The next day, Sunday, Danny woke up feeling extremely better. He remembered yesterday, and he felt like he had done the right thing. Now that Haruhi accepted him, he felt...freer in a way, and was happy that he could be himself around her. So waking up out of his own bed felt better, besides him shaking off the sleepiness from his muscle and bones, before getting ready for his run as usual. Yesterday, Ranka said that he world be home later today, which Danny was happy for. He did work a little harder than most, but he only did it to help Haruhi and himself.
Once again leaving a note, Danny went outside and went for his morning run, feeling better with each morning he did this. A normal routine was helping Danny out immensely. On his run, he said hello to the same people, and stopped for a nice chat with the elder lady he helped out yesterday. She and him had a simple conversation, which he learned that she had a lovely granddaughter and a caring husband back inside her home. She was a nice woman, and Danny enjoyed the peacefulness that surrounded her.
Continuing on his normal route, he helped out here and there, causing many people to start to like him. Many had offered him food or money for the help, but Danny always shook his head at the offer, and kept on his merry run. On his way back, the same people smiled and waved at him, which Danny was starting to enjoy about them. A simple 'hello' and 'good morning' helped him calm down during his thoughts.
Arriving back at home, Danny entered to see a note left on the counter. Locking the door behind him, Danny walked over to the note and read it out loud.
'Went to the supermarket for some food. Be back soon. Don't burnt he place down. -Haruhi'
Danny laughed at the end, but was happy that she left a note for him. Deciding on a change of clothes, and maybe some laundry, Danny grabbed a new set of clothes and went to the shower. Entering the bathroom, Danny quickly stripped down and stepped inside. Feeling the warm water rinse down his back and front, feeling the sweat and grease wash down from his run. The water did help cool him down, and Danny couldn't help but be happy with it. deciding on a slightly longer shower, Danny let the water just cascade on him, feeling his stiff and sore muscles relax and his breathing even out.
Feeling satisfied, Danny turned off the water and dried of his body. Running his hand down, he felt the many scars that littered his body, all from past battles and one from his lovely encounter with the GIW. Shaking his head from the memories, he stepped out of the shower and started putting his clothes on. However when he got to his shirt, he must've forgotten it back outside, so he placed the towel around his neck and stepped outside to retrieve it. However he only got to his duffle bag, when the front door unlocked and swung open.
Only expecting Haruhi, Danny didn't acknowledge her, but instead he heard multiple gasps. Confused, Danny turned around and froze when he saw not only Haruhi, but a bunch of guys with her. Two of them were taller than her, and looked exactly the same, outfit, hair and all. Twins probably. Another guy was tall, with blond hair and blue eyes, but looked in horror at Danny, confused as all hell. Another guy was about the tall blond's height, but he had short, black hair, and had a pair of glasses on his nose. he looked at Danny with a knowing look, most likely already knowing that he was here. Haruhi was shocked, but she was looking at the scars on his body, making Danny internally sigh. The last wo people were-
"Danny-kun!" Honey shouted, causing everyone to snap from their trance. Awakened, Danny quickly turned around and grabbed a shirt from his duffle bag. A simple grey shirt, with some black joggers and black socks. He also put his earring back in, having taken it out for his shower.
"Is this your cousin Haruhi?" The twins asked simultaneously, startling Danny.
"An American, who looks about our age as well," Glasses added thoughtfully.
"WHY IS HE SHIRTLESS! A GUY SHOULDN'T BE SHIRTLESS IN A LADY'S APARTMENT!" The tall blond rambled on, looking almost angered.
"I didn't know you were bringing friends, Haruhi." Danny said, flattening out his shirt. "If I had known, I would've taken a quicker shower."
"I didn't know they were coming." Haruhi said annoyed, slightly glaring at the other hosts. They looked back innocently at them (Especially Honey), causing Danny to stifle a laugh, which Haruhi glared at him for. Danny held his hands up and walked back to the bathroom, hanging the towel up to dry, before walking back. Back in the room, Danny looked to see an annoyed Haruhi watch the hosts slightly complain about the small living space, causing Danny to laugh again.
