(A/N) before we get into this, i just thought i'd give y'all a heads up that FF has updated their email notifications! you now have to opt in every 90 days to receive email updates on any followed stories/authors. just so you know!
unemployment + nanowrimo + lots of free time = finally finishing this chapter i have been sitting on for forever! by forever i mean i have literally had parts of this typed out for years, so i'm super happy to finally have gotten this out!
i have obtained three diplomas before even finishing this fic. why am i like this.
anyway, enjoy!
Haruhi closed her eyes and wiggled deeper under the covers. She knew for a fact she wasn't getting sick, but despite her best efforts she felt horrible. Her back and shoulders ached, her sinuses felt irritated, and no matter how long she slept she never quite felt rested. The only things keeping her going were the remaining weeks of the academic year, her plush surroundings, and the constant reminder that, if she went to term, the baby would be here in just a short couple of months.
There was a knock at the door, and she groaned to herself before sticking her head out from underneath the blanket and trying to look as presentable as one could having just woken up. "Come in," she weakly called, honestly just wishing whoever was there would go away.
When Tamaki entered the room, though, that feeling dissipated. "I'm getting ready to leave," he told her as he approached the bed. "I just wanted to make sure you're okay before I go."
She stretched and rubbed her temple, the beginnings of a smile forming on her lips. "Yeah, I guess," said Haruhi, breaking eye contact with Tamaki. "I'm not excruciatingly terrible, but…I just feel gross, to be honest."
Tamaki sighed and sat down on the mattress's edge. "Is there anything I can do to help?" he asked gently.
Haruhi scoffed. "Can you find a way to magically speed up time so the baby's here already?" She laughed lightly and reached up to brush some hair out of her eyes. "I don't want to rush things, but…it's all catching up to me. I mean, I don't feel ugly, and I feel ugly."
Tamaki frowned. "You are not ugly, and you never have been," he told her, leaning over and giving her a kiss on the forehead. Haruhi squinched her face in response. "I'll see you this afternoon. I hope you feel better."
Gripping the edge of the sheets, Haruhi held her breath as Tamaki exited the room. Once the door shut behind him and clicked into place, she let out a lengthy groan before rolling over to check her phone. Only a mere thirty minutes until her alarm was scheduled to go off and she was forced (rather, strongly encouraged) to get up and begin her new normal routine. As the days went on, it became increasingly harder and harder, and at this point Haruhi just wanted to lay in bed all day.
In the hallway, Tamaki pressed his back into the door and sighed. This aspect of the whole situation was something that had completely slipped his mind at the beginning, but now that the unpleasantries were becoming more obvious, he felt horrible. Well, not as horrible as Haruhi, of course, but as horrible as his involvement would allow.
Fortunately (or, rather, unfortunately?), Tamaki's involvement meant he couldn't brood over it too much. A text from Kyoya snapped him out of his thoughts, and a glance at the clock on his phone reminded him he needed to get going if he didn't want to be late.
Brooding over the situation would have to wait.
Well, brooding over the situation only waited until the afternoon.
Tamaki paced around the Third Music Room, stroking his chin in a stereotypical act of concentration. Everyone else seemed to be minding their own business, for the most part, but Hiikaru was annoyedly watching Tamaki's uneasy pacing.
"Can you stop?" he asked after a few angsty minutes. "We actually have stuff to do, you know."
"Yeah," said Tamaki, the anxiety apparent in his voice. He continued to pace, but stopped fidgeting with his hands. "I keep thinking about Haruhi."
"Stop fantasizing and help clean up." The elder Hitachiin helped his twin stack some dishes as he continued. "You can think about Haruhi literally every waking minute you're not at school, I don't care."
"I'm not fantasizing," Tamaki corrected, finally stopping the pacing. "I'm legitimately just thinking about her. She's been feeling awful lately, and I feel terrible about it."
Kaoru mumbled under his breath, "It's your fault."
