Bara no Hosuto: A Host of Roses (Secret Santa for Maru-chan!)

[Spoo]

You have truly outdone yourself, SFG! Not even I had the courage to write a sneezy Mori-senpai; the image was simply too squee-worthy for my fingers to handle! So well done!

On a side note, a few years ago I attended an anime convention where Travis Willingham was a guest. Now, this was before he worked on Ouran and was known mostly for Roy Mustang. I had the EXTREME privilege of seeing the man sneeze - like, FOR REAL - and it was nothing short of epic. It was a double...and Spoo nearly died that day.

BUT I DIGRESS. Back to the story!

Things are definitely heating up. I really enjoyed how little Honey reacted to his cousin's sneezing. That was just ADORABLEEEE!

And haha, Renge was great. You characterized her impressively well. Really, though. I don't think there's a soul that exists that can resist flinching when glared at by Kyoya. It's quite scary.

I'll be eagerly awaiting your next update.

[DogLover]

I LOVE THIS SO MUCH! I read the first part and thought it looked cute but I can't stand reading fanfics without knowing the fandom so I went on YouTube and watched a bunch of episodes and wow. LOVE So ya, eagerly awaiting next update!

[SterlingSilver]

I don't think there's a soul that exists that can resist flinching when glared at by Kyoya. It's quite scary.

Ain't that the truth xDDDD. And Spoo, lovely girl that you are, would you mind teaching me how to hyperlink? xDDD. I never figured it out LOL. And you always pulled it off so well LOL

[Akahana]

OH.MAI.GOD. How did I JUST find this!? I am ak=lmost ashamed to call myself a fangirl...almost. THIS IS AMAZINGLY SEXY BEOND BELIEF!!!!! I don't think how much you understand how much joy I am getting out of this. Everything is just perfect, and everyone is amazingly accurate to their character. And it just keeps getting better!!! I love this to no end. Keep it up girl!!!!!

[nolongeractive]

Okay, this story has made me EXTREMELY happy - and I'm really picky about what I read on the forum! I didn't realize there was a second page at first, and I almost died with suspense.. seriously, you have to finish this story. It's too great not to! Can't wait to see what happens!!

[SapphireSong]

@Prowlav: Thank you! I'm glad you like it!!

@Maru-chan: Yay!! I'm so happy you like your present

lol thank you... to be honest, I am about as non-Yaoi Fangirl as you can get - I'm glad I didn't fail at writing the twins, though, but the only reason I made any attempt at yaoi-ish stuff is because I know you like it.

@Sigrith: Omgosh, if you like anime you HAVE to see Ouran. It's truly epic. XDD haha thank you so much for reading/commenting! I really appreciate it

@Spoo: Con...

T-T-Tra-vis Wil....

double -

GYAHH!!!! **dies of extreeeeeme fangirl jealousy**

OMGOSHH that's not even fair... LOL but seriously. That's freakin' awesome. Not to mention a dream of mine... (he's one of my most favorite VAs everrrr. ^^) Was it during a panel? As in could it possibly be on Youtube?

heehee thank you!! I'm rather happy with the Mori part myself, so yeah. XD

KYAAAA it's Dr. Namahage-Kyoya-senpai!!!! (LOVE that ep. )

@DogLover: Thanks so much!! I love this show like you wouldn't believe.. that's awesome that you're watching it!

@BlackScatter: I've never been able to hyperlink like that either.... lol...

@Akahana: Thank you!! The rest is coming soon ^^

@TheCrackedEgg: Thank you!!

(You people are seriously too kind to me... )

[SapphireSong]

So I decided I shall split this one more time, due to its length. Therefore, here is the second-to-last part of Maru-chan's gift!

I'm still not sure if I edited this particular part as much as I'd like, but hopefully it's not too bad. I'm... overcritical of my own work, I suppose As long as I managed to keep everyone in character, I'll be happy...

Especially a certain hypotensive evil lord who just so happens to be my favorite host boy. <.<

**Ahem.

And now, for the segment you've all been waiting for...

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

“Bye, Haruhi!”

Haruhi looked up with a wave as she collected the plates and teacups from her table and placed them onto a tray. “Have a good day, ladies, see you tomorrow!”

When they had gone, she pulled her guest list out from under a bouquet of dark night roses. Beneath Kanna and Ayame, the page was devoid of names.

Haruhi buried her face into her sleeve with a sigh. The cloying aroma that had filled the club room the entire day was beginning to turn her stomach a little.. and she knew it would still be a while before she could go home.

Haruhi picked up her tray carefully, casting a furtive glance around the area. The other hosts were occupied with their duties, although several of them were struggling with allergies. Her fair face settled into an expression of disapproval. She couldn't believe that Kyoya-senpai cared more for the club’s revenue than the members’ wellbeing... but then again, it was Kyoya. She shook her head.

She was trying to locate him now, among the people and copious amounts of roses. She had seen him making his rounds only a little earlier, and looking uncharacteristically unhappy about it, too. By now, most of the club had discerned that he was in a foul mood, and Haruhi had no more desire to cross him than the next person did. However, she feared that if she did not have a break from the thick sweet odor, she might become physically ill.

