love get in the way of life this time. In fact, she had told both twins that, too. So, him asking her on a date has put her in a rough position.
The song slowly approaches its end as they stare at one another quietly. She contemplates what she should tell him, feeling his hands grip her tightly as he fights back emotions. She doesn't want to hurt him, but at the same time she doesn't want to break her promise to herself and rush things.
A look of disappointment makes its way onto Kaoru's face and he sighs "Forget I asked. Sorry, Haruhi." His response breaking her out of her thoughts.
Feeling guilty, Haruhi reaches a hand up to his face and rests it on his cheek. "What if I said maybe?" She says quietly, staring deep into his eyes.
They come to a stop and Kaoru reaches up to grab her hand. "At least it's not a no." He says, giving her a pained smile.
A new song begins and Haruhi notices the change in music. Grabbing him by the hand, she starts to head towards the snack bar "Let's go visit the others."
"Hey, Haruhi, hold on for a moment." He says, yanking her arm and bringing her towards him. She stares up at him with confusion as he wraps his arms around her waist and pulls her towards him.
"Is everything okay, Kaoru?" She mumbles against his chest, feeling her heart flutter.
"I just wanted a few more moments with you before I have to share you." He says quietly, looking down at the small girl in his arms.
Haruhi frowns and looks up at him, noticing the sadness in his eyes "It's not like you don't get to see me much, you know." His heart constricts with a mix of joy and sadness as he presses her against him and hugs her tightly. Haruhi wraps her arms around him, hoping to make him feel better.
Moments later, they pull away from each other. Kaoru grabs her hands in his and sighs "Guess we should head back, huh?"
Tamaki and Hikaru smile as they spot them returning, setting their food down upon the table and approaching them.
"Hey, Haruhi, would you dance with me?!" They both say in sync, glaring at each other as they finish their sentences. Haruhi blinks at them in surprise, taken aback by their forcefulness.
Honey appears between them and chuckles "Let's go bob for apples, guys!"
"What's that?" Hikaru says, glaring down at his tiny friend.
"Only one of the coolest commoner games ever." Honey says, pulling Hikaru and Tamaki by the arms "You love kick the can, so I know you'll love this game, too."
"I'll try it, then." Tamaki says as they approach a giant bucket of apples and water beside the snack bar. He blinks at the bucket in confusion and tilts his head to the side "How do you play?"
"It's simple. Just bend over the bucket and try to catch an apple with your mouth. You can't use your hands." Honey says with a smirk "Who wants to go first?"
Kaoru comes up and wraps an arm around his brother's shoulder "We'll go first." Hikaru looks sideways at him as he flashes him a playful smirk. With a nod of their heads, they approach the bucket and sit down on their knees.
"Ready, Hika?" Kaoru says, smiling sideways at his brother.
"Ready, Kaoru!" Hikaru says, turning his attention to the bucket.
Both of them duck their faces into the water at the same time, capturing apples in their mouths within mere seconds. They pull up their completely dry faces and drop their apples into their hands. Haruhi watches them stand up together, laughing at the goofy grins on their faces.
Light applause surrounds them and they bow at the others, winking at Haruhi as they approach her.
"So, what didja think, Har-u-hi?" They say in sync, taking big bites from their apples.
"You guys were awesome." She says, smiling up at them "Made it look way too easy."
"What can we say-" Hikaru says with a smirk.
"We're good with our mouths." Kaoru finishes his brother's sentence, flashing her a suggestive wink.
Haruhi feels her face heat up and she quickly averts her eyes. The twins chuckle at her embarrassment, turning their attention to Honey as he approaches them.
"Great job, guys!" He says happily, before looking around at the others "Who wants to go next?"
"Don't look at me. I'd rather not make a buffoon of myself." Yasuchika says, glaring daggers at his brother.
Tamaki grabs Haruhi by the arm and starts to pull her towards the bucket "We'll go next, then."
Haruhi frowns at him and tries to pull away "I don't want to get wet, Senpai."
"You totally fit your costume, Haruhi." Honey chuckles as he approaches them, making the twins nod with agreement.
"But, Haruhi..." Tamaki whines, batting his puppy dog eyes at her as he clings to her arm.
Turning to Tamaki, Honey grabs him by the arm and pulls him towards the bucket "I'll go with you, Tama-chan."
Hikaru and Kaoru watch as Tamaki squats before the bucket. "Good luck, Boss!" They giggle as he turns to glare at them.
"Mark my words; I will totally beat you guys at bobbing for apples!" He says, pointing a finger at them before turning back to the bucket. Hikaru and Kaoru smirk as they watch him and Honey dip their faces into the water.
