Courtship

Chapter Two: Calm Before the Storm

An Ouran High School Host Club fan-fiction

By: Saadia Mirage

Pairing: Tamaki/Haruhi (hints on Kyouya/Tamaki and Hikaru/Haruhi)

Disclaimer: I do not own Ouran High School Host Club or any of it's characters. They belong to the original mangaka Bisco Hatori and Studio Bones. This is a fan story, for amusement purposes only.

Author's note: Sorry this chapter is so ridiculously late. Over the last few months I've had a lot going on, mainly working on finishing my degree and dealing with some medical problems. Now I'm working full-time! I hope people keep reading! This chapter introduces some "homo side character drama"... Happy valentines day!!

---

The twins were laughing hysterically, as they often did at the boy they liked to teasingly call "Lord."

"You did what!?" Hikaru gasped, in between fits.

"In the middle of class?!" Kaoru continued, wiping at his eyes.

"I was just daydreaming a little! It's not that funny!!" Tamaki growled.

"Wow, you must have been really out of it!" Hikaru said.

"He was." Kyouya said bluntly. "Scolded by the teacher after class, even. A stain our good record."

"But those two--!" Tamaki began, then suddenly his anger faded like a stick of dynamite blown out as easily as a candle. He sat back down in his chair, crossing his arms and smiling serenely.

"Eh?" Kaoru and Hikaru said in unison, "Not going to yell any more?"

Tamaki looked up at them through his eyelashes. "There is no reason to." He said with a sly grin, "I don't mind if I got scolded. I am, quite possibly, the luckiest man in the world."

Hikaru and Kaoru traded glances then looked at Kyouya, who shrugged.

Honey was the first to speak up after this declaration, his childish curiosity getting the best of him. "Why is that Tama-chan?" He asked, tilting his head. "Did you find a four-leaf clover?"

"It's-a-sec-ret!" Tamaki purred, wagging a finger at him.

Honey pouted. "No fun! Tell!"

Tamaki laughed, but not unkindly. "If everything goes well, then maybe I'll tell you about it next week." He said, patting the boy on the head. "For now, I don't want to jinx it. It will be a surprise."

"Oh yeah...?" Kaoru murmured, leaning in and inspecting him closely. Hikaru observed from where he was standing, eyes narrowed.

Honey still looked curious, but he did like surprises. "You seem so happy about it Tama-chan... I hope, whatever it is, it goes well."

"Indeed." Tamaki said, looking out the window dreamily.

At that point Mori and Haruhi entered through the hallway doors, each carrying a box in proportion to their size – Haruhi's being rather small, and Mori's slightly gargantuan. Tamaki shot up at their appearance, and hurried to help. "Ah, Haruhi! Let me get that!"

"It's not heavy, don't fuss." She dismissed, easily walking past him.

He looked slightly dejected at this, but followed her closely.

"What's in there, anyway?" He asked.

"The new table linen. It was just delivered, apparently. The head secretary flagged me down as I was walking past the main office." Haruhi said, hefting her box onto the couch beside Kyouya. "Thankfully, Mori-sempai was heading in the same direction from the kendo club about then and was able to help with with that big one. I think this small one must be cloth napkins."

Mori sat the larger box on the floor.

"And those must be the new table cloths!" Honey exclaimed, launching himself at his large friend. Mori smiled and easily swung him onto his shoulder. "Open it! Open it!" Honey insisted.

"What's so special about table cloths anyway?" Haruhi mused, "We all ready have these nice white ones..."

"Those were borrowed from the Culinary Club." Kyouya explained, "Besides, they don't have much flair, do they?"

"A host club has to have flair." Hikaru and Kaoru said, nodding in unison.

Mori succeeded in opening the box, and pulled out a length of thick, shiny purple fabric with embroidered roses around the trim. He held it out to her silently for inspection.

"Well, I admit it does have more... Flair..." She mumbled, sweat-dropping.

"Come on then," Kyouya ordered casually, glasses glinting, "Get these on the tables before the guests arrive."

Haruhi glared at him for a moment, before sighing and getting to work. Honey followed her, setting out the tea sets after she covered the tables. Mori placed the chairs around after them, carrying a stack of of ten at a time.

