Disclaimer: I don't own OHSHC

Much Love to my Beta-senpai!

Chapter 3: Haruhi's and Takumi's coffee date.

I cracked opened the classroom door and looked at Takumi. She was leaning against the wall in the same manner as before. Onlynow she was reading a poetry book. I looked at the cover and saw it was by an American poet named Maya Angelou. Takumi's eyes seemed to light up as they glided across the page. I slipped back into the room, checking to make sure my dress was hanging up. I left a note to the janitor, saying to return it to the third music room. With a sigh, I opened the door the whole way and stepped out.

Takumi looked up at me and smiled. "You look cute." She took my hand and spun me around. I glanced in the direction of the Host Club, but they were gone. I was a bit worried.

"What could they possibly be doing?" I thought.

"Areyou alright?" asked Takumi, looking in the same direction I was.

"I-I'm fine!" I stuttered, forcing a laugh. I began to walk down the hallway as quickly as I could. "Let's get going, Takumi-senpai."

"Senpai?" asked Takumi, confused by her choice of name suffix. That caused me stop. I turned back to her and she smiled. "You don't have to call me that." She walked up next to me. "Just Takumi will do."

After she said that, I felt a strange calmness. She walked ahead of me and I followed. I looked around for the Host Club, but they vanished. For some reason, that comforted me. Almost like a child, whose parents were out for an errand. I could do whatever I wanted and not get caught. As I turned my head back to look at Takumi, our eyes met. We both looked away, blushing in embarrassment.

"Were you looking at me?" asked Takumi, teasing.

"No," I said. "I was looking at a bird on the tree behind you."

"Yeah, right Haruko!"

She hit me in my arm and laughed. Then she ran away from me. To my surprise, I started chasing her. I didn't even remember changing my pace to a run. All that I knew was that I was smiling, laughing, and having fun. I chased her all the way from the school courtyard to the gate. We both took a breather and then I hit her on the back.

"Cheater!" she called out as I ran away from her.

"I wasn't cheating!" I yelled back. Slowing my pace, I sighed. "I never thought I would play this game again."

"What, tag? It's always fun to play, no matter how old you get," mused Takumi. She came up next to me and pushed on my back to get me to walk again.

"How often do you play this?" I asked. We started walking together like two best friends.

"A lot," she patted her stomach and laughed. "Itkeeps me fit."

Takumi all of a sudden got serious. I could see her facial expression change dramatically. "Why are you here?"

"Huh?"

"Why are you here with me?" She looked right into my eyes and stared, not even looking where she was going.

"Why am I here with her?" I thought.

"I don't know myself," I answered. "You just did something to me that left a mark." I was surprised at the fact that I was saying things straight from my thoughts. My eyes wandered down to the ground. "I couldn't get you off of my mind. After that dance, I was curious about you." I looked right at her. "What about you?" Takumi was surprised and began to blush a little.

"You seemed like a wonderful person, and I..." she trailed off and stopped walking. "We're here."

The sign of the coffee shop said Peach Blossom. It was a quaint little coffee shop and seemed peaceful enough. There were black iron wrought gates leading into the coffee shop. To the left there was a little outside area with tables. We decided to sit outside. As we approached the table, I noticed two people reading the paper very close to their faces. Takumi pulled out my chair for me and I was flattered. I quickly took my seat and she took hers. We looked at each other for a bit until someone joined us at our sides.

"What can I get for you lovely ladies?" asked a familiar voice. I looked up and almost fell out of my chair. Standing in front of us, with a brown wig and fake moustache, was Tamaki-senpai! He was dressed as a waiter, wearing the red vest and everything. I looked right at him and he winked at me.

"Excuse me," said Takumi, noticing the wink that was passed between us. "I'll have a venti white chocolate mocha. And you, Haruko?"

"No, no. Nothing," I said.

"You sure?"

"If that will be it maladies, I shall part from you," said Tamaki-senpai. He bowed and left our table.

I looked around for the other members, only to find them scattered everywhere. Hikaru and Kaoru were the two people I saw reading the papers. Honey-senpai was dressed like a little elementary school boy, while Mori-senpai was dressed as his father. Kyoya was also dressed as a waiter and he was waiting on the table behind us.

I sat there in utter shock.

"They would go this far," I thought. Takumi looked at me and tilted her head.

"Did that guy make a pass at you?" she asked, almost growling.

"No, no. It's fine," I lied. Takumi linked her fingers together and put them under her chin. Her eyes never left me.

"What is it?" I asked harshly.

"Your eyes," she stated. "They've changed. Before, your eyes were relaxed. Freely moving between me and what was in front of you. Now they're focused on what is in front of you." I cast my eyes down. "Like that."

"I, uh, heard you were a poet," I said, trying to cover up my embarrassment.