Tamaki snatched the stack of saucers out of his hands. "Hey. Either way, it's her birthday this Friday, and I have no idea what to do to make her feel better!"
The mention of Haruhi's birthday seemed to get everyone's attention. "Haru-chan's birthday is on Friday?" asked Honey.
"Yes, and I do not have much time to figure out what I want to do," Tamaki replied, setting the dishes down on a table before scratching at his neck. "Well, I know what I want to do, but the question is whether Haruhi wants to do it, too, or if she even can right now."
Kyoya readjusted his glasses, sitting up in the chair he was sitting in and closing the cover over his iPad. "Have you considered that perhaps she doesn't want to do…anything?"
Tamaki frowned. "But it's her birthday; I can't just…not do anything."
"And I wasn't suggesting that," Kyoya continued. "You know she's not materialistic, nor does she appreciate grand gestures. I think you're overthinking this. Remember: it's the thought that counts, and I personally think that no matter what you do, Haruhi will appreciate it in some way."
"Maybe you're…right." Tamaki stopped where he was and furrowed his brow, the metaphorical gears turning inside of his head so loudly he was sure the others could hear them despite their nonexistence.
He suddenly looked up with bright eyes. "What is it?" asked Hikaru cautiously.
"I've got it," Tamaki said, a smile appearing on his lips. "And you all are going to help me."
Haruhi breathed a sigh of relief and shut her laptop with a satisfied smile. Although it was still chilly outside, the weather that day had been extremely pleasant, and she couldn't wait to step outside and get a breath of fresh air. With it being her birthday—as well as Friday—she wanted to make sure she got everything done that she needed to so she could enjoy her birthday and the weekend without any lingering stress.
She hadn't heard anything from Tamaki—or any of her friends, for that matter—regarding any birthday plans, and to be honest, this year Haruhi didn't have a preference. She didn't care if there was some grand gesture or just a simple dinner at home. At this point in her pregnancy, she had decided that "go with the flow" was her mantra for the remaining months. To be honest, that had always been her mantra to an extent, but it was even more so important now than ever. What was the point of worrying over anything if it could affect the baby—not to mention make it ten times worse for her?
Haruhi began to prepare to head outside, trading her comfortable sweatpants for a pair of jeans—still comfortable, but much more appropriate for heading outside or even interacting with any of the house staff. However, she decided to keep her t-shirt. It was one of her dad's, so along with being a bit larger for her growing body, it reminded her of home. Heading back over to her desk, she grabbed her phone and unlocked it before heading out, a bit disappointed to not find any "happy birthday" messages since she last checked.
However, before she could even walk to the bedroom door, it flung open and in rushed the Hitachiin twins, a bag in Hikaru's hand and a mischievous expression on both their faces. Haruhi didn't even have time to react as they pushed her back into her desk chair and began wheeling it towards the bathroom. "What the hell?!" she simply exclaimed.
Hikaru dumped the bag's contents onto the counter and threw a bottle of primer at Kaoru, who caught it and immediately began slathering it onto Haruhi's face. "What's going on?!" she reiterated, not exactly dodging the twins' attacks but nevertheless remaining unamused by them.
"Shhhhh," said Kaoru, who stepped aside to let Hikaru at Haruhi's face with a palette of eyeshadow. "It's your super-exclusive-Yuzuha-Hitachiin-special birthday treatment."
"I don't really think I can enjoy the 'special birthday treatment' when I'm being manhandled," Haruhi grumbled, a particularly scratchy makeup brush dragging across her eyelid.
"The manhandling is part of the experience," quipped Kaoru, pushing his twin to the side as he applied blush to Haruhi's cheeks.
"Still—" Haruhi was cut short as a tube of lip gloss met her lips. She winced and pressed her lips together. "—what the hell is going on?!"
Neither of the twins gave her a proper answer, Hikaru putting the finishing touches on her makeup as Kaoru turned around to reach for the jewelry. "I can't remember; do you have your ears pierced?" asked the younger Hitachiin, turning around to reveal a surprisingly modest set of diamonds.
