The Storm
by The Sole Survivor

Enjoy!

--

Haruhi was jolted awake by the sudden clap of thunder.

She squeaked with her eyes wide and dived under her covers. The Fujioka girl cowered as she tried to drown out the roaring noise in the background.

She hated it when it stormed, especially at night. She never got any sleep when it was like this. Through the blanket, she saw flashes of lightning out her window. Squeezing her eyes shut, she whimpered and debated on going to her dad's room when she remembered something crucially important.

He wasn't there.

Her dad, Ryoki Fujioka was at an all night party his club was hosting, so he'd be gone till she left for school that morning. She sighed and shivered.

What could she do?

Haruhi weighed her options. She could call one of her friends, but realizing how late it was stopped that thought. She could go in her closet to escape the flashes of light, but that would risk actually leaving the comfort of her bed. All she could do was sit and wait it out.

She sighed and cuddled up in her blankets, jumping when a sudden boom of thunder startled her. She clenched her eyes shut and whimpered again. The last time the thunderstorms had been this bad; she was with Tamaki or Hikaru. But now, she was on her own. That thought both scared and worried her. Was she going to make it to her closet before the next thunder hit?

Deciding to chance it, she quickly threw off her covers and right when she was about to scurry off toward her safe haven, she froze when the thunder echoed throughout her room and rumbled off into the distance. Haruhi hit the floor in her fright, quivering as she began to crawl towards her closet door. Right as she reached it, she raised a shaking hand to the knob.

"Haruhi!" A familiar voice cried in alarm.

The frightened girl's head whipped around and she was never more than glad to see the wide, violet eyes of Tamaki Suoh. Clenching her eyes shut, she hung her head in relief. But that good feeling vanished when lightning lit up her room again followed by angry thunder, and in a flash, she raced across the room toward her concerned and bewildered senpai and flung her arms around his waist, sobbing in fright.

Tamaki stood still for a few seconds as he took in her shaking form before wrapping his arms around her, pulling her closer. He leaned down, pressing his chin into her hair and kissing the top of her head whispering, "Don't worry, Haruhi. I'm here."

Haruhi whimpered and tightened her grip. She didn't know how Tamaki got in her apartment or how on earth he knew she needed someone with her, but at the moment, she was glad he was there. Tamaki gently began guiding her toward her bed and slowly eased both him and Haruhi in her covers.

The girl shivered as the warmth from the heat his body put out but she welcomed it and snuggled further into his jacket that he never bothered to take off. Deciding to try and go back to sleep, she let her eyelids relax and she tried to calm her racing heart. Taking in a deep breath, she buried her face into Tamaki's chest.

"Thank you, Tamaki-senpai." Haruhi murmured, but right as she was about to drift off to sleep, more of the storm's booming thunder crashed in the sky, making Haruhi alert and frightened once again. Tamaki watched her silently with sympathy in his violet eyes before he turned his eyes to her window. He hated to see her like this. Then he got an idea.

Despite her whimpers, he slid out from under her and pried her hands from his shirt as he made his way to her window and shut the curtains to block out the sky. Then, once the room was in complete darkness, he slowly groped his way back to her bed. Reaching it, Tamaki sat down and let his eyes adjust to the dark.

"Haruhi, I'm back." He announced softly and was surprised when he was tackled back on the bed. "H-Haruhi-?" He stuttered as his cheeks flushed lightly. She ignored him and wrapped her arms around his waist as she lay on top of him, shaking. Tamaki sighed and before he wrapped his arms around her firmly.

"It's alright, Haruhi. It's gonna be okay. I'm here for you." It was silent for all of two seconds before another clap of thunder echoed outside. Haruhi trembled and buried her face in his chest again.

"Senpai, please distract me." She spoke softly, frightfully, to him. He blinked in surprise.

Distract her? How was he supposed to do that?

Then on that night, Tamaki Suoh had an epiphany. Even though Haruhi couldn't see it, a mischievous grin spread across his face.

"Alright, if you insist…"

In one quick motion, the Host Club king had flipped Haruhi over on her back and let his weight keep her flat against her bed. In the darkness of the room, he could see her surprised face.

"S-Senpai, wh-what're you –?" Leaning down close to her face, his grin widened to the point where it reminded her of the Host Club's Hitachiin twins, Hikaru and Kaoru. Haruhi couldn't help but blush at his close proximity, making her heart jump irregularly.

"Um… Senpai…" She murmured and Tamaki shushed her softly. He gently rested his forehead against hers as he gazed lovingly into her wide brown eyes.

"You've asked me to distract you, so that's what I plan to do." He replied almost seductively to her surprised expression.

"I said distract, not pin me to my bed." Haruhi told him evenly with a raised eyebrow. Tamaki grin softened to a serene smile. He slowly eased down onto his forearms, making him even closer to her already blushing face. Haruhi recognized that face. That was the expression he'd give his customers when they were working.

"I can assure you that you'll be thoroughly distracted." Tamaki whispered softly before gently placing his lips against hers. Haruhi could've sworn her heart stopped. Her breath caught in her throat as she registered in her head that Tamaki was kissing her. Her body betrayed her as it warmed up and she felt her hands itching to dive into his blond hair. She also had no idea Tamaki could kiss so well. His lips were so soft and warm, and she couldn't help but admit to herself that she liked it. Her eyes widened in realization.

