Chapter Text
~oOo~
Rei Inoue sat in her living room, regarding her niece. When the Hitachiins had contacted her again, it wasn't hard to guess where this was going. She was aware that they could offer Haruhi advantages that she could not and that adding another child would not strain their resources the way it would strain hers. But this wasn't about advantages and resources. It was about family and duty. And what was truly in her niece's best interest.
She told the Hitachiins she would not speak to them. But she would speak to Haruhi. Alone.
Rei had to suppress her irritation when Haruhi arrived in Osaka with her six escorts. "I said I wanted to speak with you alone."
The twins started to argue but Kyoya cut them off. "Of course, Madame, we will wait outside." They went to the front yard and prepared to wait.
"They don't take hints very well, do they?" Haruhi's aunt eyed the boys as they left.
"It's more like they don't trust very many people to do the right thing. And frankly, having seen the people they interact with, that's not an unfounded distrust."
"I see." She noticed how the boys clustered next to the open window. "And that excuses them from proper behavior?" Her aunt walked over to the window and closed it. Out on the lawn, Kaoru popped open a device that looked like a small satellite dish, plugged it into his computer and turned it towards the living room. Aunt Rei settled in to her imagined privacy. Her husband was at work. Kimi had been banished to her room, which she protested against until she realized she could sit at the window with her best friend and admire the lawn ornaments.
Rei took a deep breath and considered her niece as they sat facing each other. The girl didn't even have the decency to fidget. "You really think that it's somehow a good idea to move into a house with two boys who lack self-discipline, common sense or any apparent propriety? Who have, so far as I can tell, no measurable level of adult supervision. But who do have a romantic interest in you?"
"It isn't like that," Haruhi protested.
"Really? Because Kimi has 15 teen magazines that say it is."
"That was a misunderstanding."
"You know, I don't speak Italian or whatever language that press conference was in, but I would think 'he has loved her for years' would be hard to mistranslate." Watching her niece wither, Rei softened her tone. "Haruhi, you're very young. I know that living with a pair of rich, handsome boys who adore you sounds like splendid idea, but trust me, there are complications that can arise from that that you are not ready to deal with. And I don't just mean sex," she said, holding her hand up to forestall the objection, "although that is an issue as well. There are personal relationship issues from which, if you are living in the same house, you have no escape. You are awfully young for that."
"I'm awfully young to have lost both parents, too. I was awfully young to take over the household chores at six when my mother died. And I was awfully young at seven to take over the shopping. Life doesn't wait until we're ready," Haruhi said. "And you know what? Everything you've said about the Hitachiins is absolutely correct. Their parents are working people who try do their best for their children but there aren't enough hours in the day and sometimes they fall short. Their sons are stunningly good looking and smart and funny and just bad boy enough to make any woman crazy. But they are my best friends, and that is how I think of them. I am engaged to Kyoya Ootori. I don't know why everyone thinks I am going to walk away from that. He is brilliant and hardworking and focused and observant. He's kind, although he never wants to admit it. You should see the lengths he's gone to to make his friend Tamaki's dreams a reality. He offered to marry me to protect me from an old lady's anger even though that old lady was infinitely more valuable to him and his family than I will ever be. As you said, we're young. There's a very real chance we won't make it all the way to marriage. But right now, he means everything to me and I want to try to make this work. And I can't do that from half way across Japan." She paused for a deep breath. "And lest you think I'm just a silly teenaged girl with romantic ideas, you need to know it's not all about the boy. Ouran is one of the best schools in the country and all the colleges know that. I know you didn't always approve of my father, but surely my mother was everything you wanted: educated, honest, hard-working. The best way for me to follow in her footsteps is to get a first-class education but I need a scholarship to do that. I know this isn't the path that most people take, but I'm not starting from the same place. And if we're being honest, I'm not sure I want to go the same place everyone else is going." Haruhi swallowed hard. "Aunt Rei, you have been trying to take care of me since you found out about my father's condition, even before we actually met. And believe me, I value family loyalty very highly. In some ways, it's all I've ever had. You were willing to take me - a virtual stranger - into your home even at some cost to yourself and your family. And it is a lovely home and a lovely family and it suits you perfectly. But it is not for me. "
Rei Inoue regarded her niece thoughtfully. "You are a peculiar one, Haruhi Fujioka. Like your father, I suppose. And I still think you would benefit from living as the vast majority of the world does for at least a brief time. Especially if you are to become an attorney who must interact with that world.
"I will not fight you on this so long as you come to stay for a few weeks every year so I can make sure you are being taken care of and are living a respectable life."
Haruhi smiled. "I will visit on holidays."
