The hosts waited patiently, wondering what kind of question the younger twin would come up with. Not a single one of them worried about what it might be – after all, Kaoru was typically the less devious of the two. For the most part. Luckily, their trust was rewarded when he spoke.

"Okay, everyone. If you could be a character in any story you wanted to, what kind of character would you be?"

"Wow, Kaoru, that's a great question," Tamaki said approvingly. "I, of course, would be the dashing romantic hero. Perhaps a pirate, taming the wild seas in search of she who is my treasure. Oooh! Or I could be a lonely samurai, pining for the love I left behind. Or..." The blond fell silent, and the glazed-over look in his eyes combined with the dopey expression he was wearing left no doubt that he had slipped fully into his mind theater, and with indulgent smiles the group was happy to let him enjoy it.

"I think...you know, I think I'd like to be a princess." Haruhi sounded very hesitant, almost meek, and ducked her head as all of her boys looked at her in wide-eyed astonishment. She held her ground; however, she didn't know how long she could reasonably stare at the sand, and she knew that if she were to glance up she would lose her tightly held composure. As it was, looking covertly at their expressions from beneath her eyelashes damn near broke her grip over her humor. She thought she was doing well to hold out as she was.

"Really, Haru-chan? A princess?" Honey's gaze was as surprised as his voice, and with an inner strength she wasn't sure she possessed she forced herself to meet it with an innocent smile.

"Why not? What girl doesn't want the fairy tale? Servants to pamper me...dances and feasts and a handsome prince to sweep me off my feet and carry me into my happily-ever-after...it sounds like it could be so wonderful." She manufactured a wistful sigh.

"But...but..." Hikaru goggled at her, completely unable to form a coherent sentence. She was fine in the face of his stammering, of Kaoru's confusion. Mori's eyes held befuddlement in their depths though he didn't voice it. Honey just looked at her in abject amazement. She was pleased and impressed with her own poker face, and wondered idly just when she'd gotten so good at keeping her expression firm in the face of absurdity. But when she looked at Kyoya, it was all over.

The Shadow King sat beside her, a calm smirk on his lips. She knew then that he knew her game and found it amusing. Despite her best efforts, in the presence of his wicked smile she began to snicker, then to chuckle. And then she looked back at the rest of her boys, at their confusion, and lost it entirely. Her laughter rang out over the beach.

"You guys...you should see...your faces!" she gasped, leaning forward to brace herself on her knees as she tried to gather herself enough to breathe. Through the tears chasing down her cheeks she could see the moment it began to register with her friends, the slow but sure dawning fact that she had indeed played them, and played them well.

"Very nice, Haruhi," the twins said with fond exasperation and not a little bit of pride. On her right, Honey had dissolved into giggles. On his other side his cousin was shaking his head, an amused smile gracing his lips.

"Sorry, guys," she snorted. "I just couldn't resist."

"Couldn't resist what?" asked Tamaki, having finally played out whatever he'd been watching in his mind and rejoining the conversation. This, of course, just made everyone laugh harder. His puzzled expression wasn't really helping the situation either.

"Haru-chan was just saying how much she'd like to be a princess." Honey was still giggling freely. The Host King turned wide violet eyes to the girl who'd started this round of hilarity they found themselves embroiled in.

"But Haruhi," he said softly, warmth in his sweet tone, "you already are a princess. Our princess." He leaned forward, kneeling in front of her and reaching for her hand. The sincerity he displayed cut her laughter like nothing else could have while he held her gaze as gently and as firmly as his fingers clasped hers.

"You are the most amazing and wonderful princess anyone could ever be, and we six but your humble servants, giddy with joy at the gift of your smile, at the pleasure of your conversation, at the precious boon of your regard. Your knights we are, Your Highness. Now, and forever."

She couldn't seem to breathe. With his eyes holding her captive, Haruhi felt as though she was drowning in blissful warmth. A distant part of her mind prompted her to say something, to do something – anything – and she swallowed hard and blinked once, then again. The action helped her grip her control, however tentatively, and she forced herself to glance around, to try and diffuse the tension that had so abruptly stretched her tight. However, though her other friends were smiling, the nature of their expressions had changed. One by one she met their gazed and her heartbeat stuttered forcefully at the agreement she saw on every face.

Kyoya watched the girl beside him as her eyes traveled over their group. He had to admit a frisson of curiosity as to how she would take what was, quite obviously, a declaration of affection and dedication from them all. Though it had been Tamaki who gave voice to the sentiments, who took the reigning mirth and morphed it effortlessly into another emotion entirely, there was no denying that the vibrant prince had simply put words to the thoughts they all shared. Never before had anything of this nature happened, especially so blatantly, and though – if he was to be honest with himself – he could not deny his own feelings, nevertheless he was more interested in what Haruhi would think. Reflexively, long-ingrained habit, he allowed the sunlight to gleam against his glasses, shielding him from the view of his friends while still allowing him to gauge their reactions.

