Duet chapter 41
Title: Duet
Rating: PG for now
Warnings: spoilers for the end of the anime
Progress: 41/47
Summary: In need of a performing arts credit for her transcript, Haruhi seeks piano lessons from Tamaki. The result is a bit more bonding than either of them ever expected. How can you focus on school when you're falling in love... and what complications will arise when a member of the Suoh family is willing to give up everything for a commoner?
With Tamaki’s birthday and the cherry blossom ball inching ever closer, he worked harder on his brainstorming to throw the perfect host club event than ever before. It was rather lucky for Haruhi that Tamaki was so busy and so distracted, because she was developing plans of her own. In her time at Ouran, she found that though she had no money and little influence, a place in the host club goes a long way. She had made quite a few friends and most of those friends had a lot of pull, and so she found she could accomplish much more for him than she had expected.
“Tamaki-senpai loves white lilacs,” she told Kasanoda Ritsu when she found him knee deep in tomato plants in the garden club’s corner of the grounds one sunny afternoon in late March. “And I was wondering if you and your club would be willing to plant some around the main courtyard for the ball we’re having on his birthday.”
“Sure,” Kasanoda replied with a rather nervous smile. “But I don’t really know where we’d get white lilacs. If you can find us some, we’d be happy to plant them.”
“Of course I know where to get white lilacs!” Renge later told her almost manically. “I’m so glad you knew to ask me!”
“Well… I didn’t, actually,” Haruhi reminded her, slightly disturbed. “I was talking to Casanova about it earlier and you overheard.”
“Well, whatever the case, my mother is always adding new flowers to our garden in France. She buys them from the best florist in Paris, and the man’s white lilacs are absolutely gorgeous! Since we’re such valued customers and we’ve covered up more than a few scandals for him, I can have them for you free of charge by the sixth!”
“Thanks, Renge-chan,” Haruhi said, overwhelmed. It seemed things were beginning to come together nicely, and everything was right with the world. It also helped the feeling of absolute contentment that her relationship with Tamaki was progressing steadily.
Haruhi had never imagined she could spend nearly every waking moment with someone and not get irritated, but Tamaki was an exception, despite how irritating he could be at times. She loved his company more than she could ever have imagined, and life seemed like a dream. They went on dates quite regularly, and they made love just about as often. It was strange to Haruhi, like she was living someone else’s life. Living in a near fairytale was bizarre, but she found that she enjoyed it.
“I love you,” Tamaki whispered with a smile in the dark one night, kissing her on both cheeks and nuzzling her with his cheek.
“I love you too,” Haruhi told him with much less awkwardness than she had ever imagined she could display when expressing this particular emotion toward him. Slowly they were leaving all the embarrassment and uncertainty in their relationship behind in the dust and all that was left was something shimmering and wonderful, almost too perfect to be real.
“You know, you’re the most wonderful thing that’s ever happened to me, Haruhi,” Tamaki’s breath was warm against her ear as he pulled her closer. “You’re too good to be true. I think that choosing you over being the heir was the best decision I’ve ever made.”
Haruhi was deeply touched by his words, more than she could ever say. So she showed him instead, pinning him to the futon with kisses that he responded eagerly to, letting her passion get the better of her. He was far more precious to her than she had ever imagined anything or anyone could ever be, to the point where she had actually grown to feel dependence on his love. It was bizarre but comforting in a way, and she found that she was no longer embarrassed by her devotion to him. She showed it now as readily as she could, and it delighted him to no end.
“I have a meeting with my grandmother the day before my birthday,” he whispered into the dark when they were finished and he had nuzzled close, so close she could feel his heart beating. It had been nearly a month since the first time they had made love, and by now she was no longer nervous or embarrassed about being naked with him. On the contrary, it felt nice, and she pushed closer against his warm body. It was a little amazing to her that she could feel so confident around him.
“What’s it about?” Haruhi asked, and Tamaki smiled against her neck.
“I don’t know, but I hope it’s good,” he said, sounding nervous. Haruhi kissed his temple where his sweaty hair clung. He pulled back to smile intimately at her and she simply blinked back until he giggled.
“You’re so cute,” he told her, ruffling her hair. She grumbled a little but he didn’t seem to mind. Pulling her on top of his chest, he cupped her cheeks with his hands and simply stared into her eyes. “I love you more than anything in the world, and I hope you never forget.”
As they slowly drifted off to sleep together, Haruhi was aware of the warm lull of contentment somewhere in her chest, and she smiled. There was one more thing she wanted to do for him, and she knew it wouldn’t be easy. But looking into his smiling face as he lingered on the edge of sleep, she knew it would be worth it.
She would do anything if it was for him.
