~Chapter 7~

Confession

~Finale~

As she slowly regained consciousness, she caught the sweet scent of milk and fresh bread. The soft clink of glass reached her ears and the thought of Hunny's return made her bolt upright in the futon. "Mitsukuni-senpai!" she called, expecting to see the cheerful loli-shota but it was only Nishina-san beside her.

Nishina smiled gently at the bemused girl. "Good morning, child. Breakfast is ready." She said cheerfully. As Haruhi sat up properly, Nishina placed the tray over her lap. Slices of ham and two fluffy scrambled eggs were served with fresh loaves of bread, a mug of warm milk and a small pot of jam. Her mouth watered at the sight of the feast before her. "Thank you, Nishina-san. This is very sweet of you." She said, amazed.

"Oh, actually, this is Mitsukuni's idea." Nishina grinned at the look of surprise on Haruhi's face. "He said breakfast in bed will charge you up and picked the strawberry jam to complement your meal since you like strawberries." She explained, as she lifted the lid of the small pot and revealed the jam in question.

"He's as thoughtful as ever." Haruhi thought with a smile. "So, where is Mitsukuni-senpai now? Will he join me for breakfast?" she asked, looking at Nishina hopefully.

However, Nishina shook her head. "I'm sorry but he already left this morning. He said you needed more rest so he left alone." She gazed at Haruhi's face more closely. "I can see why. You have dark circles under your eyes, dear." She observed.

Haruhi blinked. "Well, I…I had a lot of things on my mind." She admitted. "Even now." she added to herself as she brought the mug to her lips and sipped. The milk warmed her from the inside but it did nothing to calm her thoughts. She wanted answers and the source of it all is nowhere to be found. "It can't end like this", she thought, wrapping her fingers around the mug.

"Well then, eat your breakfast and be ready in an hour. Your school uniform and bag are at the couch and later, a car will arrive to take you to school shortly." When the girl merely nodded her head, Nishina sighed. "Dear child, look at me." She implored.

Haruhi raised her eyes to meet hers. "No matter what happened last night, don't lose hope. Be strong, my child. Everything will work out fine, you'll see." Nishina smiled, patting Haruhi's head fondly. "Besides, the kimono's spell doesn't wear off that easily." She winked at her.

That was all the encouragement she needed to hear to get the shimmer of hope back into her eyes. "Thank you, Nishina-san." Haruhi smiled, feeling much better despite all her fears and doubts. It didn't seem fair to let them worry needlessly when she spent a wonderful day here in their residence. Nishina and her husband Daigo had been very accommodating hosts and for that she is utterly grateful.

Once she's alone, she took the bread knife and spread the jam over her toasted bread. She savored the strawberry flavor with each bite. "All my troubles can wait," she thought. She looked at the windows and saw a beautiful day waiting outside. I'll leave this place with a smile, she vowed and with that thought in mind, she felt much lighter as she prepared to face the day ahead.

After a tearful farewell and a promise to come back, Haruhi made her way down the side of the mountain through an old stone staircase. After half an hour, she noticed the car that brought her and Hunny to the mountains the first time. The driver in a black suit stepped out of the car and bowed to her in greeting. She stepped inside the car, as he opened the car door for her. Once settled in, he informed her that all her belongings were taken to her house earlier and he will escort her to Ouran Gakuen directly. Haruhi muttered her thanks and then they were on their way in silence.

Haruhi arrived in her classroom a few seconds before the bell rang. She quickly went to her seat and heaved a sigh of relief. She would have greeted the twins but the teacher arrived too soon. They all stood up to greet the teacher respectfully and as Haruhi settled down she was back to her usual focused and studious self. Later, in the middle of the discussion and Haruhi taking down notes, a small paper airplane landed over her notebook. She glanced on her left and saw Hikaru motioning her to open the plane.

Discreetly, she unfolded it and read the message within. It says, "We have no host club activities today. –Hikaru". Her brows furrowed in confusion, she looked at Hikaru and mouthed the word "Why".

