Hello, everybody!

This is my first time writing for a manga (Cartoon? Yes. Book? Yes. TV show? Yes. Manga? No.), and to be honest I'm kind of nervous. I mean, it's kind of like writing for a telenovela, except I actually know a little about Mexican culture firsthand. But Japanese culture? No idea. An that's on top of the fact that after all the translations, I can't guarantee to properly match their speech patterns.

Gah.

Anyway, I'm giving this a shot. I plan to write a few more stories for Ouran High School Host Club, so keep your eyes peeled!

Disclaimer: Yeah...no. I'm not a mangaka. I don't even live in Japan. And I don't have the patience to learn how to draw. So no, I'm not Bisco Hatori, and I don't have the rights to Ouran High School Host Club or any of the characters, plotlines, etc.

WARNING!

DO NOT READ THIS IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE MANGA. IF YOU'VE ONLY SEEN THE ANIME, A LOT OF THIS WON'T MAKE SENSE. ALSO, MAJOR SPOILERS ARE AHEAD!

You have been warned.

Her hands brushed gently along the hem of her skirt, her eyes soft. The airport was packed with people, tourists and travelers, making noises and commotion. Despite all the busy clamor, however, she seemed totally lost in thought.

He glanced at her. Long ago, he could have told just with one look what she was thinking; they had known each other so well. And now, after 17 years of rare visits scattered across the calendar, he hadn't lost his touch. He studied her eyes, and put his hand on her shoulder.

She looked up.

His smile was the best, warmest one he could make. "I'm sure he'll stop by and visit you soon."

"Yeah..." her voice was soft, barely louder than a whisper.

He frowned at her. He couldn't imagine how she felt. He may have missed several years of Tamaki's life, but at least when they did see each other, Tamaki had been thrilled. But with his mom...he was acting as if he didn't even know her.

He sucked in air through his nose. "Really, though, I wouldn't worry about it. Knowing that boy, the second you're on that plane, he'll snap to his senses. And once he does, I'm sure he'll call up an entire kuugun* and lead the way to France."

Anne-Sophie wore a skeptic face, lips pinched and eyebrows lifted. "He can't possibly get his hands on that many planes."

"You haven't met his friends," was his reply, an amused smile dancing across his mouth. "Or the fangirls."

"Fangirls," she repeated, as if the word was foreign. "To be honest, I'm still trying to wrap my mind around that. He was never interested in getting attention like that before."

A light laugh bubbled out of him. "Well, I don't think he formed that club of his for the attention."

"I sure hope not," Anne-Sophie said, a smile teasing across her lips.

Yuzuru's eyes brightened. She finally seemed to be getting distracted and was even cheering up a bit. This was great. As much as it pained him to see Tamaki so upset, it hurt him more that Anne-Sophie had to suffer, too.

A voice poured in the room through the intercom. "Attention, everybody. The plane to France will be leaving in 20 minutes. We recommend all passengers board now."

Anne-Sophie bit her lip, then glanced up at Yuzuru. "I guess I should get on the plane now, huh?"

"I'll walk you," he said, taking her hand in his and squeezing it. They started walking out of the Special Lounge.

Just then, a figure slipped out of the shadows, right in front of Anne-Sophie. It was a person, wearing a dark cape, with a hood dripping over his eyes. He held a puppet in his hand, and deep shadows crossed his face.

"Madam," he said. His voice was raspy, and sent a chill down Anne-Sophie's spine. "You shouldn't get on board now."

She looked at the person, utterly bewildered. "Eh?" Her voice was a little weak.

The person seemed to drift closer. "If you go now, a deadly curse will fall upon you."

Yuzuru's eyebrows furrowed.

The cloaked stranger continued, laughing with an eerie uhuhuhuhu. "You need to wait at least another 10...15 minutes...uhuhuhuhuh...You're very beautiful."

Anne-Sophie swallowed, nervous and spooked, but also plain confused. She looked at the stranger and smiled gently. "Oh, I apologize but actually I don't believe in these things so much."

Yuzuru appeared even more confused. "Ne...Nekozawa-kun? You're one of my school's student, aren't you? What are you..."

His voice stopped abruptly, and that caused Anne-Sophie to pause. She glanced over at the man she loved, concern lining her face. He was looking down, away from her, hunched over slightly. Then—

"UHG! My stomach hurts!" Yuzuru stomped on the floor violently. There was a girl standing nearby that Anne-Sophie didn't recognize.

She felt panic rise in her stomach. When Yuzuru thumped to the ground, she couldn't take it anymore.

"Dear!" she cried out, voice in a frenzy. Her eyes were wide and she lunged for him.

"My stomach hurts," Yuzuru moaned, clutching his abdomen with his eyes clamped shut. His voice wavered. "Not enough to call an ambulance but enough to not let me move for at least 10 minutes!"

