A SLANTED LINE
An Ouran High School Host Club fanfic

Written by Miyu, Vampire Princess

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Thanks go to fellow author Ezri-Candy for helping me to rebuild this idea with a challenge/idea of her own. I hope this story will meet your standards! And everyone elses'! And while lemon will appear in later chapters, this is a non-lemon chapter. Sorry, I know it's not much of a beginning, but I'm a stickler for teases. A Standard Disclaimer appears at the end of the chapter.

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Chapter 1 - Breaking Point

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"Umm...guys...?"

"What do you mean, yours is better? It can't possibly be, because mine is better."

"She made this especially for me."

"She made THIS especially for ME."

"Could the two of you...please...?"

"Is that why the cabbage looks rotten?"

"It is not!"

"Oh, and your dumpling is smaller than mine. Probably drier, too."

"Hmph! I got more rice than you did."

"Umm...hello?"

Was it ever going to stop?

Haruhi Fujioka sighed, stuffing another bite of lunch into her mouth. It was always difficult getting a word in edgewise with Hikaru and Kaoru, the Hittachin brothers. Today was no different. Well, okay, maybe a little different.

"You're drawing undue attention you two," she whispered.

And they were. While their angsty antics were popular with customers of the Ouran High School Host Club, they also grabbed attention outside of the music room. And while most of the students were familiar with the way they carried on, it was apparent from their behavior that this was no ordinary show.

"Did you say something," they asked in perfect unison.

Haruhi just shook her head, internally screaming at them. And herself.

It felt as if it had been going on forever, but in truth, it had only been a few weeks. Nearly 20 days of their endless arguements and annoying, if not embarrassing, attempts to get her attention. She had no idea what had started the change in their usual canter.

Actually, she had a small clue.

It started as a conversation about family. An unusually serious discussion which resulted in a bit of truth, some wishful thinking, and a confession. Two confessions, actually, of heartfelt joy and love. Haruhi should've been surprised, but found that it seemed natural given their constant communication and closeness. She really did know them better than others, and maybe better than themselves.

"I'm flattered, really," she'd told them. "But surely you don't expect me to choose between the two of you. It can't be done. I'm sorry."

It had been meant as a lighthearted jest. In truth, she did have feelings for them, ones that had nurtured over time and grown into what she would classify as love. But it appeared the twins had dropped the subject and the conversation turned to other things. Somewhat relieved, she thought it had been finished at that point.

Yet, that's when the outlandishness began.

Gifts of all sorts graced her desk every day. Flowers, trinkets, all the things she could really care less about. Then there were the mysterious men in black who were "hidden" around every corner. A white limo arrived every morning to take her to school, and a black limo was always waiting to take her home. They even purchased clothes, no doubt designed by their mother, and lavished her in the fine material every chance they got.

They were presents from the twins, tokens of affection. She appreciated their efforts and found a small part of herself feeling...girlish. But in the end, it was the pressure that overwhelmed her, making her completely unsure of herself.

And the arguements! In class, during lunch, any public forum would do. There was even one arguement during a Host Club event that kept a few of the customers away for a week! The school's whispered words were worse than it's curious and sometimes evil glares.

'It has to stop,' she kept telling herself.

Toward that end, Haruhi had prepared two lunches today. They were the same in every way. From the contents to the presentation. The idea behind them was to keep the twins from fighting over who's was better, as they had done for the past week.

"Hey! That was my dumpling."

"Hmm...not too dry after all."

Things seemed to be spiraling out of control lately. She missed the casual conversation they had between classes. The simple moments of the brothers just being themselves. And the air to breathe! She couldn't go anywhere lately without one of them practically being her shadow! But this fighting had gone on long enough. Too long to be a silly prank. They were on the brink of war and she was the cause.

"Please..." It was silent, but heartfelt, echoing in her heart.

Did they honestly expect her to choose?!

"Huh?" "What?"

Once one tear fell, the rest slid down her cheeks easily. Haruhi was not prone to crying. Or anything overly emotional. Overtly feminine. But the stress of the last few weeks sunk deep, her own emotions at war. The antics currently going on around were merely the catalyst that finally did her in.

There was real concern in their eyes when they realized she was crying. She should have felt relief, but only more pain followed. The tears flowed faster, and sobs escaped unchecked.

Concern gave way to panic. Something no one had seen before. Of course it was difficult to discern on their faces; their eyes gave them away. Both boys were on their feet, hands on the table as she continued to cry.

"Haruhi?" "Are you all right?"

She was angry at them. Angry at herself. If they wanted the attention, they were going to get it.

"No! I'm not all right!"

The twins were taken aback. Slightly. As if they expected some kind of retaliation. Was she really so predictable? Their quick -- meaningless -- apologies and the beginning of another arguement only frustrated her more. Did they really have no idea what they were doing? Were they so clueless?

"Stop it!"

"Haruhi?" came the unified question.

"Leave me alone," she said, wiping her tears with the back of her hand. Her voice was lower, calmer than before. Without glancing at either one, she stood from the table and quickly headed for the exit. No one stopped her. In fact, students failed to move out of her way, all dumbfounded by the scene itself.

"Wait!" "Haruhi!"

"Let her go," said an upperclassman.

The twins would have chased after her, but the cool voice of their senior, who had witnessed everything from across the table, made them pause. They turned to face him, unable to hide the hint of shame felt by the young woman's departure.

"We didn't mean for her to--" "We never wanted her to--"

Kyoya Ohtori sighed inwardly. He knew they didn't mean Haruhi any harm. He also knew that the best of intentions did not always achieve the intended results. They wanted to show her they cared, but they were going about it all wrong.

Good thing he forsaw this event and had a plan in place.

"Sit," he told them. It was a command disguised behind a calm tone. "Eat your lunch."

"But--!"

"She went to the trouble of preparing you each a lunch," he stated, sipping at a cup of coffee. "Don't you think she'd be more upset if you let it go to waste?"

The twins gave Kyoya's statement a moment of serious thought. They had clearly done something wrong, but they didn't know what! With a look at each other, they sat down at the table.

"If you won't eat them, I'm sure Tamaki would be happy to--"

"No, we'll finish," they answered quickly.

Kyoya watched the young men solemnly finish their meals in silence. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a male student leaving through the same door as Haruhi. Their was the briefest of moments when the student looked into the cafeteria and their eyes met. As the student continued on his way, Kyoya smiled behind his coffee cup.

And the twins continued to be oblivious about the world around them.

--TO BE CONTINUED--

DISCLAIMER:
Ouran High School Host Club is a brilliant piece of work by creator Bisco Hatori. Originally published in 2003 by HAKUSENSHA, Inc., Tokyo, Japan, this masterpiece is being translated and published by VIZ Media for fans in America and Canada. I do not own a single piece of the characters used in this story. They were kidnapped and used here without permission.