"Haruhi chan…" Hikaru said to himself quietly.

Haruhi turned around, diverting his attention from the girls to Hikaru.

"Hikaru kun? Is there..Something you wanted to say to me?" Haruhi asked, looking puzzled.

"Oh..Its nothing." Hikaru replied, blushing.

Kaoru walked up to Haruhi. "What Hikaru means to say is that he wants to take you on a trip to the Hitachiin exclusive hot spring resort." Kaoru said to Haruhi, smiling widely.

"Eh?! Kaoru!" Hikaru shouted, hitting Kaoru in the arm.

"I'd love to go Hikaru kun!" Haruhi said, through the fighting.

The fighting immediately stopped between the two twins. Kaoru looked and Hikaru and Hikaru looked at Kaoru.

"Looks like you've got a hot date Hika chan!" Kaoru said to Hikaru before gracefully walking off to his clients.

"Haruhi chan…You don't have to go if you don't want to…" Hikaru said to Haruhi.

"But I do want to go! I've never been to n open air bath before!" Haruhi replied cheerfully.

Hikaru looked to the floor, his face going red. He always liked Haruhi ever since the retreat. He would never forget the embrace they shared in the lonely church during the raging storm, and the chance of Haruhi and himself staying in a luxury hot spring resort by themselves for a whole week, Hikaru thought himself the luckiest guy at Ouran.

Haruhi thought of Hikaru often. Hikaru came across as a really sensitive but distant kind of guy. But Haruhi remembered that evening during the terrifying thunder storm at the retreat. Hikaru put his jacket around her cold arms and put his ear phones over her covered ears. Haruhi felt safe when he held her close against his chest. It made her feel like she'd found her perfect man.

Tamaki glided up to an unsuspecting Haruhi and blew gently in her ear.

"Sempai!!!" Haruhi yelled, pushing Tamaki away.

"Haru chan! I was only being playful. Plus…You look awfully cute when you're scared…" Tamaki said quietly, holding Haruhi's chin, gazing into each others eyes.

Hikaru watched from afar. As Tamaki sempai flirted carelessly with his beloved Haruhi. He wanted her all to himself.

"Haru chan!!!" Hunny yelled as he jumped up onto her back.

"Hunny sempai! I think there's a big slice of cake over there with yours and Usa chan's name on it!" Haruhi replied, laughing with the adorable senior.

"Mitsukuni. Its nearly time for your nap." Mori said solemly.

"Takashi! I'm not..Tired….." Hunny said before falling asleep on the beautiful pink sofa.

Mori picked up the little senior student and carried him off to his favourite napping spot.

"Fujioka!" A voce called out from across the room.

"Kyouya!" Haruhi replied, running over to Kyouya's table.

"Kaoru tells me you and Hikaru are planning on spending a week of the holidays with each other at the Hitachiin hot spring resort. A fine place I must say. But you will need to make sure you are prepared. My families servants are prepared to escort you to the resort by bus and will take the liberty of carrying your belongings." Kyouya explained, scribbling down calculations in his notebook.

"S-s-Sempai! Is that all really necessary?!" Haruhi replied, dumbfounded.

"Of course it is." Kyouya said. "We can't have anything happen to our beloved Haruhi." He said again, holding Haruhi's chin, gazing into her deep brown eyes.

Hikaru was feeling multiple emotions, hate, love and sadness. He hated Tamaki for stealing away his dear Haruhi's heart. He felt his undying love for Haruhi and he felt a deep sadness if she did not return his feelings.

"Kaoru…" Hikaru said to his dear twin brother.

"Hika chan?" Kaoru replied, holding his brother's hands.

"What if..Haruhi doesn't love me…What if she's in love with somebody else…" Hikaru asked, blushing, clenching his loving brother's hand.

"Of course Haruhi loves you. Why wouldn't she love you? You're kind, sweet, sensitive, cute…" Kaoru explained, caressing Hikaru's face.

"Kaoru…" Hikaru whispered, hugging his brother.

"Don't worry dear brother…It'll be fine…Just you wait and see…" Kaoru said, kissing his brother's cheek.

The day had arrived for the anticipated Hot Spring getaway for Hikaru and Haruhi. Hikaru was up all night, worrying about the outcome of the trip.

Haruhi was up all night preparing snacks and packing her clothes.

