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Haruhi loved her friends, truly, she did. They were loud and dramatic sometimes, sure, but they were also funny and sweet. Even Kyoya, who tried his hardest to come off as cold and calculated offered up his jacket when someone was cold. Yes, Haruhi loved her friends. Right now, though? She wanted to kill them.
“come on, Haru-chan! It’ll be fun!” Honey was giving her puppy eyes, lower lip wobbling. Behind him, Mori was staring her down. Haruhi was trapped. If Honey cried, Mori wouldn’t speak to her for a week, and if Mori wouldn’t speak to her, then his customers would wonder why, gossip would get out, she’d earn less revenue, and then she’d be stuck working as a damn host for the rest of her high-school career. Fuck.
“Honey, I really don’t think-” Haruhi started, but it was no use. Honey was latched onto her leg, staring up at her, tears already gathering in his eyes. Fuck that guy, honestly. There’s no reason why a 17-year-old should be that adorable. Haruhi dragged a hand down her face, admitting defeat.
Honey jumped to his feet, wrapping his arms around Haruhi, and pulling her towards the massive pillow fort in the center of the club room.
“she said yes!” he shouted, earning a cheer from their president. Tamaki stood, extending a hand.
“Haruhi, you won’t regret this!” he said, taking her hand from Honey and pulling her down beside him.
“I already do,” she scowled, but Tamaki ignored her. Beside him, Kyoya pulled a fancy, glass wine bottle out of seemingly nowhere, setting it in the center of the circle. Of course, she thought, leave it to the host club to gentrify spin the bottle.
The rest of the hosts gathered around, some more excited than others, and waited for Kyoya to explain the rules. Haruhi tuned him out, already familiar with the rules of the game. Even though she’d never played, she’d watched others play, and it wasn’t a difficult concept to grasp. One person spins a bottle, the bottle will stop in front of another person, and the two people will be locked in a closet for seven minutes while the rest of the group gossips about what they’re doing. Easy.
Tamaki was going first and, ugh, great, he was watching her. Haruhi kept her eyes on the bottle, ignoring the not-so-subtle twitch in Tamaki’s fingers every time the bottle passed her.
Tamaki, to his credit, was doing an exceptional job at reining himself in. He’d proposed this game for the sole reason of getting to spend seven whole minutes alone with Haruhi, and the idea of getting anyone else was enough to make him cry. They’d been dancing around each other for weeks now. Tamaki knew she liked him, she had to. She was just… stubborn, that’s all.
He liked that about Haruhi. Just like he likes how she pretends not to care about any of them but carries gloves in her bag because Hikaru always forgets his. He likes how she teases him for not understanding algebra but offered to check his homework when he got stuck. He even likes how close she and Kyoya have gotten, no matter how much it makes his stomach twist sometimes. It’s nice to see his best friend approve of the girl he likes.
Tamaki was lost in thought when the bottle stopped spinning. He heard someone clear their throat, his eyes snapping up to Haruhi’s. She looked relieved, a satisfied glint in her eyes. Tamaki followed her gaze to where Kyoya was standing up. The other host stretched, crossing his arms over his chest. Tamaki was confused.
“what are you-?” he started, only to be cut off by twin howls of laughter. Hikaru was doubled over, Kaoru supporting his weight. Tamaki’s eyes shot down to look at the bottle and, sure enough, it was pointing directly at where Kyoya had been sitting.
“well?” Kyoya asked, reaching a hand down to help Tamaki stand. He took it, letting himself be pulled up. Kyoya was smiling, not that anyone other than Tamaki would be able to notice. That bastard, Tamaki thought, he’s making fun of me.
Tamaki grumbled, pulling Kyoya out of the fort and into the club’s broom closet. The lights were off, but there was plenty of space. Tamaki sat down against the wall, pouting.
Kyoya said nothing, closing the door before sitting down next to him. Tamaki whined, dropping his head on his friend’s shoulder.
“this isn’t fairrrr,” he said, burying his face in Kyoya’s pajamas, “the only reason I suggested this game was so I could get stuck with Haruhi,” he frowned. The aura of Kyoya’s smirk cut through the darkness, making Tamaki’s head shoot up.