XXX
Haruhi waited in the chairman’s outer office for nearly twenty minutes after her club duties were over before he could see her. She hoped Tamaki wouldn’t mind her being home a bit late, and she thought to text him about it as she sat waiting. His returning message was full of smiley faces and ridiculous declarations of love and how he would start on dinner, and so she put her worry out of her mind. By the time the secretary told her she could enter the inner office, it was nearly six o’clock, and she was getting fidgety. She went in immediately and Yuzuru looked happily up from his desk.
“Haruhi-chan, what a surprise!” he said, smiling. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
“I actually came to ask a favor of you,” Haruhi explained, and Yuzuru looked intrigued. When he expressed such emotions she could see the resemblance to his son in him almost uncannily. They had the same chin, the same brow, and almost the same smile. She made a mental note to mention it to Tamaki later.
“What is it? I’m sure I’d be happy to do whatever it is if it’s for the woman who has made my son so happy.”
“Well… you know that his birthday is coming up and I wanted to give him something special. I was hoping you could help with it.”
“Oh, of course. What did you have in mind?” he asked, and Haruhi swallowed. It was now or never.
“I want… him to get to see his mother for his birthday,” she told him frankly. Yuzuru looked stunned, and Haruhi took a deep breath. “Since he almost got to see her during the festival but didn’t get to, he’s really been missing her. I can really only do so much to keep him happy when he wants to see her so badly.”
“Haruhi-chan, as much as I’d like to make him happy… I’m afraid that’s simply impossible.”
“How is it impossible?” Haruhi asked, staring him down just a bit. “You know where she is, don’t you?”
“Well yes… but…”
“It would only be a matter of a phone call, Suoh-sama,” Haruhi reminded him. He was wringing his hands. “If it’s the matter of her health keeping her in France, then I’m sure it would be fine if she just came down for the day and then went back.”
“It’s not her health, Haruhi-chan. She’s actually nearly fully recovered now, thanks to some strides in medicine by the Ootori group. So it wouldn’t be an issue except for the fact that… well… part of the deal was that if Tamaki’s grandmother provided his mother with financial aid, he wouldn’t be allowed to see her.”
“And you’re fine with that?” Haruhi asked, indignant. “She’s disowned him and you’re still going to let her rule his life?”
“She’s forbidden it, Haruhi-chan. And you know how she can be, I’m sure,” Yuzuru told her, and Haruhi stood up and slammed her small hands onto the desk, losing all sense of self-control in the face of the burning injustice.
“So just because that woman says no, you’re going to deny your son the chance to see his mother? Don’t you see how cowardly it is to take away his chance at happiness just because you don’t want her to be angry with you?” she asked. Haruhi knew it was extremely unwise and extremely inappropriate for her to be speaking to the man who paid her tuition so disrespectfully, but she couldn’t let herself stand by and watch it happen. “And what about you, don’t you want to see her too?”
“Of course I do,” Yuzuru said, looking slightly downtrodden.
“Tamaki is brave,” Haruhi told him. “He was willing to disappoint his grandmother for love, and I’m very proud of him for having that kind of courage. But how do you think he feels watching his father be so unwilling to try?”
“It’s not that I don’t want to,” suddenly Yuzuru looked very old and very tired. The resemblance to his son disappeared when he was unhappy.
“I know what I’m asking from you is a lot,” Haruhi said, a bit embarrassed now that her head was cooler. “But please, if you would consider it, just take an example from Tamaki. Just for one day, let him see her. I know it’s a huge favor to ask, but please just give it some thought.” she stood up to go, and she heard Yuzuru move behind her. Suddenly his large hand landed on top of her head and ruffled her hair in a fatherly gesture.
“You’re a very interesting young woman, Haruhi-chan,” he told her with laughter on the edge of his voice. “And I can tell how much you care for my son. The fact that you came here today shows just how deep your love for him runs, and it’s wonderful to know he has someone who will be there for him this way.” Haruhi wasn’t really sure what to say to this, and so she simply turned and stared at him. “I suppose you’re right. I can’t allow my mother to control things forever.”
“What are you saying?” Haruhi asked, not even sure if she should be giving herself false hope. It didn’t seem like the kind of situation where she should let herself get too confident with the outcome.
“I’m saying that it’s time my son got to see his mother again,” Yuzuru replied with a smile, looking much younger. “We’ll deal with the consequences later.”
“Thank you, Suoh-sama,” Haruhi bowed a bit, and the man laughed.
“Please, call me Yuzuru,” he said. “You can’t be addressing your future father-in-law with such formality.”
“Oh…” Haruhi said, more than a bit embarrassed. She thanked him profusely for his decision and then left the office with a smile on her face, knowing that things were a step closer to turning out the way they should.