"I wonder were that darn bus is…" Haruhi said to herself, fiddling with her bag.

Haruhi had put on her skirt, kitty top and her sneakers for the trip due to the fortunate weather. Hikaru was on the bus, eagerly awaiting the arrival at Haruhi's apartment.

The large bus approached the apartment. Haruhi felt slightly scared, the bus was huge with a shiny black and silver paint job.

A man stepped out onto the pavement outside the apartment.

"Fujioka Haruhi? This will be your transportation to the hot spring resort. Master Hitachiin is waiting for you on the bus.

Haruhi stepped onto the large bus to be amazed by its interior. It was all black inside. Black leather chair's a plasma screen TV and long clean windows.

"Hikaru kun!" Haruhi said, running over to sit beside Hikaru.

Hikaru blushed.

"Hi..Haruhi chan…" He replied, blushing and shuffling about in his seat.

Hikaru had put on his blue shirt and black leggings for the trip and was listening to his ipod on the way there.

"Its great weather today isn't it Hikaru kun?" Haruhi said, smiling cheerfully.

"Um..Yeah." Hikaru replied, gazing over to meet Haruhi's cheerful eyes.

"We should be arriving soon." He said, attempting a smile.

"That's good! I really can't wait to get there…I've never been to a hot spring before…" Haruhi replied, blushing slightly.

Waaah…Haruhichan is so cute! But what if she doesn't like me the way I like her? What if sheHikaru thought.

The bus was driving through a dense forest now. A shining lake was slightly visible through the thick forestation, its ripples reflecting the golden rays of the sun.

The road was getting rather bumpy, like gravel, the bus then suddenly stopped outside a large old fashioned building.

"Miss Fujioka, Master Hitachiin, We have arrived." The footman said, opening the door off the bus.

"Waah! It looks amazing!" Haruhi said, twirling around, admiring the overlook of the lake."It's a hot spring resort owned by my family. Actually, all of the land you see around here is Hitachiin property. " Hikaru explained. "I hope Its to your liking…"

"Eh…" Haruhi stuttered with amazement.

Damn rich bastards…Who'd think they owned half of Japan?! Haruhi thought.

An old lady stood by the entrance wearing a gray old fashioned kimono.

"Master Hitachiin! I see you have a young lady here with you!" She said, clapping her wrinkled hands together with delight.

"This is Fujioka Haruhi. Haruhi chan, this is Hitachiin Shizuka, one of my relatives.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Shizuka san." Haruhi replied, smiling brightly.

"If you two youngsters will be kind enough as to follow me please." Shizuka said, smiling weakly.

"Wow! This place is really nice." Haruhi said, while Shizuka escorted them through the blossoming atrium.

"This hot spring building dates back as far as 150 years ago, when Hitachiin Keita first opened the estate for the family.

"Wow…I didn't know that a place like this would go back that far!" Haruhi replied, looking around and smelling the delicious scents of the garden.

Shizuka brought them to a large room on the top floor of the estate. It was a long room, divided by several shoji.

"You and Miss Fujioka will sleep in here for the week." Shizuka said, smiling brightly. "Dinner will be brought to you and the baths are open all night. Also there are ping pong tables and pool tables downstairs for your amusement." Shizuka added, before leaving Haruhi and Hikaru alone.

The two of them looked at each other, both gazing into each others eyes. Slowly, their faces drew closer to one another's but then a few men in black suits burst into the room carrying their suit cases and clean futons.

The two of them blushed, and took their suit cases to the back areas of the room.

We almost kissed…Hikarukun… Haruhi thought to herself, before closing one of the screens to unpack her things.

There was a balcony over looking the gardens and the baths. A large fence divided two of them.

"Hikaru kun? Why don't we take a bath after our dinner. It'll be fun!" Haruhi said, opening the screen slightly to see talk to Hikaru.

Hikaru blushed madly.

Oh no…Haruhi in a hot spring divided by a fence from me… Hikaru thought, closing his eyes to deal with the ongoing cramp.

"Um…Hikaru?" Haruhi asked, looking puzzled.

"Oh! Its nothing." Hikaru replied quickly.

Haruhi closed the screen and undressed. A white kimono was hung up in the corner. She put on her under robe and slipped it on.

"Hikaru kun. I'm going for a walk for a little while. Don't worry about me ok?" Haruhi said, walking through the room and out the door.

