Kyouya sighed as he shut down his computer and leaned back into the chair, done with the accounting for the day. The music room was empty now, save Haruhi who was on clean-up duty in the kitchen. The clinks and chinks of glassware echoed through the emptiness of the room and his heart.
Tamaki didn't tell him when he was leaving, so when the huge bouquet of African Lillies (Kyouya's favourite) arrived at the Host Club room, with a card that announced that he 'would not be present and hopes the lilies will bring smiles to all of you like I do.', everyone including the Queen was surprised. The customers pined for the prince, the hosts pestered him for reasons, and even Honey exerted some of his power as a senior for an explanation. To all of which Kyouya denied any knowledge of Tamaki's whereabouts. It'd been a month now, and he had yet to receive any form of communication from the blond; he'd even taken the initiative to email him first, but didn't get any reply. The only form of assurance he gave was that every month he would send a vase of flowers to the Host Club; Forget-me-nots, Hydrangea, Black-eyed Susan, apple blossoms. The last one he sent was Hyacinths. The vice-president wondered if he was sending a message through the meanings of the flowers, but had to congratulate him for good thinking as the flowers managed to retain most of his regulars.
The raven had been so absorbed in his thoughts that he jumped when Haruhi banged the table to get his attention.
"I'm done with the dishes and I've stocked up on the sweets for the customers tomorrow." She said, dusting her hands tiredly. Kyouya only nodded his acknowledgement and mumbled a 'thanks', pushing his spectacles which had gone askew. Haruhi had been rather quiet after Tamaki's disappearance, and didn't ask about his whereabouts like all the others did.
The girl only cocked her head slightly and headed for the door, but stopped short of it before she turned back to regard her vice-president. "Try to get him back, won't you?" Haruhi said, before closing the door behind her.
Kyouya blinked away the burning in his eyes.
"I would, Haruhi. I would."
Half a year, and still nothing from Tamaki. Income had reduced by a fifth, and the rest of the host members toiled harder; Haruhi especially took over expenditure because she knew better than any of them how to conserve. None of them asked Kyouya about Tamaki by then.
Kyouya even went out of his way to play the piano on selected days, like how Tamaki used to play when someone requested it. Although it pained him to relive their last night together, the customers loved it. One of them even said it was as good as Tamaki's playing. The raven only smiled and thanked the customer, all the while feeling Tamaki's fingers playing the duet in his heart.
It was November, and snow had only just begun to fall in little drifting bursts as the Host Club went into the eighth month without their Prince.
It was also Kyouya's birthday month, and he had received a small box of Baby's Breath at the start of the month along with a vase of Casablanca for the music room.
Not that Kyouya was about to give up on his lover, but he wasn't the type to demand or expect someone to celebrate his birthday especially for him. So, on his birthday, he didn't plan on doing anything except spending the day with the club and a small discrete box of flowers that still looked fresh although they were well past shelf life.
Until he met a particular blond playing the piano in the third music room before anyone else had been inside.