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Instant mashed potatoes. It was something Haruhi had mentioned off-handedly to the Host Club. She had said it was a new and easy way to make food without the hassle of cutting, peeling, and boiling the potatoes. At first, Tamaki thought she was joking. Making up a silly little commoner lie for him to fall for. But it was true! He saw it in the flesh when he requested his maids take him to a … supermarket. Even that sounded strange when he told his driver. Surprisingly, he lived near several. For a more authentic commoner experience, however, he opted for the one in a poorer area.
Of course, he got stared at as he perused the aisles with a maid beside him, holding in her arms a basket for him to throw goodies into. Not to mention, he always kind of glowed. It was weird, but it was true. Maybe it was the fact he was blonde or more so the fact he had a radiating personality, but everyone stared wherever he would go.
“Jazabel!” The boy gaped when he finally made it to the canned food section, “Did you know they create food … in cans?” He turned to her with an incredulous expression, as his outstretched hand picked up a can labeled “Canned peaches”. His maid nodded and without another word, he tossed it into the basket.
There was a reason he was so set on finding these instant mashed potatoes as he was with the instant coffee. Tamaki wanted to relate to Haruhi as much as he could. There was and will always be a gap between them when it came to their social status. She had to work harder for everything whereas for him, he just … got it. It wasn’t fair and he didn’t want to admit how upset it made him. He wanted so badly for her to wake up in riches, even if it meant he was in poverty [side note: Tamaki is unaware that Haruhi is middle class and living perfectly fine].
Once he found the instant mashed potatoes, there was a level of skill that had to go into choosing the perfect one. There were flavors, with different seasonings and bits of food mixed in, or there was your standard, plain potatoes. Just looking at the flat packaging he was starting to doubt there were even potatoes in it. I mean, you can’t make instant mashed potatoes without the potatoes!
“Uh, sir?” His maid finally interjected at the fifteen-minute mark of Suoh holding two packets side by side, to his face. He turned to her and she sighed, “Why don’t you get both?”
“Both?” He raised an eyebrow as if he hadn’t thought of it before.
“Yes, both. Save one for later,” she motioned to the basket and the student plopped the two packets down in it. Checking out and arriving at his house was easy, the mere matter of avoiding his grandmother was the difficult part. He didn’t want her to know he’d be in the kitchen preparing his own food for once, in fear of what lecture he’d be getting today. Besides! One should at least know how to boil water!
Except, he had no idea where to start.
Instead of bothering dear Haruhi, he picked up his phone and clicked the Facetime button to his dearest Kyoya, who declined it instantly. The nerve. How could he reject such an important call when potatoes were on the line? The potatoes weren’t just for him and his stomach, but rather for him and Haruhi. He was going to bring her a steaming bowl and serve her, yes he was!
He could just see it. Haruhi, in her hovel, covered in dirt, answered the door. She would look at him with hollowed eyes and smile, just faintly, at the sight of Tamaki [the heroine] bringing her warm food. Hell, he knew she probably wouldn’t have had a fresh meal in so long! She would have to repay him … with a kiss!
Tamaki pressed the Facetime button for the fifth time and pressed his lips together. If Kyoya didn’t answer this time he was going to go for one of the twins, perhaps Honey-senpai if he was desperate. But finally, his friend answered from a cocoon in his bed.
“What.” He sneered, a tired haze in his vision as he glared at the phone before him.
The blonde had set up his phone to rest vertically against a paper towel rack. He stood back a bit and picked up the packet of mashed potatoes, grinning as he brought them into view, “I got instant mashed potatoes, for Haruhi!”
“And you’re calling me for what reason?” Kyoya raised an eyebrow, pushing his glasses up with his middle finger, clearly pointing at his friend.
“Well, you’re smart! I need you to make these! As my friend and as a part of the H-” Tamaki began before he was cut off by a, “You have five seconds before I hang up.”
His friend frowned, “Do you know how to boil water?”
At that, Ootori groaned and set his phone down, cursing loudly. After a few moments, the raven-haired boy picked up his cellular device and groaned, “Put a pot full of water on the stovetop.”
“And then what?” Tamaki blinked a few times.
“Turn. It. On. Until. It. Bubbles.” Then Kyoya hung up. Well, he didn’t need him anyway. With just that little bit of information and the instructions on the back of the packet, Tamaki was set for making Haruhi delicious instant mashed potatoes. He turned on his heel and rummaged through his cabinets, searching tirelessly for a pot that wasn’t too big but wasn’t too small. Like goldie locks, trying to find something just right.
