Author's note: Yes, another update fairly quickly. I'm proud of me. (plus, I ran out of yarn and won't be able to get out to get more until tomorrow)

cachetscache - You mentioned that I sound like Carrie. I suppose I kind of do. See, Carrie is kind of an amalgamation of a lot of people, but primarily she's based off of the women I knew growing up in the small town I lived in. Good ol' down home country girl, doesn't take any shit, talks plain, and once you've earned her trust come hell or high water she's got your back. It's funny. I don't have my accent anymore when I speak (unless I'm super pissed off), but my manner of speech when I write seems to bring out the backwoods girl in me. They always say 'write what you know' - in Carrie's case, that's exactly what I did. :)

Anyway...on with the show!

Kaoru was the first to spot the figure walking with deliberate steps to join them. He would have bet that he was also the first one – perhaps the only one – to see the expression Kyoya was wearing before he hid it with his usual skill, to notice how shaken the Shadow King really was. He decided not to say anything, not with the others around.

"Did you leave them to talk?" Honey asked from his customary perch atop Mori's shoulders.

"Yes," came the flat reply. No one said anything else for a long while. Finally Kyoya turned and began to head back the way they came, speaking over his shoulder as he did.

"I have work to do. I'm certain Haruhi will make sure that idiot gets back to camp safely." With that he walked away, leaving the remaining four to look at one another.

"What's his issue?" Hikaru asked no one in particular.

"He seems bothered," Honey said, innocent concern in his voice. Something about the oldest host's tone caught Kaoru's attention and he turned disbelieving eyes to the senior.

"You knew?" he exclaimed. "You knew Kyoya and Tamaki were together? And you made him take the Boss to Haruhi?" The younger twin couldn't erase the note of astonished incredulity that had coated his voice. "Why? Any one of us could have done it."

"Because," the small blond said, suddenly sounding and seeming older than they'd ever heard him, "Kyoya needs to learn to trust. What good will a relationship be to either of them if they can't trust each other to return? Besides, I didn't know for sure. Not until you just confirmed it."

"I'm sure you didn't," Kaoru said with quiet skepticism. Honey shook his head.

"I had my suspicions but no definite proof."

"That's still no excuse!" The younger twin didn't raise his voice but his agitation showed plainly. "Why would you put Kyoya through that? Of the two of them, he's got to deal with more because of their relationship. And then knowing how he feels for Haruhi – to have him be the one to deliver Tamaki to her and...Honey-senpai, it doesn't happen often, but I really don't think I agree with your judgment here." With a shake of his head he turned from the group at the stream and began walking down the path Kyoya had just taken.

"Are you going to go with him, Hika-chan?"

"No. Not yet," the elder twin said. "When Kao gets like this it's best to just give him space. He'll mellow out again in a little while." Calm though his words may have been, the two older hosts could see the worry in his golden eyes as they gazed down the now-vacant path.

"What's your opinion?" Honey asked quietly. "Do you think it was a bad idea?" Hikaru shrugged, looking back at the blond.

"I think you're right that Kyoya needs to learn to trust, and especially to trust in Tama. But I think there may have been other ways to handle the situation. Mostly, though," he said quietly, "I wonder how Haruhi's doing."

There didn't seem to be anything else that needed said.

It was dead silent in the clearing. The only sounds were Tamaki's breaths as he stared at her in confusion and something like disbelief. Haruhi, after greeting him, had stayed quiet, giving him a few moments to gather his obviously scattered thoughts.

"How long have you been here?" he asked. She turned her gaze to the sand for a moment before looking back up at him.

"I arrived about five hours before you guys did." Instantly she saw the hurt in his gorgeous eyes and felt like nine kinds of bastard.

"Why...why did you lie to me?"

"Tamaki-senpai, I -"

"Haruhi...why?"

"I didn't want you to know I was here until I was ready to talk to you." She cursed her blunt nature, but then thought maybe it was for the best. That was, until she watched him crumple to the ground, looking like a dejected toy, purple eyes glimmering with betrayal and confusion.

"I don't understand," he murmured. She sighed again, this time more annoyed with herself than she was with him, and sat down in front of him.

"Tamaki-senpai, it's just that...well, lately, you've been...it's been...I have..." She paused, rubbing her forehead with one hand and trying to figure out exactly how to say what she wanted to. "I have a lot of stuff going on in my life right now. And you, well – I need to apologize for all the things I said in the Club Room the other day."

"Why?"

"Because it may have been the truth, but I never wanted to hurt your feelings. And I'm sorry. For that – and for lying about what I was doing on vacation." She blinked, looking up at the sky, unable to think straight with his gaze on her. "I needed a break, Tamaki-senpai. From the craziness and the chaos that seems to always follow me around – mostly thanks to you and the twins," she said with a smile that faded quickly when she saw he wasn't smiling. Clearing her throat, she continued.