After a few moments, Honey manages to trap an apple between the wall and his mouth and grabs it out quickly.
"Look, Reiko, I did it!" He squeals happily as he grabs the apple out of his mouth and stands up. Smiling up at Reiko, he giggles as she kisses his forehead. They turn their attention back to Tamaki, watching him struggle to capture an apple.
Tamaki frowns and ducks his head into the water, fighting with an apple at the bottom of the bucket. Water splashes out all over him as he tries his best to grab the apple with his teeth, only to have it slip away from him. Behind him Kyoya lets out a quiet snort of amusement, sneaking a picture of him with his phone.
"Looks like he's having trouble." Kaoru says, taking a bite out of his apple.
Haruhi watches him struggle and frowns, feeling bad about not going with him.
Kyoya bows down beside him "You might want to give up, Tamaki. You're making a mess all over the floor."
Tamaki glares up at him "I refuse to give up!" He wiggles his head in the bucket like a dog, wrestling with the apple against the wall of the bucket. Hikaru and Kaoru snicker under their breath, watching him splash most of the water onto the floor.
"He really is a dog." Hikaru laughs, watching as Tamaki finally catches the apple in his mouth and pulls his head out of the water.
"I did it!" He says happily, wiggling the hair out of his eyes and splashing water around as he stands up.
"Good job, Senpai." Haruhi says, blinking in confusion as he approaches her and drops the apple in her hands. Hikaru and Kaoru slap their sides, laughing harder as his dog ears droop down on his head.
Tamaki sends glares their way, frowning as Satoshi and the others join in laughing at him. Haruhi pats him on the head "Thank you for the apple." His face lights up and he smiles happily, placing a kiss upon her forehead. Hikaru and Kaoru stop laughing, eyeing him as he nervously scratches his head.
Haruhi stares down at the apple in her hand and smirks, embarrassed by Tamaki. Hikaru and Kaoru stand together, watching Haruhi stand before Tamaki with a blush to her cheeks.
"Ask her to dance." Kaoru hisses quietly, elbowing Hikaru in the side.
Hikaru frowns "I'm not sure she'd want to dance, right now. I'd just be stepping in the way of her and Tono. You know I can't do that."
Kaoru glares at him "Did you forget what Reiko said or do you honestly not care about finally having a chance to go after her?"
"What the hell, Kaoru? You know I like her." Hikaru snaps, glaring back at his brother.
"Well, if you did, you'd be over there asking her to dance." Kaoru says, taking a few steps towards Haruhi "Like I told you before, if you're going to love her so halfheartedly, then you don't deserve her. I'm going to go ask her to dance, again."
Hikaru watches his brother retreat and panics, rushing over to where Haruhi stands with Tamaki.
Tamaki turns towards him and smirks "Hey, Hika, how's it going?"
Ignoring Tamaki's question, he grabs Haruhi by the shoulder and turns her to face him. Haruhi looks up from her apple and blushes, smiling at him as he stares in her eyes.
"What's wrong, Hika?" She says, watching a blush creep into his cheeks.
"Dance with me, Haruhi. Please?" He says quietly, trying not to appear too timid. Haruhi swallows back a nervous knot and tries to speak, only to be cut off as Hikaru shoves his mouth against hers. Feeling her heart flutter in her chest, Haruhi gently relaxes into the kiss.
Tamaki watches them kiss and frowns, feeling a hand upon his shoulder. He looks sideways to see Kyoya. "Now would be a good time to go dry yourself off." He says, handing him a towel. "There's a dryer you can use in the guest bathroom just in the next room over." Honey explains, yanking on his arm. Taking the hint, Tamaki grips the towel and heads out of the dance hall to go dry himself off and give himself some time away from them.
Hikaru smiles against Haruhi's mouth and gently pulls away "So, is that a yes?"
"O-of course, Hika." Haruhi stutters, a shy smile upon her lips. She hands her apple off to Kaoru who looks down at it and frowns, trying to hide the sad look upon his face.
Offering her his hand, Hikaru grins as they run onto the dance floor together. Kaoru feels slightly jealous as they retreat, throwing the apple in the nearby trash can.
"You okay, Kao-chan?" Honey says as he and Reiko approach him.
"I'm just worried, that's all." Kaoru says, staring at all the people on the dance floor.
"About Haruhi?" Reiko says, eyeing him curiously.
Kaoru nods his head "I'm happy that she has feelings for us, but I just don't want to chance almost losing Hikaru, again."
"You didn't lose him the first time, Kao-chan. You guys are stronger than this." Honey says, smiling up at him.
"But, we actually have a chance with Haruhi and we don't want to share her." Kaoru frowns "What're we supposed to do?"
