Ouran High School Host Club Fan Fiction ❯ Rubbing The Lamp ❯ Ch 6b Before Round Two ( Chapter 9 )

Disclaimer: Ouran Host Club belongs to Bisco Hatori, not me. I make no profit off this story. If Bisco Hatori-san wishes, I will remove this from the web upon her personal request.

 

 

This chapter was written as a response to the week 44 Makin' Lemonaide challenge theme: “You did WHAT?!?! and take the fic from there. We know some thoughtless/unpredictable characters, well let them have some fun.”

 

 

 

Interim Chapter 3 (aka chapter 6b)

 

“You did WHAT?!?”

 

Five sets of eyes trained on the quietest of the club members, each in varying stages of irritation and disbelief.

 

“We watched a movie and had dinner.” The tallest, quietest member of the club was - for some reason - not meeting the eyes of any of his friends.

 

“You had a date with her,” Tamaki said quietly. Normally, he would have been exploding at the thought, but… the quiet lunch he'd had with her looking so amazing in the flowing green that suited her so well - well, that could be considered a date, too. It had just seemed natural, so he didn't really want to make too much of a fuss.

 

Mori shifted uncomfortably. “I… it was part of the wish. I didn't want to watch the movie alone.”

 

The twins shifted in toward him threateningly. “What kind of movie was it?” Their minds conjuring up a scenario where they were watching a horror movie and Haruhi clinging to them lasted only half a second. The only thing Haruhi was afraid of was thunder. It could have been a documentary about weather, though.

 

“Part of the wish was that no one would know.”

 

Now all their minds were racing. What could he possibly not want them to know about. Could it have been a porno? It *was* the quiet ones you had to watch out for. He could have wooed her with the ootoro he'd already admitted to serving her. Then, turned on the scene of man and woman…

 

You know, even with their teenage hormones, they couldn't really picture that working. But that just confused them even more. What could they have watched?

 

Seeing they wouldn't rest until he gave them some kind of answer, he blushed and said, “It was a classic romance.”

 

Silence filled the room.

 

Kyoya finally inquired softly, “And what happened?” They could all tell he was recalculating the success of his plan.

 

“We watched the movie and then I drove her home.”

 

“Nothing else?” Tamaki asked - still quieter than normal.

 

Mori's response was just to shake his head no. The fact that she'd been so close to him during the movie, that he'd held and kissed her hands, that he'd made it clear and he could tell that she'd understood that he saw her as a beautiful woman - well, they didn't need to know about that.

 

The twins shared a look, remembering the feel of her body between the two of them and her soft moans which made them even hungrier, even more determined to taste her than ever. Could they really complain about dinner and a movie? Not if he was telling the truth and that's all there was.

 

Huni almost felt guilty as he remembered how she'd put her arms around him, how he'd felt her react to him not as a cute club member, but as a man - both as they stirred the batter and after when he'd kissed her cheek goodbye and she'd agreed to spend more time alone with him. Takashi may have treated her to a real date, but he couldn't deny that his friend had only helped lay the groundwork that made her more accepting of his own actions. If the rest of the club knew how she had reacted to him… well, it didn't matter. They'd never believe it anyway.

 

Tamaki broke the silence. “So what did everyone else ask Haruhi? I had her train Antoinette.”

 

With a look of pure disbelief, Kyoya replied, “Really? And did it work?”

 

Tamaki grinned from ear to ear. “It sure did. She taught her to sit, stay, lay down, AND beg!”

 

“You're kidding!” This from the twins. “And she acts on those commands for you?”

 

A bit of a chagrined look as he started his response gradually developed into a look of pride. “Not at first. But then Haruhi explained that my spoiling her was actually making Antoinette…” He risked a quick glance at Kyoya and then continued, “Confused and unhappy. So now I'm a bit more firm with her, more clear on what I want from her, and she seems to really love it!”

 

“Wow. She really is a miracle worker, isn't she?” Huni said happily. “She even taught me how to bake!”

 

“That was your wish?” Mori asked quietly.

 

Huni blushed. “Well, I'm an adult now - I can't always count on other people to take care of me.” Mori reached over and patted him on the head.

 

In a moment of insight, Mori turned to the twins, “So what did you do with Haruhi-chan?”

 

They shared a quiet glance that the remaining club members couldn't quite understand - especially in light of their response, “We played some board games.”

