Can't Buy Love Like This {Suoh+Fujioka}

[Suoh Tamaki]

The outside of the building was large, giving it an indescribably large look that made passers by stop and stare at in in amazement. It was, realistically, starting to put a crick in Tamaki's neck as he gazed up at it with awe. A large, red and yellow printed banner hung from the top of the mall building, partially obscuring the sign that displayed the mall's name. It read, in huge bold letters, '50% off sale on all items store wide!' Under that, there was 'Act now and save possibly more!' And under that, in even smaller writing, there was the tiny scripture, 'Sale available in select parts of the store, only.'

"Wow!" He exclaimed quietly, practically oblivious to the groups upon groups of girls who were ogling him with intense adoration, and some even perhaps a hint of lust, in their eyes. Large, bubbly, pink and red anime hearts were popping from their eyes and one even walked into a pole with those large things obscuring their vision. Again, the blond was oblivious. "It's so big!" He gushed fluidly.

There were cloths stores in there! Jewelry stores, shoe stores, toy stores, book stores--probably everything! Although he had his collection of commoner items, Tamaki had yet to be inside this very building, and the excitement was building. Perhaps, of course, they didn't match the standards of his own personal items, nor the ones he bought. Y 4957.75 jeans could not match up to his Y 495774.99 worth ones, and the cheap cotton of the mass produced shirts sold in those little cubical sized stands were probably too harsh for his baby soft and oiled skin. But and adventure was an adventure! Another chance to gain a glimpse into what Haruhi's life was like, and how amazing it must be for her to deal with their hierarchy.

Smiling in a way that threw sparkles all over the place, the young Suoh heir turned in a flash of roses and various, exotic and dramatic backgrounds. His eyes fell upon his companion, a slightly shorter in stature and pretty girl who, for the most part and on most days, dressed as a boy. He couldn't help but allow his grin to grow even wider and ore ridiculous as soon as he saw her, his somewhat unwilling accomplice on this escapade to the dreaded and unknown area that baffled all children of higher social status: THE MALL!!!!

His insides quavered at the thought--all those shops--with marked down prices, as well. They all awaited them, inside those doors. All inside. It was magnificent. But...Truth be told, Tamaki had a slightly ulterior motive to just investigating the commoner's super mall. He wanted...to go on this secret mission...with his ultra, super, secret girlfriend! Of course, at school, because of the whole Host Club and debt thing, they were not officially allowed to date inside of school, but here--in the commoner world where only a select few children of aristocracy came, and most of them already knew about the two of them--it was a place to display each and every romantic notion he had towards the girl. It was heavenly!

Or, strictly speaking, it was the mall. With a 50% off sale store wide that was limited to only a few stores. How sneaky.

He looked excitedly between the large, glass double doors and his companion, blinking and making tiny gestures with his hands that were supposed to entice his own commoners to enter the mall. It...didn't really look like it was working, truth be told.

"S-shall we go in, Haruhi?" he asked again, smiling vivaciously and bubbly to the point of explosion, absolutely not a thought in his head that he might have dragged his underclassman there against her will. "That banner say's they're having a 50% off sale! On EVERYTHING! Aren't commoner's great?!? How do they come up with these sale things?"

[Fujioka Haruhi]

Haruhi knew that she shouldn't have agreed to go somewhere that crowded. She knew that the moment he would see the way common people leave,their stores and the place where they gather for shopping purposes. From the moment that they were there he had this stupid look on his face that from time to time would be come the "cool" look. He was getting more and more excited as he was looking around.

Haruhi could not help but chuckle at some points with how unable he was to understand that he was drawing the attention on him. And not only because of his behaviour but also his flashy and gorgeous appearance was attracting more girls close to him which made Haruhi feel jealousy. That feeling in her heart that makes her feel like someone is squeezing it.

She looked at the side and her lip was twitching getting slightly mad at those weird girls and maybe at Tamaki for acting so cool in front of them making them drool over him. For a moment she even left an slightly evil and almost silent sound that someone could tell it was the point where she would either leave or stay and claim him.

Immediately after she saw that her blond prince looked at her she just smiled to him awkwardly as she had a sweat-drop falling behind her. Those moments were still making her think what she liked about him. But it seemed like she could not really tell herself what it was, probably deep down she found him cute? Or maybe serious too?

He had the innocence of a child and this was also something that she appreciated about him. But the childish behaviour sometimes was getting annoying especially if people were watching. She was feeling embarrassed. "Tamaki-sempai stop that already!" She whined whispering as she closed her eyes sighing.

