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Chapter 9: The Friend You should Have been

Haruhi stared in shock at Tamaki as he pulled away, their eyes made contact for a brief second before the twins tackled the boy.

"What was that?"

"How dare you!" The yells continued growing more volgure as they proceeded to attack the host club leader. Haruhi was in shock, she couldn't move, couldn't think. But slowly she felt a presence behind her and looked to see Kyouya standing at her shoulder watching the twins beat Tamaki. He very much wanted to join them.

"K-Kyouya…." She whispered just quietly enough that he alone heard her. With a frown he pushed his glasses up his nose and the sun blocked any emotion in his eyes.

"I'm your Senpai, Haruhi." He mumbled before walking over to the mess of boys and cleanly picking them apart. Much to their protests.

Haruhi bit back a tear as she felt Kyouya's words sting against her. While the boys argued Haruhi reached for her bag and walked briskly from the room, unnoticed by all except the fool who'd kissed her.

::

Sitting alone in her apartment Haruhi went over what had happened at the Host club that afternoon. She could still feel Tamaki's lips against hers and she couldn't decide if she enjoyed it or not. He was definitely not Kyouya, but then….after how Kyouya reacted she felt that it didn't matter who kissed her. Hurt by what he said she'd rushed off, but now she felt angry. He surely didn't blame her for Tamaki's actions….

Then again, it wasn't like they were dating, or were they? Haruhi groaned rubbing her temples as she thought it over. She truly had no idea what was going on. In the end she decided it was time to call Kyouya and see what exactly was happening between them.

"Hello?" A deep voice asked from the other end of Haruhi's home phone.

"Hello, it's me Haruhi."

"I have caller ID." Was the sharp reply. Shrinking in a little Haruhi was at a loss for words.

"Do you have something you need Haruhi?" Kyouya asked with a sigh. She could tell he was rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"I wanted to talk to you about happened today."

"Tamaki kissed you, I saw." Haruhi felt her stomach clench with hurt but her eyes burned with anger.

"Yes, and tell me if I'm wrong but you're acting harshly towards me for what he did." Haruhi snapped to him.

"As I said, he kissed you, I saw. There's nothing really to discuss here." Haruhi turned her eyes to the floor as they stung.

"Why are you acting this way, I thought…Well I thought." But Haruhi just felt too much pain and anger to muster up what she'd planned to say.

"You thought what Haruhi?" His voice sounded strangely strained.

"I thought that there was somethi…" Haruhi paused when she heard the knock at the door.

"Hold on someone's here." She didn't wait for his answer before placing the phone down and walking to the door. It was verging on "late" and Haruhi had no idea who was at her door.

"Senpai?" Haruhi was a little surprised to see Tamaki perched on her doorframe looking fidgety and a little rough after the beating the twins had issued.

"I'm sorry, I wanted to talk to you. Can I come in?" He asked with pleading eyes. Haruhi didn't know what to do, so she held the door open and let him.

"Hold on, Tamaki Senpai. I'm on the phone." Haruhi quickly rushed back to Kyouya but found that the phone was silent.

"Hello?" She asked but no answer, he'd hung up on her.

"Haruhi what's wrong?" Tamaki was instantly disturbed by the sadness in her eyes, all the pain.

"Nothing, Senpai." She lied with a sigh.

"What did you want to say?" She asked turning her mind from Kyouya back to the other idiot that had kissed her.

"Oh." His face warmed under her accusing stare. Seeing how truly flustered he was, Haruhi let out another sigh.

"Let me get you some tea while you think about it." She stood and went to the kitchen, glad to be alone for a moment to digest Kyouya's actions.

First he'd been just Kyouya Senpai, the student that was above her in class. He ran the host club behind Tamaki and loved to add to her debt. Then he'd become just Kyouya in a blink of an eye, the boy who had taken her on a romantic date and kissed her, the boy who was so handsome without the restraints of the host club bearing down on him. Lastly, he'd returned to Senpai and was acting very cold towards her.

Shaking her head she concluded it was simply his reaction to Tamaki, as she brought the tea out to the boy she hoped Kyouya was just jealous. He had no right to play yo-yo with her feelings like this.

"Thank you Haruhi." Tamaki took the tea and saw Haruhi's far off look.

"Where are you?" Tamaki inquired leaning a little closer to her.

"Right here." She snapped herself back to her apartment and looked at Tamaki calmly. Leaning back he let his mind wonder over what was really going through her mind at the moment.

"I…I wanted to come by to apologize for what I did earlier. I was overcome with emotions." He blushed lightly looking away as he quickly mumbled his words. Haruhi let a gentle smile tickle her face.

"Thank you for apologizing. You are a very great and close friend to me. I don't want anything to compromise that between us." She lightly touched his shoulder and he turned to look at her again a smile, somewhat sad, but a smile all the same, on his face.

"I agree. You are my friend, first and foremost." He leaned forward to embrace the small girl and she squeezed him back feeling a little ball of regret for having to say such things to him, but it only confirmed something else for her.

She wanted Kyouya.

::

"Thank you for stopping by, I enjoyed the company." Tamaki waved as he walked down the steps back to his waiting ride on the street. He called over the shoulder dramatically and promised lots of visits from him in the future. Rolling her eyes she just waved goodbye.

Now for the difficult part. Closing the door behind her, Haruhi set off on the long walk to Kyouya's home. She was going to set things straight, and talk to him. Tonight.

As she set off towards his house Haruhi was unaware of the approaching danger close behind her.