"KYAAAA!" she cried out, arms flailing. "DEAR!" Tears sputtered out of her eyes and she screeched, "Waaa! Waaa!" She wrapped her arms around him, and tried to meet his eyes. "Are you okay? You'll be okay, right?"

He shooke his head, then froze, and then nodded, eyes popping open. "I'll be fine, I think. Just give me some time."

"Are you sure you don't want an ambulance?" she asked, feeling some of the panic dissipate. Anxiety was still boiling in her stomach, however. "Because I know I can just—"

"I'm sure," he said, voice regaining composure. He looked up at her and smiled. "It's not that bad, really. Don't worry."

She bit her lip, deeply concerned. "Well, you need to sit down at least. Here, where's that pers..."

Her head swung around, looking for the stranger in black, but he had disappeared. Vanished. The thought was unnerving. He was gone as silently as he had appeared.

"I'll help," said a girl, stepping forward. She had long, light hair, and she tucked it behind her ear. "It's my duty, after all, as a student to a headmaster."

"Student?" Anne-Sophie asked. She wrapped Yuzuru's arm across her shoulder to give him support, and watched as the girl followed suit. "So you're a student at Ouran, then?"

"Yes," the girl said simply, before turning away from Anne-Sophie and focusing on the task at hand. A little groan shoved out of her mouth as she lifted the man up, and Anne-Sophie felt the strain, too. The muscles and tendons were stretching and pressing on her shoulder, and the two girls carried him over to a chair. He rolled out of their arms with a grunt, and collapsed in the chair, melting into the soft cushions. His eyes were still shut.

"Thank you," she said to the girl, who smiled and walked away. Anne-Sophie could have sworn she saw the swish of a cloak, but she brushed it out of her mind. She had far more important things to talk about.

"How badly does it hurt, dear?" Her fingers gently brushed across his arm, and her forehead was wrinkled with concern.

He shrugged, emitting another oddly loud groan. His face was contorted in a pained grimace. "Pretty bad."

"Was it something you ate?" Her voice was so soft, and her eyes matched.

"Maybe," he said, frowning. "But maybe not. We ate all the same things, right? And anyway, I trust our staff to make good food."

"Okay," she said, nodding slowly. Her eyes flickered up at a clock. They still had about 16 minutes until departure. She'd have to get on the plane soon. She glanced back at Yuzuru. "Maybe it's a health condition."

"No," he said, flicking an eye open at her. "The Ootori's hospitals have been keeping an eye on my health, and they're top-rate doctors. If I had a serious medical condition, they'd have told me."

She ran her hand across her face, trying to steady her breathing. "Then do you have any idea what it could be?"

He shrugged, then opened his mouth as if about to say something. But then he seemed to change his mind, and shut both his eyes again, and let out another loud groan. "Oh, my stomach."

"Dear," she said, frowning.

Yuzuru glanced up, staring at the entry doors with a wistful look on his face. Did he want to leave? Perhaps he just wanted to go back home and rest, but was staying here for her benefit. She took a shaky breath, and rested her hand on his cheek. He blinked, very slowly, then looked up at her. They exchanged glances, and he smiled at her. Her stomach felt fuzzy.

"Do you want to go home?" she asked, running the tips of her smooth fingers against his skin.

She watched as he just shook his head and continued to gaze at her. "No," he said. "I'm all right."

Her heart was beating now. The events of the past couple of weeks ran through her mind, filling her brain with an electric buzz. Tea in the main house. Dinner at lovely restaurants. Meeting the staff. Getting to tour the local area—and being disappointed when it turned out Yuzuru had been exaggerating the wonders of Japan or giving her false information over the years. Really, how dare he lead her to believe ninjas were still around?

Despite the fact that her son hadn't seen her, she had an amazing few weeks in Japan. Aside from all the attractions and the food and everything else, just getting to be with Yuzuru whenever she wanted was indescribable.

When they first started their relationship, they had to keep low, since he had a wife. Despite that, they had fallen in deep love, to the point where they had a child and Yuzuru ended the arranged marriage.

She had been so excited then, so sure she would get to marry him and they could live a happy life together. She had been eager to see the home of Yuzuru Suoh, and finally be with the love of her life.

But then his mother had forbidden it. Since then, she could only see him on the random occasion. In the meantime, she raised René**, who had always been kind to her. Just like his father.

She hadn't seen her son in three years, though.

Three years.

Her heart panged pitifully against her chest. No words could describe the pain of a mother separated from her child.

And now that she had the chance to see her, he refused. He didn't want to see her, or to have anything to do with her.

