Ugh. She was so not in the mood for this today. The host club had showed up at her door on a Sunday morning insisting they go out for some club activities.

"Come on Haruhi, let's go to the commoner's supermarket," Kaoru suggested.

"Yeah! Commoner's supermarket! Commoner's supermarket!" Hikaru, Tamaki and Honey cheered with him.

Great, looks like she would be cooking lunch for the Host Club again. Well, at least she'd be able to get her shopping done.

The shopping trip was pretty uneventful. Kyoya asked questions about coupons, Mori pushed Honey in a cart and the twins fawned over the coffee isle. The club's president was uncharacteristically quiet, but he did offer to carry some of her bags, to which she accepted. She didn't notice, as the club's vice president did, that the reason Tamaki was so quiet was because he had spent the whole shopping trip looking at her.

The group was walking back to the apartment. In a group full of friendly chatter. Honey, Mori, and the twins were at the front of the group joking around, Kyoya and Tamaki were in the middle discussing club matters and Haruhi brought up the rear.

They were a block away from the apartment, the four leading the group had already crossed the street, and the back three were lagging behind. Kyoya had just crossed and looked to see what was holding the other two up. Tamaki had turned to take more of Haruhi's bags.

None of the boys saw it coming.

Haruhi had caught a side glance of the car just in time to push Tamaki out of the way.

When Tamaki looked up from the sidewalk to ask why she pushed him he saw the front of the car impact and sent Haruhi flying.

He felt his blood run cold when he heard the crack.

He was totally numb for a moment, then he heard the squeal of tires and then every nerve ending was on fire.

Everything moved so fast. In the back of his mind, Tamaki heard Kyoya call for help and the yells of the twins at the car.

The next thing he knew, he was sitting in a waiting room of one of the Ootori family's hospitals with the other members of the club.

The other members looked on with worried glances as Tamaki sat with his head in his hands. He had spoken to no one since Haruhi had been hit, but every once in a while they would hear a "Why?" or a "Why didn't I see it coming?". He shook his head, ran his hands through his hair and continued mumbling to himself.

The doors to the waiting room opened and all of the members of the Host Club, save Tamaki, looked up. One of the officers from the Ootori's private police force was escorting in Mr. Fujioka and Chairman Suoh.

Kyoya tapped Tamaki on the shoulder and said in a hushed tone, "Tamaki, Ramka is here."

Tamaki looked up with a mix of grief, pain, and horror in his eyes.

He looked at Ramka who had sat in one of the uncomfortable waiting room chairs across from him and said in a quiet voice, "Sir, I am so sorry."

Chairman Suoh could see the pain and anguish in his son's eyes. He had known from the moment he saw Tamaki and Haruhi together that his son had feelings for the girl. He himself had liked her right off the bat.

The doctor came in and asked for Ramka. Everyone remaining in the room hoped it wasn't bad news. Chairman Suoh made a motion signaling Kyoya to come and speak with him. When Kyoya came over, the elder spoke first.

"What exactly happened?"

Haruhi's father had finished his update with the doctor and noticed the conversation and moved closer to hear. All he had been told by the officer was that his daughter was hit by a car but none of the circumstances surrounding it.

"Well sir, I want to start by saying none of this was Tamaki's fault," Kyoya said, less for the chairman and more for Mr. Fujioka. "None of us saw the car coming, we were crossing the street, Honey-senpai, Mori-senpai and the twins had already made it across as had I. I turned around to see what was holding up Tamaki and Haruhi and I saw her push him. Haruhi must have seen the car coming when the rest of us didn't and pushed Tamaki to get him out of the way."

"So she saved my son's life?"

"Very likely, yes."

"Tamaki seems to be taking it hard, even harder than the rest of you," Chairman Suoh observed.

"She was hurt trying to protect him; it's understandable that he feels guilty. We had to pull him away when the paramedics arrived because he didn't want to leave her," Kyoya explained. He noticed the widening of Ramka's eyes when he said this.