Opening them she saw him in front of a store that had sales and he was smiling to her asking her if she wanted to go in. "Yes we will go in. But listen to me carefully!" She said and took a deep breath grabbing his hand.

"You will not talk about how fascinating it is that people came up with the "sales" and you won't start saying amazing and twirling and dancing in front of the women inside!" She started giving him her instructions. "It is not polite and people are looking at you and me a lot. It makes me feel somewhat uncomfortable." She explained to him in a crisp but also kind way.

"If this doesn't motivate you then, if you are less hyper I will definitely let you pick a dress for me to wear!" She said tilting her head to the left smiling warmly as she closed her eyes and made a step closer to him. But then felt a little awkward again and smiled. "There are also stores of rich men who also have 50% sales sometimes!" She whispered to him. "Make sure you don't shout out loud again that 'commoners' are great. Commoners do not like being called like that after all my love!" She said, deliberately saying the words "my love" to take his attention away from the excitement he had with the sales and the "commoners'" minds. She also had that cute look on her face and her brown eyes were looking at him in a way as if she was telling him that he should not make her more jealous by attracting more girls to him.

Haruhi had tried too much for him that day after all. She wanted to look pretty for him and put some lip gloss on, though she was wearing her usual eans and a pink almost girl top. She even had a hair pin that would make her look more like a girl. Indeed her secret boyfriend owed to pay attention to her more than just looking around and twirling and swirling throwing his flashes and flowers around. Obviously with those thoughts of hers a cloud appeared on top of her head going down on her face darkening it as she sighed.

[Suoh Tamaki]

As soon as Haruhi had inclined that the two were, indeed, going to go inside, he prepared to jump, squeal and twirl on the spot with bubbly excitement. The happy buzzing was already filling up his ears--so much so that he almost missed the rules and guide lines set out by his companion. The blond froze, mid-spin and stared at the shorter brunette that actually looked a girl today (another thing that made him want to giggle happily and bring a flowery background in).

Tamaki listened intently, nodding his head and making sure that every word Haruhi said about sales and the stores and the conditions of shopping in the commoner mall stuck in his brain like syrup to the fingers. He didn't know most of this, and was alarmed--is Haruhi offended when we exclaim about commoners goods?!?!?--and close to receding into his angst corner to cultivate mushrooms when he heard words that made his heart stop and then proceed to beat at an erratic pace; 'my love'

"Yes! Yes, of course!! Anything you say, Haruhi!" Secretly, he hoped to appease her enough that she would allow--want--him to come back with her a second time, a third time, and maybe even more! "I will not be excited about the com--oh! I mean...uh...the sal--I...I..." And for a second he floundered, until the Suoh found a ground that seemed safe to tread in this conversation. He hoped, at least.

"Haruhi, I have no idea how I could be excited about anything that that co--I mean, mall has to offer when I'm with you." His voice dropped until it was the same vocalization level as the tone he used in the Host Club. It would take many years and years of practice to discern the fact that his eyes were a fraction more serious, his lips a fraction more inclined to move forward and give her a kiss on the cheek. He also wanted to wrap his arm around her--shoulder, waist, arm--but hesitated, unsure how exactly she'd react. Why was it so much harder with her?

"I would not dream of taking more interest in the shops than in you--I'll be good! I promise! We can do things together!" He was giddy at the prospect of picking out a dress for her--even just at picking anything out to give his incognito girlfriend. And then there was the feeling of looking at other girls and having them know--just know--that he was taken. Claimed. Marked. There was one sure-fire way that they'd know that. "Do you want to hold hands, Haruhi? This is a date, afterall!"

[Fujioka Haruhi]

Haruhi noticed that as soon as she told him that they could go inside he became happy. She could read it all over his face. He was excited and ready to do something unnecessary as always but since she told him some things that probably would make him rethink it, he did and thus the part that made her feel guilty started and she did not know what to do. She was sad, because all of a sudden, his face changed, although he still looked cute, after a while, he seemed restricted and she did not like that. Since when had she become like that? A girlfriend who tries to change her boyfriend. This was the first thing she wondered about.

And it was good that she did because she had to do something to change it. Indeed he was embarrassing her a bit but she preferred him when being hyper and free to talk as he wanted therefore she decided that she should take back what she had just said for her own good and so that she could see his smile on his bright face. A smile that she really loved and did not want to lose even if she had to be embarrassed. She liked him best, when he was himself after all. Only his smile could make her feel good and those moments he was not smiling but only when she called him 'my love'. Yes, those words made him happy that she could read it from his face.

