Courtship
Chapter One: Lunch Date

An Ouran High School Host Club fan-fiction
By: Saadia Mirage
Pairing: Tamaki/Haruhi

Disclaimer: I do not own Ouran High School Host Club or any of it's characters. They belong to the original mangaka Bisco Hatori and Studio Bones. This is a fan story, for amusement purposes only.

Author's note: This is pretty much a sequel to my first Ouran fic, "Lunchtime." It isn't completely necessity to read it before hand though, so I thought I would create this new story and leave it as a one shot. This story will, however, be continuing. Enjoy!

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"Which lunch would you like, Haruhi?" Tamaki asked happily.

She raised an eyebrow. "There's more than one?"

"Of course! Look, here's a menu!"

Haruhi stared at it a moment with a mixture of awe and resentment.

"My favorite is the A lunch, usually. Except on Wednesdays and it's always C lunch because of the roast duck." Tamaki continued, trying to be helpful but mostly only succeeding in being a bit annoying. "Sometimes on Fridays salad is a good idea."

Haruhi looked a bit overwhelmed. She was trying not to look at the prices. The stuff on here cost more than most restaurants that she'd been to! ... But Tamaki was the one paying, after all. He could afford it. But many of the dishes on the menu she had either never heard of or were written in French...

"I... I guess I'll have the B lunch then." She mumbled. It sounded like something familiar - consisting of a somewhat traditional Japanese meal at a rather inflated, but reasonable-seeming price when compared to the others.

"Good choice! You just sit here and I'll go get it for you."

She felt rather silly, watching him cheerily go get in line as she stood there beside the entrance with the menu still in her hands. A bunch of girls at a nearby table were watching her curiously.

Suddenly she was attacked from behind.

"Haru-chan!" Hunny said cheerfully, hanging off of her shoulders and causing her tie to begin a slow strangulation. "Are you eating in the cafe today!"

She carefully removed the sunny little creature from her person, and sat him down beside her. "Ah, well... Tamaki is buying me a lunch."

Hunny's eyes went wide. "Tama-chan is? How nice of him!"

"Yeah, since he ate most of my bento yesterday, I thought it was only fair that he get me lunch today."

"Oh, I see. Still, Tama-chan must be excited."

"I don't see what's so exciting about buying me lunch..." Haruhi mused, adjusting her tie.

Hunny grabbed her hand and swung it back and forth excitedly. "It is exciting, Haru-chan! It's like a date!"

"D-date?" She sputtered. "But we're at school!"

"A date is a date!" He said, sing-song.

"Mitsukuni, I think you're embarrassing Haruhi-kun." Mori said cooly, picking the boy up by the back of his blazer.

"Ah, there you are Takashi! I'm just playing with Haru-chan!"

"She's blushing." Mori observed.

Haruhi frowned and covered her face with the menu. She didn't really care what anyone thought about her and Tamaki, really - but she felt like she was in a rather suffocating atmosphere all of a sudden.

The girls who had been casually watching now seemed to be building into a throng of avid voyeurs. Haruhi could feel their collective gaze settle on her like a thick, humid cloud.

"Ha-ru-hi!" Tamaki practically sang, as he danced his way back to her, carefully balancing the lunch tray in one hand. He knelt before her, holding it up to her like an offering. "I bring you your fabulous B lunch ala Suou!"

She grabbed his other arm and tugged him out of the cafeteria. "Lets eat in the club room."

"Ehhh? Why?" Tamaki asked, confused and slightly disappointed. He had wanted everyone to see his and Haruhi's Love-Love Lunch Date (it was a name he had come up with himself).

"I-it's too loud and crowded in there." She explained, a little lamely.

The gears in Tamaki's brain clicked about slowly and his imagination churned vividly. Sure, they wouldn't be seen by everyone else, but they would be alone. He'd have Haruhi all to himself. He had been so focused on her adorable (okay, it was fairly mediocre, really) handmade obento lunch last time, he really hadn't had time to chat with her privately before the bell had rang.

Perhaps, after this repeat performance, it would become a habit for them to have lunch together. He would finally be upping that measly 3 percent! Maybe even they would have intimate conversations, full of shy looks and reaching for the chopsticks at the same time and accidentally/deliberately touching hands! A true Love-Love Lunch Date!

