Disclaimer: I do not own Ouran High School Host Club or any of the characters featured in the manga and anime. They are all proprty of Bisco Hatori.

"Where is she?!"

Haruhi Fujioka, walking down the hall that led to the Third Music Room, winced when she heard Tamaki Suoh's panicked shout. She sighed and hastened to get to the room, knowing that Tamaki would become increasingly panicked the longer it took for him to see she was safe and sound.

"She's been kidnapped! Oh, no, my poor daughter. Kyoya, get the Ootori secret police!"

She heard Kyoya Ootori's exasperated reply. "Calm down, Tamaki. She's only a few minutes late and you know she often gets distracted be certain things, which makes her late. She'll be here in just a moment, I'm certain. And, if she's not, well, I may have to increase her debt."

"Yeah, milord," Kaoru said.

"We saw her only ten minutes ago," Hikaru stated.

"She's fine," they finished together.

Hunny shuffled forward, clutching his Usa-chan in his arms. "You don't really think Haru-chan's been kidnapped, do you, Tama-chan?" he asked, tears welling in his big golden-brown eyes.

Tamaki, too involved in his daydreams of a crying and kidnapped Haruhi begging him to save her, failed to see the warning signs of a sobbing Hunny and answered tearily, "A father knows these things, Hani! She was taken by men Ranka-san owes money to and they won't give her back until the debt is paid. We need money! We will pay the kidnappers and we will get our princess back! And when she sees me standing before her, there to save her, she will fall into my arms and tell me she loves me." His eyes went unfocused as he had heart palpitations over the possibilities.

Hunny burst into loud tears and flung himself at Mori, who stood a little behind him, begging him to go and save Haruhi from the mean kidnappers.

Mori sent a glare at Tamaki and tried to calm his cousin down.

Haruhi, now just outside the main double doors that led to the host club, sighed and, unable to take anymore of Tamaki's ridiculousness, pulled open said doors and stepped inside.

"I'm right here, Tamaki-senpai. I haven't been kidnapped. I'm perfectly fine."

"Haruhi!" he shrieked and lunged at her, grabbing her and then hugging her tightly. "Oh, I was so worried. You can't be late anymore, Haruhi. It makes us all worry."

Haruhi, struggling to breathe, pulled away and took a few steps back, not wanting Tamaki to hug the life out of her anymore.

Hunny suddenly darted forward, his tears gone, and jumped into her arms. She caught him and then smiled gently at him, noting that his eyes were rimmed with red and that there were tear-tracks on his cheeks. "Hey," she whispered into his ear. "It's okay. Tamaki-senpai was just being Tamaki-senpai. Look at me – I'm fine. I'm safe." She began to speak at her normal volume so everyone could hear what she said next. "A teacher just wanted my help with taking a few things to the staffroom. I couldn't exactly say no to a teacher, now could I, Hunny-senpai?"

"No," Hunny sniffed, "I guess not." He hugged her again, tightly, and then let go. He dropped to his feet, looked at her right in the face, as he was now almost the same height as her, and smiled in his usual sunny and cheerful way. "I need cake! Will you share some with me and Takashi?"

She smiled at him. "Of course I will, Hunny-senpai."

"Yay!" he cheered. He grabbed her hand and led her to his and Mori's designation spot. "We have strawberry cake and chocolate cake and banana cake and…"

Haruhi followed behind him, listening patiently and tolerantly as he continued listing the different cakes that awaited them. She quickly peeked at her watch. They only had twenty minutes until the girls arrived.

A few hours later, Haruhi hummed as she cleaned up the host club room, washing the cups, plates, bowls and utensils that had been used. After she did this, she would put the dishes away and then go and straighten up the main room, where the hosting actually took place.

It was a routine and a part of her actually liked it. At first, she'd been annoyed when Kyoya informed her that it was a job of hers that would help pay off her debt but now it was quite relaxing, a way to wind down after dealing with the drama of the Host Club.

Plus, it also offered her a chance to get to know two of her favourite people better.

Sometimes, when hey didn't have anything pressing on, Mori and Hani would stay behind and help her pack up the stuff and tidy the room and vacuum the floor if it needed to be done.

