Nekozawa's Valentine
Fandom: Ouran High School Host Club
Ship: Nekozawa/Tamaki
Word Count: 3,219
Warnings: Unrequited
Umehito Nekozawa wasn't one to acknowledge conventional holidays often but every year when Valentine's Day rolled around he became fairly more depressed than usual. It wasn't like anyone would notice as he lurked through the corridors of the Ouran High School, trying to stick to the dark corners as much as possible. No one seemed to pay much attention to Nekozawa. He wasn't even all that close to the other members of his Black Magic Club. He didn't seem to connect with any of them though they all found him to be worthy of worship. He just sighed as he slunk into his next class and sat in the back corner where a light was just barely flickering over his head.
He surveyed the rest of the class from his dark world as he usually did and noticed with a sickening lurch in his stomach that the entire class seemed to be paired off. Girls were being wooed or asked out to the Valentine's Day ball the Host Club was holding. He even saw a few boys talking to each other in rather more intimate poses than usual. He looked to the middle of the room to find that one boy had many girls around him. Some of these girls had boys standing close by with annoyed looks on their faces. This boy was Suou Tamaki. The king of the Host Club.
Nekozawa blushed slightly as he watched the way he placed his fingers under a girl's chin. His eyes sparkled as he showered her with compliments and the girl almost melted. Nekozawa's mouth parted slightly as he leaned forward to watch Tamaki charm the girls of his class. The self-proclaimed king seemed to glow as he moved from one girl to the other with the ease of a well practiced art. The fingers of Nekozawa's exposed hand gripped at the sleeve of his opposite arm. He remembered the passion with which Tamaki had spoken to him when he'd helped him win Kirimi over. Ever since that day he had longed to spend time with the Host King but was never brave enough to use the Host Club as a client. Tamaki's eyes left the face of a random fangirl and lighted upon Nekozawa's for just a moment.
Nekozawa gasped and lowered his head as his hands grabbed for anything that would make him look busy with school work. Tamaki didn't seem to take much notice of the stare and after a quick smile he was back to charming the girls. Nekozawa sighed in relief though he was quite certain he had given himself away. He went about his boring, everyday school work but his mind kept going back to that smile Tamaki had sent in his direction. He couldn't remember the other boy ever smiling at him like that. In fact, in the past Tamaki had been quite obviously afraid of him. Perhaps the event with Kirimi had showed him that Nekozawa was as human as anyone else. He smiled to himself as he wrote in his notebook and a few students close by grimaced. The smile probably looked sinister to them but Nekozawa never paid such reactions any attention. He'd gotten used to them over time.
The next day he felt more miserable than ever. It was Valentine's Day at last and he knew every other student in the school would be attending the Host Club's ball tonight. He probably could have easily gained the only female member of his Black Magic Club as a date but he didn't want to stoop to that level just to watch Tamaki dance with girls. He sighed as he stood in a dark corner of the hall, poking Beelzenef's tiny hands together as he brooded in his own way. He was unaware of the crowd of spectators he was gathering. Among them was Haruhi Fujioka. Tamaki's closest friend from the Host Club spoke Nekozawa's name softly and he turned to look at him. All the other students scattered at the sight of his hooded face and he sighed miserably.
"Nekozawa-senpai, is something wrong?" Haruhi asked, stepping closer.
"No, no. It's nothing." Nekozawa assured him, waving Beelzenef's arms as he straightened up. "I was simply...thinking of a spell to cast at the Black Magic Club tomorrow."
"Nekozawa-senpai, are you lonely?"
Nekozawa's light blue eyes widened at the sound of the other boy's piercing voice and Haruhi could see them through the bangs of his wig for the first time. Haruhi was a very insightful young man and Nekozawa felt as though he could see inside his mind when he spoke in such a tone. He lowered his head again and decided it was best not to look at the other boy. Haruhi watched Nekozawa closely as she waited for his reply.
"The path of darkness...can sometimes be lonesome." Nekozawa admitted at last. "On a day such as this it can be very lonesome. This is a burden we of the dark must bear."
Haruhi knew that Nekozawa was lonely but when he put it in such a way it made him seem melodramatic. However, she still felt sorry for the strange boy. He was much kinder and far more sensitive than most people could imagine. Haruhi scratched the back of her neck as she considered her options but she could only think of one thing to do. She knew Tamaki wouldn't like it and she knew it would cause quite the upsurge in gossip about her but she saw no other way. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
"Would you...like to attend the Valentine's Day ball with me, Nekozawa-senpai?" Haruhi whispered at last. "As friends, of course."
Nekozawa's body jerked in surprise and his hood fell from his head as he raised his eyes to stare at Haruhi. The shining blue orbs were still visible through the bangs of his wig and Haruhi could see tears in them. A smile spread over his lips and the Beelzenef doll on his hand seemed to perk up considerably. Nekozawa accepted Haruhi's invitation gratefully. At least he wouldn't be alone and he could watch Tamaki dance while he was there. Haruhi gave him a warm smile as he promised to meet him in the hall so they could enter together and Nekozawa gave him a shy smile. He wasn't sure how to convey his gratitude but Haruhi simply waved at him before he left for his next class.