"Tamaki-senpai, you can put the tray down now." Haruhi said solidly.

His fantasy bubble popped and he realized there were in the music room that the Host Club used as their headquarters. Alone.

"Here, this table is fine. The chairs are against the wall, aren't they?"

"Ah, I'll get it!" He said hurriedly, setting down the tray and rushing to get the chairs. He attempted to pull out Haruhi's chair for her only to have her to go around the table and seat herself on the other side, oblivious.

He coughed and sat down across from her.

"Oh, senpai!" Haruhi said, with realization. "You didn't have a chance to get your own lunch. I'm sorry."

He blinked. "Eh? Oh, that's all right." He said, cheerfully.

She looked at him sideways. "But you..."

He was grinning now, as if he had planned it this way. "I'll just have to eat Haruhi's bento again." He said, in mock reluctance.

She stared at him for a moment, perplexed. "...But, senpai, I didn't make a bento today."

He sat up straight, as he had been previously leaning languidly back in his chair in what Kyouya's research had deemed one of his most attractive postures.

"You ... didn't?" He asked slowly.

"Well, no." She said bluntly. "You said you were going to buy me lunch today. So, why would I bring a lunch?"

His eyes went large, then downcast. "I thought..." He mumbled, slowly. "Maybe you would bring it... for me?"

"Why would I do that?" She asked, still honestly confused. "You can afford your own lunch."

He looked fairly heart-broken. "B-but..."

Haruhi sighed, not really understanding but used to this type of behavior from him anyway. "Let's just share this, then. You bought it. And there really is enough for two people here, anyway. No wonder it costs so much."

That set him sparkling again. It wasn't exactly how he had imagined this going, but they would still be sharing lunch. Eating from the same plate. It was almost like... like an indirect kiss!

"Let's eat." She said, bowing a little. He did the same, gushing inside with happiness.

Haruhi carefully picked up a fork and speared a bit of meat. Tamaki watched in anticipation. She slowly raised it to her lips, and placed it in her mouth with an ambiance of reverence.

"How is it, Haruhi?"

"R-really good." She admitted, smiling.

Tamaki thought his heart was going to burst. "Ah... I'm glad."

He took up a spoon and had some himself. Really, B lunch was his least favorite, but somehow today it tasted much better than ever before.

In the end, they didn't really end up talking about anything particularly intimate or accidentally/deliberately touching hands - as they had somehow created an unspoken agreement that they each got one utensil - but his foot had slipped and bumped into hers under the table by accident. She didn't seem embarrassed in the slightest, and just kicked him lightly, almost playfully in the shin.

"Watch those long legs there, senpai."

Maybe if would have been slightly more romantic if she hadn't been wearing loafers, but he was taking what he could get.

"Ah, sorry." He mumbled.

The thought of getting tangled in Haruhi's legs made him rather giddy, but he tried to keep that fact to himself.

Mostly, they just chatted about school and the club and other rather harmless topics – "how did you do on midterms" and "what is the host club doing at the endi of the year festival" and the like. For Tamaki, it was a refreshingly different conversation. When he was with Haruhi, he didn't feel like he had to ooze charm like he had to with the other girls, tossing compliments back and forth like racquet balls - and when he tried (as was automatic), his attempts were met with deadpan confusion or disbelief. She really, honestly didn't seem to care who his father was, how much money they had, or even what sorts of grades he got. He could just... be. It made him both strangely relaxed and terribly nervous at the same time. He really did find her awfully cute, boy's school uniform or not. He was genuinely far-gone for her, something he could say he had never truly experienced before.

At one point, he said something that made her laugh. Later, as much as he tried, he couldn't even remember what it was - only that her laughter had been like bells.

Or maybe it had been the bell ringing.

"Oi, Tamaki-senpai. It's time for class."

"Huh? Oh, right!" He said, stading up. He sighed inwardly. All ready?

Haruhi gathered the plates hurriedly. "I'll take the tray up. Thanks for lunch." She said, shoveling in one more bite before picking up the tray and heading towards the door.

"Ah, wait Haruhi!"

She turned back to him, fork hanging from her mouth.