Quickly, she jerked her hands free from under his arms and pushed him back gently. As their lips disconnected, there was a small smacking sound, making Haruhi's face flush even more deeply.

"Tamaki-senpai, is that how you plan to distract me from the storm?" She asked softly in a controlled voice, but Tamaki could feel her body trembling beneath him. He blinked and tilted his head with a concerned expression.

"I'm sorry, Haruhi. Forgive me, I thought it would work." He paused and started to sit up with a pondering expression. "If you want, I can distract you some other way –"

Tamaki was promptly cut off by Haruhi leaping up from the bed. She threw her arms around his neck, pulling the startled Host Club king into a vigorous kiss. After Tamaki got over the initial shock of her surprise attack, he had to smile in the kiss. He leaned into her as she fell backwards onto her pillow, bringing him along with her.

The longer they spent in their loving embrace, the more Haruhi forgot about the storm. It was at the back of her mind for the moment. All she wanted to do was spend the rest of the night in Tamaki's arms, which held her tenderly.

Tamaki gently pulled away and slowly opened his eyes to gaze down at her. Haruhi still had her arms wrapped tightly around his neck and in that split second when their eyes met, she knew it was true.

Somewhere along the line, she had fallen in love with Tamaki Suoh without even realizing it.

"Tamaki," She began breathlessly and was surprised when she felt his finger on her mouth to shush her. His violet eyes gleamed brightly in the darkness of the room, making her heart thump uncomfortably in her chest. As she watched him, she saw the most beautiful and breath-taking smile cross his face.

"Are you still frightened?" He asked her softly and he traced his finger from her lips and up her cheek. Haruhi blinked as she was reminded about the storm. Turning her head to look at her window, she noticed she couldn't hear the pitter-patter of the rain against the window. Hopefully the storm had passed.

Turning her head to look back into Tamaki's gaze, she had to smile back.

"No, I'm not," She replied and unhooked one arm from around him to place it gently against his cheek. "Thanks for coming, Tamaki." Haruhi told him softly as her thumb brushed across his face, making his eyes soften.

"No worries, my princess." He answered, still ever the gentleman. Haruhi's smile widened at his reply. He could always make her smile, even if she never showed it. Tamaki sighed in relief. "I'll always be here for you, especially when you're scared."

"I'm glad you came when you did." Haruhi murmured and guided his face closer to hers. "I don't know what I'd do without you, Senpai. You're my knight in shining armor." She giggled at his expression, which seemed slightly confused and embarrassed but he composed it quickly.

"Of course I am daughter!" He exclaimed as he hugged the girl to him. "Every father dreams of the day when his daughter realizes that!" Haruhi sweat-dropped and averted her eyes.

"Senpai, you're going to have to quit calling me your daughter. We're not even related." She pointed out to him, causing Tamaki to get teary-eyed.

How did her night turn out like this?

Not having time to ponder this, the Host Club king exploded in tears. She sighed as he blubbered, "Oh, Haruhi! How can you say that to Daddy? We may not be related, but we have a special bond that passes even the most ordinary father-daughter relations!"

Haruhi got an idea suddenly. As slowly as she could, she eased herself up on her forearms, closer to her 'daddy' as he dramatically sobbed over his 'daughter'. And then without warning, she leaned up and planted a chaste kiss on him.

Tamaki froze in his rant and stared at her dumbfounded. Haruhi couldn't help but grin as she pulled back.

"I didn't know fathers and daughters kissed each other, but if that's the case, I'm willing to go along with it." She responded cheerfully to his shocked face. Tamaki blinked several times as he processed this new information. The Host Club king blushed slightly before looking down.

"So, um…" He trailed off, uncertain as he fidgeted. Haruhi watched him in surprise. It was hard to believe that this man entertained girls on a regular basis and was so calm and collected about it, but right down to it, he was just like any other boy.

Haruhi crouched down on her bed to get a closer look at his face when he turned it away quickly. She blinked before getting a mischievous smirk.

Oh, so now he was embarrassed?

"Senpai let me tell you something." She told him and he quickly looked up at her, his bright violet eyes wide with eagerness. She blushed but continued. "Even though you can annoy me a times, and even though you call me your daughter," Haruhi paused when he looked distraught. She sighed. "Be serious, please."

"I am serious!" Tamaki protested but immediately quieted after he saw her expression. "Okay, I'll calm down." He promised and struggled to compose his face. He straightened up and gave her a curious look that made goose bumps appear on her arms. She blinked and averted her eyes. She had no idea he had that kind of control over her emotions.

"Moving on," She choked out in her surprise, "I need to tell you this."

"Alright," He responded and leaned toward her on his hands to get closer. Haruhi took a deep breath before letting it out slowly to calm herself. She surprised herself by crawling toward Tamaki, grabbing his hands and pulling them open so she could situate herself on his lap. She looked up and saw he looked completely baffled, but wrapped her arms around his waist, leaning her head against his chest comfortably.

