Chapter 3: Decisions

"I can't believe my dearest Little girl graduated, and at the top of her class!" Tanka said as he hugged Haruhi spinning in a circle. It was nice to see a father so happy and proud of his kid. His baby girl was growing up and I think he was even more excited about the full ride to Ouran University for pre-law meaning she could still live at home.

"Dad… please let me go!" Haruhi said back trying to be nice. Mori reached over and grabbed her out of her fathers arms putting her down just like he had done so many times with Tamaki.

"Oh I'm sorry Haruhi I'm just so excited and proud of my baby girl!" he hugged her again let go quickly before Mori-sempi separated them. "Go have fun at your party it's your day!"

I had been watching the scene unfold from a table in the far corner of the room. Haruhi's father had saved up enough money to rent out the community gym for a party the day after graduation. The room was full of people but was almost over so most of the people that had come are long gone by now. Those remaining are the people were the host club and few family members. I had avoided most small talk by sitting at this table on my laptop pretending to do work, I came to see Haruhi even if we didn't talk much.

"Kyouya! What are you doing all by yourself you've been here all day!" I looked up to see Ranka making is way to my table.

"Oh don't worry I'm enjoying myself, I'm more of a people watcher than the life of the party, that's Tamaki's department."

"Well at least let me join you for a bit," he said taking a seat across from me.

"Go right ahead, I always enjoy your company." I put on a host smile closing my laptop. I really did enjoy his company, and I've missed it over the last year. Without the club there was no reason to call him and have a talk. He was my connection to Haruhi and just like her I cut him out of my life when I went to school. It hurt to much to hold onto something I can never have.

"Oh look at those two, just so happy…" he paused and I fallowed his gaze over to Tamaki spinning Haruhi across the dance floor. "I still don't trust him though… I know he's going to hurt her. He's almost left once, I'm afraid he'll do it again I just hope I'm wrong."

They did seam happy together. Haruhi was smiling and holding onto Tamaki like he was her lifeline. She was almost glowing with love as she looked at him. He made her giggle and blush at something and then brushed her hair behind her ear whispering something to her. It was almost sickeningly cute and I had to smile at how happy she was. I wish that could be me though, I would give the world but just like all those years ago at the ball I watched her dance away with him and not with me.

I looked away from them and back to Ranka hoping to change the subject. Before I could he said, "I really do hope I'm wrong Kyouya… She's so happy but I can't shake the feeling she deserces better, someone more like you… someone more trustworthy… He'll run off I know it. He'll brake her heart…" I couldn't help but smile a little when he said someone like me. Could he approve even if father didn't?

"I guess we'll have to wait and see. Maybe the fool will surprise us both…" I hope he did. I trusted him.

"Wouldn't that be wonderful!"

I smiled sadly at the idea of her being happy with him nut pushed it aside. That was my best friend and he made her happy I need to live with that. "I meant to tell you earlier Ranka, but I do love your dress today. It's to very flattering." The topic needed changed before I told him anything I was thinking.

"You really think so? I wasn't sure about it. It's a Hitachiin original you know. The twins helped their mother, it was a gift from her for putting up with her boys this past year!" He continued on about how the twins were over all the time and how destructive they've been. Buy the end of the party he had told me everything I had missed over the last year. It was so wonderful to be back in the loop of Haruhi's life.

"Dad, Kyouya-sempi, sorry to interrupt but it's time to go." Haruhi came over and told us. We had been so caught up in our conversation we hadn't noticed. All that was left was the original members of the club and her father. "Dad, the boys want to know if they can come over and watch a movie, Kyouya-sempi you're invited too of course."

"Well of course they can, it's only 8pm! But first they have to help me pack up these tables and chairs!" I smirked knowing that would happen.

"You hear him boys! I say whoever helps the most gets to share the couch with Haruhi!" Tamaki said is his usual dramatic way.

"Who's the judge Tono?" the twins asked in unison.

"Haruhi of course!" they shrugged at his answer and then the five boys took off putting everything away their way, which means they almost broke things. I sighed and shook my head. I grabbed my phone and made a quick call to the company and they came to take the tables and chairs away.

"Do you think he'll ever grow up?" Haruhi asked me when I got off the phone.