He came across a pot in retrospect was too big, but that would be fine, right? The boy skimmed the packet and tossed it to the side, promptly ignoring the amount of water needed and adding an excess amount. Setting it carefully on the stove, he turned the dial until it was on the highest setting and waited.
“Jeez, boiling water takes forever,” he huffed to himself as he waited for what felt like hours but was about ten minutes. The water slowly but surely began to boil. At first, it was small little bubbles gracing the surface before it turned into a monstrous, and very overflowing, pot of boiling water. Perfect! The student took the packet ripped it, right in the middle of the directions, and dumped the contents into the boiling water, causing it to spill a lot, and everywhere. Tamaki shrieked and ducked down, narrowly missing a huge spill that could have easily left a potato-shaped scar on his perfect skin.
Tamaki’s maid rushed in at the sound of his dramatic screaming, holding a knife for some... Reason..?- in her hand. She looked around the room and deflated at the sight of her master cowering behind the kitchen island, “Sir, it’s just boiling water.”
“It tried to kill me!” He whined, pointing a shaking finger at the pot, “I followed the instructions!” Well, that was a half-truth. He skimmed the instructions and did what he remembered in the order he thought was right. The boy's maid walked around the island, setting down her knife and grabbing the knob of the stove, lowering it.
“You need to start mixing it until it forms. Then get a container and bring it to Ms. Haruhi,” she explained delicately, motioning to the pot as it began to subdue and eventually, stop bubbling. Suoh nodded with a newfound sense of determination and stood, approaching the stove-top demon with a spatula in his hand. The water was starting to clump which was probably normal and as he stirred it, it began to form into commoner’s mashed potatoes!
Some part of him was proud, even if it was just a small feat. Having his hand held for so much of his life, Tamaki lost the ability to learn key things to survive. I.E. boiling water. Although, he was surprised someone of higher status than him knew, so maybe it was a him thing. Either way, he was looking forward to seeing Haruhi’s face. Even if it wasn’t the best, and even if it tasted gross. Just to see her smile. Her smile could light up a room with ease. And it was a shame she didn’t do it much.
After he let the potatoes cool enough to be stored in a glass container, the boy packaged it and went on his merry way. He chose to even add a pink bow around the lid and bottom of the container. There wasn’t a particular rhyme or reason, but more so because he wanted this to be special. He wasn’t sure if Haruhi had any romantic feelings for him, but he didn’t care. He wanted to show her he cared even if she never reciprocated. Was this what love was? To love unconditionally even if they never loved you back? What heavy themes for 5 PM.
Tamaki insisted on having his car drop him off in front of a different building than his friends, so he could enjoy a scenic walk over to her apartment complex. And, so no one alerted her of his surprise visit. In his hands, he clutched the container and prayed he wouldn’t slip or mess up in any way. He walked up the stairs and counted slowly until he arrived at the Fujioka’s abode.
With one hand holding the potatoes, he used the other to knock delicately. On the other side of the door, he heard some muffled music stop and some shuffling, a small crash, then finally the doorknob jingle a bit. The boy's stomach was practically in knots at this point, waiting for her to open the door and see him, holding these potatoes for him. He had to admit, it was kind of silly bringing her potatoes, but he figured she’d appreciate the gesture.
“..Senpai?” Haruhi furrowed her brows upon seeing him. She was in casual clothes which was such a treat to see, but enough on that. Her big brown eyes looked at him curiously before following the small trail of steam down to the container of potatoes, “Why did you bring me potatoes?”
“Dear Haruhi!” Tamaki began, overdoing his theatrics just to make her giggle a bit, “I’ve made you … Commoners mashed potatoes! All made by,” he held it out to her and winked, “Your’s truly.” The girl eyed it for a bit before taking it in her smaller hands. She looked at the container and smiled, completely shocked at the gesture or his presence at all. It was strange to see him there, and it was strange that he showed up with potatoes of all things.
She pressed her lips together and stared at the lid thoughtfully. She was really debating something, it was obvious from the way her fingers lightly fiddled with the lid. Suoh inhaled and tried to feign confidence, but he was beginning to worry he had overstepped or done something totally uncool with … potatoes.
He stood up straight and smiled nervously, “Uh.. ahah.. Do you.. Like it…?” Like a little kicked puppy, his imaginary ears were flattened against his head, hoping he didn’t just make a big mistake. Was it secretly rude to bring commoners instant mashed potatoes? Did he offend her?
Haruhi looked up at him, a different expression on her face. Her cheeks were lightly flushed pink and a wide smile pulled at her small lips, “Do you want to come in?” Then she paused, “We can try it together.”
Oh.