Roses
Part One

It was another day at Ouran Private Academy and host club activities finished up. To the host club members and the customers, it was simply another day in which laughs echoed throughout the third music room and happiness lingered in the air. To Tamaki the day was a burden on his heart, this being evidently portrayed through his actions. Tamaki laughed far less frequently than usual and for once grew a resistance to the pranks the Hitachiin twins successfully pulled off.

Tamaki waved at the customers with the other members and faintly smiled as the last retreating figure was in sight. He reached inside his blazer and took out a rose, looking at it with intense eyes that would likely give off a wave of curiosity and slight discomfort to those around him.

Haruhi stood near the entrance to the room with Kyouya, sharing a small laugh as they both grew satisfied with the club's turnout for the day. Tamaki gazed up as he heard the laugh and ambled towards the window. He brushed his nose against the soft petals of the rose, taking in the sweet fragrance as thoughts flourished through his mind. Kyouya nodded at Haruhi and looked at Honey, Mori, Hikaru, and Kaoru, all waiting in the hallway, each showing a form of concern for the host club king. It wasn't normal of Tamaki to remain so silent after activities nor was it normal for him to be the last person to leave for the day. Instead of making nonsensical fuss over Haruhi such as her closeness with Hikaru and Kaoru, only silence escaped from Tamaki. This bothered them.

"Tamaki-senpai, are you ok?" Haruhi questioned the blonde figure, watching him stand in front of the window. Tamaki promptly placed the rose back in his blazer smiled to himself.

Tamaki turned around and faced Haruhi, placing his hand gently on her shoulder. "Ah, Haruhi. Are you concerned for your otousan?"

Haruhi looked at Tamaki blankly as he leaned in towards her. Soon, Haruhi felt her body tense up as their faces were only inches apart. "No Tamaki-senpai, everyone's been worried about you today, that's all. You've been acting strangely all day and we were hoping you would tell us why."

"You really don't have to tell us though. We were just wondering why you've been looking quite, well...different," Kyouya interrupted, standing near the entrance.

Tamaki looked in Kyouya's direction and soon took notice of the other host club members returning to the third music room, all hoping to receive an answer from him. The smile that was once upon Tamaki's face soon faded away. He turned away from Haruhi and once again faced the window, watching the sun begin to set.

"I have a short story to share. Would you all care to listen?" Tamaki took the silence from his friends as a "yes" and began without hesitation.

"When I first arrived to Japan there was this girl who frequently visited the second mansion of the Suou family. Her name is . My grandmother and my father both hoped that I would court -chan after we finish school so that a merger would happen in the future between the Suou family and the family. Such would never come to be as -chan moved back and forth between countries when her family's business expanded globally."

Tamaki let out a small sigh as he was sharing his story. He felt a growing pain in his heart as he continued on with each word. While talking, he questioned himself as to why it was only recently he shared this with others, such an event in his life he barely even described in detail with Kyouya.

"Two years ago on this very day was the last time I saw -chan. Before we parted ways, she gave me a rose. She told me a rose generally carries romantic symbolism, but to her it carried memories of the friendship we shared. -chan's only request from me was to never forget her. By accepting the rose, I vowed to her that every rose I saw would keep the memories of her conscious within me."

Tamaki lowered his head before continuing on. It was at that moment he realized that perhaps he was in love before and that may have been his first love.

"Did I love her?" Tamaki thought to himself as he reminisced of the moments he shared with . Mixed emotions and feelings soon took over as tears loosely fell from his eyes.

"Wah, Tama-chan!" Honey exclaimed as he saw Tamaki begin to cry. Honey soon took after Tamaki's actions and sought comfort in Mori. The Hitachiin twins were no different. Hikaru and Kaoru would usually find themselves poking fun at Tamaki, but this time empathy for the host club chairman came as a result. Haruhi remained stiff beside Kyouya, a hand over her mouth, watching painfully as Tamaki broke into tears.

"That is all I have to share. I'm sorry if this caused unpleasant feelings for you all," Tamaki solemly bowed at his peers, wiping his tears away. He watched each of them share words of sympathy with him before they left, all newly exposed to the emotional side of him.

Kyouya closed his eyes as he listened to the tension leave the music room. Before stepping out of the room to leave Tamaki to himself, Kyouya watched his friend continue to gaze out the window. "Tamaki, what if you were given a second chance with -san?"

Tamaki looked straight at Kyouya, skeptical and confused at the question. He soon became unsure of himself. Never has Tamaki confessed to someone nor has he even given thought if the situation were to come. "Kyouya...I'm not sure I understand you."

"Well nevermind that. By the way Tamaki, don't forget your rose," Kyouya simply said.

"W-what?" Tamaki's eyes widened at Kyouya's choice of words. Tamaki turned to look at the rose resting at his feet, the very same rose he thought he kept safely inside his blazer. Reaching for the rose, Tamaki looked at it with sorrowful eyes as if a part of him was lost.

Kyouya observed Tamaki and adjusted his glasses without saying any parting words. "This is a chapter Tamaki needs to close for himself," he mused to himself as he made his way outside.

Back in the third music room, Tamaki stared at the half-open door leading inside with the rose resting in his hand. Tamaki never thought he would get a second chance with , but after Kyouya brought it up he had an inkling feeling that such an event would happen very soon. Little did Tamaki know that his speculation would come true the following day.