Soon, another paper airplane landed on her notebook. This time it's from Kaoru. It says, "Tono's orders. -Kaoru"

She glanced at Kaoru and found him with his cheek resting on his knuckles. Just by looking at him, he may have fooled the teacher into thinking that he's listening but his smirk is a dead giveaway of his preoccupation. Grinning, she turned the paper over and wrote a big "THANKS!" in the middle. When the teacher turned her back, Haruhi flashed the message to each twin. Hikaru gave her a thumbs up while Kaoru simply glanced at her and winked. Afterwards, she hid the slips of paper between the sheets of her notebook and continued her note taking.

Truth be told, she had mixed feelings about the cancelled club activity. First, she felt relieved because she didn't have to see Tamaki or Hunny soon. Her feelings are a jumbled mess after last night. But she also felt anxious because she couldn't clarify Hunny's feelings for her just yet.

The classes went well, but at times, her mind would wander to recall the times she shared with Hunny even before their weekend getaway. The more she thought, the more she noticed how little she interacted with him and most of the time it was Hunny who initiated the contact, not her. It was always him who hugs her from behind, who shares half of his cakes with her, who calls her Haru-chan in a cheerful voice, who protects her from harm every chance he gets and who watches out for her whenever they're together. If she hadn't heard Hunny's confession last night, she would have been oblivious about his feelings forever and unknowingly caused him pain.

A gentle tap on her shoulder brought her back to her senses. "Fujioka-san, are you feeling okay?" the teacher asked in concern.

Haruhi struggled to keep herself from crying. "I… don't feel so good, sensei. May I be excused for a moment?" she asked, her voice rough with emotion.

The teacher gave her permission to go so Haruhi stood up and quickly made her way out of the classroom. The twins could only look at her retreating figure with worried expressions.

Haruhi didn't go to the infirmary; instead she went downstairs with the intention of going to the school garden where she rests during breaks However, as she was about to turn the corner, she overheard girlish squeals of delight and then a familiar laughter. She stopped in her tracks and leaned against the wall. Carefully, she looked from behind the wall and sure enough, she saw Tamaki leaning against the window frame with girls all around him, as popular as ever. Haruhi had expected him to be depressed about last night. But there he was- smiling that princely smile while he sweet talked his way into the ladies' hearts, just like always. "He's back to his usual self", she thought. "Good for him."

She was about to back away, lost in her own thoughts when suddenly one of the girls asked him a question. "Tamaki-sama, what happened to your hand?" she asked curiously, pointing at Tamaki's bandaged left hand. Haruhi stiffened at the question.

"Oh this?" Tamaki lifted his hand and looked at it thoughtfully. "It resulted from an act of folly on my part." He said, smiling sadly.

Sensing his sudden melancholic mood, the ladies exchanged worried glances. They half-expected Tamaki to divulge a heroic story in getting that wound but it seemed to them that he doesn't want to talk about it. As fans, they know at least that much. They swiftly changed the topic to put Tamaki at ease. Meanwhile, Haruhi was surprised by Tamaki's response. It was rare for him to admit his idiocy or any allusion to that extent. Suddenly, her breath caught in her throat as she saw Hunny coming from behind one of the ladies. She instinctively hid behind the wall before he could notice her there.

"Konnichiwa, minna~" Hunny greeted as he skipped happily towards the group, in that cheery voice she knew so well. The ladies squealed the loli-shota's nickname, silently thanking their lucky stars to have the two hosts with them.

As they exchanged pleasantries, Haruhi leaned weakly against the wall, her heart pounding in her chest. She hadn't expected Hunny to show up right there. Though she had planned to seek him out before school was over, she honestly didn't know how to face him. Heck, she didn't even know what to say to him. But in her heart she knew she had to see him, to talk to him for she can't leave things as it is. She made up her mind and decided to wait for them to finish talking so that she could follow Hunny out and talk to him before the day ends. With that thought in mind, she took a deep breath and peeked from behind the wall to gaze at Hunny with new eyes.

There, Hunny stood before Tamaki with a smile on his face, his arms outstretched like a bird ready to take flight as he giggled and babbled random stories to his enthralled listeners. She felt a pang of disappointment. He looked so carefree and cheerful, making Haruhi wonder how he could be so. She had been thinking about him all day and yet here he was looking unaffected.