"Yes, but I never wear them—"
This answer was enough for Kaoru, who immediately brushed her hair aside to poke the hooks through the tiny holes. Hikaru followed up with clipping a matching necklace around Haruhi's neck.
The twins then dragged her out of the chair and pushed her towards the closet, opening the door to reveal Itsuko. She was holding a long, royal blue dress, and although Haruhi sure as hell didn't know her fabrics, her best guess told her it was at least silk chiffon, if not something even more luxurious.
"Wait, you're in on this too? When did you even come in here?!" she exclaimed, her eyes darting back and forth between her personal attendant and the garment in her hands.
Itsuko giggled and held out the dress she was holding while the Hitachiins stepped out of the room. "Almost finished," she simply told Haruhi, whose shoulders collapsed in defeat as she gave in to whatever exactly was going on.
The lining of the dress felt silky smooth as it slid over Haruhi's head, and she was confused yet pleasantly surprised when it seemed to fit her with no resistance. "Is this too tight?" asked Itsuko as she pulled the back together in preparation of zipping it.
"Not at all," replied Haruhi, still wallowing in confusion though going along with everything. Itsuko fluffed out the skirt of the dress, and as Haruhi looked down she noticed the bottom of the skirt barely grazed the tiles.
"Almost done…" Itsuko skittered to the other side of the room and grabbed a pair of dress shoes off a shelf. She didn't even have to say anything; Haruhi automatically lifted up the skirt and stepped into the low heels, patiently waiting for Itsuko to fasten the buckles around her ankles.
Itsuko stood up and stepped back, admiring the hard work that had gone into Haruhi's appearance. "Oh, you look gorgeous," she gushed, clapping her hands together as she looked Haruhi up and down. "But we need to get going; you don't want to be late!"
"Late for what?" Haruhi asked, still clueless and confused. Itsuko only continued to smile and raised her eyebrows suggestively as she led Haruhi out of the closet and into the bedroom, where the Hitachiin twins were anxiously awaiting her transformation.
The boys perked up as she re-entered the room, and greeted her with a smile as they flanked Haruhi. Each took a hand and guided her down the hallway and subsequent staircase. As they approached the bottom of the steps, Haruhi had had enough.
"Okay," she began, pulling the twins to a halt, "will anyone explain what the hell is going on here?!"
Hikaru and Kaoru simply grinned mischievously and started dragging her again. "If we told you, it wouldn't be a surprise!"
Haruhi simply groaned, though allowing herself to continue to be pulled along.
The twins coerced Haruhi into a waiting limousine, and she was pleasantly surprised to find Kyoya, Honey, and Mori inside. "Happy birthday, Haruhi!" they all said in unison.
She smiled in response, and the car door was shut behind her. "Thank you," she said sincerely.
"You look lovely, Haru-chan," said Honey, squeezing Usa-chan in his lap.
"Thank you, Honey-senpai." Haruhi turned to look out the window in hopes of getting any inkling of what was to come. "Where are we going?" she asked, turning back to the others for a response.
This time, it was Mori who responded. "It's a surprise," he simply told her.
The four made small talk for the rest of the ride, and before Haruhi knew it the limo was pulling to a stop. She looked out the window to see a massive Baroque-style building with a sweeping set of stairs out front. Despite the building being fantastically gorgeous, she didn't see any other people going in or out, or even loitering outside.
"And we've arrived at our destination," Kyoya announced. The limousine shifted into park and Kyoya exited out of one side, walking around to the other side to open the door for Haruhi.
As Kyoya led her up the steps, Haruhi couldn't help but feel a mix of excitement and apprehension. Tamaki had always been the embodiment of extravagance and romanticism, and while the surprise hadn't yet fully been revealed, Haruhi was left wondering what else the evening had in store for her. While his flair for the dramatic often clashed with her down-to-earth nature, it had been a long time since anyone had planned a birthday surprise just for her. In fact, Haruhi couldn't recall when anyone had ever done that.
