Author's Note: Well, it has been a while has it not? I was struck with a sudden inspiration for this story . . . about three months ago. And unfortunately it was for the chapter after this one. Oh well, I guess I just have to finish this one and start on the next one ASAP! I'm not gonna lie, Honey's cute and all but he creeps me out a little bit, and he's not given a terrible amount of depth in the show except for his martial arts skills, so that's really all I have to work with. Hehe, don't hate me! Luvs and snuggles to everyone who reviewed (so many!) you guys keep me going.

Chapter 6: Mitskuni

Walking to class with the twins, Haruhi mused, was getting more and more bearable with each passing day. When they weren't talking about pranks that bordered on sadistic they would occasionally let slip that they were, despite all indications, interested in their schoolwork. Haruhi was intrigued to discover that not only had Hikaru been denied Kaoru's gift of tongues but Kaoru wasn't nearly as good at math as Hikaru, and even more surprisingly they actually cared. She decided not to voice her theory that the two of them were probably sharing answers on tests, which was why no one knew about the differences in their abilities, but more than once she had caught them drilling each other in algebra or foreign language with such uncharacteristic focus that it threw her.

"What is your favorite subject Haruhi?" asked Hikaru Monday morning. He and Kaoru were taking a long route to the Host Club from their last class, and Haruhi was walking just behind them, not any more eager to listen to Tamaki's frantic babbling than they were.

"Since all you really seem interested in is school," Kaoru added, the two of them tossing Haruhi half interested glances over their shoulders.

Haruhi thought for a moment. "I don't know," she said at last, "I guess I like them all."

"Figures!" sighed Hikaru. "He's just an ordinary geek, obsessed with schoolwork like all of them."

Kaoru frowned. "Come on," he goaded, "there must be a class you like, if nothing else."

Hikaru scoffed, turning away, but Kaoru held her gaze, and Haruhi blinked in surprise. "Well," she conceded, "I'm studying to become a lawyer, so Government Theory is, I guess, the high school class that interests me the most."

"Nothing else?" Hikaru threw her a disgusted look, "no wonder you don't get more guests Haruhi, you're the most boring boy that I know."

"There must be one thing you like besides homework and school," Kaoru insisted, and Haruhi was surprised at his persistence. After a moment though he turned to face forward again, and silently melded back into perfect sync with his brother.

Haruhi frowned. Somehow, in that moment, he had gone from being "Kaoru" to being half of "the twins." Something about that just didn't seem right to her.

"I like music, Kaoru."

The twins turned to her, blinking big amber eyes in annoying unison.

"Oh?" inquired Hikaru this time, "what kind of music?"

Haruhi shrugged. "Classical, I guess. Softer, with old fashioned instruments."

"You and Tamaki-senpai!" Hikaru exploded, throwing up his hands, "what is with the two of you and this mushy gushy stuff!"

"How am I mushy gushy?" Haruhi demanded, an odd feeling in her stomach. "And why are you comparing me to Tamaki-senpai?"

"Where have you three been!" came the loud voice from off to their right, startling all of them. Without realizing it they had already reached the music room, and now Tamaki was standing at the door, frantically ushering them inside.

"We have to hurry!" he cried, practically yanking them in by their shirts, "The ladies will be here any minute, and we haven't regrouped yet!"

"Regrouped?" Haruhi repeated, trying to stop her head from spinning as she took in the already congregated Honey, Mori and Kyoya. Her eyes flicked to Mori briefly, but he wasn't looking at her, instead staring expectantly at Tamaki. Haruhi forced her attention onto the Host Club's King as well, just in time for him to start his tirade anew.

"Mori-senpai has just informed me that he has not succeeded in our first attempt to discover the identity of the Host Club's Angel," Tamaki began, pacing back and forth across the music room.

"Is that what we're calling her now?" Haruhi asked Kyoya quietly.

"Until he has to mention her again," Kyoya replied dryly, not looking up from his notes. Haruhi still thought she detected the barest hint of an amused smile.

"We need to strategize!" Tamaki cried, whirling to point an accusatory finger at the rest of the Host Club. "We must all work together to discover this most important secret! There will be no more wasted chances!"

Why do you make it sound like its somehow our fault? Haruhi wondered vaguely. Well, she supposed it was her fault, but Tamaki wasn't to know that.

"We have a whole week to think this over before Honey-senpai's date," Hikaru complained, leaning on his twin, "do we have to do this now?"

"YES!" Tamaki shrieked. "We can't afford to wait, its that kind of slacking that will lose us even more chances to learn Mitsukai's true name!"

Tamaki spun to strike a dashing pose. "We cannot waste a single moment in this noble quest!" he declared. "The Host Club's reputation, our esteem, prestige, éclat, our very honor is at stake!" He whirled to point dramatically at the rest of the club. "We have to start planning now if we want to discover the identity of our most precious princess!"

