Duet chapters 43-45
Title: Duet
Rating: G for now, may go up ^^;
Warnings: spoilers for the end of the anime
Progress: 43-45/47
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?
2 chapters left after this big post XDDD
Chapter 43
On April seventh, Haruhi was on the phone doing some last-minute checking up on his main present when Tamaki returned from his meeting with his grandmother.
“I have to go,” she told his father, hanging up quickly as Tamaki rounded the corner. She was so thrilled that Tamaki’s mother would be at the ball the next day that she could barely contain herself, and she didn’t want to ruin the surprise. Even his grandmother was going to attend, and it seemed his dream of having his whole family together at once was about to come true. She was nearly bursting with joy in a rather uncharacteristic way at giving the one she loved a wonderful birthday, but when she saw his face it was all sucked out of her.
“Hi, Haruhi,” he said quietly. His face was a mask of despair she hadn’t seen in months, and immediately worry flooded her as it had in those old days. If something had gone wrong, she was going to personally have words with his grandmother despite all his warnings that he could handle his family situation on his own.
“Tamaki-senpai…” she whispered, putting her phone down and approaching him. “Are you okay? You look so… sad.”
“Oh, I’m fine,” Tamaki said sadly, coming and leaning his head on her shoulder. Almost automatically her arms looped around him, warm and safe and absolutely the perfect fit. She leaned her cheek against his.
“Then what’s wrong?” she asked him softly. He was holding her tight, trembling just a bit. It seemed like he didn’t want to answer her.
“It’s nothing, really,” he assured her, pulling back and smiling the faintest of smiles. “The meeting was about… whether my grandmother would reconsider allowing me to come and move into the main mansion. She decided against it, so I’m just a little sad about that. But really, I’m fine.”
“I’m sorry,” Haruhi said softly, staring firmly into his eyes and brushing a hand against his cheek. He nuzzled his cheek against her hand and she kept petting him as he closed his eyes and smiled a little.
“You’re so sweet, Haruhi,” he whispered.. “I feel so grateful for this moment,” he covered her hand with his own. He kissed her sweetly, gently, and cupped her cheeks like he was afraid of breaking her. “Haruhi… I know it’s kind of weird timing but since your father is going to be having friends over tonight so we won’t be able to later… will you let me make love to you?”
“Right now?” Haruhi asked, eyes widening, and he nodded.
“Right now,” he answered, his eyes blazing with love and passion and something else she didn’t recognize.
“I don’t know, senpai…” she stammered. “I mean… what if my father comes home?”
“Let him come home,” he whispered ardently, his hands sliding to her hips. “I don’t care.”
“Tamaki-senpai…” she muttered, surprised. She had never really seen him this way, and she didn’t know what to make of it.
“I don’t mean to beg,” he said hoarsely, his eyes looking sad again. “And I’m sorry I’m stooping so low. But please… just let me make love to you now, and we can think about everything else later.”
“Okay,” Haruhi agreed, a little confused, meeting him halfway as he came to kiss her deeply. He was on fire today, and in the bright afternoon sunlight he kissed her deep, he kissed her mad, he kissed her loving. He peeled back her clothes with a slow and careful hand and kissed her everywhere, stroking his hands gently up and down her body, making her feel like a treasure. Somehow she managed to undress him even though he was kissing her crazily and he backed her onto the sofa and took her right there, not bothering to lock the door or to pull the shades.
“Grrk…” Haruhi muttered in response to his touch as he moved like a madman. She was not accustomed to this wild animal passion, this sense of desperation about him, but she enjoyed it nonetheless. When they lay panting among the couch cushions and he was wiping the beaded sweat from her brow, she stopped to look at him long and hard.
“What’s wrong?” she asked him finally, watching him kiss his way up her arm.
“I already told you,” he reminded her gently, kissing her forehead, and she shook her head.
“No, I mean what’s really wrong? I know there’s something else that’s bothering you. I know that’s not all there is to it. So please, tell me what’s really bothering you. I promise I’ll do my best to help you with it.”
Tamaki smiled and ruffled her hair. “You worry too much,” he said, kissing her on the mouth longer than she expected him to. “I’m fine, okay?”
Haruhi sighed and wiggled away from him, sitting up on the sofa and reaching for her discarded clothes. As she dressed, she felt Tamaki’s hand on her arm. He had put on his pants and now he held his shirt in one hand and he was smiling wistfully at her.
“I know you have things to do, Haruhi, but after we finish getting dressed, will you just stay here and let me hold you for a while?”
Slowly, Haruhi pulled her shirt over her head and then fixed him with an intent stare as she reached for her pants. He was staring back at her, his expression sad but loving, pained but gentle. She zipped her pants and watched him put on his shirt as she nodded.
“Sure,” she said softly, reaching for him. Tamaki fairly flew across the gap between them, crushing her against his chest. He simply held her there in silence, rocking her slightly, and pressed kisses all over her hair. Lulled by the sound of his heartbeat, Haruhi relaxed against his chest, inhaling his scent and feeling the warmth of him under her cheek. It had come to her attention only recently that there was nothing in the world that was nicer than being close to him, as strange as it seemed to her. Before she had met him there had been a million more important things, more practical things, but now none of it really seemed to matter. It was true that she still had the same dreams, the same hopes for the future, and the strong and passionate drive to become a great lawyer. But now, somehow it was all altered, and Tamaki was a part of that ideal future. She was used to being fiercely independent, but as strange as it felt, she couldn’t imagine a life without him.
