A/N: New chapter guys~ Past few days have been busy and I haven't gotten any writing done ;_; but luckily for you all I had some chapters written up already! So I apologize if there's a delay in updates this week. On a side note, I've been thinking of writing a HikaruxHaruhixKaoru fic, since writing for them can be so much fun *fangirly moment* but we'll see!

Enjoy~

The graduation ball was held in the biggest dancing hall that the school had to offer, and even then with all the students and their family members buzzing around the room it was at full capacity. A wide stage lined the back of the room on which all the third year students were sat awaiting the chairman to call upon them and shake their hand. Tables dotted the floor below where mothers were sat dabbing at their eyes with expensive handkerchiefs and whispering about how proud they were.

The host club had a special table laid out with an excellent view of the stage, each kitted out in Hitachiin label suits. The Haninozuka and Morinozuka families joined us, sipping quietly on champagne flutes and eyeing each of us with intrigue. It was the first time I had met either family, with the exception of Satoshi and Yasuchika who were sat in between Tamaki and Hikaru to the young Haninozuka's misfortune.

Tamaki's father slowly but surely worked his way through each of the third year classes and when he came to our club members, the applause in the room seemed to ring that little bit louder. I observed Honey's mother shed a tear as her son made his way back to his seat and even Mori's father, as impressively stoic as his eldest son, smile faintly.

When the formalities were complete, the school's music students began to play and the ladies jumped at the chance to twirl about on the dance floor and show off their specially made dresses. Our table swarmed with girls, all expecting us to take their hands and entertain them in turn. I made to stand and a strong hand grasped my own, tugging me through the strong wall of women and into the steady pace of the waltz.

"Hello there, princess," the low voice purred into my ear. His arms held me close and adapting to dancing as the woman almost had me stumbling and stepping on his feet.

I stared up at my blonde senior, perplexed, "Tamaki-sempai? What are you doing? There were plenty of ladies waiting for you to dance with them."

"Perhaps I wanted to start with my special lady," he grinned down at me.

"Every lady is you special lady," I scoffed, raising a solitary eyebrow at his lame excuse.

"You can't honestly believe that."

I chose to ignore his last statement and peered over Tamaki's shoulder at the twins. They had a girl sandwiched in between them who blushed furiously as they whispered into her ears; dancing slowly and sensually in an impressive three-way fashion. It attracted hoards of girls who swooned and squealed all hoping for the same treatment.

As the song ended, I pulled away from Tamaki and bowed my head to him in thanks before dashing off and finding a lady to dance with. Schmoozing and dancing were not natural talents of mine but I made it through each waltz and semi-awkward introduction to some of the most influential and wealthy families in Japan without making a fool of myself.

Satoshi and Mori found me making my way off the dance floor and I greeted them both with a warm embrace.

"Food?" Mori's low baritone rumbled in suggestion.

My eyes widened and mouth began to water. Food hadn't even crossed my mind until now and Ouran quality food was bound to be out of this world. "There's food? Where?!"

"Of course, Haruhi-kun! Come on, before Mitsukuni eats all the cakes," Satoshi joked. He grabbed my hand and his brother's arm before pulling us towards the far side of the room where tables were laden with food and bottles of wine. Honey sat with his parents at a small table, munching happily on the sugary delicacies provided but as his eyes caught sight of us he leapt up and tackled me into a tight hug.

"Haru-chan! Are you enjoying yourself? Come eat cake with Usa-chan and I!" The petite blonde clung on to me tightly, nuzzling his cheek against my own and enticing me to cuddle him back.

He slid back down till his feet met the ground and tugged me towards the table where Mori had already laid down an assorted plate of savory appetisers for me to munch on, "It's going quite well I think, sempai."

"Are you going to miss us, Haru-chan? 'Cuz I'm going to miss you," Honey smiled shyly at me. His warm chocolate eyes displayed his emotion like an open book; hope, sadness and love shone brightly in their depths.

"Of course I'll miss you both. Host club won't be the same without either of you there," I ruffled the senior's hair affectionately and he leaned into the caress coyly.

