Once she laid eyes on top of the most vigorous bush of red camellias in the Ouran courtyard, Haruhi stopped to admire them. These camellias were deepest shade of red she had ever seen, a screaming scarlet demanding attention. She wasn't one for flowers, but her mother had loved camellias. For Haruhi, they were very significant.

"Beautiful, aren't they?" A smooth voice said beside her, and Haruhi saw Tamaki standing by her right side, also admiring the breathtaking flowers.

"Yeah," There was a moment of silence. "They were my mother's favorite," Haruhi confessed. "Dad would always bring home half dozen camellias every Friday evening at sunset."

"Really?" Tamaki asked with interest. "Do you know the meaning of the Camellia Japonica, by any chance?"

Haruhi shook her head, but her doe brown eyes were shining, waiting for his reply.

"This particular flower," He began, "Is a symbol of everlasting devotion. The petals represent the spirit of a young lady, and the calyx, which is what holds the blossom, represents the young man trusted to care and protect the young woman. Unlike most flowers, the calyx of a camellia falls along with the petals, and this symbolizes perfect unity." He took a second before asking: "Do you happen to remember the color of the camellias your father used to get?"

Haruhi blinked out of her stupor, having been entranced by Tamaki's way of explaining the meaningful flower. "Um, red. They were always red."

"Ah ha! Red camellias symbolize passion," He grinned. "I can say with certainty, Haruhi, that your parents loved each other very much."

Haruhi wasn't paying attention anymore; she was once again watching the camellias, her mind filled with memories of when her mother was still living, and when her dad's smile used to be more alive, and when everything was as simple as breathing.

She didn't notice the small teardrop that escaped from her eye, as she, for the first time, wished to find a love as deep as the one her parents had.

Unfortunately, Tamaki did notice her tears. And so did her clients and the rest of her club mates at the Host Club's Flower Viewing Reception.

"Haruhi-kun, don't cry!" A customer of hers squealed.

"Oh, Haruhi is so sensible!" Cooed another.

"Tono is making Haruhi cry! How cruel!" The twins shouted, pointing accusing fingers at the tall blonde.

"I'm not making Haruhi cry! She's just remembering her mother! And I'm not cruel!"

As the twins and Tamaki began another argument, Haruhi took a deep breath and cleaned the wetness from her cheeks. Time to return to business, as usual.

But at least she learned something new, related to her parents. All thanks to Tamaki. A small smile tugged at her lips as she watched the blonde male argue childishly along with the twins.


Word Count: 480

Prompt: #07 - Flowers

For the Drabble Prompts Challenge in the Anime&Manga Fanfiction Challenges Forum.

AN: Camellia = Tsubaki, a beautiful flower. Info obtained from garden guides dot com (all together)

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