But the he kept restricting himself thus she smiled to him looking in his violet eyes with her brown ones and smiled to him warmheartedly. "Ne ne, stop it already. It seems like I did a horrible thing, restricting you like that. Forget it already and go back to your normal mode! I love you more that way!" She said without really realizing the words she had used. "I mean I like you best when you are yourself!" She tried to fix her words and thus ended up blushing like crazy and from the hotness on her face because of the blood rushing up there she smoke could be seen popping from her head.

Though it was time that she did something for her shyness the only thing she could think of was to hold his hand maybe? But again she was not sure if she could do it therefore she kept silent and just smiled warmly to him hoping that he would tell her something. She wanted after all to hold his hand so that the other girls would know that he is her boyfriend. Not that she was some kind of possessive girl but it seemed as if with him she no longer recognized herself. She just had the desires that before were completely unknown to her. This was one of the outcomes of first love and she should cherish them. Right?

And thus he suggested to hold her hand which made her happy and her heart beat fast. She looked in his eyes again with sparkles coming out. "Is it OK? To hold your hand?" She asked him and made a move to hold his hand. She just waited for him to do the same making her heart beat fast and loudly that she was sure he could hear it. What else would there be for the day with him....she wondered.

[Suoh Tamaki]

Tamaki figured now was as good a time as any to start hyperventilating (or singing or dancing or sparkling or glittering or doing any and all of these things all at once) with the excitement that reverberated through his very core and center of his being. Romance was so thick in the air it was almost palpable--he wanted to hug it. Just the way that Haruhi talked--her declarations of her preferences of his very own, very original personality made his heart flutter and the way she looked at him made him want to grab her and squeeze for all his worth.

"Yes! Very okay!! Extra superbly stupendously okay! I would love to--no! No! I would be honored to hold your hand, Haruhi! In fact--" His tone dropped an octave, suddenly sounding more mature and romantic and taking a step toward her every so slightly. "At this very moment, nothing would make me happier than to hold your hand and walk through this commoner's display. So..." And he moved his hand toward hers, brushing the back of her hand--

--So smooth--

--With his fingertips and couldn't repress the small smile that graced his thin lips and place tiny dimples in his cheeks. The very gesture itself also had the power to alight his eyes, but that very well could have been just the reaction from looking back into his girlfriends chocolate brown orbs.

His heart just wouldn't stay still, would it?

Long, spindly and pale fingers with perfectly manicured (he'd never confess it--clear tone) around hers before retracting and slipping his fingers between hers, closing his palm to hers and the slightly calloused finger tips from playing the piano to brush her soft, soft--commoner, female--soft skin.

Thump...thump...thump...thumpthump.

"C-can we...uh...go in? Now?"

[Fujioka Haruhi]

Haruhi for a second after Tamaki started his hyper activities felt that maybe she shouldn't have said so much because he was getting too excited for his own good but then again, she did not want to see him not being his natural self therefore she just shook the idea from her head and smiled to him warmly gazing into his violet jewels while her heart was racing with the speed of a bullet. He always had this impact on her, but it was only recently that she started to actually like it. It was one of those feelings that made her extremely happy but she would not actually show it a lot because, even though she did not look it much, she was shy.

When he replied to her question, if it was ok to hold his hand his beautiful words expressing his feelings for the idea of holding hands immediately made her cheeks take the color of roses. The unique way of expressing his feelings was still making her heart race and when he took the mature style and told her that nothing would make him happier it was the final shot that made her whole face become red and because of the high temperature you could see the smoke puffing above her head. She could not speak ... but she slowly felt his hand touching hers and then his fingers wrapped around hers.

The feeling was awesome. It made her shy but also very happy that he was holding her hand. She was clearly lost in another dimenshion, she could no longer see the people around her, it was as if the two of them were in the middle of space with the beautiful flickering stars shining around them and a big moon on their background while it was raining hearts. For a second this mental image that she had created made her forget about reality but after a while she went back to normal. She felt that people were looking at them more than usual. All of the strangers around them had an expression that was telling her that they found the two of them extremely cute. That thought kept her pulse beating steady with a fast speed.

The he placed his fingers between hers, a move that clearly was not very common, she had seen those movies were couples would always do that move only when they were about to kiss and now it was clearly not the time for them to kiss yet but still the thought made her blush yet again. But she wanted to express to him that she was also happy for holding his hand so. But she was not ready yet, instead she was asked if they could go in and she made a step closer to his side.

