Ouran High School Host Club Fan Fiction ❯ Stolen ❯ Misplaced Trust ( Chapter 4 )

Blanket Disclaimer for all pervious and future chapters of “Stolen”: I do not own anything that is mention in the manga or anime version of “Ouran High School Host Club”. Though I claim the basic “plot” of this fan-fic, I'm sure there are a few out there that are similar so that claim doesn't mean much :p

A/N: Okay so please let me offer some explanation as to why Haruhi may seem a little out of character. Her openness and somewhat romantic disposition may seem totally out of character for Haruhi but please, if you will, consider that Haruhi has had a little time to “grow up”. Think maybe of this: she hadn't really had much of a hormone kick in, in high school. Plus, if you want to look at it from another angle, even in the manga she is warming up to romantic ideas, and almost openly admitting (to herself) that she likes Tamaki. So, if you just imagine her changing even slowly, over that much time (at the rate she's been changing in the manga) she would have had ample to grow actual “mushy” feelings for Tamaki (who, as I mentioned before in the fanfic, has become her best friend. Developing those kinds of feelings for a best friend of the opposite gender is pretty normal and natural.). Anyway, I just wanted to clear that up before anyone mentioned that fact to me because even I noticed that Haruhi was different from the Haruhi in the anime/manga. Thanks for reading!!

~~Stolen~~

“Nonsense. You should have the best care. This means that someone should be here to care for your every pain and demand.” Tamaki was failing miserably at dissuading Kyouya from keeping a nurse in the room at all times. “You will never be without help this way” Kyouya had said. `I'll never have a chance to talk to Haruhi this way'. It wasn't an accusation, just a sad observation. Tamaki wished his friend didn't care so much this once. Kyouya took a cursory glance at his watch and muttered something about the something being the wrong time for…something. After tersely excusing himself to Haruhi and Tamaki, Kyouya looked over to the nervous nurse hovering near the doorway.

“He is never to be left alone. If you must leave the room you will make absolutely sure that another nurse is in the room before you leave,” the nurse nodded her understanding and Kyouya glanced with a smile at Tamaki, “simply to make sure you are always taken care of.” Kyouya's vehemence, Haruhi noted, was startling to the point that it was almost questionable.

~~Stolen~~

“That is called cheating!”

“If the object of the game is to get rid of your cards before the other player, would it not make sense to put more than one down at a time if they matched suit?” Haruhi simply rolled her eyes.

“I think we've had enough for today.”

“I think you just do not wish to lose to me. That is it, isn't it?” Haruhi made a derisive noise in the back of her throat.

“Yes, that's it. I couldn't possibly bear to lose to-”

“Kiya! Code blue! We need you, now!” A second before, a frazzled looking nurse burst into the room.

“I-I can't. Mr. Ootori said that his friend is never to be alone. Someone has to be in here with him…” Kiya, the nurse from before, looked torn. Obviously the hospital was short staffed due to the time of day and she was needed for what sounded like a serious emergency.

“KIYA! This is serious!”

“But Mr. Ootori-“

“-Will never know.” Three heads turned to look at Tamaki. “I am fine. I don't need any extra care. In fact, I should be being released anytime now.” Kiya's eyes shifted from the door to Tamaki and back. “Go. I will be perfectly fine.” Kiya bowed quickly and exited.

 

~~Stolen~~

 

Kyouya's patience was wearing thin. This meeting had run over by twenty minutes already. When Kyouya inherited his father's company, after buying it in secret and selling it back to the same man he was to inherit it from, he had no idea that he would have to sit through such meaningless meetings. It was maddening how such decisions could only me made after running them by Kyouya. They'd already gone over how many wheel chairs each hospital would have, what kind of wood the doctor's desks would be made from, and they had even discussed what brand of pen would be ordered for the reception area. He had had enough. With not even the pretense of subtlety, Kyouya pushed his chair back and stood to leave.

“Sir, we…uh, we have yet to finish.” Slowly, without even turning to face his employees, Kyouya replied.

“I hired you all because I thought you could handle making painfully simple and inconsequential decisions about what color to paint the new hospital walls or what kind of latex gloves to buy. I trust this is still true. But, if it is not, I'm sure I could find some equally qualified toddlers to handle everything.” With that, Kyouya walked the last few steps to the door and exited, leaving a roomful of stunned, and wholly offended, business men speechless.

 

~~Stolen~~

 

Now was his chance! Although, he'd decided to go about it differently. Haruhi deserved to be swept off her feet. She deserved to be spoiled and catered to. She deserved to be told that someone was in love with her somewhere much more romantic than a sterile, beeping hospital room. So he would tell her he needed her to wait. He would tell her about the trip and that he was to see her immediately after. `O.K. Tamaki! Don't blow this!' Tamaki cleared his throat. The situation was hard enough as it was. Having his voice crack from nerves would make it nearly impossible. He needed to come off as brave, resolute.

“Haruhi?” Haruhi was just closing her cell phone. He had been too busy trying to think what to do that he hadn't noticed Haruhi pull out her phone. “Uh, who was that?”