"I'll make sure to come visit you as much as I can then! And you can be my guinea pig for my recipes," his usual bubbly self was back in full force, bouncing in his seat and cramming spoonfuls of chocolate sponge into his mouth at breakneck speeds.

"Can't say no to that, sempai!" I giggled. My eyes assessed each of the snacks laid before me but my mind acted on autopilot and selected the fine piece of Ootoro.

A soft tap on the shoulder and the clearing of a throat caught my attention. Satoshi bowed low to, smiling brightly at me with mischievous eyes. "Haruhi-kun, would you care to dance?"

"It would be my pleasure, Satoshi," I nodded, grinning at the boys antics.

The young Morinozuka cheered and swung me out onto the dance floor just as I was about to bite into a ravishing piece of sushi, much to the amusement of Honey. I giggled as he spun me around excitedly, making a small scene in the midst of unamused parents and chuckling girls.

"Why are you wearing a suit, Haruhi-kun? Is everyone truly that big an idiot that they still think you're a boy?" His hushed words were tainted with disbelief and amusement.

"That's the general consensus. I don't plan on keeping up the charade for much longer."

"It's about time! Because it looks like loverboy numero uno wants your attention," he teased, giving my waist a brief squeeze and placing a kiss on my cheek. Before I knew what was happening I was being flung backwards and stumbled clumsily into someone's arms.

"Tamaki-sempai isn't my-" I called after the retreating boy, but he was long gone into the crowd of partygoers.

The Frenchman laughed lightly at my puzzled face and led me to a quieter section of the hall with his arm firmly around my waist. "Haruhi, care to take a walk with me?"

"Uh, I promised Hikaru and Kaoru that I'd go dance with them-" My eyes sought out the two redheads amongst the blur of suits and dresses but they were nowhere to be seen.

A sharp tug to the arm stopped me from hesitating and following my senior out onto the beautifully decorated balcony. "Nonsense! Those idiots can wait for now."

"If you're sure," I chuckled nervously, waiting as he closed the doors behind him and returned to my side with a distant smile.

We stood in silence. The stars littered the sky like a scattering of glitter against the depths of darkness above us. Tamaki looked serene and inched his hand closer to my own before he eventually plucked up the courage to slot his fingers in between my own. "Are you enjoying yourself?"

"Yes, it's been a good evening so far. My feet are killing me though," I yawned, gesturing to the offending appendages and leaning heavily on the stone wall that stood between us and the night's sky.

"The price we pay to keep our ladies entertained," he grinned. Silence reigned over us once again as I savoured the crisp night breeze that played at my hair and sent goose bumps across my skin. Tamaki's eyes never left me once. "Haruhi? There was something I wanted to tell you."

"What is it, sempai?" I glimpsed up at him innocently, biting back the curiosity that welled up inside me at the boy's awkwardness.

"Don't you think you can drop the sempai by now? Aren't we close enough?" It was obvious that he was fighting the temptation to pout and remain serious.

All I could muster in response was a half-hearted shrug, "Force of habit."

He turned to me and tightened his grip on my hand. Amethyst eyes glistened with determination in the moonlight as his face slowly descended towards my own, "Haruhi, I wanted you to know-"

"Haruhi?" Two identical voices echoed from behind me just as his lips were mere millimetres from my own and his heavy breath assaulted my senses with the faint scent of wine.

"God damn it," he grunted, pulling away from me and staring back out over the balcony at the courtyard below.

"Kyoya-sempai's been looking for you!" Kaoru informed me with a nudge and mischievous grin. His feline eyes glowed softly in the darkness and they regarded the blonde behind me with a detectable level of suspicion.

Hikaru slinked over from the door and wrapped me up in a strong embrace, spinning me on the spot and tilting me back in strong arms to the faint lull of the music in the background, "And you promised us a dance!"

"I'll be right there, guys." I eyed the blonde from over my shoulder and smiled meekly, "Sorry, Tamaki."