OHSHC - Between the Lines

[animeloulou]

~Haruhi~


Haruhi let a small smile pass by her lips as she felt the smooth fabric of the throw cover her knees. He still had the Host Club touch.


Listening intently as Tamaki's footsteps returned from the kitchen, she extended her hands slowly, taking the cup and saucer in her grasp.


"Yes please..."


~Mori~


Mori cast his gaze from Asuka to the piece of concrete wall and back to her hopeful expression, silently weighing up the options.


Eventually, he nodded a little, making his way over to the block and crouching down.


"Be careful, okay?"


With all of his strength, he lifted the slab off the ground inch by inch...


@Chicogal

 

[Chicogal]

Tamaki sat down next to Haruhi, taking the biscuit bowl and offering it to her with a flourish. And perhaps for a few moments, he was a Host again. He was a fish in water again, in the place he was supposed to be.


Once Haruhi had taken one, he picked up his own tea and sipped quietly. He placed the cup back down with his pinky finger for a cushion, as always.


"This must have been a big adjustment for you, my dear. Tell me about your life now," he sighed, barely noticing how he'd slipped back into being princely.


~


Asuka got down on her knees. As soon as the gap was big enough, she slipped through on her stomach. With a wiggle, she was through - dropping a surprise metre into water. The earthquake had messed with the water, creating a mini tsunami. It was lucky that it had been small.


"I'll be back soon!" she called back. Splashing through the water, she called for her uncle until he called back. She squeezed through a crack again, panting slightly from fright. Anything could fallat any moment. She helped to move the chunk of roof off his leg. It seemed that his leg was broken; there was no way he could wade through the water. They had to get a doctor.


With a promise she'd be back, she made her way back to the crack where Mori was. Asuka called through; "He's gonna be okay. But we need to call emergency services... Is your cellphone working?"

 

[animeloulou]

~Haruhi~


Haruhi gripped the teacup just a little bit tighter as she heard Tamaki's question. She ran her finger along the rim as she spoke.


"After I left, I settled down here in Kyoto, buying a small apartment near the city. I got a job at a call centre dealing with customers who have TV enquiries. By that point, I was losing my sight more and more each day. Slowly, my world became dark."


~Mori~


Mori listened intently as he waited for Asuka to return. It seemed like an age before he caught a glimpse of her again.


He was relieved that Yuki was going to be okay, but he shook his head quickly when she asked him about his phone.


"It's smashed... It must've fallen out of my pocket during the earthquake."


@Chicogal

 

[Chicogal]

Tamaki nodded as she spoke, looking into his own cup of tea. It must be so terrible, being unable to see. Just waiting day after day, until there was nothing left to look at. He shook his head to himself; it was so damn unfair. He didn't often feel anger, but here it was, irrationally rising within him. But he wasn't going to make things worse for her.


He took a sober sip of his tea again, quietly thinking.


"But why a call centre?" he finally asked, voice low. "You were... you are... so smart, Haruhi. There's ways now, a computer can read to you. You... did you never get to studying law?"


~Asuka~


It was cold now in the waist-high water, and Asuka shivered. Damn. The landline was also not working, and Yuki's cellphone was crushed with his leg. Before she'd left, she'd covered him in a blanket and crawled through to the kitchen to fetch him some water and food. He'd sent her back to Mori. "He'll keep you safe," he'd wheezed. "I can take care of myself for now." Before she'd left, she'd made sure that his part of the house was stable.


She'd brought some food and water back with her. "Mine was on the windowsill, it's probably in the water now. I think we'll have to wait for emergency services." Japan's response unit was pretty good and very organised. They shouldn't be left waiting more than a day; the length was due to their remoteness. She peered through the gap, pushing through a packet of crackers and two bottles of water.


"Are you able to let me through again?"

 

[animeloulou]

~Haruhi~


Haruhi shook her head slowly, her mind thinking back to the early days of her loss of vision. While her vision was still relatively stable, she did try to study law. However, it didn't work out. She tried and tried, but it was too hard...


