After the Lights Go Out
Haruhi snapped her book shut with an aggravated sigh before she stood from the couch. She returned the book to a shelf in her bedroom, and then she went to the door to gather her coat and scarf.
Hikaru laughed giddily from the alcohol he'd consumed and the tasteless jokes being passed around the group. Tamaki snickered childishly, covering his mouth with both hands to contain his laughter. Kaoru hung off Hikaru's shoulder to prevent falling out of his seat from laughing too hard.
Tamaki cleared his throat, still giggling. "How-How about this one?" He coughed to steady his voice. "What's a blonde's mating call sound like?"
Hikaru answered, having heard the joke before, "I'm so drunk!"
An echo of snickers as the boys attempted to make Kyoya laugh—as he hadn't yet all afternoon even with the alcohol. Tamaki tried again, "What's another blonde mating call?"
Kaoru answered this time through his giggles. "Next!"
Kyoya took another sip of his drink, still not persuaded it was funny. Tamaki tried one more time, "What's a brunette mating call?"
Both twins shouted, "Is that blonde bitch gone yet?" before bursting into another fit of laughter with Tamaki.
Kyoya coughed and spluttered on his drink and tried to halt his own laughter. He gasped, "That was un-called for!" His face turned bright red before he adjusted his glasses, looked away, and shook his head to clear his thoughts.
Tamaki ceased his laughter when he saw Haruhi gathering her things. "Haruhi, where are you going?"
"Out," she replied.
Mori looked up from his place next to the sleeping Honey on the living room floor. He turned down the volume of the television to listen over the sounds of Honey's breathing.
"Why?" Tamaki asked. "I thought we were having fun!"
"You guys are having fun, you mean," she said, "I'm going on a walk, so try not to make a mess while I'm gone."
Haruhi opened the door and stormed out into the rain-cooled night. She was shocked Renge hadn't shown up at her house, as well, since everyone seemed to decide to pay her a visit for New Year's Eve as a surprise. Even though they were out of high school, she always found one of them trying to earn her attention in some crazy way or another around every corner. They even followed her in her recent move from Japan to the United States! It was a little irritating, but she was relieved the rain hadn't brought any lightning with it.
She didn't make it far when a tall, familiar shadow fell into stride beside her. "Hi, Mori-sempai," she greeted as calmly as she could.
He made a brief hum in response.
They took a few steps in silence. "What are you doing out here?"
"A girl shouldn't walk around alone at night," he answered.
Haruhi was shocked he answered. They continued to walk in silence through the city while her frustration smothered itself out in the fresh air. She found herself looking up at a sign for a local bar and it reminded her of her father. The bar he worked at was on the opposite end of the city, but she felt the curiosity to venture inside.
Mori followed her inside and occupied the stool next to hers at the counter. "Want a drink, Haruhi?" he offered.
He waved the bartender over while she thought and eventually nodded. "Apple Washington on the rocks, please," she said.
Handing the total to the man, Mori said, "And a shot of Black Velvet for me."
As the bartender prepared their drinks, he commented, "I'm surprised you finally brought a lady friend for once. She's a pretty one, Mori."
Haruhi glanced to Mori, who seemed to ignore the comment. The man continued, "So does the young lady have a name?" as he turned around with their drinks in hand.
"I'm Haruhi," she replied with a brief, "Thank you."
Mori lifted his shot and finished it in one round. He politely requested another.
"So how long have you two known each other?" the bartender asked as he retrieved the refill.
"We met in high school. It's a really long story," she answered. Haruhi took a drink of her beverage.
Setting down the tiny glass, the man asked, "h didn't you tell me about her before? You haven't been in for a while, so how am I supposed to stay up-to-date?"
"I'm not with her, Joe," Mori said as he rubbed his eyes, "We're just friends." He downed the second shot with a jerk of his head.
"How was I supposed to know?" he replied.
"You're a gossip. Don't put your nose in other people's business: it's rude."
"I don't think I've ever heard you talk so much, sempai," Haruhi commented.
Joe ignored Mori's comment. He nodded in Mori's direction as he picked up the empty shot glasses. "It's what alcohol does to him." He walked off to tend to the other customers, not without throwing a flirtatious wink in Haruhi's direction first.