“pervert,” Kyoya said. He was teasing Tamaki, but it still made the other host gasp.
“I am not!” Tamaki said, shifting towards the direction of Kyoya’s voice, “I don’t even care about kissing-”
“liar,”
“I don’t!” Tamaki was pouting again, and honestly, this was too much fun. Riling Tamaki up was one of Kyoya’s favorite pastimes, and with the addition of Haruhi in their lives, it had become far too easy.
“oh really?” Kyoya prompted, curious as to where Tamaki was taking this.
“yes!” Tamaki huffed, resting against Kyoya’s shoulder again, “I wanted to talk to her, figured she can’t exactly avoid conversation if we’re locked in a room together,” hm. That wasn’t what Kyoya was expecting.
“why would she be avoiding you? I thought you two liked each other?”
Tamaki grumbled, wrapping his arms around one of Kyoya’s and, oh, if that didn’t make Kyoya’s heart stutter.
“we do! Or at least I thought we did,” he huffed, “we haven’t talked about any of it yet. Every time I try to bring it up, she runs off or changes the subject,” he rubbed his nose on Kyoya’s shoulder.
Kyoya felt for his friend, he really did. He knew the pain of unrequited love, having felt it twice over ever since he realized his feelings for Haruhi. Kyoya exhaled through his nose, leaning down to rest his head on Tamaki’s. Tamaki snuggled into the action and Kyoya felt his heart clench. A few minutes passed before Tamaki shifted.
“Kyoya,” he started, words melting over Kyoya’s skin, “while we’re here, do you think we could…?” Tamaki’s words trailed off, but Kyoya knew what he meant. Ever the opportunist, he thought, biting back the desire rising in his chest.
“no, Tamaki, I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Kyoya said, trying to tame his pulse. Tamaki was so close, his disappointed huff caressing Kyoya’s pressure point. He held back a shiver.
“you don’t want to?” Tamaki asked, obviously not taking Kyoya’s hint and moving closer. His face was inches away from Kyoya’s, hands loosely holding onto to the front of Kyoya’s shirt. Kyoya had never been so thankful for the darkness. If he’d been able to see the look on Tamaki’s face right now, there’d be no way he could say no.
“no.” Kyoya lied, gently pushing Tamaki back. The other host pouted, curling up against Kyoya’s chest.
“am I not pretty enough?” He asked and, of course, leave it to Tamaki to take this personally.
“it’s not that,” Kyoya said, brushing a hand through his friend’s hair. I don’t want to be a game to you, he thought, messing with a tangled piece of hair. “I don’t want to kiss people I’m not serious about,” he said instead. It was a blatant lie, but he knew Tamaki was too busy throwing himself a pity party to pick up on it.
Tamaki hummed. Kyoya had turned him down, and that shouldn’t bother him. Why would it? It made sense that Kyoya didn’t want to kiss him, they were close, sure, but Kyoya wasn’t one for casual relationships. It shouldn’t bother Tamaki that Kyoya turned him down, but for some reason, it did.
Kyoya leaned his head back against the wall, his breathing beginning to even out. Tamaki curled closer to him. They did this sort of thing all the time. Tamaki was a very physically affectionate person, and even though Kyoya preferred not to be touched, he never seemed to mind when it came to Tamaki. It was a detail that had never really stood out to Tamaki, but now he couldn’t stop thinking about it.
He’d always been Kyoya’s exception. He’d been the one to convince him to start the host club, he’d been Kyoya’s first real friend, and he was the only person Kyoya ever let sleep in his bed. He’d always been Kyoya’s exception, so why was this time any different?
“shh,” Kyoya said, scratching lightly at Tamaki’s scalp. Tamaki shivered. He was the only one Kyoya did that for too.
“I’m not saying anything!”
“you’re thinking too loud,”
Tamaki huffed. He was not. He felt Kyoya’s silent laughter against his chest and he leaned into it. His stomach was in knots.
He knew this was a silly thing to obsess over, and it’s not even like he particularly wanted to kiss Kyoya, it’s just-
Tamaki’s stomach flipped. Wait.