‘Does love do this to everyone?’ she wondered as she sat there cradled against his chest, feeling warm and safe and loved. ‘Does it change everyone’s plan, make everyone this weak, make people do things they normally wouldn’t do?’
She was pulled from her thoughts by Tamaki pulling back to look into her eyes, and she stared back for a long moment, catching the turbulent colors that swam in the indigo depths, blues and purples melding in perfect harmony, nearly indistinguishable from each other. There was an entire world in his eyes and she found that they were easier to get lost in than anything else.
“Haruhi…” he whispered, his lips barely a centimeter away from hers. His hand stroked her hair tenderly and the other arm held her gently, close to him. For a moment they simply sat and breathed together, and then he smiled. “I hope you know that no matter what happens, for as long as I live I’ll love you more than the world.”
“I love you too,” something about this moment felt sacred, and Haruhi smiled at him and watched him smile back, a little sad but mostly conveying love. “And I do know.”
“Good,” Tamaki kissed her hand and then pulled her back against his chest, nuzzling her. Though Haruhi had preparations to make for the next day, she waved them aside for the moment. Long into the evening they simply sat and held each other in silence, and Haruhi knew what it was like to feel perfect.
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Chapter 44
On the morning of Tamaki’s birthday, Haruhi awoke to find him already gone for school. Though it was a Sunday, and she knew he liked to get to school early for any host club function, but it was still rather disappointing. She had wanted to make him his favorite breakfast for his birthday but his futon was empty, the blanket tucked neatly over it.
“I’m sorry, Haruhi,” Ryouji told her over his coffee. “He told me this morning that he wanted to get to school early to oversee preparations for the ball tonight. It seems like it’s going to be quite a production. Are you excited?”
“I guess so,” Haruhi said, sitting down across from him at the kotatsu that Tamaki had begged her to leave out all year round. “It should be pretty interesting. Hey Dad, was Tamaki acting strangely this morning?”
Ryouji tapped his chin. He was already dressed for work in a delicate lavender blouse and pink skirt, and his tasteful makeup matched the coffee cup in his hands. “Let’s see… now that you mention it, he was acting a little oddly. He seemed in a great hurry and he bowed very low to me and said ‘thank you for everything’. I wonder what’s gotten into him.”
Haruhi put down her breakfast and stared out the window for a moment. It was a perfect day, the clear blue sky magnified in its brilliance even more than normal and the bright sunlight shimmering over everything. It didn’t seem like a fitting day for worry.
“Me too…” she muttered. But whatever it was, it was simply going to have to wait. There was so much to be done today, like practicing for the recital and helping set up for the ball. She left at noon and took the train to school, all the while drumming her fingers on the train seat and worrying about Tamaki.
“You’re late!” Renge told her angrily when she arrived in the courtyard, puffing a bit from running so hard. “Where have you been, Haruhi-kun?”
“I’m sorry, Renge,” Haruhi said apologetically. “The train was late today.”
“I don’t want any excuses!” Renge shrieked. She seemed both stressed and enthused, and Haruhi wanted to laugh. “As manager of the host club I want to make sure everything runs smoothly!”
“Have you seen Tamaki-senpai?” Haruhi asked her, and Renge shook her head.
“I haven’t seen him all day!” she replied, and Haruhi was more than a bit confused.
“He was supposed to have come early,” she said more to herself than Renge. She glanced around the courtyard and was surprised by the transformation that had taken place. The edges of it were dotted with white lilac bushes, fully blooming and decorated with pale pink bows the same color as the cherry blossoms, which had finally burst into bloom. There were paper lanterns hung from streamers that arched across the open air, decorating the sky with even more of the colors of the petals. Tables set up around the edges of the courtyard for party guests to rest featured bowls of water with cherry blossom shaped candles floating in them. All in all, it looked like a different place.
“What do you think?” Kyouya asked, coming out of nowhere to stand beside her, and it was like the appearance of a specter.
“It looks different,” Haruhi remarked, and Kyouya smiled wryly.
“I can only hope you mean it in a positive way,” he said. “Everyone really pulled together on this one. It looks like it’s going to be an absolutely extravagant affair, wouldn’t you agree?”
“Well, since it was mostly Tamaki-senpai’s idea, I’m sure it will be,” she replied.
“Speaking of which, have you seen him?” Kyouya asked, looking up from the sheet on which he was no doubt tallying expenses for the party. “It’s his party and his birthday, no less. I’d certainly think he’d want to be here for it.”
“He told my father he was coming early,” Haruhi muttered. Her concern for him was mounting. “So he hasn’t been here?”
“I saw him once this morning,” Kyouya said without looking up. “And then he ran off somewhere to do heaven knows what. He told me he needed to take care of something.”
“Do you know what’s going on with him, Kyouya-senpai?” Haruhi asked hopefully, and the brunette shook his head.
“If I did, he’d be back here by now and things would be going smoothly,” he said a little grumpily, marking something down on his papers.
“Is something wrong with Tama-chan?” Hunny’s worried voice said from nearby, and Haruhi turned to see he and Mori approaching. They looked dashing in coral-colored suits similar to Kyouya’s, though as always Hunny looked a bit odd to her dressed like a grown man with his small stature.