"Yes, but I want to talk about you. Why are you so up-tight now?" Tamaki-senpai came back to our table with two drinks. He handed one to Takumi then slipped one in front of me.

"Complements of the house," he said in a very stupid voice. Takumi stood up and looked Tamaki-senpai right in the eye.

"Listen, jackass," she said without remorse. Tamaki-senpai trembled in fear. "She is here with me, understand? If you hit on her one more time, I will personally feed you your own nuts." She picked up the coffee in front of me and forcefully shoved it back in Tamaki-senpai's hand. He sprawled back, bumping into Kyoya and spilling the coffee everywhere.

Takumi looked back down and took a sip of her coffee, focusing her attention onme. I had my hands glued to my lap and just stared at the table. I could feel not only her eyes burning a hole in my head, but everyone else as well. I couldn't believe what she did, threatening Tamaki-senpai like that. She seemed determined to protect me. It was strange, but I felt safe. I looked up at her and our eyes met again. For the first time, without even thinking about it, our eyes didn't leave each other. It felt almost as if we were looking into each other's souls. There was a deep silence. It wasn't unnerving or uncomfortable. I felt at peace while I was staring into the two deep blue pools that were her eyes.

"Your skin like dawn," Takumi said, breaking the silence. "Mine like musk. One paints the beginning of a certain end. The other, the end of a sure beginning. (1)"

"So, which one of us is painting the end?" I asked.

"You tell me, Haruko." Takumi leaned forward, resting her head on her hands. "You're the one sitting here acting completely different from before."

"I just… I mean, well--" I stumbled over my words. I cast my eyes down again, trying to hide the lump in my throat.

"Take a sip." I looked up and she was holding her coffee up to me.

"From the same cup?"

"I can tell you're thirsty." She was right. I was extremely thirsty. "What will it hurt?" I reached up for the cup, but stopped my hand.

"Are you attracted to me?" I asked bluntly. Takumi put down the coffee and smiled.

"You can tell?" she asked, playfully.

"I'm not like that," I said. Takumi looked a bit upset.

"Right... you're not like that and you're here? Tell me, because Kyoya couldn't have forced you to come here."

"No, but I mean--"

"And the other Host Club members wouldn't force a lady to do something she doesn't want to."

"That isn't true! They force me to do stuff I don't want to do all the time," I blurted without thinking. Takumi's eyes widened as she leaned back.

"So, you were forced to come here?" Her eyes hung down to the table.

"No! I mean, I uh…" I was at a loss for words. I couldn't say that I had wanted to come, because the Host Club was all around me. But I couldn't say that I was forced, because it would hurt Takumi's feelings. I looked around the coffee shop. Wasit was suddenly getting hot? Tamaki-senpai's eyes were staring at me and everyone was leaning in, trying to hear. "What I mean is... I wanted to-to…"

In my babbling and looking around, I hadn't noticed that Takumi had taken out a pen and started writing on a napkin. I was still trying to figure out how to speak when she pushed the napkin and pen toward me. I took the napkin in my shaking hands and read it.

"The Host Club is here, aren't they?"I took the pen and wrote as neatly as I could.

"Yes."

She took the napkin from my hands and read it. She wrote for a while and then passed the items back.

"I understand now. That's why you're acting differently. Why didn't you just say so before? Meet me tomorrow outside the same classroom without the Host Club. That is, if you're like that."

When I looked back up and her, Takumi slid out of her chair and walked behind me. She put her hand on my shoulder and squeezed it gently. Then she left the coffee shop without so much as a goodbye to me. I knew the Host Club would be coming, so I quickly tore up the napkin and threw it in the closest trash can.

"Haruhi!" said Tamaki-senpai as he took Takumi's seat. All of the Host Club was surrounding my table. "What did the napkin say?"

"That she never wanted to talk to me again," I said, feeling shocked that I had just lied to the king of the Host Club.

"That's good," sighed Tamaki-senpai.

"Is it true what our Lord said?" asked Kaoru.

"That she threatened to kill him if he looked at you?" finished Hikaru.

"No!" I said. "She threatened to feed him his own genitals." They all jumped back at my statement, except Kyoya who was cheerfully writing in his folder.

"Thank goodness we don't have to worry about her anymore. Right Takashi?" asked Honey-senpai.

"Yeah," said Mori-senpai.

I stood up out of my chair and slammed my hand on the table.

"I'm going home," I announced to the group. I quickly turned around and left the coffee shop, blocking out all of Tamaki's words of woe. My mind was on Takumi again. Could I possibly? Would I? Can I? Then I thought about that moment when we looked at each other's souls. It was peaceful. Almostlike a calming breeze on a warm summer day. Maybe I could. Maybe...

To be continued in Chapter 4: Haruhi's Decision.

(1): Passing Time A short poem by Maya Angelou.