"I knew he cared for the girl, I myself am fond of her, but I had no idea Tamaki cared so much. Though, now that I think about it, she was able to convince him to stay in Japan instead of returning to France," the chairman voiced his thoughts aloud. He knew why Kyoya made the comments he did, he had overheard Tamaki wailing on the phone to Kyoya a about how Haruhi's father didn't like him.

"I hope this will be enough to scare some sense into Tamaki. We all know he has feelings for Haruhi, she's the only one who doesn't know and he's too afraid to say it," Kyoya grumbled.

Ramka heard all of this and tried to absorb it all. He looked at the blond boy who still had his head in his hands... Maybe he had been a little harsh on the boy, protective or not.

Ramka moved over to where Tamaki was sitting, sat down next to him and put his hand on his shoulder.

Tamaki's lifted his head to see who was trying to get his attention, his eyes widened when he saw it was Ramka.

Ramka looked at the young man contemplatively. He could see the tears streaked around Tamaki's violet eyes.

"Sir, I am so sorry. I didn't even see it coming. I would've pulled her out of the way if I had," Tamaki said miserably, so quietly that Ramka almost didn't hear him.

"I know. It's not your fault," Ramka said, patting the young man's shoulder. "I don't believe you would ever let harm come to Haruhi if you could help it."

Everyone looked up as they heard the doors to the waiting room opened.

"Family of Haruhi Fujioka?" the doctor, dressed in surgical scrubs, asked.

Chairman Suoh and Mr. Fujioka were both quite surprised when all of the Host Club stood as well.

The doctor looked confused for a moment until Mr. Fujioka stepped forward and said, "I am Haruhi's father."

The doctor looked at the others in the room for a moment, debating on whether or not to speak. "These are Haruhi's friends, whatever you have to say to me, you can say to them."

"Well sir, your daughter made it through surgery beautifully, but we will be keeping her overnight for observation. She had a compound fracture of her left leg. We set the bone and did as much repair to the tissue as possible, there should be little to no scarring. She will have to take it easy for a while. She also has a minor concussion. All in all, she was very lucky, it could have been much worse."

"Can I go back to see her?" Ramka asked.

"She is still unconscious from the anesthetic, but she should be waking up soon. I see no reason why she can't have visitors as long as you remain quiet." With that, the doctor left to tend to other patients.

"Any of you boys are welcome to come back with me to see her," Ramka said to all of the Host Club and then he headed back to the room. Mori, Honey, Hikaru and Kaoru followed him.

Tamaki had a look of fear in his eyes when Kyoya approached him. The chairman decided to stay back and observe.

"Tamaki, you should go see her."

"Yeah, but what do I say?" asked Tamaki nervously.

"Say thank you for her protecting you and then tell her how you feel." Kyoya made sure to emphasize the last part.

"Tell her? Are you crazy?" Tamaki's eyes nearly popped out of his head.

"So you admit you have feelings for her," Kyoya smirked. "And you are crazy if you don't. We all know, Tamaki. We've known since the beginning. Haruhi is the only one who doesn't."

Tamaki sighed in defeat. "What if I screw it up? I always seem to fumble for words around her."

Kyoya chuckled, "Then I know she's the one. She's the only woman you've never been able to smooth talk, so don't try it. You seem to do best with her when you don't try too hard, just go in, you'll know what to say."

By the time Kyoya and Tamaki made it back to the room, the other four were planning on making an excursion to the gift shop and Ramka was planning on going with them, also planning on getting some flowers for his little girl.

"Well, I do believe I will go with them, if only to make sure they don't harass the staff too much," Kyoya said.

Tamaki sat in the chair beside Haruhi's bed and gently took her hand.

"I'm so sorry Haruhi. I promised to protect you, and when you needed me I failed you."

"It wasn't your fault," a voice rasped out. Tamaki's head shot up and looked up into Haruhi's half-lidded eyes.

"Haruhi!"

"Are you okay, senpai?" she started coughing.

Tamaki went and fetched a pitcher of water and a glass from the sink.