“I’m not sure, Hunny-senpai,” she admitted. “But he’s been acting strangely since yesterday.”
“Yeah,” Mori concurred, and Haruhi looked up at him, glad that someone else had noticed. “He seems off.”
“He really does,” she agreed. Amid the bustle of the crowds preparing for the ball, Haruhi felt a pair of arms sling around her shoulders and she turned, for an instant expecting to see Tamaki standing behind her. Instead she was met by the sight of the twins, wearing matching cherry blossom print vests and mischievous grins.
“Good afternoon, Haruhi,” they said together.
“We have your costume,” Hikaru told her.
“So if you would come with us, we’ll find somewhere for you to change,” Kaoru added, holding up a decorated paper bag. Haruhi took it from him, shaking her head.
“I can just change in the music room, thanks,” she told them, turning away. “I don’t need your help.”
“Whatever you say,” Hikaru said. “Just don’t be too long. It’s almost one already and we have to start getting the final preparations done before the early guests start to arrive.”
“And you and tono have your duet before the ball starts,” Kaoru reminded her. “So get changed and get to the central salon and we’ll look for him in the meantime. We‘re having a short tea reception in the salon before the piano recital.”
“Thanks,” Haruhi said, hurrying off with her bag. There were already more people at the school than she had expected, and she found herself saying hello to customers and strangers alike as she made her way down the familiar corridors to music room three. For the second time this year, the host club was opening its doors to the public, and parents as well as students were encouraged to attend. The result was that the halls were not as empty as they normally were on a Sunday afternoon.
It took Haruhi much longer than normal to reach the music room, and when she did she closed the doors behind her, grateful for a moment to breathe. The room was deserted as she headed for the dressing rooms. Once behind the red curtain she pulled the costume from her bag, looked it over, and sighed.
The outfit she was expected to wear was a floor-length cream-colored satin dress printed with pink cherry blossoms. It was a strapless affair that flared down the skirt and was slit open on one side up to the waist to reveal pink ruffles underneath. Haruhi sighed heavily once more, wondering why it was that every time the club had a function, somehow she got roped into wearing something girly. It was with some irritation that she pulled a strapless bra from the bag (clearly the twins had thought of everything) and a pair of pink satin shoes that blissfully did not have heels. She dressed a little grudgingly and pinned the matching false cherry blossom clip into her hair. The effect was just a bit too feminine, and with the fierce bra on, Haruhi wondered just how long she would be able to keep up the ruse of being a boy. She supposed it didn’t really matter at all, what with her debt being paid and with her carelessness about the situation. With a shrug she left her own clothes in the bag the dress had been in in the dressing room and moved back out into the music room.
The room had been decorated a bit for the recital. The fact that Tamaki had scheduled the recital to be in the music room rather than the central salon made her smile, knowing he had done it to make her more comfortable. At the thought of Tamaki, her worry welled up again and she did her best to push it down. The twins had told her they’d find him, and that was good enough for now, she tried to tell herself. She focused instead on the room around her. The grand piano had been wheeled out to the center of the room, a large area around it cleared, and she moved over to it, touching its sleek surface and remembering so many moments with Tamaki; their first whisperings of love, the clumsy early lessons. It had been polished so much she could see herself in the finish.
“What’s this?” she asked when she moved around to the front, puzzled. On the keys there was an envelope with her name on it, written in an unmistakable hand. Slowly she took it and slid out the paper inside, folded and smelling of Tamaki. As she read the words, her hands began to tremble. She finished with a little jolt and the paper slid to the floor, tears wanting to find their way out of her eyes. She wouldn’t let them and all of a sudden she was running, running, not caring who saw her and not caring about what would happen when she reached her destination.
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Chapter 45
The central salon was not far from the music room, and Haruhi reached it in record time. The hallways were empty now; the early guests had filed into the salon. When she got to the elegant doors she burst in, knowing she was making a scene, and strode forward to the person she knew she would find inside. Haruhi passed people she knew, counting the other club members, various friends Tamaki had made during their adventures together, and even Shima. Suoh Shizue was sitting on one of the sofas talking to a member of the school board, and Haruhi advanced on her almost menacingly. All thought of self-control and appropriateness were gone out the window, and all that was left was the pure hurt and anger that came bubbling forth in the form of words.
“You!” she snapped loudly, and immediately Shizue’s eyes raised to meet her face.
“You must be Haruhi-chan,” Shizue said coolly, standing as Haruhi reached her. “I don’t believe we’ve ever met in person.”
“How could you?” Haruhi asked, ignoring the pleasantries. “How could you do it?”
“I beg your pardon?” Shizue asked, and Haruhi glared furiously at her.
“You know exactly what I mean,” she told her. “You sent your grandson away to France without even giving him a chance! He left a letter for me, you know. He told me everything. You made him think he was a burden to me? You told him he wasn’t… wasn’t needed here because he wasn’t a possible heir anymore?” there was a vague and terrible feeling of power in shedding light on all of the Suoh family’s secrets to the crowd around them, though she knew she had no right. “How could you say those things to someone like him? Someone who’s never done anything to hurt anyone in his life?”
“Is this true, Mother?” Yuzuru’s astonished voice came from behind her, and Haruhi turned her head to see him step away from the beautiful blonde woman he was with and move toward his mother. The woman shrank back into the crowd as though she didn’t want Shizue to see her.