After a while, Tamaki coughed and the small group turned towards him. "I'm sorry to interrupt your lively conversation ladies but could you leave us for a moment? I want to talk with Hunny-senpai for a bit." He said, addressing the ladies with an apologetic smile. The ladies quickly said their farewells and walked away together. Though they wanted to stay, they couldn't just ignore a request from their prince. Once they're out of sight, Tamaki looked away guiltily from his senpai's searching gaze.

"So, uhm, how's your wound, Tama-chan?" Hunny asked, breaking the silence that fell between them.

"Ah, well," he rubbed his neck absently with his right hand, "It's healing nicely. No stitches were needed and uh, Kyoya gave me an ointment for it." he replied awkwardly. After a moment's hesitation, Tamaki faced Hunny squarely, his expression earnest. "H-Hunny-senpai!"

"Nani?"

He stood straight, his hands on his sides. "For the stunt I pulled and for all the hurtful things I've said last night, I-I'm really sorry!" he bowed his head in apology. "It was unmanly of me to treat you like that. You have always been a good friend to me and yet I-" his voice trembled. "I-I'm so ashamed of my behavior. Please forgive me!"

Hunny looked at his kouhai fondly. Tamaki is easily carried away by his emotions but when he makes a mistake, he admits it like a man and he had always admired that part of him. "Raise your head, Tama-chan. There's nothing to forgive." He said, patting Tamaki's head. "You acted like that for a reason, right?"

Tamaki raised his head. "Yes…" he met Hunny's gaze, blushing as he did so. "I-I've realized that I love Haruhi." He whispered so only Hunny can hear.

Hunny felt something pierce his heart but he ignored it and smiled jovially instead. "That's great, Tama-chan! Finally, you've realized it!" he chirped, patting Tamaki's back in congratulations.

"Still! It's no excuse! I acted badly and I should be punished!" Tamaki insisted, his right fist clenched before him. "I'll do anything for you, Hunny-senpai. Just name it!"

"Really, Tama-chan, there's no need for you to-" Hunny was suddenly struck by an idea. "Wait, I know! I'm graduating in a few months time, right?"

"I'm listening."

"Then Tama-chan, I want you to promise me that you'll take good care of Haru-chan, all right?" Hunny said, extending his pinkie towards Tamaki. "Swear on it."

"No!" Haruhi thought in disbelief as she saw Tamaki straightened up and caught Hunny's pinkie with his own. "I have to stop them with something- anything-" she looked around frantically.

Tamaki looked at Hunny straight in the eye. "Hunny-senpai. I'll continue looking after Haruhi like before. I swear it upon my-" but before he could finish his promise, a shoe came flying towards them. Acting on instinct, Hunny caught the shoe with his free hand before it could pass between them.

It didn't hit either of them but shock made Tamaki's knees to buckle and then he sank on the ground heavily. He looked at the shoe in Hunny's hand. "W-Who could have thrown such a thing at us? Is this heaven's way of telling me I can't redeem myself anymore?" he asked in a hysterical voice. Hunny sighed. Of all the hosts, Tamaki is always prone to believe in superstitions so he couldn't blame him to think like that.

"Tama-chan, you did nothing wrong, okay?" Hunny said firmly, as he pulled Tamaki on his feet. "Go join Kyou-chan at the club room for now. Let's talk later after you've calmed down, neh?" he smiled encouragingly.

Tamaki simply nodded and made his way to the third music room as instructed. As Tamaki turned the corner, Hunny looked at the leather shoe in his hand with a pensive expression in his face.

"I shouldn't have done that." Haruhi muttered over and over as she ran to the school garden wearing only one of her shoes. It wasn't her intention to hurt any of them; she just wanted to interrupt Tamaki from making another frivolous oath on her behalf.

As she caught sight of the familiar tree, she slowed down and approached the tree reverently. Even with all the emotional turmoil, she felt calm and safe coming to that place. As she sat down under its shade, she willed her body to relax through deep steadying breaths. After a while, she looked up and watched the leaves gently sway with the breeze. She smiled reminiscently, thinking that this place hadn't changed at all. Just last week, she had peacefully taken a nap there and was awakened by Hunny. Back then, she was unaware of Hunny's feelings and just regarded him with exasperation. She even forgot to thank him for waking her up. She shook her head in dismay.