The two reached the top of the steps, and Kyoya gave Haruhi a genuine smile before unhooking his arm from hers. "The evening awaits," he told her, gesturing towards the doors in front of them. "Happy birthday."
Haruhi opened her mouth to say something, but as Kyoya descended the steps she turned her attention back towards the doors. Her heart began to swell with excitement and anticipation for the evening's activities, and she distracted herself from her nerves by getting lost in the starlike lights dotting the building's exterior.
However, her intense focus didn't keep her from noticing a new light she hadn't detected before. Familiar blond hair glowed with the radiance projected from the ornate sconces framing the doors, and Haruhi perked up when her brain finally registered this hair as belonging to Tamaki.
He approached her, a hand in the pocket of his perfectly tailored suit and cheeks peppered with red as he took in her appearance. "You look…" he nervously began, struggling to finish the sentence before shaking himself out of his stupor. "Happy birthday, Haruhi."
She simply beamed in response, her cheeks beginning to flush as well. "Thank you."
Tamaki offered his hand and Haruhi took it, allowing him to lead her inside the building. "Hopefully everyone wasn't too much," he remarked with a nervous laugh.
Haruhi gave a light chuckle in response. "Mm, I think it was appropriate this time," she said, walking with Tamaki through an ornate pair of double doors. On the other side was a large room walled with floor-to-ceiling windows, filled with decorated tables of all shapes and sizes. It was like a stereotypical five-star restaurant, except it was completely empty.
A waiter seemingly appeared out of nowhere and greeted the two before leading them through the maze of empty tables and outside to the terrace. Despite the chilly February air, ornate and aesthetically pleasing space heaters situated on either side of the table warmed the air to a perfect temperature as well as added to the ambiance.
The waiter seated them and handed each a menu card. Haruhi thanked him and ran her thumb over the embossed text, studying the choices for each course as she considered which dishes sounded the best.
The candle in the center of the table flickered, casting a warm glow onto Haruhi and Tamaki's faces. The daphne shrubs lining the terrace gave off a fragrant, sweet smell, and despite the pair being the only people outside, it didn't feel empty.
It almost felt...romantic.
"What sounds good?" asked Tamaki, breaking the silence. "I requested a variety, but no tuna, just in case..."
Haruhi snorted, a hand jumping to cover her mouth as she stifled the rest of her laugh. "That was...not pleasant," she said with a smile, reminiscing on the dinner she and Ranka had with Tamaki and Yuzuru earlier in her pregnancy. "Though, if I'm being honest, I'm hoping my palate isn't entirely ruined now..."
Tamaki frowned sympathetically. "We'll cross that bridge when we get to it," he said, beginning to reach out for her hand but pulling away at the last second. He quickly looked away and turned his focus back towards the menu. "I think the 'orange duck salad' sounds interesting..."
Haruhi couldn't help but notice this fluke, but decided not to dwell on it as she turned her own attention back to the menu. "What is 'spinach a l'Anglais?'" she asked, brow furrowing.
Tamaki sat there for a moment, thinking. "Spinach," he said finally.
"What?"
"Nothing," he said nervously, waving his hand. "Just a joke." Haruhi didn't react, only continuing to look confused, and Tamaki felt his face get hot. "'Spinach a l'Anglais' directly translates to 'spinach in English' in French. 'Spinach' in English is...'spinach.'"
"Oh." Haruhi laughed nervously, feeling a bit stupid now.
The atmosphere remained awkward until the waiter came to take their orders, and then the tension seemed to melt instantly. "Did you plan all this yourself?" asked Haruhi before taking a sip of her water.
Tamaki blushed. "Not entirely," he said, leaning back in his chair. "I had a little bit of help. Kyoya planned the logistics, Honey and Mori made the restaurant reservations, and Hikaru and Kaoru were in charge of wardrobe…"
"Well, I think you've all done a great job so far," said Haruhi with a smile. Tamaki smiled back and sat up, his eyes sparkling.