“Yes,” Shizue told her son. “I wanted Tamaki to go home. He’s spent enough time in this country and it was time he went back to resume his old life in France. I knew it would take some persuading and so I may have said things to hurt him, but in the end, it was all for the best.”
“How could you say that’s all for the best?” Haruhi asked her. “Making him leave his friends and his father just like that?”
“It’s no secret that he misses his mother,” Shizue told her. “I thought if he had the chance to be with her again…”
“His mother is here,” Yuzuru said, speaking up with more tenacity than Haruhi would have expected. He turned and took the hand of the woman in the crowd and pulled her gently to him, the woman with the shimmering blonde hair and the indigo eyes that flashed like dark sunlight. Haruhi was struck by the unmistakable fact that she was looking on Tamaki’s mother. “And Mother… she’s staying.”
Shizue looked dangerous for a moment. “Oh?” she asked.
“Yes,” Yuzuru told her firmly. “I’ve spent too many years allowing you to make my decisions for me. In the end, Mother, I am head of the Suoh family and I am the one who will make the decisions, especially when it comes to my wife and my son. From now on, Anne-Sophie will live at the main mansion with us… and so will Tamaki. The decision to name the heir to the Suoh family is mine as the current head and I have decided that Tamaki will take over when I can no longer run it.”
“This has been a long time coming, my son,” Shizue said, sounding a bit weary, but very faintly proud. “Not only has Tamaki changing things for himself, but for you as well. You must be proud of him.”
“I am,” he said fiercely. “And I fully intend to give him the things you’ve denied him. I don’t need your permission, but I know that Tamaki would appreciate your blessing.”
For a moment, there was a pause, and then someone stepped up beside Haruhi. She looked to her left to see Kurokano Momoka standing beside her, looking a bit nervous. “Please, Suoh-sama…” she said. “I may have no place saying this, and I may not know him as well as his father or Haruhi-chan does, but Tamaki is a good person. He deserves your blessing.”
“He does,” Haruhi agreed, pausing to smile encouragingly at Momoka before turning back to Shizue. “He’s changed so many people’s lives for the better, made so many people happy… more than anyone in the world, he deserves to be accepted for who he is.”
“It’s true,” Kyouya said, surprising Haruhi by stepping forward.
“I’ve known him since he was a boy,” Shima said, seeming to come out of nowhere. “And seeing him grow to be a man has been as wonderful as it has been exhausting. He deserves to be loved and respected more than anyone I have ever had the pleasure of knowing.”
“If you can’t see that, you must be blind,” the twins agreed together. All around them, words of agreement echoed, reaching up to the very ceiling, booming off the walls, filled with support and love. It seemed everyone had halted in their own conversations to watch the spectacle.
“For Tamaki’s sake,” Yuzuru said, clasping an arm around Anne-Sophie. “Please let him know that you love him for the person he is, even if it may be hard to swallow your pride.”
“I have no doubt that Tamaki knows I love him,” Shizue said. “If I’ve ever been harsh on him, it has been out of love and out of the desire to test him and shape him into a fine young man.”
“He doesn’t always understand that,” Haruhi told her. “It seems to me that you’ve been ashamed of him, and I’m sure he feels the same way.”
Shizue paused, staring at Haruhi with what looked like curiosity. “I’ll be sure he knows,” she promised. “That my actions were never out of shame. To be honest when I asked him to leave the family, I did it to test him. I thought he would come back to us. I suppose it just shows what a strong person he is,” she gave a hard little nod. “But I will… make my true intent clear to him.”
“How?” Haruhi asked, remembering the gravity of the situation. “He’s gone.”
“His flight doesn’t leave until two o’clock,” Shizue told her purposefully. “If you try, you can catch him.”
“Go, Haruhi,” Kyouya encouraged. “I know it may seem a bit redundant to go after that idiot again and keep him from fleeing the country for the second time this year, but I’m sure you’ll be the one he wants to see.” he smiled amenably at Haruhi in a way he had never done before and she felt like she was being encouraged by a father.
Haruhi chanced a glance back at Shizue, who was still staring in that probing way. “Bring him back,” the old woman said, instilling in her the courage she needed to press on.
Haruhi turned for the door, and as she did she felt a soft hand on her arm and turned back to see Tamaki’s mother standing beside her, smiling softly. “You’re Haruhi, aren’t you?” she asked, and Haruhi nodded, feeling almost shy in front of this person Tamaki admired so much. “My name is Anne-Sophie. I’m Tamaki’s mother.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” Haruhi said, bowing a little, and Anne-Sophie gave her a smile so warm and so comforting that she forgot to be awkward. She felt they were somehow united like allies in their love for Tamaki, as though somehow it was enough for her to be able to relate to this stunningly beautiful woman who was smiling at her now as thought she owed Haruhi everything.
“I want to thank you for making my son so happy,” the woman said gently. “And I want to ask… would you mind terribly if I came with you?”
“Not at all,” Haruhi assured her with a smile. “I’m sure he’d love to see you as soon as possible.”
“My car is still out front,” Yuzuru said helpfully, giving Haruhi a little push. “Now go on you two. Bring Tamaki back. After all, it would be no good for him to have to run away from his own party.”
Anne-Sophie clasped Haruhi’s hand in hers and together they hurried for the door, for the sake of the one person they both loved the most.