Kyoya's fingers had stilled in Tamaki’s hair. A good thing, too, because Tamaki couldn’t have handled any more sensory input at that moment. He was too caught up imagining what it would actually be like to kiss Kyoya, what it would feel like, how he would move, how he would sound and, oh god-
Tamaki wanted to kiss Kyoya. Like, really bad.
The ringing of a timer echoed from the other room, and Tamaki pulled away from Kyoya. He scrambled to his feet, pushing past an excited Hikaru as soon as the door opened. Kyoya followed him, albeit at a more relaxed pace. The twins looked confused when Tamaki sat down next to Haruhi, pushing his face into his knees, and willing his blush to go away.
Haruhi leaned over, poking him in the side. He yelped, jerking away.
“geez, flighty much?” she asked, taking in his dying blush and messed up hair, “you look like shit,” she deadpanned, turning back to the group.
It was Kyoya’s turn to spin next, the rest of the group perking up. Kaoru leaned forward to get a better view, locking eyes with Haruhi briefly and winking. She raised an eyebrow at him, getting nothing in return.
Kyoya spun, an underwhelming thing that barely made it three rotations before stopping in front of Haruhi. The rest of the group fell quiet, waiting for Tamaki’s outraged reaction. It never came. Tamaki only stared blankly in Kyoya’s direction; eyes clouded over with some unnamed emotion.
Haruhi stood up, smiling when Kyoya held the door open for her. They sat across from each other, falling into a comfortable silence. Haruhi was the first to speak up, leaning forward so Kyoya could hear her better.
“so, what did you do to Tamaki-senpai that made him so,” she waved her hands around, not that Kyoya could see them, “flustered?”
Kyoya was quiet for a moment. Haruhi imagined he was contemplating the question.
“I think he was more upset than flustered,” he said eventually. Haruhi waited for him to elaborate. “he asked to kiss me, but I turned him down. I think I hurt his feelings,”
“or maybe just his pride,” Haruhi said. Kyoya exhaled through his nose, his version of a laugh.
Haruhi considered the man across from her. They had grown closer over the school year, often acting as the common sense to balance out Tamaki’s wistful dramatics. Still, there were many things that went unsaid between them. Haruhi wondered if Kyoya’s feeling towards Tamaki should stay one of them.
Although, she reasoned, it’s not like he’s ever tried to hide it.
“Kyoya?” she asked, taping a finger on her lips, “why did you turn Tamaki-senpai down?” Kyoya was quiet for a moment. Haruhi felt his eyes on her through the dark. He was analyzing her. She smiled.
“hm.” He said, and Haruhi thought that was all he was going to say on the matter, until she heard him take another breath. “how long have you known?”
Haruhi snorted.
“since the first day,” she said, thinking back, “you two were so close, I honestly thought you were dating,” Kyoya huffed again, knowing Haruhi would hear the laugh in it. “what about you?”
Kyoya closed his eyes, remembering the first time he met Tamaki. He’d entered Kyoya’s life like a whirlwind and hadn’t stopped shaking things up ever since.
“there wasn’t one moment,” he said, “I knew it was inevitable, he was too… too much to not fall in love with,” Kyoya smiled, one of the soft ones he saved for the people closest to him. He felt Haruhi rest her hand on his knee. He took it in his, squeezing gently.
“he is a lot, isn’t he?” she said. Kyoya laughed, a real one this time, and Haruhi joined him. It was a brief, quiet moment, but it was enough to make Kyoya’s heart skip a beat. He let go of Haruhi’s hand, immediately missing the warmth.
Haruhi leaned back, giving the other host some space. Kyoya was a complex individual. He felt everything so deeply but buried it all so far down. Haruhi felt as if they’d come to a sort of understanding during her time as a host, but even she found herself surprised during moments like these.
Kyoya had let go of her hand, but he had also taken it in the first place. He’d squeezed it, pulled her closer, if only by a few centimeters. And then he’d let her go. He hadn’t said anything else, and Haruhi assumed that he wouldn’t. it was quiet in the closet, the sounds of the other hosts’ laughter melting into a distant buzz. Kyoya’s shaky inhales were the only sound that permeated the room.