The rest of them went about their various tasks, and soon the girls began filtering in and 'oohing' and 'ahhing' over the new linens. Hikaru and Kaoru took them around the room, pointing out the finer bits of embroidery and choice fabric selections they had hand-picked.

Haruhi frowned. Rich girls were impressed by strange things...

She glanced around the room to see if any of her regular customers had arrived yet, and instead found her eyes resting on Tamaki's uncharacteristically still form. He was seated on the loveseat staring off into space. He had been rather quiet since she had came in the room, and it was a bit unsettling.

She walked over to him, approaching from behind. "Senpai?"

He started suddenly and turned to look up at her, face flushed. "H-Haruhi. Ah. Yes?"

She blinked at this reaction. "Are you feeling all right?"

He laughed nervously. "Of course! I am feeling fabulous as always!"

She raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure...?"

"Certainly!" He said, "Would you care for some tea?

"Shouldn't we wait for the girls?"

"... You are a natural at this, aren't you Haruhi?" He asked, proud sparkles forming in his eyes.

That was a little more normal for him. She sat down across from him in a cushioned dining chair. "I don't know about 'natural' but it's just polite." She said calmly.

He laughed again, looking abashed.

It really wasn't like him to forget the rules of etiquette, though. "Are you sure you're feeling all right?"

He smiled at her gently. "Better and better every moment."

"Huh?"

"Oh, Haruhi-kun! Would you teach us to play that card game today?" One of the girls called from a table by the window.

"Sure! I'll be right there!" She responded cheerfully, though she felt slightly exasperated at the prospect. The day before Haruhi had been coerced into discussing more "commoner games" and the subject of "go fish" had come up. "Excuse me, senpai."

"Ah... Of course." He said softly.

Thankfully, Kyouya was the only one who noticed the fleeting look of disappointment cross the blond's features as she left and was replaced by Tamaki's usual flock of swooning fans.

Kyouya sighed a little. He didn't need to use much of the Ootori brain-power to figure this one out. As if the little hearts he had seen doodled all over the other boy's notebook hadn't been enough, now he was flirting with her on club time. Kyouya made another note in his own ledger. He had known, just as everyone beside Tamaki and Haruhi themselves, that this had been building. It really was only a matter of time before Tamaki came to terms with his true feelings for the oblivious girl-in-boys-clothing. He really should have been surprised it hadn't happened sooner. Kyouya was, however, surprised that Tamaki had been quiet about the revelation, especially to him. He had been expecting to hear of some sort of miniature explosion at the Suoh second house, or at least be a late night phone call victim. He wasn't upset about being left out of Tamaki's usual tearful, high-volume tirades of melodrama. He tried to convince himself that he was in fact, quite glad that the revelation had happened quietly. But it was indeed a surprise.

An hour or so later, after the girls had left for home and most of the host club members had packed their things and left, he approached the self-proclaimed Host Club King as he was sitting perched on the windowsill watching the students disperse through the front gates.

Kyouya looked down and saw Haruhi and the Hitachiin twins among the throng, talking casually, then waving as they went their separate ways. Tamaki's eyes, predictably, followed Haruhi's retreating form.

Kyouya cleared his throat.

Tamaki looked back at him and smiled. "Oh, hello Mother Dear!"

Kyouya was used to the ridiculous nickname by now, so he just sighed and played along. "Hello, Father. The weather outside is excellent this week, is it not?"

"Indeed!"

"I hear it's going to be quite beautiful this weekend."

"Ah, is that so? Excellent!"

"Do you have any plans, might I ask? Perhaps a date?"

Tamaki blinked at him in slight surprise, then smiled. "Nothing gets past you, does it Mom?"

Kyouya sighed. "You're not exactly good at keeping secrets."

Tamaki laughed again. "I was trying so hard!"

Kyouya's grin was wry. "You read like a children's book, you know. The kind with big bright pictures and three word sentences like 'see spot run.'"

"I think I love her, Kyouya." Tamaki said suddenly.

