Disclaimer: I do not own Ouran High School Host Club or its characters, but I do love to use them to mine and my readers' utter enjoyment. You know like beating, kicking, maiming…uh, loving, caring, kissing, etc.

A/N: Gasp! Can it be true? Two new stories in two days? Nope. You aren't seeing things. On the agenda this week is 2 new Ouran (maybe even 3), 1 new Prince of Tennis, 1 new Kamigami no Asobi, and 1 new Twilight. A big undertaking to be sure, but the ideas have been piling up the past few months while I finished the novel. So, now you will reap the benefits…or maybe suffer, but here they are. I also have the sequel for Love: A Harmony of Love and Darkness. Many readers wanted to know what happened with Tamaki and Kirimi, in addition to seeing more Nekozawa and Haruhi. So that one will come out probably next month. I want to finish one of my other stories first. I have already started my Kaoru/Haruhi story, so you can look for that under the title Sneaky Love. So without further ado, (Hchen dot RavenFeather, see, another Neko/Haru), here is the first chapter of my new Nekozawa/Haruhi story. Enjoy!

Chapter 1 – The Beginning

She could very much remember the first time she saw him and her first impressions of him. To put it bluntly, she thought he was one of the oddest people she had ever seen…and she had seen many strange people between her father's bar and the Host Club.

He could remember…scratch that, no he couldn't. The first time he could remember actually meeting her was actually their second meeting, and he thought she was a he and only wanted to see if he could recruit him for the Black Magic Club. Her eyes were big and brown and glistening, but nothing special. She was supposed to be a he after all and therefore, why would he ever give the other man a second glance?

For almost two years she thought he was odd, he thought she was a boy, and then something happened. Suddenly, opinions changed and secrets were learned, and on that very day, the door to other feelings started to crack open, eventually opening all the way. Before I can tell you about that though, I have to tell you about what happened before. Towards the beginning of Haruhi's third year at Ouran and Nekozawa's second year in university, life changed.

After he graduated from Ouran, Umehito Nekozawa turned the Black Magic Club over to Reiko to lead, and then he left. The plan was he would start university in Russia, where he would also finally meet the bride his family had chosen for him. That is the way it was supposed to work, but that's not the way it happened. His fiancée ran off with another man the night before Nekozawa was supposed to meet her, and university in Russia was boring. He learned no new magic, did not broaden his horizons; thus after a year of mindlessly going through the motions, he returned to Japan and transferred to a university in Tokyo. At least this way, he could still see his little sister and spend time with his very small circle of friends.

Shortly after arriving back in Japan, he was bored and decided to see how his old club was fairing. According to the emails and calls he received from Reiko, the club still had low membership numbers, but her curses on the Haninozuka heir seemed to be working since they were at least dating now and had been for some time. It wasn't that he didn't trust her, he did; however, he was feeling restless and needed to get out of the house. He never expected the first person he would run into, more like smash or crash, would be one Haruhi Fujioka. She was still dressed as a he and Nekozawa did not know a girl was hidden under that blue blazer. If he had, he might have been more chivalrous, or treated her differently. Instead, he looked across from him where he/she sat on the ground and said, "Haruhi Fujioka? What are you doing running into people? If Beelzenef gets upset, you could wind up cursed."

"Nekozawa-senpai? What are you doing here? Sorry about that, Tamaki-senpai left me an urgent message and he's supposed to be out front. I needed to hurry so I could get back to class," she responded. Getting to her feet, she dusted off her butt and then helped pull her senpai off the ground. With a smile on her face, she told him, "It's good to see you again, senpai. Sorry about this, but I have to run."

If only they knew this meeting would be the start of change…and danger.

"Are you all right, sir?" A man asked from Nekozawa's side.

"Hmm? Oh, Tanaka. Yes, quite all right. Just someone I haven't seen for a while. You would think he would have filled out a little more, but he is still the same petite feminine looking boy he was two years ago."

"Sir, this wouldn't have happened if you would have waited for me."

