DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own Ouran High School Host Club, nor do I own its characters. They belong to Bisco Hatori. I also do not own the original plot of this story. That belongs to ibanana.

A Stray

~Chapter 3~

Haruhi tried her best to be the quietest she could. She wanted to make sure that when she left her home that morning, Tamaki would still be asleep. She wanted to be able to get out and hang up some 'found' posters all over town. After all, this was a stray dog. The owner(s) of Tamaki must be missing him.

So, she got dressed into pants and a loose fitting shirt and went into the living room. She grabbed the stack of papers that she had created yesterday- with much hardship due to Tamaki ripping up any one that he was able to get a hold on- and copied multiple times at a copy shop. She had placed it them in a place where Tamaki couldn't reach but they were still in plain sight and wouldn't take too much noise or hassle to reach: the coffee table in front of the couches.

She had noticed the disappointment in Tamaki's violet eyes when she had placed the papers on the coffee table. He could also hint some embarrassment. She had no idea how the hell she noticed that. But she did. And it was very evident as well.

Slipping on her shoes, Haruhi grabbed her stack of papers and some duct tape. She didn't have any staples for her staplers. She ran out.

Just as Haruhi was about to slip out of the door, her father's bedroom door burst open.

"Good morning my beautiful daughter!" Ranka said (screamed), loudly walking (stomping) his way to the living room (past Haruhi's room where Tamaki was sleeping).

And just like that, Haruhi found Tamaki at her feet, looking up at her with curious eyes. Haruhi sighed. She was so close…

"Dad," Haruhi sighed, exasperated, "you're too loud in the morning."

"I'm sorry, Haruhi, were you trying to sneak out?" Ranka asked.

"Yeah. So I could pin these up. I needed to leave Tamaki here in order to move quicker."

"Can't you just leave him now?"

"He's going to freak out. That's why I wanted to leave while he was sleeping."

Tamaki whined. Haruhi felt bad about saying this in front of him. Getting down on her knees, she petted Tamaki on his head, giving him an apologetic look.

"Why would he freak out?"

Haruhi raised an eyebrow at her father. "He's been following me around non-stop ever since I brought him in, if you haven't noticed."

"Well, it's your fault for being so nice," Ranka pouted.

Haruhi sighed. "I'm going now."

Picking up Tamaki, she turned back to the door. But, before she closed it, she gave her father a knowing look. "Now don't mess anything up while I'm gone. I remember last time…"

"It was an accident!"

"That I'm never going to get over," Haruhi replied. "I'm off. See you later, Dad."

At this, Tamaki was amused.

Haruhi sighed. Putting those fliers up with a puppy running around at your feet isn't the easiest thing that Haruhi's ever done. To be honest, it was epically difficult. You might ask how. But you will never understand unless you're in a situation where there is a puppy that seems to be thoroughly infatuated with you and he seems to be trying his best to delay you in posting up those signs everywhere that deemed important.

And, for the umpteenth time, she sighed. There was only one more flier left. And there was one more place that deemed itself worthy: the local pet store. The down side is when they got there, the place was closed.

Haruhi huffed. And she was going to buy some dog food for Tamaki too.

"I guess we'll come back later," she sighed. "Let's go, Tamaki."

Haruhi started walking, looking down from time to time to see if Tamaki was still with her. As they passed an alleyway (Haruhi always passed it, so she knew it was perfectly safe), she heard a whimper coming from inside of a box.

And Tamaki being the curious seeker he is, he ran in to take a look.

"Tamaki, come back! Don't go in there!" Haruhi ran after him, trying not to let her curiosity win her over.

But Tamaki was a fast puppy –obviously- and was able to run all the way to the other end of the alley to look into the box next to the wall. He barked in glee, Haruhi noted, and wagged his tail, making cute little noises as if he were having a conversation with another.

And that he was when Haruhi noticed a small whimper coming from the box. And it was similar to the one Tamaki lets out when he's sad…

She made her way over to the box and took a peek in. She found herself face to face with a black puppy (looking strangely like Tamaki) that was peeking up from the inside of the box.

She has a heart. Haruhi knows that. And she also knows that said heart would feel a crazy guilt that would inconceivably weigh her down if she just left the cute little puppy to fend for itself as it made shelter in a soggy card board box. Haruhi sighed. This wasn't going to end well.

Stooping over, Haruhi gently picked the black puppy out of the box and held it close to her chest, shushing it as it started to panic and whimper even more.

"It's okay," she said as softly and gently as she could. Once the puppy calmed down, she turned to Tamaki. "Let's go home, Tamaki."

Tamaki tried not to mind it. He really did. After all, Kyoya is his best friend.