"I tried... but it didn't work out."


~Mori~


Mori nodded a little in understanding as he lifted the slab inch by inch until it was just high enough for Asuka to crawl under again.


Taking the crackers and water bottles from her hands, he dropped the slab once she was safely through the gap and on his side.


"Thanks for the food... Are you okay?"


@Chicogal

 

[Chicogal]

~Tamaki~


Tamaki's heart dropped at her expression. Of course she hadn't. His hands tightened around the teacup; as he realised just how tight, he placed it on the table. It wouldn't be gentlemanly to shatter it. It made him so damn angry that studying Law had been taken away from her. Haruhi had always wanted to be like her mother. Now she never could be.


"Okay," he murmured, glancing at her with violet-blue eyes. He didn't need any more explanation than that. Scooting closer to her, he reached to gently take her hand in his two larger ones. Tamaki had always marvelled at how women seemed so delicate compared to him, with his tall stature and long limbs. And yet, in some ways, they were far stronger than he.


"Then what's next?"


~Asuka~


Asuka wriggled through, glad that she'd chosen to wear sleep shorts and a tank top as opposed to a nightie. That could have turned out embarrassing. She was soaking wet from the water, droplets coming off her as she stood again. She shivered; it was the night, and still cold.


"Yeah, I'm fine," she smiled at him. "Yuki's hurt, but he'll be fine. I've given him supplies until then, and his part of the house is probably the stablest. He sent me back here, as this part isn't looking too good..."


The house creaked ominously, but it held true. Wrapping her arms around herself, she slid down against the door frame and sat on the floor. Her teeth chattered slightly, but she set her jaw firm and looked up at Mori. It would be good to cuddle, wouldn't it...? Oh, what was she thinking? "Join me? I think it's going to be a long night," she said, nodding to the space beside her.

 

[animeloulou]

~Haruhi~


Haruhi took a small intake of breath as Tamaki took her hand in his. She repeated his question to herself, thinking it over. What was next for her? Her original plan was to survive her remaining days while working in the call centre, but now...


Tamaki was with her, determined to help her through whatever hardships she may have.


"I... really am sorry for all I put you through. I just thought that you would forget about me and live a happy life."


~Mori~


Watching her for a moment, Mori nodded slightly, sitting down in the space beside Asuka. Glancing around at the wreckage around the two of them, he felt a strange sensation run through his heart.


Brushing it off, he wrapped his arm around Asuka, pulling her closer to him. She was shivering after all. Yeah, that's why he was doing it.


"Try to relax, sleep even. We could be here for a while..."


@Chicogal

 

[Chicogal]

Tamaki gave his head a small shake, silent. He didn't want to make her feel bad, of course. But it was true; he'd suffered without her. He hadn't even been able to form new relationships with her on his mind.


"I don't know if I could be happy without you," he admitted, glancing at her with steady blue eyes. He looked back down at their hands, his long fingers curled around her smaller ones. He put his other hands around it too, such that he was facing toward her.