"You'd better lay off playing favorites," Haruhi advised him, glancing at the door, "I think some of the other princesses would take offense at that."

He whirled around, to see two girls standing in the doorway with almost identical expressions of shock and hurt on their faces.

Tamaki changed speeds so fast it almost gave her whiplash.

"Ladies," Tamki purred in a voice fit for a high budget porno, "welcome to the Host Club!"

"Oh Tamaki!" one of the girls wailed, "what did you mean 'the Host Club's Most Precious Princess'?"

"I thought we were all special to you!" sobbed her companion.

Tamaki froze with his hand outstretched to her, face horrified. His mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water, wanting to comfort her but unable to think of an explanation for his words. Both girls were sniffling and whimpering, eyes brimming with unshed tears, and Tamaki looked ready to cry himself, or else implode, in his inability to do anything about it. He looked positively pathetic, and . . . genuinely hurt. He had caused those two girls pain, and it seemed almost as though he himself had taken an even greater blow, not to his ego, but to his heart. This was not mere worry for his reputation or doubt in his skills. Tamaki was . . . in real emotional distress over this, and he looked so helpless Haruhi couldn't seem to stop herself from doing something that she never did.

She spoke without thinking.

"Part of our upcoming party, of course!" Haruhi beamed, catching the attention of the two blubbering girls as she came up behind Tamaki. Tamaki's head snapped around to stare at her, dumbstruck, as she stepped out in front of him.

"As you probably know, the Host Club will be throwing a party in a little less than five weeks," Haruhi continued. "Between now and then, Tamaki and the other Hosts, including myself, will be canvasing the school for the most princess-like girl at Ouran Academy. The lady who displays the most princessly qualities will be named the Host Club's Most Precious Princess, and will be announced as the guest of honor at the party."

Both girls brightened immediately. "Oh!" the first one who had spoken tittered, "I see! Its a contest!"

"To see who's the most worthy to be called the real Princess of Ouran Academy!" squealed her friend, giggling madly as the two of them clasped hands in excitement. "Oh tell us Haruhi, what will the prize be?"

Now it was Haruhi's turn to open and close her mouth dumbly. She was officially out of ideas, and the two of them were looking at her so expectantly her brain went quite blank.

"Me."

Haruhi glanced in surprise over her shoulder, to discover that Tamaki had composed himself. He was standing straight again, beaming in his most princely manor and speaking in his honeyed Host voice.

And he wasn't finished.

"The girl who is chosen as the True Queen of Ouran Academy, the Greatest Young Lady at our school, the Host Club's Most Precious Princess, will become my very own Princess. She will be my partner at the dance, my consort in the Host Club, and the Lady Mistress of my heart. The winner of the contest, should she choose to accept it, will become my girlfriend."

-Wednesday-

"Nice save the other day Haruhi."

It took Haruhi a few moments to even register Kyoya's words. It was the second day after the incident, and the host club was just closing up. Monday after Tamaki's little announcement girls had begun to pour in, and he'd repeated his promise once all the regulars had arrived. On Tuesday however he'd seemed distracted, arriving just before opening and leaving just after they'd closed, giving no one any time to speak to him.

"What?" she asked distractedly, Kyoya's interjection calling her back to the present moment.

"Your quick explanation to those ladies the other day," he clarified, actually looking up from his book to give her what with Kyoya passed for a smile. "Tamaki was right about you. You really are a natural as a host."

The idea that Tamaki had been right about anything at all pertaining to her made Haruhi's stomach heave. Even though she knew Kyoya was only tying to comment on the fact that they'd struck gold with her apparent natural hosting skills, the closest thing to a compliment she'd probably ever get from him, its still made her feel slightly dirty to know that she'd lived up to Tamaki's expectations of her.

"So what do you make of this 'Most Precious Princess' thing?" asked Hikaru, casting a wary eye at the closed door to the back room that Tamaki had disappeared through moments before.

"He seemed . . . really serious when he said it," replied his twin, glancing over at Kyoya. "What do you think, Kyoya-senpai? You know him better than all of us."

"To tell you the truth, I don't know what to make of it either," Kyoya told him without looking up. His tone said quite clearly this was not the case at all, but he had decided not to share his thoughts with the group.

"He was just trying to be dramatic and save face if you ask me," Haruhi shrugged, clearing up the last tea tray and glancing over the tables again. She tried to keep things as neat as possible when she left, and so she had tracked down a rag which she used to wipe down the tables every day, so that they weren't too bad when the janitorial staff came in to pick up after the students. This pack of spoiled brats might not care about who had to pick up after them, but Haruhi couldn't help but think every time someone spilled of who would have to clean it up.

"No, you covered for him quite well," Kyoya chimed in, still not interested enough to look up however.

"I upstaged him," she scoffed, "something I'll never do again. He just wanted the spotlight back, and soon enough he'll be in here freaking out over a way to get out of it."