Rating: G for now, may go up ^^;
Warnings: spoilers for the end of the anime
Progress: 43-45/47
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?
2 chapters left after this big post XDDD
Chapter 43
On April seventh, Haruhi was on the phone doing some last-minute checking up on his main present when Tamaki returned from his meeting with his grandmother.
“I have to go,” she told his father, hanging up quickly as Tamaki rounded the corner. She was so thrilled that Tamaki’s mother would be at the ball the next day that she could barely contain herself, and she didn’t want to ruin the surprise. Even his grandmother was going to attend, and it seemed his dream of having his whole family together at once was about to come true. She was nearly bursting with joy in a rather uncharacteristic way at giving the one she loved a wonderful birthday, but when she saw his face it was all sucked out of her.
“Hi, Haruhi,” he said quietly. His face was a mask of despair she hadn’t seen in months, and immediately worry flooded her as it had in those old days. If something had gone wrong, she was going to personally have words with his grandmother despite all his warnings that he could handle his family situation on his own.
“Tamaki-senpai…” she whispered, putting her phone down and approaching him. “Are you okay? You look so… sad.”
“Oh, I’m fine,” Tamaki said sadly, coming and leaning his head on her shoulder. Almost automatically her arms looped around him, warm and safe and absolutely the perfect fit. She leaned her cheek against his.
“Then what’s wrong?” she asked him softly. He was holding her tight, trembling just a bit. It seemed like he didn’t want to answer her.
“It’s nothing, really,” he assured her, pulling back and smiling the faintest of smiles. “The meeting was about… whether my grandmother would reconsider allowing me to come and move into the main mansion. She decided against it, so I’m just a little sad about that. But really, I’m fine.”
“I’m sorry,” Haruhi said softly, staring firmly into his eyes and brushing a hand against his cheek. He nuzzled his cheek against her hand and she kept petting him as he closed his eyes and smiled a little.
“You’re so sweet, Haruhi,” he whispered.. “I feel so grateful for this moment,” he covered her hand with his own. He kissed her sweetly, gently, and cupped her cheeks like he was afraid of breaking her. “Haruhi… I know it’s kind of weird timing but since your father is going to be having friends over tonight so we won’t be able to later… will you let me make love to you?”
“Right now?” Haruhi asked, eyes widening, and he nodded.
“Right now,” he answered, his eyes blazing with love and passion and something else she didn’t recognize.
“I don’t know, senpai…” she stammered. “I mean… what if my father comes home?”
“Let him come home,” he whispered ardently, his hands sliding to her hips. “I don’t care.”
“Tamaki-senpai…” she muttered, surprised. She had never really seen him this way, and she didn’t know what to make of it.
“I don’t mean to beg,” he said hoarsely, his eyes looking sad again. “And I’m sorry I’m stooping so low. But please… just let me make love to you now, and we can think about everything else later.”
“Okay,” Haruhi agreed, a little confused, meeting him halfway as he came to kiss her deeply. He was on fire today, and in the bright afternoon sunlight he kissed her deep, he kissed her mad, he kissed her loving. He peeled back her clothes with a slow and careful hand and kissed her everywhere, stroking his hands gently up and down her body, making her feel like a treasure. Somehow she managed to undress him even though he was kissing her crazily and he backed her onto the sofa and took her right there, not bothering to lock the door or to pull the shades.
“Grrk…” Haruhi muttered in response to his touch as he moved like a madman. She was not accustomed to this wild animal passion, this sense of desperation about him, but she enjoyed it nonetheless. When they lay panting among the couch cushions and he was wiping the beaded sweat from her brow, she stopped to look at him long and hard.
“What’s wrong?” she asked him finally, watching him kiss his way up her arm.
“I already told you,” he reminded her gently, kissing her forehead, and she shook her head.
“No, I mean what’s really wrong? I know there’s something else that’s bothering you. I know that’s not all there is to it. So please, tell me what’s really bothering you. I promise I’ll do my best to help you with it.”
Tamaki smiled and ruffled her hair. “You worry too much,” he said, kissing her on the mouth longer than she expected him to. “I’m fine, okay?”
Haruhi sighed and wiggled away from him, sitting up on the sofa and reaching for her discarded clothes. As she dressed, she felt Tamaki’s hand on her arm. He had put on his pants and now he held his shirt in one hand and he was smiling wistfully at her.
“I know you have things to do, Haruhi, but after we finish getting dressed, will you just stay here and let me hold you for a while?”
Slowly, Haruhi pulled her shirt over her head and then fixed him with an intent stare as she reached for her pants. He was staring back at her, his expression sad but loving, pained but gentle. She zipped her pants and watched him put on his shirt as she nodded.
“Sure,” she said softly, reaching for him. Tamaki fairly flew across the gap between them, crushing her against his chest. He simply held her there in silence, rocking her slightly, and pressed kisses all over her hair. Lulled by the sound of his heartbeat, Haruhi relaxed against his chest, inhaling his scent and feeling the warmth of him under her cheek. It had come to her attention only recently that there was nothing in the world that was nicer than being close to him, as strange as it seemed to her. Before she had met him there had been a million more important things, more practical things, but now none of it really seemed to matter. It was true that she still had the same dreams, the same hopes for the future, and the strong and passionate drive to become a great lawyer. But now, somehow it was all altered, and Tamaki was a part of that ideal future. She was used to being fiercely independent, but as strange as it felt, she couldn’t imagine a life without him.