"Since I joined the Host Club, I've learned so much...but it just – well, with everything else, it's all a bit overwhelming. It took me a little while to realize that I wasn't really mad at you, but that you were just the most visible annoyance and I took my anger out on you and I'm sorry. I'm sorry for lashing out at you and I'm sorry for lying." Confession spoken, she slumped her shoulders and stared at the ground, waiting to hear his reply. To her shock he got up and began to walk away. Stunned to silence, wondering if he really was going to leave, she could only watch as he made a slow circuit of her camp, only stopping when he was even with her once more. His face was pensive, thoughtful, and still upset, and in that moment she nearly hated herself. Suddenly he chuckled.

"Senpai?" she asked tentatively.

"I'm sorry. I was just remembering the day Ayanokoji threw your bag out the window."

"You helped me find my wallet," she said softly. For the first time since he stood up he turned to look at her. The glow of the afternoon sun behind him made his hair glow like a halo and she was struck breathless.

"I'm sorry." Whispered words from his lips like a caress on her skin, and she knew she must really have a stupid expression on her face but he just looked so beautiful and lost that she couldn't think straight.

"For helping me?" she blurted, feeling utterly confused. His lips curved in a smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"No. I'm sorry for the way I've acted. For the way I've treated you."

"What?" Yes, it was official. She seemed to have a problem with her brain being missing. Tamaki just held out his hand and on some sort of autopilot she took it, letting him pull her to her feet until she was standing in front of him. Before she could even think of something to say he spoke.

"I know I'm not your favorite friend. I know you think I'm annoying, that your father doesn't trust me. I seem to make you mad or crazy at the drop of a hat. And I've learned that consistently treating you like my daughter has been one of your biggest frustrations. I wanted to apologize."

"Apologize?" She still felt like she was missing something. He sighed and ran one hand through his hair, leaving it sexily tousled and disheveled, but she knew he wasn't doing it to keep up appearances. His eyes held her captive and she knew she'd have a hard time breaking free without the usual distractions she counted on to pry her from those mesmerizing violet orbs.

"It's hard for me to know how to act around you, Haruhi." His voice was nearly a whisper but in the stillness of the clearing she could hear the lack of confidence that resonated through it. "You're not like anyone I've ever known. You're so independent, so sure of yourself. And no matter what I say or do it never feels right." He sighed and looked down at his hand, realized it was still holding hers, and he seemed to debate on letting go before swallowing hard and closing his eyes.

"With everyone else I know how to act. What to say, what to do. I know what's expected of me. But then you came along and no matter what I do everything seems to come out wrong. I want to protect you though I know you don't need me to. I want to pamper you even though I know you don't want my gifts. I want to make you happy, but I've nothing to offer to bring you joy.

"You're the heart of our group, Haruhi. We may have been a club before but until you we were...incomplete. When you stumbled in, all large glasses and horrid clothes and completely unlike anything we'd ever seen – somehow, Haruhi, you created something magic." He was looking up at her again and she saw tears shining in his eyes, tears she knew were genuine.

"You turned a bunch of mismatched guys from the wealthy elite into a family."

"Senpai..." she whispered, not knowing what to say. He turned his gaze from her to the sky, following the wisps of white clouds with his eyes as they stood there in silence. And when he spoke again it was so soft she almost couldn't hear him.

"Tell me, Haruhi. Tell me what I need to do, who I need to be, to have you see me as a friend. I want so badly to be someone you feel comfortable with, someone you can trust. Someone you're proud to know. I don't want to be an annoyance or a burden. So tell me, please..." He closed his eyes, the motion of his lashes freeing one tear to slide down his cheek before he visibly gathered himself and looked down at her once more. The need and anguish she saw in his eyes made her swallow hard.

"What can I do to earn your friendship?"

"You already have it, you idiot," she choked out, moved beyond words by the simple honesty he'd shown.

"Then why do I feel so far away from you, even now, when we're the only two people in the world?" She didn't know how to respond so she just tightened her hand in his. She felt him shudder and her eyes widened at the obvious shock on his face. She knew it was her turn to say something, anything, even if she wasn't sure what.

"Tamaki-senpai, you do annoy me." He wilted and she, again cursing her frank nature, hurried on.

"You annoy me because you seem to treat everything like...like some sort of game. Because you don't seem to listen sometimes. Everything you do, everything you say – sometimes I wonder how you really see the world. At times you can be serious, responsible – and then you switch to an almost childlike...mania, I guess. I get whiplash watching your mood swings," she said with a grin, hoping to get him to mile back, but he was watching her so intently she had to fight a quiver.

"You're an amazing person, Tamaki-senpai. I wish I had half of your positive energy. You burn so brightly sometimes that it's awesome to watch. But I get the feeling you don't know yourself. You know what you want, but you have no idea what to do to earn it.

"And yes, the constant 'precious daughter Haruhi' line is beyond annoying. I still wonder how the hell you ever came up with the idea to start treating me like that, but acting like my overbearing second father is not a way to make me see you as a friend. After all, friendship isn't ownership, you know?" She fell silent, not sure what else she could say, should say. She expected him to be upset at her words, maybe even to find a quiet area of her campsite to go sulk in and grow mushrooms. What she didn't expect was the small, almost delicate smile he gave her or the shy look in those glittering eyes of his.

