Author's Note: Ahem…so sorry for not updating for a long period of time, but here it is! The last chapter! But I'm going to write an epilogue soon, so keep reading! Please Review!!
"Argh…this is getting annoying…" Haruhi grumbled as she struggled to finish her novel but was distracted often by thoughts popping inside her head about Kyouya. She sighed and closed the book tiredly. It was the Host club's third day at the Ootori beach house in Kyushu, and lately, she's been thinking more and more about…him.
She never expected herself to fall in love with Kyouya, namely, the shadow king. She wondered how it started. But all she could remember, is when he truly smiled at her for the first time. She saw a person, haunted by his social status, preventing him to express himself with other people. True, he may appear cold and indifferent, but Haruhi noticed more than that in him.
Her feelings especially rose when he unexpectedly hugged her, when there was a thunderstorm at her house. She found it strange, but when she was in his arms, she felt safe, and protected. And at the carnival, when he won her the strawberries at the shooting joint, it was just a small gesture, but it meant a lot to her. She somehow hoped, that Kyouya would return her feelings, but both of them are just too dense to notice each other's true feelings until someone would have the courage to blurt out, 'I love you!'
Unfortunately, Haruhi Fujioka was new to this feeling, the feeling of love, or infatuation. So she doesn't know what to do with these emotions running on her heart and mind. She doesn't want to tell them either, because, honestly, she doesn't want to get hurt. So she made that her number one reason to not tell him.
"Kyouya-senpai…" She mumbled. She was alone at the room, Honey went to the kitchen to eat cake, and Mori followed him, as usual. She turned on the television and tried to find something suitable to watch. She flicked the remote control, changing the channels, adjusting the volume, until she couldn't find anything to watch.
Haruhi groaned and plopped herself to her bed again. She looked at the wall clock,
"It's now ten o'clock in the morning…"
She got up again and stretched her arms. Haruhi opened the door and began to walk to the beach house's garden to get some air. She passed by the kitchen to tell Honey and Mori where she was headed, and probably to go there, because the kitchen has the only door leading to the patch.
"Honey-senpai, Mori-senpai, if you need me, I'll just be at the garden labyrinth. I thought it might be fun to roam around the backyard." she told them and went outside the kitchen door.
"Okay, Haru-chan! Be careful!"
And with that, Haruhi closed the door again and headed to the garden maze. But before putting a slice of cake inside his mouth, Honey stopped for a moment.
"Ne, Takashi, didn't we just see Kyou-chan pass by and told us that he was going to the garden also a few minutes before?" Honey looked at his cousin and grinned impishly. And without saying another word, they quickly barricaded the door with tables, chairs and other stuff to prevent the two from going out unless Mori's self-built instincts tell them that they confessed to each other.
Haruhi, after entering the garden labyrinth, looked at the sky, (Yes, the labyrinth is outside, it's just surrounded by walls and the only entrance and exit is the kitchen door.) The sky is kind of dark, but she chose to ignore it and continued walking.
"I am not lost. I am simply misguided by my intuition." Kyouya firmly reminded himself. He'd only been wandering around for a minute, and now he forgot how to go back. "Damn labyrinth…I can't believe that I've gotten lost on my own resort…" He finally admitted to himself that he was lost. He turned left, then right, straight, left again, but no use. He tilted his head up in the clouds and also noticed that it's a little gray.
He walked farther on the maze gazing at the red roses stuck in the leaves. Roses… beautiful even with thorns. They reminded him strongly of Haruhi, her beautiful face, like the petals, and her blunt feature as the thorns. His thoughts changed from cursing the labyrinth to Haruhi. Ah… Haruhi. the girl who brought out so many emotions inside him, that he, himself, wasn't even aware that they existed within him. No other girl he met understands him the way she does.
After he's done with his 'meditation', he suddenly felt a raindrop on his shoulder. And before he could react, the rain quickly started pouring down strongly.
"Great. Rain, just what I needed."
Kyouya thought sarcastically. His eyes twitched in annoyance as he sighed heavily. He placed his hands inside his pocket, and continued on his way, his body becoming more drenched by the minute.
Haruhi Fujioka too, was walking along the maze with a scowled face. Her whole body dripping wet from the rain. "It's raining…I'm lost…it's raining again…" she muttered exasperatingly. She only wanted to take a walk, not get saturated by water. And above all, she just noticed a few minutes ago, that she was completely lost. As the rain got stronger, she grunted and continued walking.
"Please don't let this be a thunderstorm, please don't let this be a thunderstorm…" She repeated inside her head. She tried to look for a possible exit, and even considered jumping on the bushes, but found it irrelevant because the hedges were too high.
She looked at the rainy sky again, brushing off her wet bangs from her eyes. Then, a strong gust of wind practically made her fall on the ground. "Whoa!" she skidded on the grass, as the wind got stronger. Haruhi yelped quietly as she heard the sound of faint thunder. "Crap! No way!" she covered her ears and broke into a run.