"Ick," Haruhi muttered as she sipped her drink.
Mori hummed questioningly.
"I think Joe is trying to hit on me."
"Don't let him bother you too much; he's not too bright."
"I noticed." Haruhi took a long drink. "Why did all of you come over today, anyway?"
"It was Tamaki's idea," he replied.
She scoffed a laugh and rolled her eyes. "Figures."
"He called all of us to come, and Mitsukuni wanted cake."
Haruhi smiled. "Yeah, I bet." She stared into her drink and stirred the ice slowly with her little black straw. "How did I put up with all of them without losing my mind at Ouran?"
Mori shrugged, arms folded on the counter. "It seemed like you were having fun."
"I had fun, I guess," she admitted, "But they're a bit too crazy sometimes, ya'know?" Haruhi loosened the scarf around her neck, finally feeling the warmth of the room. "Tamaki's too persistent, the twins are nuts, Kyoya always has something up his sleeve, and Honey-sempai…"
She laughed to herself at the thought of the child-like man. "He's just Honey-sempai."
"And I don't exasperate you?" Mori asked bemusedly.
"Sometimes, but you're the most sane out of all of them," she replied with another sip of her drink.
"You don't mind that I don't talk much?"
Haruhi shook her head. "I like the quiet: it's refreshing."
Mori formed a low hum in response. He folded his arms on the counter and bent his head to wait, lightly drumming his fingers. Haruhi finished her drink, and as she contemplated ordering another, Mori asked, "Should we head back? I'm sure your father will be upset if you're not home when he gets off work."
"He actually found his own place nearby just a few weeks ago," she replied, "But we should probably make sure the twins haven't conspired with Tamaki-sempai to destroy my house."
Standing, Haruhi tied the scarf snugly around her neck again. "Are you coming, Mori-sempai?"
He stood to follow. Once they were outside, he commented, "We're not in school anymore; you don't have to call me 'sempai.'"
She shrugged. "Just habit, I guess."
Due to the late hour of the night, many of the street lights had been turned off to preserve energy, making large gaps in light on the sidewalks and roads. Haruhi didn't seem to mind, walking deep in thought several yards ahead of her companion. She turned her head to see if Mori was still following because the lack of noise in his footsteps risen question if he had left or not.
In this action, her foot caught on a patch of grass growing between the blocks of sidewalk and she tumbled over. "Ow," she hissed as a pain shot through her ankle.
Three men slunk out of the dark shadows of the neighboring towering building. "Oh, are you hurt?" one sneered.
Haruhi ignored the hollow question, holding her ankle. Mori lengthened his strides to catch up, shoulders squaring instinctively. "Do you have any cash on you, girlie?" the stranger proceeded to ask, unaware she wasn't alone.
"No," she answered coldly, looking up at them, "I don't." Haruhi shifted her body in an attempt to stand, causing her keys to jingle.
Mistaking the noise as the sound of money, the man drew a pistol from his coat and directed it at her face. "Hand it over," he demanded.
Mori froze in his place, merely a foot away from being in the barrel's path. "Put down the gun," he advised.
"Or what?" the man dared.
The other two snickered and the man glanced at them with a devious grin. Seizing his chance, Mori zigzagged into the path of the gun before gripping the man's wrist and elbow to snap it in an unnatural direction. Mori lunged forward to force his knee into the man's abdomen as he bent forward in pain from the breakage of his arm. When the man was reduced to his knees, Mori delivered a swift blow to the back of the neck to knock him out.
Mori looked up at the other two and found them to be quite young, unsteadily pointing their own pistols at him. "Put those anyway," Mori advised the boys, "Take your friend and go home."
They quickly stashed the guns away before running off with their friend in tow, obviously terrified of meeting a similar fate. Mori smirked briefly before turning back to kneel in front of Haruhi. She continued to stare after them, rubbing her ankle softly.
"Are you okay?"
She sighed, "Yeah." Shifting her body to place her hands on the ground to stand, the weight on her foot forced her to attempt the feat once-legged. As a result, she toppled sideways and Mori caught her by the shoulders. "Okay, maybe not," she admitted. Haruhi turned to move her legs in front of her, sitting on the ground. She began to re-inspect her ankle for serious damage.
