Author's note: I'm ba-ack! The vacation was wonderful - the lake was beautiful, and the weather was absolutely awesome. So, to celebrate a wonderful set of days off spent with my wonderful husband...here's the next chapter. :)
"I can only imagine how shocked they all were," Carrie snorted. "You have to admit, you don't look like an average dad."
"How shocked they were? I came home to find my house full of boys and my daughter pinned to the floor by one of them. That was shocking!"
"Yeah, I'll bet," she agreed good-naturedly. "Still, they seem like good boys. Really cute, too."
"They are. I would trust Haruhi with any of them – even Suoh, though I still have to give him a hard time. It's my job. He reminds me too much of myself." She just chuckled and shook her head, finishing her drink before replying.
"Well, they seem totally devoted to her. I don't think she realizes it, though." Carrie spoke with quiet certainty and Ranka nodded.
"I don't think it's occurred to her that any of them might see her as a potential partner. I love my girl, but she can be a bit..." He shrugged.
"Oblivious?"
"Yeah, pretty much." He sighed, his mood dropping once more. "All I want is for Haruhi to be happy and...not alone. I want to know that she'll have someone to help hold her up and to be there for her when I...when I'm not anymore." Carrie leaned over and put her hand over his where it rested on the table.
"If worst comes to worst, she'll never be alone. She's got six guardians who would give the world to see her smile. Haruhi will be okay. So you need to try and curb your worrying about how she'll cope and start thinking of what you can do for your own problems. She'll worry enough for both of you." He sighed resignedly and though Carrie was obviously reluctant to bring the mood down further, the outspoken woman nevertheless returned to the reason for her visit.
"Ryo, I know you're planning for every eventuality. So yes, if Haruhi agrees, I would be honored to accept custody of her in the event that this damn disease gets you before she's old enough to be on her own. On one condition." He looked at her in confusion.
"What condition?" Her voice was iron-hard when she replied, her eyes boring into him like diamond-edged drill bits.
"You fight this. Fight like fucking hell. Don't even think of giving up." She took a deep breath. "Ryoji, since Tay died, you and Haru have been my only family. She's already lost one parent – she shouldn't have to lose the other. And it would tear me apart too. You're the little brother I never had, Ryo. So you'd damn well better fight this or I swear to God I will drag your sexy tranny ass back from the afterlife and beat the everloving shit out of you. Is that clear?" His eyes filled with tears again, but he just nodded mutely. "Good. Glad that's settled. Now give me a pen."
The group stood on the beach, looking at the blond prince with varying degrees of apprehension. The reason for this was the fact that he was not only impeccably clad in a burgundy and grey wetsuit, but that he'd just handed each of the hosts suits of their own.
"Okay. Go get changed. Be back out here in ten minutes – you're all going to love what I have planned, I just know it!" With shooing motions he ushered them back to their cabins, his smile radiant as they obeyed, albeit hesitantly. Once the twins had disappeared into their cabin and the cousins into theirs, Tamaki turned around only to see Kyoya, wetsuit laying on the ground beside his chair, scribbling away in his black notebook.
"Kyoya, you too! You're joining us this time."
"I'd rather not," the calm one said without looking up. That is, until his notebook was lifted from his hands and placed carefully on the sand.
"Remember our talk about spontaneity?" The blond grinned. Kyoya did not grin.
"I remember telling you I wasn't a fan."
"And I remember saying that I'd make sure there was more of it in your life." The Host King was standing directly in front of his love now, smiling down with affection in his violet eyes. "Besides...would you really deny me the chance to see you in a wetsuit?"
"Tamaki..." Kyoya growled. The blond was not frightened in the least. Instead of saying anything, he crouched slowly, sinuously, knowing the Shadow King was watching intently despite his expressionless demeanor. When he stood up once more he was holding the sleek garment, a beseeching look in his eyes.
"Please, Kyoya?" he whispered, holding out the charcoal garment. He knew he'd won when the brunette's eyes flickered shut briefly, the facial expression accompanied by a long-suffering sigh. Sure enough, Kyoya snatched the suit from Tamaki's hands and without saying another word stalked back to the cabin. The blond slid into the recently vacated chair and reclined, stretching his legs out in front of him and relaxing while he waited.
Mori and Honey returned first, the tall host clad in a dark teal suit with turquoise accents, the colors looking somehow regal on him, while the small blond was decked out in a rust-red and dark almond outfit that made his eyes look even larger and more innocent.
"So what are we doing, Tama-chan?" the bouncy loli host asked cheerfully as they joined the Host King. Tamaki simply smiled enigmatically.