"Just... promise me. Promise me you'll never ever disappear again."


~~~


The warmth of Mori's embrace was very welcome. Asuka's heart went thump-thump far more quickly than before. Even the water hadn't done this to her. She nodded into his side, leaning her head against him. She shifted herself, turning to the side to hesitantly burrow into his side. Her hands came to hold onto his shirt, and she closed her eyes.


"I'll keep you warm," she mumbled quietly, then yawning.

 

[animeloulou]

~Haruhi~


Promises.


Were promises really worth it? Life had a habit of turning those promises and wishes to dust before her eyes. That was why she hesitated for just a moment before she spoke up again.


"I won't disappear again."


Tamaki was worth it, nonetheless.


~Mori~


Mori couldn't hide his smile as he cast down his gaze at Asuka's sleepy features.


"I'll keep you warm too..."


How was it that a person that he only knew for a few days, a blink of an eye in the grand scheme of things, could make him feel so many emotions so quickly?


As he kept her close to his body, he really wasn't sure but all he knew was that he wanted this fleeting moment to last a lifetime.


@Chicogal

 

[Chicogal]

((Pfft them cuddling was kinda-sorta my plan all along Also I just finished my rewatch, DEM FEELS))


~Tamaki~


Tamaki looked into her eyes, holding her melted chocolate gaze with his own intense blue-violet. Sometimes he didn't need words. His language of love was shared between touch and words of affirmation. As she spoke, he brought her hand to his lips and planted a light kiss on the top of it. His eyes closed for just a moment with relief, before he let her go.


He smiled that gentle, good-natured smile of his, tilting his head slightly. "You know, sometimes I wish things were like how they were before. Life was so much less complicated back then."


~Asuka~


Asuka didn't really sleep. What rest she did have was fitful, soft murmurs escaping her mouth. The sound of helicopters was eventually audible, and it transferred to her dreams, to the sound of a very strange car engine. There her father was, crossing the street before she did. There was the car. She woke with a cry, pushing Mori away forcefully in her panic. She never had been able to wipe the memory of his bloodstained body lying across the street, his cries as he died in front of her face. And these nightmares plagued her now.


Tears filled her eyes, as she came back to the real world. With her back to him, she wiped at her cheeks. "Sorry," she whispered, glancing up. "Sounds like help has arrived." Asuka rose to her feet, taking a moment before glancing back down at him with a watery smile. "Seems like we're gonna be okay."

 

[animeloulou]

~Haruhi~


Haruhi couldn't hold in a small but joyful giggle as she thought back to the simple time they had spent within the walls of that fateful music room.


"It certainly was a... special time. Although, all that springs to mind are your diva strops..!"


~Mori~


Mori had just begun to fall into a comfortable slumber, when he was awoken with a shock. Asuka had, for some reason, shoved him away. He was just about to ask her why, but paused, the words dissolving on his lips.


He watched silently as she calmed herself down, only turning around after a moment. It was then that he finally noticed the ever-increasing hum of helicopters above the remains of the house.


"We'll all be okay, believe me."


If that was true, why was it that Mori felt a pang of dread as he gazed into Asuka's tear-stained features..?


@Chicogal

 

[Chicogal]

~Tamaki~


"Diva- diva strops?"


Tamaki drew himself up to his full seated height, a hand placed on his chest dramatically in mock-offence. Well. Perhaps not entirely mock. "I have no idea what you speak of, Haruhi," he sniffed, nose in the air. "I simply show my emotions more than others do." Realising the pose he was in, he slowly lowered his hand and chin. Oh. Maybe that was where it comes from.


"In any case, I am half French. Of course I am passionate."


And he was.


~Asuka~


Asuka wiped at her face again, to remove the last of her tears. She mustn't lose it now. She mustn't lose face in front of this grand man, of a grand family. Although they couldn't see outside, men had descended from rope ladders, not wanting to land the helicopter in the water. They were starting to lift up the piece of concrete, two of them moving it completely away so that there was a large gap. Asuka beckoned to Mori before stepping through and down into the water.