Rating: PG for now
Warnings: spoilers for the end of the anime
Progress: 41/47
Summary: In need of a performing arts credit for her transcript, Haruhi seeks piano lessons from Tamaki. The result is a bit more bonding than either of them ever expected. How can you focus on school when you're falling in love... and what complications will arise when a member of the Suoh family is willing to give up everything for a commoner?
With Tamaki’s birthday and the cherry blossom ball inching ever closer, he worked harder on his brainstorming to throw the perfect host club event than ever before. It was rather lucky for Haruhi that Tamaki was so busy and so distracted, because she was developing plans of her own. In her time at Ouran, she found that though she had no money and little influence, a place in the host club goes a long way. She had made quite a few friends and most of those friends had a lot of pull, and so she found she could accomplish much more for him than she had expected.
“Tamaki-senpai loves white lilacs,” she told Kasanoda Ritsu when she found him knee deep in tomato plants in the garden club’s corner of the grounds one sunny afternoon in late March. “And I was wondering if you and your club would be willing to plant some around the main courtyard for the ball we’re having on his birthday.”
“Sure,” Kasanoda replied with a rather nervous smile. “But I don’t really know where we’d get white lilacs. If you can find us some, we’d be happy to plant them.”
“Of course I know where to get white lilacs!” Renge later told her almost manically. “I’m so glad you knew to ask me!”
“Well… I didn’t, actually,” Haruhi reminded her, slightly disturbed. “I was talking to Casanova about it earlier and you overheard.”
“Well, whatever the case, my mother is always adding new flowers to our garden in France. She buys them from the best florist in Paris, and the man’s white lilacs are absolutely gorgeous! Since we’re such valued customers and we’ve covered up more than a few scandals for him, I can have them for you free of charge by the sixth!”
“Thanks, Renge-chan,” Haruhi said, overwhelmed. It seemed things were beginning to come together nicely, and everything was right with the world. It also helped the feeling of absolute contentment that her relationship with Tamaki was progressing steadily.
Haruhi had never imagined she could spend nearly every waking moment with someone and not get irritated, but Tamaki was an exception, despite how irritating he could be at times. She loved his company more than she could ever have imagined, and life seemed like a dream. They went on dates quite regularly, and they made love just about as often. It was strange to Haruhi, like she was living someone else’s life. Living in a near fairytale was bizarre, but she found that she enjoyed it.
“I love you,” Tamaki whispered with a smile in the dark one night, kissing her on both cheeks and nuzzling her with his cheek.
“I love you too,” Haruhi told him with much less awkwardness than she had ever imagined she could display when expressing this particular emotion toward him. Slowly they were leaving all the embarrassment and uncertainty in their relationship behind in the dust and all that was left was something shimmering and wonderful, almost too perfect to be real.
“You know, you’re the most wonderful thing that’s ever happened to me, Haruhi,” Tamaki’s breath was warm against her ear as he pulled her closer. “You’re too good to be true. I think that choosing you over being the heir was the best decision I’ve ever made.”
Haruhi was deeply touched by his words, more than she could ever say. So she showed him instead, pinning him to the futon with kisses that he responded eagerly to, letting her passion get the better of her. He was far more precious to her than she had ever imagined anything or anyone could ever be, to the point where she had actually grown to feel dependence on his love. It was bizarre but comforting in a way, and she found that she was no longer embarrassed by her devotion to him. She showed it now as readily as she could, and it delighted him to no end.
“I have a meeting with my grandmother the day before my birthday,” he whispered into the dark when they were finished and he had nuzzled close, so close she could feel his heart beating. It had been nearly a month since the first time they had made love, and by now she was no longer nervous or embarrassed about being naked with him. On the contrary, it felt nice, and she pushed closer against his warm body. It was a little amazing to her that she could feel so confident around him.
“What’s it about?” Haruhi asked, and Tamaki smiled against her neck.
“I don’t know, but I hope it’s good,” he said, sounding nervous. Haruhi kissed his temple where his sweaty hair clung. He pulled back to smile intimately at her and she simply blinked back until he giggled.
“You’re so cute,” he told her, ruffling her hair. She grumbled a little but he didn’t seem to mind. Pulling her on top of his chest, he cupped her cheeks with his hands and simply stared into her eyes. “I love you more than anything in the world, and I hope you never forget.”
As they slowly drifted off to sleep together, Haruhi was aware of the warm lull of contentment somewhere in her chest, and she smiled. There was one more thing she wanted to do for him, and she knew it wouldn’t be easy. But looking into his smiling face as he lingered on the edge of sleep, she knew it would be worth it.
She would do anything if it was for him.