"I think I understand now what Kyoya was trying to tell me," he murmured to himself, but as she had the feeling he didn't know he'd spoken out loud she decided not to acknowledge it. A moment later he blinked and looked at her.

"I promise, Haruhi, from now on I will try to do better. But, please..?"

"Yes, senpai?"

"Please be patient with me?" he asked hesitantly. "I'm new to this whole 'know thyself' thing, and some habits are going to be harder than others to break. So just...try not to get mad if I slip up, okay?" He smiled endearingly and she softened just a bit.

"I promise. And I'll try to not be so...harsh." He laughed at that, a genuine laugh, and she was struck dumb by the mind-melting allure that was Tamaki without any pretenses.

"Oh, Haruhi, don't change. We all love you just the way you are."

"Warts and all?" she groused self-deprecatingly. He snapped his gaze to her, stunned.

"You have warts?" he gasped. She just looked at him blankly, not believing her ears. That was when she saw the grin he was trying gamely to hide. She let out a low growl.

"Tamaki-senpai," she muttered. He lost his composure then and laughed even harder than he had earlier, wiping a tear from his eye even as he tried to gather himself together.

"Well, you have to admit that the thought of your radiantly perfect skin having any blemishes at all is simply not to be believed," he gushed, fully the princely host.

"Senpai, stuff it," she said flatly.

"What is it, my darling daughter?"

"Senpai..." she warned.

"Yes, precious?"

He was still laughing as he rubbed the bruise on his arm. Life was good.

Not even sure what he intended to do, Kaoru stepped out of the trees and walked up the beach towards the cabins. He wasn't deliberately following Kyoya – he doubted the brunette would want conversation anyway. But upon reaching their stretch of beach and seeing the other host sitting at the table under a large umbrella tapping away at his laptop, Kaoru knew he had to at least offer a friendly ear. How to do it without risking the Shadow King's scorn or anger, now – that was the difficult part. As he was nearing the cabin he and Hikaru shared, inspiration struck in more ways than one. It was the work of mere moments to change into swim trunks and sandals and then he was heading out the door, notebook in hand. He approached the umbrella with deliberate casual steps. Kyoya never once looked up.

"Mind if I use the table, too?" Kaoru asked evenly. The current occupant of the table in question simply waved a hand with barely a break in his typing. Taking that as an affirmative, the redhead pulled the other chair over and sat down, opening his notebook and clicking his pen. As was his habit he began to doodle random shapes on the top of the page, letting his hand make fanciful designs while his brain put words together in some semblance of order. Soon enough, though, the thoughts in his mind began to take shape and his pen began jotting phrases instead of pictures. He lost himself in his writing, in the complex simplicity of creation. So focused was he that the calmly spoken words startled him.

"Doing something important?"

Kaoru looked up at his table mate. He would have sworn he'd imagined hearing Kyoya's voice were it not for the fact that those dark eyes were looking at him from over the top of the laptop screen, a tiny glimmer of curiosity deep within them.

"Poetry," he replied easily.

"Unsurprising," his companion stated with amused equanimity, turning back to the computer. Kaoru blinked, wondering what had prompted the question, but he knew Kyoya would likely never say. Instead of asking why, instead he voiced a different query.

"And you? Doing something important?"

"Business," came the mild answer.

"Unsurprising," Kaoru said with a grin. To his eternal shock Kyoya cracked a small smile as well. The two went back to their individual pursuits. The younger host was working out a particularly tricky line when he was again distracted by quiet words.

"You did not need to defend me, Kaoru." This was said without the brunette ever lifting his gaze from his screen. Kaoru stammered a bit when he answered.

"I...you – you heard?"

"I did." Silence fell while the poet gathered his thoughts.

"I know you didn't want me to stand up for you. But I just...I can only imagine how hard it must have been for you to do what you did." He thought, by the even look Kyoya leveled at him, that he had definitely stepped over some unspoken line, and was likely about to be in the receiving end of some strange and unusual punishment. Therefore it was no wonder he was caught off guard when the other host responded.

"I said you didn't need to defend me. I never said it wasn't appreciated."

Kaoru was floored, rendered utterly speechless. His companion apparently took the lack of answer as a sign that the conversation was over and returned to his work. For a long moment the stunned redhead just sat and stared, but eventually he gathered himself and returned to his writing.

"You know," he said casually, part of him wondering why he was even speaking again, "if you ever want someone to talk to, well...I'm here." As soon as the words left his lips he mentally groaned and berated himself. You should have been happy that he wasn't mad, but no, you just had to push, and now the Shadow King probably thinks you're trying to pry – stupid, man, just stupid -

"Thank you, Kaoru."

Amber eyes wide, Kaoru felt like his tongue had been glued to the roof of his mouth, but eventually he managed to respond.

"A...anytime."

In the afternoon light under a large umbrella, two quiet souls were off in their own worlds, yet were more together than they had ever been before.