He had planned on giving her some dramatic declaration of love and devotion, but instead, somehow it came out like a shy school boy: "D-do you think you might want to do this again... Uh... this Sunday?" He mumbled, suddenly not feeling very King-of-the-Host-Club at all.

She balanced the tray on one hand and put the fork back on the plate, a look of confusion on her face. "What? Sunday? But there's no school on Sunday."

He shrugged, hands in his pockets. "Well, no. But... Do you maybe want to..." His voice kinda trailed away.

"What? Meet you somewhere for lunch?" She supplied helpfully.

He nodded.

"Would we just hang out...?" She paused, thoughtfully thinking back to what Hunny had said earlier. "...Or would it be like a date?"

He reddened considerably, not expecting such a blunt question. He was sure his face was going to burn up soon, turn to ashes and float away on the Spring breeze. He looked down at the ground. Her loafers were actually quite adorable on her small feet. He looked up again. "I was thinking it would be... a date." He managed finally, not nearly as smoothly as he hoped. "Maybe. If you want to."

She thought a moment, finger at her chin. Their lunch had been enjoyable, really. He had been cheerful and friendly and not at all stuck up during the entire affair, much to her surprise. If anything, he had only been maybe a little overly curious and needlessly flirtatious. Maybe it was the expensive food clouding her judgment, but she was starting to think that maybe dating him wouldn't be so bad. He was good-looking and kind, if a little strange. Though he was a bit vain, spoiled, and sheltered, at least he genuinely seemed to want to help people. He had a good heart, even if he was a little... unhinged.

She was nearly sixteen. Normal people did start that sort of "dating" thing around now, didn't they? That's all the girls in her class seemed interested in. She had been asked out by several just this last quarter alone – but of course had to turn them down. Luckily she had the Host Club as an easy excuse. A host couldn't put his favor onto one lady alone, because that would mean the rest of his customers would be jealous. But... dating another host club member? Was that allowed? She was actually a girl, even if she forgot it sometimes. If the King wished it, it must be allowed... or written in to be so. She certainly didn't have to hide her identity with him... Not that she really minded wearing a boy's school uniform (the slacks were way more comfortble than those poofy skirts the girls had to wear).

After all, Tamaki was harmless – as much as she liked to play along when the twins accused him of perversion, she didn't think he was worse than any other teenage boy in that respect. In fact, he was probably better. A true lady's gentleman in this day and age, even.

Dating... Before it just seemed like too much trouble, especially when she had to keep her grades up and worry about her debt. With midterms over, she could relax a little on her studies. Certainly just one date on a Sunday afternoon couldn't hurt. She could still study in the evening.

And he was looking at her with those hopeful, puppy eyes...

She sighed and shrugged. "Well, all right."

Surprise and elation showed carelessly on his features. "Really!"

She smiled a little at his earnest reaction. "Sure." She said, "Where do you want to meet?"

He still looked a bit in shock at her acceptance. "H-how about at Town Square?" He managed.

She raised an eyebrow skeptically. "What, in that part of town? Have you even ever been there?"

"I've... driven through it." He said carefully, at least looking somewhat abashed - which was quite a refreshing look for him, really.

She sighed again. He was trying to be accommodating to her, but at least he wasn't being condescending about it.

"Okay, I'll meet you there at one o'clock on Sunday then. Later!" She said, waving with one hand as she left.

"Y-yeah..." He mumbled dreamily. "One o'clock. See you..."

She walked back towards the cafeteria, feeling strange – a little cheerful and a little worried. He looked so happy that she agreed... Maybe too happy. She sighed again to herself, and shrugged. She hoped he didn't make her regret her decision.

---

The teacher turned from the projection screen and addressed the class. Her eyes fell on one of her students in particular.

"Suou-kun," She asked clearl, "Can you please answer the question?"

Her request was met with distracted silence.

The teacher approached him and loomed. "Suou-kun!" She repeated, raising her voice a little.

Tamaki continued to stare at his open weekly planner with a faraway look. He had doodled hearts around the upcoming Sunday.

Kyouya kicked the back of his seat.

Tamaki shot up suddenly. "O-one o'clock!"

The teacher took a step back, having been almost taken out by his abrupt movement. "... That... That is incorrect." She said, straightening her glasses. "The answer was Ernest Hemingway. Please see me after class."

"Y-yes ma'am."

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TBC...