 

“Board games?” Tamaki asked, suspicious of their indifference. It was hard to believe that they'd left it at that.

 

They shrugged in unison. “Well, they aren't much fun to play with only two people,” Kaoru explained.

 

“So we finally got the chance to play them like they're supposed to be played,” Hikaru finished.

 

With a loud click, Kyoya closed his laptop. “So we've all finished round one. If there was any indication from Haruhi that she seemed unlikely to want to continue with round two, I need you to tell me now, so that I can adjust our plans - if needed.” Pushing up his glasses, he caught each in his icy gaze before continuing. “I need you to be honest, or the chances of the plan succeeding for any of us will be in jeopardy.”

 

He was pleased to see each of them replaying their wishes, looking for clues, in their own minds. Then, they all shook their heads no.

 

“Good. Let's draw straws for round two.”

 

 

MOVINGONTOTHEAFTERNOONMOVINGONTOTHEAFTERNOONMOVINGON

 

A battlefield of warring emotions. That was the only way to describe the mindset of one Fujioka Haruhi as she continued her trek toward the third floor music room.

 

Her dreams the night before had been no less troubled than the ones the night before that. Only now, she had a clue. She could no longer deny what her dreams were telling her.

 

Desire.

 

She had read about the phenomenon - at a certain age, hormones start to take effect. This turns girls who had previously shown signs of intelligence into basket cases who cared only for looks - their own and those of the boys around them. She'd seen this again and again. It was an interesting psychological study that she was able to participate in every day at the host club, witnessing first hand how these hormones turned people into fatuous idiots who could be so easily amused and distracted.

 

But she'd been immune. Oh, her biology had taken the necessary steps to becoming a woman years prior. She'd been dealing with the monthly irritation of being female for three years. This physiological process had not, however, made any significant changes in her life other than the need to purchase feminine supplies and a personal awareness of the excellence of Midol. It had not made her judge people based upon their looks instead of their core worth.

 

And she had never felt her heart race just by the touch of another human being. She had never found herself wishing someone would touch her. And she had never wished that someone found *her* attractive.

 

But now…

 

Worse, she could not figure out what it was she really wanted.

 

The twins had called her… splendid. They couldn't have meant beautiful.

 

Although Tamaki had told her she'd looked beautiful in green.

 

And Huni had demonstrated that he found her attractive.

 

And Takashi had held her hands and told her that dating her was a dream come true. Or at least that's what it seemed like from his expression and the way he'd kissed her hand. (He'd kissed her hand!)

 

And Kyoya…

 

She was finding it difficult not to come to the conclusion that he'd set up this whole process just to benefit her, NOT to gather profit for himself. Or was that just wishful thinking?

 

Club mates. The most beautiful boys in the school. Even if she never paid attention to that kind of thing, she objectively knew it was the truth.

 

Was she losing her grip on reality? This was not her. She did not wish for the attention of pretty boys. She could care less what any of them looked like.

 

But their personalities on the other hand…

 

A manipulator who was somehow caring and concerned for those he loved. A quiet protector who felt more than he tried to let show. A young-at-heart, happy by choice man with powers of observation that many never picked up on. A free-spirit who was joyful and hopeful in the face of deep and personal rejection. A lonely and isolated and emotionally-stunted joker who strongly desired an outlet for all he had to give. An equally lonely caretaking enabler who still managed to be playful while seeking understanding and acceptance and growth.

 

Each of them was damaged goods, regardless of what the girls of Ouran High School thought.

 

But each of them was all the more precious because of it.

 

She had two wishes each left to grant them.

 

And that thought made her anxious and hopeful, fearful and excited.

 

A mass of writhing and conflicting emotions.

 

Swallowing hard, bracing herself for whatever was to come, she placed a hand on the door to the room and opened it to the next challenge that lay ahead.

 

Whatever she was growing into, it was not a coward.

 

 

 

 

Secondary Disclaimer: All characters in this story are at least 18 years of age. While that might seem unlikely - as three of the characters are only sophomores in high school, I figure it this way: if Bisco Hatori-san can ignore the students graduating for two years in a row and keep everyone in the same grade, I can then apply that logic to their ages. Therefore, Haruhi, Kaoru and Hikaru are just 18. Kyoya and Tamaki are about to turn 19. Mori is about to turn 20, and Huni already is 20. (Therefore, according to Japanese figuring, Huni is the only adult. :P )