SUMMARY: Somehow, discovering a disheveled Kyoya in a commoner mall was only the second strangest thing Haruhi found out that day. Your existence took the number one spot.
A/N: I love secret relationship trope so much... Tell me Kyoya wouldn't keep his relationship under wraps.
This was far from the worst day Kyoya has ever had, but. Well. Today was not making it into the top 10 of best days for sure.
He was dragged to a labyrinth in his sleep and then subsequently abandoned by his friends. In a terrible outfit, no less. Kyoya wasn’t sure if he was relieved to have Haruhi rescue him or if he was mortified that she had to see him in this state.
Haruhi wasn’t sure either. She was in awe watching Kyoya eat a burger— it was like entering an alternate timeline. Compared to the rest of the host club, Kyoya was always more knowledgeable on the lives of commoners, but in a superficial way. He knew statistics and basic facts about regular people like a child knew facts about dinosaurs. Without Haruhi, Kyoya was as disconnected from the real world as everyone else at Ouran.
“… Kyoya?” The pair looked up at the voice calling Kyoya’s name. For a second Haruhi thought someone from the host club finally came back to look for their missing parent, but the person standing in front of them was a stranger to Haruhi. They had a bag of groceries and a confused expression. An utterly normal person.
The strangest part was that Kyoya clearly recognized this person. “(Name)?” His eyes reflected the same confused expression that the bystander had.
“Why… are you dressed like that?”
Now Kyoya was sure that mortification was the strongest emotion he felt today.
“Kyoya-senpai, you know this person?” Haruhi tried to figure out what kind of person would be shopping for groceries at a commoner’s mall but also be acquainted with the shadow prince of the host club. Related to the owner of the mall? No, that was too small scale for the level of high society that Ouran students dealt with. Them being related to the CEO that owns every mall chain across Japan was more likely.
He hesitated to answer, gaze lingering on the person in front of them. Kyoya carefully put down his burger before pushing up his glasses and stating matter-o-factly, “yes. Haruhi, this is my partner, (Name). (Name), this is the Haruhi Fujioka I told you about.”
Haruhi blinked. Partner? She went through her known information about Kyoya, which admittedly wasn’t a lot, but nothing pointed to him having a partner. Especially not a commoner! But the living proof was standing right next to their table and Haruhi was miffed, to say the least. “Partner?! Kyoya-senpai, you have a partner?!”
“Must you sound so shocked?” Kyoya retorted, and there was some earnesty in his otherwise sarcastic remark. It wasn’t like she ever asked him if he had a partner. Everyone just assumed he didn’t.
(Name) bowed following the introduction. “Fujioka-san,” they smiled. “I’ve heard so much about you. It’s nice to meet you.”
They really were a normal person. Dressed in plain clothes and unassuming. And polite. Haruhi realized early on at her transfer to Ouran that polite was rarely a word to describe the children of the wealthy and elite. Haruhi stood up to bow in return. “It’s nice to meet you too, (Name)-san. Sorry, I hope my reaction wasn’t rude. I had no idea Kyoya-senpai had a partner. Do you want to sit with us?”
Before (Name) had a chance to respond, Kyoya already grabbed a chair from an empty table and pulled it over. One exchanged glance with Kyoya was all it took to get (Name) to sit down. “Don’t worry about it, Fujioka-san. Kyoya doesn’t really tell people about me.”
“Please clarify that it is a mutual decision to keep our relationship private,” Kyoya sighed.
(Name) laughed. “Sorry, I was teasing.”
“No one knows? Also, you can call me Haruhi. Please don’t feel the need to be formal!” Haruhi was trying to figure out how to phrase questions that wouldn’t immediately get shut down by Kyoya. How did you meet, how long have you been together, how is your partner a commoner?
“Well, Tamaki-san knows. He found out after—“
Again, Kyoya was quick to interrupt. “Please don’t explain that story. It’s embarrassing.”
“I didn’t know you were worried about shame. Could’ve fooled me with that outfit of yours and your peculiar new hangout spot!” (Name) grinned, and Haruhi found herself in awe for the second time that day. She was used to Kyoya always having a witty remark ready for when one of the club members decided to yell at him, but (Name) might be his equal in that regard. Not only could they banter with Kyoya— Kyoya seemed to enjoy it. He had an unbeatable poker face but Haruhi definitely noticed the corners of his lips curling upwards as he looked at (Name). There was a softness in place of his usual cunning.
Haruhi leaned back in her chair, pleasantly entertained by the pair in front of her. “I guess it makes plenty of sense for Kyoya-senpai to have a private relationship. But, doesn’t that mean you don’t have a lot of time to spend with each other?”
“Oh, sure. I wouldn’t call it ideal. But, Kyoya is married to his job, y’know? I couldn’t take that away from him.”
That time, Kyoya pinched (Name)’s cheek in retaliation. “You’re making me sound like a bad partner. Yes, we don’t spend as much time together as the average couple, but we always make time for each other.”
“Have I ever told you that you look uncomfortable when you explain our relationship to other people?” Kyoya pulled on their cheek. “Agh! Let go!”
Kyoya complied with the request, but not before pressing a light kiss to the cheek he just bullied. He was a host, after all. He knew how to treat someone right. His regular customers would probably be furious to know that he was so chaste on physical affection because it was reserved for his dear partner.
(Name) wasn’t wrong about Kyoya being uncomfortable. He knew how to play the role of a host, but having to be honest about something real, in public, was a different ballpark entirely. But the fact that he was in a space where no one knew who he was or what his status was served to be quite freeing. The usual pressure on his shoulders of being an Ootori was alleviated for once, so he locked hands with (Name) over the table.
It was Haruhi’s turn to be cunning since she would never be afforded this opportunity against Kyoya again. “Kyoya-senpai has been so grumpy today,” Haruhi started. “But he relaxed as soon as you arrived, (Name)-san. He’s really fond of you.”
If (Name) wasn’t here, Kyoya would’ve probably found a way to twist Haruhi’s comment into more debt for her to pay off. But (Name)’s eyes lit up, so Kyoya let Haruhi get away with it this time.
“You’re really good at reading him, Haruhi-san! I may be teasing a lot, but he’s really a great guy. I couldn’t ask for a better partner.” (Name) talked about Kyoya like he was the most precious thing on the planet. For (Name), Kyoya wasn’t just the third Ootori son. He wasn’t burdened with the harshest expectations. All he had to do was be good to them and sometimes Kyoya wished he lived in a world where that was the only thing he ever had to be worried about in his life.
But, right then, in a commoner mall Kyoya had no familiarity with, it was like living that alternate life. So Kyoya allowed himself to smile at (Name) and take in the praise.
haruhi fujioka is the boy you choose to have a crush on to hide that you're a big ass lesbian ꒰ ୭ ˚. ᵎᵎ
Your friends were the ones who dragged you to that Host Club, you didn't want to go at all. You have better things to do than sitting on a couch with random kids from your class to drink tea and talk. But they're so handsome! Your friends insisted on that and yes, objectively, they are pretty boys. But you can't see the appeal on them, you never did.
That was a problem for some time of your life, thinking there's something wrong with you because you don't like men, in your mind, you were going to spend all of your alone, and that would be a terrible outcome for simply not liking boys. At the same time, you loved being around girls, brushing their hair and doing your make up together, cuddling in sleepovers were your favorite activities to do.
It took you two whole years to realize that you were a lesbian.
You haven't really told anyone yet, not because you are ashamed, but because you don't feel ready. Maybe you are a little scared of your friends judging you and being weirded out by you.
So for now on, you are just keeping it on secret.
After your first visit to the Host Club, all of your friends had new crushes in each of the boys and when they asked you, you didn't know what to say so you just went with it.
"Fujioka-kun is cute," you said, shrugging your shoulders.
Your friends' eyes went wide the second those words left your mouth. One of them squealed, grabbing your arm so tight it almost hurt. "Oh my gosh, you like the quiet one? That's so perfect!"