"Holding hands is warm...I like it" she managed to mamble having the blush on her cheeks. "So now we can go in!" She said clearly and lead the way for him inside the store hoping that he would follow keeping the distance that she put for them. A small one of course...and then she thought that maybe she should buy him a small present , but then ... she didn't have much money, a few only, though after he had repaid them with her work, Kyouya was paying her properly so she had managed to have some money for her.

"By the way you can still chose a dress for me!" She said smiling abd just hoped that he would not offer to buy it for her.Knowing him well though, it would probably cause him to sulk if she were to deny therefore she just hoped that he would let it slip his mind. 'I can only pray!' she thought sighing.

[Suoh Tamaki]

"Yes...yes, let's go in," Tamaki smiled again, squeezing her fingers a fraction tighter, just to assure himself that she was not going to slip out of his grasp or squirm out at a moments notice. He liked this, and thought his hands did not exactly feel warm, the hot, loved and sweet feeling coursing through his body was to much there that it was impossible to ignore. To say he liked it would be an understatement.

Cautiously, but barely repressing the excitement he felt at the prospect of playing within the confines of the the mall, Tamaki walked toward the automatic door, a step or so in front of Haruhi so that he was not exactly dragging her toward the secondary object of his desire, but definitely leading her.

Thoughts of flowery dresses, pink and ruffled mini-skirts, pleated school-girl skirts, denim skorts, backless ball gowns, strapless wedding dresses, thigh-high-slit salsa dresses, poodle skirts, pink tutus, hippie skirts, floor length ball gowns, summer swimsuit cover-ups, and flowy, solid colored knee length skirts swirled around his inner mind, all attributed to his extremely feminine fantasies and all associated to the one person he'd like nothing more than to see them on: Kyouya Haruhi.

"I...I can!?!" He asked brightly, eyes widening even if he did not stop walking nor turn to look at her. "I...I would be honored to pick out a dress for you, Haruhi." And then...his pace slowed a fraction and a soft smile of remembrance crossed his features. His voice lowered an octave and took on that far-off tone.

"I know the perfect one," he sighed, remembering the light green summery dress that his mother favored on the days when she was well enough to get out of bed. She looked wonderful in it, a sharp contrast against the bright red roses she gardened and a complimentary color to the piano that they spent hours side by side playing. It was purely a color of his childhood, and one that made him happy and sad, want to laugh and want to cry, want to go back and want to change nothing at the same time. "Assuming they have it of course."

Upon stepping on a weight-sensing pad, the glass doors of the commoner's mall slid open, and Tamaki was hit, full-on, by a blast of intensely recycled oxygen from the air conditioning vent and felt his eyes sting and dry up. He blinked, and then smiled again, turned to face Haruhi without letting go of her hand and bounced slightly on the balls of his feet. He opened his mouth to ask her what she would like to do first, but was easily distracted by the small shop selling snacks.

"I--Ooooh! Are those melon flavored snacks?!? Like the kind Kyouya bought us when we dragged him to something like this last time?!?"

[Fujioka Haruhi]

Haruhi felt the slight squeezing of her fingers and squeezed back too giving him a smile as she followed him inside. She noticed that he was walking slowly so that she can be close to him and this made her pale cheeks take the color of roses. He can be so thoughtful sometimes...Tamaki-senpai she thought and with a smile she looked inside the store always taking small glances of his hand to make sure that it was still holding hers. She didn't want to let go of his hand now, and the desire of this was so big that she was actually thinking of putting some special glue to keep them together.

When he asked her if he could chose a dress for her and said that he would be honored she couldn't help but think that Tamaki was not a normal human being. Well he knew that from the beginning but now she knew that he was not a man like the rest, he was actually happy to do things for his girlfriend which was another reason why Haruhi's heart was beating fast again. Was he exaggerating? No no, Tamaki wuld never exaggerate on such a subject, she knew that very well. Smiling to him she said "thank you" with a soft tone on her voice. But while she was thanking him he said something about knowing the perfect dress for her. She smiled and nodded, "Whatever you pick I will wear it!" She said trusting his taste, she just hoped that the dress wouldn't be that of a princess or she wouldn't be able to wear it anywhere but only when they were somewhere more private, like his house.