Haruhi tipped her head against the wall, taking deep, steady breaths. She listened as Kyoya matched his breathing to hers, eventually returning to normal. The timer buzzed behind the door, But Haruhi didn’t want to leave yet. The door creaked open, Kaoru peeking in. He made eye contact with her, wiggling his eyebrows.
Haruhi rolled her eyes, letting Kyoya help her up. Ever the gentleman, he waited while Haruhi shouldered past Kaoru, who was practically buzzing. She sat down next to Tamaki, ignoring the waves of questions Kaoru was mentally projecting her way.
Tamaki no longer looked dazed, at least. He was sitting cross-legged, seemingly caught in an intense staring competition with Hikaru. Haruhi shook her head, sparing a glance at an equally amused Kyoya. They shared a smile, Kyoya passing Haruhi the bottle.
Tamaki finally broke Hikaru’s gaze, turning his attention to Haruhi. He looked like an excited puppy, shifting in his seat with every spin of the bottle. The bottle spun for a while, passing Tamaki one last time before coming to a rest. Tamaki made a noise akin to an injured animal, rolling onto his back. Hikaru jumped to his feet, sending a devilish smile Haruhi’s way.
“m’lady,” he said in a mocking, vaguely European accent. Haruhi shook her head, standing up and following Hikaru to the closet.
They could hear Tamaki’s whining even after the door closed behind them. Haruhi felt Hikaru walking around, knocking into things before eventually finding what he was looking for. The lightbulb switched on, bathing the room in a yellow haze, and burning Haruhi’s retinas in the process.
Hikaru, the bastard, laughed at his friend’s misfortune, pulling a stepstool out of the corner and sitting down. Haruhi slumped against the wall, glaring at Hikaru through the spots in her vision.
“asshole,” she said. Hikaru ignored her, leaning back on the stool’s legs.
“what, you’d rather sit in the dark the whole time?”
Haruhi rubbed her eyes, her vision finally clearing. Hikaru watched her with dancing eyes. She scowled. Hikaru didn’t deserve a stepstool.
“it worked out fine last time,” she said, eyeing the teetering stool. Hikaru opened his mouth to say something back, but she cut him off, leg kicking out and sending him squealing and crashing onto the floor.
Hikaru squinted up at her innocent expression, mischief spreading across his face. Haruhi barely had time to react before Hikaru hooked his foot around Haruhi’s ankle, tugging her forward. She yelped, head hitting the tile. Hikaru’s demonic laughter echoed against the walls.
Haruhi pushed herself up, punching Hikaru’s shoulder on the way. He only laughed harder, leaning against her as he fought to catch his breath.
“it’s not that funny,” she said, patting his back regardless. Hikaru wiped at the tears leaking from his eyes, smiling up at Haruhi.
“you didn’t see your face,” he said, giggling at the memory, “you looked so offended, my god-” he was laughing again, crossing his legs in Haruhi’s lap. She sighed, flicking his forehead.
Hikaru eventually calmed down, resting his arms on Haruhi’s shoulders. It was an interesting position the two were in, Haruhi sitting cross-legged on the floor, leaning back on her hands; Hikaru sitting in her lap, bracing himself on her shoulders. It was the kind of position that would make Tamaki faint from jealously if he saw, but it was also a relatively normal position for the two of them to be in.
Haruhi wasn’t used to physical affection. Sure, her dad hugged her when he got the opportunity, but those were more vice-like in nature. It had taken her a while to understand casual physical affection, but spending the night at the twins’ house every few weeks had done a lot to aid that. It wasn’t uncommon for her to wake up to one (or both) Hitachiin brother halfway on top of her while they slept. This half lap sitting, half hug was actually one of the more relaxed positions she’d been in with Hikaru.
“so,” Hikaru started, wiggling his eyebrows at Haruhi, “now what?” he was looking at her, eyes darting down her face every few seconds.
“I’m not kissing you, Hikaru.” She said. Hikaru groaned, leaning back, dragging Haruhi with him.
“you’re so boring,” he said, crossing his arms. Haruhi had to move her hands to his shirt to keep him from falling. She shrugged.