"Really?! You get hit by a car, thrown in the air, have a broken leg and a concussion and you ask if I'm alright?" he asked incredulously.

"Hey, I know how I'm feeling, I just want to know if you're ok," Haruhi said, looking at him defiantly.

Tamaki wore a look of defeat and a wry smile.

"I'm fine, scared half to death, but fine."

"Did they catch the driver?" Haruhi rasped out, still sleepy.

"The Ootori Private Police Force are looking for them," Tamaki chuckled darkly. "They better hope we don't find them, not so sure I can restrain myself and I know those doppelgängers can't. Even Kyoya looked like he wanted a piece of them."

"Senp-"

"Haruhi, I-"

They looked at each other for a moment.

"You first," they said in unison and then chuckled.

"Go ahead, senpai."

"Haruhi, I..I.. I wanted to say thank you."

"For what?" Haruhi looked bewildered.

"For protecting me! For putting yourself at risk to get me out of harm's way. I may not agree with your methods, but I appreciate it."'

"Senpai, it's not that big of a deal, you would've done the same for me," she said quietly.

"In a heartbeat, and it's Tamaki," he chuckled.

"Huh?"

Tamaki held her hand again, rubbed the back with his thumbs and spoke quietly.

"After everything we've been through, not just today but since the day we've met, maybe it's time to drop the formalities? What do you say, Haruhi?" He looked up at her hopefully. Haruhi blushed lightly and looked away.

"S-s-sure Sen-Tamaki."

His name sounded beautiful on her lips and it gave him the courage to push forward.

"Haruhi?" he asked shyly, beginning to blush himself.

"Yes, Tamaki?" She looked him in the eyes. Those big doe eyes, he had to look away or lose his nerve. He began rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

"W-well I was wondering if- if, ugh!"

"What is it, sen- Tamaki?" she was concerned, she had never seen him at a loss for words before.

"Haruhi, I-I-I care about you," he finally spat out.

"I know, I'm your 'little girl'," she rolled her eyes.

"No! That's not what I meant!" he was scrambling to find his words. He looked at her leg, covered in a cast and he thought about how he felt his heart stop when she was hit.

"Tamaki?" He had been quiet for too long, had kept his feelings to himself for too long.

He squeezed her hand and he smiled when she squeezed back.

"Haruhi, I am not your father, I don't see you as my daughter. I just felt like that was the only way I could get close to you."

Haruhi looked at him. "But why…?"

He cut her off, "Please Haruhi let me say this before I can't."

She nodded and he went on. He looked her right in the eye and she could see the fear in those violet pools.

"Haruhi, I –I, oh darn it!"

"Senpai, whatever it is, you know you can tell me, right?" She gave him a look that made him melt.

"Right. Haruhi, before I say this, I just want you to know that nothing I say is at any way related to what happened today, though I will admit that it did give me a push to say it- "

"Tamaki just spit it out!" she knew if she let him ramble on he would just get wound up again.

"What I'm trying to say is: I like you, Haruhi. Not as a father and as more than a friend."

She was shocked beyond words, she knew she had feelings for him the day she chased him down on the bridge, but he had never said anything and she had just assumed he wasn't interested.

She hadn't answered back and Tamaki was beginning to fidget.

"Really?" she whispered, afraid she had heard him wrong.

Tamaki began to have hope. "Yes, and if you would give me the chance, and if your father doesn't kill me for asking, I'd like to take you out for dinner."

Haruhi giggled at the comment about her father.

"Well if you wouldn't mind taking a girl on crutches out to dinner, then I'd love to."

"I don't mind, least of all if it's you." He wiggled his eyebrows at her, trying to act charming.

"Then it's a date." She smiled at him and he gave her a kiss on the forehead. He sat back on his seat and they began chatting and joking away.

They had no idea that their fathers were both standing outside the door smiling and nodding at each other, Kyoya was wearing a smug grin, and the rest of the Host Club was cheering silently and giving each other high fives.

AN: This is only my second OHSHC fic, so please let me know what you think! If I get enough reviews, I may add another chapter.