But then she heard the words Asumin that they have it of course, and somehow she did not know what to expect anymore. A good casual dress or a dress that he can wear only when she is with him? Looking around the store again she saw the tops and the jeans and couldn'thelp but want to check them since it was mostly her style but then Tamaki became curious of the melon flavored snacks. "You can really be so curious Tamaki-san..kun...chan?" She murmured at the last words since she didn't know how to call him. She was used to call him Tamaki-senpai or just Senpai but now he was her boyfriend- the thought made her blush even more- therefore she had to change the way of talking to him, like he did.

"Yes they are the same ones. Commoners put them at the stores for the customers. I think they must be free here so if you want to take one do so!" She said beaming a smile at him as she looked at his hand again to confirm squeezing his fingers gently and stepping again a little closer to him. Am I too bold? What should I do?she thought. Inside her brain she was trying to make use of anything she knew about couples but it seemed as if she could just not apply it. She just hoped that Tamaki would bear with it for now until she would get more used to all this crazy feelings that she had for him.

[Suoh Tamaki]

"Oh my god--Haruhi, we need to buy some! Kyouya got us some the last time we came to one of these things, but those raspillious twins stole mine and I never got to try them!" He was whining a little bit, and by now had come to a complete stop, staring at the snacks and all thoughts of the pretty green dress erased from his thoughts.

Easily, Tamaki proceeded in semi-dragging the audacious commoner into the small store and directly over to the large display of the melon flavored snacks that had been plastered in the window front. It was intriguing, and he had to forcefully restrain himself from touching/buying/examining every commoner delicacy within reach. He could not, however, restrain himself from picking up one bright green box with the catchy title 'Melon flavored crackers! All natural artificial flavoring and no food dye' emblazoned across a picture of green crackers and staring at it excitedly. However, of course, he managed to not let go of his date's hand the entire time, and even turned to her excitedly over every thing he found to talk--at length--about each thing he noticed about them.

"Oh, Haruhi, look! They have Baby-Star candy, too! That's my favorite!" He tucked the box of sweets under his arm, too, feeling giddy as he looked around to the cash register and--realizing the cue for paying--pulled Haruhi over by the hand, unwilling to let go now that he'd finally gotten the chance to hold her. Together, they got in line, the blond still giggling happily as the pulled the two boxes (candy and crackers) out from under his arm and held them happily, quite proud with his prospective purchases. And then...

A rather physical idea that completely drove the idea of the snacks from his mind entered Tamaki's brain and, without being cautious about it at all or even thinking through his actions, Tamaki pulled his hand from Haruhi's before quickly threading that arm around her waist, high enough for it to be appropriate, but also intimate and close and slightly possessive. As the cue moved forward a slight bit, he leaned closer to her, murmuring quietly, "Where would you like to go next? It was rather rude of me to drag you in here--is there something you wish to buy, too?"

[Fujioka Haruhi]

Haruhi heard him whining and she became a bit sheepish. Well he felt sorry that he could not eat them though therefore she followed him willingly as he dragged her with him not letting go of her hand at all which made her smile a bit as she was looking peacefully at his expressions of excitement and he was getting so sweet when he would talk about anything that she would also reply back to him. It felt nice and it felt like they were indeed a couple. She would see those only in the shoujo manga that she used to make fun of and now she was enjoying it. That was ironic. Maybe too ironic.

"Oh, Haruhi, look! They have Baby-Star candy, too! That's my favorite!" this startled her a little since it came out of the blue but then she smiled. "Take some! I like them too!" She said and saw that he did take some of them and holding her hand she took her to the till but then he pulled his hand out of nowhere and she was startled, when she turned her head to look at him he was too close and his arm was keeping her there. , "Where would you like to go next? It was rather rude of me to drag you in here--is there something you wish to buy, too?" she heard him asking her and she blinked as she blushed looking at the side.

"I would like to go to the store with the staff for the house!" she said nodding. "And then we can go buy the dress i saw!" She added smiling to him as the cashier looked at them he looked at the side but then at them and said. "If you are buying those two the money you pay is above 500yen and today we have a special treat. " He said and showed them the heart shaped box with the chocolates that was probably left there since valentine's and they were trying to get rid of it."It is for free!" He said nodding and Haruhi's eyes sparkled. She was a bit hungry therefore she could eat those before cooking at her house. Her expression became a bit sparkly but then this was immediately replaced by another thought. The house store.

Immediately her imagination raced from the mops to the electric vacuums and the special dust clothes or the casseroles and everything that could be used in the house. While Tamaki gets ecstatic because of random things she had only a few loves. Food and house cleaning and of course the sales and offers of a supermarket.