"Just take things slowly and see what happens. I have faith in you guys." Honey says "I'm sure everything will work out fine." Kaoru smiles down at him, feeling a little bit better.
Hikaru and Haruhi blush as they swing each other around. They weave their way through the multiple dancing couples, enjoying the music.
Trying his best not to appear too nervous, Hikaru smiles down at her as they do a turn "Hey, Haruhi, are you enjoying the party?" She feels his hands grip hers a little tighter and she stares up at him, noticing how tense he looks.
"I'm having a lot of fun, Hika." She squeaks as he bows her down and pulls her back up.
"I'm happy to hear it." He says, biting his lip before continuing on "Do you think we could hang out again after this?"
Haruhi feels her face burn "Are you asking me out on a date, Hika?" He averts his eyes to the side, nodding his head 'yes'.
Feeling herself choke up, Haruhi gives him a painful smile as they dance their way through the crowd. First Kaoru asks her out and now Hikaru. Like before, she's torn between wanting to take things easy and wanting to make her friends happy.
Hikaru stares deep into her eyes, a frown forming on his lips as she remains silent. She stares back at him, unsure of what she should say. A part of her wants to take a chance and see what dating the twins would be like. However, she barely just broke up with Tamaki and hasn't even had a chance to come to terms with everything. This whole love and relationship thing is just too complicated and she can't help but feel like things are going too fast.
"I'm going to take that as a no." He mumbles, a heaviness growing in his chest.
"It's not a no, Hika." Haruhi says quietly, looking up into his glossy eyes.
"Then what is it, Haruhi?" Hikaru sighs, slowing their pace as they reach the center of the dance floor.
Haruhi looks away "It's more like a maybe."
A scowl crosses Hikaru's face "Of course it is. You'll never give me a chance, will you?"
"Don't be like that, Hika. I said 'yes' to being your date tonight, didn't I?" Haruhi says, hoping he'll calm down.
"Only because we practically forced you to." Hikaru rolls his eyes "Yet, for some reason, you say 'yes' to Tamaki almost instantly."
"I said 'no' to him today. That counts for something right?" Haruhi barks, beginning to grow frustrated with him.
"You asked him out this morning, so that doesn't count." Hikaru snaps "I just know you're going to say 'yes' to dancing with him once we're done, so what's your point?" He comes to a stop and pulls away from her.
Haruhi folds her arms in front of her and frowns Why are you being so mean, Hika?"
"Because I'm tired of being second best to Tamaki. I just wish you would look at me for once and give me a chance." Hikaru says quietly, refusing to look at her "I'm such a fool for thinking that things would be different the second time around."
Tearing up, Haruhi takes a step towards him "That's not true and you know it."
"Just go dance with Tamaki, okay, Haruhi?" Hikaru says, walking towards the snack bar and leaving her behind. Haruhi stares after him, feeling her heart ache as she stands there alone on the dance floor.
Kaoru notices Hikaru coming towards him and frowns "Why aren't you guys dancing? What's going on?" "I don't want to talk about it." Hikaru barks, walking past him and approaching Tamaki who sits at a table near the snack bar.
Tamaki swallows his bite of cake and smiles up at him "Hey, Hikaru, what's up?"
Hikaru glares down at him "Go dance with Haruhi. I don't know why she said 'yes' to being our date when all she wants to do is be with you."
A frown graces Tamaki's mouth "Did something happen between you guys? Where is she?"
Haruhi appears behind them, glaring daggers at Hikaru. "Apparently Hikaru thinks he knows how I feel." She barks, her arms crossed tightly against her chest.
"Yeah, well, you practically ooze love for Tamaki." Hikaru says, rolling his eyes "Why'd you even break up with him if you were just going to be all over him?"
Kaoru places a hand upon Hikaru's shoulder "Stop arguing, Hikaru. You're acting like a spoiled brat right now."
Tamaki looks back and forth at them and stands up in front of them "Perhaps we should go outside and talk about this."
"There's nothing to say." Hikaru mumbles, glaring at Haruhi out of the corner of his eye.
"Would you dance with me, Tamaki?" Haruhi says, ignoring Hikaru's angry glares.
Tamaki scratches his head nervously "Of course, Haruhi." She holds out a hand and he grabs it gently, following after her onto the dance floor.
Hikaru takes a seat at the table, laying his head down upon his arms.
"You okay, Hika?" Kaoru says, taking a seat beside him "Looks like the old you is back."
"I asked her out on a date." Hikaru mumbles, staring at the crowd before them "She said no, of course."
Kaoru frowns "And, you snapped at her because you think she's choosing Tamaki?"