Therefore, her sharp eyes perused the crowd of rich folk as she strode over to the soiled dishes cart. She relaxed as she did not see any signs of her hypotensive evil senpai. Good, she thought, smiling slightly. He must’ve gone back to his desk.

Still cautious, she placed her tray into the proper bin and stealthily made her way to the hall exit. I’ll just step out for a minute, she told herself. Anyway, it’s not like I’m supposed to be hosting right now. Satisfied, she glanced behind her one final time, then slipped through the double doors and into the large hall.

Once outside, she leaned up against the doors, taking great gulps of the fresh air. Phew, much better! she thought happily, feeling her dizziness mercifully subside. She ran her thin fingers through her smooth brown hair, allowing it to fall over her ears. It was getting pretty long, she realized. She probably ought to cut it again soon...

She had just inhaled another deep, heavenly breath, when a strange sound caused her to let it out in surprise. What the heck was that? She paused, listening intently. Soon enough, she heard it a second time.

--hhng-t--

It sounded like it could have been made by a person, but she wasn’t sure. Curious, she peered down the corridor. There were no students in sight; however, the hallway possessed various combinations of pedestals, recesses, and assorted statuary art that made it difficult to determine whether the hall was actually empty. Therefore, Haruhi folded her hands behind her back and padded away from the doors, keeping an eye out for the source of the sound...

...and found herself face to face with Kyoya.

He was resting inconspicuously in the far corner of the wall inset just to the left of the music room doors, obscured from her former view by a large half-column-and-vase display in the center of the recess.

Haruhi’s heart jumped into her mouth. It’s like he knows every move I make!! she thought, bringing her hands up in alarm. “Kyoya-senpai!” she blurted, feeling sweat trickle down the back of her neck.

Kyoya straightened, eyes colder than usual. “Going somewhere, Haruhi?”

Haruhi was busy assembling a calm, rational response to his comment when, as he stepped toward her, his pen slid out from his open book and hit the floor with a tiny click. Her alarm instantly increased. She had never seen Kyoya drop anything – especially not his pen or book.

What... what does this mean? Could I have... actually startled him? No. That’s impossible.

Kyoya, meanwhile, simply stooped to pick it up, never taking his eyes off of her. “Well?”

Haruhi started. “N-No, of course not, senpai,” she said. Recovering from her initial shock, she furrowed her brow. He was acting a lot like how he had on that fateful day when he had been stranded at the products expo: edgy, with no pretenses. “I’m finished hosting for today, so I came out here to breathe...” She shook her head, smoothing her bangs out of her eyes with one hand. “I hardly think you can blame me for that.”

He arched an eyebrow, but seemed to concede the point. Turning a page, he picked up wherever he had left off writing, not casting a second glance at the young first-year.

Haruhi was bewildered. She had fully expected him to come back with something like “even so, there’s always something to do for the host club” and order her to execute this or that chore... but he did not. In fact, he seemed completely uninterested in speaking further to her at all.

She was debating whether or not to say something to him when a voice caused the both of them to turn.

“There you two are!!” It was Tamaki – who was once again fulfilling the role of club prince with unparalleled finesse, dark night rose in hand. “What are you doing?” he inquired reproachfully. “Your guests are waiting for you!”

Haruhi sighed. “My guests already left, senpai... and I don’t think Kyoya-senpai had any today.” Suddenly, something occurred to her. “Hey, wait a minute. I thought you were allergic to the roses!”

Tamaki stopped short. “Allergic? Certainly not.” He thrust his hand into his thick blonde hair, beaming at Kyoya. “The sweet smell overwhelmed me for a bit, but I grew accustomed to it, just like Kyoya told me I would.”

Haruhi was bemused. Though he had definitely been suffering earlier, Tamaki no longer seemed the least bit affected; his voice was perfectly clear, and he was waving the rose around without any problems. They say idiots can’t catch colds, she thought dryly. Maybe they can’t get allergies, either.

Tamaki breezed over to his best friend. “Come on, Kyoya, how can you stand around idle when you have so much to offer our ladies?”

Kyoya skirted around the blonde, his annoyance obvious as he set his book and pen down on the edge of the pedestal. “As Haruhi surmised, I did not have any guests scheduled today,” he began, turning to Tamaki. “And, rather than being idle, I have in fact been dealing with the practicalities that keep this club running – things which you never attend to.” Now standing in the middle of the hall, he crossed his arms, anticipating Tamaki’s rebuttal.

“But surely you can’t spend all your time on such mundane things,” Tamaki objected, sidling up next to the irritated Ootori boy with a flourish of his rose. Kyoya again sidestepped to put distance between them.

Haruhi observed their conversation, if it could be called that, with resignation. It was always the same with these two – Tamaki blathering on about something stupid, and Kyoya ignoring him unless it was in his interest to listen. As she looked on, though, she noted a difference from their norm in the current interaction. She had seldom seen Kyoya take such a discussion seriously... but today, he was actively arguing with Tamaki and blatantly evading his approaches.