You tried to play it cool, shrugging again like it was no big deal, but your face was already getting warm. "I mean, yeah. He's… nice. Cute. Whatever."
From that moment on, it was chaos. Your friends turned into full-on matchmakers overnight. They started dragging you back to the Host Club every single afternoon, claiming it was for their own crushes. But really, they spent half the time whispering and giggling while they pushed you toward Haruhi's corner of the room.
The first time they tried setting you up, you wanted to melt into the fancy carpet. You were sitting on one of those velvet couches, sipping tea you didn't even like, when two of your friends suddenly left you there alone with Haruhi, who was quietly organizing some paperwork.
"Um… hi," you managed, your voice coming out way too soft. Your heart was pounding so hard you thought he might hear it. Haruhi looked up, his big brown eyes blinking at you in mild confusion.
"Hello. You're back again," he said, smiling politely like always. "Do you want me to keep you company?"
"Um, I mean... if you want," you said, frowning a little.
Haruhi tilted his head a little, trying to figure out if you were okay. He offered you another cup and his fingers brushed yours when he handed it over, you nearly dropped the whole thing. He was so calm and normal while you felt like your brain was on fire.
After that, your friends got bolder. They started accidentally leaving you two alone in the music room during club hours. One time they even made up a fake club event where everyone had to pair up for some silly game. You ended up partnered with Haruhi for a dance and your hands shook so bad you stepped on his feet a couple of times.
"You're really nervous today," he said quietly, not looking at you directly because he knows that would make you even more nervous. "Is everything alright? You don't have to force yourself to come here if you don't enjoy it."
Your face burned. He thought you didn't like the club? That wasn't it at all. "No, I… I do. It's just... awkward. I'm awkward." You wanted to say more, but the words stuck in your throat.
Haruhi smiled. "I don't think you're awkward at all. In fact, I find you very sweet."
That. That shouldn't have made you feel like that. Your stomach was doing cartwheels over a boy? No way! You're not attracted to boys, even if they look cute and feminine like Haruhi.
But Haruhi was so nice with you. He'd just listen when you stumbled over small talk, offering thoughtful little comments about school or the ridiculous antics of the other hosts. Sometimes he'd even smile at you in that genuine way that made your stomach flip.
Your friends, meanwhile, were losing their minds. Always saying things like "HE LOOKED AT YOU FOR FIVE WHOLE SECONDS" and "GO FOR IT GIRL HE'S TOTALLY INTO YOU". You kept telling them to stop, that it wasn't like that, but they wouldn't listen. They were convinced this was the romance of the year.
At some point, everything started to feel too heavy. You slipped away after classes, finding an empty classroom on the third floor. The door clicked shut behind you and you slid down against the wall until you were sitting on the cool floor, knees pulled up to your chest.
You felt like the worst friend in the world. Every time they giggled about your "crush" on Fujioka-kun, you smiled and played along, but you were lying to them. Hiding the biggest part of yourself because you were scared they would look at you differently. What kind of friend does that?
The door slid open softly. You froze, quickly wiping your face with your sleeve, but it was too late. Haruhi stood there, holding a stack of papers, looking surprised to see anyone inside.
"Oh. Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt," he said. He hesitated, then stepped in and closed the door behind him. "Are you… okay? You look really upset."
You tried to say you were fine, but the words wouldn't come. Instead, fresh tears spilled over. Haruhi set his papers on a desk and sat down on the floor a respectful distance away.
"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," he added after a moment. "But if you need to talk, I'm here."
That was enough for you to tell the whole story between sniffles. How your friends dragged you to the Host Club. How you panicked and said Fujioka-kun was cute just to have something to say. How they turned it into this huge thing, pushing you two together every chance they got. And then the bigger truth, the one you had never said out loud to anyone.
"I'm a lesbian, Haruhi," you whispered, staring at your hands. "I've known for a couple years now but I haven't told my friends yet. I'm so scared they'll think I'm weird or that it'll change everything between us. So I've been pretending to have a crush on you because you're a boy and it was the easiest way to keep the secret. But now everything feels like one big lie and I hate it. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to drag you into this mess."
You finally looked up at him, expecting confusion or maybe even discomfort. But Haruhi just sat there, blinking slowly as he processed everything.
"Thank you for trusting me with that," he said quietly. "It must have been really hard carrying it alone. Your friends sound like they care about you a lot. Maybe… they would surprise you if you told them? But I get why you're scared. Coming out is personal. You do it when you're ready."
Haruhi sat there quietly for a moment, letting his words settle between you. You wiped your tears again, feeling a little lighter just from his words and then he shifted a bit closer on the floor, gathering his thoughts.
"Since you trusted me with something so big, I want to trust you too." He paused, brushing some hair out of his face. "I'm actually a girl."
You blinked at him, not sure you heard right at first. "Huh?"
Haruhi turned fully towards you, a light flush on her cheeks. "Yeah. I never meant for the whole school to think I'm a boy, but after joining the Host Club I just went with it... also I do enjoy looking androgynous and spending time with beautiful girls."
You stared at her, everything clicking into place. The way she moved, the softness in her voice sometimes, how she never quite fit the loud boy energy of the other hosts. Your face grew hot as you realized your fake crush had been on a girl the whole time.
"Oh my god," you whispered, huffing a laugh. "What were the possibilities?"
She let out a quiet laugh, light and real. "It's kind of funny when you think about it."
You end up dropping your face to her shoulder, laughing against it. Haruhi also falls into laughter, wanting to wrap her arm around you but you already lifted your forehead from her shoulder and now you were looking at her right in the eyes.
"Do you really enjoy flirting with girls?" you asked her, wanting to know more about her.
"Yeah, actually I have a favorite," she says, biting her lips shyly.
"Really?" You arched your eyebrows, stopping yourself to ask who it was.
"Yup. She's really awkward sometimes, especially when her friends push her into things she doesn't want to do. But it's kind of cute. She has this pretty smile that she doesn't show enough. I didn't realize it at first, but every time she comes around the music room I find myself looking forward to seeing her."
She paused and looked right at you, waiting for you to catch up. "She's sitting right here, actually."
Your breath caught in your throat. "Me?" you whispered, pointing at yourself.
"Yeah, you."
You have no idea what people do in this situations so you just sit back in your heels, getting awkwardly close to Haruhi's face and you gave her a quick peck on the lips that she didn't even have time to give back.
a/n: I LOVE LESBIANSSSSS I LOVE HARUHIII AAAAAAAA. i need more fics of her i want to bite her cheeks and put her eyes in my boba tea
Part 1, part 3, part 4, part 5, part 6, part 7, part 8, part 9, part 10, part 11, part 12, and divider credits, song link.
• Tamaki and Kyoya as you learned were the blonde and black haired boys.
• They were kind, well, Tamaki was loudly. His blonde hair could be seen miles away and so could his joy and general love for people.
• Kyoya was quiet about it, but he was just as kind with a mean streak. His sharp eyes were something you's always notice above all else.
• You were there for a day and were immediately asked to join a club by Tamaki with Koya implying that it'd be beneficial to both of you.
• You were very androgenous in a way that made people look at you. It didn't matter how you looked when you started at the school you just didn't put in an effort and got labeled as Mr. Wayne.
• You had a first name to Tamaki and Kyoya of course since you got close, and that's just how Tamaki functions with people, but the two always defaulted to Wayne.
• You followed them to the abandoned music room only to be met with a set of twins, a tall man, a extremely short blonde, and a girl.
• If you didn't look close enough at the girl, you'd assume she's a boy. With her short brown hair, brown sweater over her white button up, her clunky frames, and her pretty boxy frame.
• All in all, she was pretty. Tamaki drew your attention away from the girl with his dramatics.
• First, you were introduced to Morinozuka, or Mori as he was more commonly referred to, the silent type.
• Second, Haninozuka, Honey for short, the cute type.
• Third and fourth, Hikaru and Kaoru, the trouble makers.
• Fifth, Kyoya, the silent type.
• Sixth, Tamaki, the princely type.
• And seventh, their errand boy, Haruhi.
