"Excuse me," Kyouya reached out and tapped one of the assistants on the shoulder, "But do you know when she'll be done?"

"Sir," the lady finished stacking a pile of fancy skirts, and straightened up, "They won't take long." She was referring to the fitting ladies who had arrived and attacked Haruhi before she could lock the door of the dressing room - because of course, a beautiful evening dress was very difficult to put on by yourself. "She'll look beautiful in that dark blue dress," the lady assured.

"I won't doubt that," Kyouya replied.

CRASH. Someone had thrown themselves very hard against the glass revolver door. It was so unsettling that the sound was heard ten fold its actual magnitude. Kyouya and the lady looked up startled. There, outlined in the doorway against the inky night streets, looking as if a bucket of cold water had been thrown over him was-

"Tamaki!" Kyouya stared at his friend…and more specifically at the tricycle he had managed to drag in as well.

"K-Kyouya…" Tamaki stuttered. "I-I saw…"

"Please don't tell me," Kyouya frowned, "that you were riding that ridiculous tricycle." He shook his head, "No, I didn't need to ask, you probably did."

The tricycle crashed to the floor, scraping horribly against the sparkling glass. The lady exclaimed about the fragility of the glass door and hurriedly picked it up before dragging it outside. Tamaki tried to catch his breath, "Kyouya, you with Haruhi, no…" He stared wildly around him and clenched his fists tightly together, "i-it wasn't just me seeing things, no, I saw Haruhi…Kyouya I-"

Kyouya frowned. "Tamaki, calm down," he said in a flat voice. He noticed Tamaki's wild hair and eyes and settled on the truth. "You were right. I am here with Haruhi."

"B-but why?"

It was time to discuss the serious issues. Kyouya cleared his throat, "Tamaki, I've been meaning to say this-"

"KYOUYA HOW COULD YOU!!!????" Tamaki screamed. Kyouya felt slightly surprised at his reaction. For Tamaki to get this upset…I must have underestimated his feelings…

"I SPEND ALL MY TIME THINKING ABOUT HOW THE HOST CLUB COULD GET TOGETHER AND HELP HARUHI WITH HER DRESS. " Tamaki gave a theatrical sob. "Me as the father, and you as the mother, we could have been so proud of our little daughter!!!!"

"You idiot…" Kyouya looked away from Tamaki, who was putting another one of his acts. Why am I not surprised by all this? Tamaki does this all the time. "Tamaki, be serious for once, I-"

"Dadaaaa!!!!" The fitting ladies proclaimed, interrupting Kyouya. Both Kyouya and Tamaki looked up. Stepping down the steps, barefooted (she had to take off her dirty trainers so they wouldn't spoil the effect) was Haruhi in a glamorous blue dress. The silk fabric floated about her body and amidst the sea of blue, glimmered a trail of tiny diamonds. Her shoulders were left bare and the fabric bunched up about her chest in a very pretty and feminine way (there was no way you could tell she had a flat chest).

"You look beautiful…" Kyouya murmured.

Tamaki was speechless. A blush was working up from his neck up to his cheeks. "H-Haruhi…" he stammered. His knees started shaking.

"Sempai," Haruhi was startled to find Tamaki there. "Why are you here?"

CRASH Several people had thrown themselves against the revolver door. Many assistant ladies gasped and hurried around the shop trying to calm everything down. It was useless; Hunny, Mori, Hikaru and Kaoru dashed past, each of them so preoccupied by their own issues that none of them really noticed the other pair. Haruhi stepped to the side and turned her head to gaze in surprise at the newcomers. Four more heart stopped at her appearance.

"HUH?' Haruhi was astounded. "The whole host club is here!???" She rounded on Kyouya, but he only frowned.

"Ranka was delighted that I could take Haruhi out dress shopping," he finally explained, directing his words towards the others. "And so…" The others were still captivated by Haruhi.

"H-Haruhi," Hikaru reached out towards the girl. His cheeks were a brilliant red. He stopped and stared confusingly at her. I don't know what's gone wrong with me…why am I feeling this way? It's only Haruhi. I see her every day. She's one of my best friends. But now she-

Kaoru squeezed his eyes shut; anything to stop looking at Haruhi. I've never seen her so… He glanced at Hikaru and clenched his fists tightly. I can't let my feelings show.

Hunny was openly staring at Haruhi. "Waaa!!! You look so cute Haru-chan!" He couldn't help himself from squealing.

"Ah," Haruhi was exasperated. Hunny was dancing around her and looking at her admiringly, "Thanks…" She was still annoyed by the fact that all the host members had rocked up. I get absolutely no peace at all, no freedom to even go dress shopping. The host club is always tagging along somehow…" She looked up and saw Mori staring at her. She felt slightly puzzled by his silence and his solid gaze at her.

But slowly the impact of her appearance faded away.

"Mori and Hunny!" Kaoru exclaimed in surprise noticing them for the first time.

"Hikaru and Kaoru!" Hunny exclaimed in return.

"Hmm…" Haruhi said sarcastically, "yes we're all here…" I can't believe the entire Host Club turned up once again. Seeing them at school is bad enough, now it's at a whole day basis. Kyouya's face was in shadows. The soft lights of the shop exposed the somewhat understanding and sad expression on Tamaki's face. The situation quickly escalated into an awkward and chilling silence. The six male host members stared at each other.

Haruhi, totally unaware, sighed. "Thanks for offering to pay for my dress Kyouya," she said finally. "But I want to go home now…"

"Kyouya is paying for your dress?" Tamaki choked, looking amazed.

"Huh?" Hunny peered at Haruhi. "Kyouya is buying your dress for you today? Does that mean this was a date?"