Mori swiveled around her body like the hand of a clock to examine the ankle, as well. He prodded it as gently as he could to feel for a break, but he stopped when he saw her wince and her face turn dark red from withheld pain. "If it hurts, you should say so," he said.
The color faded as she drew a deep breath. "I'm fine."
"You can't walk home on that," he commented.
She positioned her hands to move again. "How else will I get home?" she asked rhetorically.
Mori answered her question, "Like this," before scooping her off the ground and cradling her in his arms bridal-style.
A surprised squeak slid through her teeth. "M-Mori-sempai! What are you doing?"
"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm taking you home," he replied.
Haruhi settled into his arms with a quiet laugh, resting her head against his chest. "I shouldn't be surprised, I guess."
She felt his chest vibrate with eth questioning hum before she replied, "You always do this sort of thing… Like in the academy days: that time at the beach, at the resort, and at Nekozawa-sempai's place…"
Mori turned the memories over in his head to examine them. "I guess you're right." He took half a dozen strides in silence.
"Mori-sempai?" Haruhi said quietly, "Thanks for that… with those guys and for this."
He seemed to have forgotten what she was talking about until he looked down at her. Mori shrugged his shoulders like it wasn't a big deal. "You're welcome."
Haruhi looked up at her little house as it came into view. The lights were on, but it was very quiet. Attempting to see any shadows of people through the windows, Haruhi teased, "I wonder who Kyoya-sempai murdered."
Mori advanced with caution when he entered the house. To their surprise, there was no blood or bodies filling the rooms. In fact, the only occupant of the house other than themselves was the slumbering Honey. He continued to walk through the house quietly.
"Where do you think they went?" Haruhi whispered to not wake Honey.
"Home, most likely," Mori replied, "Considering it's almost 3 o' clock." He took her into her bedroom and gently set her down on the bed. As he straightened, he said, "I'll get you some ice for that ankle."
He left the room and returned a few minutes later with a plastic bag of ice wrapped in a dishtowel. Mori placed it carefully on the swollen ankle, lifted the blanket over it, and sat beside her on the bed. "You should see a doctor in the morning to make sure it's nothing major."
She nodded in agreement as she moved the bag of ice for comfort. "So are you and Honey-sempai going home now?"
Before he could answer, distant thunder of an approaching storm echoed through the house. Haruhi shut her eyes tightly and clenched a handful of blankets in her fist as the sound died away. She eyed her closet and groaned when she realized her ankle made her unable to ride out the storm in its confines as she usually did.
"Do you want me to stay?"
Her voice squeaked in its haste to answer quickly, "No, I'm okay."
She shivered again as a slightly louder crash of distant thunder reached her ears. Mori wedged his hand in her fingers to pry them from the blanket and replace it with his hand.
"You don't sound very sure about that," he commented. "Lay down," he advised, "Go to sleep before it comes."
Haruhi wasn't listening to him, clutching his hand tightly. Mori observed her and the space in the bed before making his decision. He stretched across her body carefully to not disturb her ankle to crawl into the space of the bed between her and the window. The hand that wasn't still clutched in hers tugged gently at her shoulder.
The final act seemed to catch her attention. She turned to look at the hand on her shoulder before looking to the other side of her body where Mori was located. Haruhi watched him silently, unable to think of anything to say. She finally settled with, "What are you doing?"
Mori tugged on her shoulder again. "I'm not leaving you here by yourself during this storm."
She lay down slowly until her head and neck rested against Mori's arm. Haruhi grew aware her hand was gripping his when he moved his arm to a more comfortable position as it rested over her abdomen. A low rumble of thunder crept into the room made Haruhi clutch his hand tighter.
Mori squeezed her shoulders snugly to him and waited for her to calm a tad before swiftly pulling the blankets over them. His position blocked Haruhi's view of the window, to her relief. "Try to sleep," he whispered.
The sounds of his breath by her ear partially drowned out other sounds. Haruhi drew a deep breath and relaxed her tensed muscles as a low growl of thunder rumbled in the distance.