‘Does love do this to everyone?’ she wondered as she sat there cradled against his chest, feeling warm and safe and loved. ‘Does it change everyone’s plan, make everyone this weak, make people do things they normally wouldn’t do?’
She was pulled from her thoughts by Tamaki pulling back to look into her eyes, and she stared back for a long moment, catching the turbulent colors that swam in the indigo depths, blues and purples melding in perfect harmony, nearly indistinguishable from each other. There was an entire world in his eyes and she found that they were easier to get lost in than anything else.
“Haruhi…” he whispered, his lips barely a centimeter away from hers. His hand stroked her hair tenderly and the other arm held her gently, close to him. For a moment they simply sat and breathed together, and then he smiled. “I hope you know that no matter what happens, for as long as I live I’ll love you more than the world.”
“I love you too,” something about this moment felt sacred, and Haruhi smiled at him and watched him smile back, a little sad but mostly conveying love. “And I do know.”
“Good,” Tamaki kissed her hand and then pulled her back against his chest, nuzzling her. Though Haruhi had preparations to make for the next day, she waved them aside for the moment. Long into the evening they simply sat and held each other in silence, and Haruhi knew what it was like to feel perfect.
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Chapter 44
On the morning of Tamaki’s birthday, Haruhi awoke to find him already gone for school. Though it was a Sunday, and she knew he liked to get to school early for any host club function, but it was still rather disappointing. She had wanted to make him his favorite breakfast for his birthday but his futon was empty, the blanket tucked neatly over it.
“I’m sorry, Haruhi,” Ryouji told her over his coffee. “He told me this morning that he wanted to get to school early to oversee preparations for the ball tonight. It seems like it’s going to be quite a production. Are you excited?”
“I guess so,” Haruhi said, sitting down across from him at the kotatsu that Tamaki had begged her to leave out all year round. “It should be pretty interesting. Hey Dad, was Tamaki acting strangely this morning?”
Ryouji tapped his chin. He was already dressed for work in a delicate lavender blouse and pink skirt, and his tasteful makeup matched the coffee cup in his hands. “Let’s see… now that you mention it, he was acting a little oddly. He seemed in a great hurry and he bowed very low to me and said ‘thank you for everything’. I wonder what’s gotten into him.”
Haruhi put down her breakfast and stared out the window for a moment. It was a perfect day, the clear blue sky magnified in its brilliance even more than normal and the bright sunlight shimmering over everything. It didn’t seem like a fitting day for worry.
“Me too…” she muttered. But whatever it was, it was simply going to have to wait. There was so much to be done today, like practicing for the recital and helping set up for the ball. She left at noon and took the train to school, all the while drumming her fingers on the train seat and worrying about Tamaki.
“You’re late!” Renge told her angrily when she arrived in the courtyard, puffing a bit from running so hard. “Where have you been, Haruhi-kun?”
“I’m sorry, Renge,” Haruhi said apologetically. “The train was late today.”
“I don’t want any excuses!” Renge shrieked. She seemed both stressed and enthused, and Haruhi wanted to laugh. “As manager of the host club I want to make sure everything runs smoothly!”
“Have you seen Tamaki-senpai?” Haruhi asked her, and Renge shook her head.
“I haven’t seen him all day!” she replied, and Haruhi was more than a bit confused.
“He was supposed to have come early,” she said more to herself than Renge. She glanced around the courtyard and was surprised by the transformation that had taken place. The edges of it were dotted with white lilac bushes, fully blooming and decorated with pale pink bows the same color as the cherry blossoms, which had finally burst into bloom. There were paper lanterns hung from streamers that arched across the open air, decorating the sky with even more of the colors of the petals. Tables set up around the edges of the courtyard for party guests to rest featured bowls of water with cherry blossom shaped candles floating in them. All in all, it looked like a different place.
“What do you think?” Kyouya asked, coming out of nowhere to stand beside her, and it was like the appearance of a specter.
“It looks different,” Haruhi remarked, and Kyouya smiled wryly.
“I can only hope you mean it in a positive way,” he said. “Everyone really pulled together on this one. It looks like it’s going to be an absolutely extravagant affair, wouldn’t you agree?”
“Well, since it was mostly Tamaki-senpai’s idea, I’m sure it will be,” she replied.
“Speaking of which, have you seen him?” Kyouya asked, looking up from the sheet on which he was no doubt tallying expenses for the party. “It’s his party and his birthday, no less. I’d certainly think he’d want to be here for it.”
“He told my father he was coming early,” Haruhi muttered. Her concern for him was mounting. “So he hasn’t been here?”
“I saw him once this morning,” Kyouya said without looking up. “And then he ran off somewhere to do heaven knows what. He told me he needed to take care of something.”
“Do you know what’s going on with him, Kyouya-senpai?” Haruhi asked hopefully, and the brunette shook his head.
“If I did, he’d be back here by now and things would be going smoothly,” he said a little grumpily, marking something down on his papers.
“Is something wrong with Tama-chan?” Hunny’s worried voice said from nearby, and Haruhi turned to see he and Mori approaching. They looked dashing in coral-colored suits similar to Kyouya’s, though as always Hunny looked a bit odd to her dressed like a grown man with his small stature.
