A/N: Hey all! Sorry for lack of update last week, I'm going to be graduating in a month so these next few chapters might be a bit shorter than usual. Thanks for your continuing readership though! Internet love for you all!

The ability to get an Ouran fic written by me is still available! We're at 65 reviews so only 35 more to go!

Chapter Seventeen
His Promise

The newly appointed Host-in-training glided across the hallways in search of his now missing friend.

"Haruhi?" he called out to empty rooms and chairs, behind him a panicked Tamaki was practically bouncing off the walls.

"What did you do with her? I can't believe she's missing. How did this happen? Was she ok when you woke her up? Weneedtofindher-"

The green eyed teen swiftly brought his hand to cover the blonde's mouth, "Sorry Boss, but you are very loud."

"Mmre eeee oo mminn mmppphfff!"

"What?" Hale replied before uncovering his mouth.

"We need to find her!" He cried, tears had begun to stream down his face by now, and Hale could only stand there dumbfounded at how one person could possibly be so emotional.

Well, emotional or not this odd group were his only friends in Japan.

"Maybe she went away? To get air?" Hale fumbled over broken Japanese as the blonde's ears perked up in excitement.

"Maybe she went outside! To get some air!" He cried as he fled toward the door, "We have to go Hale it's starting to rain!"

Hale furrowed his eyebrows, why was rain the determining factor in finding Haruhi?

"Hey guys." A groggy Kenji called out from the living room followed by Honey and Mori, "What's with all the noise? Is Haruhi alright?"

Tamaki grabbed the small teen by his shirt and shook him furiously, "SHEWENTOUTTOGETSOMEAIR!"

"Calm down Tama, we'll find her." A nervous Honey replied while Mori's fists betrayed his own worry by clenching tightly at his sides. Kyoya appeared shortly after in the hallway, eyes disguised by a chrome-like reflection, "We'll start by the café's down the street, she probably just wanted to get some food."

"Um…She?"

Honey and Mori gawked wide-eyed at the abrasive teen dangling from Tamaki's grip. The blonde released him while his vision shifted between the Host and the Host in training.

Kyoya didn't miss a beat, "Yes Kenji, Haruhi is a girl and we would appreciate if you two didn't say anything and signed this non-disclosure agreement to prove that you won't."

"Actually Kyoya, Hale already knew." Honey pointed toward the straight-mouthed teen now holding a randomly appearing non-disclosure. The two cousins and the young Host had apparently been getting along very well over the past few days.

"Hale…Did you know this whole time?" Tamaki asked incredulously.

Hale could only awkwardly smile as he found every Hosts' eyes upon him, "Surprise?"

Crickets.

"So…I am just going to sign this." The green-eyed teen said after a lengthy turn of silence.

Once all of the legalities were in order the group of Hosts teamed up in the streets to search for the missing girl. Honey and Mori would (just in case) search the cake shop in the South of the building. Kyoya and Kenji would take a look around the shops in the East and Tamaki and Hale would search the café's to the North.

Once the group had each realized that nobody was covering the West, Tamaki and Hale being the last of which. They all set out together toward that direction.

"Where's Hika?" Honey called out to the group, taking note of the guilty look on Tamaki's face as he did so.

"He said he went for a walk." Kenji chimed, "but that was almost an hour ago, and it's starting to rain."

Tamaki visibly stiffened at the sight of the impending weather, breaking from a slow walk to a paced jog that the other Hosts began to mirror. In the distance the faint sound of someone shouting could be heard, muffled only by the thunder that quickened Tamaki's movements with each crash.

"Tamaki slow down." Kyoya called out, his glasses becoming fogged from the heat emitting from his own body.

"Kyoya we have to find Haruhi before she-"

A pair of teenagers came into view, two that seemed intertwined in an embrace of sorts. Had they been any other couple, Tamaki would've sighed at the very image of romance. However today he would stumble upon his worst fears.

Tamaki's eyes grew wide at the sight of one Haruhi, his Haruhi pressed against a wall by a rough looking Hikaru. Her body looked so frail under the taller boy's grasp, yet she seemed almost willing to be underneath it.

The blonde instantly froze in his tracks, surrounded by unwavering Hosts. His blinked his eyes once…twice…even three times, but the visage of the two locked together still threatened to crush his very soul.

He spoke in barely a whisper, "Har…u…hi."

Tamaki had always thought that his heart was made of muscle and tissue, one that was strong and willing to face anything that crossed his way.

But it was there in the rain that he cringed at the sensation of his heart shattering across the glistening pavement into a million pieces.

For it was made of glass.