“you’ll live.”
Hikaru pouted. He sighed, leaning back fully, propping himself up on his hands. He levelled a look at Haruhi, and her eyes widened. For a split second, she considered agreeing to kiss him, if only to avoid whatever topic of conversation he was about to bring up. It was too late. Hikaru’s face split into a grin.
He moved his legs to wrap around Haruhi’s waist, using the momentum to pull himself back up. He was fully sitting in her lap, now, leaning into her space with an almost predatory stare.
“so,” he drawled, trailing a finger down her nose, “what’d you and Kyoya do in here, hmm?” Haruhi looked at him with wide eyes. dammit.
She couldn’t lie to him; he knew her well enough to notice her tells.
“talked, that’s it,” she said, leaning away from his probing finger. Hikaru hummed.
“about?” he asked, practically purring. She scoffed.
“Tamaki,” Haruhi didn’t know why she’d been so worried. Hikaru was already losing interest, she could tell. Hikaru huffed.
“boring,” he said, pulling his finger away from her face, “I was hoping to get the juicy details,”
Haruhi’s lips twitched.
“about Kyoya?” she asked, scooting to lean back against the wall. Hikaru lifted off her for a second, settling back onto her lap once she was more comfortable.
“duh, I just know he’s hiding something,” Hikaru squinted into space, absentmindedly drumming his fingers on Haruhi’s shoulders. Haruhi snorted.
“sorry to disappoint, then.” She said, drawing Hikaru’s attention. He waved a hand, brushing off her words.
“nah, it would’ve been worse if you’d kissed him,” he said. Haruhi wrinkled her eyebrows.
“what do you mean?”
“I bet he’s a shit kisser,” Hikaru said, “I don’t even think he’s had his first yet,”
This was news to Haruhi.
“really?” she asked, tilting her head,
“oh, for sure,” Hikaru snorted, “I mean, why would anyone want to kiss Kyoya,” he said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world, but Haruhi was confused.
Why wouldn’t anyone want to kiss Kyoya? He was handsome and smart, not to mention rich. Beyond surface level reasoning, he was kind and caring, he loved his friends and the host club, and he was fun to spend time with. Haruhi hadn’t had many verbal conversations with Kyoya, but the glances they’d shared, the withering looks sent each other’s way every time Tamaki said something stupid, and the hours spent in quiet companionship would stay in Haruhi’s heart forever.
“holy shit,” Hikaru broke her train of thought, awed expression on his face. She realized too late that he’d just watched her process all of that, and probably came to the same conclusion she did.
“don’t say it-”
“Haruhi,” Hikaru gasped, mischievous smirk stretching his lips, “do you want to kiss Kyoya?”
Haruhi stared at him, eyes wide. Outside, the timer buzzed. She didn’t have to answer now, but that didn’t stop her mind from racing. Even as the door flung open and Tamaki started screeching at Hikaru to get off her, she didn’t stop thinking about Hikaru’s question. She was distantly aware of someone pulling her up and marching her back to the pillow fort. She sat down next to Tamaki; eyebrows furrowed in thought. She felt Kyoya’s questioning gaze but refused to meet his eyes. a heavy blush worked its way up her neck.
Tamaki was openly gaping at her. His fists clenched as he turned to Hikaru, venom in his voice.
“she’s blushing,” he said, pointing an accusing finger at Hikaru, “what did you do to my Haruhi?” Haruhi wasn’t saying anything, hiding her face in her hands. The sight was enough to make Tamaki shake. There’s no way, no way Haruhi actually likes Hikaru.
But then, Hikaru had been sitting in her lap when the timer went off, and Haruhi had been leaning against the wall, blush heavy on her cheeks. Obviously, they’d done something during those seven minutes, there was no explanation otherwise.
Hikaru laughed, lounging back on his elbows, legs crossed.
“wouldn’t you like to know,” he teased, winking at Tamaki in a way that made his blood boil.
Tamaki grit his teeth, snatching the bottle from Hikaru’s hands.
“I’m going next!” he said, already twisting his wrist. Objections rose up around him, but he silenced them with a glare.
