Dedication: IceQueenRex-chan is love, and this will be repeated at the top of every chapter for emphasis.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this, I don't get money for this, I didn't mean to pee on any copyrights, the usual.

Author's Note: Yay, less dialogue - I'm not good at writing the speech and actions of six people. This is the first of the character perspective based chapters. We begin with Haninzuka Mitsukuni and Morinozuka Takashi.

Chapter One:

Sweets and Silence

"Where do you think we should look, Takashi?" Honey asked, still clutching his Usa-chan as the pair walked down the corridor. He had been worried about Haruhi when it became clear that she was going to miss the entire meeting - and then when Kyoya began to question whether she would arrive at all, he knew something was dreadfully wrong. His childlike eyes turned to the tall figure of his cousin, keeping in step with him but saying little.

"The reading rooms," Mori answered, curtly.

"Good idea!" Honey answered, nodding excitedly. He was trying to think of the ordeal as a treasure hunt. He liked treasure hunts. Takashi was good at figuring out clues, and Honey always had enough fun for the both of them. And of course, when treasure hunts ended, there was always cake. But... it wasn't really a treasure hunt. As they turned toward the first library, Honey clung to his bunny a little more tightly.

I hope Haru-chan's okay, he thought, fervently. I hope she isn't in trouble or scared of the thunderstorm. I wish I'd brought some cake for when we find her!

"Perhaps you could give her Usa-chan," came the stony voice of his cousin - who appeared to be reading his mind, as usual. "If she's upset."

"Hai! That's what I'll do!" Honey cried, feeling a lot better. He looked up at Mori as the sombre Host reached for the door to the first reading room. "Takashi? You aren't scared, are you?"

Mori's hand paused on the doorknob momentarily.

"No," he said, simply, before turning it and waiting for Honey to enter.

The library was surprisingly crowded. Honey had barely taken a step into the room when cries of Honey-senpai! greeted him, enthusiastic fangirls rushing to crowd around him. It wasn't normal for Honey to be seen in the library, as the girls swiftly pointed out, gushing questions about what had brought him there, and did he know that they had designated him for later, and was everything okay, because he looked a little upset, and they were bringing extra cake with them when they visited the Club...

Mori, on the other hand, merely poked his head into the room, trying to look past the girls clustered around a bemused Honey.

Ack! How are we going to find Haruhi if this happens in every room? Honey thought, feeling decidedly sorry for himself. Maybe we can ask these girls to help look for her! But... no. If the storm starts, she'd want to be found by one of us, not a customer.

"Mitsukuni," Mori said, at last. "We must move on."

Amid cries of Mori-kun! and groans at the news of their imminent departure, Honey managed to emerge from the crowd, feeling a little bit tired with the overly warm welcome. He half-skipped to Mori's side, and turned to smile at the girls as the Hosts backed out slowly. The squeals were only slightly muffled when Mori closed the door.

"Takashi..." Honey whimpered, hugging his bunny again.

Without speaking, Mori looked down at his cousin, before putting a gentle hand on his shoulder. Honey sighed, disappointed that they hadn't found Haruhi, and hardly looking forward to the extra cake at all.

"There are three rooms left, Mitsukuni," said Mori, his quiet voice gentle. "Come."

They turned again, knowing the next reading room was practically miles away. Honey mirrored Mori's silence as they walked quickly but quietly, footsteps in unison as though measured by age and not stride. He had been trying not to think of why Haruhi was gone, just hoping she'd been caught up in something, or forgotten the time, or even felt sick and gone home - but now all the grisly scenarios that the others had been considering finally presented themselves. Haruhi, abducted by the Zuka Club; Haruhi, curled up somewhere shivering, knowing there was going to be a storm; Haruhi, being bullied by hateful boys the size of tanks... But why would anyone want to take their Haruhi away? She was Haruhi. No one disliked her, even if they thought she was a boy. She was too lovely. The thought that someone would steal Honey's Haru-chan - or worse, hurt her - was unbearable. Even though Takashi was being as silent as always, Honey knew that he was upset, too. Maybe even more than Honey himself.