Mori walked into the kitchen and stared at Haruhi, smiling at her happy humming sounds. She hadn't noticed him yet and so he went to stand behind her. He leant down a little bit and said in his deep, rumbling voice, "Want some help?"

She jumped and, with a wide smile on her face, looked over her shoulder at her tall, quiet senpai. They had gotten a lot closer than they were previously and now he talked a lot more than he used to. It seemed like he was really trying to be her friend and she liked that; liked it in a way she didn't quite understand. She bit her lip and thought for a second. "Well, the cushions and everything need to be placed back in their spots and the tables cleaned and the couches straightened. Would you mind doing that?"

Mori shook his head and went to do what Haruhi had asked him to. At the door, he turned back and said, "When you are finished here, it will all be done. I promise." He turned and was gone, the door swinging shut behind him.

He promised and Haruhi had learnt he had never broken a promise yet.

He was honourable, not to mention very good-looking.

At the last thought she blushed. Where had that come from? Oh, all the members of the club were definitely handsome but she hadn't thought of Mori in that light, at least until now.

What did she feel for him?

Well, she didn't know but if she had to choose one of the Host Club as the most attractive, it would be Mori.

Her blush flamed again and she quickly finished drying the dishes and putting them away.

She strolled to the door of the kitchen and stepped nimbly out of the kitchen and into the main room, still blushing faintly. She looked around and saw that everything was done, just as Mori had promised.

A small smile graced her lips.

She froze in surprise and curiosity when she saw Tamaki still there, standing with Kyoya.

That was odd.

He normally left pretty much the moment Host Club finished, unless there was a meeting or something like that on.

"Tamaki-senpai, you're still here. Did you forget something?"

"Not at all, not at all,' he announced, grinning.

She waited for some sort of explanation but none was forthcoming. She nodded slowly. "Oh." She checked her watch and, noticing the time, said, "I better be going. I have to start dinner."

"Oh, wait, Haruhi, before you go, I'd like to have a word with you, if you don't mind," Tamaki said grandly, small drops of sweat beading on his forehead, catching the attention of Mori, Hunny and Kyoya.. He appeared nervous and Haruhi tilted her head to the side, unintentionally cute. 'Oh, she's so adorable!' Tamaki squealed in his thoughts.

"Okay, senpai. I'll just go get my stuff out of the closet and then we'll talk." She smiled sunnily and headed over to said closet.

Tamaki watched her for a second before turning back to face the others, his eyes strangely intent. "You can all go home. I'll drop Haruhi off at her apartment."

The three men before him raised their eyebrows and glanced at each other but none could think of any reason to dispute what he said.

"Fine," Kyoya said. He gathered his things and walked out with a nod of goodbye.

Hunny called out a cheerful goodbye to Haruhi and waved at Tamaki before bouncing out of the room, not even noticing that Mori wasn't following him.

Mori didn't know why he hesitated but he just knew he didn't want to leave Haruhi alone with Tamaki for some reason.

"Mori-senpai, shouldn't you be going after Hunny-senapi?" Haruhi asked when she walked over and saw he was still there.

Mori glanced at her and nodded. "Have a good evening, Haruhi. Tamaki." He bowed his head and went slowly to the door, delaying his leaving time. He stopped, suddenly deciding he had to find an excuse to stay, when Hunny poked his head through the door and asked, "Takashi, are you coming?"

Mori nodded and, with a last troubled look at the host club king, followed Hunny, wondering why something like dread swirled in the pit of his stomach.

Inside the Third Music room, Haruhi stared curiously at Tamaki. "What is it, senpai? What do you need to talk to me about?"

Tamaki thought of his approach and said, "We have known each other for a while now, yes? And we get along very well. And you know I love you."

Haruhi tilted her head forward in a nod. "Yes, I do know those things."

"Well, for all those months, I had deluded myself into thinking that my love for you was the type of love a father has to his daughter. I didn't want to admit the truth, a truth everyone else in the host club knew. I wanted a family of sorts and loving you in a romantic way would have, in my mind, destroyed that." He was silent, a thoughtful expression on his face. "But I'm more aware now and very much more mature. I can see how faulty my thinking was and realised that I love you and not in a fatherly or even family way. Haruhi, I'm in love with you and I want to be your boyfriend. So, dear Haruhi, will you become my girlfriend?"

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