"What are you thinking about?" Yuzuru asked, looking at her with a concerned face. She almost wanted to laugh—here he was, stomach in severe pain, and yet he was concerned for her. Despite everything, she was glad to have him, at least.

She shook her head. "I can't stop thinking about Ren—Tamaki."

His eyes softened. He didn't to be in so much pain anymore. "Anne-Sophie...you'll see him soon. He'll come around. I'm sure of it."

"Are you, though?"

"I am."

"How?" Her eyes were pleading, desperate. Of course she wanted to see her son. Of course.

He gave her a faint smile. "I just know."

She nodded gently, losing herself in his eyes. They were so honest, so sincere. She couldn't help but believe him. If he thought René would want to see her, then he would.

She took a breath and looked over Yuzuru. His hands were just resting against his stomach, but not clutching it, and his face wasn't contorted in pain anymore. She let out a sigh of relief. "You seem to be doing better."

"I am?" he said, glancing down at his stomach. His eyes widened like owls, and his teeth clenched. He seemed to be debating something furiously inside his head, but Anne-Sophie had absolutely no idea what.

Finally he sunk down, looking thoroughly resigned. "Yeah," he said. "It's pretty obvious I'm all right now, huh?"

"Yeah," she said, voice taking an odd turn. Why was he acting so disappointed? Shouldn't he be pleased that he's doing better?

Then a thought struck her.

"Yuzuru..."

"Eh?"

"You weren't just stalling, were you?"

His entire body stiffened, and he was frozen still for a few solid seconds. Oh, yeah. He had been stalling, all right.

"W—Why would I be stalling?"

She raised an eyebrow. "To have more time to spend with me, I suppose, before I get on the plane."

"Oh," he said, looking rather silly. The thought made a warm feeling tingle through her. "Yeah, that's right. Yes, that's absolutely why I'm stalling."

She shook her head and laughed softly. "Honestly, Yuzuru. That was completely unnecessary of you. I'm sure they'll let you come on the plane with me, as long as you get off before the plane launches. You are a Suoh, after all."

"True," he said, looking a bit uncomfortable. Then he cleared his throat and nodded. "Yes, I suppose I can always do that. Okay, let's do that."

He didn't make any motion to move.

"What?" she asked.

"What?"

She glared at him.

His eyes lit up in understanding. "Oh, you mean right now?"

"Yeah."

"Oh."

They stared at each other for a few moments, waiting. Finally, he sighed. "Well, I guess there's no getting around it, then." He moved his arms to the side, gripping the armrests, and pushed himself up. He looked up at the clock, and then back down at her.

"Shall we go?"

She nodded.

He stood to her left, and his arm slid around her back. It was warm and pleasant.

She glanced at the floor, cherishing the feeling. Being with Yuzuru...it was heaven.

"Everything all right now?" he asked, looking at her as they walked toward the plane.

She nodded, still looking down. "Oh, yes," she said. "It's just that—"

"MOM!"

She froze.

Her heart was beating.

"MOM!"

Was that...?

Her head twisted, ever so slowly, blonde hair tumbling around her neck. She was very tentative, as if afraid that if she looked, that if she really, truly looked, it would be a dream.

And then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw him.

He was tall, much taller than he had been the last time she saw him. But his hair was exactly the same, tumbling past his face as he shoved people aside. He was running as if his life depended on it, feet slamming against the floor. People were bewildered, and offended, but Anne-Sophie couldn't bear to look at any of them.

Her eyes brimmed with tears.

René.

Her hands flew to her face.

He was coming closer to her now, and his face was full of deperation. His arms stretched forward, and she could feel her own arms moving, too...

Her son embraced her in a hug.

She started crying.

Her arms wrapped around his back, and she felt his arms tight around her shoulders, holding on to her as if she might disappear.

She couldn't think, she couldn't breathe, but all she was aware of was that it was him, that her son was here, that somehow, he had made his way over here just in the nick of time, to see her.

She tightened her hug, voice unsteady. "René."

"I love you, Mom."

What did you think of the story? Did I do the story justice? Or did I screw it all up? It was short, I know, but I thought it might be fun just to fill in some of the blanks and see the story from Anne-Sophie's point of view.

And ahh, Nekozawa. One of the best additions to the manga/anime.

*: Apparently kuugun, unless I've been misinformed, is basically a Japanese airforce. Would I be surprised if Tamaki and the friends/fans managed to organize one so he could visit France? Only a little.

**: Remember, Tamaki's full name is René Tamaki Richard de Grantaine Suoh. Although in Japan he was known as Tamaki, we can figure he was raised with the name René.

If there's anything you want to see in the Ouran High School Host Club category, be it a prompt, challenge, character, etc. let me know and I'll consider writing it. (P.S. I ship Haruhi with Hikaru but I'll write HaruhixTamaki, too.)