On the other side of the house, they were carefully removing Uncle Yuki. He was being strapped into a harness that would be drawn into the one helicopter. The two other rescue workers by Asuka and Mori were explaining in quick words how they would be clipped on to each of them and drawn up into another helicopter. It was a scary thought and Asuka had the strangest urge to hug Mori before it all happened. But that was silly. He wasn't here to provide her comfort. She quietly stepped to the one worker, and just glanced at Mori with the smallest of smiles before it all began.


((Skip to hospital?))

 

[animeloulou]

~Haruhi~


Haruhi laughed as she listened to Tamaki's exclamation. It was a laugh of happiness and joy. It finally felt like everything would be okay, just as long as Tamaki would be with her.


"I'll surrender to you this time, but don't worry, your diva strops were and still are one of the many things that I love about you."


~Mori~


In what seemed like a blink of an eye, Mori, Asuka and Yuki were all transferred to the nearest hospital. They were all treated quickly enough, even though there was an extreme influx of patients due to the earthquake.


Once Mori was given the all-clear, he began to navigate the many hospital corridors to find Asuka.


He had just left his room when he came face-to-face with someone he certainly didn't expect...


"Father..."


@Chicogal

 

[Chicogal]

~Tamaki~


Tamaki came down from his mini-diva-strop, back to his good-natured charming smile. It faded as she spoke again. Loved... Did she still...? His face became expressionless for a few moments. She. Said. She. Loved...


With a squeal, he enveloped her tightly in his arms. "Haruhi still loves me, Haruhi still loves me~" he sang out joyfully. Okay, so perhaps he was overreacting a little. And he was being a little close. Any other person would have been scared of chasing her away. Oh, he just wanted to kiss her! Would she let him? His imagination opened up to a scene of them entwined, his lips flush against hers... Ah, that would make him so very happy.


~Asuka~


Asuka was processed quickly through the hospital. They tended to the scratches she'd obtained, along with the bumps and bruises - but generally, she was in good health. Her Uncle Yuki was being plastered and was sorting out accommodation of his own with a friend on higher-ground in town. He'd sent her away after a goodbye, telling her to get home before her mother freaked out. After all, she didn't even have a cellphone with her.


She'd just exited his room, walking down the corridors in a search for Mori. She rounded a corner, and there- Oh. There was a man there, looking at him. From the age and stature, he must surely be a father or uncle. She stopped dead a few metres behind the older man, looking at Mori from behind him unsurely. Should she just go away...?

 

[animeloulou]

~Haruhi~


Haruhi couldn't stop herself from grinning uncontrollably as she listened and felt Tamaki's excitement flow through his voice and body. It was then that Haruhi had an idea. Maybe it was just a little bit presumptuous, given the circumstances, but she didn't mind and somehow she had a feeling that he wouldn't either.


"You can kiss me, if you want."


~Mori~


Mori foolishly wished that his father had appeared at the hospital to make sure that his son would be okay, like a normal family.


However, he was a Morinozuka.


Mori's usual stoic expression flinched just a little as his father slapped him with a furious expression.


"How could you endanger yourself with a girl, for God's sake! You know full well that we need you at your strongest for when all hell breaks loose! You need to do your duty as a Morinozuka! You can't and won't run from this!"


@Chicogal

 

[Chicogal]

Tamaki's eyes opened wide behind her back, arms still tight around her slim body. He released her, holding Haruhi at arms length. For a moment, he just looked at her. "Really?" he whispered.


His hands moved to gently hold either side of her face. Slowly, he leaned in to press his lips against hers for a few moments. It was a chaste kiss, innocent and respectful. It was the kiss of a prince.