"What?" The twins shrieked as they barreled in through the door. Haruhi tried not to wince at her aunt's raised eyebrows. Couldn't they at least eavesdrop with some subtlety? "No no! It's already decided that we get the holidays," the twins said. "At least we get the good ones."
"The good holidays?" Takami said.
"Like Christmas and New Year's," the twins clarified.
"Why do you get both?" Tamaki demanded.
"Because there's two of us."
Kyoya arched an eyebrow. "And who decided that?"
"We did." The twins gave a sideways smirk. "Your family's horrible. Even if we gave them a good holiday, they'd turn it into a crappy one, so they may as well start with the lame-o holidays to begin with."
"Ok, how about this?" Kaoru temporized, "we get the good holidays; the Inoues get the so-so holidays, the kind where the family just eats together; and Kyoya's family can get the phone call kind of holidays."
"Phone call holidays?" Kyoya said.
"Hey I want some holidays too!" Tamaki said.
"Yeah, she's our sister as much as yours," Honey chimed in.
"Yeah," Mori agreed.
"Ok, ok, we can work this out," Hikaru said.
Somebody produced a pocket calendar from someplace and the Hosts all went over to one side to squabble it out.
Haruhi slapped her palm against her forehead.
Rei Inoue looked at her niece, looked meaningfully over at the guys then back to her niece. "And this is what you want?"
"Yeah," Haruhi said, "it is. Just ... set aside some of my trust fund money for psychological counseling. I've got a feeling I'm going to need it."
~oOo~
Six guys stared at the front of Haruhi's old apartment complex. "What are we doing here?" asked Honey.
"The Hitachiins are going to adopt Haruhi so we have to move all of Haruhi's stuff to the Hitachiin mansion," explained Tamaki.
"Can't we just hire movers?" said Hikaru.
"Believe me, I offered," said Kyoya drily.
"That's not how commoners do things," said Tamaki knowledgeably. "We have to go to the market and buy a bunch of their old used boxes, then put her stuff into them, then load it in the back of the car and make 20 trips to the new house."
"We can't even hire a truck? We have to make multiple trips?"
"That's why I brought the stretch limo. We can make it in fewer trips. You don't think she'll mind, do you?" Tamaki sounded anxious.
"I can't see why she would," said Mori.
"Wait, do they even sell their old boxes at the market? I've never seen them on the shelves."
"I couldn't find them either so I hired a graphic artist to custom design us fifty boxes that look like they might have come from the market. He only charged ¥5000 per box!"
.
They walked into the apartment to find Haruhi wearing a dress and one of her father's frilly aprons with her hair pulled back in a scarf looking much like she did in Karuizawa. Every time Kyoya looked at Haruhi, his throat closed up a little, there was a peculiar fluttering in his chest and a small wave of dizziness. Either he had contracted a rare tropical disease or he was profoundly happy. Since he didn't have experience with either, it was hard to self-diagnose.
She had stayed. Of her own free will, without any manipulation. Well ok, without much manipulation.
The guys elbowed past him to find Haruhi already hard at work wrapping up dishes in paper.
"You actually bought the school newspaper?" Hikaru said.
"They gave me a good deal on unsold back issues. Did you remember to pick up the boxes?"
"Oh, they should be delivered any time now," Tamaki said.
"Since when do the grocery stores deliver their extra boxes?"
"Uhh..." the guys began to panic.
"...We mean 'delivered' as in dropped off..." Tamaki said.
"...by the staff..." said Hikaru.
"...which is not like a custom order being delivered..." said Kaoru.
"The Suoh Hotels buy produce in large quantities," Mori rescued them. "The suppliers are willing to do them a favor."
"Oh." She wasn't entirely sure she believed them but it was too late to go get boxes herself. "I guess we can get started sorting things then. We should make three piles: stuff that I'm taking with me, stuff that's broken and can be tossed out, and stuff I'm putting into storage."
Hikaru looked confused. "Why would you be storing anything?"
"So I don't have to buy it again when I move out."
"Why would you move out?" Kaoru asked. He turned to his brother, "Was moving out part of the plan?"
"Wasn't part of my plan," Hikaru answered.
"Oh come on," Haruhi said. "Eventually I have to go to college."
"So?" said Kaoru. "Ouran University has one of the best law programs in the country and the University of Tokyo is one of the finest schools in the world."
"And both are within commuting distance of our house," Hikaru said.
"I don't want to impose any longer than I have to," Haruhi said.
"Besides, she'll be attending university in America with me," Kyoya said.
"What?" Tamaki shrieked.
"I don't think so," said Hikaru.
"Uh-uh," said Kaoru.
"No way," said Hikaru.
