Disclaimer: I don't own Ouran Host Club.

A/N: SORRY FOR THE LONG WAIT!! I've been really busy with school and midterms and such. And it took me a while to figure out what I was going to do for this chapter. But in any case—Haruhi/Tamaki chapter!!

"Haruhi, I'm going on a trip with a few of my friends from the bar. Will you be all right by yourself?" Ranka asked his daughter with concern.

"Yeah, I've stayed alone before, it's no big deal." Haruhi assured him, looking up briefly from her textbook.

"Yeah, but…" Ranka cast a look at the clouding sky. "I'm sorry, Haruhi, normally I would pass, but we're going for a job that could bring in a lot of money."

Haruhi shrugged. "It's fine, I'm eighteen now, I'm over that." She lied, averting her eyes to rest once again on her textbook.

"If you're sure…" Ranka asked one last time.

Haruhi smiled up at him. "It's fine, really. Have fun."

Ranka smiled and kissed her on the forehead. "Good luck on that calculus homework." He waved before he picked up his bags and left the house.

Haruhi exhaled and loosened her grip on her textbook. Her knuckles were beginning to turn white. She looked outside herself, almost afraid of what would come. Her heart skipped a beat. The clouds were thick and churning, and it was just about time for the storm to come.

She was pretty sure the closet would be comfortable… maybe with some blankets

"Ranka-san! Ranka-san!" A loud voice called out from inside a window of a limo.

Ranka twitched, knowing the owner of that obnoxious voice all too well. In any case, he sighed and paused on his walk to the train station.

The long black stretch limo rolled over to the curb and stopped. A tinted window slid down and a grinning blonde waved from within. "Ranka-san, you look stunning! Going out?"

"None of your business." Ranka huffed. After a moment of Tamaki staring at him with watery puppy eyes, he sighed. "I'm going out on a short business trip for the night and won't be back until tomorrow afternoon."

Tamaki's bright smile faded. "Haruhi's going to be alone tonight?" His eyes darted worriedly to the sky.

Ranka shrugged. "She says she's over the whole thunder and lightning fear. But anyway, I have to go or I'll miss my train. Please refrain from associating with my daughter." He cast Tamaki a last glare and with that random note, continued his walk.

Tamaki sat back in his car and rolled the window up. "She lied…" he whispered. He clenched his hands in a moment of frustration before looking up. "Driver, there's been a change of plan." He turned his gaze out the window.

It had already started raining

It came down quite suddenly. Haruhi was just closing her calculus book when a loud splattering noise erupted outside. The rain beat violently on the windows. Haruhi turned on all the lights.

At first, it was just a slight rumble. It was faint and distant. Haruhi collected a blanket and draped it around her shoulders. Then came the crash. Haruhi dropped her teacup and the tea spilled on the table. She took out a rag and mopped it up quickly and was just putting the cup in the sink when a bright flash illuminated the gray skies and the second crash came.

Haruhi's shaking knees gave away and she slid down the kitchen wall to sit curled up against the cabinets. She tugged her blankets close around her and sat there, eyes squeezed shut, quivering

By the time the second crash of lightning cast that eerie glow over the town, Tamaki had had enough. They were stuck in traffic caused by flooding from the sudden heavy downpour and they were hardly moving. Tamaki was barely four blocks from Haruhi's house. He gave an irritated "tch" before calling out. "Driver. Turn around and go home. I'm going now, I'll call if I want to be picked up, although I don't know if I'll be coming home at all tonight." He didn't even wait for the reply before opening the door and jumping out. He slammed it shut and set off on a sprint through the rain.

A small shriek echoed through the tiny apartment as the lightning roared outside. Haruhi curled up even tighter in the blanket, trying desperately to cover her ears. Her shaking was even more violent and her eyes were starting to hurt from being squeezed so tight.

It was faint at first. She honestly thought she had imagined it. But then it became clearer. She opened her eyes. Over the pouring rain and thunder, someone called out her name.

"HARUHI!" The slight hint of a French accent could only belong to one voice. Haruhi threw off the blanket and ran to the kitchen window she had forgotten to close, a pool of water forming under it, wetting her socks. Tamaki was climbing up the apartment stairs, soaking wet and beaten by the rain.

Tears welled up in Haruhi's eyes as she gripped the windowsill. "TAMAKI!" She sobbed before turning away from the window as quick as she could, nearly slipping on the water. She caught herself on the counter and stumbled into her living room and to the door. She fumbled with the lock a moment before flinging it open and throwing herself into his waiting arms.

She gripped his dripping shirt and sobbed into his soaked chest. "Tamaki… I'm scared… I'M SCARED!"

Tamaki hugged her tightly. "Why did you lie to your father?" He sighed. "Don't worry… I'm here. Shhh, it's okay. You're safe."

After he had calmed Haruhi down, she offered him a towel and a dry set of clothes that belonged to her father. (Somewhere in a shadowy corner of his closet, Ranka did have some men's clothes. I know, gasp.)

As Tamaki began towards the bathroom to change, Haruhi tugged his wet sleeve, blushing. "Don't leave… I don't want to be alone. Change here, I'll turn around."

Tamaki smiled. "Okay." Haruhi sat on the bed facing the wall as Tamaki changed. She tried to focus on the sound of fabric as the bedroom lit up again. A crash came from outside, and a small squeak escaped her throat as she tensed up, her fingers frantically gripping the bed sheets. She closed her eyes and heard a soft creak as Tamaki climbed onto the bed. Strong arms wrapped around her, and she kept her eyes relaxed to a less tense close. He hadn't finished dressing it seemed, by the smooth skin surrounding her. The brush of fabric on her feet told her he was at least wearing pants. She exhaled softly and relaxed to lean against him. He was warm.