Kyoya suffered the same predicament that Tamaki was in: being turned into a cute and cuddly animal meant to become part of the family in houses usually with children present. But Tamaki noticed that Kyoya didn't feel the same way he did when he found Kyoya in the alley.

But now, Tamaki noticed the 'second thoughts' Kyoya started collecting.

Seriously, who didn't like it when Haruhi gave them a bath? Tamaki scoffed in his thoughts. Only people who didn't know how awesome Haruhi was, he thought, answering his own question.

As Haruhi plucked Kyoya out of the bathtub, Tamaki tried to be nice by pulling out a towel to help dry his best friend off. And when Haruhi smiled at him for that, Tamaki felt the need to pat himself on the back with his non-existent hand.

He really needs to get back to his normal form again.

When Kyoya was all fluffy from being dried off, Tamaki couldn't keep the look of amusement off of his face.

"What?" Kyoya growled… literally.

"Nothing, Kyoya! It's just nice to see you again!" Tamaki barked, wagging his tail.

"I don't take it that you have seen any of the others?"

That's right. Tamaki and Kyoya weren't the only ones who got turned into loveable domesticated pets. Four others shared their fate. And each one was just as wealthy and well off as them. Well, Tamaki was the richest. No one could even think they were close.

"No, I haven't," Tamaki whimpered. "Haruhi here took me in the same evening we were transformed."

Only then did Tamaki realize that Kyoya and him had trotted their way into the living room and were sitting beneath the coffee table.

"Great," Kyoya growled. "How are we going to find them?"

"I don't know…" Tamaki looked off to a random corner. He seemed to be doing that a lot. "Hey, do you even know how we were changed?"

"How in your right mind can you forget?"

"No idea. Tell me? Please?"

If Kyoya could sigh, he would have. "Nekozawa played a prank on us using his dark magic. He didn't mean it. At least… I hope."

"Why would he do that?"

"Go be stupid somewhere else, Tamaki."

Tamaki felt the urge to pout. But seeing as that is impossible for him, he settled for the puppy equivalent to it. He folded his ears down.

And at this time, Haruhi walked in.

And she took it the wrong way.

Haruhi was utterly confused. She thought the two got along fine. At least, that was before. Now, as she made her way into the living room, she got a peek underneath her coffee table and noticed Kyoya growling and Tamaki shying away from him, ears folded back.

"What's wrong you two?" Haruhi asked, the two swiveling to look at her once they heard her voice.

Tamaki barked happily and ran up to Haruhi. Giggling, she picked the playful puppy up and scratched him behind his ear.

"You don't know how great this feels, Kyoya," Tamaki sighed, tongue falling out of his mouth.

Kyoya shook his furry little head, feigning disappointment in Tamaki's behavior. Honestly, he thought Tamaki looked (and acted) quite humorous. Ah, the things Tamaki could make Kyoya think.

"Haruhi!" Ranka sang, twirling around the living room to greet his daughter with a hug.

And just before he was about to embrace his beloved daughter, he spotted the cute black puppy looking up at him curiously from the ground. He stopped. Ranka shifted his gaze to Haruhi who was awkwardly shifting from foot to foot, refusing to meet her father's eyes.

The only thing Ranka said surprised, and slightly infuriated Haruhi: "Animal lover."

"Sh-shut up!" Haruhi turned red, placing Tamaki back down beside Kyoya. "Am not!"

"Are too!" Ranka sang. "Why else would you be taking in all these animals?"

Kyoya growled.

"Obviously you have no respect for animals," Haruhi said.

"Animal lover!" Ranka coughed.

"I heard that! And do you really think that I'm so stupid as to not know what you said when you coughed? I swear we went over this already!"

Tamaki barked, wagging his tail while watching the two quarrel with amusement.

Haruhi blinked. That bark… sounded like a laugh…

She shook her head. It's not time to hallucinate, she thought. She turned her attention back to her father.

"At least I have a heart and didn't just leave them on the streets."

"You could have just went to the pound. They would have already gotten into contact with the owners."

Haruhi blinked. Why hadn't she thought of that? Wait… didn't Mei say something like that on the last day of school?

"Oh… right."

"Wait," Ranka laughed, "you haven't done that yet?"

"N-no," Haruhi stuttered, blood creeping back into her cheeks from embarrassment.

"And I thought you were smarter," Ranka huffed a victory.

"No one ever said that," Haruhi said, making her way into the kitchen as her father and the puppies followed. "You're the adult here, anyways."

Ranka pouted. "Why are you so mean to Daddy, Haruhi?"

"I'm not mean. I'm just practical."

Who knew this commoner could be so witty?Kyoya was thoroughly impressed.

~Chapter 3 End~

Hey you guys! So, how was it? Good? Bad? Tell me in a review! Oh, come on, you know you want to! XD

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Akatsuki Utaou

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