"The next time it happens, I will react differently." Haruhi said to herself. "That is, if there is a next time." She whispered sadly, as she hugged her knees closer.

With the time she had mulling over things, she finally understood that Hunny had given her many hints about his true feelings. He has been honest with her from the start and yet she had utterly missed noticing it before. She had casually brushed his declarations aside thinking that he was only playing with her. And now that she'd heard him ask Tamaki to look after her, it made his intention to give up become clear and the moment Tamaki accepts it would make things final. She didn't like that so she interfered.

Haruhi sighed tiredly and looked up again. "Okaa-san, what am I going to do? I'm not sure about my feelings yet but I don't want him to give up. Is that selfish of me?" she whispered the question that's been weighing on her mind since last night. She closed her eyes for a bit and let the breeze be her source of comfort. After a few moments, the leaves and the trunk shook as an unknown entity landed on the tree. She gasped as Hunny dropped from the tree to stand before her. "I-Found-you!" he said triumphantly.

"Ah, senpai! What are you doing here?" she asked, as she stood up in surprise.

"I think this belongs to you." Hunny said, showing the leather shoe in his right hand.

Haruhi paled. "How… how did you know?" she asked breathlessly, as she hid her socked foot behind the other unconsciously.

"Well~ there's only one person in this school who wears shoes with an unheard of brand." He said, flipping the shoe over to reveal the brand.

Haruhi felt her cheeks flame in embarrassment. "S-Sorry for wearing low class shoes." She said defensively as she tried to grab the shoe. But Hunny only giggled and held the shoe away.

"I'm just teasing you, Haru-chan. You don't have to be so angry." He said, wiggling the shoe teasingly before her. "I saw you before you left, that's why I knew it's yours."

"Okay, I get it. So just give it back now." Haruhi said in frustration as she made another lunge and missed again. Actually, it wasn't just the about the shoe, she just feel so upset about him and his carefree attitude now. It's like she's the only one who worried needlessly about this encounter. "Is this what he meant by giving up? By acting like nothing happened?" she gritted her teeth as she made a grab for it again.

Hunny giggled as he sidestepped to avoid Haruhi's reach. "Just calm down, Haru-chan. You might hurt your foot if you keep going at me." He said, wagging his finger in warning. Haruhi ignored it and kept on chasing him. But he was too fast for her and the more he eluded her, the more frustrated she grew until finally she snapped. "I've had it. Keep the shoe for all I care!" Haruhi fumed, letting all the pain in her heart wash over her. "I-It doesn't matter anymore!" She said, her throat tight.

Hunny stopped prancing around; his smile is replaced by genuine concern. "Haru-chan, what's wrong?"

"What's wrong? I should ask you the same question." she said, stepping towards him menacingly. "Why did you ask Tamaki-senpai to swear another frivolous oath? I thought I made it clear that I don't need a guardian!" she added, poking his chest with her forefinger to emphasize her last statement. Though she couldn't accept him giving up, she can't let him decide what's best for her either.

Hunny looked at her guiltily. "I, uh, I just want someone to take care of you always…" he replied.

"And Tamaki-senpai is the perfect choice?" Haruhi asked, disbelief written on her face.

Hunny shifted uncomfortably under her gaze. "Tama-chan is like a prince. He knows how to treat girls, he takes his vows seriously and besides he- he loves you very much." His voice caught in his throat. "He said so himself! Boy~ you should have seen the look on his face!" he smiled though it didn't reach his eyes.

Upon seeing his facial expression, something clicked inside her head. The reason Hunny is being carefree isn't because he doesn't care but because he is trying to act like his normal self towards her. He didn't know she heard his late night confession. And if it were the oblivious her, she would have noticed nothing out of the blue in his behavior.

At that moment, she knew what she must do. "Why can't it be you, senpai?" she asked softly, blushing.

Hunny dropped her shoe on the ground. "What did you say?" he looked at her wide eyed, hardly daring to breath.

"Tamaki-senpai is not the only prince. You treat girls well, you take your vows seriously and besides... you love me, too." Hunny gasped, realizing what Haruhi just said. Haruhi looked deeply into his eyes. "I'm not sure about my feelings yet but if I am such a princess in your eyes, the one I want to fuss over me, to drag me around and to protect me is you, Mitsukuni-senpai, no one else." She confessed.