"Har...u…hi" Hikaru says between breaths, though I'm panting as much as he is.

The auburn haired boy leans his forehead into mine while intense waves of our frenzy slowly pass through our shaking bodies. His fingers are still wound in my drenched hair.

In the next instant his eyes become wide with fear, and his hands regretfully drop to his sides when he realizes just what it is he's done.

"I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have-"

"Hikaru….that was-"

"Haruhi!"

An incoming voice calls to my right causing me to jump in surprise.

"What are you doing out here?" A voice cries out in a sort of desperate sense. I look over to see an exasperated Tamaki followed closely by the rest of the Host Club. The blonde's eyebrows are furrowed in anger and respite while the group behind him remains dumbfounded.

Hikaru has already stepped away from me, but I can't help but wonder if they saw anything. "She was just out for a walk Tamaki you don't need to-"

"Be quiet Hikaru!"

The blonde starts to tremble from sheer anger, while amber eyes are hard-pressed to remove the ecstasy running throughout them. Hikaru takes a step in front of me next, and I can feel the tension rise with every second passing.

Honey chimes in when they've come to a stop in front of us, "Tama, don't worry. Haru and Hika are both safe-"

"I don't care about Hikaru, Honey! He probably lured her out here to meet him! She isn't even fully recovered yet not to mention the thunderstorm overhead! How could you be so careless Hikaru?"

Leave it to Tamaki to go into theatrics…

"Tamaki I can take care of myse-"

"Don't bother Haruhi." Hikaru says while turning to face me, "He doesn't want to listen to reason right now anyways."

Wow, is Hikaru actually being the more levelheaded one right now?

Wait, what am I saying? It's Tamaki…of course he is.

"Honey…Take her to the hotel please."

The small teen steps forward before Hale extends his hand out toward me, "I can take her. We should leave Haruhi."

"Yeah, I'll go too." Kenji proclaims.

I direct my eyes to Hikaru next, his face is flushed and he's still shaking from everything that's happened. His eyes are fixated on me as he mouths the words, 'I'm sorry' before I start to walk away.

My hands begin to tremble…I can't say anything in front of the other Hosts, but I can't stand the thought of him regretting that kiss.

I try desperately to will him into believing that what happened was a mistake, but I'm rushed away by Kenji and Hale before he seems to understand what I'm trying to communicate.

The last thing I see before reluctantly turning my head is Hikaru's eyes lowering in shame, and my own resolve shattering at the sight.

Tamaki stood in silence until he was sure Haruhi was gone. His fists were firmly clenched at his sides while a fire burned brightly within his chest. In front of him the auburn-haired teen looked sullen and defeated, but he knew appearances were deceiving.

"What do you think you're doing, Hikaru?" the blonde asks indignantly.

After an eternity of silence, amber eyes raise to meet violet. Allowing Hikaru to speak with a newfound ferocity in his voice.

"Leave me alone Tono." He says while moving to the side. Tamaki presses an arm into his shoulder before he's able to walk away, and suddenly both teens seem ready to fight.

"You've got some nerve Hikaru, luring her away like that."

Hikaru's eyebrows furrow in anger, but he still attempts to retain his composure..for her.

"You know I didn't do anything, just let me go back to the hotel." He replies while shrugging off the blonde's arm. He takes no more than five steps before a shout emmitts from behind.

"Do you think just because she feels sorry for you that you can use her like that!"

Well, so much for composure.

Hikaru whips around instantly at the offending remark, his wet hair whipping across the side of his face as he does so. "Fuck off Tono!"

Nobody could quite tell who struck first as the rain surrounding them blurred both figures before them, but it was certain that it wouldn't end well.

Hikaru ducked as Tamaki punched the air in futility, his brutal counterblow slammed into the blonde's ribs before he could regain his footing earning a rough grunt from his opponent. Before he could land another blow however Tamaki was able to spring a knee directly into the side of his eye, causing Hikaru's vision to blur as he stammered slightly. He readied himself for another blow, but found himself restrained before either could make another move.

"That's enough!" Honey chimed while his arms caught Tamaki's, meanwhile Mori had already grabbed onto Hikaru who was still shaking his head to regain his vision. A single stream of blood flowed from his face.

Through ragged breath Tamaki found his voice, "Leave Hikaru. Now."

Mori released the auburn haired teen once he was sure he had regained his footing. Hikaru shook his head in disgust before turning away from the group, all of which had eyes on him. "Fine Tamaki."

So it was with silence that the young teen turned his back and walked away from the rest, into the rain and out of the small world he had tried so desperately to expand.