It was when she saw him bring up a hand to shield his face from Tamaki’s obnoxiously waving arms that suddenly it all made sense. Why he was ill-tempered. Why he wasn’t hosting. Why he, at the moment, was avoiding all contact with Tamaki.

“Tamaki-senpai –” she tried, but he was talking so much that he failed to hear her.

“Have you forgotten what it means to be a host, Kyoya?” Tamaki was passionately demanding. “I believe that the reason you’re in such a bad mood is because you’re missing out on the joy that comes from making girls happy – the reason our club exists!” Tamaki placed a hand on Kyoya’s shoulder, which Kyoya immediately removed. “You, my friend, need a refresher!” he concluded. “Take a break from the rigors of club finances and let the intoxicating fragrance of the roses invigorate and inspire the gentleman inside you!” Somehow, despite Kyoya’s dodging, he ended up right next to him.. and with that final statement, Tamaki invitingly brought his flower directly beneath Kyoya’s nose.

Haruhi jumped forward as he did so. “Wait, Tamaki-senpai! Don’t...” But she was much too late.

Kyoya went stiff as the rose brushed against his face. Even though he had purposefully been putting space between himself and the club president, he had never imagined he would do something so incredibly absurd. Thus, before he realized what had happened, he had sucked in a surprised breath... effectively filling his entire nasal cavity with the heady scent.

As the aroma burned through his nose, into his lungs, licking at his ears and throat, he struggled to position his arm to get leverage between the two of them. “What the hell are you doing?!” he snarled, but it was no good. He had to stop speaking.

It felt as though a swarm of microscopic bees was buzzing furiously within his sinuses, pricking at the sensitive walls in a million places. His eyes were rapidly tearing up, and his breath shuddered involuntarily. Damn it!!

He was losing control – and Tamaki was completely oblivious, for he was currently looking at Haruhi while innocently keeping the rose against Kyoya’s face.

Kyoya inhaled erratically again, and ground his teeth. He could feel his nasal passages swelling up, and it was all because of one damn rose. He was desperate to separate himself from it – and so, almost trembling with the effort of staying in control, he unceremoniously shoved his forearm into Tamaki’s chest. He put so much power into it that Tamaki stumbled backward, then lost his balance and fell... but Kyoya didn’t care. At that moment, there was only one thing on his mind – and that was the overwhelming need to sneeze.

He didn’t want to.

He had been successfully avoiding this particular nuisance all day.

But now, his body was not going to give him a choice.

Kyoya barely managed to twist away from Tamaki and Haruhi before he drew a final, ragged breath.. and his body finally got what it wanted.

“HehhIHSHU!!” He sneezed over his left arm, opting not to soil his uniform sleeve. The relief to his sinuses was incredible... but short-lived. He had been curbing his allergic symptoms for so long that, now that he had surrendered to them, there was no way his nose was going to let him get away with just one. He was breathing irregularly almost before he could start breathing again at all, the infernal tickle migrating to the very back of his nose and lodging itself there. “Hh..hh-hh... hh-ISHCHU! HhihSHU! hehh’SSHU!!” Three more sneezes exploded out of him, and he did very little to restrain them.

Meanwhile, Haruhi and Tamaki were stupefied.

Haruhi, in particular, gaped unabashedly at her dark-haired senpai. She had always known Kyoya to be exactly what his host club specialty was: the cool type. He was always composed, always clever, always calculating something. He took great pains to behave exactly as someone of his breeding and social stature ought; which meant that Haruhi had never seen him do anything that was unrefined. She could not recall ever seeing him sneeze before, but if she had ever given it any thought, she probably would’ve predicted it to be polite, quiet, inconspicuous... However, none of those adjectives applied to what she was witnessing.

Tamaki, in turn, was equally dumbfounded. At first, he simply sat on the floor, dazed, staring up at his friend in pure shock. However, after a minute he scrambled to his feet, dismay growing. “What...is...?” He tried forming a question, but his astonishment kept him from doing so.

Haruhi found her voice. “Tamaki-senpai.” Her tone was almost accusatory. “He’s allergic to the roses.”

Tamaki’s mouth dropped open, and he eyed first the rose, and then Kyoya, with horror. “What?”

Kyoya shot Haruhi a look. “Th-That’s... ‘TSHCHu!!... de-ehh... debatable... hhTSHHU!” His ability to intimidate had all but vanished, however, thanks to his state of virtual helplessness.

Tamaki’s face had fallen, becoming uncharacteristically serious. “I hardly think so,” he responded softly, clasping his hands and the flower behind his back as he hesitantly approached Kyoya. “I don’t get it. How come you never told me?”

Kyoya turned, glaring at him. “Be – tSHCHT!! Because it is not... hhTSSHH! … not important.” He had brought his left hand up to his face, but rather than using it to cover his mouth, he was simply pressing it to one side, as if to shield his face from their view. The initial violence of his fit was wearing off, so he was able to regain a small portion of his composure and regard the two of them with cold annoyance.

