Chapter Twelve:

"You look beautiful." Renge gushed, brushing her fingers through Haruhi's soft brown hair. "I can't believe Tamaki made it through the entire ceremony without passing out."

Haruhi laughed, glancing across the elaborately decorated ballroom to where her now husband stood amid a group of his groomsmen. Hikaru, Honey, Mori and Kyoya had all dressed up for the occasion, matching Haruhi's bridesmaids of Renge, Mei, Reiko, and Kanako. "He did hold himself together pretty well."

"What are you ladies talking about over here?" Kyoya asked, having excused himself from the group of men and dropping himself into a chair beside the bride.

"My husband." Haruhi flushed, the words feeling foreign upon her lips as she patted flat the fabric of her giant dress. The boys had insisted on dressing her like a princess and there was so much fabric to her dress he was sure at some point she would fall over. Lord help her if she decided she needed to pee.

"I saw this coming, you know." He smirked slightly, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "I think I really accepted it on the day you raced after him all those years ago."

"The day of the Ouran faire?" She asked, her flush dying slightly. She could remember how determined she was to rescue him, to take him back to Ouran where he really belonged. It had never been an option, giving up on him. Tamaki was a part of her as he was a part of all of them. Saving him had been the only reasonable option.

"You loved him." Kyoya stated simply.

"I think I've always loved him." She breathed, her eyes focused in on her husband's carefree form as he fluttered from guest to guest. Tamaki was in his element here, always the happiest when he had a party to throw and people to entertain. Every so often his eyes would meet hers and they would share a knowing glance. Their hearts were now tied together for eternity.

"Renge?"

"Hnn?" The girl spoke, her gaze lifting from the plate of food she was nibbling at to the Shadow King.

"I think you should go check on Hikaru. Maybe he'd like to dance." Kyoya offered, shrugging as if he didn't care.

"Hika? Dance?" Renge laughed aloud. "I don't think so. He's not one for showing off his dancing skills in public." She teased, but something about the look on Kyoya's face silenced her giggling. "Is something wrong?"

Again Kyoya shrugged, feigning disinterest. "He's been over near the table for a long while."

All three pairs of eyes skirted across the ballroom to a table not far from where they sat now. It had been Ranka's idea to have a small table set up for their lost loved ones. Pictures of the people they had cared most for who no longer physically existed in their lives to bring their little family together. There was a picture of Haruhi's mother; the same one Tamaki had paid homage to on their first visit to her home. There was also a picture of both sets of her grandparents. There was a picture of Tamaki's grandfather, the only grandparent he had lost. But the one that interested Hikaru the most, was the picture of Kaoru.

From their spot at the bride's table, it was easy to tell that Hikaru had lost himself. He stood just before the picture of his brother, hands tucked into the pockets of his tuxedo jacket, just staring. Both Haruhi and Renge felt their hearts drop.

"You should go check on him." Haruhi spoke sadly, placing a gentle hand upon Renge's arm.

"Hnn." The girl agreed, putting down her utensils and rising to her feet. For a brief moment she hesitated, brushing off the fabric of the blue bridesmaid dress that Haruhi had chosen for her, running her fingers across the soft up do the hairdresser had created.

"Go." Haruhi nudged, pushing her by the small of her back gently.

Nodding again, Renge moved, crossing the ballroom with a beautiful grace that only came from a rich upbringing.

"Do you think he's ever going to be okay again?" Haruhi asked, leaning slightly into Kyoya as she rested her head against his shoulder.

"I don't know…" He answered truthfully as they watched their friends from a distance.

Xxx Hikaru xxX

He stared down at the picture with a mixture of sorrow and relief. As much as he missed his brother, it would be foolish to believe that Kaoru wasn't here with them in some way. It was obvious to him the moment Haruhi emerged in the temple wearing the blindingly beautiful wedding dress the boys had created for her. The dress had been made years before she had decided to marry anyone; it was more of a type of busy work for the twins. They had created more clothing for Haruhi, clothing they weren't even sure she would ever wear.

But she looked beautiful in the dress. Kaoru would have loved it.

He breathed out a heavy sigh, hanging his head slightly. What I wouldn't do to have you here today, Kaoru. He thought, holding back the sorrow that flooded through him.

A pair of slender arms wrapped their way around his waist, the warmth of a cheek pressing against his shoulder blade. "Hey."

Just her voice seemed to warm him from the inside out, her natural scent mixing with the perfume she had chosen for the night. "Hey." He whispered back, unmoving.