"Can I be completely honest with you?" he asked, and Haruhi felt her nerves beginning to gnaw at her.
"Of course."
He slowly reached across the table and grabbed her hand, the touch sparking with electricity and causing the both of them to seize up. "I really don't know how to put this without sounding awkward, but… you're amazing, Haruhi."
"What?"
"You're amazing," repeated Tamaki, giving her hand a squeeze. "From the first time I met you, your strength and determination have been captivating. No matter how stupid I am, no matter how stupid the things are that I've told you to do, you've always taken it in stride and done it even better than I could have ever imagined. Even with the baby, you've done everything amazingly."
Haruhi's face began to flush. "Tamaki, I—"
"I'm sorry I got you pregnant," he continued, cutting her off. "You're so smart, and you had such a bright future, and I messed that all up for you. You shouldn't have to deal with any of this while you're still in high school."
"Tamaki, stop apologizing," said Haruhi. She glanced down at their hands, which were still intertwined. "As the saying goes, 'it takes two to tango,' so stop blaming yourself." Her other hand rested protectively on top of her stomach. "Sure, it's…not what I had expected, but honestly? There's no one else I'd rather do this with."
Tamaki was awestruck. "Really?"
"Really," she confirmed. "Tamaki, you're the most selfless person I know, and you go above and beyond. I was terrified at first, but you've made this all so easy. You're going to be an amazing dad, Tamaki, I know it."
Right at that moment her stomach rippled with movement, and she laughed lightly. "See? The baby even agrees. They can't wait to meet you."
The candle flickered and cast a warm glow across both their faces, and Tamaki smiled as he slowly rubbed his thumb across Haruhi's hand. "Happy birthday, Haruhi," he said again and her lips curled into a sincere smile in response.
Before they even realized what they were doing, the two began to slowly lean inward, looking into each other's eyes the entire time. Their surroundings seemed to melt around them, and the only thing they could focus on was each other.
Suddenly the waiter appeared next to their table, tray of food in hand. "Your appetizers," he told them, snapping them out of their thoughts.
"Oh!" Tamaki and Haruhi let go of their hands and sat back in their seats. As the waiter placed the dishes onto the table, all they could do was playfully communicate with their eyes. It is what it is, Tamaki's facial expression seemed to say, and Haruhi giggled in response.
It was what it was, but she wouldn't have it any other way.
"Anyway, I'm very happy to hear she's doing well. Please let her know I'm currently trying to rearrange my schedule so I can go visit, alright? Yes. Mm-hmm. Thank you very much. Please keep me updated."
Yuzuru Suoh hung up the phone with a relieved sigh. Anne-Sophie had arrived at the treatment center earlier in the week, and despite only having been given the experimental drug for a few days, she was already showing signs of improvement. He could hardly wait to see the love of his life in person for the first time in a long while, but sadly his work schedule weighed upon him like a boulder that couldn't be moved. Lately, he'd even felt like Sisyphus himself, having rolled that boulder all the way up to the top of the mountain only for it to catch a snag and roll back down to the bottom.
It definitely didn't help that there was so much going on with his son, either. Though he had to admit Tamaki had been doing a remarkable job of pretending everything was fine and normal, he was a bit worried for his mental health. Yuzuru knew from experience just how nerve-wracking first-time parenthood was, and combined with school and running a very popular club, he was concerned it might someday become too much for Tamaki.
There was a knock on the door, and Yuzuru saved the current buildup of work on his computer before going to answer it. He opened the door and came face-to-face with his mother, her stern expression sending chills down his spine despite being completely normal.
"Hello Mother," he said in the brightest tone he could muster. "Please, come in, have a seat!"
"No need." Shizue entered the office, leaving Yuzuru confused at the door. He quickly shut it and hurried to sit down at his desk.