“I’m not sure, Hunny-senpai,” she admitted. “But he’s been acting strangely since yesterday.”
“Yeah,” Mori concurred, and Haruhi looked up at him, glad that someone else had noticed. “He seems off.”
“He really does,” she agreed. Amid the bustle of the crowds preparing for the ball, Haruhi felt a pair of arms sling around her shoulders and she turned, for an instant expecting to see Tamaki standing behind her. Instead she was met by the sight of the twins, wearing matching cherry blossom print vests and mischievous grins.
“Good afternoon, Haruhi,” they said together.
“We have your costume,” Hikaru told her.
“So if you would come with us, we’ll find somewhere for you to change,” Kaoru added, holding up a decorated paper bag. Haruhi took it from him, shaking her head.
“I can just change in the music room, thanks,” she told them, turning away. “I don’t need your help.”
“Whatever you say,” Hikaru said. “Just don’t be too long. It’s almost one already and we have to start getting the final preparations done before the early guests start to arrive.”
“And you and tono have your duet before the ball starts,” Kaoru reminded her. “So get changed and get to the central salon and we’ll look for him in the meantime. We‘re having a short tea reception in the salon before the piano recital.”
“Thanks,” Haruhi said, hurrying off with her bag. There were already more people at the school than she had expected, and she found herself saying hello to customers and strangers alike as she made her way down the familiar corridors to music room three. For the second time this year, the host club was opening its doors to the public, and parents as well as students were encouraged to attend. The result was that the halls were not as empty as they normally were on a Sunday afternoon.
It took Haruhi much longer than normal to reach the music room, and when she did she closed the doors behind her, grateful for a moment to breathe. The room was deserted as she headed for the dressing rooms. Once behind the red curtain she pulled the costume from her bag, looked it over, and sighed.
The outfit she was expected to wear was a floor-length cream-colored satin dress printed with pink cherry blossoms. It was a strapless affair that flared down the skirt and was slit open on one side up to the waist to reveal pink ruffles underneath. Haruhi sighed heavily once more, wondering why it was that every time the club had a function, somehow she got roped into wearing something girly. It was with some irritation that she pulled a strapless bra from the bag (clearly the twins had thought of everything) and a pair of pink satin shoes that blissfully did not have heels. She dressed a little grudgingly and pinned the matching false cherry blossom clip into her hair. The effect was just a bit too feminine, and with the fierce bra on, Haruhi wondered just how long she would be able to keep up the ruse of being a boy. She supposed it didn’t really matter at all, what with her debt being paid and with her carelessness about the situation. With a shrug she left her own clothes in the bag the dress had been in in the dressing room and moved back out into the music room.
The room had been decorated a bit for the recital. The fact that Tamaki had scheduled the recital to be in the music room rather than the central salon made her smile, knowing he had done it to make her more comfortable. At the thought of Tamaki, her worry welled up again and she did her best to push it down. The twins had told her they’d find him, and that was good enough for now, she tried to tell herself. She focused instead on the room around her. The grand piano had been wheeled out to the center of the room, a large area around it cleared, and she moved over to it, touching its sleek surface and remembering so many moments with Tamaki; their first whisperings of love, the clumsy early lessons. It had been polished so much she could see herself in the finish.
“What’s this?” she asked when she moved around to the front, puzzled. On the keys there was an envelope with her name on it, written in an unmistakable hand. Slowly she took it and slid out the paper inside, folded and smelling of Tamaki. As she read the words, her hands began to tremble. She finished with a little jolt and the paper slid to the floor, tears wanting to find their way out of her eyes. She wouldn’t let them and all of a sudden she was running, running, not caring who saw her and not caring about what would happen when she reached her destination.
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Chapter 45
The central salon was not far from the music room, and Haruhi reached it in record time. The hallways were empty now; the early guests had filed into the salon. When she got to the elegant doors she burst in, knowing she was making a scene, and strode forward to the person she knew she would find inside. Haruhi passed people she knew, counting the other club members, various friends Tamaki had made during their adventures together, and even Shima. Suoh Shizue was sitting on one of the sofas talking to a member of the school board, and Haruhi advanced on her almost menacingly. All thought of self-control and appropriateness were gone out the window, and all that was left was the pure hurt and anger that came bubbling forth in the form of words.
“You!” she snapped loudly, and immediately Shizue’s eyes raised to meet her face.
“You must be Haruhi-chan,” Shizue said coolly, standing as Haruhi reached her. “I don’t believe we’ve ever met in person.”
“How could you?” Haruhi asked, ignoring the pleasantries. “How could you do it?”
“I beg your pardon?” Shizue asked, and Haruhi glared furiously at her.
“You know exactly what I mean,” she told her. “You sent your grandson away to France without even giving him a chance! He left a letter for me, you know. He told me everything. You made him think he was a burden to me? You told him he wasn’t… wasn’t needed here because he wasn’t a possible heir anymore?” there was a vague and terrible feeling of power in shedding light on all of the Suoh family’s secrets to the crowd around them, though she knew she had no right. “How could you say those things to someone like him? Someone who’s never done anything to hurt anyone in his life?”
“Is this true, Mother?” Yuzuru’s astonished voice came from behind her, and Haruhi turned her head to see him step away from the beautiful blonde woman he was with and move toward his mother. The woman shrank back into the crowd as though she didn’t want Shizue to see her.