Tamaki sighed. He had become very calm, as he always did whenever he was concerned about someone. This ability of his was one that Haruhi was confounded by; he was ordinarily so out there, so ridiculous... and yet when it came to the people he cared about, he could change from happy-go-lucky idiot to genuinely perceptive at the drop of a hat. Now was no different.

“Here.” He handed the rose to Haruhi, who took it wordlessly. Smoothing his hands down his neatly pressed black pants, Tamaki walked up to Kyoya and reached toward his friend’s pocket.

Kyoya pushed Tamaki’s hand away with a scowl. “What are you doing...?” His scowl was dissolved, however, as another sneeze was wrenched out of him. “hehhISHH!” This time, he grimaced visibly. They were getting wetter and wetter, and since he apparently refused to touch his nose, the effects were obviously becoming unpleasant.

Tamaki folded one arm and rested his other elbow on it, propping his chin in his hand. “Where’s your handkerchief, Kyoya?”

Kyoya just glowered at him, refusing to answer.

“Ohh..!” Haruhi groaned audibly when it hit her. Tamaki glanced back at her, and she shook her head. “Kaoru has it... Kyoya-senpai gave it to him earlier.”

Tamaki nodded with quiet understanding. “I see.” He slid his hand into his own pocket, drawing a piece of elegant violet cloth from it.

Kyoya turned his head derisively. “I don’t need that, you mor... moro – hhh’ISSCH! – moron...”

Tamaki blinked at him. “Oh, don’t worry,” he said with a gentle chuckle, “this isn’t mine. Kyoko gave this to me, but I didn’t need it, so I haven’t used it.” Coming up in front of him, he grabbed Kyoya’s wrist and pulled it down from his face faster than either Kyoya or Haruhi had thought possible, pushing the handkerchief into Kyoya’s face with his other hand.

“Wha –?” Kyoya grabbed the piece of cloth from Tamaki and backpedaled away from him, but Tamaki moved with him.

“Come on,” he encouraged gently. “You’ll feel much better if you use it.”

Kyoya seemed unable to reply for a moment, but then he reluctantly brought the cloth to his nose. “...Thank you.”

His response was even, civil, perfectly courteous. But Haruhi squinted slightly, moving forward just a little, for his cheeks looked rather redder than usual. Then again, that could have just been the allergies.

Tamaki turned back to Haruhi, graciously giving Kyoya some privacy as he blew his nose. “I just don’t get it!” he stated, some of his customary vocal flair returning. “We always have roses at the host club. Why is it only today that everyone is so miserable?”

Haruhi raised her eyebrows. “Isn’t it because these roses are different?” she asked. “I mean, you should know that, senpai... you’re the one who picked them out, right?”

Tamaki froze, guilt spreading across his expressive face. His eyes darted to Kyoya, who simply sighed, wiping his nose with a suppressed sniff.

Tamaki brought his hand to his mouth in mortification. “This... is all my fault, isn’t it.” He spoke it as a statement rather than a question, and suddenly Haruhi almost felt sorry for him.

Kyoya shook his head. “It doesn’t matter – hh” His breath teetered at the end of his sentence, and he tensed, pressing the cloth to his nose. “hhnng-uhh...” He stifled the explosion this time, endeavoring to make as little sound as possible.

Haruhi’s eyes widened as it dawned on her. So that’s what I heard earlier! Kyoya caught her watching him, and she hastily looked away.

An awkward silence descended upon the three of them, broken only by Kyoya’s discreet sniffling.

Shifting uncomfortably, Haruhi glanced at her watch. Club hours were almost over. “Hey, guys...” she started. “We... don’t have a lot of time left.” She looked to Kyoya. “What should we do?”

Kyoya opened his mouth, but it was Tamaki who spoke.

“There’s only one thing to do.”

Determination was etched into every line of his body; and with one firm nod, Tamaki turned and set off for Music Room 3.

Haruhi was thoroughly lost. Kyoya, however, stiffened as though he knew exactly what Tamaki was up to.

“Dammit, Tamaki!” Pushing rather roughly past Haruhi, he retrieved his book from the pedestal and hurried after him.

Haruhi remained motionless at first, wincing as the doors slammed behind them. Slumping in exhaustion, she contemplated whether or not to follow. It’s probably best if I stay out of this...

The hard resolve in Tamaki’s eyes haunted her, though, and she hesitated. He’s about to do something really impulsive and stupid, isn’t he. Her curiosity got the better of her judgment, and she warily returned to the doors, wrapping her fingers around the cool metal handles and praying that Tamaki hadn’t done anything that he and everyone else would regret.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Kyoya could almost see the scent of the dark night blossoms, so pronounced was its presence. As he struggled to catch up to Tamaki, it pressed into him from all sides, crushing his lungs with its weight and making his eyes water ferociously. “Tama – kuh –” Kyoya coughed out the syllable, shoving his glasses up his nose as the allergic tears threatened to obstruct his vision. “...Tamaki!!”

Tamaki either did not hear him or did not choose to. Kyoya balled his hands into fists as he walked, ignoring the clusters of girls who were staring at him and murmuring amongst themselves, appalled.