• They were weirdos, you could tell, but oddly enough that made you want to join them.
• Maybe it was the air in the room. Maybe it was the fact that even though they were absolute messes, they had this kind energy that made you feel welcome.
• You didn't know why, but you agreed to join.
• You, a girl, joined the host club only second to the first girl.
• Because of this you were pretty quiet, but would respond with the girls with a nervous smile.
• Why? You were nervous you'd get caught, but you enjoyed it nonethless.
• You were the eighth host club member, Tamaki lovingly labeling you, the shy type.
• You watch as the host club stare in shock at instant coffee in Haruhi's hands. You've actually had some since Tim's a coffee addict who needs his coffee right this second, so the manor actually has a lot of instant coffee in it.
• You watch as the other host race off and you stay by Haruhi, girls gotta stick together after all.
"Oh Tamaki, now you're taking the joke too far. Your palate won't be able to stomach that crap. You don't have to drink it just because he bought it." That statement from a red haired girl causes you to pause. Seika, if you recall, was being a bit of a bitch. "Huh?" Haruhi asks as Seika looks up at you both. "I'm sorry. I was talking to myself." Seika says as she smiles, but it doesn't reach her eyes.
• You watch as Haruhi is called away by Tamaki.
• You gotta stick up for your girl. Even if you have to be subtle.
"You have some nice thoughts, for inside. Remember the difference between outside and inside thoughts." You say as if talking to a child. "What do you mean, Mr. Wayne?" Seika asks as you just smile at her. "I'm sorry. I was talking to myself." You say as you leave smiling.
• The day continues and you're seated with some more ladies, but what draws your eyes is Haruhi who looks both confused and horrified by the club.
• This causes you to chuckle only to have the girls at your table squeal and fawn over you.
• This in turn causes more confusion to Haruhi.
• You stop paying attention to Haruhi only to be called away by Tamaki a few moments later.
• You head over and hear them talking about giving Haruhi a makeover, and you? You're sent off to eat cake with Honey and his bunny stuffed animal. You're shocked he's older than you.
• After Haruhi is all dolled up similar to you it's nearly impossible to tell she's a girl.
• Tamaki picks her up spinning her around saying she'll be a host.
• You both were finally hosts togetger. It's nice.
• Tamaki calls both you and Haruhi over to formally meet Seika. Tamaki being Tamaki gets distracted and starts spinning Haruhi around rambling about how cute she is.
• This causes Haruhi to call to Mori for help after realizing you definitely weren't helping her.
• Mori over does it a bit lifting Haruhi up as if you're in some romance drama. You're in a romcom.
• Later you watch Haruhi look around for her bag only to realize it's in the pond.
• You hear footsteps and conceal yourself as to hear what's going on.
"Oh! It's you again. I bet you love having Tamaki making you over and fawning over you. It's useless though. You're always going to be a second-class citizen." You hear Seika say to Haruhi. You hum to yourself and decide to file that away and use it when you can.
• Bruce taught you one thing. Sometimes it's best to let people burry themselves under their own actions.
• So you'll wait. Wait for Seika burry herself.
• You didn't have to wait long.
• Seika decided to book a session with Haruhi the next day.
• You watch carefully only for Seika to call you over. You and Haruhi are opposite to her.
• You watch her put her hands on the table in a strange way, and before your reflexes can kick in she knocks the table over causing Haruhi to fall on top of her and you to get a mild bruise.
• She screamed. Accused Haruhi of something heinous, and injuring you.
• One thing about those weirdos you liked so much, they weren't stupid. Tamaki pieced together that Seika was lying. Kyoya knew, they all did, they just needed evidence now they had it.
• Haruhi has her quota raised and you get in trouble too since technically you both also caused a scene.
• You and Haruhi head off to get into clean uniforms.
• This results in Tamaki just now finding out you're both girls.
• This is how you find out that they genuinely had no idea this entire time.
• You change your mind. Tamaki is dumb. At least on some level.
• Little did you know, Bruce was looking for you. Where'd his kid go? Did he send you somewhere? He doesn't remember.
• Alfred was baking, so where are you? You usually help. He feels like he has to remember something, but the manor calls and so do the injured idiots.
• Dick was just visiting! Why didn't you greet him? You always greet him! Did he forget something?
• Jason broke in again, and where were you? Usually you'll help him make some food and he'd ignore you as you chat. He feels like he's missing something.
• Tim was about to have his 16th coffee and stopped only to drop his mug. Usually you'll join him to have a cup of coffee with him at that point, but you didn't. You must have been kidnapped!
• Damian noticed Alfred the cat sitting outside our door pawing at it. Usually you'd let him in. You must be on a field trip Damian reasons.
• Duke hasn't seen you in the morning, but you said something to him about something. He didn't remember. He was half asleep.
• Steph went in your room to steal your first aid stuff only to find it weirdly empty and dusty. Which was weird because you never let it look like this.
• Cass hasn't seen you. She hasn't heard your breathing, footsteps, or heartbeat. She also concludes you were kidnapped.
• Barbara is trying to track you because of Cass and Tim only to realize you don't have a tracker. This results in her also believing you were kidnapped.
• Your family's a bit of a mess.
A/N: added a song link cause an anon asked me about the title very confused! I just don't want anyone to get the wrong impression of this just because of the title! Also added more tags lol. Only reason that was added <3
➼ pairing: Kyoya Ootori x Reader
➼ summary: When the twins decide to meddle Kyoya gets jealous
➼ what to expect:
➼ warnings: Smut
a/n: this ended up way longer than expected lol
You should have known that Hikaru was up to something the moment that he slipped into the chair where Kyoya normally sits, a devilish smirk on his face.
"Can I help you?" you raise a brow but don't look up from the diary that you are scribbling in. "Oh no dear y/n, I'm here to help you" overconfidence dripped from him as his grin widened to one of a cheshire cat, finally pulling your gaze upward.
"Oh really?"
"I am quite a charitable person when I have the spare time for it-"
"Ah that's it! You're bored, not today hikaru find a new target"
"-And! I believe I owe you one, you know, for the fair thing" you lean forward in your seat, eyes squinting in scepticism "And what do you think that I need help with?"
"Giving Kyoya a boot up his ass"
"Excuse me?" your voice drops an octave at the statement, confused mostly by the meaning of the statement but also because it was not something you would expect Hikaru to say.
The door to the music room creaks open, Kyoya slipping into the room, Hikaru leans forward to meet you in the middle of the table, a gap barely existing between the two of you. "You see due to a bet I've had to unfortunately look into your relationship far too much recently"
"Yes I did hear about your little investigation, your point?"
The grin on Hikaru's face falls into a smirk "You see while it took me far too long to even remotely understand what it is you two have going on however there was one thing I noticed"
"And what is that?"
"Touch"
"Touch?"
"You two never touch, and while Kaoru seems to believe that the two of you have this secret language thing going on that may be the case but its not even that you don't show affection you two don't touch at all, Tamaki has touched you more than him-"
"-Ew, don't say that"
"Anyway, I just figured that Kyoya may just need a little...push" he reaches up to brush some hair out your face "You have way too much time on your hands"
"Oh I know it is a tragedy, but yet you haven't stopped me yet" you roll your eyes "Why do you care?"
"I don't but surely you do, and well you've meddled in my love life recently, call it my gift back, or revenge whatever you want to call it" he winks.
“But also…I’m concerned”
“Huh?”
“You and Kyoya care about eachother I know that but a relationship isn’t just caring there also is…attraction”
“What are you trying to say?”
“The few things that do happen between you two seem to always be moves that you make, never him” you almost cough out a laugh in shock “what? I mean… wait are you trying to say kyoyas not attracted to me?”
“I’m not saying that, I’m more saying you’re my friend I don’t want you hurt…and a little proof never hurt anyone”
"And you think this will work?"
