Chapter 3

Pairings: Still nothing definite.

Disclaimer: Ouran is not mine.

A/N: A small note over here: I do not hate Tamaki! I feel really bad for what I'm doing for him, but I just like other pairings better, that's all. I haven't gotten any hate mail from Tamaki fangirls just yet, but that may be because they aren't reading this story in the first place. Ah, well. I don't like hate mail anyway. :)


It was a noisy afternoon at the Haninozuka mansion. Of course, being a martial arts family, with daily training going on and students coming in and out constantly, the grounds were always noisy. So in order to get away from it all, the two cousins, short and tall, opted for an empty, grassy field near a river a few miles away. Here, on a small island of solitude, they worked through their thoughts.

Mitsukuni clutched his bunny, for the first time not paying attention to the sweets sitting on the picnic blanket before him. Lost in thought, he simply watched as his companion trained, though his childish eyes were not really seeing.

Takashi was thinking too. But he felt better with a sword on hand. Kyouya had let his emotions get the better of him today, but Mori found that training his body was a good outlet, a way he could release his cooped up emotions. So he practiced, moving with natural agility though his mind was somewhere else.

Being a naturally quiet person, and in accordance with his training, Mori kept his thoughts and feelings inside. But with the incident two days ago, he was finding it extremely hard to do that. The urge to confront the cheating King was overwhelming.

Not being one to lie to himself, he knew and accepted that Haruhi was special to him. She understood him in a way different from anyone else, from Hani even. She knew he spoke with his actions, and that they were truer than anything he could voice out loud. She knew he was different from the other rich students at Ouran. His lineage really was a servant's lineage (servant to an extremely well-known family, but a servant nevertheless), and because of it, she felt closer to him. At least, he wanted her to be. These feelings he had to lock up for the past year too.

But he had always silently vowed to protect her, even if she belonged to someone else. She knew she was happy, and that was all he needed to know to be happy too. Though she didn't feel the same about him, at least she was with the person she did love. He just didn't expect that that same person would be the one to hurt her. If only he knew…if only he was ready. Even if she didn't feel the same, at least she would be safe. Even if she was in someone else's arms. But he wasn't ready. He didn't foresee the events, he didn't realize what was happening. A warrior was always prepared. How could he claim to be her protector now?

"Takashi?" A voice called him out of his reverie. It was Hani, staring at him wide-eyed.

Takashi realized he was out of breath, panting. Sweat was dripping from his back. The once tall grass around him was shredded to the ground. He was gripping his sword so hard that the hilt left visible marks on his palm.

"I apologize, Mitsukuni. Where you calling me for long?" The short blond shook his head, still wide-eyed, but motioned for Mori to pick up a water bottle.

Hani watched his cousin down the water. He had never seen Mori display such anger so openly, or any emotion for that matter. It was a bit frightening, seeing him slashing his sword so violently. The only explanation would be…

"Takashi, you're blaming yourself aren't you?" Hani asked suddenly. Takashi lowered the now empty water bottle and looked at him without replying. "Because you shouldn't. I don't know why Tama-chan would do such a thing either, but I know it isn't your fault. So don't feel bad, okay? I think this'll all work out."

Mori looked away. He could tell that Hani was having a hard time. He couldn't cope with all the evil and wrongdoings in the world. He turned his back on them on purpose, and pretended that only good, sweet things existed. Mori could understand why his cousin would react that way. But he wasn't like that.

"I wanted to protect her too," Hani added, as if reading his companion's mind. "But we can't change the past. All we can do is try to change the future." Mori glanced at his beloved friend, wondering when he had begun to grasp such wisdom. Maybe he had done some growing up. But Hani was right. There really was no point in trying to punish himself for something he had no control over.

Finally, Hani grinned and reached for a slice of cake. "All we can do now is cheer her up, right?"

Mori nodded, a slight smile touching his lips.


A/N: I really enjoyed writing this chapter. Mori's character is a bit different from the other MorixHaru stories I've read, I think. But I hope I've stayed true to Bisco Hatori's version. Hani too! By the way, I've received requests for a HikaxHaru chapter, which I'm probably going to post next. Sorry, I'm writing so many different chapters about the same day! And as always, please review and vote for your favorite pairing! I really want to answer each review personally, and I might do that if I find enough time, though it's kind of late. Meanwhile, a big thank you to all my reviewers and everyone who is following this story!