When night had fallen Nekozawa fretted about his appearance. It was going to be somewhat bright in the ball room but since it was at night it may also be dim enough that he could leave his cloak behind. After all, it was only artificial light and he had overcome that fear, right? He shivered as he stared into the brightly lit hall of his own home. He decided it was best to wear the cloak anyways but would leave behind the wig. He placed the dark mop of hair on his dresser reluctantly and pulled his hood over his face before leaving. Maybe this would make Tamaki take notice of him. He stood in the hall outside the ball room as he waited for Haruhi. He watched others enter the large room and looked away when some gave him strange stares. He sighed heavily and worried that perhaps Haruhi had found someone else to bring to the dance. Soon, however, the compassionate young man showed up at last.
Haruhi was kind to Nekozawa and offered his arm as they entered though this caused more stares than Nekozawa would have liked. Haruhi offered to dance with the dark boy but he blushed and avoided answering the invitation. Haruhi just smiled softly and watched as the rest of the school danced around the ballroom. She stood by him comfortably but Nekozawa was a little shy about being seen in public at all much less with another boy. He put his hands behind his back and clutched the head of his precious Beelzenef tightly as he glanced around nervously. He saw several of the other Host Club members dancing with the young women but had not seen any sign of Tamaki so far.
A few girls came to see if Haruhi would dance with them and Haruhi wasn't sure how to answer. Nekozawa could see that he was obligated to dance with the young ladies as he was a member of the Host Club. He assured Haruhi that he was fine so he left with the first girl, the other trailing behind to make sure she would be next. Nekozawa swayed slightly to the music as Mori passed him with a petite young lady in his strong grasp. She seemed limp as he moved her about the dance floor easily. The twins were switching their partners off which seemed to amuse the giggling girls greatly and Honi was being carted around by a rather tall girl in a short dress. Even Kyouya was dancing with a well-mannered looking young lady with large glasses. As the crowd of dancing couples began to thin Nekozawa finally spotted Tamaki.
He was slow dancing with a beautiful girl who was gazing into his eyes lovingly. Tamaki was returning the look but Nekozawa was certain this was part of his act as the King. He frowned as he watched them but soon found he couldn't see the girl at all anymore. When he focused solely on Tamaki the smile returned to his face. The other blond was dancing with a new girl every few minutes but as he went from one to the other Nekozawa could only see his grace and poise. His sparkly, violet eyes were lighting his world up as he smiled at each new girl. Nekozawa found his mouth hanging open slightly and he stepped forward as he tried to keep Tamaki in view. It wasn't until Haruhi returned that he snapped out of his trance.
Haruhi smiled when she stopped by his side once again. She had noticed the nature and direction of his stare before she had even made it back from the dance floor. It was quite obvious to her that Nekozawa wanted nothing more from this night than to dance with Tamaki. She wondered if she could convince Tamaki to do so. She knew he would do nearly anything she asked of him and he had made it obvious on her first visit to the third music room that it wasn't so rare that a boy made use of their services from time to time. She excused herself with a touch to Nekozawa's arm and Nekozawa sighed as he watched Haruhi make his way through the crowd of people. Unfortunately the compassionate Host Club member had caused him to lose sight of Tamaki.
Nekozawa stood alone, fidgeting as he glanced around the bright room at the other happy students. He felt that his entire world was dark now and all the other happy people were laughing at him from the light he feared so. He sighed loudly and lowered his head as his hopes for the evening began to fade away. He stayed this way for a few moments until he felt a sudden weight on his shoulder. He thought it might be Haruhi but when he looked up he found a brilliant smile and violet eyes staring down at him. Nekozawa almost jumped out of his skin at the sight of Tamaki.
"Hello, Nekozawa-senpai." Tamaki greeted, removing his hand from the strange boy's shoulder. "Haruhi has gotten rather busy and I thought you might enjoy some company."
"...Yes." Nekozawa whispered with a blush as he lowered his eyes once again. "Well..."
"Since Haruhi has neglected you for the attention of others perhaps you would fancy a dance with me." the King continued with his inviting smile.
Nekozawa looked up into his face with the same bright blush on his cheeks. Tamaki noticed that his blond bangs were hanging at the fringes of his hood and realized with a shock that he wasn't wearing his wig. He let the expression fade from his face and smiled once again as he stepped in front of Nekozawa. Nekozawa watched as he extended a hand in what seemed to be slow motion to him. Nekozawa reached out towards his hand with a shy smile and placed his fingers in Tamaki's. Tamaki laughed slightly as he pulled Nekozawa out to the dance floor. He was sure it would cause a slight uproar but then the girls would simply come to the conclusion that he had to dance with Nekozawa because it was his duty as a Host Club member. Nekozawa couldn't even think about the fact that there were others around them. He could only see the beauty that was Suou Tamaki.