"Are you asking because you're doubting or because you want it to work?" you stare back at him dead pan, eyes flicking to across the room where kyoya is talking to Tamaki. Hikaru dramatically gasps at the lack of response "Don't tell me you're enjoying this, how touch starved are you poor thing"
"shut up you idiot, kyoya isn't going to fall for this he’s not some- i don’t know romance novel character”
“Indeed” Kyoya’s voice startles the both of you, shadow cast over the table as he appears behind Hikaru. “I believe you’re in my seat”
Hikaru leans back “oh hey Kyoya, don’t mind me I just figured I’d spend some quality time with y/n”
“Really? I know what your doing Hikaru” Hikaru sighs, sliding out the seat “damn it”
“Even if i didn’t it wouldn’t have worked anyway, I’m not threatened by you” he leans into him a little closer, lowering his voice “but if I find you touching without asking her again, now that will be a different story”
“Oh what’s that? Haruhi I’ll be over in a second! Sorry gotta go” he slips away, leaving the seat free for Kyoya to sit down opposite you “I did not expect that to bother you”
“Bother me? No, but ‘you’re not stopping me’ is faulty logic, I don’t get jealous because I have no need for it, protective however…”
“Mm”
Kyoya takes out notebook, starting to work as instinctively almost your fingers twitch outward, just reaching slightly closer to him, if Kyoya notices he doesn’t show it but you double check yourself almost confused on why it happened.
♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡
By that evening the interaction with Hikaru was mostly forgotten but there was something brewing in the back of your mind, eventually all you can think about is that when you are sat in the study of your apartment, Kyoya scribbling away at his desk, you stood facing the window, a regular activity the two of you have, silently enjoying each others presence midwork even at home
“Do you think what Hikaru said holds any weight?" Kyoya doesn't look up from the paper, the question not phasing him "Hm?"
"I mean, I rarely ever take notice of what the twins say however his observation is not wrong…we don't act like a couple in public because we like to be private but even when we are alone….should we... be worried about that?"
Catching his attention, Kyoya sits up straight "Does it bother you?"
You shrug "Not necessarily, I mean what does a 'normal couple' even act like, but you know, when one of our friends implies that my partner may not even be attracted to me I feel it's worth questioning a little"
Kyoya lets out what is close to an amused laugh under his breath "is that what this is about?" You roll you're eyes "Forgive me, you're right, you are so open about your motivations and feelings"
"And yet despite that it seems that is a positive in our relationship, you take a strange pride in knowing that you can read me in a way that most do not” you hum in agreement, nodding your head to the side “you’re not wrong, you also are not answering the question for whatever reason”
Kyoya raises his eyebrows “you were serious?”
“Look, do not mistake this as me in search of validation, that being said we don’t really…”
Kyoya smirks, going back to his work “if you want a straight answer you may want to ask an actual question”
“Kyoya.”
“No, we don’t really do much, but it is not because of a lack of attraction”
“As opposed to?”
“I mean, my first priority has always been being respectful to you” he sits back “that being said…I am still a man”
You hum, leaning against the side of the desk “so?”
“So you are my fiancé, we wouldn’t be in this position if I wasn’t attracted to you…in certain ways, I still have carnal desires”
“Can you blame me for asking though?”
He hums, slowly standing and now towering over you as he places a hand next to you on next desk, frustratingly close to you thigh.
“I suppose not, perhaps I have been neglecting certain things…”
You raise a brow at his sudden change in tone “Things? Small word for you is it not?”
“Well it is like we said, we both thrive in speaking through subtext, and I am quite enjoying this little back and forth, particularly your reluctance to say any word that hints towards intimacy” he follows your gaze as it averts from his face.
“I’m assuming you’ve never…”
“You know I haven’t” you mutter, not liking how this once entertaining conversation has flipped “just confirming, you know I would not care either way” he takes his glasses off, placing them on the desk next to you.
You nod "I know."
Through slightly heavier breaths Kyoya pushes some of your hair over shoulder “don’t think that we have to do anything just because it came up” you bite at your lip, somehow that sentence persuading you more than the opposite. “Have you?”
He shoots you a pointed look as if the question even needed answering “now you’re just asking silly questions” his fingers run up and down your forearm slowly in attempt to calm the clear nerves. You shrug “there could have been someone before me”
He lets out a low laugh, a little entertained at you thinking that was a possibility “there wasn’t, I think you give me too much credit” he steals a peck at your jaw as he speaks.
“But, unlike you, my quietness isn’t because I’m shy.” As if to test you his hand slides from the desk over your thigh “I’ve never known you to be flustered”
You roll your eyes “Yes you have you just want to bask in the reason why” he shrugs, a smirk threatening to tug at his lips “I don’t know you are always the more…outspoken one between the two of us…I seem to recall you once said you found me leveraging the sports festival for money attractive”
You smile, head tilting up a bit to look at him “I also seem to recall you kissing me for the first time over my explaining my plans for corporate takeover you really have no place to talk”
“Do I not?” He grins, leaning in to finally kiss you on the lips, everything suddenly becoming. A bit more real.
With shorter breaths your hands subconsciously lift from the desk below to grip his shirt, laughing slightly at the sensation of his fingertips grazing upwards to your hips in addition to the sudden change in pace “I love you”
Kyoya freezes, movements stuttering slightly, while it takes you a second longer you quickly realise why, you had never actually said it before. Well, not the exact words, of course you have in your own way.
For a moment, the two of you don’t say anything, just stand staring at each other, an unspoken agreement that you had just opened the door to something, what exactly neither of you can place, but for a long time neither of you had never said the words because you both knew they were true, which is why you never felt the need to state it.
Kyoya doesn’t comment further, he replies in his own way, moving you slightly so that you are more sat on the desk than leaning against it “I’m not going to go further until you’re sure” he mutters, slightly quieter than he has been.
You nod, hand sliding up to his shoulder “don’t get cold feet on me now” with an eye roll he takes that as confirmation to carry on, shushing you with his lips on yours.
Kyoya worked quickly but systemically, you didn’t know exactly when it happened but you soon found yourself pressed against him, shirtless with an arm thrown over his shoulder, his hands ridden up under your skirt resting on your hips.
The next time the two of you break laboured breaths were the only thing that could be heard between it all.
“Um…we don’t have…”
As if he could tell where you are going he pulls back a little, opening the bottom drawer of his desk, retrieving a box of condoms. “Oh.”
“I figured better have them than not”
“I don’t know why I’m surprised”
“Me neither, but not yet” as you hum in question as he places the box behind you “if we’re doing this now I’m doing it right" his hands fall back to your thighs "Can I?"
You nod "Please" coming out as a whisper only loud enough for him to hear. Taking that word as enough, his hands slip further upwards, a finger curling around the top of your panties. You instinctively lift your hips at the action.
Kyoya slowly peels them off, stuffing them in his back pocket as he runs two slender fingers up and down your folds, a loud breath stuttering out of you as you lean back a bit. He's careful as he dips one into you, a cool sensation shivering through you.
Instinctively you let out a whine, Kyoya tuts "Patience my love, I need to make sure you're ready to take me" he smirks watching your reaction as he starts to pump in and out, adding a second finger after time.
The air gets knocked out of you, head falling back at the sensation, tensing in your stomach as a strange feeling builds up. "k-kyoya..." the name falls from your lips thoughtlessly, hand flying to wrap around his wrist.
A low hum of a chuckle erupts from him "I didn't know you were so sensitive" you look back to him breathless, playfully unimpressed at his smug demeanor. He has mercy on you, slowly easing his fingers out, pulling you up to distract you with his lips at the sudden emptiness, tearing open a condom. "You sure?"
You nod, pulling him closer, an arm falling over his shoulder, playing with the hairs at the back of his neck "Yeah..." he slowly pushes in, breaths hitched at the feeling, kyoya's knuckles turn white at the grip he has on the desk.
"Let me know when you're alright to move"
"You sure you haven't done this before?" You joke breathlessly, head falling to the side. He laughs a little "I'm inexperienced, I never said that meant I don't know what I'm doing"
You laugh, such a kyoya response it was funny, slowly shifting to test the waters of movement "What like you did research or something?" You joke, biting at your lip at the sudden pleasure that has started to form, Kyoya picks up on your lead, slowly rocking into you, chin tilting down to send you a knowing look.