~~~


Asuka could only but watch, finger nails digging purple half-moon crescents into her palms. She wasn't of a family like that. She'd had duty, to help provide, but not in this way. To be strong? Something about Hell breaking loose. Mori's face was still, but she could tell - that must hurt.


But could she just interrupt this?

 

[animeloulou]

~Haruhi~


Oh, how she had missed the shivers that ran through her every time his lips met hers. She kissed him back sincerely, a kiss that was full of care, respect and most importantly, full of love.


She broke away from the kiss with a small smirk.


"You've still got the skills... I'm impressed..!"


~Mori~


In the presence of his father, Mori could only bow, a full 90-degree bow that left him staring at his dust-coloured shoes.


"I apologise, Father, but that girl, Asuka, is my friend. So, as we prepare for the event, I will see her on my own time."


Still bent over, he watched as his father walked away without a response. As he stood up slowly, his gaze met with a familiar face.


"Asuka..."


@Chicogal

 

[Chicogal]

Tamaki always had been slightly hesitant when it came to these matters. It was not that he did not desire her greatly; of course he did. But he was a gentleman, and he would never coerce nor take advantage. But she melted back into him, her lips soft against his own. His eyes stayed closed for a moment after she broke away, before he saw that smirk of hers and heard her words.


"Of course - once a Host, always a Host," he laughed lightly, joyfully. Oh, he was happy. He was so happy. His hands came down to lightly hold her waist, revelling in the closeness of her body. He leaned in again, nose brushing against his hers. Tamaki hesitated for a moment, teasing her intentionally. "And as I am the Prince, you are my Princess." And then he was kissing her again, more passionately this time, letting her take the lead if she so wished.


~~~


Mori told his father that she was a friend. Asuka, a commoner, who worked as a waitress in a sushi restaurant. Asuka, who had no money nor power. Her jaw dropped slightly, her mouth opening a crack in surprise. He was bowed, and still defending her. As his father walked away, their eyes met again. She hurried forward, stopping before him.


"I- We're all okay," she whispered, overriding her inhibitions and enveloping him in a hug (although, with his stature, it was not so much enveloping as clinging). In any case, she felt he deserved it after that.

 

[animeloulou]

~Haruhi~


As Tamaki's lips pressed onto her's once again, Haruhi felt the same butterflies in her stomach that she had felt all those years ago, when they had kissed for the first time.


At that time, she was a bag of nerves. However, now she was a woman. So when she felt the passion erupt from his lips, she responded happily, giving as much as she got.


~Mori~


Mori's overwhelming sense of relief at the news that both Yuki and Asuka were okay was replaced with one of shock as she hugged him tightly.


After a moment, he wrapped his arms around her, silently pulling her to him. He hoped that she didn't see the altercation between himself and his father, but deep down he had a feeling that she had.


"We should get back home. Your mother must be worried."


Pulling away, he took her hand softly as he led her out of the busy hospital. As they passed the emergency room waiting area on the way out, the crackly voice of the newsreader caused Mori to tighten his grip ever so slightly instinctively.


|"In other news, talks are intensifying between the government and the LMO. The Prime Minister has spoken out, saying that if the council will not arrive at a compromise, that Japan may be facing extremely tough times ahead. Now, for the sport, where..."|


@Chicogal

 

[Chicogal]

Tamaki was happy. He could be so simple sometimes - the most basic of things granting him such joy. He could be poor for the rest of his life, and he would be glad, if it meant he could have Haruhi with him. Tonight wasn't a night for them to talk about serious things or worry. It was a night for love. Just love.


Tamaki lost himself in her embrace, pushing forward until she was leant against the arm of the couch and he hovered over her. He broke away, laughing for absolutely no reason other than happiness. As he remembered that she could not see, he took her hand and gently placed it on his cheek. He was grinning, and his cheeks were still wet from tears. "Do you feel that?"


~~~


Asuka closed her eyes for a moment. She barely even realised that she did it, but she couldn't help her actions. It felt so right to be there, in Mori's arms, safe. When he drew away, she couldn't deny it - she missed the feeling of his arms around her. But if his father acted that way, and he had such duties... She should not even dare to dream of such things. His large hand around hers was so natural though, and it hurt to think that it would never happen that way.


She noticed his grip, but didn't pick up on the television. Assuming that it was to do with his father, she looked up at him with a small frown. "I don't want to intrude but... If your father is mad with you because of me, don't feel like you have to..." With a sudden pang of worry, she realised that she didn't have the bus tickets either. They'd been in the house during the earthquake. Oh, dear.

 

[animeloulou]

~Haruhi~


Haruhi couldn't help but grin as she heard the sound of Tamaki's joyful laugh reach her ears. Next thing she knew, her hand was placed on his tear-stained cheeks. Nodding in acknowledgement, she raised her other hand until it was resting on his other cheek.


"I will love you for as long as I live..."


~Mori~


At the sound of Asuka's voice, Mori snapped back to reality, his stride slowing to a stop as they exited the hospital.