"Lovely friends you've got Haruhi." Danny joked, getting a grumble from her in return. He laughed before joining the hosts at the table. They all looked at Danny, studying him intently, except Honey, who immediately hugged Danny.
"Danny-kun!" Honey's childlike voice made Danny laugh, hugging the kid back. "I'm very happy to see you again!"
"As am I, Mitsukuni." Danny replied, making Honey blush slightly from being called his full name. Mori studied the encounter, seeing how Honey was very happy with Danny all of the sudden.
"So you're Haruhi's cousin, correct?" The glasses asked, making Danny turn to him.
"That I am, mister..."
"Kyoya," he replied, adjusting his glasses, "Kyoya Ootori. The two twins you see are Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin, and the tall blond one is-"
"What are your intentions with my daughter!" The tall blond violently aske, making Danny jump slightly.
"W-What?"
"YOU HEARD ME!" He looked with a determined gleam in his eye, confusing the hell out of Danny. "WHY WERE YOU SHIRTLESS WHEN WE WALKED IN! HOW COULD YOU DO THAT IN FRONT OF HARUHI! THAT ISN'T RIGHT AT ALL!"
"-is Tamaki Suoh." Kyoya finished, sighing at the prince's usual attitude.
Attempting to comprehend the blond's outburst, Danny took a slower and calmer approach. "Alright...well I was shirtless because I had just gotten out of the shower, but had forgotten a shirt in my duffle bag by my bed. Seeing as I was alone in the apartment for the time being, I just walked out to grab one when you guy's walked in...and what do you mean about intentions?"
Before he could reply, Haruhi walked in, causing Tamaki to jump up and grab onto Haruhi. "Don't worry, daddy's here to protect his daughter from the perverted cousin." Danny looked utterly confused at him, but Haruhi looked annoyed at Tamaki.
"Let me go Tamaki-sempai!" Haruhi nearly yelled, but Tamaki instantly let go and went to his emo corner, nearly destroying all thought process for Danny.
"Some introductions," Danny mused, taking a breath to calm himself.
"So are you from America?" The twins asked together, getting a nod from Danny.
"What's it like? Where were you from?" Honey excitedly asks, making Danny sigh.
"Well, I'm from a small town in Illinois, barely recognized on any maps. Too small for most people to know it even existed. It wasn't a city, it was secluded in the woods, which I loved to run around when I was younger."
"So why are you here?" Kyoya asked, making Danny grow silent.
"My parents, sister, and friends died in an explosion." The room went completely silent, even Tamaki stopped his emo stage and turned, looking shocked at him. "I was on the outer edge of the explosion, only getting knocked back and covered in light rubble." Every time he spoke of that, a tear rolled down his cheek, causing him to wipe it away. Without any words, Honey wrapped his arms around Danny and pulled him close. Feeling better in his arms, Danny leaned closer, steadying his breathing and holding back his tears.
"I'm…sorry you had to go through that." Kyoya said, looking away. Danny sighed, holding Honey closer.
"It's alright, Kyoya. You didn't know, all is forgiven." Danny's smile made everyone warm up to him, liking him already. Everyone started having some simple conversations, before the twins told Haruhi to make them some tea with the African one their father got them. To their shock, she turned to Danny and held the bag out.
"Would you mind?"
Danny smiled at her, standing up and letting go of Honey. "It would be my pleasure, Haruhi." And he walked over to the counter and started to prepare the tea. Taking the twin's advice, he made it into a milk tea, while still hearing the conversations from the room.
"He seems like a pleasant young man."
"Yea, but I feel a certain air about him-"
"-Like a mischievous one."
"He would make an amazing son for me!"
"I Like Danny-kun already! He's so kind and cute, right Takashi?"
"Yeah."