"Is there something you'd like to discuss?" he asked her carefully. With her looking down on him, he felt like a kid again, having done something wrong to invoke her ire. He found himself wondering if maybe that was the reason why she was there.
Shizue tightened the grip on her pocketbook, almost protectively. "I would not have gone through the trouble of bothering you if that were not the case," she replied. He usually would have given her the benefit of the doubt, but her tone today seemed much worse than usual.
"I paid the second mansion a visit today," she continued, and Yuzuru began to feel nauseous. "While I was there—" She began to pace around the room. "—I decided to have a look around to see how your son is treating my property. I must admit, while I do not agree with many of his personal tastes, he has done a remarkable job of keeping the estate…valuable."
The nausea began to wear off, and Yuzuru breathed a small sigh of relief. "Yes, Tamaki has always acted rather responsibly," he told her.
Shizue clicked her tongue. "That is where you are mistaken, my son." She wandered back over to his desk and hovered over it domineeringly. "Upon further exploration, I found something quite interesting. It seems your son is setting up a nursery in one of the spare bedrooms. At first I wondered if he might be preparing for the arrival of a new sibling, but I know your nature, Yuzuru, and you would have told me almost immediately if that were the case."
By this point Yuzuru was nearly completely frozen—he just wanted his mother to say what she had to say.
"So, I began to ask around, and I was finally able to convince Ms. Kosaka to inform me of what is going on," she continued. "Once she told me, I thought I would drop by to offer my congratulations on becoming a grandfather."
Yuzuru wanted to throw up. This was not how she was supposed to find out. This was not how this conversation was supposed to go.
"I am not sure how long you were planning to wait before telling me." Her eyes narrowed, and Yuzuru felt the stabbing pain of parental disappointment. "Having a child while still in high school, combined with that pitiful excuse of a club, does not bode well for your son's reputation."
How was he even supposed to respond to that?
"Fortunately for him—and unfortunately for the Suoh family name—I do not have much of a choice. This conversation serves as your notice that the Suoh lineage will one day depend upon him."
Yuzuru simply looked at her, open-mouthed. "Are…are you naming him as the heir?" he asked, a bit dumbfounded.
Shizue inhaled sharply and nodded stiffly. "Yes, but conditions apply." Yuzuru nearly held his breath, waiting for the bomb to drop. "If Tamaki wants to make adult decisions, he needs to learn how to be an adult." Her cold stare confused Yuzuru, and he opened his mouth to say something, but…couldn't. "Tell your son that at the beginning of this next week he is to cease all activities pertaining to that disgusting club. He will immediately move to the main mansion and study how to run a business." She paused yet again, and her eyes narrowed. "Additionally, all contact with this Miss Fujioka will be stopped."
There it was. "Mother!" Yuzuru exclaimed. "Please, don't do this. Miss Fujioka is a very intelligent girl, and Tamaki is dedicated to being a good—"
"What he needs to be dedicated to is academics and Suoh Enterprises. My decision is final. If I am to recognize Tamaki as the heir, then I will not acknowledge that child as part of the Suoh bloodline. I am willing to pay a child support stipend if the paternity test result comes back positive, however." She narrowed her eyes at him and began to leave the room. "And please remind Tamaki we need not be involved in yet another scandal. One illegitimate child is one too many."
Shizue exited the room, and all Yuzuru could do was remain in his chair. He couldn't believe what had just happened— how was he supposed to tell Tamaki? What were they supposed to do? What was Haruhi supposed to do? He had accepted long ago that his mother would be angry once she learned of the situation, but he never thought she would forcibly separate his son from the mother of his grandchild.
The nausea he had been suppressing for the past however many minutes finally caught up to him, and he frantically grabbed the wastebasket next to his desk and emptied the contents of his stomach into it. This was not how the situation was supposed to go. This was not how the situation was supposed to go at all.
For the first time in a long time, Yuzuru Suoh began to cry.
(A/N) ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
miyawritesthings, M.A., OUT