Tamaki wove in and out of the tables and guests until he was standing in front of the centerpiece, directly in the middle of the room. “Everyone, if I could have your attention, please.” His words flowed over the heads of the girls and hosts, and one by one people stopped what they were doing to look to him.

“Hht’tSSHU!!” Kyoya lurched to a halt as the sneeze escaped him, provoking a gasp of astonishment from one of the nearby females. His rapidly growing aversion to the roses overruled his desire to reach Tamaki – which, from the looks of it, wouldn’t have done any good at this point anyway – and so, jaw clenching angrily, he stayed put, staring at the host king with the rest of the onlookers.

Tamaki waited until the room was eerily quiet before continuing. “Thank you all for coming today... but I’m afraid I have some bad news.”

Haruhi stepped into the room just in time to hear him say this. Her mouth went dry. Oh no. What the heck are you thinking now, senpai?? She touched her hand to her mouth, her eyes scouring the room for Kyoya. The clumps of female students who were staring at Tamaki made it difficult for her to locate him at first, however. One by one, she saw the twins... Honey-senpai... Mori-senpai... Renge... and from the looks on their faces, she guessed that they were all sharing similar thoughts to hers.

Why hadn’t Kyoya intervened by now??

A strange sense of concern, almost foreboding, developed in her gut, and she elbowed past some second-years in search of the shadow lord. Finally, she thought she caught a glimpse of his austere, blue-clad form in amongst a group of anxiously twittering girls right up near the front.

She scrambled over to him, panting from the effort. “Kyoya-sen –” she began to stage-whisper his name, but then choked in her effort to swallow her words when she saw his face.

As a rule, Kyoya was unreadable. It was a fundamental part of his club personality, after all. Now, however, his emotion was so dangerously obvious that everyone nearby seemed to have created a three-foot clearance zone around him. Fury radiated off of him like some kind of freakish aura, and the girls immediately near him looked genuinely frightened.

Oohhhkay... Maybe now is not the best time to say anything to him, Haruhi decided, gulping involuntarily. Expecting to become the target of his wrath at any moment because of her foolishness, she timidly snuck a glance at the shadow lord... then relaxed a little.

He hadn’t even noticed her, if his face was any indication. He was wholly focused on glaring daggers at Tamaki, who was waffling about with some nonsense, postponing the utterance of whatever “bad news” it was that he had.

As she continued to analyze his appearance, Haruhi’s fear dissipated. Kyoya was clearly under extreme physical distress, though he still made a marked effort to hide that fact. He was breathing heavily, deep gray-amaranthine eyes watering, handkerchief clenched tightly in his hand... And suddenly, Haruhi understood.

He had fully intended to intervene; to stop Tamaki before he could do anything reckless.... but his worsening symptoms were preventing him from doing so. He still had time to act, of course, but she knew he could not. He was far too proud to make a scene. Not in his condition. In truth, she was surprised he was even standing out here among the guests.

Barely thinking about what she was doing, she silently joined him, folding her hands behind her back. But, just as she was about to address him, Tamaki took a deep breath and made his announcement at last.

“It is with deepest regret that I must ask all of you to leave.”

A chill went down Haruhi’s spine, and she opened her mouth to protest, but Tamaki wasn’t finished.

“It would seem that these beautiful flowers are inflicting discomfort among our hosts, and I will not let my own mistake cause them pain.” His eyes flickered to Kyoya, then back to the girls. “Thus, all club activities will be canceled until after the roses have wilted. I am truly sorry.”

Kyoya gritted his teeth. “You dumb-ass,” he hissed, but even as he spoke his face contorted. “hehISCHU!!”

Haruhi paled, the significance of Tamaki’s actions catching up to her. It’s not a matter of waiting for the roses to wilt, she realized, recalling Kyoya’s earlier words. Tamaki must’ve overshot the budget. So that means... if we close...

A low murmur was growing amongst the many individuals in the host room. Customers and club members alike were looking from Tamaki to Kyoya to each other, thoroughly confused.

Haruhi furrowed her brow.

If I were Kyoya-senpai.... what would I do?

“Please know that this has nothing to do with any of you ladies. It is simply out of consideration to the health of our –”

“Wait, Tamaki-senpai!!” Before Tamaki had a clue what had happened, Haruhi had suddenly dove in front of him, thrusting her hand out to signal him to be quiet and facing the gathered crowd.

“H-Haruhi, what are you doing?!” Tamaki stammered.

Haruhi ignored him, addressing the girls. “What Tamaki-senpai is proposing is kind, but unnecessary.” She drew herself up to her full height, taking a deep breath. “We will be closing down for today, but there is a better way for us to prevent the waste of the roses.” Carefully avoiding glancing in Kyoya’s vicinity, she folded her hands and put on her best host smile. “How would you ladies like to help us out? As a special surprise, we offer these wonderful bouquets to you –”

She spread her arms in a wide, sweeping gesture.

“...for just ten thousand yen apiece.”

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

A/N: If anyone happens to disagree with the way I decided to write Kyoya's sneezes... Lemme explain my reasoning.

