(LISTEN TO THE SONG AS YOU READ ITS WORTH IT PROMISE🤧)

"Tamaki, mon ange, could you play the piano for me?" The blonde smiled before descending into a fit of coughing.

Tamaki ran over to his mother, rubbing her back until the coughing had stopped. "Of course" He offered her a kind smile. "Also I've already told you, you can call me René"

"But everyone in Japan calls you Tamaki. I thought it'd make you feel more at home" She watched as he took a seat at the grand piano in the far corner of the room, bracing herself as she felt more coughs rack her small frame.

"France IS my home, just like Japan. And its been 2 years already, I think its safe to call me René, maman" He chuckled softly, beginning to play the piano.

Tamaki began playing a piece he was rather well versed in, he used to play it a lot with... Asuka. His fingers worked the keys, and he stayed silent as he played.

Anne-Sophie watched as he played, momentarily forgetting her own illness. She was so proud of her son, and when he had come to find her two years ago she couldn't remember ever feeling happier.

Letting go of Tamaki was one of, if not the hardest thing she had ever done. She had no choice at the time, knowing he would never be able to live a normal life with her.

When she had given him up, she ran away due to the guilt and somehow found herself working for the Tonnerre family. Éclair especially took a liking to her, and Anne-Sophie remembered how she used to sit for hours just telling stories about her son to the young heiress.

When Éclair had come back from Japan without Tamaki, her heart had ached. She so badly wanted to see her child that she only fell more ill. She was glad that he didn't leave Ouran in such a hasty manner, but she still missed him dearly.

But then he had come to France willingly two years ago, and found her. Ever since then, he would come to visit her in the Tonnerre home almost everyday. She felt so truly blessed that she was able to be with him again, her heart swelling with joy as she watched him.

Tamaki poured his heart out into the song as he played, eyes focused on the piano. This song... It reminded him so strongly of her, it almost hurt. He missed her so much.

He was reminded of her kind brown eyes, and her long pink hair. Pink like sakura... He remembered how it used to flow behind her wherever she went, and how much he loved playing with it. But what he carried with him most was her laugh, and her smile. The way it used to light up the room, and everyone in it.

She had asked to cease contact a year ago and so he had respected her wishes, but not a day went by where he didn't think about how she was. He wanted to see her so badly. The only way he kept up with her was through Kyoya, and it comforted him knowing what she was up to in Japan. It made the distance between them more... manageable.

"Quel est le problème, ma chérie?" Sophie asked softly, noticing the distant look in his eyes.

"Oh- Nothing, I'm fine maman" Tamaki said quickly, refocusing on the piano.

She knew there was something wrong but couldn't say much as she started coughing once more.

"Anne-Sophie, are you okay?" Éclair asked, appearing in the doorway. "I heard you coughing so I wanted to check on you"

"I'm fine, thank you. I'm terribly sorry for taking the day off" The older woman apologised, holding up her handkerchief to her mouth.

"Take as long as you need. Just focus on recovering" Éclair shook her head, her eyes flitting to Tamaki who was still in the middle of his piano piece.

"Thank you for letting my mother stay here, Éclair" Tamaki offered her a charming smile, his nimble fingers moving along the piano as he carried on playing the melody.

"Its no trouble" Éclair nodded, also smiling at him before leaving the room once more.

"She's lovely, isn't she?" Sophie sighed wistfully, still looking at the doorway through which she had left.

"Mhm... Very kind despite what people say" Tamaki commented, looking down.

"Very pretty too... I don't understand why you don't give her a chance, mon chérie. I think you could grow to love her" Sophie said softly, looking over at Tamaki.

"Maybe... But I'm not ready to love someone else just yet" Tamaki said softly, closing his eyes as he recalled the time when he and Asuka had played the piece together in the music room.

They had brought everyone to tears together, and he could still remember how close he felt to her in that moment. Unbeknownst to him, he was falling for her harder every minute he spent with her at the time.