They came to stop in the middle of the room and Tamaki pulled Nekozawa against him suddenly. Nekozawa could only blush as a hand went around his waist and the other clasped his hand. Nekozawa was sure that Tamaki was holding him closer than he had the girls as they began to dance. Nekozawa smiled but kept his head down so that Tamaki couldn't see. He wasn't even paying attention to his feet and felt as though he were dancing on air. He had never been much of a dancer but something about the way Tamaki held him made it so much simpler than it had ever been. Nekozawa had never let himself even dream of such a thing so for the moment he was too shocked to do much else but follow Tamaki's lead.
As Nekozawa felt the dance slow down and finally come to a stop he sighed softly. It had barely begun and already it was over. However, Tamaki wasn't releasing him. Neither was he beginning another dance as the band played the next song. He released Nekozawa's hand and his arm joined the other at Nekozawa's waist. Nekozawa was so confused as to why Tamaki was still holding him close that he couldn't even enjoy it. He looked up at Tamaki with his huge, dazed eyes and Tamaki smiled down at him. Nekozawa returned the smile and felt himself relax in the expert embrace of Suou Tamaki. One of his hands left his waist suddenly and headed for his face. Nekozawa continued to blush as he watched the delicate digits approach but before he could figure out what he was trying to do the hood of his cloak was being pushed back. He gasped as it fell and exposed his face to the light.
"There." Tamaki whispered with a tender smile. "You really shouldn't hide such a beautiful face, Nekozawa-senpai. It's your duty as a bishounen to share it with the world."
Nekozawa's blush darkened and he was unable to respond to such a compliment. Surprisingly he hadn't reacted to the light after seeing the way Tamaki was looking at him. Tamaki thought he was beautiful. He couldn't think about things as trivial as deadly light. His fingers gripped the sleeves of Tamaki's jacket and he couldn't take his eyes of those violet orbs shining with kindness. He felt like this would go on forever but unfortunately for Nekozawa Tamaki's fans had decided the weirdo had taken up far too much of their King's time. Tamaki felt himself ripped from Nekozawa's arms as three girls attached themselves to him. There was one on each arm and another pressing herself against his chest. He smiled at Nekozawa slightly as he was swept away. As Tamaki went Nekozawa could hear him complimenting the girls. He even stopped to push the bangs from one girl's eyes.
"You shouldn't hide such a beautiful face from the world, hime." he whispered with that same, tender look he had given Nekozawa.
Nekozawa smiled sadly as he looked away from the sight and pulled his hood back over his head. Haruhi watched as he walked from the ballroom slowly. She sighed as he disappeared into the dark hall. Nekozawa wandered into a nearby darkened classroom and sat on a window seat, pulling his knees up to his chest. He stared into the dark silently as he let the fact that Tamaki had simply been treating him as a client sink into his mind. After a moment the sadness on his face turned to anger and he ripped Beelzenef from his hand. He threw his precious, cursed doll to the floor angrily and buried his face in his arms. He sat alone in the darkness this way for more than an hour but he couldn't bring himself to leave.
When he was ready to just fall over and die on the floor for the janitor to find in the morning the door creaked open. Nekozawa looked up to find Tamaki staring in at him. His face was no longer showing that charming smile he provided for his clients. Instead he looked apologetic and Nekozwa felt a pain in his heart at this expression. Tamaki walked over to him and knelt beside the window seat. His fingers wrapped around Beelzenef and he handed the cursed doll to Nekozawa silently. Nekozawa took him but wouldn't look Tamaki in the eyes.
"I have something for you Umehito-kun." the blond whispered softly. "It took me a little while to get one but I hope it makes up for my tactless actions."
Nekozawa watched as his other hand came from behind his back, producing a black rose. It was the most beautiful black rose Nekozawa had ever seen and the fact that Tamaki had referred to him as Umehito-kun filled him with a warmth he had only experienced while held in the blonde's embrace. He took it from his hand gently and held the rose with Beelzenef's tiny hands. He touched the soft petals with his free hand and stared over the delicate plant at Tamaki. He looked sincere this time. More sincere than he had while giving him that beautiful smile Nekozawa admired so. Nekozawa blushed again and looked away.
"Thank you, Suou-kun."
He looked up again as his hood was pushed back once more. Tamaki leaned forward and Nekozawa's eyes widened as those thin lips touched his own softly. The kiss was swift and Tamaki was blushing as he pulled back. There was no smile on his face but neither was there a look of disgust. He touched his fingertips to Nekozawa's cheek softly and placed his other hand on his knee.
"You really shouldn't hide such a beautiful face, Umehito-kun." he whispered. "I was quite sincere about that."
Nekozawa couldn't seem to move and he watched in shock as Tamaki stood. The other boy turned from him and exited the room slowly. Nekozawa touched his lips with two fingers as he stared at the spot where Tamaki had been kneeling. He knew that the kiss had not meant to Tamaki what it meant to Nekozawa but he was still pleased that Tamaki cared enough about his feelings that he would make such a gesture to cheer him up. Nekozawa smiled softly and kissed the petals of the black rose as Beelzenef held it up to his face. This had been a gift from Suou-kun not Tamaki of the Host Club. He would treasure it for as long as he lived.