Disclaimer: Host Club isn't mine

Disclaimer: Host Club isn't mine. Please don't sue me. You won't get much.

CHAPTER 6: INIMICAL

Ouran High School, Third Music Room…

Tamaki was struggling with his emotions again when it came to Haruhi Fujioka. He remembered thought about how he had to leave her at the hospital in the care of a doctor he had never met. She had looked so fragile and delicate under the velvet blanket with Usa-chan tucked under her arm and his heart ached at being apart from her. At that time he had wanted at that moment to take her home and wrap her in his arms, shielding her from the harshness of the world around her. He would have happily given her a home under the roof of the mansion he currently inhabited. He would have given her a home under the roof of any of the mansions within his grand family.

That is, Tamaki would have given Haruhi shelter if his grandmother hadn't voiced her objections with venomous accusations and abuse directed at not only her grandson, but his friend as well. After school had finished for the day, Tamaki had met with his father to discuss giving Haruhi a room at the second Suoh mansion because of her current state of living.

The blond had had no problems convincing the ever-compassionate Yuzuru Suoh once he relayed his story to the chairman, but then his grandmother had shown up unexpectedly at his office with her secretary and lawyer. She had apparently heard from Shima and Yuzuru's secretary what the chairman was discussing with the boy, and was livid at the very idea of accommodating anyone below her social status. She made that sentiment more than clear to both her wayward son and impertinent grandson, despite both of them trying to sway her.

Tamaki left his father's office with tears blurring his expressive eyes, nearly bumping into an elderly woman and her companions as he strode toward the building's exit. After a muttered apology and a hasty bow, he made his way back to the Third Music Room to compose himself after that terrible confrontation in his father's office. His grief at not being able to shelter Haruhi was piercing his heart and it had clouded what little rationality he had at the time. The Host Club king closed his eyes in pain as he recalled his grandmother's vicious words.

Just a little while ago in Chairman Suoh's office…

"Am I to understand that filthy halfbreed wants to bring some…lower class girl into one of my mansions?" The Suoh matriarch glared at both her son and grandson, and her eyes narrowed into heated steel at the sight of the half-French Tamaki. No matter how much the boy tried to ingratiate himself to the older woman, all she would see when she looked at him was the face of that slut who had led her son astray.

To her, Tamaki's birth was an unforgivable sin.

"Please, Grandmother. She lost everything in that fire and she's homeless. Her father is lying in a lot of pain in a hospital bed, and from what Kyouya told me he'll need months of treatment and therapy before he can work again. She won't be any trouble, I promise. And she's really sweet and wonderful if you get to know her." Tamaki attempted to appeal to his grandmother as humbly as he could, but she was adamant.

"I will not have that worthless commoner trash inhabiting any of my mansions!" Her gravelly, contempt-filled voice could be heard from outside the chairman's office. "I honestly do not see why I am wasting time discussing the matter with you or that half-breed boy, Yuzuru. To think, the low-class daughter of a cross-dressing pervert under my roof. I will never allow it."

Tamaki's heart stung with immeasurable sadness at hearing his grandmother speaking so horribly of Haruhi and Ranka. Over his years of living in Japan, the half-French blond youth had grown used to being an object of hatred and scorn for the eighty-two year old Sayoko Suoh. He could withstand her withering verbal abuse as long as it was only directed towards him. But then she had to bring Haruhi into her line of fire…

"Grandmother, I beg you. I will do whatever you ask, and she really is a wonderful girl…"

"I said no, and that's my final word on the matter!" With that, Sayoko abruptly ended the conversation. With her eyes glaring at her grandson and her nose haughtily held in the air, she stood up and stalked towards the sunlit window flanked by her personal secretary on her left side and her lawyer on her right.

Tamaki was devastated. He turned to his father and whispered to him so his grandmother wouldn't hear. She had tuned out the sound of his voice anyway after she voiced her decision.

"Father, I can't take her talking about Haruhi that way. It hurts me so much. Why is it that she automatically hates everything and everybody that I care about?" He rested his chin on top of his hands and set his elbows on the table where tea had been set.

"Tamaki, I'm sorry Mother said those things about your friend." Yuzuru replied to his son. He was also upset with the way his mother had slammed the brilliant commoner student that he himself liked. "But we can't let Haruhi stay in our mansions, no matter how much we may want to. Mother is very traditional and class-conscious because of her royal lineage. And as much as you or I may not like it, she does hold the final authority in this family as long as she is alive. You know what she is capable of doing."

"Yes, Father, I understand." Tamaki responded softly, shuddering at what kind of power his grandmother wielded. He silently recalled that Sayoko Suoh had absolute authority over all financial matters in the family. If he or his father dared to cross her, she could disinherit Tamaki immediately. She would also have no reservations about pulling all monetary aid to Tamaki's ailing and missing mother, causing his beautiful mother an agonizing death.

