Haruhi's blood boiled. Why did everyone suddenly think they could walk all over her? Why did they think she was some sort of puppet?
"No, I'm not." She finally replied, surprised at how calm her voice sounded.
The man narrowed his eyes, turning on a pivot to eye Kyouya. "I was under the impression that she had agreed. Did you not tell me this, Kyouya?"
The ravenette chewed the inside of his cheek in hesitation. "No."
"Don't argue with me." He snapped back, eyebrows knitting together to form a frustrated expression. But he soon managed to regain his composure. "Very well. I am a reasonable man. What is it you would like, Miss Fujioka?"
Haruhi grinded her teeth, forcing herself to remain as polite and as calm as possible. "Pardon?"
"You will receive anything you desire if you agree to wed my son. Gold, silver jewellery, money, fame, etcetera. Anything."
At that statement, tension hung over the room like a thick blanket, consuming everyone in it's tightly-knit stitches. If looks could kill, it wouldn't be hard to tell who would be dead by now.
"I apologize, Mister Ootori, though none of that changes my mind. I would like to marry someone I love, on my own terms. And I don't think Kyouya wants to marry someone who is being paid to love him."
The tall man listened intently, sucking in a deep breath as she finished. As if she was aggravating him more than humanly possible. "Very well. However I would strongly suggest thinking this through thoroughly. After all, it would be terribly awful if something ever happened to you and your spouse was not around to rescue you."
Haruhi had to physically prevent herself from scoffing obnoxiously. "Are you threatening me?!"
"Take it however you like, Miss Fujioka."
"I'll keep it in mind." She retorted, spinning around and nearly storming out the door. Kyouya closely followed. At that moment, seeing him silent and hesitant while she almost back-talked his father, it reminded her of a timid puppy. A comparison she thought she'd never make with someone like him.
"Boy, your father really is a character, huh?" She muttered, leaning against one of the large granite pillars. Having that heated, passive-aggressive conversation really tuckered her out. She needed time to think about all of this.
"He has always been like that."
"How do you even live with someone like that? It must be awful."
"We don't see each other often."
A silent moment passed, before she let out an exhausted sigh. "What a joke." She grumbled, sliding down the wall to sit on the floor. This was all too much to take in.
"I safely assume this has left you nearly speechless; this entire jumble of nonsense." Kyouya said quietly, as if he could read her mind. He frowned slightly, glancing downward at the floored girl with a look of something strange. Sympathy? Empathy? It was too difficult to tell.
"That's one way to put it. I just think everyone has been unfairly treating me differently recently. and I'm also starting to think it's all because I'm a girl! You know what? This probably wouldn't even be happening if you all still believed I was male."
"We would have found out sooner or later. Your illusion was flawed."
"You're missing the point, Senpai!" Haruhi insisted, feeling her throat begin to close up. "I don't want to be a puppet to you guys just because I'm a girl. I don't want to be forced into a marriage or be deemed as a damsel in distress! I may be a girl, but that doesn't mean i need protection."
It was quiet once more; even the sharp voices from the other room had settled down.
"Fujio- Haruhi, I understand how you feel. Being walked on." He began, finding himself at a loss for words. "I apologize. I apologize for my impulses. And any time I was rude or treated you differently. And I am quite sure that if the rest of the host club were here they would say the same."
Haruhi smiled. It warmed her a little bit when he used her first name instead of addressing her formally as he usually would. It was as if he was speaking to her more as a friend instead of... what? What did he consider her before? A lady? A student? Someone who just needed to pay back their debt?
"Thanks, Senpai. It means a lot." She responded finally, looking up at Kyouya and feeling her face heat up as she saw him lightly smirking. It wasn't his notorious smirk though, this one was far more... genuine.
The door on the South wall creaked open, revealing a somewhat somber-looking Tamaki, as if he had come in here just in time to save Haruhi from this slightly embarrassing moment. "What's going on?" He asked curiously, hardly containing his joy when he heard that this wedding was not to be. "For now." Kyouya added. "My father has his ways of getting what he wants."
"Clearly," Haruhi muttered, burying her face in her hands.
Tamaki suddenly became very angry, questions spewing from his mouth like a broken faucet. He pointed an accusing finger at Kyouya, growling. "What does that mean?! Did he hurt you? Did Kyouya hurt you again? I'll kill him! I'll kill that bastard!"
Haruhi didn't respond, just slunk lower down on the side of the pillar. She was getting tired of Tamaki being so overprotective and having to calm him down all the time. She was tired of everything.
"No. I believe he threatened her, though. Which is quite unlike him in a situation like this. He must think it's dire for me to marry, and quickly." Kyouya answered.
The brunette suddenly felt sick, anxieties rippling through her person like a river in high-tide. "Oh, brother." She groaned. Though it came out as more of an ill-sounding whimper.