Haru-chan is so important to us, he thought, his eyes filling up abruptly. We need her. Please let her be okay.

He told himself he was worked up because Tamaki and the twins had been so over-dramatic, but the truth was that he hated the thought of an unprotected Haruhi just as much as they did, just as much as Mori did. Martial arts couldn't save her until they found her. We have to find her!

"How long do we have left to look, Takashi?" Honey asked, his voice trembling slightly. He looked at his cousin, eyes watery, and tried to smile when Mori touched his head briefly.

"We will look until we find her," he replied, with grave conviction.

"Good," Honey said, trying not to sniffle. Oh, he loved Takashi so much, he was always there for him when he was sad or scared, just like Usa-chan. He squeezed his bunny again, walking closer to Mori and looking at the ground. Like his cousin, he would keep searching until Haruhi was found, ignoring Kyoya's firm order to return before the usual guests arrived. This seemed so much more important. The real time-limit, the one that had Tama-chan worked up so badly, was the thunderstorm. Poor Haru-chan, Honey thought, dismally.

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"Don't be sad, Takashi," Honey said as they left the fourth reading room. "It was still a good idea!"

Mori sighed quietly, closing the door with one hand and then setting his cousin back on his feet. He had been sure that if Haruhi had somehow lost track of time, she would be studying in one of the libraries - but in hindsight, it seemed like anything but a good idea. She had complained more than once that the reading rooms were more like chatting rooms; far too noisy to get any work done. Yet he had assumed she would be there anyway. For all his keen observation, he had made a stupid mistake - and it had been half an hour already. He knew that the Vice President would have expected the search parties to be late in returning, but now that he was at a loss for where to look, he felt that perhaps he and Mitsukuni should return to the music room. They could, he supposed, ask their guests to help search for Haruhi. It would be an event that they would take to like ducks to water, and Kyoya might well be pleased with that. But was it right for Haruhi? Did she need to be found, terrified, upset, by guests who thought she was a boy and would probably suffocate her in trying to comfort her?

No. She didn't.

"Where shall we look now?" Honey asked, watching Mori carefully.

Where should they look? Did Mori really know Haruhi as well as he'd thought, watching and listening to her day after day? It seemed that he didn't. Hikaru and Kaoru were her classmates - it made sense that they were the most likely to find her, though Tamaki was probably tearing the school apart looking for her.

"I don't know," he confessed at last, bowing his head in defeat. A moment later, he felt the small, delicate hand of his cousin close over his, squeezing in an effort to share some of his strength with his downcast cousin.

"Don't be sad," repeated Honey, firmly. "Let's find the others. They might have found her already!"

The optimism of the smaller boy gave Mori a little more heart. He raised his head and nodded once, sharply. The others knew Haruhi better. They would know where to find her. And perhaps, after learning this bitter lesson, he would try talking to Haruhi. Listening... wasn't always enough.

Honey released his hand, and they started off down another long corridor, walking purposefully. Finding the others seemed much more possible than finding the rookie. All they had to do was look for the crowds of distraught girls who had been ignored by the three Hosts who were in too much of a rush to stop and entertain them. Even as Mori thought it, he and his cousin looked ahead to see one girl sobbing, her friends patting her back and looking sorry for themselves. He estimated it would be Tamaki's work.

"And- and then he said he was sorry, but he had something important to do!" Gasped the girl, her mascara sliding down her face with her tears.

"How awful!"

"Tamaki-kun said something was more important than you?"

"That's not like him!"

Then again, Mori thought as Honey hurried forward to sweetly ask where Tamaki had gone, he could learn a lot from listening, too. As Honey thanked the girls and gave him a pointed look, he stepped forward, scooping up the younger boy and nodding a silent goodbye to the slightly relieved girls.

"Tama-chan went outside," Honey said in a stage-whisper. Mori nodded, and just as they turned to make their way to the door, he heard the rain begin to fall.