"Not gonna happen," said Kaoru.
"I'm inclined to agree with the twins," Honey said.
"Hn," agreed Mori.
"The University of Tokyo is a fine institution," Kyoya said. "But she can do better, and you all know it."
"I haven't actually decided..." Haruhi put in, though no one was listening to her.
Mori stared Kyoya down. "If she's going to practice law in Japan, she needs to study at a Japanese institution."
"Yeah, what he said," Tamaki put in.
"Enough!" Haruhi shouted. "I will let you know where I'm going to school when I know. In the meantime, get packing or get out!"
A knock at the door interrupted her before she could get a serious tirade going. "I have a delivery of boxes for the Fujioka residence...?" the man said.
"In here!" Haruhi called out.
"If you'll just sign for them Miss," he held out a receipt.
"Sign for a bunch of old boxes?" Haruhi wondered aloud. "Whatever." She pulled out a pen and glanced at the stack. "These are really nice boxes."
"Thank you," the delivery guy said. "We worked very hard on them."
"What?"
"He just means they made sure to send the very best ones over," Tamaki said, shoving the man out the door.
"Yeah, thanks!" Hikaru added, waving down the stairs. "We'll make sure to use your company again."
"Whew," they both said, looking at each other.
"That was weird," Haruhi muttered.
"Was it?" Kyoya said. "I didn't notice."
She looked at him suspiciously. "Anyway, let's get started. There're tape and tape guns over there."
"Tape guns?" said Hikaru.
"How fast do they shoot?" said Kaoru, wondering if they could mummify Tamaki before he could stop them.
"They don't shoot at all," Haruhi held one up.
The twins were obviously disappointed. "That's just a dispenser with a handle."
Haruhi was starting to fume.
"Are you sure you don't want professional movers?" Kyoya asked. "I could have them here in under a half an hour and it would take them far less time to get you packed and moved."
"No," she said definitively. "I don't want to waste money on something I could do myself."
"As you wish," Kyoya turned towards the cupboards, pulling out his phone once his back was turned. Three blocks away, a team of professional movers saw the text, slumped their shoulders, got in their truck and drove away.
Honey picked up the tape gun while Mori began unfolding boxes.
"We'll start in the bedroom," the twins volunteered, grabbing a couple boxes.
Haruhi watched them. "What grocery store are these from? I've never heard of these brands."
"Oh um..." Tamaki started.
"Um...uh..." the twins echoed.
"A different one than you shop at," Honey looked wide-eyed and innocent.
The twins disappeared before they could be questioned any more. No sense poking at demon, especially one who would be living across the hall. Mori went over to the bookcase. "Which ones do you want?" he asked, distracting her.
"All the school books should stay with me; the others can go to storage."
Mori began pulling books off the shelves. Honey grabbed a bunch of school papers and began wrapping up Ranka's collection of adorable figurines. Tamaki and Kyoya started on the kitchen.
"We're done!" said the twins.
"Already?" Haruhi went to the bedroom. There were three piles: small, medium and very large. "You put all my clothes in the throwaway pile?"
"Not all of them," Hikaru said.
"We put the Ouran uniforms in the keep box," Kaoru clarified.
"You said get rid of anything that was old and out of date," Hikaru added.
"I said old and broken!" She pointed to an orange wad of fabric on top of the pile. "And that's current; I only bought that last fall!"
"And it'll be out of date by this fall," Hikaru said.
"Yeah, I'm not sure why that style even got one season, it definitely won't get two," Kaoru supported him.
"It's soft and I like it! You two go pack the living room where I can keep an eye one you. Honey-san, Mori-san, take over in here. If you can even remember me wearing an outfit, it stays!" She huffed out of the room.
As they slipped out of the room in Haruhi's wake, Hikaru bumped into Mori and said softly, "A thousand yen if you forget what she was wearing the first time she set foot in Music Room 3."
"Done," said Mori. It really was a hideous sweater.
.
Back in the living room, Kyoya was neatly folding her dad's coats and scarves. She caught her breath, wanting him to leave them alone but not wanting to put them away herself. Kyoya was the one dad liked best. It's ok for him to be the one who puts dad's stuff away, she thought, watching him work. The twins were busy putting stickers on everything in the living room while Tamaki was busy in the kitchen going through her drawers - whisk, spatulas, cooking knives. He ran his thumb sideways along the edge. "They're good knives," she said.
"I can see that," Tamaki answered, thinking to himself but cooking means so much to you, packing away your cooking utensils would be like packing away my piano.
The twins looked up. "Done. What's next?"
"How can you be done that fast?" Haruhi demanded.
"This room was easy, it's all furniture and the furniture all goes."