"Haruhi and Kyoya are worried about you." She spoke, holding him a little tighter. "I was, too."

"I'm fine." He spoke, not bothering to force a smile. "I was just thinking about how proud Kaoru would have been to see Haruhi in his dress."

"Your dress." Renge corrected. "You two made it together. It's beautiful and he would have loved it on her."

"Hnn." The boy agreed, pulling his hands from his pockets before turning in her arms. Almost instinctively he wrapped himself around her, holding her in a gentle embrace. "Sorry. I lost myself there for a moment."

"It's okay." She whispered, pressing her cheek gently against his chest as she held tightly to him. "I miss him, too. But this is a happy day. Kaoru would want us all to be happy and to have fun. Tamaki and Haruhi got married! Who would have guessed it?" She teased, laughing slightly in an attempt to lighten the mood.

Hikaru smiled lightly. "Thanks, Renge."

"You know," she smiled coyly, stepping a half a step back from the boy. "I'm not happy at all."

His bow furrowed in confusion. "You're not?"

"Nope!" She smirked. "We've been at this reception for over an hour and my boyfriend hasn't asked me to dance once."

Hikaru rolled his eyes. "What a lousy boyfriend."

"I know!" She giggled lightly. "I'm starting to think I'll have to ask someone else to dance with me instead. Maybe Mori will say yes." She teased, placing a finger against her cheek as if honestly contemplating the idea.

"It would probably drive your boyfriend crazy with jealousy." He teased her right back. "Or, maybe you could dance with me instead?"

Renge seemed to glow with excitement, their childish teasing bringing out a side of her that Hikaru loved. The side that reminded him what he still had to live for. "That would make him red with envy!"

Hikaru rolled his eyes. "I think you mean green with envy. But who am I to judge?" He teased, winking at her playfully.

"As long as he's jealous, I'm happy. That means he still loves me." She smirked.

"May I have this dance?" He asked, holding out a hand to her.

"You may." She grinned, taking his hand and allowing him to lead her out onto the dance floor amid all of their friends. Even Kyoya and Haruhi had joined the dancing, much to Tamaki's displeasure. The two spun around in delicate swirls with her jealous husband tottering around demanding she only dance with him.

"See?" Renge teased as Hikaru began to twirl her around the floor. "Boys do get jealous when their girlfriends dance with other men."

Hikaru snorted. "That's his wife now, remember?"

"It's the same principle." She stuck her tongue out at him as he pulled her closer to him, their bodies pressed together as they swayed. Gently she laid her head upon his shoulder, listening to the music and the beating of his heart as they moved in perfect harmony together.

"Thanks for getting me out of my head, Renge." He whispered, pressing his chin gently against the top of her head, breathing in her calming scent. She said nothing, a small smile crossing over her lips.

After what seemed like forever, the song changed, drifting into a more upbeat melody. One not meant for slow one on one dancing, but still the two swayed, unaware of their changing environment. "I love you." He finally breathed, a barely audible whisper.

Her breath caught in her chest, the first time he had spoken those words since he accidentally slipped in her kitchen that night. "I love you, too."

Xxx Tamaki and Haruhi xxX

She leaned her head against his shoulder, almost succumbing to the exhaustion as he held her in the back seat of their limo. "What a night." She breathed, closing her eyes and relaxing to the steady movement of the vehicle.

"Have I told you yet how beautiful you look?" Tamaki asked, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

"About six million times." She teased, turning her head just enough to press a gentle kiss to his neck. "I can't believe we're married." She mused, her lips pulling up into a slight smile. "I can't believe I had that much fun at a wedding."

"At least it wasn't just the fancy tuna you enjoyed." He teased her.

"Do you think everyone had a good time?" She asked, once again returning to a more comfortable position.

"Hnn." He agreed.

"Even Hikaru?" She asked, nibbling on her bottom lip lightly. "He looked so carefree when Renge finally got him out onto the dance floor."

"I think he had fun." Tamaki agreed.

"You don't think it was too much? You don't think we hurt him by putting out that picture of Kaoru, do you?" She asked nervously.

Tamaki shook his head. "No. We all miss Kaoru, but not having him with us tonight would have felt wrong."

Haruhi smiled lightly again. "I agree…" The two sat in silence for a long moment before Haruhi finally spoke again. "Hey Senpai?"

"Hnn?"

"I'm your wife now, you know." She grinned, her excitement hanging thick on the air.

"And I thought I was supposed to be the overly excited one." He teased, tilting her chin up so that he could capture her lips with his.