"You think Tama-chan wasn't serious?" asked Honey curiously from his position at a table by the window.

"I doubt it," Haruhi told him dismissively.

"I don't know," Kaoru shook his head, "the boss seems totally obsessed with this Mitsukai girl. Maybe he really wants her to be his girlfriend."

"But she might not even be there," Haruhi pointed out, "Who are we going to name if she wins the bet?"

"We'll just have to win then, won't we?"

Everyone, except Kyoya, jumped. Tamaki stood in the now open doorway to the back room, wearing his oddly serious expression. He paced out into the center of the room, straightening his tie as he went.

"I have been thinking very hard about this," he said, loudly and clearly to them all, "and I have come up with several points of strategy for Honey-senpai's date tactics on Friday."

"What were you thinking of, Tama-chan?" Honey asked, tilting his head to the side cutely.

"First," Tamaki began to pace, "I want you to show up early. Very early, in fact, to see which direction she comes from. Then, ask her where she wants to go for the date as soon as she gets into the limo, and see what you can gauge from where she asks to go. If she insists that she doesn't know, we'll plan out a few different activities, things that might tell us something about her. Whether she likes sweets, or clothes, or music, we'll have something that centers around a number of interests she might have. Then, we can use what we learn about her to plan Host Club events for the next week to see which girls are most interested."

Tamaki turned to the others, to find them all staring at him with wide eyes. A few awkward moments passed.

"Well," Kyoya broke the silence, grinning with uncharacteristic enthusiasm, "it seems you've put a lot of work into this plan Tamaki. Tell me, what were you thinking for the different activities?"

Tamaki deflated. "I don't know," he moaned, "I was going to ask you all."

The whole room let out a deep sigh. It was Tamaki after all.

-Saturday-

The weekend did not so much creep up on Haruhi as it did wait for her guard to drop and then pounce on her from the shadows. Before she knew what was happening it was time to put her plan into action, and while it hadn't taken her long to think of it after hearing the Host Club's full plan, she somehow did not feel ready at all. She taped down the lock mechanism on a side door on Friday, and on Saturday she sneaked in by that way, a good two hours before she was supposed to meet Honey out front. She picked a new bathroom, this one on the top floor, and changed into bikers shorts covered by a knee length blue skirt and a tight fitting long sleeved top, with deck shoes. Honey would be arriving an hour early, and she intended to come from inside the school and give nothing away.

When the time came Haruhi descended the steps in front of the school, to see Honey waiting anxiously outside his limo. Once he caught sight of her he looked positively crestfallen to see that she was coming from inside, and she tried her best too look as surprised to see him there at all as he was to see the direction she was coming from.

"Honey-senpai," she said, trying to sound curious, "what are you doing here so early?"

"I didn't want to be late for my date with Mitsukai-chan!" Honey beamed, recovering quickly.

He opened the door for her, and they both climbed into the limo. Haruhi carefully straightened her skirt to cover her shorts as Honey closed the door, and met his eager smile with one of her own when he sat back in his leather seat and signaled to the driver.

"So, where are we going?" Haruhi asked, trying to keep the knowing tone out of her voice.

"Well," said Honey, his beam widening until she thought his head really would break open, "I was thinking we might go and do something Mitsukai would like to do! We can go anywhere you want!"

It occurred to Haruhi that, in his world, that was honestly possible in all its implications.

"Actually, when I was thinking about our date this week, there was one thing that I thought it might be fun to do with you."

"Yeah?" Honey asked, excited.

"You see, I've always admired you martial arts skills," Haruhi told him, beaming in the face of his dumbfounded expression. This was true, after getting over the initial shock that the tiny loli-boy was perhaps the best marital artist in the world Haruhi had in fact considered how useful a skill like that would be. She herself had never been in a particularly dangerous situation, barring whatever one might call her interactions with the Host Club, but perhaps it would be a good idea to learn to defend herself if ever one should arise.

"You . . . you want me to show you martial arts?" Honey asked, tilting his head to the side in confusion.

"Actually," Haruhi said sheepishly, "I was wondering if maybe you could . . . teach me some?"

Honey didn't speak for a moment, just stared at her blankly as though she had started speaking German. Haruhi hadn't the faintest idea what was going on in his head, and for a moment she wondered if he had heard her at all.

Then his face broke into the biggest smile she had seen on it yet.

"Ok!" he chirped, "Whatever you want to do is fine with me!"

Author's Note: AND I THREW IN GRATUITOUS FRENCH! Aren't I awesome! So, the stakes have been raised considerably. Tamaki is willing to bet all his future happiness on the skills of his host club and the goodness of his beloved angel! Ah the poetry! The suspense! The drama! Jeez, now I sound like Tamaki. Sorry I kind of copped out on the date, I will do better with the twins!