"Oh my god Kyoya did you actually-"
"-suddenly very chatty aren't we?" his hips jerk forward as a silent warning to not finish the sentence, the two of you so close his nose brushes against your cheek "I don't see you complaining"
his hand runs up your thigh, hitching it upwards for your leg to wrap around hip, leaning back slightly as his other hand comes to hold your face, no pressure is applied it isn't forceful, but stable, consuming as it pulls your gaze to meet his. "Maybe focus instead"
You roll your eyes to disguise the fact that your breath keeps getting caught in your chest, toes curling as you watch his gaze also blink away from determination to mild surprise and vulnerability. He clears his throat "y/n I-" a gutteral groan cuts him off. He doesn't need to say more however, you get the picture.
"Yeah- me too-"
He nods, pressing another kiss to your lips, speeding up a little bit. You finish a bit suddenly, an overwhelming sensation of something snapping in your stomach, a shiver arching your back, all thoughts slipping away momentarily as you fall into him, you barely notice the warmth spreading across your lower half and the groan the Kyoya lets out as you regain awareness.
The two of you sit in a comfortable silence for a while, his hand running up and down your thigh absent mindedly grounds you, eventually he slowly pulls out, pressing a kiss to your forehead as he does so. "I'll get a cloth"
He lets out a shaky breath as he steps away, tying off the condom as he chucks it into a bin "Y/n?"
"Hm?" You still haven't moved, hands grounded against the desk as you process what just happened, legs wobbly as you regain your breath.
"If you ever doubt my attraction to you again, tell me"
He walks off towards the bathroom, leaving you staring at the empty doorframe he exited through as his words run through his head.
Damn Hikaru's not gonna let you hear the end of this.
pairing: morinozuka takashi x shrine maiden reader
summary: when the ouran host club is invited to a summer festival at (names) ancestral shrine, they expected lanterns and food stalls, not sacred dances, centuries-old traditions, and a glimpse into a side of her they've never seen before.
as the night unfolds under the glow of paper lights, mori finds himself drawn deeper into the quiet world she carries and begins to realize that their engagement, once only duty, might be something far more personal.
stillness becomes understanding. and between one shared glance and a gifted charm, something soft and real begins to bloom.
note: guys... I MISS OHSHC SO MUCH IM GONNA BUY ALL THE MANGA SOON 😭💔
matserlist
the air smelled like cedar and sweet smoke.
as the black cars pulled up to the base of the ancient shrine path, the host club members spilled out in a mix of silk, chatter, and dramatic flailing.
"I feel like I've stepped into a ghibli film," tamaki declared, holding the edges of his indigo yukata like it was a royal robe. "do you hear those cicadas? it's like they're whispering secrets."
"you're just hearing your own voice echoing back at you," kyoya murmured, adjusting his glasses as he stepped carefully onto the mossy stones of the path.
the forest stretched tall and quiet around them. pine needles, soft wind, and lanterns already beginning to flicker to life along the trail that lead up the steps.
they looked up.
the shrine sat above them like something pulled from a memory, ancient, red-lacquered beams beneath a canopy of green, the air thick with incense and reverence.
and standing just at the top of the stairs, dressed in the deep vermillion of a ceremonial hakama, was (name).
still. poised.
like a painted scroll come to life.
she smiled gently and offered a bow. "welcome to kogane shrine. I'm honored to have you all here."
tamaki lit up like a sunrise. "(name)-senpai! you look so.... so ethereal! how lucky we are to be welcomed by such beauty!"
haruhi gave a polite wave. "thanks for inviting us. it's... way more traditional than I expected."
"I think I read about this place in a cultural heritage registry," kyoya added, already scribbling in a sleek notebook. "your family maintains the grounds personally?"
she nodded. "we have for generations. my grandmother still oversees the sacred ceremonies. she's looking forward to meeting all of you."
a rustle of footsteps behind her made her turn. mori and honey had just arrived at the top of the stairs, honey waving enthusiastically, a cotton candy already in hand from some vendor they passed on the way up.
"hi, (name)-Chan! this place is sooo cool!" honey beamed. "did you grow up here?"
"most summers," (name) said, smiling more softly now.
mori didn't say anything, but when his eyes met hers, he gave the faintest nod. not quite a greeting. more like a memory.
something passed between them, quiet and unnoticed by the others.
she turned back to the group. "the festival will begin soon. if you'd like, I can show you the grounds before the guests arrive."
"lead the way, lady shrine maiden~!" tamaki said, dramatically throwing out an arm.
she gave a short laugh and started walking. her steps were light but measured, used to these stone paths, the ancient forest pressing in on both sides. the host club followed, their bright chatter bouncing against centuries-old wood and quiet statues of foxes and lions.
and just behind her, a full step closer than before, walked Takashi morinozuka.
her voice echoed gently across the mossy path, clear and calm as a temple bell.
"this gate," (name) explained, hand hovering gracefully near the weathered red arch, "marks the threshold between the phsyical world and the spiritual one. we pass through it in silence."
the host club followed behind her, mostly in silence, though it was the kind born more of awe than obedience.
tamaki, starry-eyed, whispered to himself, "how poetic... her voice carries the weight of a thousand generations..."
kyoya was taking notes.
haruhi walked quietly near the back of the group, her gaze drifting forward to mori, who stood unusually close to (name), matching her pace without even trying, his expression unreadable but... softer than usual.
she leaned slightly towards kyoya and mumbled, "huh... mori-senpai and (name)-senpai seem close... I've never seen him like that with anyone but honey-senpai."
kyoya didn't even look up from his notebook. "they're engaged."
haruhi blinked. "wait, what?"
"engaged," he repeated evenly, flipping a page. "their families arranged it years ago."
before haruhi could fully process that, the twins, walking just ahead of her, whipped around in perfect unison.
"oho? did someone say arranged marriage?" Hikaru smirked.
"oh, haruhi, you didn't know?" kaoru added, leaning in. "the morinozuka family and (last name) family have ties that go way back. like... samurai and shrine maiden era back."
"they say the morinozuka clan once protected (name)-senpai's family shrine as warriors."
"bodyguards. swordsmasters. silent shadows in the trees," Hikaru grinned.
kaoru nodded solemnly. "there's even a legend that a morinozuka ancestor once took a vow of silence after falling in love with the shrine's priestess."
"she died young, though," Hikaru said, mock-dramatically. "very tragic. very fated."
"that vow became tradition. a family of protectors who only speak when necessary."
kyoya cut in with a sigh. "let's not fictionalize too much. the betrothal is tradition, yes, but it's a mutual agreement, not a fairy tale."
"but it is kind of romantic, don't you think?" kaoru said with a sly smile, glancing toward mori, who now stood beside (name) beneath the shade of a sacred cedar, quietly watching as she lit incense for the offering alter.
he held out a matchbox before she could even reach for it.
she didn't speak.
neither did he.
but their fingers brushed as she accepted it, and something invisible passed between them.
the twins turned back around, grinning.
haruhi stared. "... so they're really getting married someday?"
kyoya glanced at her again. "unless either family withdrawals, yes. though I doubt they will."
"why?"
this time, kyoya smirked faintly. "because, haruhi... have you seen the way he looks at her?"
the soft murmur of voices faded behind her as she and mori slipped down a side path, away from the main shrine courtyard.
the cicadas were louder here. the wind quieter.
no one followed.
(name) led him past a roped-off archway most of the host club hadn't noticed, its wooden beams older than the rest, carved with worn glyphs and smoothed by time. a small talisman swayed gently from its centre.
mori didn't ask where she was going.
he simply followed.
she walked in silence, her footsteps almost soundless on the stone. finally, she stopped before a small wooden structure nestled between two ancient trees, its walls aged silver with time, its thatched roof bowed slightly under the weight of years.