"I don't know, I sure hope so," I answered her rather puzzled as to why she would ask.

"Me too…" she trailed off and then left to go yell at the twins for fighting over a chair. I watched in admiration at her ability to silence them with a look. She always did have a scary side.

Before I knew it they had the place cleaned up and we were all back in Haruhi's small living room, bickering over who won and who lost.

"Haruhi tell Tono we won and we get to share the couch!" Hikaru said.

"No I won plus she's my girlfriend. I share the couch with her!" Tamaki countered.

"Shut up all of you! Kyouya won!" even I was surprised as she said this. "He was the one that called the place to pick up the tables and chairs so in the end he cleaned them all up. Now I'm going to sit on my three-seater couch with my boyfriend and his best friend. Can we please just watch the movie?"

"Anything for my wonderful Haruhi!" Tamaki said happy he could sit with her. "… I still don't understand why you wont let m get you a bigger apartment. You wouldn't have to pay…"

Haruhi sighed as she took her seat. "Because this is my home and I don't want to move." She brushed off his comment like it was nothing. I didn' know how she always managed it, every time he brought up her economic status in that way it made my blood boil. I watched she snuggled into his chest like nothing was wrong and start the movie with the remote. The twins settled themselves on the floor and Honey and Mori took the chair.

I had seen the movie before and it was another spy movie so it wasn't that good in my opinion, maybe the idea was over done. As we watched the movie I saw how Haruhi cuddled with Tamaki and my anger was hard to keep off my face. He's way of treating her angered me on so many levels but I kept my mouth shut because she was happy. Half way through the movie I got up to use the rest room but when I didn't come back to the same scene I had left, the movie was paused and Tamaki was on the phone. As I retook my seat he hung up the phone and looked completely scared.

"That was Father… My Grandmother just passed…" He stood there looking at us, no on knew what to say. Then, before we collected our thoughts he added something to knock us speechless again. "He said my mother wants to see me…"

We all knew his relationship with his grandmother and how she wouldn't let him see his mother and we weren't sure weather to be happy or sad. Haruhi was the first to speak. "You should go," was all she said.

"I… I can't, this is my home," Tamaki sat back down next to her, his face still blank trying to figure things out.

"You can still go, just to visit her, Tamaki. You don't have to stay," Haruhi said putting her hand on his. She was such a loving girlfriend.

"Yes…. Yes I do…" he finally looked her in the eyes and I could see tears threatening to fall. "She wants me to come live with her at least for college… and father wants me to go… he said it's my choice but he recommends I go…" He paused right before bursting into tears on Haruhi's shoulder. The rest of us watched painfully for the next few minutes as Tamaki cried and Haruhi tried to comfort him saying things like, "It'll be okay" and "we'll figure it out"

Eventually he sat up pulling himself together and said, "I'm sorry to ruin your night everyone I think I'm going to turn in early. It was a wonderful day… Goodnight everyone." He tried to sound like himself but his usual spark wasn't there and it was noticeable.

"Now what?" Hikaru asked as Tamaki left the room with Haruhi.

"Now we go home, give everyone time…' Kaoru answered him.

"I think it's best we all go home," Mori said from the chair and with that the decision was made.

When Haruhi came back we all told her we were going to leave. One by one we made our exit. I made sure to leave last I wanted to be there for Haruhi if she needed me. I watched the other two limos pull away with my friends and I turned to her but the look in her eyes broke my heart.

"Are you going to be okay?" I asked her. All I wanted at that moment was to hold her and take her pain away but I kept my place as the boyfriend's best friend and didn't move a muscle.

"I'll… I'm okay," she said sighing. She looked like she was going to cry. "Kyouya… would you mind… " she paused looking me in the eyes. "Will you stay just a little longer? I don't want to be alone…"

The look she gace me made me want to cry, it said everything she was scared and hurt. I put my hand on her shoulder and said, "I'll stay… You'll never be alone." As I finished my sentence she wrapped her arms around be and silently cried into my chest.

"I'm afraid of losing him Kyouya… I can't lose him." She said into my chest. I swallowed hard and wrapped her in a tight hug. I'll kill him if he leaver her.