"You'll see," was all he said. About that time the redheads emerged from their cabin in their matching suits of a deep olive color that brought out the hazel flecks in their eyes. Their expressions showed a mix of apprehension and curiosity.
"Where's Kyoya?" they asked as they wandered over, arms around each others' waists. Tamaki waved a careless hand in the general direction of the cabin.
"He's changing. He'll be out shortly."
"You mean he's actually joining us?" Kaoru said, surprised.
"Yep," the blond replied.
"How'd you manage that one, Boss?" Hikaru asked.
"Easy. He is evil incarnate." The group as a whole turned to see the usually reticent host striding across the beach towards them, looking annoyed. Just then they heard the distant roar of a motorboat splitting the air, growing louder as it approached and forestalling any conversation. As it neared the shore the hosts could make out two people, male and female, sitting inside. Tamaki stood gracefully and walked to the water's edge to greet them as they cut the motor and headed to shore.
"Mister Suoh?" the man asked in a deep, rolling voice with an accent none of the hosts could place.
"That's right," Tamaki replied happily. "And you must be Mister Coleman."
"Just Cole," the man grinned easily, extending his hand in friendship.
"You can call me Tamaki," the Host King responded, returning the handshake. The woman had joined them by then and the blond host immediately clicked into prince mode.
"Your loveliness outshines the sparkle of the sun on the ocean waves, ma cher," he murmured, bowing over her hand. Her rich laughter rang out across the beach.
"Don't get any ideas, pretty boy," she chortled. "You're not even close to being my type." Her grin could match the Hitachiins for the mischief within it and Tamaki chuckled as well.
"Let me guess, my princess – too blond?"
"Too male," she shot back. A few feet away Hikaru and Kaoru burst out laughing, clutching each other in their mirth. The princely one, recovering quickly, just nodded and smiled.
"Touche, mademoiselle, " he said with a good-natured grin. "I'm Tamaki. And you are?"
"Jess," she answered. He shook her hand as well before making introductions for everyone else.
"So I take it you all are ready?" Cole asked.
"What exactly are we going to be doing?" Kyoya queried, eyes narrowed at Tamaki.
"Gentlemen," the King said lightly, "we're going water skiing!"
Finishing her book, she smiled at the predictable yet totally satisfying ending and crawled into her tent to tuck it back into her backpack. Leaving the structure once more she glanced upward. The sun had already reached its peak and was beginning its downward trek, so she estimated it was about one in the afternoon, maybe a bit later. Struck by a sudden need to see her boys, she decided it would be a good time to sneak over and find out what they were up to now. Retracing her steps from the day before, she poked her head out from behind a tree and saw...an empty beach. They're probably inside resting, she thought, somewhat sadly, but then she heard the unmistakeable sound of Tamaki's laughter ring out through the air and realized that she couldn't see them because the cabins were blocking her view. The relief that rocketed through her was like an electric shock and she realized once more just how much she'd become accustomed to them in her life, in her days. Creeping quietly forward, she knelt in the shadows of the middle cabin and looked out towards the water. Suddenly she was very glad she was already on her knees.
Her boys. In wetsuits. Holy mother of god, she thought, awestruck as she stared wide-eyed at the collection of sleekly muscled, graceful young men that were climbing into a large-ish boat. She watched avidly as they got settled in, watched as the tall blond – his ivory skin and golden hair set off to perfection by the deep red and grey wetsuit – carried on a conversation with what Haruhi could tell even at this distance was a very attractive woman with train-stopping curves and long red hair in a messy braid over one shoulder. The woman burst out laughing at something Tamaki had said and Haruhi felt such an intense, irrational surge of jealousy rocket through her that it made her gasp. It only got worse when she saw the twins openly flirting with the woman, who seemed to be flirting back. Even Kyoya spoke to her a few times, while Honey nodded eagerly at something she said. Haruhi felt slightly depressed – and extremely inadequate. Knowing exactly how devastatingly charming her boys could be, to see them flocking to the auburn-haired beauty was a very hard pill to swallow. However, even as she watched it seemed the joking was tapering off as the woman began to explain something, her hand movements and demeanor seeing to denote instructions being given. But about what?
The mystery was solved a few moments later when she reached down into the boat and pulled out...a pair of water skis? What on earth is that blond idiot thinking? Haruhi stared, knowing she really shouldn't be surprised by now at anything the Host King came up with. Then again, she thought, the surfing thing didn't turn out so badly...not at all. Resolving to watch and enjoy the view she shifted position, sitting down with her back against the solid cabin wall. This promised to be good.