Kyouya felt his posture stiffen slightly, his chest tightening. He had been expecting such a statement from his friend, but somehow he hadn't anticipated his own reaction at hearing it. He suddenly felt mysteriously out of breath.

Tamaki continued, not noticing the change in his friend as he stared at his hands thoughtfully. "I think I love her... Not like a friend or a daughter or... Or anything else. But like... Like as a girl."

Kyouya let out a slow breath, then inhaled again before speaking.. "I... I know."

"You do?" Tamaki said, looking up at him in shock.

"Of course." He replied calmly, "I've known for a long time. Pretty much everyone in the host club knows... Excluding Haruhi herself, perhaps. You remember what I just said about you being like a children's book?"

Tamaki's eyes went wide. "R-really? It's that obvious?"

Kyouya laughed a little, but it was short. "You've been smitten with her since the moment you saw her."

At this, Tamaki looked even more confused. His brow furrowed and he stuck out his bottom lip. "But the first time I saw her I thought she was a guy! And a badly dressed and groomed one at that."

One corner of Kyouya's mouth twitched. "Whom you immediately starting hitting on."

Tamaki reddened. "I-I was joking around then! We all were!"

Kyouya shook his head. "Right, of course. But back to the subject at hand... When did you arrive at this conclusion?"

"Conclusion? You mean... When did I realize I was in love with her?"

Those words now coming so easily out of his mouth stung Kyouya's ears somehow, though watching him would have revealed nothing of the sort. "That's what I'm asking." He said easily.

Tamaki paused, looking serious and thoughtful for a moment. A softness came over his face, and his voice carried the feeling of recounting a precious memory. "It was only a few nights ago, when I was at home. Father was having dinner with me. Out of curiosity, I asked him to tell me about how he and my mother met, how they fell in love. I'd heard the story before, but... Suddenly the way he described her, the way he said he felt for her... How nervous he was at first, how different he felt about her than any other woman he had met before, how he couldn't stop thinking about her and wanting to be with her all the time... It made me realize that I feel the same way about Haruhi. It... It was..." He trailed off, looking out the window.

"It was what?" Kyouya prompted.

"Sort of like being hit with a ton of bricks."

Kyouya blinked. That hadn't been the description he was expecting from the sappy teen.

"I was a wreck, Kyouya. I couldn't sleep at all that night. I think I must have picked up the phone a dozen times to call you..."

"So why didn't you?" Kyouya said, straining to keep his tone light despite himself.

Tamaki looked thoughtful again, as if genuinely confused by his own actions. "I think... I decided that it was something I wanted to figure out myself." He said slowly, "I've always relied on you since I've been here at Ouran, and for your help I've always been endlessly grateful. But... Somehow, I didn't want you to have to explain it to me. I wanted to figure it out for myself. I thought I might... owe it to her."

"I see." The other boy replied softly. He wasn't sure what he had been expecting to hear, or what he had been expecting to feel when he heard it, but this wasn't it. He turned around, so his back was facing his friend. "So you... You're serious about dating her, then?"

"I am."

"Do you know what exactly you're getting into?"

He was silent for a moment, looking off out the window. "Hmm. I wonder?"

Kyouya sighed again. "It's not going to be easy, you know. Not with her. Not with... The way things are."

Tamaki shrugged heavily. "I know."

Kyouya looked back over his shoulder at him. "Do you?"

Tamaki turned to him, a determined look on his face. "Just because something is difficult, doesn't mean it's not worth trying." He said resolutely.

"That may be true," Kyouya admitted, "But there are considerations that need to be made. Concerning club business... I trust this won't interfere?"

Tamaki frowned at the cold question. "O-of course not."

"And you'll need to be quiet about it. What if the other girls found out about your relationship with her? There would be chaos. Not to mention Haruhi herself might be in danger... Don't underestimate the power of a woman's jealousy. In addition to that, Haruhi's identity as a girl would be revealed. Haruhi herself might not care, but what would the other girls think of that?"

Tamaki's back straightened. "I... I can keep it a secret. Really, I can. She can too, I'm sure."

"You know, even if things with you and Haruhi do go well... Your family--"

"I know!" Tamaki said, voice strained. "I... I know, Kyouya."