Canonically, Kyoya Ootori is a namahage. I can't imagine a namahage having a particularly gentle sneeze, can you?

wahahaa bad inside joke... *runs and hides*

~Next and final part coming up!

Edited January 19, 2013 by smileyfacegirl^^

[LeapYearKisses]

Oh mannnnnn.... This is so good. *starry eyes* You've pushed all my buttons just right with this. I almost want to go read Ouran again. XD I can;t wait for the next part!

Haruhi's Kyouya-like decision is awesome. Kudos to you; you're brilliant at writing all of them!

[March Hare]

Okay!

One - you're even more of a brilliant genius than I thought. Two - I desperately want to know what exactly a namahage is, unless it's a spoiler from any episode after the 16th one. Three: you did get Kyoya-senpai's sneezes exactly right, in my opinion.

Because DAAARN the man is hot the way you write him. :wacky: I mean REALLY. Also, the story is perfect. It is both wonderfully Ouran and wonderfully fetish and that is something that really VERY few people can do!

In short: you win so very, very hard. This is my favourite Ouran story EVER. (No offence to anyone else who has ever written Ouran funfiction, of course.)

[nolongeractive]

You did a really wonderful job with the pacing of this story! I'm sure I wasn't the only one just waiting for Kyoya to sneeze. Again, can't wait to see how it ends! I don't browse the forum as much as some people do, but have you written any other stories? I'd love to check them out!

[Spoo]

Ohhhhh, Kyoyababydarlingsweetheart.

I am totally in love with this story. Hands down! Kyoya's "breaking point" was absolutely perfect in my opinion. I really enjoyed how you explored his true character and not just the act he puts on to mask his evil self (even though there's genuine good in Kyoya as well).

Concerned!Tamaki was brilliantly characterized, as was Haruhi and her mental monologue. I cannot WAIT to see how you wrap this up. All I know is that I'm totally printing this fic out and reading it whenever I can. You rock SO hard, SFG!

[VoOs]

...what the girls above me said.

This fic is hot like the centre of the sun is hot.

[SapphireSong]

@LeapYearKisses: Thank you!! I'm glad to hear that someone who's read the manga can enjoy this too, bc I have yet to read it (though I want to!! ^^)

@Maru-chan: OMIGOSH. You haven't seen past episode 16? O.O Some of the very best episodes are towards the end - including episode 17 which is one of Kyoya's two eps and possibly my favorite of the series (and that's where the namahage joke comes from lolz ) Thank you so much! & Merry Christmas again

@The Cracked Egg: Aw thank you! Let's see... I think I have... four other stories on here? Yeah, all fanfics so far though. A couple random oneshots that I did a while ago, and then two ongoing anime fandom ones: The Death Wish of the Hanyou (Inuyasha), and Water Meets Flame (Roy Mustang from Fullmetal Alchemist) ^^

@Spoo: heeheehee thank you I must've watched episodes 17 and 24 like four times each to get his character right

*happy fangirl sigh* I Kyoya, and his evil-not evil true self XDD

I'm so honored!! I'm reallyreally glad you like it

@VoOs: *eeee!! (fangirl-author squee) tyvm ^^

[SterlingSilver]

I-.... it... guh... *dies*..

IT'S SO BEAUTIFUL :'D... SMILEY-... <3... KYOUYA... <3...

I CAN'T EVEN SPEAK-... forgive me~.. xDDD

[Prowlav]

This... This is just.... *KYAAAAAA!!!*

SFG you did absolutely WONDERFUL!! Finally hearing Kyouya made my emotions overflow with giddyness! XD;;;

I AM DYING TO KNOW THE FINAL PART. JUST DYYYIIING HNNNNG. ;A;

[SapphireSong]

All right, everyone! Here it is, the final portion of Maru-chan's gift ^^

I had a blast with this, and I'm supermegaultra glad that all of you enjoyed it as well!! (I'm actually really excited - this is the very first fanfic I have ever finished )

So... without further ado!

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

“Ohh, Haruhiii!! Daddy’s SO proud of you!!!”

Being smothered by 150 pounds of senpai was not something that Haruhi was especially fond of, so as usual, she skillfully wriggled her way out of his grasp. “I don’t need you to be proud of me, senpai,” she grumbled. “I only did what any other sensible person would’ve done.”

“Oh, but you did it so beautifully!” Tamaki insisted, affectionately placing his hands on her shoulders. “Only my little girl could have come up with something so utterly brilliant!”

“I’m NOT your little girl, senpai!” Haruhi retorted, smacking his hands away.

“Yeah, boss, quit being such a perv!” the twins chimed in helpfully.

“Besides,” Hikaru hedged him, “don’t forget, it was your stupid ideas that got us in this mess in the first place.”

Tamaki gasped, stricken, then promptly wilted into a nearby corner that was now devoid of roses.

Haruhi rested her palm against her forehead. “Guys, just give it a rest, will you??” she complained. “It doesn’t matter anymore.”

Hikaru and Kaoru glanced at one another, then each grabbed one of her arms, grinning widely. “No, because you saved the day!” They hoisted her up between them, evoking a startled yelp from the girl. “Fujioka’s Number One!!”

