"Haruhi, you're our guest!" Tamaki said. "With whom would you like to enter our humble ball?" Haruhi willed herself not to roll her eyes at the idea of a "humble ball," as Tamaki put it. The freshman was disguised, a long, flowing ponytail and white ribbon clipped into her normally cropped hair, in a fancy, full-length gown designed by the Hitachiin twins' mother; "Haruhi" the boy, from the Host Club, had severe food poisoning and, sadly, could not attend the function.
"Hikaru and Kaoru," she answered immediately, and the twins grinned, each stepping to one side of her and extending an arm to escort her. Tamaki seemed flabbergasted.
"Why?" he asked, though, despite the circumstances, not rudely. Haruhi considered her answer. Kaoru and she were really close friends, though she wasn't sure where she stood with Hikaru all the time. She had been hanging out with Kaoru before the ball (he'd been helping her get ready), and he'd shared some truly endearing childhood stories about Hikaru and himself. Though the two talked often, Kaoru rarely divulged such personal information as his bond with his twin, and Haruhi had known this well enough to take it to heart. She too wanted to see the rare side of Hikaru that was shy and compassionate; on occasion, he'd made himself known, but more often than not, she met the mask Hikaru wore, crude and class-clown-like. If she could only get him alone for a short period...
"Freshman trio," she replied to Tamaki, figuring her train of thought was too complicated to bother explaining to the upperclassman. "We stick together." The Hitachiin brothers each put an arm around the brunette, grinning tauntingly at Tamaki.
"We stick together," they echoed in one united, singsong voice. "After all, we're best friends!"
"Please don't assume your depressed position while in that new suit, Daddy," Kyouya said with a good natured smile, adjusting his glasses. "It's white, and the ball will be starting momentarily."
Tamaki got up and rejoined the group.
"Good. Now, we should make our entrance," Kyouya addressed the others. Tamaki nodded dejectedly; Mori picked up Hunny and put the smaller boy on his shoulders; Haruhi took Hikaru's and Kaoru's arms. With a curt nod, Kyouya turned and opened the doors. The Host Club entered.
'Oohs' and 'ahhs' greeted the club as they walked in the doors; all the hosts were wearing white suits with differently colored shirts and ties. Tamaki and Kyouya entered first, the former dressed in a green dress shirt and tie, the latter in purple; Mori and Hunny followed, Mori sporting a navy shirt and tie while Hunny's ensemble was pink. Lastly came the "freshman trio", the twins Hikaru and Kaoru in turquoise and orange, Haruhi in a white silk gown.
Already the band was playing, and couples not staring at the impressive host club were twirling on the dance floor, around which were crowded the other students. Tables were set up all around the dance floor, and the hall was decorated lavishly, from its crystal chandeliers to the fine silk of the tablecloths. Haruhi found herself staring in awe, and she felt Kaoru nudge her, chuckling. As they got closer to the dance floor, the hosts began to disperse, immediately surrounded by girls hopeful for a dance.
Haruhi felt herself panicking a little. She had no idea what to do when they reached the dance floor and the twins were inevitably asked to dance.
They reached the dance floor.
They kept going.
Haruhi suddenly felt Kaoru's arm sliding out of her own, and she turned her head to look back at him. He stood on the edge of the dance floor, smiling at her. Confusion registered in her brain for a moment until she realized that she was still moving. She turned to face forward again and looked to her left, where Hikaru still held her arm. His grip on her loosened, and she felt his hand slip into her own, spinning her to face him fully. There was something in his bright, amber eyes that Haruhi had never seen there before. Hikaru's other hand found its way to her waist, and hers rested on his shoulder. He gave her a quirky smile. She returned the favor, and he spun her into the center of the dance floor.
They danced in time with the music. Around them, other couples were pausing in their own dancing to look on. A completely different aura seemed to surround the two as they danced, and, soon, most everyone's attention was drawn to them. Hikaru spun Haruhi out from him, and the bottom of her dress twirled gracefully. As Haruhi spun back to him, she turned her head slightly before her body fully came around, smiling at Hikaru.
This was the Hikaru she'd wanted to meet tonight; he was here. This was the sometimes awkward, sometimes shy, always devoted to his loved ones, Hikaru. This was the Hikaru from Kaoru's stories, who helped his little brother sharpen his pencil in kindergarten, who tied his twin's sneakers, who saved a cat that was stuck in the rain one Tuesday afternoon. This was the Hikaru who'd come for her in a thunderstorm, whose headphones she wore, whose arm had held her close, whose presence had comforted her. The other Hikaru was her endearing, but troublesome, friend, but this Hikaru...
She loved this Hikaru.
Kyouya watched this quietly, calculated as ever, not showing his concern until, finally, he turned to look at Tamaki to gauge his response. The blond's attention was not focused on Hikaru and Haruhi, however, but to the side, towards the grand staircase at the front of the hall. Two staircases on either side of the tall, elegant double doors through which the host club had entered, led up to a second floor, a balcony of sorts. Tamaki's eyes, clear and focused as anything, were directed at that spot, and Kyouya allowed his own eyes to follow the gaze.
Kaoru Hitachiin stood on the balcony, arms resting on the banister as he leaned over a bit, watching his older brother and Haruhi dance. His eyes held a faraway look. Kyouya turned away.
At that moment, the younger twin seemed to feel another's gaze on him, and he turned to stare back into Tamaki's violet eyes.
Tamaki turned away from the dance floor entirely and began to make his way through the crowd, headed for the staircase. Kaoru held his gaze as the blond weaved in and out of other students, reaching the bottom of the stairs and ascending them. The redhead returned his eyes to the dance floor, where a new song had begun; many other couples were now out there, but he could still see Hikaru and Haruhi in the center of it all; her arms were around his shoulders, head buried in the crook of his neck; his arms were around her waist, his chin on the top of her head.
"Hey," Tamaki said, leaning on the banister next to Kaoru. "Enjoying the party?"
"I just got here," Kaoru replied; if the statement had been said a little more enthusiastically, it could have been categorized as flirtatious, which was very much so the redhead's style. Tamaki noticed the difference.
"And yet the party's already taken a turn for the interesting," the blond pointed out, waiting for the younger Hitachiin twin's response. The faraway gaze had returned to his eyes.
"It's good. I'm happy," Kaoru answered genuinely. "It just takes some getting used to." He glanced at the other. "How about you, though? How do you feel about this party?"
"I agree, it'll take some getting used to, but," - Here, he paused for dramatic effect, running a hand through his bangs - "as her father, I must be conscious of her feelings."
Kaoru wasn't totally sure how to respond to that. Tamaki had, for a long time, regarded Haruhi as his surrogate daughter, though no one really knew why, especially considering that there was only one year difference in age between them. The younger twin decided not to push it; this wasn't the time or place.
"Why don't you dance?" Kaoru suggested; usually the blond had a line of girls wanting to be his partner.
"I don't want to," he replied dismissively, though not unkindly. "You?"
"I don't want to, either," Kaoru admitted. Tamaki smiled.
"Then we'll stay here," he said. Kaoru nodded, and the two stood on the balcony, overlooking the whole ball. Hikaru and Haruhi still had yet to leave the dance floor; Kyouya, Mori, and Hunny all now had dance partners as well. The event was going well. "You deserve it, too, you know," Tamaki said suddenly. Kaoru looked over, amber eyes confused.
"Deserve what?"
"Happiness."
Kaoru considered this quietly.
"You deserve it, too," he said. Tamaki smiled.
"I am happy," he answered. "I'm happy right now."
"...So am I."