"Tamaki-senpai," She began again and had to sigh in relief when he put his arms around her carefully but firmly in his confusion. "Don't freak out." She told him and felt him nod.

"I think I'm… in love with you."

The silence that followed didn't comfort her, but she stayed calm. With her ear against his chest, she could feel his heart beginning to speed up.

Haruhi became concerned when he felt her pushing her off his lap gently. Reluctantly, she released him and looked up into his face and had to gasp. Tamaki had tears in the corners of his eyes, but they weren't the normal 'Daddy's upset' tears, they were real. He slowly leaned down until he was merely inches from her face.

His voice was deafening when he spoke. "I'm in love with you as well, my dear Haruhi."

And with those words, Tamaki pressed his lips against Haruhi's with such intensity and gentleness; she feared she may not want to stop. She clenched her eyes shut and wrapped her arms around Tamaki's neck, feeling him to the same to her waist. She dug her fingers into his golden hair eagerly, feeling the soft threads of hair falling through her hands.

Haruhi couldn't believe how much she enjoyed kissing this idiot. She even couldn't believe she'd fallen for him, and hard, by the feel of her heart pounding in her ears. And the biggest surprise and delight was that he told her he loved her too.

They broke apart, breathing raggedly, but smiled at each other. His violet eyes twinkled and he hugged her to him, happier that he'd ever been. It was this precious moment that made Haruhi never want to leave him.

"What the hell are you doing to my daughter, you pervert!?"

And it was also these types of moments that Haruhi wished she could crawl under her bed and never come back out. The young Fujioka girl craned her neck slowly to face her door to see her father Ryoki standing there in the threshold, breathing heavily with his arms clenched by his sides. His long hair was in rags and his eyes were bloodshot, but that didn't seem to distract her father's rage one bit. It was the young Suoh boy in her room that set him off.

Tamaki squeaked and moved quickly to cower behind Haruhi, who was too stunned to act.

"Forgive me, sir, I didn't mean your daughter any harm!" Tamaki pleaded with the cross dresser, but it seemed nothing could reach him. Right when Haruhi's father was about to storm into the room did the girl move.

"Dad, can we go talk in the kitchen?" She asked him calmly as she reached behind herself to pat Tamaki on his hand. She felt his face in her back and she almost smiled. The Host Club king was so sensitive and naïve, it was no wonder he was good with being romantic.

"No! I want him out of this apartment and I want you to go to bed, missy!" Ryoki shouted, thoroughly angered and not entirely sober. The alcohol must be having more of an influence on him if he wasn't even listening to his daughter. Haruhi sighed and turned her back to her dad to look at the shivering Tamaki. He meekly looked up at her with wide eyes. Sighing, she placed her hands on his shoulders before turning to her father.

"I'll escort him out, Daddy. You can go to bed." Haruhi saw a number of emotions play across his face before settling on exhaustion. Ryoki grunted and turned to head to his room. He would no doubt be keeping an eye on her when she wasn't watching. Haruhi sighed again and turned back to Tamaki, who promptly threw his arms around her waist to bury his face in her stomach.

"I'm sorry, Haruhi! I didn't mean to get you into trouble!" He whined quietly and sniffed.

"Come on, maybe it's best if you leave. We do have school in the morning." She replied and pried him off of her to look him in the eye. Of all the things she loved about Tamaki, it was his eyes she loved most. They all the time with such brilliance and sincerity and so expressive, she feared she'd never want to stop. Tamaki nodded before allowing Haruhi to lead him out to the front door.

The Host Club king glanced into her apartment warily for a few seconds, as if checking to make sure her dad was actually not spying on them before Tamaki looked back at her. The way he looked at her right then made a shiver run down her spine. The young Suoh heir leaned down slowly as he gently cupped her cheeks in his hands before kissing her as gently and as lovingly as he could. Haruhi swore she saw fireworks, as corny as that sounds.

This one kiss proved to Haruhi that she really, truly was in love with him.

Tamaki nipped at her lips for a few more seconds before pulling back with a gorgeous smile. He caressed her cheek as he straightened up. Haruhi tried to return his smile, but she felt as though that kiss was still happening. She wanted it to keep happening.

"I'll see you tomorrow at school then, my dear Haruhi." He spoke softly, almost in a whisper, before he turned to walk down the hallway and disappear into the night. Haruhi shut the door softly and leaned against it, her hand over her racing heart. Sliding down the door until she sat upon the floor, Haruhi Fujioka grinned.

"I can't believe I'm saying this," She thought to herself as she stood up to head back to bed. "But I can't wait until the next storm!"

--

TSS: Well, there you have it. This only took me a few hours, imagine that! ;D I hope you enjoy this little one-shot, because I certainly did. I am in love with Tamaki, so I just had to write this! He's just so adorable! Anyway, review if you wish! I totally won't force you!
(grins and holds out book for hypnosis) I am hypnotizing you… I am hypnotizing you… You will be under my complete control because I am hypnotizing you…

Disclaimer: I don't own Ouran High. Sniff. But that's okay; because I'm sure I would've killed the storyline. ;D