“HEY, put me down!!” Haruhi yelled, squirming enough that they obeyed, laughing.

“Seriously though, Haruhi,” Hikaru continued, draping his arm around her, “that was pretty darn impressive. How the heck did you even come up with something like that?”

Haruhi wormed her way out of his chummy embrace as well. “Would you stop acting like it’s a big deal? Good grief, you’d think I just saved Japan or something.” Irritated, she smoothed her rumpled uniform.

“No...” Honey tugged on her jacket tail so she would look down. “...but you did save the host club.” He looked around at the twins and Mori. “Without you, they’d all still be feeling bad. You were a big help!” He beamed at her.

Mori nodded. “Yeah.”

Hikaru grinned, casually rubbing his nose with one finger. “She’s the honors student, so go figure.”

Haruhi felt herself growing warm. “Geez...” she muttered. Embarrassed, she distanced herself from her adoring crowd. As she did so, her attention strayed to the gloomy figure in the corner.

Rolling her eyes, she approached him. “Come on, senpai,” she began, shoving her hands into her pockets. “You shouldn’t let them get to you.”

He stared up at her with his big blue eyes. “W-what do you mean?” he sniffled.

She sighed, gazing off across the room. “Look,” she said. “Who cares what you did?” She put her hands on her hips. “You might as well stop worrying about that, because all that really matters is what you do now.”

The melodrama faded from Tamaki’s face. Bowing his head thoughtfully, he pressed his palms to the cold tile floor and rose to his feet. “You’re right,” he murmured, with an embarrassed smile. He folded his arms across his chest, gazing at her. “You know, you really came through for us this time, Haruhi,” he mused aloud, still smiling. “Thank you. Truly.”

Haruhi felt a blush creeping over her cheeks as she locked eyes with him. His eyes were warm, expressing his earnest, unpretentious gratitude... and she suddenly felt extremely queer. “It was nothing,” she managed, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear.

Tamaki chuckled softly. “I disagree,” he said. “Your idea was genius. Why, the way you handled yourself? You reminded me of Kyoya!”

Haruhi tensed. Well... there’s some reason for that... I’m sure Kyoya-senpai knows I got the idea from him. He never misses anything. She had, in fact, dreaded his reaction to her spur-of-the-moment decision; but so far it had not been at all what she had expected.

While Haruhi and the twins had handled the flower sales, Kyoya had disappeared. By the time he returned, all but a few of the bouquets were gone; and though the other club members were celebrating at that point, he had not said a word. Not to her, or to anyone else.

Even now, he had separated himself from them all, singlehandedly taking down the display in the center of the room.

Haruhi sighed, returning her attention to Tamaki. “You’re welcome, senpai,” she replied, offering him a sincere, almost shy smile.

As Haruhi was making her way past the center display to the back room to gather her things, the stepladder Kyoya was standing upon shifted precariously. Haruhi was the only one nearby, so she hastened over and knelt on the floor to steady the ladder as he stepped down.

She was rather surprised by what he was doing. He was, of all things, bringing down the roses from the top of the centerpiece – the only three bouquets that had not sold.

He made no motion of response as she straightened, so she dusted off her hands and turned to continue on her way.

“Ten thousand yen.... Far too low, considering the high value of the roses.”

Haruhi inhaled sharply, facing him. Oh boy. Here it comes.

He had just reached the ground with his armful of roses. Though his tousled black bangs had fallen into his face, she could tell that his eyes were still puffy, and his nostrils looked quite chafed as well.

As his unfathomable gaze fell upon her, she looked down at her shiny black shoes. “Yeah,” she assented. “But... I figured that, since they were used, any higher and the girls wouldn’t have been interested in buying them all.” She paused, adjusting her shirt collar. “This way, I thought we could get rid of the flowers and start replenishing the funds Tamaki-senpai depleted, then earn back the rest from merchandise sales tomorrow.”

“Hmm.” Predictably, Kyoya adjusted his glasses, then tucked his arm back around the bouquets. “A good strategy in theory... however, I am sure that you have no idea how much these roses actually cost me. You forget that most of us here at Ouran think in terms of hundred thousands.” He shifted his hold on the flowers. “And, even at the low price, you did not sell all of them. Still, it was a noble effort for a commoner.”

Haruhi bristled. Would it kill him to be even a little thankful?! She turned on her heel, but as she did so he made an odd sound. She looked back, just in time to see him attempt to contain another sneeze.

“Hh’ngxsh!”

She shook her head as he shuffled the roses around, freeing one of his hands. “HhTSHH! Hh-hh... Hh’TSHHU!”

He held his arm in front of his face, yet still did not actually sneeze into it. “HehISHH!”

Haruhi sighed distastefully. “Gesundheit.”

An odd expression flitted across his face for the briefest of moments as he recovered from the sneezes. “Thank you.”

She raised her eyebrows. So he thanks me about this? She looked down at the roses, wondering what in the world he was planning to do with them.

He began to walk past her.