The blond youth also reflected on the fact that his grandmother could withdraw the money financing Haruhi's scholarship, and then Haruhi would have to leave Ouran forever. "So if Haruhi can't have a room in any Suoh mansion, I'll speak to Kyouya about where she should live. Thank you for your time, Father and Grandmother. Please excuse me."

Tamaki knew that there were always other options to consider, and there was no way he would allow his princess to live in a homeless shelter. With a determined look on his face, he bowed to his father and grandmother and left the office.

"Tono."

Tamaki's eyes snapped open upon hearing Hikaru Hitachiin's nasally voice. He looked to his left shoulder and noticed the elder twin eyeing him quizzically.

"Are you all right?" Another voice echoed over his right shoulder. Kaoru Hitachiin took his hand off Tamaki's shoulder and moved in front of him.

"Hikaru, Kaoru, I'm just worried about Haruhi. She has no place to stay. I tried getting her a place at one of my family's mansions, but my grandmother just refused. She even called Haruhi worthless commoner trash!" Tears leaked out of Tamaki's eyes at the words that his grandmother spat out of her mouth as if she was spitting out something vile.

The twins regarded Tamaki steadily, which immediately piqued the half-French blond's attention. Normally, Hikaru and Kaoru would have reacted angrily to hearing their classmate had been disrespected by someone they despised. But the fact that they didn't immediately vow to avenge Haruhi was reason enough for Tamaki to suspect that the twins had set some unknown plan into motion. When the twins stayed quiet, Tamaki tentatively broke the silence.

"Hikaru, Kaoru, just what is going on?" He didn't like the twins being quiet. It made him think of the time they were cold and nasty to those around them. Even if it was coldness borne out of frustration at the outside world, that was still no excuse for the way they treated their classmates, particularly the girls.

But then Hikaru and Kaoru smiled mischievously at their blond-haired senior. "Don't worry about your grandmother. That part's covered."

"How? You know what kind of power my grandmother has. You can't go up against her. And how are you going to protect Haruhi from her?"

Hikaru slung his hands around his brother's shoulder. "Let's just say that we know someone who would love nothing better than to put that nasty old bat in her place." The elder twin had no compunction about expressing his opinion of Tamaki's grandmother even if he was in the presence of his blond friend. The way Hikaru saw it, anyone who could gain the hatred of even Hani-senpai didn't deserve any sort of respect.

"What are you talking about?" Tamaki asked the still-smiling twins, who guided him arm-in-arm to the sofa and sat on either side of him. They sensed that the Host Club King was getting irritated at being left out of the current state of affairs, and wasted no time in satisfying his curiosity before he could put on one of his usual emotional displays. Hikaru and Kaoru were in no mood for any emotional spazzes from their lord at the current time.

"We have a very strong ally working for us. She's probably taking down that granny of yours right now," Kaoru told him. "Think, Tono. Did you see anyone as you were leaving the chairman's office?"

The question blindsided the Host Club King. What did that have to do with Haruhi? Why were those devil boys asking random questions about the day's events? What sort of evil were they plotting?

And then he remembered.

"Yes. I almost bumped into an old lady and some servants, but how is that important? I didn't look much at her. I just apologized and left because I just can't deal with what my grandmother said about Haruhi. I should have stood up to her some more, but I don't want to make trouble for Father. I just had to be the good boy." More hot tears were welling up in Tamaki's eyes, making the twins sigh in exasperation.

"Tono. Trust us. It'll be okay. Our ally actually knew your grandmother way back when, and she knows how to squelch her." Hikaru smirked and then took his arm off Tamaki.

"And she'll make sure that granny of yours doesn't try anything against Haruhi." Kaoru added as he handed Tamaki a handkerchief and then promptly turned his face away when the Host Club king blew his nose into it.

Hikaru also averted his eyes. Gross, Tono. That's just gross.

After Tamaki had finished composing himself, he stood up and faced the Hitachiin brothers. "Well then, we should prepare to go and see Haruhi and her father." Without looking back (or giving back the handkerchief, which Kaoru wouldn't have taken anyway) the Host Club King gathered the other members of the club who had walked in unnoticed.

"Let's go see our princess," he declared with his usual grandiosity.

TBC

A/N: Here is another chapter for your perusal. It takes me awhile to write these things because I want to make sure that it meets my standards.

And anyway as a side note, I know it's considered bad taste to blow your nose in front of others, and normally Tamaki would abide by this rule. But seeing as how he's more than a little upset about what "that nasty old bat" said about Haruhi…well, I guess he can be afforded the dubious luxury of forgetting his manners a little provided he straightens up once he sees his "daughter."

The next chapter…well, I hope you like it. If I may be biased, it was my favorite chapter to write so far. You'll see why once you read it. rubs hands evilly Heh heh.