"I couldn't help it, Kaoru. Why does she say 'yes' to Tono and never to us?" Hikaru sighs, putting his face in his arms.
"She said 'yes' to us tonight, didn't she?" Kaoru says, wrapping an arm around Hikaru's shoulders in an attempt to cheer him up.
"Not because she wanted to." Hikaru sighs, wiping the smile off Kaoru's face.
Looking over at the dance floor, Kaoru watches as Haruhi and Tamaki dance together slowly. His heart grows heavy as they stare at one another, trying to fight off the feeling that Haruhi only agreed to go with them because she feels sorry for them. He lets out a little sigh and rests his head on his hand.
Haruhi swallows a nervous knot as she stares up at Tamaki, pangs of guilt making her heart ache as they dance together. Try as she might to enjoy herself during this party, she just can't seem to stop messing things up.
"Are you okay, Haruhi?" Tamaki says, staring down into her brown eyes.
Nodding her head 'yes', Haruhi grips his hands tighter as they weave around the dance floor.
Tamaki notices the sadness in her eyes and pulls her closer to him as they dance. "You're upset over your fight with Hikaru, aren't you?" He says quietly, wrapping his arms around her waist and hugging her as they dance.
"I wish he hadn't gotten so mad at me." She says, returning the hug "I've been trying to be fair to everyone during this break up. It looks like I can't do anything right."
"Don't say that, Haruhi." Tamaki says, smiling gently at her "You haven't done anything wrong." Haruhi hugs him tightly as they waltz around the other couples, her face buried in his chest. She feels her chest grow heavy as images of Hikaru and Kaoru's sad faces flash briefly in her mind.
"If that were true, then why do I feel so guilty every time I hurt one of you guys." She mumbles, trying her best to choke back her emotions.
Tamaki frowns, rubbing her back as they dance together. "You're a good person, Haruhi. You care about others and that's why we love you." He says quietly, a slight blush creeping into his cheeks.
Pulling away from him, Haruhi looks up at him with glossy eyes, giving him a pained smile. "Thank you for being so understanding. I really appreciate not having to argue with you, too." Her hands squeeze at the fabric of his shirt as she thinks of all the fights she has had so far.
The music dies down and changes to a more quiet song. They slow their pace, holding each other as they dance in time with the music.
"I hope you know that I love you a lot, Haruhi." Tamaki says, caressing her cheek gently "I've got your back no matter what you decide to do."
Tears cloud Haruhi's eyes as she looks up at him "I know I can count on you, Senpai. I just wish you guys got along more. I can't stand it when you fight."
"Sorry, Haruhi. I guess it's just hard to get along with others who share the same feelings as you do for someone." Tamaki says, eyeing the twins from over her head. Kaoru lays on Hikaru's shoulder, staring back at him with a blank expression.
"We're friends first and foremost. Shouldn't that matter more?" Haruhi says, looking up at him.
"It does matter. I promise not to provoke them from now on." Tamaki says, smiling down at her "Although, with Hikaru and Kaoru, it's hard not to."
Haruhi nods her head, chuckling with agreement. He hugs her against him as they slowly dance together, glad to see her cheering up.
With shaky hands, Tamaki reaches down and lifts her chin to have her look up at him "Haruhi, you love Hikaru and Kaoru, don't you?"
Haruhi's face flushes and she quickly averts her eyes to the ground. "Why are you asking me this?" She mumbles, unable to look at him.
"You've been acting weird around them." He says, scratching his head nervously "I know you guys have always been close, but you seem to have gotten closer to them lately."
"Don't be silly, Tamaki. We're just friends." She says, sneaking a glance at Hikaru and Kaoru out of the corner of her eye. She frowns as she notices a grimace on Kaoru's face, worrying that she might be pushing her friends away.
Tamaki watches the change in her expression and places both hands upon her shoulders, stopping them from dancing. She turns her attention to him and fakes a smile, trying to ignore the feelings bubbling up inside of her.
"You know you don't have to lie to me, Haruhi." Tamaki says sternly, staring down into her eyes.
"I honestly don't know what I feel. People keep telling me I love them." Haruhi says quietly, swallowing back a nervous knot as she looks into his eyes "I really do like being with them. I just don't know if it's love."
Tamaki frowns at her revelation "It sounds like love to me, Haruhi." Haruhi intakes her breath and quickly closes her eyes, feeling her heart flutter wildly as she contemplates his words.
"Hika and Kao asked me to go on dates with them." She says quietly, chewing on her lip.
"You turned them down, huh? Is that why they're so upset?" Tamaki says, looking over at the twins. Haruhi nods her head 'yes', opening her eyes and turning her attention to her two friends. Kaoru stares back at her and smiles for just a brief moment, making her feel a little less guilty.