The place was magnificent. It had cherry blossom tree's scattered around the weaving paths.

"I'm sure its beautiful in the winter…" Haruhi said to herself, catching a cherry blossom petal in her hair and letting it flat away on the pond.

Hikaru sat alone in the room, his feelings for Haruhi becoming too much for him to stand. He had to tell her soon before the week was over. It was his only chance so he couldn't blow it.

Like Haruhi, he grabbed the white kimono from the side of the room. He slowly undressed, taking off his shirt and sitting down on his futon. He lay down on his back.

"Haruhi…Me and Haruhi together forever…" Hikaru said to himself, before getting up and stripping off the rest of his clothes and putting on the white kimono.

Haruhi slid her hair clip through her brown hair. Haruhi's hair was cut short after a piece of bubblegum got lodged in it and posed as a boy for the whole school semester.

She sighed and continued on her walk. There was something calming about the warm spring air. It made her really want to fly away and soar as high as the clouds, flying away to a far away country.

"Its getting dark now…I must head back to the room for dinner." Haruhi said to herself before tottering off in her geta sandals back up into the tatami room.

Hikaru was sitting at the table waiting for Haruhi.

"Hikaru kun! I hope you didn't worry about me while I was out for my walk." Haruhi said, holding Hikaru's arm.

Hikaru blushed.

"Of course I didn't! I wouldn't need to worry if you were only walking about the estate." Hikaru replied, sweetly.

"Yes but it is easy to get lost out in this part of the country isn't it Hikaru kun?" Haruhi said again, hugging Hikaru.

"Yeah…"Hikaru put his arm around Haruhi and blushed. Haruhi looked up into his dreamy eyes. Once again their faces drew close to one another's, their lips practically touching, but servants in purple kimono's wheeled in a huge tray of food.

"Master Hitachiin, Miss Fujioka, enjoy your meal. Your personal chef as prepared a variety of dishes that will appeal to both your tastes.

The servants set the trays on the table. The dishes looked amazing! There was a roast chicken stuffed with egg fried rice, sweet and sour pork with smoked salmon and fried rice, mushroom dumplings with black bean paste sauce.

"Wooow!" Haruhi exclaimed in amazement.

"Please help yourself." The chef said happily. "There is a splendid desert on its way."

"Thank you very much Tsukiumi san. Your work is very appreciated here!" Hikaru said, smiling happily.

Haruhi's eyes gleamed with joy at the sight of the wondrous dishes set out before her. She immediately grabbed a bowl and stuffed it pull of egg fried rice, sweet and sour pork and smoked salmon.

"Delicious!" Haruhi shouted, stuffing her face with the wonderful food.

The food didn't last very long and the desert didn't look to last either. A tray of black sesame mochi, pan fried lotus cakes, anmitsu, icecream and strawberries and cream was laid out on the table.

"This looks great!" Hikaru said, grabbing s bowl of strawberries and cream.

"Anmitsu! I wonder what that's like.." Haruhi pondered.

"Anmitsu is a custardy dish covered with chocolate pudding and coconut! Its very delicious." Hikaru answered happily.

A fortune cookie was handed to them both after the end.

Haruhi slipped her fortune out of the wheaten biscuit.

The one you love is closer than you think. It said.

Haruhi starred at the paper and threw it away in embarrassment.

Listen to your heart Hikaru's said.

"I'm going to go take a bath now…" Haruhi said before rushing off to her part of the room to grab a towl and shampoo.

Hikaru smiled sweetly and grabbed a towl and soap and made his way down to the male part of the baths.

Haruhi left her kimono and walked slowly into the steaming water. A large bamboo fence divided the two baths as well as a gate.

"Waaaah!" Haruhi breathed, laying down in the hot water.

Hikaru was sitting in the water on the other side of the fence. His thought's often returning him to Haruhi. There was something calming about the hot water splashing against his chest that made him doze off every now and then.

Haruhi was meanwhile washing her hair. She dropped a bucket of the water over her body and walked out of the baths, slipping on her robe.

Hikaru heard the sound of the water and doing the same him self, rose from the water and slipped on his robe.

"Hikaru kun?" Haruhi said, looking around the steamy garden.