"So you did hear... Don't worry about him. My father is just taking his anger out at me because of increased pressure on him and the Morinozuka family as a whole."


That wasn't completely truthful but it was as much as he could tell her.


"Honestly, this is bigger than either you or me... Let's just forget about it for now, okay? Now, which way to the bus station?"


@Chicogal

 

[Chicogal]

"And I, you."


She was so sweet, Tamaki felt that Honey would have eaten her in that moment. He dipped his head down, rubbing his nose against hers in an Eskimo kiss. He made a soft happy humming noise to himself, closing his eyes again. Was this what it was like for her? He never wanted to be unable to see her face.


He let himself drop to his elbows, lying flush against her body. He shifted to the side, so that he could lie on his side facing her and she could have her back against the back of the couch. He rested his head on one hand, the other one trailing a finger up and down her side. Tamaki never wanted to stop this. It was so blissful. In high school, they hadn't gone very far. Tamaki was a natural gentleman, and had never pushed, even when he desired more. And Haruhi wasn't exactly an instigator. They had been in high school anyway, and even he had been a little nervous. Things were different now, though.


~~~


And for the first time, Mori... stung her a little. The nature of their social divide came crashing back down to Asuka, the gap between them seeming to widen again. Her mouth puckered slightly, and that was all that she'd allow it to do. He thought she was stupid, and that she wouldn't understand. He would have explained it otherwise. She was just a girl, who had allowed herself to get flattered, who'd thought something of this despite the fact it was just her repaying him.


She cleared her throat as they came to a map on the street corner, taking her hand out of his in the guise of tracing a finger along the bus routes. "I don't have the tickets," she said softly. Not sad, just annoyed with herself and the world as a whole.

 

[animeloulou]

~Haruhi~


Listening to the rustling of the couch fabric, it seemed to Haruhi that Tamaki had laid down on the couch beside her. She was about to speak again but the words froze on her lips.


Tamaki seemed to be running his finger up and down the side of her body, sending shivers up and down her spine.


"Wow..."


~Mori~


Truthfully, Mori was just a little bit disappointed as Asuka pulled her hand away from his. Shaking the thought from his mind, he smiled softly in an attempt to try and ease the tension that had crept between them.


"We can just buy a pair of single tickets, can't we? Sure, we'll have a financial loss, but isn't that okay in the grand scheme of things?"


@Chicogal

 

[Chicogal]

Tamaki stopped for a moment, wondering what she was amazed by. And then... oh. She liked that. He resumed the trailing of his fingertip, enjoying her just as much as she was enjoying him. A big, goofy smile rested lightly upon his delicate features.


"I wonder what the others would think of this," he mused after a moment, referring to the old Host Club. "Did Kyoya know you were here? I'm going to kill that man." He shook his head; he didn't even need to hear the answer. Kyoya never would have told him, simply because he'd never asked. Tamaki had assumed that he would have, but he should have known better...


~~~


Asuka felt actual pain at the suggestion (perhaps that was a bit of an exaggeration). There went her bank balance. But he spoke the truth, and she nodded, taking the lead this time toward the station. "We can buy them when we get there," she explained to Mori.

 

[animeloulou]

~Haruhi~


Haruhi could never get used to the feeling that shocked through her system every time that Tamaki would trace his finger down her body. His voice brought her back to reality, her mind still on a natural high.


"Honestly, I'm not entirely sure. However, knowing Kyoya, he probably checked it out regardless, for curiosity's sake. Don't make a big thing out of it anyway, that's in the past now."


~Mori~


Once they had gotten to the station, they got their relevant tickets and took the long journey back home.


Mori silently cursed his family's involvement in the whole affair. His father's appearance had seemed to sour the trip for both him and Asuka.


A few hours later, they arrived back in their local bus station, silently exiting the station to the early morning sun poking through the clouds.


"Do you want me to accompany you home?"


@Chicogal