Tears trickled down his eyes unnoticed, as his hand moved over his heart. "Is- is this for real or am I dreaming?" he whispered, unable to believe the turn of events.

Haruhi smiled, "Do you want me to pinch your cheeks for you?" she teased, patting his cheek with a careless finger.

With a cry, Hunny flung himself to Haruhi and hugged her so tightly she could barely breathe. "Haruhi…" A tremor of recognition ran through her as he called her by her first name repeatedly. "I-I've always wanted to be your prince but I thought it's just a dream. I'm so happy my feelings finally reached you. Finally… finally…" he said haltingly as he sobbed.

Despite herself, she got teary eyed too. She felt overwhelmed by the depth of his feelings for her. She felt it in his touch, in his voice- in his whole being. Even she can't believe how an extraordinary person like him can love her this much. And there is one thing about him that endeared him to her the most.

When he raised his tear drenched face, she wiped away his tears with a handkerchief. "You know what, I love it when you're honest with me, Mitsukuni." She said, as she brushed his bangs aside in a gentle motion.

Tears flooded his eyes again. "That's a low blow, Haru-chan. Just when I'm about to calm down. Waah~" He cried.

She gazed at him lovingly. Her senpai, whose mature and strong, is bawling like a little kid before her. Maybe this is a kind of start towards love?

His tears kept on coming and she can't keep up on wiping them away. With a sigh, she decided to employ a technique she learned from a book that will stop a girl's tears. She cupped his face in her hands and said, "Mitsukuni." His gaze immediately focused on her as she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. The kiss lasted only for a bit but it had gone long enough to be considered chaste. Unlike her first kiss with a girl, this kiss made her tremble with unimaginable delight. She never thought his lips would feel so warm and soft against her own. When they parted, they were both breathing heavily.

But for some reason, Hunny got teary eyed again as he stared at her. Haruhi looked at him dazedly. "Why are you still crying? It's supposed to stop a girl's tears." she said, confused.

"I'm a man, Haru-chan and you ended it too soon. I hadn't put in my tongue yet!" he said boldly in protest.

Haruhi blushed. "Wha-?"

But before Haruhi could react, Hunny mimicked her actions earlier and brought her face to his. "One more time!" he declared and just like that, they shared their first real kiss as the prince and princess in their own private world.

As they walked back to the school building to attend their respective classes, Haruhi felt at peace. It felt like a heavy weight in her chest has been lifted and is replaced by sheer joy and excitement. She glanced at Hunny surreptitiously and found him smiling brightly as he hummed. She smiled. Somehow, it reminded her so much of their trek in the forest yesterday. It was a really fun memory. Just then, she remembered her literature assignment and found the perfect story to fit the assigned topic of the week.

"I've got it!" Haruhi exclaimed.

"What is it, Haru-chan?" he asked curiously.

"Ah, I just thought of what to write for my literature assignment!" she announced, squeezing Hunny's hand excitedly. "I'll do a short story about our trip together and call it "Weekend Escape"!"

"Hmm~ Is it really that unforgettable to you, Haru-chan?" he teased.

"Of course! It brought us closer together after all." She admitted, blushing as she did so. Hunny chuckled, obviously delighted by her straight answer.

She cleared her throat. "Anyway, you can help me write it, too." she added.

"Really? How can I help?" he asked, clapping his hands eagerly.

Haruhi smiled. "You can input your thoughts so it's not just my perspective but yours too. It will be a collaboration work!" she explained, obviously pleased with the idea.

Hunny considered the offer. "Hmm~ I don't know. I don't think you're ready to hear my thoughts yet..." he said cryptically.

Haruhi blinked. "Eh? Why?"

"Well, it might be too soon for you, Haru-chan." He grinned.

Haruhi caught him by the shoulders. "What do you mean? Explain it to me." She insisted.

"For example, do you remember when I said I want five kids?"

"Yes, I do." She nodded.

"I was thinking back then that you better prepare yourself for it, Haru-chan~" he smiled teasingly.

His statement quickly brought color to her cheeks and rendered her speechless. They barely even started going out and now he's proposing to her in an indirect sort of way about how far he has thought about their future together. Talk about moving fast.