"You're my bodyguard, but even you can't stop everything. Besides, Haruhi is so slight, he didn't do any damage." It felt like his new bodyguard was breathing down his neck and Nekozawa wanted rid of the man, but it was not allowed. His parents were worried because they had been getting threats, and they would not take the chance with either of their children.

"Be that as it may sir, please allow me to do my job properly."

"Yes. Yes. Now come. I want to get to the Black Magic Club and see for myself what changes have been made."

"Yes, Umehito-sama," the bodyguard bowed and followed his master without question. Haruhi? He would make a note of that name and keep it for future reference. It might actually come in handy.

It took Haruhi twenty minutes before she was able to fight off the blond, grab the box he had for her, and then rush back to class, which she was tardy for and had to stand outside the classroom while the others learned. She really hoped and prayed Hikaru and Kaoru were taking good notes. "Stupid Tamaki-senpai. It wasn't even that important," she grumbled softly.

"My, my, what are you doing out here, Haruhi?" Nekozawa asked as he wandered his old school and saw the student leaning against a wall while class was in session. He had been unable to get into the club room because the door was locked and he no longer had the key.

"Tamaki-senpai is a baka," she replied.

"Speaking of your senpai in such a way…" he teased.

Sweat dropping, Haruhi asked, "Do you not remember Tamaki-senpai? Remember the whole incident with your sister?"

A chuckle escaped, "Oh I remember very well. He is a bit…shall we say extravagant?"

"That's one way to put it," she snickered. "So what are you doing here, senpai? I thought you left Japan."

"I did and found Russia to be less than ideal for me."

"What about your wedding?"

"Long story, but no bride."

"Sorry."

"Nothing to apologize for, it wasn't your doing. Or was it?"

"Maybe Beelzenef didn't like her."

His laugh now sounded in the empty all, filling it with echoing mirth, "You know, I hadn't thought of that."

"Don't worry senpai. There is someone out there who is better for you. If my dad can find my mom, you can find someone too."

"What are you trying to imply?"

If she was still the same first year student influenced by Tamaki and the twins, she might have been very afraid, but instead, she just smiled, "I just mean, there is someone out there for everyone, and even if you aren't like everyone else or your hobbies are different than the norm, I believe you'll find the person you're looking for."

Grinning, he nodded, "You may be right. Wise words coming from someone so young."

"Maybe, but I've lived enough to know."

"Indeed you have." Most people he knew had not lost their mother at a young age, and if they had, it had not affected them as it probably did the Fujioka household. He had always admired Haruhi's determination and drive, and now he could add wisdom to that list. "You'll make someone a very good husband someday."

Another sweat drop, "Eh? Senpai..." Whatever she was going to say was drowned out by the ringing of the bell and seconds later the halls were flooded with students rushing to get to lunch.

"Excuse me Haruhi, but I need to find Reiko. It was good seeing you again," Nekozawa bowed his head slightly and then left her standing in the hall just as two identical faces emerged from her own class.

"Who were you talking to?" Kaoru questioned.

Hikaru stared down the hall and noticed the black cloak, "Were you talking to Nekozawa-senpai?"

"Yes, he's here visiting, and for some reason he still thinks I'm a guy," Haruhi deadpanned.

"Well, you are wearing the male uniform," the twins giggled simultaneously.

"Whatever. Let's just go eat lunch. I want to kill Tamaki-senpai!"

Later that day, as Haruhi was walking out of a bookstore, still in her uniform, she gasped, "Senpai?!"

"This makes three times in one day," Nekozawa chuckled. "Can I give you a ride home?"

"Umm…"

"Surely a ride won't hurt you. I already know where you live."

"Sure. Thank you, senpai."

Climbing into the car with her friend, she didn't realize that this would not be the friendly escort she believed. The locks went down, the partition between passenger and driver went up, and the two friends fell into a slump against each other as gas was pumped into the back. They just became hostages.

"I have the package as requested, and a bonus," his new bodyguard was not exactly what he appeared to be.