The bottle spun. It was a powerful spin, fueled by Tamaki’s warring emotions. He glared holes into Hikaru’s smirking face, visualizing the twin melting under his gaze. The bottle made a final few lazy rotations, before stopping in front of Haruhi. Tamaki blinked. Haruhi’s blush deepened.
Tamaki shot to his feet, pumping his fist. He sent a wild, victory-fueled smile Hikaru’s way before pulling Haruhi up. Kyoya watched them leave, bitter weight settling in the pit of his stomach. They were going to talk things out, they were probably going to kiss. They were going to exit that closet as lovers, and they were going to exit Kyoya’s life the same way. He stood, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.
“if you’ll excuse me,” he said, walking towards the bathrooms. He caught the twins snickering behind their hands, but he ignored them.
Kyoya braced his hands on the bathroom sink, forcing himself to take deep breaths. His mind drifted back to the way Haruhi had breathed for him when they were locked together. His heart spasmed at the memory.
Haruhi loved him, he knew that. But not the same way she loved Tamaki, not the way he loved her, the way he loved both of them. He exhaled shakily, gripping the tiled counter. He’d known this was coming. He’d known from the moment he met Haruhi that she would take Tamaki from him. Now, he only wished it were that simple. That it was Haruhi taking Tamaki or Tamaki taking Haruhi. Instead, they were taking each other, holding each other’s hands and walking off, leaving Kyoya behind.
Tamaki slammed the door shut behind them, pacing around the closet. His hands were shaking. Haruhi watched him, waiting for him to wear himself out. He slumped against the wall, chest heaving, before pushing off and pacing towards Haruhi.
Haruhi took a step back, shoulders knocking against the wall.
“Haruhi,” Tamaki said, the shaking in his hands not reaching voice. He took a deep breath, locking eyes, “I’m in love with you.” it left his mouth in a rush, words falling out like dominos.
Haruhi blinked, gathering her thoughts. This was the worst possible time for him to confess. She loved him too, of course, but she also maybe liked Kyoya? Her head was spinning, and it must have showed, because Tamaki brought his manicured hands up to her shoulders, steadying her.
“Tamaki-senpai-”
“wait, there’s more.” He said, taking a deep breath. Haruhi stayed quiet, watching him. More? What more was there to say? Unless, oh god, unless he’d figured out she liked Kyoya too.
“Haruhi, I love you, so, so much,” he squeezed her shoulders, smile growing shakier, “you’re my whole world, Haruhi, and there’s not a single thing that I wouldn’t do for you,” Haruhi was growing impatient. She already knew all this. “I would say ‘you’re the only one for me’, except-” Tamaki’s eyelashes were fluttering, and it took Haruhi a moment to realize he was blinking back tears.
Haruhi brought her hands up to cover his, lacing their fingers together. That broke the dam Tamaki was trying so hard to hold in. He collapsed into Haruhi, his head falling onto her shoulder, body shaking with silent tears. Haruhi let go of one of his hands, wrapping her arm around his back and pulling him closer. He was still crying as she guided them to the floor, maneuvering them so Tamaki was partially straddling her lap, head still buried in her neck.
“shh, Tamaki-senpai,” she said, stroking his hair like she’d seen Kyoya do. This was different from his usual outbursts. She ran her other hand over Tamaki’s back, taking advantage of his pajama shirt riding up to graze her nails over his spine. Tamaki, at the very least, seemed soothed by the action. Eventually, his sobs turned into pitiful gurgles, breath hitching every couple seconds.
“wanna talk about it?” Haruhi asked, her voice humming through Tamaki’s skull. She had rested her head atop his at some point, continuing to scratch lightly at the nape of his neck.
The sound Tamaki made in response was pained. He buried his nose further into her neck. Haruhi waited. After a few moments, he pulled his face back, looking at Haruhi through puffy, bloodshot eyes.
“I-” he said, face crumpling, “I’m in love with Kyoya too,” his throat spasmed, and he wrapped his arms around her waist again, “Haruhi I’m so- I’m so sorry!”
He was on the verge of tears again, so Haruhi moved fast. Cupping his face in her hands before he could hide, she pulled him closer to her, pressing their foreheads together. Tamaki’s breath hitched, staring at her with blown out pupils.