"It can't all go with me; it won't all fit in my room."
"Not go with you, go away."
She let out an exasperated snort. "Stop trying to get rid of everything I own!"
"Not everything," Hikaru said. "Just the cheap things."
"Which, to you guys, is everything. If I move in with you, it's because I need a place to live, not because I want a makeover. You are not going to change the way I dress, the way I do my hair, my makeup, my contacts.…" She blinked. "... I hate you guys."
"It's ok, Haruhi," Hikaru said. "You've changed us as much as we've changed you."
"Yeah," Kaoru said. "Without you, we wouldn't know how to make up after a fight."
"Or how to get past our jealousy and share our friends with other people," added Hikaru.
"Or that instant coffee even existed," said Kaoru.
"Or that it's possible for a human being to sing as badly as you do."
Haruhi gave Hikaru a playful shove for his teasing. Honey walked in. "What's going on?"
"Haruhi's just getting a couple things out of her system before the move," Kyoya answered.
"Good idea. If she has to push Hikaru out a window after the move, there will be too many witnesses." Honey went over and picked up a roll of packing tape and then walked back out of the room.
~oOo~
Haruhi wasn't a materialistic person but even to her it seemed a little sad that the sum total of her life could fit in the trunks of four cars and the back of a stretch limo. She relented about the furniture. "Keeping it all seems like a waste," the twins said.
"They have a point, Haruhi," Kyoya said. "You'll be living with them for at least a year. Even if you move out when you go to college, most student housing comes furnished. And if we go the college in America..."
"Which she's NOT," the twins loudly objected.
"...you certainly can't bring the furniture with you," Kyoya continued, ignoring them. "Which mean five or six years in storage. You'll have spent more money than it would cost to simply buy new furniture." And if I play my cards right, we'll be moving in together and we can have nicer things. I love you, but I don't love your furniture. He cocked his head with that logical, innocent expression as though presenting the only sensible suggestion.
"I hate you too."
They finished packing. Honey and Mori came back from the last trip loading stuff into the cars. She turned around and paused at the doorway, unable to go through. "I'm not ready to let go."
Tamaki came up and put his arm around her. "You don't have to. After we drop everything off, we can come back."
He was lying, but she needed him to lie. She couldn't do this otherwise. As soon as they were gone, someone - probably Kyoya - would call the salvage people who would come and take anything usable off to the second-hand shop. Then the cleaners would come and remove any trace of her life and her father's life that remained. She said she didn't want to spend money on things she could do herself, but there were some things she couldn't do.
She wedged herself between the boxes in the stuffed limo. They went first to storage where she dropped off the books, her cooking utensils, her mother's china and her dad's figurines. She kept one or two of Ranka's favorites out; she would put them by his picture. He'd like that. She carefully packed the matching frilly aprons he'd made for them even though he himself didn't cook. Maybe someday, when she had children of her own, she'd dig them out; she could teach her children to cook her mother's favorite recipes; she could wear her father's aprons and her children could wear hers. "You did put my cookbooks in with the books I'm taking to the house, didn't you?"
"Yes," said Mori.
She turned to give them all a hug. "What would I do without you?"
"Live a really boring life," Hikaru answered.
She punched him in the arm.
.
Now that the back of the limo was free of boxes, the guys all crammed in so she had no more room than before. When they arrived at the Hitachiin mansion, Mr. And Mrs. Hitachiin were waiting out front to greet her. "Welcome home." The twins' father gave her a formal bow.
She returned it. "Doumo sumimasen, arigatou gozaimasu. Osewa ni narimasu." Thank you. I come into your care. I am sorry to be a bother.
"We are pleased to have you," he said formally, although she almost didn't hear it because their mother swept her up in a hug worthy of her own father. "None of that! We're family!"
Haruhi kind of preferred their father's reserve.
"We'll take you to your room," he said.
"It's hopelessly plain," Yahuza said, throwing an accusing glare at her husband.
"Your taste is exquisite my dear," he said, "but I thought Haruhi might like to decorate her own room." He turned his attention back to his new daughter. "After we show you your room, we will go down and help unload while you stay and look around and start deciding where you want to put things. And if there's anything you want to decorate the room that you don't already have, just say the word and within 24 hours, the boys and their mother will have something three times more expensive and with some famous artist's name on it occupying a different corner than you intended to begin with. Fair warning."
His wife glared at him then turned back to Haruhi to show her the room. It was spacious and airy, with large leaded glass windows and a balcony that opened onto an immaculately tended garden that was probably in a dozen magazines the world over. "The bathroom is over here," Yahuza said, opening the door to a marble and gilt confection, "and the closet is here."
