Beginning Note: Okay, so this is going better than I had thought
Beginning Note: Okay, so this is going better than I had thought. I had a little trouble writing Hanii, but I think that it came out okay. Like Kaoru analyzed how Hikaru felt, I had him analyzing more of Mori's feelings than his own. And, just as Kaoru, he doesn't feel romantic feelings to her. He sees Haruhi more of a sister than anything else. Anyway. Happy reading!
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. They are the rightful property of Bisco Hatori. The story itself, however, is completely the workings of my brilliant mind. (cough) Not really.
The Six Princes Chapter 3: Hanii
I stared at the flyer in from of me, brow furrowed. I never realized how hard of a decision this actually was. But, it was all for Chika, so I considered this life altering choice at the top of my list. I slumped in my seat. How could I pick?
"Hanii-senpai, what are you looking at?"
I turned around at the sound Haru-chan's voice.
"Haru-chan!" I cried, leaping into her arms.
She laughed. "It's nice to see you too. Mori-senpai," she said, inclining her head.
Takashi nodded in return.
"You haven't been to the clubroom much, Haru-chan!" I complained, placing my hands on my hips. "Why now?"
She smiled sheepishly as she sat down next to Takashi, but not before giving Kyou-chan a nervous glance. I bet she was thinking how her debt was racking up because of how little time she was spending here.
"Well, I don't want a repeat performance of my third place ranking, so I'm studying for exams."
"Oh! Usa-chan and Takashi make me study." I made a face. "But I don't like to!"
Haru-chan smiled slightly. "I think there are times when no one likes to study. But I'm sure it's good that both Usa-chan and Mori-senpai make you study."
I giggled, hugging Usa-chan tightly to my chest, his ears tickling my nose. "That's true. I like being first. It means an extra piece of cake for me!"
Shaking her head, Haru-chan asked. "What were you looking at before, Hanii-senpai? You looked like you were thinking really hard."
I nodded vigorously.
"Uh huh!" I exclaimed. "Maybe you can help me."
"Uh, I'll see what I can do," she said carefully.
I pushed the flyer across that table at her.
"I can't decide which type of cake to choose! Wah! This is a hard choice."
"Well, you could always buy both," she suggested.
Takashi grunted in agreement.
"NOOOOO!" I cried, holding out the word. "I told Chika that I would only get one! What should I do? Takashi was no help!"
Haru-chan shot Takashi a quick and him look slightly guilty. The corner of her mouth twitched.
"Well, between chocolate and strawberry…" She put a finger to her chin. "I'd say strawberry."
I saw Takashi smile out of the corner of my eye. He loved strawberries. Seemingly insignificant information like that gave me clues about him. He had given up his strawberries to Haru-chan the day we went to visit. He never did that. It was quite obvious to me that Takashi's passion wasn't limited to serving the Haninozuka family.
"Are you sure, Haru-chan? They both look so good! I don't know how you can choose!"
Haru-chan laughed. "Well, I would choose the strawberry one because I love them so much," she explained.
Takashi's smile widened and I saw him give her a tender look. I was so happy that he cared so much about Haru-chan. He had more purpose, it seemed. When he thought I wasn't looking, he'd sneak protective glances at Haru-chan.
She was like a sister to me and I loved her very much. I, like Takashi, would protect her in anyway I could. Just because I don't look tough doesn't mean that I'm not capable of taking care of my friend, especially one as vulnerable as Haru-chan.
I sighed, pulling Usa-chan closer to my chest. "That makes a lot of sense." I thought about my dilemma. "Or, I could buy both, but save the other for another time!"
Haru-chan stared at me in amazement and then dissolved into uncontrollable laughter, throwing back her head. She traded a look with Takashi, who just shrugged. He was used to dilemmas like this. The rest of the host club turned their heads curiously to see why she was laughing so hard.
"You're too much, Hanii-senpai," Haru-chan said, ruffling my hair affectionately.
I smiled up at her warmly before she was pulled away by Hika-chan and Kao-chan. I sat down in her vacated seat.
"Haru-chan is really great, isn't she?" I said slyly, hoping to catch Takashi off guard.
"Hmmm," he hummed in agreement, watching with worry as she was assaulted but Kao-chan and Hika-chan, Tama-chan chasing after them.
"I know you two will be happy together," I said absently, staring at the delicious looking cakes on my flyer.
"Wha?" Takashi exclaimed. "What are you taking about?"
I smiled to myself and held Usa-chan up to eye level.
"I think it's time for a nap, don't you, Usa-chan?" I hopped off the chair.
"Mitsukuni, you-" Takashi trailed off, half standing with his large palms resting against the table.
I just gave him a knowing look and he settled himself back into his chair. I was pretty sure I saw a slight blush on his cheeks and a small, satisfied smile.
I curled up on the sofa, thinking. It was nice watching someone's love develop, especially people who were made perfectly for each other. Haru-chan and Takashi had a special way of communicating without speaking. And she always understood his actions when no one else did. He may not say a lot, but she knew exactly what he was trying to say, even if his mouth never opened.
My eyelids fluttered shut. Ah. Love was so beautiful and no one deserved it more than those two.
"Night, Usa-chan," I sighed. "This should be fun."
A/N: The whole Takashi and strawberries thing came from The Shomin Experience. In the story, he loves them, and for some reason, that small thing has been with my since then. I would like to credit that to author sakuraichigo. I don't want to be praised for her original idea, and I hope that she doesn't mind that I used it for this chapter. Please, go read her amazing story. It was the inspiration for this story. Thank you, sakuraichigo for giving me permission for using her strawberry idea!!