"Ah, Haruhi chan. Why don't we play a game of ping pong?" Hikaru replied, appearing behind Haruhi, catching her off guard.

"Alright! But I won't take it easy on you." Haruhi replied, grinning.

Hikaru blushed. Haruhi's smile was beautiful. It was the shining light in Hikaru's lonely heart.

"Ok then." Hikaru said, escorting Haruhi by the arm to the ping pong and pool tables.

"Okay!" Haruhi swung the bat and smacked the ball to Hikaru, who lightly hit it back to her. Haruhi dived for the ball and whacked it at top speed, catching Hikaru off guard and hitting him in the head.

Haruhi laughed. "Hikaru kun!" Haruhi said, running to Hikaru's side. "Are you alright? I hope I didn't hurt you too bad." She added.

"No..Of course not." Hikaru replied. "I think I'll just go for a walk around the gardens.

Hikaru left the room and walked out into the pond area of the gardens. Fireflies lit the lonely garden and little tad poles weaved their way through the maze of water lilies and lily pads.

Haruhi looked at the floor.

"Hikaru kun…" She said to herself

The one you love is closer than you think…that fortune…Do I love…HikarukunHaruhi thought to herself.

Haruhi admitted to her feelings. She was in love with Hikaru Hitachiin. He was her one and only love.

Great feelings of love swept through her like a gust of wind.

"Hikaru kun!" Harui shouted, before running outside to find Hikaru.

Hikaru turned around to see Haruhi running towards him and hugging him.

"Hikaru kun! I..I love you…" Haruhi whispered, gripping him tighter to herself.

"Haruhi chan.." Hikaru said, putting his arms around Haruhi's body.Haruhi looked up with watery eyes. Those beautiful brown eyes. Haruhi found her face draw closer to Hikaru's as Hikaru felt his face draw closer to Haruhi's. Their lips touching, they kissed ach other passionately. Haruhi drew her lips from Hikaru's and hugged him dearly.

Their feelings for each other had been realised. Hikaru Hitachiin was in love with Haruhi Fujioka, and Haruhi Fujioka was in love with Hikaru Hitachiin.

The two held each other's hands and walked through the lantern lit estate.

"Hikaru kun…The others at school…What will they think of us…together…?" Haruhi asked, looking up into his eyes.

"They won't think anything about us. They won't know of our love, as far as they'll know, we're only friends in the Ouran high school host club." Hikaru said with a smile, a smile that Haruhi grew to love.

The two arrived at their room and kissed each other dearly. The others in the host club would never consider their love. Hikaru loved Haruhi and would never let anything happen to her.

Haruhi slipped off her kimono in her part of the room and slipped on sleeping kimono. Hikaru did the same and the two went to sleep.

Hikaru lay awake, thinking of the moment they shared. How Haruhi and kissed him so dearly and how the two most unlikely people learned to love one another.

Haruhi lay awake aswell, feeling lonely and scared in her clean, soft futon. She needed Hikaru beside her. Thunder and lightening were raging outside and Haruhi felt terrified.

She got up quietly and opened the dividing partition. Hikaru looked up from his futon to see a sleepy and scared looking Haruhi.

"Hikaru kun…There's thunder…" Haruhi said, quietly.

"Haruhi chan!" Hikaru said, looking startled.

Another roar of thunder sounded making Haruhi scream and dive into Hikaru's futon, clinging onto him.

"Haruhi chan…There's no need to be afraid. I'm here. I'll protect you." Hikaru whispered gently in her ear.

Haruhi cried softly and hugged Hikaru dearly.

The night passed as the two slept beside one another. The morning came and the servants carried in a tray of breakfast. The tray's held such foods as, strawberries and yohgurt, iced tea, hot jasmine tea, fresh bread with cream cheese and jam and fresh orange juice.

"Mmm…Looks great! This week is turning out great" Haruhi said to Hikaru, resting her still sleepy head on his shoulder.

"Yeah…" Hikaru replied, patting Haruhi on the head.

Breakfast had finished and the two decided to take an early morning dip in the hot springs.

Haruhi stepped into the hot water, and waded her way through the surface.

"I want to stay here forever…Just me and Hikaru kun…" Haruhi whispered to herself.

Hikaru lay on his back in the hot water.

"I hope nobody finds out about our relationship…nobody can find out…" Hikaru said to himself.

TO BE CONTINUED.