"this is the naishinden," (name) said quietly, folding your hands in front of her. "the inner hall. only the head priestess and her direct bloodline are allowed inside."
mori's expression didn't shift, but he looked at her fully now, not just watching, but waiting.
"I've never shown anyone this," she added, a little breathless, as she reached for the rusted bronze handle. "not even other family members. but... I want you to see it."
she slid the door open.
the interior was dim and cool. tatami mats stretched beneath your feet, and the smell of cedar and time hung in the air. a simple alter sat at the far end, flanked by tall white paper streamers and two faded fox statues, their features smoothed by centuries.
everything was still.
the space felt like a memory they had walked into.
she stepped aside to let him in.
mori entered without hesitation. he didn't speak. he didn't need to. his eyes scanned the room slowly, not with the awe of someone seeing something rare, but with the reverence of someone recognizing it.
(name) walked to the alter and knelt, motioning for him to join her. when he did, her shoulders relaxed.
"sometimes," she whispered. "I come here when it's too much. the expectations. the silence. the weight of being me."
his gaze stayed on her.
she looked at her hands, resting in her lap.
"they always say I'm poised. polite. perfect," she laughed softly. "but here, I don't have to be anything."
a pause.
then, she felt it. the brush if his pinky against hers, resting lightly between the spaces of silence.
"I don't think you're perfect," mori said softly.
she blinked, startled. he rarely spoke first.
she turned to look at him.
"I think you're real," he added, eyes steady. "you're yourself. that's better than perfect."
(names) heart thudded quietly in her chest.
the wind outside rustled the trees.
inside, everything stayed still.
she smiled. not for anyone watching. just for him.
"I'm glad it's you."
he didn't ask what she meant.
he didn't need to.
by the time (name) and mori made their way back down the winding path, the sun had dipped lower behind the trees, casting long golden shadows across the shrine grounds. the forest seemed to hum with life. cicadas in chorus, lanterns flickering to life one by one, and the low, distant toll of a ceremonial bell.
the host club was gathered again in the central courtyard, caught in their usual choas.
"tamaki-senpai," haruhi sighed, gently tugging a yakitori skewer from his hand, "you just ate mochi."
"I'm carbo-loading for the dance, haruhi!" tamaki declared, dramatically placing a hand to his chest. "one must keep up their strength to twirl royalty!"
kyoya was efficiently organizing everyone's places with a fan with one band and a clipboard in the other. honey was bouncing with excitement, cotton candy now replaced by grilled corn.
the moment (name) and mori stepped back into view, heads turned.
Hikaru nudged kaoru.
"hmmm," kaoru hummed, tilting his head. "was it just me, or did they disappear for a while?"
haruhi blinked. "they did. where'd you two go?"
(name) opened her mouth, than hesitated.
mori simply adjusted the fold of his sleeve.
she gave a soft smile. "just... somewhere quiet."
kyoya's gaze flicked between the two of them, taking in the slight change in posture, the shift in space, how mori now stood closer than before, how her expression seemed a shade more open.
he smirked subtly. "I see."
"oooh?" tamaki blinked, oblivious. "what do you see? is there something we're missing? I don't want to miss any emotionally significant development-"
the sharp crack of a taiko drum echoed through the courtyard, signaling the start of the obon festival.
from the shrine steps, (names) grandmother appeared in full ceremonial robes, her presence commanding but serene.
"the sacred dances will begin shortly," (name) said, regaining her composure. "we should take our places."
colour bloomed across the grounds as more guests arrived. nobles, shrine attendants, performers. lanterns swayed gently overhead like floating fireflies. music swelled in the distance, strings and drums woven together in an old rhythm.
as the host club was ushered to the best viewing spot (courtesy of kyoya's influence, no doubt), she turned to mori beside her.
(name) tilted her head, her voice just barely above the sound of drums.
"will you stay close during the dance?"
he didn't speak. he just nodded once.
and as she moved to take her place on the main platform, the centre of it all, she felt his presence behind her like steady wind.
not loud.
not boastful.
but certain.
unshakable.
hers.
the moment the flute began, the world seemed to still.
even the cicadas fell silent.
mori stood at the edge of the crowd beside the host club, arms folded loosely in his sleeves, face unreadable as always. guests murmured in awe as (name) stepped onto the sacred platform, a raised wooden stage surrounded by tall lanterns and drifting incense smoke.
the night air turned to gold.
she wore layered robes now, flowing silk in shades of white and red, bound with a golden sash and embroidered with sacred motifs: foxes, Sakura petals, cranes in flight. a crown of white blossoms circled her head, delicate bells woven through her hair that chimed gently with every movement.
and then she moved.
not quickly. not showy.
but with purpose.
each step, each tilt of her wrist, each turn of her gaze was deliberate like drawing prayers into the air with her body.
mori didn't move.
didn't blink.
didn't breathe.
he had seen (name) dance before. as children. as students. in passing.
but never like this.
never with the weight of centuries in her fingertips.
never with the moonlight in her eyes.
he watched the soft sweep of her sleeves, the way her feet barely kissed the ground, the stillness between her movements that said more than motion ever could.
something stirred in his chest.
not fast. not loud.
but deep.
like the groan of earth beneath old roots.
he remembered the shrine's inner hall, the way she opened it for him, like it wad the easiest thing in the world, when it was anything but. the way her voice cracked when (name) said she felt free only there. the way she smiled when she looked at him.
and now... he saw it reflected in her dance.
she wasn't just performing.
she was sharing something.
she was opening yourself again, this time not just with him, but to her ancestors, to the gods, to the silence between stars.
and he was the only one in the crowd who truly understood what she was saying without words.
from beside him, he vaguely registered honey whispering, "she's really amazing, huh?"
mori didn't answer.
his eyes didn't leave her.
but his fingers curled slightly around his sleeve.
not in tension.
in realization.
this is the person I'll spend my life with.
and for the first time, that thought didn't feel like an obligation handed down by family tradition.
it felt like the truth.
the music began to slow. (name) turned towards the alter, placing her final offering, a folded fan, the symbol of breath and life, on its surface.
the bells in her crown chimed once more.
and then the dance ended.
applause rose around him.
mori didn't clap.
he only lowered his gaze, breathing out softly through his nose.
like a vow being sealed.
the clapping had faded.
the music, the ceremony, the lights, all of it continued behind (name) in a distant glow as she stepped quietly behind the shrine's main hall. the air was cooler here, the night sky stretching wide and quiet overhead, dotted with stars.
she exhaled slowly, feeling the weight of the performance still lingering in her limbs. not exhaustion, but something close. like part of her had been offered up in the dance and only now returning to her body.
"(name)-chan!!"
she turned just in time to see a blur of pink and gold fly into her arms.
honey giggled, hugging her tight. "you looked so pretty up there! like a celestial maiden!"
(name) laughed softly and hugged him back, warmth flooding into her chest. "thank you, mitsukuni."
he pulled back, eyes bright. "you made everyone in the crowd quiet! even tamaki!"
"miracle of the year," she teased, glancing past him.
mori stood just behind.
silent.
watching.
but something in his expression had changed.
he stepped forward slowly, and honey slipped off toward the food stalls again, humming something off-key about "festival dango."
(name) and mori were alone again.
she tilted her head slightly. "you didn't say anything when it ended."
"I didn't need to."
she smiled faintly. "was it alright?"
he looked at her, really looked, and his voice was quiet, but steady.
"you looked like you belonged to the stars."
her breath caught.
the cicadas, the drums, the crackled of oil lanterns all fell away for a moment.
she looked down, cheeks warm, hands folding slightly in front of her. "you always know exactly what to say... when it counts."
he took a step closer.
his fingers brushed against hers, just like they had in the inner hall. except this time, they lingered.