"Else? Do you mean that pink haired girl you carry a picture of? Who was she to you, Tamaki?" She asked, hoping he would finally open up.

Anne-Sophie was fully aware of the heavy heart her son carried, and frequently saw the picture of Asuka which he carried around on his keys. She didn't know who she was but understood she meant a great deal to Tamaki. She had never questioned him to this day, wanting him to speak when he was comfortable to do so.

"She was my best friend" He smiled sadly, fondly recalling their adventures together. All the times they would sneak off into the rose bush maze, just to get away from everyone. She always knew what to say, especially when he was in one of his moods.

"I thought Kyoya was your best friend. You speak so highly of him"

"Kyoya is my best friend. But Asuka... She was different. I met her after Kyoya but we clicked almost instantly. She understood me in a way I didn't think was possible. That may also be because she's a telepath though" He chuckled lightly.

"She went Ouran too?"

"Mhm... Her father is a Duke in Japan and they made her attend Ouran to perfect her skills"

"Wow, a future duchess, hm? Was she perfectly lady like?"

Tamaki began laughing at those words, his fingers speeding up slightly as the tune picked up. "Not at all" He smiled fondly. "But that's what made her so great. She didn't care, she always did her own thing. She was so stubborn too, her parents could barely get her to attend Ouran. But despite her hate for sophistication, she was incredibly skilled. We used to play the piano together for hours"

"She sounds very interesting" Anne-Sophie smiled, loving the way his face seemed to light up just at the thought of this Asuka girl.

"She was! We used play all sorts of games with the host club, and she always used to try her best to make people happy"

Anne-Sophie understood why he had gotten along so famously with Asuka, they were both always striving to bring smiles to people's faces. He saw himself in her.

"Sometimes the pressure her parents put on her would pile up but she would never let it get her down. She never pitied me either, and she never called me an idiot for having weird ideas. Even when I WAS being dramatic" He grinned to himself, he missed the host club, they were his family after all.

"Did you tell her how you feel about her?"

"Yeah... We got together just under a year before I left Japan. She confessed first. I didn't even know I liked her until I knew about her feelings" Tamaki hummed, recalling the day she had kissed him. She had made him forget about it too but luckily in the end he regained the memory. It was one of the happiest days of his life.

"And now?"

Tamaki swallowed, eyes fixed on his own fingers as the tune got softer once more. "We had to break up when I came to France. She has duties and responsibilities to uphold, and I... don't know if I'm ever going back. It was unfair to ask her to wait" His voice cracked slightly, but he carried on playing.

Sophie could almost feel his pain as he told the story, her heart aching for her son. How horrible it must have been to leave his love in order to find her. It... reminded her of her own story, with Yuzuru. She still missed him dearly after 20 years, she could only imagine the hurt Tamaki harboured. It saddened her to know that he was hurting and yet always had a smile on his face.

"I'm proud of you, mon chérie" She said simply. "I'm sorry you had to leave her just to see me"

"Dont be, she insisted I come to France and find you. She knew how much you mean to me. She sacrificed her happiness for mine, and supported me all the way" Tamaki didn't even realise as his eyes glazed over, completely lost in... her. They sparkled with unshed tears as he played, pouring his heart out into the song.

His jaw tightened as the song got louder and yet remained so soft, closing his eyes as he lost himself even just for a moment into the beautiful music. Lost himself in the thoughts associated with the music too. It lamented his sense of loss, his hurt but also stood for so much more. His joy at the memories of her but also his hope that maybe he'd see her again one day.

"She sounds wonderful"

"She is" Tamaki smiled wistfully.

"Will you ever go back to see her?"

"I hope so" Tamaki murmured softly, playing the last few notes. "But until then, she'll remain in my fondest memories. Qui vivra verra"
(Translation: Who lives will see. French saying for whatever the future holds etc)

Xandra_Dee tah dah! Whatchu fink?