"You should say yes." Tamaki sighs, looking back down at her "You said you like to spend time with them, right?" Haruhi feels her guilt diminish and she looks up at him, shocked by what he just said.
"It wouldn't be fair to everyone." She says, twiddling her thumbs.
Tamaki chuckles and pats her shoulder "How isn't it fair? You and me already have a date planned. If you plan one with both of them, you will have given everyone a chance."
Haruhi flashes him a happy smile and throws her arms around him. He smiles and hugs her back, glad to have helped her. She looks up at him and reaches a hand up to wipe his bangs out of his face. "Thank you for your help, Tamaki." She says, her eyes sparkling as she stares up at him.
Caressing her cheek, Takaki bends down to kiss her gently upon the forehead, blushing as he pulls away. "I love you, Haruhi." He says quietly,"I'll always love you, no matter what decision you make."
Haruhi feels her heart beat rapidly as he grabs her hand and leads her through the crowd of dancers towards their identical friends.
"Let's go make up with Hikaru and Kaoru." He says, smiling at her as he pulls her behind him.
Kaoru spies Haruhi and Tamaki coming towards them and sits up, tapping Hikaru on the shoulder.
"It looks like they're coming to talk to us." He says, noticing the nervousness on Haruhi's face.
"Good for them." Hikaru mumbles into his arms "Probably coming to tell us they got back together... Not like I care."
Tamaki comes to a stop before Kaoru and turns to nod at Haruhi, pulling her towards the twins. "Haruhi has something she'd like to talk to you guys about." He says, kissing her upon the forehead "If you need me, I'll be over there with Kyoya and the others."
With a wave of his hand, he leaves the three of them alone. Haruhi watches him retreat, her face slightly flustered by his kiss.
"Looks like you guys had fun." Kaoru says, faking a smile.
Haruhi clears her throat "Hey, Hika, would you look at me?"
A groan of irritation issues forth from Hikaru "Why? So you can rub it into my face that you and Tamaki are back together? I'd rather not look at you right now."
"That's not it at all, Hika." She says, feeling her heart ache. Looking down at her feet, she contemplates whether to continue trying or to give up. Her hands clasp her dress for support as she stands there before them.
Kaoru notices her sadness and sighs "What's up, Haruhi?"
"I wanted to apologize." She mumbles, slowly looking up at him.
"For what? You haven't done anything wrong that I know of." Kaoru shrugs, leaning back in his chair.
"I'd love to go on dates with you both, if your offers still stand." She says, smiling hopefully.
Kaoru frowns "You know you don't have to force yourself to do things just to make us happy, right?"
"I'm not doing this because I feel guilty, if that's what you mean." Haruhi says, taking a step towards them "I really like you guys a lot. I'm just confused by all that's happened."
"So, what're you trying to say, Haruhi?" Kaoru says, staring up into her eyes.
"I want to spend more time with you guys." She says, feeling her face heat up.
A big smile spreads across Kaoru's face and he stands up, wrapping his arms around her. "I would love to go on a date with you, Haruhi." He says, kissing the top of her head.
Haruhi swallows back a nervous knot and looks up at him "Thank you, Kaoru." She turns her attention towards Hikaru and pokes him on the head "What do you say, Hika?"
"Why the sudden change in attitude?" Hikaru says, remaining in the same position "Did Tamaki force you to apologize to us?"
Haruhi frowns and pulls away from Kaoru, wrapping her arms around Hikaru and resting her head on his. "He didn't make me do anything. He just helped me realize that I'm not as happy as I normally am without you guys." She says quietly, listening to his quiet breathing as she waits for a response.
Sighing in defeat, Hikaru lifts his head and looks up at her "I guess I sorta feel the same way about you too, Haruhi."
Feeling giddy, Haruhi tightens her grip around Hikaru "Does this mean you'll go on a date with me, Hika?"
"Does this mean I actually have a chance?" He says, feeling hope bubble up inside of him.
"I haven't made any decisions about dating. But, I would really love to hang out with you, if you don't mind." She says, pulling away from him to look into his face.
A smile of pure joy lights up Hikaru's face and he grabs her into a hug, burying his face in her neck. "I never thought you'd ever give me a chance." He whispers, hugging her tightly. Haruhi feels her face heat up as he cuddles against her, his warm breath tickling her skin. "I'm glad that I am." She says, resting her head on top of his shoulder.
Kaoru smiles happily and wraps his arms around them both. "I'd say this turned out to be a great party." He says, resting his head on hers.
Haruhi looks up at him and smirks, glad to have made up with her friends.