As the thunder became more closer and more louder, Haruhi's eyes were filled with tears, reflecting her horrified state, but kept running as fast as her feet could carry her. But with her eyes closed, and her scared condition, she tumbled again on the wet ground. Another loud thunder was released and Haruhi quivered again, as she tried her best to cover her ears. But it was no use, she could still hear the terrifying sound of it. Her whole body was filled with dread, but she used all her strength to get up and run again. She wobbled poorly as she ran, tripping every now and then to the wet moss.
Getting lost didn't help either. The labyrinth was so confusing, that very turn she made, she could've sworn that she already encountered it. Haruhi was really panicking. Her heart was beating very fast. She was really scared, but was still able to run due to her adrenaline.
Her pants were very dirty by the time she reached the circle of the maze. In the middle of the circle, was a sanctuary, surrounded by a small moat, with a bridge at the center. There was a small hut, with roses surrounding it. she hurriedly went through the bridge and into the shed, still shivering from fear and cold.
It was still raining. And there was still thunder. Haruhi's eyes are red from crying. She stayed at the hut, her sodden clothes making it more difficult for her because of the chill. She sneezed. She could feel her temperature rising, and then she knew that she was going to have a cold.
She was still crying. She could hear the rain dropping on the roof of the hut, and the crack of thunder. She wished that somebody would come and comfort her, someone to protect her, someone like…
"Wait! Now is NOT the time to think about him!!" She managed to scold herself. She whimpered again as another loud thunder broke out. She shut her eyes tight and stayed at the floor. She believed that she was all alone, all alone to survive this siege…
Then…
"…Haruhi…?"
She was surprised to hear another voice. But she was even more surprised when she saw where the voice came from.
"Sen-" Was all she could say. She shuddered and hid her face behind her hands again as a loud snap of thunder erupted.
Kyouya stood there, surprised as she is. He was wandering on the rain, garments drenched when he found this hut, and when he went inside, there she was, clothes all messed up, and crying, apparently more frightened than before. (Read chapter 2)
He was also puzzled how Haruhi got here. He thought he went there alone. Hearing Haruhi scream again, as another thunder was initiated, he slapped himself mentally.
"What the heck am I doing?! I'm standing here, losing my head in daydreaming, while she's there losing herself, crying?!"
Kyouya knelt down with her, both knees supporting him.
"Haruhi. Are you okay?" he shook her on the shoulder, Haruhi just looked at him with her scared, and teary eyes but gave no reply. Kyouya stared at her eyes. It was the first time he'd seen those eyes of Haruhi. Fear, despair, surprise, anxiety, and darkness, all mixed together. And her body, sitting still, paralyzed. She's practically in a trance.
"Haruhi!" he shouted again more forcefully, which made his glasses fall on the ground, but he ignored it. Now is not the time to be in the shadow king mode, even though his vision is a little blurry. Haruhi broke into tears again as consecutive thunders began to strike.
Kyouya had also never seen her cry like this. Maybe this is the worst thunderstorm she'd ever experienced. But something in his heart seems to pain him while seeing Haruhi like this.
"Haruhi…" He mentioned tenderly. Hearing Kyouya call her name in such a manner, made Haruhi look at him, but before she can truly tilt her head, Kyouya wrapped his arms around her neck and back. The brunette's eyes widened in shock and surprise.
"Don't worry, Haruhi… I'll never leave you…"
Haruhi gasped sharply.
"Does he…?"
But a thought hit her. "Wait! Don't forget! He is the Shadow King! And…And… I'm sure he's just joking!"
Haruhi creased her eyebrow. "Why?" She asked with a hint of annoyance and confusion, but still in his arms.
Kyouya fell silent for a minute. Only the sound of rain falling can be heard. He broke from his embrace with Haruhi, held her chin, and looked at her straight in the eyes. Haruhi couldn't break free from his look. There's something in that grey eyes of his that makes it hard to look away. Then, suddenly, without warning, he cupped her chin, and kissed her on the lips.
Haruhi's eyes opened widely, and her face went red. But she couldn't move her body. No, she doesn't want to move her body. Kyouya broke the kiss, and hugged her again. Then he whispered,
"…Because I love you, Haruhi…" He whispered affectionately in her ear.
Haruhi felt her heart leap. She can't believe it. She hugged Kyouya back, as the two share an embrace in the rain. (The thunder's already gone)
"…I…" Haruhi started. "I…love you too, Kyouya-senpai…" She murmured, before fainting. Upon hearing this, Kyouya's whole body became limp. Somewhere deep inside, a tightness in his heart loosened, as he pulled Haruhi closer to him. "Haruhi…"
And for the first time in his life, Kyouya Ootori, shed real tears of joy.
Author's Note: Thank you for reading this chapter! So… How was it? I know, it's pretty darn short, and not kinda good, but it's my final exam week, so I really haven't got the time to think this chapter over. And, thunderstorms do play an important role in this story… Okay, I will now write next the epilogue! Please leave a review after reading!