“Where are you going, senpai?”

He slowed. “To pack up, of course.”

As she watched his retreating back, her eyebrows climbed higher when she saw his shoulders spasm silently.

Once.

Twice.

Then - “hhng-t..”

She glared after him. He can’t seriously be taking those home with him!... Man. Even Kyoya-senpai can be an idiot. She took a step.

I can’t believe I’m doing this.

“Hey senpai, wait.”

He turned back. “Yes, what is it Haruhi...?”

She squared her shoulders. “If it’s all right with you, can I have the leftover roses?”

Kyoya looked genuinely surprised. “Well, I d–”

Haruhi came up to him, reaching to touch a flower. “These would be perfect for me to put on our dining table when my dad comes home from work,” she explained. “We used to buy this kind of rose for Mom’s birthday... so, I’d really like to have them.” She lifted her eyes to his face. “For thirty thousand yen, of course.”

Kyoya’s expression morphed into a smirk. “Ad where are you goi’g to get thirty thoused yed?” His intended snobbishness, however, was considerably dampened by the congestion in his voice.

Haruhi drew herself up. “You can put it on my host tab.”

Once again, Kyoya looked as though her answer amazed him; but she continued before he had a chance to comment.

“As long as I attend this academy, you know I”m not leaving the Host Club. I will pay you back, no matter how long it takes me.” She held eye contact, expectantly holding out her hands.

For a moment, Kyoya said nothing. He glanced down at the roses. She saw him crinkle his nose, obviously feeling the effect of the allergens he was calmly carrying... yet, he did not so much as sniff in her presence.

At last, he nodded. “Very well, if that’s what you really wadt.” He handed her the flowers, then slipped his small pocketbook out and jotted something down.

As the sweetness of the blossoms wafted up to greet her, Haruhi felt strangely satisfied, though she didn’t quite know why.

He glanced up once more as he finished writing. “Is that all you deed?”

She nodded. “Yeah.”

She couldn't be sure, but it seemed to her that the frustrated crease between his eyebrows had lessened.

He closed the book, nodding. “You are free to leave, thed...” he trailed off as his eyelids fluttered. “hh..HehISHCHU!” For the first and last time that day, he sniffled, then tiredly rubbed the edge of his hand against his nose. “...Haruhi.”

They spoke no more of it after that.

The other boys held Haruhi in the highest esteem for her brilliance for weeks afterwards, liberally praising her at every chance they got; but Kyoya never once commented on the subject. Eventually, the whole incident was all but forgotten, even by Tamaki.

However, several months later, the Host Club threw a birthday party for Haruhi – one that, if its extravagance was any indication, cost well into the hundred-thousands.

And, if rumors are to be believed... among the gifts she received from the boys, there was one whose worth was precisely 30,000 yen.

THE END.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

This felt quite episodic to me, so I feel like linking this. X)

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=ePFNNruMIUg

And there you have it!! Thank you all SO much for your kind comments, I am so happy that I was able to write something that you enjoyed! lol I had quite a bit of fun myself... perhaps I shall dabble in this fandom again in the future. XD

Edited January 19, 2013 by smileyfacegirl^^

[Emily]

-insert fangirl spazz here- wouldn't wanna taint your godly story page.

you make me wanna write an ouran fanfic too. :'D hikaruXharuhi weeee

but anyway, back to the topic at hand. this was like omgomgomg. I've been reading your stories since like you started posting them here which is not a very long time ago but well that's not the point. point is you're good at this. and I worship good writers 8D especially people who share fandoms <3 and Kyouya's sneezes are EXACTLY as I imagined them! :DDDD -very happy camper-

Edited January 10, 2012 by Emily

[Prowlav]

An excellent story with an excellent ending! Haruhi's reasoning of keeping the roses and putting the money on her tab like that, I can definitely see her do that

So sad that it ended, but this is definitely one of my new favorite fics now!!

[snuffles]

this is absolutely THE most DREAM Ouran fic for me ever!!! In all senses if I could ever write fiction myself, this played out better than my wildest dream imaginations could!

seriously.

i.luv.you.

i can die happy now

[March Hare]

*sigh*

Dreamy... Such a sweet, sweet ending, and everybody perfectly, flawlessly in character right to the beautiful end. Everything about this story is exactly right. EEEEE Kyoya sneezing so much Best Secret Santa gift I have ever gotten.

My dear smileyfacegirl, thank you so very very very much

...Back to the beginning!

[SterlingSilver]

SMILEY XDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD. I LOVE THE END CREDITS LOLOLOL

This is such a nice ending to an incredible story-.. I'm almost sad to see it go. You carried the characters all the way through, and impressed everyone here on the forum. Keep up the good work, and know that we all love you lots~ <3!

[Emily]

this story still makes me immensely happy.

[SapphireSong]

Heehee thank you Emily

[March Hare]

It still makes me intensely happy too. Best SS present I have EVER had.

[SapphireSong]

Awww thanks so much Maru-Chan I'm sooooooXinfinity glad you liked it I'm really happy with it myself... it's still the only fic I've ever finished (yet! ^^)