Hunny grinned as he studied her expression for a moment. "See? That's why I told you, you're not ready to hear them yet." He said, tucking his hands behind his back nonchalantly.

"I-It's fine. Let's write it together!" Haruhi said in earnest. "I want to know your thoughts! I want to know that you enjoyed your stay with me as much as I do."

This time, it was Hunny's turn to blush. "Of course I loved every minute of it. It was a dream come true for me." he admitted shyly. "But if you really want to know the details then-" he smiled and extended his hand towards her. "Let's start writing then, Haru-chan!"

Haruhi took his hand happily and together, they ran the rest of the way as if their feet suddenly grew wings. She stared at their entwined hands, excited by the prospect of learning more about this loli-shota. The task will make them reveal embarrassing thoughts but she had some kind of premonition that their collaboration work is going to be a masterpiece.

After school, Hunny and Haruhi was sitting side by side at one of the tables inside the Host Club room. Haruhi was busy writing while Hunny watched her progress attentively. From time to time, Haruhi would ask him something and Hunny would whisper his answer in her ear. Afterwards, the brunette would blush and look flustered but will obediently write down what he said. Sometimes, the loli-shota will take the pen from her and write a few lines that made Haruhi laugh. They seemed engrossed in their task that they failed to notice the pairs of eyes watching from behind a crack in the front door.

Though there's no club activity, the other hosts wanted to hang out in the club room. But when they arrived and sensed the atmosphere hanging around the loli-shota and the precocious brunette, they couldn't barge in like they used to.

"They seem to be having fun." the twins commented in unison.

"I think it's best to leave them alone for a while." Kyoya said, adjusting his glasses.

"Ah." Mori agreed.

"Hey Tono, aren't you going to do anything?" Hikaru asked, eyeing the prince curiously.

"They could be dating for all we know." Kaoru added.

The twins expected the host king to make a fuss but they were surprised that Tamaki only shook his head with a confident smile. "How naive. If Hunny-senpai wants to date my daughter, he has to go through me first! But for now, I'll leave them alone." He looked inside the room one last time, absently stroking his bandaged hand. "I've already imposed on them enough."

The twins were about to ask him about it but Tamaki quickly looped his arms over the twins' shoulders and led them away. "Let's go, my comrades! I want to visit a commoners' supermarket today!" he announced. Kyoya and Mori exchanged glances and quietly followed the trio down the hall.

Meanwhile, Hunny glanced at the front door. "What is it? Is someone by the door?" Haruhi asked, as she noticed the direction of his gaze.

"Nope. I just thought we're totally alone right now." Hunny commented.

"Of course we are. There's no club activity and the others could be on their way home now." Haruhi replied, as she resumed her writing. Hunny stood up and moved away from his seat. Suddenly, Haruhi tensed as his arms wound around her shoulders from behind. "Haruhi~" he whispered playfully.

She relaxed. "What is it, Mitsukuni?" she asked, playing along.

Hunny rested his head at the nook of her neck and inhaled her sweet scent contentedly. "I love you very, very much!" he professed.

Haruhi felt tears clog her throat. "Well, I-"

"Shh~" Hunny crooned. "It's all right. You don't have to answer now. I just want to let you know."

Silently, she dropped her pen and held his arms tightly around her. Hunny is an important person to her now. Once she had sort out her feelings for him, she will let him know. Someday, she will confess to him straight from the heart. "Wait for me, okay?" she whispered.

"I always will."

~THE END~

A/N: Finally, it's done! Woo hoo~! *throws confetti in the air*

I'm so happy I've shipped Haruhi and Hunny like the way I wanted! I can literally see them being all cute and lovey dovey. Fufufu~

So, any final thoughts? This is your last chance to share how the story made you feel. C'mon~ I'm sure you wanna say something~ *nudges you with my elbow*

Anyway, thank you so much for sticking around and reading my fanfic! Stay tuned for more stories from me! :D

Take care everyone, have a nice day and always believe in love! Adieu! :D

P.S. Involving the other hosts' reaction is inspired by mcangel1976's review. Thank you so much dear! :)

This is how I value your comments, my dear readers. So don't hesitate to leave suggestions. I'll try my best to accommodate them. Tee hee~