“Hikaru. He says that Mori and Hunny are done at the bakery so he and Kaoru are going to pick them up as soon as they are done at the mall.” Hunny had, just an hour ago, stated that he had an intense craving for some cake. Kaoru must have noticed Hunny's odd tone because he immediately pulled on Hikaru's arm and suggested they go check out the commoner shopping. Apparently having a large number of “bargain” stores in one area was something fascinating that the two had been wanting to check out. Haruhi was inexpressibly grateful that, even though he may seem like a child, Hunny was quite the observant young man and had obviously known he'd interrupted something when he'd barged in that morning. He must now be trying to give the two the privacy back that the hosts had accidentally stolen. Unfortunately, the nurse had just now left, leaving Tamaki only a small window of time to say what he needed to.

“Oh, alright then. Haruhi, about our earlier discussion…”

“Yes?” Haruhi coaxed walking over to sit by his side.

“I don't think, er, what I mean to say is, what I have to say is not appropriate in our current,” Tamaki waved his hand about him, “surroundings.” He finished lamely. Haruhi slumped slightly. “But there is something I need to discuss with you while we have privacy. Because of some decisions I have made, it is inevitable that I will be disinherited.” Haruhi gasped and her brows drew together in concern. “Don't worry about it. Marryi- I mean, the decision I have made, with the, er, approval of the other person involved, is much more than anything else I could ever want, so I care nothing about the loss of my inheritance. This, though, is what I must talk to you about. I need to be able to make a living if I am to lose what I had originally banked on as my career. There is a very promising start-up company based in New Zealand that will be doing the majority of it dealing with companies in Japan. I have a meeting with the head of the company in a little under a month's time. We have been in contact for a while now and I pretty much have the job. I simply need to go to this meeting and some company functions prior to it that they are having as a formality to make everything final. I will be gone a month at most after I leave tomorrow morning.”

“Tomorrow morning! But Tamaki, that's-“

Tamaki grasped Haruhi's hand in his and spoke as if he hadn't been interrupted. He would lose his nerve, and privacy, if he didn't hurry.

“Haurhi, what I am about to ask you may seem odd but I will explain it all in time. Right now though, I must ask you not to make any big decisions before I get back and I talk to you. There is something of the utmost importance I wish to speak with you about.” Tamaki waited for her response.

Haruhi shook her head. “Important decisions…?”

“Any decisions that would change your way of life. Anything about money, or housing, or uh, any personal relationships.” None of this was what Haruhi had been expecting, or wanting, to hear. She had expected Tamaki to finish what he'd started earlier. But this, this was confusing. And why was he just now telling her about his impending disinheritance? What had he done to warrant such a disgrace? Haruhi didn't care, of course, about money or status, but she knew Tamaki would take the loss harder than she would in his position.

“Haruhi, please? You must promise me.” Haruhi shook her head slightly in an effort to clear it.

“I uh, I promise. But why all this, all now, all of a sudden?” Tamaki's lips tightened and thinned. It wasn't out of irritation with her, Haruhi noted, but what seemed like irritation at the situation he was put in. She knew he would tell her anything she would ask of him, but it seemed he wanted to work in his own time on this particular topic. So, Haruhi thought better of her question and squeezed Tamaki's hand reassuringly.

“Nevermind. It's ok, I understand if you want to wait to talk about it. But know that if you do need to talk about it, I'll listen.” Tamaki simply smiled at Haruhi in unspoken gratitude.

 

~~Stolen~~

 

“So you see, it would be in your and your job's best interest if Tamaki Suoh was released as soon as humanly possible.”

“Of course Mr. Suoh, right away.” Kyouya needed to get Tamaki and Haruhi away from each other. He couldn't have banned her from Tamaki's bedside. Well he could have, but then it would be all too obvious he was up to something. In this, though, Kyouya felt he had conquered a small obstacle. A nurse had been placed in Tamaki's room. Tamaki was too flamboyantly romantic to make any declaration of love in a hospital room where a nurse would be watching, and hearing, his every move.

“What's this!?” Three heads snapped to where Kyouya stood, fuming for some reason they did not know, in the doorway of Tamaki's room.

“Sir, I was clearing Master Suoh as you a-asked.” The doctor visibly gulped.

“I know that you buffoon. But where is the nurse that was supposed to be stationed in this room? Was no one in here while I was gone?”

“Kyouya…” Haruhi's voice was placating, as if talking to a furious toddler, “she was needed for an emergency and Tamaki said she was free to go.” Kyouya's eye bugged and his jaw locked. He would deal with the nurse later, when Tamaki would not be able to defend the fact that he had allowed her, told her, to leave. Right now, though, it still seemed Tamaki hadn't said what he shouldn't. Haruhi was still sitting an appropriate distance from him on the edge of the bed and Tamaki was neither overjoyed nor did he look like a man rejected. Kyouya knew needed to move fast. Clearing his throat impatiently, Kyouya asked,

“Is he fine, then, Doctor?”

“Yes, I just need some release forms signed-” Kyouya grabbed the papers from the doctor's hand and scrawled his signature and initials across all the appropriate lines. The doctor turned to Tamaki.

“You are now free to go, sir.” The doctor then turned to Haruhi and gave her a list of things Tamaki was not allowed to do and of numbers to call if he anything were to go wrong.

Kyouya slid his eyes to where Tamaki was propped on the bed.

`You are mistaken if you think I will allow you to take what is mine.'

A/n: Not a “filler” chapter per say because the information presented in this chapter will be very important later on in the story. Hopefully, I will have another chapter up in a day or two. The next chapter will be more interesting and the one that follows that is where the story picks up dramatically.