“Yes,” Shizue told her son. “I wanted Tamaki to go home. He’s spent enough time in this country and it was time he went back to resume his old life in France. I knew it would take some persuading and so I may have said things to hurt him, but in the end, it was all for the best.”
“How could you say that’s all for the best?” Haruhi asked her. “Making him leave his friends and his father just like that?”
“It’s no secret that he misses his mother,” Shizue told her. “I thought if he had the chance to be with her again…”
“His mother is here,” Yuzuru said, speaking up with more tenacity than Haruhi would have expected. He turned and took the hand of the woman in the crowd and pulled her gently to him, the woman with the shimmering blonde hair and the indigo eyes that flashed like dark sunlight. Haruhi was struck by the unmistakable fact that she was looking on Tamaki’s mother. “And Mother… she’s staying.”
Shizue looked dangerous for a moment. “Oh?” she asked.
“Yes,” Yuzuru told her firmly. “I’ve spent too many years allowing you to make my decisions for me. In the end, Mother, I am head of the Suoh family and I am the one who will make the decisions, especially when it comes to my wife and my son. From now on, Anne-Sophie will live at the main mansion with us… and so will Tamaki. The decision to name the heir to the Suoh family is mine as the current head and I have decided that Tamaki will take over when I can no longer run it.”
“This has been a long time coming, my son,” Shizue said, sounding a bit weary, but very faintly proud. “Not only has Tamaki changing things for himself, but for you as well. You must be proud of him.”
“I am,” he said fiercely. “And I fully intend to give him the things you’ve denied him. I don’t need your permission, but I know that Tamaki would appreciate your blessing.”
For a moment, there was a pause, and then someone stepped up beside Haruhi. She looked to her left to see Kurokano Momoka standing beside her, looking a bit nervous. “Please, Suoh-sama…” she said. “I may have no place saying this, and I may not know him as well as his father or Haruhi-chan does, but Tamaki is a good person. He deserves your blessing.”
“He does,” Haruhi agreed, pausing to smile encouragingly at Momoka before turning back to Shizue. “He’s changed so many people’s lives for the better, made so many people happy… more than anyone in the world, he deserves to be accepted for who he is.”
“It’s true,” Kyouya said, surprising Haruhi by stepping forward.
“I’ve known him since he was a boy,” Shima said, seeming to come out of nowhere. “And seeing him grow to be a man has been as wonderful as it has been exhausting. He deserves to be loved and respected more than anyone I have ever had the pleasure of knowing.”
“If you can’t see that, you must be blind,” the twins agreed together. All around them, words of agreement echoed, reaching up to the very ceiling, booming off the walls, filled with support and love. It seemed everyone had halted in their own conversations to watch the spectacle.
“For Tamaki’s sake,” Yuzuru said, clasping an arm around Anne-Sophie. “Please let him know that you love him for the person he is, even if it may be hard to swallow your pride.”
“I have no doubt that Tamaki knows I love him,” Shizue said. “If I’ve ever been harsh on him, it has been out of love and out of the desire to test him and shape him into a fine young man.”
“He doesn’t always understand that,” Haruhi told her. “It seems to me that you’ve been ashamed of him, and I’m sure he feels the same way.”
Shizue paused, staring at Haruhi with what looked like curiosity. “I’ll be sure he knows,” she promised. “That my actions were never out of shame. To be honest when I asked him to leave the family, I did it to test him. I thought he would come back to us. I suppose it just shows what a strong person he is,” she gave a hard little nod. “But I will… make my true intent clear to him.”
“How?” Haruhi asked, remembering the gravity of the situation. “He’s gone.”
“His flight doesn’t leave until two o’clock,” Shizue told her purposefully. “If you try, you can catch him.”
“Go, Haruhi,” Kyouya encouraged. “I know it may seem a bit redundant to go after that idiot again and keep him from fleeing the country for the second time this year, but I’m sure you’ll be the one he wants to see.” he smiled amenably at Haruhi in a way he had never done before and she felt like she was being encouraged by a father.
Haruhi chanced a glance back at Shizue, who was still staring in that probing way. “Bring him back,” the old woman said, instilling in her the courage she needed to press on.
Haruhi turned for the door, and as she did she felt a soft hand on her arm and turned back to see Tamaki’s mother standing beside her, smiling softly. “You’re Haruhi, aren’t you?” she asked, and Haruhi nodded, feeling almost shy in front of this person Tamaki admired so much. “My name is Anne-Sophie. I’m Tamaki’s mother.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” Haruhi said, bowing a little, and Anne-Sophie gave her a smile so warm and so comforting that she forgot to be awkward. She felt they were somehow united like allies in their love for Tamaki, as though somehow it was enough for her to be able to relate to this stunningly beautiful woman who was smiling at her now as thought she owed Haruhi everything.
“I want to thank you for making my son so happy,” the woman said gently. “And I want to ask… would you mind terribly if I came with you?”
“Not at all,” Haruhi assured her with a smile. “I’m sure he’d love to see you as soon as possible.”
“My car is still out front,” Yuzuru said helpfully, giving Haruhi a little push. “Now go on you two. Bring Tamaki back. After all, it would be no good for him to have to run away from his own party.”
Anne-Sophie clasped Haruhi’s hand in hers and together they hurried for the door, for the sake of the one person they both loved the most.