She seems confused, he mused. After a moment's further observation he had to correct his initial assumption. Not confused. Disbelieving, perhaps. And most definitely overwhelmed. Shit.

He glanced at the other hosts, at the expressions they wore. At the fact that, thanks to his overly romantic lover, their hearts were not just on their sleeves but rather lying open in their outstretched hands. And at Haruhi, normally oblivious Haruhi, who – being faced with something he knew she had never even begun to expect – looked to be about two stages away from pure panicked denial.

Damn you, Tamaki, he thought. Dropping this on her right now, with all that she's going through. He forced himself to be fair, however, knowing that the blond had no idea of the issues their girl was handling at the moment. That small fact kept his frustration from boiling over into outright anger.

She's not ready for this, you idiot! he fumed inwardly. The entire course of his mental dialog had taken less than a minute from start to finish, and he silently growled when he realized it would be up to him to dissolve what, at best, could become a very awkward conversation. He cleared his throat softly but, as he knew it would be, the sound was loud enough to draw her attention. Pushing his glasses up in his signature gesture, he kept his voice calm and slightly bored. He addressed the blond King, but behind the glare on the glass his eyes were on Haruhi.

"Tamaki. Are you really so bereft without our clients that you feel the need to sharpen your already formidable skills on your fellow hosts?"

His jaw dropping open, Tamaki just gaped at Kyoya. The brunette saw the hurt in those eyes he loved so much, and resolved to have a long talk with the clueless prince at the earliest possible time.

"But, Kyoya, I'm being -"

"Completely extravagant, as usual," he interrupted. Seeing his best friend looking so dejected, he sighed softly and shifted his head until he knew the blond could see behind his glasses. He sent Tamaki a look that was both apology and warning, and to his utter surprise the princely one seemed to understand.

Maybe he and Haruhi really did hash things out, Kyoya speculated.

Having determined that the blond moron would be able to salvage the situation properly, he turned his attention back to the still-shocked female host. On an impulse he could not explain, nor desire to deny, he stealthily shifted until his hand found hers, much as hers had covered his earlier. She blinked as she swung around to face him, and though he could hear Tamaki in the background coming up with some sort of (he assumed) reasonable explanation of his statements, the sentences the other host spoke weren't registering at all within the Shadow King's conscious mind.

"Kyoya?" she whispered. Or maybe he just thought she did. Either way, he didn't have the words to answer. They'd been misplaced at approximately the exact same time she'd looked his way with those large chocolate eyes of hers. A moment passed before, with a strong mental tug, he managed to pull himself back together. Realizing Tamaki was apparently done speaking for the time being, he took the initiative.

"Well, Haruhi, now that you have successfully given us all a taste of our own medicine, perhaps you might like to answer Kaoru's question truthfully?" A hint of amusement, a touch of consideration, all wrapped up in a veil of nonchalance – as he knew it would, his calm statement/question snapped the last of the shakiness that had enfolded them all like a blanket. However, he didn't truly relax until Haruhi grinned.

"You have to admit, you all deserved that," she said with a shake of her head.

"She's right," said Mori quietly. Kyoya hid his own smile as she turned radiant eyes to the tallest host.

"Thank you, Mori-senpai."

"Hn."

"So Haruhi, what is your real answer?" the younger twin asked. With a thoughtful look, she slowly replied.

"I'm not sure. I don't imagine I'd really enjoy anything too hectic, so I know I would never be an action hero or anything like that. I think...I think I might like to be an oracle. Someone wise. Someone who has all the answers."

Silence greeted her pronouncement. Kyoya nodded slightly.

"That makes sense," Tamaki said, gracefully playing off the last few moments and stepping fully into the present – a fact for which the Ootori son was profoundly grateful.

"What about you, Hikaru?" she asked next, her question banishing the last dregs of discomfort and bringing a sense of peace and togetherness back into their circle. With a satisfied inner sigh, Kyoya turned his attention back to the game.

Author's note: Slightly shorter chapter, I know. To be honest, the story could have broken here or a little bit further down, but I had a very long and late day at work, and as I sit here typing this up I find myself dozing off, so I thought I'd consider this chapter done as it is and pick back up again when I'm not suffering from exhaustion. :-D

So, Guest (sorry, I would have addressed you by name, but I don't know it. LOL) - Happy Birthday to you! I know you asked for a Mori/Haru moment, but I have to explain. I have no problems attempting to post a chapter on a specific day (such as a birthday, for example)...in fact, I am quite happy to do so. But what I can't do is manufacture moments on command. The story unfolds as it wishes...I'm just here to put it into words. So whereas I can work with timing as to days on which I post, I can't force the storyline into a different shape on command. It becomes coerced and contrived, and I think it ultimately kills a plot when an author tries to write in what they want rather than what the tale needs. So I apologize for the lack of Mori/Haru-ness, but I did want to at least post a chapter and wish you all the best on your day. :-D