"you always know exactly how to be seen," he said. "even when you think you're not."
and for a moment longer, fingers touching, nothing else needed between them.
and though neither of them said it, not yet, they both knew:
this wasn't just a duty.
this wasn't just history.
this was becoming something real.
the sound of the festival carried softly in the distance. laughter, music, the faint pop of fireworks being tested. but here, beneath the lantern light filtering through shrine eaves, everything felt still again.
mori's fingers remained gently linked with (names).
she has grown used to silence with him, not because there was nothing to say, but because nothing needed to be said.
until now.
he reached into the inner fold of his yukata, drawing out a small object wrapped in a square of deep blue cloth. it fit neatly in his palm, nothing grand or glittering, just something simple, lovingly preserved.
he held it out to her without a word.
(name) hesitated before unfolding the cloth.
inside was a small wooden omamori charm, a protective talisman, weathered slightly at the edges but still carefully tied with white thread. the writing on it was old. faded from time.
"...this is a morinozuka family charm," she murmured, fingertips brushing the wood. "it's handmade."
he nodded once.
"my grandfather gave it to me," he said quietly. "when I turned ten. said it was for... what I was suppose to protect."
(name) looked up at him, lips parted, the weight of what he was saying slowly sinking in.
"he told me," mori continued, voice low, "to give it away only once. when I knew."
she swallowed hard.
"knew what?"
he met her eyes.
"that it wasn't duty anymore."
something tugged in her chest, a tightness, warm and acting all at once.
he placed the charm gently in her hands hand curled her fingers around it.
"now," he said, almost a whisper, "it's yours."
(name) stared at her closed hands, then back at him.
"...Takashi," she breathed, her voice barely audible. "are you sure?"
he nodded.
"I've always been sure."
and then, like it was the most natural thing in the world, he reached out. not to kiss her, not to take anything, but just to brush her hair back, tucking a blossom from her crown behind her ear with the kind of care that didn't need ceremony.
just truth.
she didn't need to say thank you.
he didn't need to hear it.
the charm in her hand said everything.
the omamori charm felt warm in her palm, even tucked safely back into its cloth. (name) hadn't let go of it once.
beside her, mori walked quietly, his stride matched with hers. their fingers brushed again, and this time, she didn't pull away. instead, she laced her hand with his.
it was natural.
no fanfare.
no tension.
just stillness, a kind of peace that hummed between the two of them like the lanterns swaying above.
the path opened again into the heart of the festival. lights glittered across the courtyard. drums pulsed in time with dancing feet. the smells of sweet dango, grilled squid, and fresh mochi filled the air.
"there you are!!" honey's voice practically launched itself through the crowd.
(name) barely had time to react before he zipped in and clung to her other side. "you missed the watermelon smashing game! tama-chan got dizzy and fell in the koi pond."
"I was pushed!" tamaki wailed from behind a tree, clothes half-soaked and hair frizzing in all directions.
"self-inflicted," kyoya said, sipping from a porcelain tea cup like this was completely normal.
the twins appeared next, flanking (name) and mori like foxes sensing drama.
"ohoho~" Hikaru smirked. "what's this? a mysterious return... hand in hand?"
"and what's this?" kaoru added, spotting the cloth-wrapped charm she'd tucked carefully into her sash. "is that a morinozuka heirloom?"
she froze for half a second, but mori didn't.
he squeezed her hand gently. just once.
the twins shrieked.
"mori-senpai GAVE IT TO YOU?"
haruhi tilted her head. "is that a big deal?"
"YES," half the club shouted in unison.
"HE MIGHT AS WELL HAVE PROPOSED."
tamaki collapsed into a bush. "our baby is GROWING UP-"
"technically, she's betrothed," kyoya muttered, now scribbling something into what looked suspiciously like a host club marriage registry.
(name) covered her face with her sleeve, half-laughing, half-hiding. mori didn't react, just stood beside her like an immovable wall of calm. but there was a small lift at the corner of his mouth that hadn't been there earlier.
it made her heart stutter.
honey tugged her forward. "let's play the ring toss game together next! taka-chan never misses!"
"you'll win every prize," (name) said, smiling.
"we'll share them!" honey chirped, and she laughed.
as the group walked together into the noise and light, she stayed by mori's side, hand intertwined in his.
the festival pulsed around her. warm, full, alive.
laughter echoed between the lanterns.
and even though their families planned this future long ago, she finally understood:
this wasn't something decided for her.
this was something she was choosing. step by step, word by word, hand in hand.
and under the starlight, between one moment and the next she knew:
synopsis: what the host club is like when they’re jealous
characters included: tamaki, kyoya, haruhi, hikaru, kaoru, honey & mori
notes: i just wanna say thank you sm for the support on the insta posts! reading all your comments & reposts made me so happy >.<
𐙚 tamaki suoh - loud and proud
this man is not afraid to show (both verbally and physically) how badly he wants you all to himself. he does not care about showing his jealous side, he has zero shame. as soon as he sees anyone show attraction towards you, he has to break it up immediately.
one time you were standing outside music room 3 and tamaki was patiently waiting for you, except he wasn’t being patient at all and he was getting really fidgety whilst he waited for you. he took matters into his own hands dramatically declaring to the rest of the host club that he will find you, tell you off as you are very late (you were one minute behind schedule) & he will bring you back pronto. he slams open the music room doors which lead him to a terrible scene worse than a crime scene - a young man was talking to you…! he wasn’t just talking, he was caressing your arm lightly, oh the horror! tamaki screeched at the sight causing both you and this young man to turn but as you both turned, tamaki was already at your side within a split second. he gripped your shoulders and smiled almost manically at this young man you were talking to “oh, i’m terribly sorry to disrupt your clearly very intriguing conversation but, y/n is late for an appointment with moi.” he flicks his luscious blonde locks causing a sparkle to appear, how does he do that? it’s like he’s a cartoon. you couldn’t even give a simple goodbye to this young man before being dragged away and berated by tamaki for your tardiness. as you reach the door of music room 3, he quickly forgives you “—but, y/n, as i am a graceful and understanding man, i will forgive you my darling. lets get a pot of tea, hm?” you can’t help but chuckle at his foolishness.
𐙚 kyoya ootori - cold and calculated
this man isn’t stupid, he knows that he feels jealous over you sometimes however, he’s not like tamaki, he can’t openly admit to it. so, he takes matters into his own hands and do what kyoya does best - strategically plan something to go exactly the way he wants it to without any connections leading back to him.
not only did you frequent the host club and become close with the members but, you were also in kyoya’s class so, you were around each other a lot. however, kyoya had started to notice you were talking less to him and tamaki and more to some other guy. tamaki would constantly tease kyoya as he often caught him sending dirty looks and glares to both you and the random boy as you chatted away, laughing and such. kyoya always brushed tamaki off saying “i just don’t want to lose a good customer.” while that was partly true, he’s a businessman after all, he also didn’t want to lose you. not as a customer, just you. he clears time in his schedule to start making a revenge plan, he hires everyone in the host club to partake in his plan still claiming it to be for “customer/money-making reasons” and everyone saw right through him but, it’s kyoya. nobody’s gonna question him!
thus commences his plan which consisted of just keeping you two apart. somehow distracting you during class, or distracting him, or dragging you off during lunch to help with this that or the other. but, kyoya didn’t leave this boy emptied handed, no no, he replaced you with a girl. you’d be dragged somewhere and plonk, a girl in your place. kyoya knew this boy was romantically interested in you and as the distractions pulled you two apart, it pulled together him and this other girl. he started to move his romantic intentions from you to her. this boy gradually stopped trying to find you and talk to you, to kyoya’s delight. you briefly mentioned it to the host club one day, not realising it was romantic and feeling a bit upset that you’d lost who thought was a friend. kyoya felt a bit bad sure but, he saved you. you’ll never know he did but, he did and that’s enough for him. he does smirk a bit as you tell the short story and replies with a cocky “what a shame.”