They were both silent for a moment, a thickness hanging in the air between them.

"...She's worth going through all that, then?" Kyouya said softly.

Tamaki turned back and stared out the window again. He nodded slowly. "She is."

Kyouya sighed and pushed up his glasses. "I truly hope so."

---

Kaoru watched as his brother paced back and forth across the plush carpet of their shared bedroom.

"Hikaru... You're angry." He observed.

Hikaru stopped in front of him and snorted. "'Course I am!"

Kaoru tilted his head a little, and smirked. "... You're jealous?"

"Th-that's not it!" Hikaru growled, reddening. "It's... It's just that..."

Kaoru laughed. "You're totally jealous."

"Shut-up!"

Kaoru laughed again, then sighed. "I am a little, too..."

This seemed to diffuse Hikaru slightly. He scratched his head and slumped down on the bed. "It's... It's just unfair." He grumbled.

On their way out of the school building, the two of them had been teasing Haruhi about how they were going to come to her house to study on the weekends since she had done so well on the midterm exams. She had, of course, refused. They had expected that, really. What they hadn't expected was for her to supply an excuse like "Besides, I have a date with Tamaki-senpai on Sunday."

Just like Haruhi to convey such earth-shattering news without so much as batting an eyelash.

Hikaru had been smoldering about it the entire ride home.

"He's always going on about how we should do things together, all of us, like a family... and now he's going on dates with her alone!"

"... You went on a date with her alone." Kaoru pointed out sweetly.

Hikaru reddened again. "Th-that was... It was just because you asked me to."

Kaoru raised an eyebrow. "Uh huh..."

"Don't give me that look!"

"Sorry, sorry..." He said, sliding closer to his brother and draping himself across his shoulders consolingly. "It does seem a little unfair doesn't it...?"

"It does!" Hikaru grumbled.

Kaoru huddled against his brother's back. "But in the end," He said softly, "I guess it's up to Haruhi. After all, she did accept his invitation."

Hikaru sighed. "Yeah, yeah... But that is a little weird. I wonder what came over her?"

Kaoru shrugged. "Who knows. Maybe his seduction techniques are finally winning her over."

Hikaru snorted. "Haruhi? No way."

"You're probably right... But..."

"...But?"

"She is a girl, you know."

"Yeah..." He sighed, "I know."

---

Haruhi Fujioka generally prided herself on being the type of person not to make rash decisions. Some would call her unadventurous, but she liked to think it was only sensible. If she was to accomplish her dream, she had to discipline herself. She had to focus.

She was starting to wonder if being in a school filled with such flighty people was affecting her judgement.

'What was I thinking?!' Haruhi pondered miserably. 'Am I really that easily swayed by a good meal?!'

She sighed, feeling resigned. What's done is done - and now she had to deal with the consequences - Namely, a date with Tamaki the "king" of the Host Club.

She was trying to steel herself for it. Tomorrow was the day.

At least this date was pretty much guarunteed to end better than the one had with Hikaru. That had been horrible. Well, all right, it wasn't completely horrible. Even if that date had been mostly a favor to Kaoru, she had enjoyed it until the thunderstorm... except the bits where Hikaru had acted like a total jerk. She frowned as she thought about it again, but her face softened slightly as she remembered the feel of the headphones over her ears, the music drowning out the storm. That had been his apology.

She sighed again. At least the forcast for this weekend was sunny. And her date was much sunnier, too.

Tamaki generally had a a softer temperment, but... While not acidic like Hikaru, he was prone to his own bouts of ridiculous antics. She was obligated to deal with him at school... Had she really just resigned herself to a whole afternoon alone with him? What if it turned into a total disaster? What if it turned out absolutely terribly and everything became all awkward and tense at school? She didn't want Kyouya on her back about interrupting club business, and really, she didn't want Tamaki moping because of her. She didn't mind scolding him when he was being unreasonable, but she didn't really want to hurt his feelings (more than was necessary).

Another thought suddenly occured to her, and somehow it seemed scarier than the other outcomes.

'What if it goes well?'

---

TBC...

Next chapter: Sunday One O'clock