Now I See

Advice for a Friend

Sorry this is so late... ^^;  Hope you guys enjoy the segment! Honey gave great advice and I think it was something Haruhi's "friend" needed to hear ;)

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"The party was a huge success! I've never seen so many happy guests!" Tamaki trilled, practically prancing around the room. "We'll want to go even bigger and better for the next event! Can't have our little kittens getting bored now!"

"Hold on a minute Tamaki. Give our budget a chance to recover... Even with the recent sales of the calendar, you can't go blowing through money like this..." Kyoya shot from his place in front of his laptop.

"Ah...right. So, business as usual for a few weeks then?"

Haruhi head was propped on her arms as she watched the two boys. Their gazes definitely lingered on each other... Could she and Fuyumi be right? How should she go about this...?

"Haruhiiii." She jumped as Karou bonked her on the head with a rolled up calendar. "You're not paying any attention."

"Sorry guys, I guess my mind is elsewhere."

"You still have a significant amount of debt with us Haruhi. You should invest yourself more." Kyoya's glasses glinted ominously.

"Y-yes sir..."

"Give her a break Kyoya. The meetings almost over anyways." Hikaru pouted. "With the party and our busy class schedules, she's probably exhausted."

"Thanks Hikaru, but I'm fine. I just have a lot on my mind right now."

"Everything alright Haruhi? Anything Daddy can do to help?" Tamaki chimed in, giving the Twins and evil glare.

"Actually..." This might be my chance. Haruhi thought. "Could I get your advice on something Senpai?"

Tamaki gasped. "Of course my dear, whatever I can help with!"

"It's about a friend of mine. They're having some romance trouble and I'm not sure how to help them." With a flourish, Tamaki produced a rose. "Oh no...maybe this wasn't the best idea..."

"Ah! Young love! So sweet and innocent! You've come to the right place Haruhi." He winked. "What seems to be troubling her?"

"Well... She has a crush on someone, but she's not really sure how to express it. She's not sure if her friends would approve or support her... It's not necessarily the most socially accepted crush."

"A princess and the pauper type scenario maybe?" Mori asked.

"Not...quite. I'm not sure how much I can disclose..."

"Well... I'd probably tell her that she should consider if this will make her happy in the long run. Her friends are just looking out for her. If she still finds herself attracted to this person, then her friends will respect that. If not, they're not real friends." Tamaki said seriously.

"But...what if she's not sure where this will go?" Haruhi said quietly. The room was quiet as they thought. Kyoya even stopped typing.

"Does her crush feel the same way?" Hikaru asked.

"I believe so. She acts very flustered around my friend, which makes me think so."

All the boys stopped. "She?!"

"Yes..." Haruhi hesitated.

"Haruhi." Honey said seriously. It was very unusual for him. "Love is unpredictable. There's a lot at stake, but it can make you very happy. If she loves this person, tell her to take the chance. Her real friends will be there no matter what."

Haruhi nodded, grateful for the upperclassman's kind words. Kyoya stood up suddenly. "I hope that helped you Haruhi. I must be going though; I have some other business to attend to. Will you walk with me? I have another matter to discuss."

"Um...sure. I'll see you guys later! Thank you again for your help, I'll pass it on to my friend." She smiled, chasing after Kyoya.

They walked down the hall in silence. There was tension between them that Haruhi couldn't place. She hadn't realized she'd been holding her breath until Kyoya broke the silence.

"How much do you know?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't mess with me!" Kyoya whipped around, shaking with emotion. "How much do you know about this? This 'friend' of yours..."

"Kyoya..."

"Please just tell me." She was taken aback by the please. His hand was clenched in a fist, shaking. She could see him making a conscious effort to relax. "How obvious is it?"

"Not very. You two just seem off. Like you had a fight." He breathed a sigh of relief.

"How long have you known?"

"Not very. I got my suspicions when you two collided before the party. You both blushed. I was more observant after that."

He was breathing heavy and Haruhi wanted to help.

"Kyoya, you saw how they all responded. It'll be ok..."

"That's not what I'm worried about..." He whispered. She'd never seen him this emotional. She took a deep breath, placing a smile back on her face before proceeding.

"Let's go get some ice cream. School's over and it's a beautiful day. We can talk more then." She started walking backward to encourage him to follow. "Come on!"

He seemed hesitant, but he couldn't help but smile and follow along. Haruhi had a presence, that's for sure.