The brush of skin against her bare shoulders brought her back to earth as she realized her current position. She was home alone sitting her on the bed in the middle of a storm wearing nothing but a tank top and shorts leaning against a shirtless older man, yet she felt safer than ever.

"You can relax." Tamaki told her as she tensed up (for different reasons than he thought).

"But Tamaki, don't you have to be home or something?" Haruhi stammered.

Tamaki laughed. "Don't be silly, you'd be hysterical if I left you alone. You couldn't even stand me being in another room. I'm not leaving you tonight."

Haruhi blushed at the implications of the last sentence. Actually she was pretty sure her whole body blushed because her arms and legs heated up too. "Um…"

Realization struck Tamaki. "Oh! I get it." He laughed. "I won't do anything, I promise." He smirked and pushed her onto the bed and straddled her. "Unless you want me to."

"Are you so low as to take advantage of a girl when she's vulnerable?" Haruhi challenged with a smirk that matched his.

He laughed and rolled off her to lie on the bed next to her. "Of course not, only if she's willing. I have to be a gentleman, after all."

Haruhi rolled to her side, smiling. She knew Tamaki wouldn't be that kind of a person. He was way too innocent—possibly even naive. "Tamaki, why are you such an idiot?"

He laced his fingers into hers, a knowing smile on his face. "Well, are you scared anymore?"

Haruhi stopped. She hadn't noticed the storm at all, actually. She laughed. "Tamaki, I will never understand you."

He moved his hand to touch her face. "You don't have to. Just understand that I love you, and want you to be always happy. And I don't mean it like a father anymore." He scooted closer to her on the bed.

"Would you take advantage of a vulnerable girl?" Haruhi whispered.

"Only if she's willing." He whispered back.

"She's willing." Haruhi answered. Tamaki wasted no time in smothering her in a kiss. Haruhi's wrapped her arms instinctively slid up his bare chest and around his neck as she drank in his warmth. Out of all the kisses, Tamaki's was the one that needed no words at all. It was just… Tamaki.

Haruhi broke of panting. "This doesn't mean I've chosen you, though. There are other people that I definitely have in mind, and you aren't the first to kiss me either."

"I don't care." Tamaki whispered quickly before kissing her again. "I just want to be with you, even if it's just for a moment." He said as he broke off again. He continued his kisses, trailing them down her neck. Out of everyone, Tamaki, surprisingly, was the most passionate. Her body filled with heat as he nipped her collarbone. She pulled him back up and they kissed again, over and over, rolling on the bed, tangled in each other. She inhaled sharply as his fingers crept up her shirt and trailed up her stomach with a light, sensuous touch. Just as it reached its goal, she regained herself and slapped his arm away. She looked up at him seriously. "I don't want to, Tamaki." She told the man who was once again straddling her. She knew what he desired. She could taste it in the passionate hunger of his kisses. Hell, a part of her wanted it too. He just wanted to be closer and closer to her, but she had to draw the line. She wasn't about to lose her virginity to a guy when she might be about to wed another. And on top of that, Haruhi's face burned bright red at the fact that she could feel his… "excitement" growing against her bent knee.

Tamaki bit his lip, regaining control. "Whatever you want." He got off her and slid off the bed, padding wordlessly out of the room. She heard the creak and shut of the bathroom door.

What do I do? She was the color of a nice ripe tomato at this point, rolling around in the bed and taking deep breaths, her heart hammering. Okay, let's see I am slightly "aroused" and spending the night with a potentially horny man in the same house alone, and unable to sleep alone because of the mess outside. Why the hell did I have to be scared of thunderstorms anyway? She finally settled down and let out one last deep sigh. In any case, it was… amazing. The blush grew. The engagement decision in her mind was getting harder and harder, but he hadn't even mentioned it once. What was she supposed to do?

She had just decided not to think about it for that night when he walked back in, blushing prominently. "Um, so… where do you want me to sleep? On the floor?" He asked, scratching the back of his head.

Haruhi smiled. She knew that Tamaki would keep his word. He was such an idiot that she could trust him completely. Tamaki was just that kind of a person. She briefly wondered if his mother was like that too. "Tamaki, when I said I didn't want to, I was talking about sex. But unlike what you may think, sharing a bed does not mean having sex." She patted the bed next to her, looking down a little embarrassed. "You were right. I won't be able to sleep alone tonight—I probably would become hysterical. So, can you please just… hold me tonight?"

Tamaki smiled. "Of course." He crawled under the sheets with her and pulled her close. Sleeping in someone's arms was warmth beyond compare and Haruhi snuggled closer to him. "Tamaki?" She asked drowsily.

"Mm?"

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

He smirked. "Absolutely."

Haruhi slapped him playfully. "Pervert." There was a pause before Haruhi whispered. "I am too."

Haruhi woke up the next morning to see the sun shining. Outside all the green of the spring and oncoming summer dripped in new rain. She blinked drowsily, feeling slightly out of place in her father's bed. She smiled and felt around for the one who had kept her warm all night. An empty bed greeted her searching palm. Her eyes snapped open and she looked around. The room was empty save for her. She looked to the wall to see the clock reading 11:00. She sighed and fell back onto the bed. He was long gone. She looked out of the window. Tomorrow… She thought. Tomorrow I have to choose. She sighed and curled up in the bed. Why was it that her decision became harder and harder. She wasn't sure she could refuse anyone. But tomorrow she would have to give an answer. And she knew in her heart who that person would be.

DUN DUN DUN. Yeah so next chapter she will choose!!! This chapter was my favorite to write… probably because I had a long time to mull about it. Yeah my soundtrack right now is Hum Hain Iss Pal Yahaan from this great Indian movie called Kisna. If you ever get the chance… WATCH IT. IT'S AMAZING. PS: LAST CHANCE TO VOTE.