“Tamaki,” Haruhi said, stroking her thumb over his tear-stained cheeks, “I know,”
Tamaki blinked, mind reeling. He pulled back, hands flying to her shoulders.
“you what-?” his voiced had raised an octave. Haruhi’s lips twitched.
“you’re not exactly subtle, Senpai,” she said, tangling their hands together again, “you were all over him when we first met,” she smiled, “plus, you call him ‘mommy.’”
Tamaki watched her carefully for a moment.
“and you, you’re okay with that?” he asked, voice shaky and uncertain. Haruhi leaned forward.
“of course,” she bit her lip, “besides, I think I like Kyoya too,”
Tamaki nearly fell out of her lap. Haruhi snorted at his reaction, a smile working its way onto her face. Tamaki found himself smiling too. Laughter bubbled past his lips.
“you like him too?” he asked, just to make sure. Haruhi nodded, and Tamaki’s mind exploded. He jumped to his feet, pulling Haruhi up with him, “this is excellent!” he said, spinning the two of them around, “we both like Kyoya, we can woo him together!” Haruhi laughed at his enthusiasm, tugging them both to a stand-still.
“I don’t think that’ll be necessary,” she said, eyes twinkling, “Kyoya likes us too,”
“he what-”
“I’m ninety-nine percent sure, at least,” Haruhi said, watching Tamaki’s brain melt, “I can read him pretty well,” there was a smugness to her voice that Tamaki caught onto, but was too busy plotting to argue about.
The timer buzzed, and the two of them shared a look. It was a silent exchange, a rare thing for the two of them, but the intent was crystal clear. Kaoru had barely opened the door before Haruhi was pushing past him.
“where’s Kyoya?” she asked the others, scanning the group for the host.
“bathrooms,” Kaoru said, loosely wrapping his arms around her waist to whisper in her ear, “go get ‘im, tiger,” he pulled away with a wink. Haruhi nodded, determined.
She grabbed Tamaki’s hand. She didn’t need to pull him, the two walked towards the bathrooms in perfect sync.
Kyoya was seated on one of the plush benches when they walked in, writing something in his notepad. He glanced at them, eyes darting down to their joined hands. He swallowed. A fake grin smoothed over his features.
He opened his mouth to speak, but Tamaki cut him off.
"You don’t have to pretend, Kyoya," he said. Kyoya looked at Tamaki, eyes sliding over to Haruhi soon after, a hint of betrayal mixed with the baby blues.
"You told him," his voice cracked. He winced, "why?"
He didn't let her answer. Kyoya stood to his feet, smoothing the nonexistent wrinkles from his clothes.
"It doesn't matter," he said, "just because I’m in love with Tamaki doesn't mean I can't wish him happiness-”
"Just Tamaki?" Haruhi cut him off. Kyoya clenched his jaw.
"We don't have to talk about it," he said. His voice would've sounded monotone to anyone else, but Haruhi and Tamaki could hear the pain behind it.
"We do, though," Tamaki said. Kyoya's attention shifted to him, pleading. "Kyoya, it's okay-"
"No, it's not!" The bitterness Kyoya had been holding back burst out of him. He clenched his fists, "it's not okay,” his voice cracked again but he didn’t care, “I won’t get in your way, I promise, just-”
“we love you too, Kyoya,” Haruhi said. Kyoya winced. No one said anything for a moment, allowing Kyoya to catch his breath.
“I know,” he said, anguished, “I know you do,” his smile was pained, “but you know it’s not the same.”
“no,” Tamaki said, stepping closer. Kyoya tried to move away, but the backs of his knees hit the bench, “it is the same, Kyoya, we love you,”
“Tamaki,” Kyoya sighed. He was heartbroken, couldn’t they see that? Why did they insist on rubbing it his face? He knew they didn’t feel the same, there was no reason to-
Kyoya felt a warm pressure on his chest. He looked down to find Tamaki fisting a hand in his shirt. When he looked back up, he was met by his friend’s fiery gaze. Kyoya felt his breath leave his chest just as Tamaki pulled him forwards, meeting his lips in a decisive kiss. Kyoya didn’t move for a moment, his brain trying to comprehend what was happening. He felt Tamaki start to pull away. Never mind, he thought, shoving his attempts to rationalize aside, process later, kiss now.