𐙚 haruhi fujioka - confused and indifferent
haruhi may be incredibly intelligent but she is not one for social intelligence, let alone romantic intelligence. she’s confused as to why she even feels jealous in the first place & it makes her feel weird. she gets a pit in her stomach every time she even sees you brush someone else’s shoulder and she hates it. she just thinks it’s plain silly to be jealous because you’re not even together!
the twins have been paying a lot of attention to you lately, and usually you’d sit and talk with haruhi but as the twins continue to bug you, you give in and eventually start conversing with them more and more until you’re with them more than haruhi. you don’t flat out ignore haruhi, of course not, but she just feels this pit in her stomach and a stabbing pain in her chest as she watches you from a distance, chatting and laughing with the twins. she really tries her best to ignore this feeling, so much so that even when you do talk to her, she ends up acting indifferent toward you. the conversations between the two of you are shorter, filled with more awkward silences than either of you would like. haruhi notices this and knows this is happening because of her foolish jealously but, she genuinely can’t help it! she’s really trying to both ignore this ever growing jealously and still try to act normal around you but it seems impossible. you’re obviously upset thinking that haruhi doesn’t like you anymore, for whatever reason & the whole host club notices these changes. overall, its an extremely messy situation that will probably be resolved through an extremely thorough, detailed plan made by tamaki suoh himself.
𐙚 hikaru hitachiin - quiet and cold
he’s such an aggravating jealous type, he becomes extremely quiet and not the quiet where you feel sad the type of quiet where when you walk into a room, you can feel the anger radiating off the person. the whole host club and especially kaoru are in fear, quite frankly. they need to nip this in the bud asap. not only is he terribly quiet, he’s also incredibly cold specifically toward you! the host club can’t help but cringe as you try your best to interact with hikaru.
he had seen you getting as he’d describe ‘cosy’ with someone this morning outside of the school gates, and it made him so freaking jealous. why wasn’t he that cosy with you? you never hugged him goodbye or laughed so hard at his jokes that you slapped his arm. he was so upset. from 8am this morning, everyone had to face his wrath. he was quiet all day, only answering with snappy short answers. he barely ate at lunch even though his favourite dishes were included and then came the host club. he tried his best to keep up with the ‘brotherly love’ dynamic but found it difficult as that image of you with that person just kept circling in his mind constantly. all the clients that day noticed his change in demeanour and kyoya was not happy to see their clients upset or leaving early - hikarus personal issues were causing harm to the business! before kyoya could storm over there and stop this nonsense himself, you walked in. its like the whole room secretly knew where hikarus problem lies because everyone fell silent. you gulped nervously, why did everyone suddenly stop? as you made your way over to the twins, kaoru looked relived to see you while hikaru didn’t look at you at all. kaoru excitedly poured you a cup of tea as you sat down slowly still staring at hikaru, silently begging him to look at you. but, your silent pleas didn’t work. he would only take small glances at you, just to turn his nose up and turn his head away again. oh, the drama. you and kaoru awkwardly conversed, both of you tried your best to get hikaru involved but, he refused. although, he did make a sly comment or two. after some conversing you mention that your cousin had dropped you to school this morning, your cousin from a foreign country. hikarus interest had piqued “wait… cousin…?” he thought to himself. the whole host club and clients included all face palmed hearing this, hikaru had over exaggerated. once again.
𐙚 kaoru hitachiin - sad and nonchalant
kaoru may be mischievous and cheeky like his older twin but, they are different in some aspects and one being when it comes to love. kaoru would never dream of making his jealously yours or anyone else’s problem.
when he saw you getting friendly with your seat partner in class, it greatly saddened him. you two used to sit beside each other (hikaru on his other side, of course) but you got moved after an exchange student joined the class and you were the only one who spoke english well enough to help them. at first, you were just a nice classmate but as the weeks went by, you two would spend more time together, talk about other things other than school and laugh together and to make it worse, kaoru barely knew what you were even talking about because you were conversing in english! he accepts his fate and thinks that you’re in love with this exchange student and that’s it for him and the idea of ever being with you - but, as long as you’re happy, he’s happy. kaoru is so mature when it comes to this, he doesn’t interfere or ask the host club to come up with an elaborate plan or anything of the sort. although, it’s hard for him to hide his sadness especially around you. you still visit the host club often and try your best to talk to kaoru as you still think your friends but, he goes extremely quiet, only giving you short or one word answers. it makes you sad that he seems so off with you and you can’t even ignore the signs because every time you try to spend time with him he comes up with some excuse to not be around you. in his mind, it’s the best way to be so he doesn’t get in your way.
some time passes, and you decide to bring it up to him (when you finally catch him alone), you beg to know what’s the matter and after a lot of refusal, kaoru finally cracks and tells you everything he has been feeling. you blush at the thought of the kaoru hitachiin getting jealous over you! safe to say that by your next lesson, you request to move back to your original seat, right next to kaoru.
𐙚 mitsukuni haninozuka - melancholy and mature
honey is obviously known for his boy lolita character, he may act aloof but he is eighteen and just because he’s super cute doesn’t mean he’s not incredibly emotionally intelligent both when it comes to himself and others. he is the second most chill host club member at least when it comes to jealously.
you were honeys regular (and favourite but, don’t tell the other clients that) however, to his dismay, you had been coming less and less for the last two weeks. he was upset by this and asked around the host club wondering if they had seen you around and indeed they had… with another man! gasp! you were seemingly canoodling with some guy from your year group and oh, poor honey was so upset. you were his favourite for a reason and now you’re gone! however, he doesn’t let this get in the way of his life. he will absolutely have a cry in his room or to mori whilst eating a buttload of cake (like even more than usual) for about a week or so to help get rid of these negative emotions. however, when he’s doing his host club thing he can’t help but think about you in the back of his mind even though he’s supposed to be ‘recovered’.
after about another two weeks or so, honey is pretty much over it. but, all his hard work to get to this point is almost completely shattered because you walked into the host club! you swing your head around until your eyes land on honey and you run toward him immediately, desperate to explain your situation. honeys face drops into a pout at your arrival, he just got over you, why did you have to come back?! you interrupt his session with some other girls and start to explain yourself, the boy you were with was a marriage suitor arranged by your parents but, it fell through! you were free from the grasp of arranged marriage and ready to be honeys favourite client again. honey is absolutely overjoyed to hear this and tackles you with a hug, feeling a bit embarrassed that he let his jealously get to him so much. he ate a lot cake for that week where he was sad. like a lot, he had several cavities after.
𐙚 takashi morinozuka - quiet and and calm, duh
okay, i know this is hard to imagine but mori is even more quiet when he’s jealous. he’s completely calm and to the average person, he may seem like the same old mori but, to the trained eye he is far from normal.
the host club could feel something was wrong, just by the air in the room and honey quickly informed them that mori was being quiet and everyone was like “well, duh.” but honey had to explain that it ran deeper than that, he was jealous. the host club gasped, over what!? or who!? over you, that’s who. he had been silently tending to the animals and insects he had made friends with in the ouran academy gardens when he saw you gracefully wandering through the rose bushes and you weren’t alone, you were with a second year who had been known for being a mori lookalike. they were both tall, lanky, nonchalant and incredibly handsome. mori’s face stayed stoic as he watched you both, his animal friends still at his side comforting him - had been replaced? by a lookalike?! why would you want a lookalike when you had the original? this whole ordeal made him very upset, not to the point where was ripping his hair out in anguish but, he was upset. honey realised it especially, he was extra quiet and extra stoic even if nobody else noticed a difference. however, these negative emotions actually aided mori in his kendo! he was able to blow off a lot of steam and perform even more powerful moves than usual, which made him a little bit happier.
honey, who had to deal with this sad mori constantly, had enough and decided to confront you. it was difficult to get mori off his back because i mean it’s honey and mori but also, mori was more clingy lately (due to his jealous outburst) but honey found a way. honey was quick to find you and confronted you quite bluntly, you were shocked to hear this explaining that the second year wanted a tour of the garden as you were the leader of the gardening club, you didn’t believe it to be romantic! and that’s when it all starts adding up, mori lookalike… what’s another way to be more like mori…? go after the person he likes! god, you feel like a fool. before honey can make his great escape back to mori, mori finds honey himself. before mori can snatch honey and make a dramatic exit, you apologise and explain what’s happened. god, now mori feels like a fool too.