XXX
Haruhi waited in the chairman’s outer office for nearly twenty minutes after her club duties were over before he could see her. She hoped Tamaki wouldn’t mind her being home a bit late, and she thought to text him about it as she sat waiting. His returning message was full of smiley faces and ridiculous declarations of love and how he would start on dinner, and so she put her worry out of her mind. By the time the secretary told her she could enter the inner office, it was nearly six o’clock, and she was getting fidgety. She went in immediately and Yuzuru looked happily up from his desk.
“Haruhi-chan, what a surprise!” he said, smiling. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
“I actually came to ask a favor of you,” Haruhi explained, and Yuzuru looked intrigued. When he expressed such emotions she could see the resemblance to his son in him almost uncannily. They had the same chin, the same brow, and almost the same smile. She made a mental note to mention it to Tamaki later.
“What is it? I’m sure I’d be happy to do whatever it is if it’s for the woman who has made my son so happy.”
“Well… you know that his birthday is coming up and I wanted to give him something special. I was hoping you could help with it.”
“Oh, of course. What did you have in mind?” he asked, and Haruhi swallowed. It was now or never.
“I want… him to get to see his mother for his birthday,” she told him frankly. Yuzuru looked stunned, and Haruhi took a deep breath. “Since he almost got to see her during the festival but didn’t get to, he’s really been missing her. I can really only do so much to keep him happy when he wants to see her so badly.”
“Haruhi-chan, as much as I’d like to make him happy… I’m afraid that’s simply impossible.”
“How is it impossible?” Haruhi asked, staring him down just a bit. “You know where she is, don’t you?”
“Well yes… but…”
“It would only be a matter of a phone call, Suoh-sama,” Haruhi reminded him. He was wringing his hands. “If it’s the matter of her health keeping her in France, then I’m sure it would be fine if she just came down for the day and then went back.”
“It’s not her health, Haruhi-chan. She’s actually nearly fully recovered now, thanks to some strides in medicine by the Ootori group. So it wouldn’t be an issue except for the fact that… well… part of the deal was that if Tamaki’s grandmother provided his mother with financial aid, he wouldn’t be allowed to see her.”
“And you’re fine with that?” Haruhi asked, indignant. “She’s disowned him and you’re still going to let her rule his life?”
“She’s forbidden it, Haruhi-chan. And you know how she can be, I’m sure,” Yuzuru told her, and Haruhi stood up and slammed her small hands onto the desk, losing all sense of self-control in the face of the burning injustice.
“So just because that woman says no, you’re going to deny your son the chance to see his mother? Don’t you see how cowardly it is to take away his chance at happiness just because you don’t want her to be angry with you?” she asked. Haruhi knew it was extremely unwise and extremely inappropriate for her to be speaking to the man who paid her tuition so disrespectfully, but she couldn’t let herself stand by and watch it happen. “And what about you, don’t you want to see her too?”
“Of course I do,” Yuzuru said, looking slightly downtrodden.
“Tamaki is brave,” Haruhi told him. “He was willing to disappoint his grandmother for love, and I’m very proud of him for having that kind of courage. But how do you think he feels watching his father be so unwilling to try?”
“It’s not that I don’t want to,” suddenly Yuzuru looked very old and very tired. The resemblance to his son disappeared when he was unhappy.
“I know what I’m asking from you is a lot,” Haruhi said, a bit embarrassed now that her head was cooler. “But please, if you would consider it, just take an example from Tamaki. Just for one day, let him see her. I know it’s a huge favor to ask, but please just give it some thought.” she stood up to go, and she heard Yuzuru move behind her. Suddenly his large hand landed on top of her head and ruffled her hair in a fatherly gesture.
“You’re a very interesting young woman, Haruhi-chan,” he told her with laughter on the edge of his voice. “And I can tell how much you care for my son. The fact that you came here today shows just how deep your love for him runs, and it’s wonderful to know he has someone who will be there for him this way.” Haruhi wasn’t really sure what to say to this, and so she simply turned and stared at him. “I suppose you’re right. I can’t allow my mother to control things forever.”
“What are you saying?” Haruhi asked, not even sure if she should be giving herself false hope. It didn’t seem like the kind of situation where she should let herself get too confident with the outcome.
“I’m saying that it’s time my son got to see his mother again,” Yuzuru replied with a smile, looking much younger. “We’ll deal with the consequences later.”
“Thank you, Suoh-sama,” Haruhi bowed a bit, and the man laughed.
“Please, call me Yuzuru,” he said. “You can’t be addressing your future father-in-law with such formality.”
“Oh…” Haruhi said, more than a bit embarrassed. She thanked him profusely for his decision and then left the office with a smile on her face, knowing that things were a step closer to turning out the way they should.