Chapter 1: Clear headed
Haruhi's Townhouse
10:30pm Friday Night
"Whose bright idea was this again?" Haruhi questioned as two pairs of identical eyes flashed back at her. They had been drinking together for well over an hour now. Haruhi couldn't remember who had convinced her that this was a good idea, but she knew she would regret this in the morning. Her boss would not understand how someone with Haruhi's personality could be seduced to a drunken stupor by two gorgeous men. She most certainly would not be able to get away with calling in.
She had known Hikaru and Kaoru ever since their hosting days together. They had come here tonight on an errand from their far-reaching Tono. Ah, that was the reason. "You know Haruhi, you can't avoid him forever."
Her eyes darkened and she scoffed, "I most certainly can! Pass me that bottle will you?" She had always been the stubborn sort and their was no way she would ever get within ten feet of him again. The humiliation was too much to bear.
"He isn't even upset with you anymore."
"You weren't there you couldn't possibly imagine him like this." She tried to block the memory out but it still came flooding back more vivid than she would like to admit. Both of the twins sat up in their seat but realizing she was finally going to talk after the two years that had gone by. A devilish light came to their eyes.
"It wasn't like you had been the one he had been dating for three years. I had just graduated from Law school and he had taken me out to dinner to celebrate."
"The restaurant was suspiciously vacant and there were roses peaking out of every corner. I should have seen it coming a mile away! As usual though, I was oblivious to the signs. He had been grinning like an idiot more than normal that evening, he seemed so pleased with himself. But when I said no I had never seen such a transformation. I remember him getting mad in high school when Renge was filming that movie with us all or the time he had found Kyouya-sempai helping me with my French I wanted to surprise him, but I never did quite figure that one out…" the twins looked at each other and didn't comment.
"He calmly asked me why I wouldn't consider his proposal, and my bluntness was in rare form that day. My response still shames me to this day. I said 'Tamaki even though we had a lot of fun times together I think I have reached a point in my life when I need to be serious and even if you could tone down I am not in love with you." The twins stared at her mouths open completely disbelieving in what they just heard.
"His face turned red and not in the typical embarrassment we usually see, he was mad and looked like he wouldn't be able to control himself. He said, 'I see. Miss Fujioka I must say that it is rather shallow to lead me on in such a fashion. I am sure you will understand if I do not wish to continue our…acquaintanceship, please show yourself out."
"Oh but Tamaki!..." Haruhi voice was filled with such guilt.
"Do I need to have you escorted off the premises' He it so tightly, and cold I thought I would die. I tried to talk it out with him. And then I was 'helped' out into the street. I almost broke one of those beautiful shoes you gave me for graduating."
When she finished relaying the story, Hikaru busted with laughter and Kaoru tried to shush him. "Kaoru you owe me 50,000 yen! No wonder Kyouya and Tamaki are in a feud." Hikaru couldn't seem to contain his laughter and his brother was becoming less impatient trying to shut him up.
"What do you mean by that?" Haruhi was suddenly suspicious that there was more to this story.
Kaoru smiled sweetly and nervous said nothing was the matter. Kaoru hit his brother and Hikaru fell out of his chair. Hikaru stared up at him disbelieving, his lip quivered and his eyes became misty; "Kaoru, you are mean."
His brother looked annoyed and unaffected, "That's my line and quit acting like a baby." Haruhi raised her eyebrow at the two of them. She thought she smelled a rat.
She got the full story because Hikaru had not taken the hint at all from his brother, "Well apparently Kyouya-sempai went over to see our lord and determine whether you would actually marry Tono or not. When he got there Tono was well on his drinking binge, crying and babbling about what happened. Kyouya laughed at him. He said, 'Tamaki, I don't know why you asked Haruhi to marry you anyways, there isn't a woman on the planet that could put up with you. Besides, neither of us are the marrying kind. No woman is going to manipulate me into marriage. Honestly Tamaki, you could do better than a commoner on a power trip."
Haruhi immediately upon hearing this saw red. She and Kyouya had spent a lot of time together during college and she couldn't believe he thought so little of her. Hikaru just kept on, "Then Tamaki threw his glass at his head and chased him around. The staff said they had never seen Ootori run so fast. Unfortunately, Tamaki caught up with him and tossed him down the steps. He told him not to set foot on anything the Suoh's owned or he would kill him secret police bedamned." Hikaru had finally caught on to Haruhi's fury and realized why his brother had tried prodding him to stop. The room fell silent; both brothers quickly made their excuses and got the hell out of there before they got caught in the crossfire.
Haruhi stewed for over an hour. She glanced at her copy of the Wall Street Journal and smirked. She would be his ruination and his savior. She sucked up her courage and dialed a number she hadn't typed in a long time. She gave her name and waited, eventually a male voice picked up, she was so nervous she just blurted out, "Tamaki, I need your help."