"DATE!!!???" Tamaki went crazy.

"…" Haruhi shook her head tiredly. Something brushed her violently. Startled, she glanced up. "Hikaru…"

His hair swung in front of his face and she couldn't see his eyes. "I-I've got to go," he said in a low restrained voice. The revolver door swung and crashed violently.

"Hikaru!" Kaoru ran desperately after him.

"Hikaru!" Haruhi cried, concerned. She took half a step forward, but a hand held her back. She glanced up.

"Leave it," Tamaki said in a soft voice, "They'll be ok. Just let them sort their feelings out."

"Feelings?" Haruhi looked confused.

"Kyouya," Tamaki continued in the same low voice, "Take Haruhi home, will you?"

"Tamaki," Kyouya seemed to understand. "Haruhi, go, get changed," he pushed her softly to the dressing room. Tamaki turned his gaze to Mori and Hunny.

"We'll go home too now," Hunny said, sensing that it was the right thing to do. He tugged at Mori and they both disappeared out in the streets.

Tamaki and Kyouya were left standing back to back. Haruhi was taking her time getting her own clothes back on in the dressing room.

"Are we talking seriously this time?" Kyouya said softly.

"It can't go on, can it?" Tamaki replied. He stared down onto the floor.

"You mean…"

"I mean keeping this all family-like."

Kyouya refrained himself from saying, idiot. "No, it can't. You know that it was never like that from the start." There was a pause, then…

"You have feelings for her too?"

"Tamaki, haven't you realized, we all do?" Kyouya laughed softly.

"It will work out."

"Hmm…" Kyouya flicked his eyes downwards. "I hope I haven't upset the Hitachiins too much."

Haruhi slid off one of the blue straps, and then another blue twisty thing, and then undid another button. These fancy dresses were horribly complicated. She pulled her shirt towards her. "I really wonder if Hikaru is ok." She stared out into space. "Last time he was upset because of Arai. What it is this time?" She grabbed her jacket and her shoes from the small bench. "I hope Kaoru is ok too. He left right after Hikaru…" She quickly tied her shoelaces, "Tamaki said something about them sorting their feelings out…what feelings? Between the two of them? They must be talking it out now…" She sighed and unlocked the dressing room door, "I hope it doesn't turn into a fight. But it might be good for them…a real fight this time that is…"

"Haruhi, are we ready to go?" Kyouya took the blue dress from her and handed it back to the ladies. "We'll come back some other time."

"Yes…" Haruhi murmured wearily. Kyouya took a quick look at Tamaki who was silent.

"Tamaki," he gestured at the tricycle outside. "Going home now?"

"Yeah…" Tamaki gave a weak smile, "I'll ride my tricycle back home."

"You IDIOT…" Kyouya shook his head.

"What?" Tamaki said defensively.

His best friend smiled faintly. "Get a ride with us. Besides…didn't you want to speak to Haruhi's father? You can do that when we drop Haruhi off."

"Ah…" Tamaki was lost for words.

Hunny and Mori were silent as they walked slowly up the dark street and back to their limo. "I hope the twins are ok…" Mori said quietly.

"Mmmm…" Hunny turned and examined his best friend carefully. I wonder if Takashi is ok too. To see Haruhi, whom he likes, with Kyouya today and to see all the others turn up…

"Careful!" Mori's hands whipped out and caught Hunny just in time before he tripped.

"Waa! What's this doing in the middle of the pavement?" Hunny peered curiously down before him. Mori took out a tiny torch and flicked it on. In the puny glow of the torch, they saw a handsome leather bound book. It was lying on its side and a couple of its pages were flapping in the wind. "Huuuhhhh???" Hunny cautiously picked it up and squinted at the pages. The smudged pages were slightly torn but they could see hundreds of pencil lines. Hundreds of drawings….of dresses. Hunny's tiny fingers flicked through pages and pages of detailed drawings, of dress designs. "Who ever did this took a long time…" Hunny murmured.

"And effort…" Mori added.

"There are pages missing," Hunny ran his fingers across the middle. "I would say this had been lying here for only a couple of minutes. The wind blew many of the pages away."

"Someone dropped it," Mori guessed.

"Maybe they threw it," Hunny shrugged.

"We should return it," Mori intoned.

"But who does it belong to?" Hunny was puzzled. He flickered through another couple of pages and his eyes widened. "Ah, look it says Haruhi." Mori blinked at where Hunny was pointing at. "No wait," Hunny frowned, he closed the book and stared at the cover. In the dull yellow light of the tiny torch, they saw the letters;

THIS SKETCH BOOK BELONGS TO KAORU HITACHIIN

Hunny peered anxiously at Mori, but his friend's face was passive. Kao-chan made all these sketches? He must have started a long time ago, way before we got our invites. To be designing so many dresses…and the fact that it had Haruhi written all over it…it says a lot about his feelings. I was right about him. But why did he throw this out on the streets? Hunny slowly put the book in his large pocket. I was right about Kyouya-chan too. And there's Tama-chan… Mori dropped his torch and made his way silently to their limousine. And now there's Takashi...

xD Thank you guys for such positive reviews! I'm glad you all still like it. Anyway, don't be afraid to criticize…I'm out to improve.

This chapter was a -serious- one. If you wanted to know what happens between Hikaru and Kaoru, I've left it out of this chapter because it will be in the next one. Oh, would you guys prefer more humor or angst? I'm putting both in because it needs to be that way, but I can always emphasize one aspect.

I hope the story isn't too confusing. I've got a number of subplots-things to tie together still…tell me if it's too much!

Until next update,

lu.e3