The closet was the size of her old bedroom. Mr. Hitachiin sidled up to her and in a quiet voice said, "A note of advice: Hikaru told his mother you were like me. You see I don't care what I wear. So I have a little corner of my closet that is mine. I put all my favorite things in there, the things that are comfortable, the things that I wear when I'm hanging around the house, and they are not allowed to touch anything in that section. The rest of the clothes come and go and I never even know when. I just wear what they tell me when they tell me and everybody's life is less stressful." He winked at her and left.
Once the Hitachiins were gone, she looked around her new room and paused.
"What is it?" Kyoya said, setting down his box and coming up behind her.
"This room is the size of my old apartment."
He looked around appraisingly. "Minus the kitchen," he said, "But I understand they have one of those downstairs."
"I don't belong here," she said in a small voice.
Out in the hallway, the Hitachiin patriarch stopped and put down his box to eavesdrop on his newly acquired family member.
"You do belong here," Kyoya said. He gestured with a finger around the room. "The space? It's just a space. It's unimportant. But this family? They really want you. Blood isn't always the most important factor. Hikaru and Kaoru ... your brothers... they care for you. Far more than my brothers care for me. And your new parents? No, they don't love you as much as Ranka did. But you only get one of those in a lifetime, if you even get that. But if you leave yourself open to them, I think you'll be surprised at what develops."
Yahuza came down the hall to find her husband waiving her off. She looked at him questioningly. He took her box from her, set it on the floor and led her down to the kitchen. They could arrange snacks for the workforce. And perhaps, while the boys were taking a break, they could have the servants finish moving everything. Haruhi's stuff stood a much better chance of survival that way.
"Are you sure?" Haruhi asked.
"Am I ever wrong?" Kyoya answered. He traced one finger along her jaw and tilted her face up to his. He gently leaned down, touched his lips to hers. Hers parted and the kiss slowly built and deepened.
"Hey, no doing that under her parents' roof. Don't you have any decency?" Hikaru demanded in mock outrage.
"Yeah, we're going to have to ask you what your intentions are towards our sister," Kaoru added.
"I intend to marry her," Kyoya answered, barely breaking the kiss before renewing it.
Haruhi wasn't responding anymore, but it didn't matter. The kiss wasn't about her any longer. It was about the relative status of the three guys. "You know there's a tradition," Hikaru said. "When you marry a Hitachiin woman, you have to take the Hitachiin name."
"The only reason for me to take the Hitachiin name would be to take control of both of your family's companies." He smiled down at Haruhi. "Do you want them? It'll take me a couple years, but I can get them for you."
For one horrifying moment, they realized that this man had taken control of the Ootori Group at the age of 17. He could deliver on that promise if he chose. Haruhi dissolved into giggles shaking her head. "No," she said "I don't know the first thing about business."
"You should learn," Kyoya said. "It is the family business after all." Then a thoughtful expression flitted across his face. He looked her in the eye. "You're logical and analytical. You'd probably be very good at coding." Then he looked down a little farther. "But your taste in clothes is abysmal. We probably better keep you away from the fashion side of the house."
"Hey!" She slapped his chest. "I like my clothes! They're comfortable!"
"You could always design clothes that are both high fashion and comfortable. That could take the House of Hitachiin to a whole new level," Kyoya said.
One look at the twins faces as Kyoya planned the takeover of their companies and Haruhi had to stifle a laugh. "Except then they'd be broke. And you know they'd be helpless as commoners, so they would just turn up on our doorstep."
Kyoya looked at them, already irritated at their future poverty. "Hm. Poor relations are annoying. Maybe we should just leave them alone."
Haruhi gave him a quick kiss to let him know he'd reached the right conclusion.
"Oh god, are they kissing again?" Tamaki rolled his eyes as he put down his box.
"They're cute, Tama-chan," Honey piped up. "So cute maybe I should have adopted them."
"Maybe I should just adopt all of you," Haruhi said, going over to give them a group hug.
"Good idea," Honey said. "But we'd all have to be Haninozukas. We are the oldest family, after all."
"But these guys are terrible martial artists," Mori pointed out.
"Hmm. Yeah. They might embarrass the family," Honey nodded.
"Clearly we should all become Suoh's. Our company is already set up for multiple unrelated subsidiaries."
The twins pulled Haruhi between them, draping their arms around her. "Excuse us," they said in unison, "half is us are already Hitachiins. It would be a lot easier for the rest of you to fall in line."
"Why don't you just all become Fujiokas? It's what you all want anyway." Kyoya said coming over to the group. "Except you." He tapped Haruhi on the nose with one finger. "You are going to become an Ootori."
~oOo~