Mending Tamaki

Kyoya was enjoying the only five minutes free time he had that week. Most meals were a business meeting, the rest of his day was the usual work work work of running a company. At this moment though he was sipping on some coffee. Commoners coffee.

He was feeling nostalgic for some reason today, so he was doing something Tamaki Suoh would be ecstatic about. He was in a very low class part of town, in a public park and drinking instant coffee from a paper cup. When did he become so sentimental? Honestly it was completely ludicrous. 

He gazed around the park and decided it wasn't so bad actually. It was nice to think about the crazy times of the Ouran Host Club. He still was in contact with most of them. Somehow he had lost Tamaki. The one friend who he most cared for had just disappeared and he couldn't find him. How many years had it been? Five? He still spent the odd day or two playing detective and trying to track Suoh down without any success.

His eyes fell on blonde hair and he instinctively went to stand up. Then he looked again. Nope. Not him. Why would he be here anyway? Since when did he care so much. Maybe thinking on the club wasn't a good idea if it made him worry.

Still his eyes continued to follow the blonde guy until another blonde head caught his attention. This time he did get up. It had to be Tamaki. Only Tamaki would sit on a bench like it were a priceless lounge, under the most beautiful tree in the park. Having said that, he wasn't sure yet so he walked as if he was just walking past. 

"K-Kyoya?" The familiar voice called uncertainly. Kyoya, relieved, turned to face Tamaki. 

"It is you!" Tamaki stood slowly, "it's been so long! I'm so happy to see you!"

"Are you?" Kyoya adjusted his glasses "where have you been?"

"I know..." Tamaki cringed and stammered, "It's...Its a very very long story...I'm so sorry I haven't been in touch..."

"Tamaki...You should know by now that I can never stay angry with you." Kyoya sighed and sat down next to him on the bench. 

Looking closely he could see something was up. Tamaki was nicely dressed, his hair was done perfectly and he still seemed to be Tamaki but something wasn't the same.

"Thank God" Tamaki sighed "I thought you'd never talk to me again."

"Of course you would" Kyoya was relieved to see some of the usual Tamakisms.

"So...So how are you?" Tamaki asked quietly with a small smile.

Then it hit Kyoya. Tamaki wasn't glomping him to death and worse still he looked and sounded tired. Very tired.

"Oh so you have your own company? That's so awesome! I'm so glad!" Tamaki was grinning at him but his grin was only superficial. The sparkle in his eyes was gone. 

"Tamaki...What about you? Are you quite alright?" Kyoya decided to just come out and ask.

"Oh yeah...I'm good!" Tamaki beamed with obviously fake happiness. 

"You always were a terrible lier Suoh" Kyoya crossed his arms. 

For the second time Tamaki cringed.

"I am...Aren't I"

"So...Why are you lying? Why did you disappear?"

"I...ummm..." Tamaki trailed off and sighed "I can't. I can't tell you..."

Kyoya could tell that he really couldn't and after everything Tamaki had been through that was very concerning.

"Is it that bad?" He asked quietly.

"Well..." Tamaki reached into his pocket, "I certainly couldn't tell you without being totally, completely, off my face, can't stand up, ramble on about anything drunk." He said shakily as he pulled out a pack of cigarettes and took one out.

"You smoke? Tamaki do you know how bad that is for you?"

"I know, shocking isn't it?" Tamaki laughed a nervous laugh, "i just could really use one right now...Do you mind?"

"No..." Kyoya tried to process everything. Tamaki was not okay, was talking about getting completely inebriated and he had somehow managed to up smoking. Alarms bells were going off left right and centre.

Tamaki lit up his cigarette, still managing to look elegant as always, and seemed to relax a little. 

He genuinely seemed to sigh with relief as he exhaled the smoke, closing his eyes.

"I'm sorry..." He opened his eyes and looked back at Kyoya, "you're probably worried sick now... If I could talk about it you'd be the first person I'd tell...But I really just...I just can't..."

"Well I will simply have to buy you those drinks then won't I" Kyoya smiled slightly, finishing his coffee.

Tamaki took a slow, thoughtful drag from the cigarette before nodding.

"You know what? Okay." He smiled.

"I'm free next week. Saturday night?"

"Oh ummm... Could we do a week night?"

"I could...Wednesday would work alright. I haven't had a day off...well ever...so I'll take Thursday off and we can spend the next day together if you wish"

"Perfect" Tamaki agreed "hey is that... You still drink commoners coffee! That makes me so happy!"

So the meaningless chatter continued until Kyoya had to leave or be late for work. 

He stayed up all night that night running scenarios through his head. He wouldn't be able to let it go until he had the whole story. That much he knew for sure. Tamaki meant too much. Had done too much. He was not going to leave him now when it was obvious he needed some kind of help.