Tamaki moved to pull back, but Kyoya chased his lips, pulling Tamaki against his chest. He was distantly aware of Haruhi’s enthusiastic gasp but shoved that aside too. Tamaki was kissing him, Tamaki was gripping his shirt and sighing and kissing him. Kyoya didn’t stop himself from smiling. This time, when Tamaki pulled back, Kyoya let him.
“we love you, stupid,” Tamaki said, reaching a hand out for Haruhi to take. She accepted, resting her hand on Kyoya’s arm.
Kyoya couldn’t help the tears that gathered in his eyes, making his glasses fog up. There was no way this was real. He hadn’t let himself ever consider this possibility, that both of them would like him too. Haruhi’s hand moved down to his, rubbing comforting circles with her thumb.
“you don’t have to answer now, but,” Haruhi glanced up at Tamaki before continuing, “we’d really like to date you, too,”
Kyoya wavered, his legs suddenly shaky. Haruhi helped him sit back down on the bench, taking the spot next to him. Tamaki crouched down, covering Kyoya’s hands with his. They were both looking at him expectantly.
“when did you-?” his voice tapered off, unable to speak due to the lump in his throat. They understood anyway.
“I realized tonight,” Haruhi said, “both that you liked me, and that I liked you,” in hindsight, it wasn’t surprising that she figured him out. He let his guard down when they were alone together. He’d have to be careful next time there was something he wanted to hide.
“same here!” Tamaki added, drawing Kyoya’s misty gaze, “although I think I’ve liked you for a while now,” Kyoya snorted at that, somehow making the noise sound dignified.
“you think?” Kyoya said. Teasing Tamaki was second nature at this point, and now he had a whole new armory full of ammunition. Tamaki pouted, but there was a sparkle in his eyes.
Haruhi smiled, leaning into Kyoya’s shoulder. Kyoya turned to face her, the look on her face making fireworks explode in his brain. He leaned down, pressing a kiss to her forehead.
“you missed,” Tamaki teased. Kyoya wrinkled his eyebrows. He missed? Missed what?
Haruhi cleared her throat, drawing his attention and, oh, she was much closer than he remembered. She leaned her forehead against his, tilting her head to the side. Oh.
Kyoya angled his head slightly, melding Haruhi’s lips with his. Kissing Haruhi was different from kissing Tamaki. She was smaller, for one, so he had to lean his whole body down, not just his head. She was less responsive than Tamaki, too. Where Tamaki had sighed and groped and moved, Haruhi only hummed, tilting her head slightly to guide the kiss. That was the main difference, though; Haruhi was leading, pulling Kyoya in and guiding him where she wanted. It was nice, relinquishing control for a bit.
Tamaki’s insistent poking was what broke them apart. Kyoya’s head was spinning. Tamaki didn’t seem to care, wrapping his arms around Haruhi’s waist and whining about how it was ‘his turn’. Kyoya smiled, rolling his eyes. Watching the two of them bicker warmed his heart. He was so achingly fond of them, even now.
Haruhi caught his eye, sending him her best ‘why are we in love with this idiot?’ look. Kyoya held back a snicker when Tamaki whined again.
“you two always do that!” he pouted. Haruhi poked him between his eyes, drawing his attention long enough to leave a chaste kiss on his mouth.
Tamaki gasped, pulling them up so he could kiss her properly. Kyoya watched them, a content smile slipping over his face. For the first time, he let himself imagine a future with these two, one where he was happy and loved, rather than heartbroken and forgotten. A warm feeling stirred in his stomach, and he stood to join them. Haruhi wrapped her arms around his waist from behind, tugging him around to hide from Tamaki’s excited advances. They hadn’t left the bathroom yet, Kyoya didn’t know how their friends would react, and he had no idea how to even begin explaining this to his family, but he couldn’t find it in him to care. He was here, with his two favorite people, and he was in love.