Danny smiled at them, and blushed at Honey's comment, before finishing their tea and bring it on a tray to them. "Here's your tea. Sorry about the mismatched cups, we didn't have enough for a single set." They all nodded, taking their drinks and enjoying their conversation again.
"This is well made, Danny." Kyoya complimented, taking another sip.
"Very good." The twins added together.
"I Love it!' Honey shouted, taking a large sip.
Danny smiled at them all. "Thank you, I was taught very well from my mother." Danny's smile grew softer, but he held his head high while he talked. The conversations continued, till Haruhi said she was going to the supermarket. All the hosts immediately jumped up, yelling something about "commoners supermarket". Danny was also pulled into it, being pulled by hand by Honey, who was giggling and grinning while he did it. What only Haruhi and Takashi noticed was the faint blush on both Danny and Honey's face when they held hands, the two observers gaining a knowing look at both of the unknowing couple.
From a sudden pull, Danny stumbled in his step, causing an object to fall out of his pocket. Honey immediately saw it, bending down and picking it up, feeling the spikes that were on the bracelet. "What is this?"
The twins saw it, as did Kyoya, and walked back to see what the commotion was. "An odd trinket for someone such as you, Danny." Kyoya's comment made Danny sigh, before taking the bracelet and putting it back on his arm, still staring at it.
"One of my friends, back in America," Danny had a sad smile when he spoke, alerting everyone to a heavy topic. He paused in his step, not noticing the stares the other hosts were giving him, especially the caring one from Honey. "She was actually a rich girl, but she was the complete opposite of the rich snobs in our town. In fact, she purposely was different than them, so she wasn't associated with them. In doing so, she became a severe vegan goth girl, one with a fighting spirit in her." Danny hadn't felt it, but a tear had gently rolled down his cheek, falling off and landing on the ground silently. When he did feel it, he snapped from his small trance and looked up at the other hosts, who looked saddened by the tale as well, but Honey was tearing up beside him. With no words, young Honey hugged onto Danny's side, holding him tightly.
"I apologize for asking, Danny." Kyoya even had a small amount of regret in his eyes, but Danny smiled at the teen, calming him down.
"All is well, Kyoya," Danny reassured, making everyone calm down. They continued their walk, Danny and Honey hand-in-hand, until they passed Ranka, who was walking up the steps as well. When he stopped and saw Danny, his eyes lit u at seeing him outside the house with people.
"It's wonderful to see you outside Danny." Ranka had a pleased smile, looking happily at Danny and Mitsukuni, who were still holding hands.
"Thank you, Ranka," Danny smiled back, "and Haruhi's still at the apartment." Then he paused and looked around, "as is Tamaki..." That made everyone stop and look around, only for Danny's words to become truer. The twins immediately ran back to the apartment, Ranka being ahead of them, making the other hosts sigh. "Might as well go back too," Danny muttered, holding Honey's hand, and turned back to the apartment. Mori and Kyoya joined him, but Danny was a bit far ahead, so he arrived at the door before anyone. Before he even walked in, he saw the sight that had Ranka frozen stiff. Tamaki was laying and near pinning down Haruhi on the ground, which wasn't a very friendly sight for Danny's eyes. "If you wanted some alone time, you could've just asked." Danny had a smug smirk after saying that, getting a glare from Haruhi and a blush from Tamaki.
That was when Ranka snapped from his trance, and briskly walked over and threw Tamaki off her, and into a wall, leaving a rather impressive face-print on it. Danny had to hold in a laugh while Honey giggled. The twins walked in, introducing themselves and saying hello to Haruhi's father. Soon, they were all inside the apartment, the idea of the supermarket gone, and they were all back around the table and sipping some tea (which Ranka complimented Danny on, causing him to blush from the praise). Then when it came to the part that Ranka admitted that Kyoya had been secretly calling him and filling him in on how Haruhi was in the club, everyone but Danny looked shocked at the pair, but Haruhi looked betrayed. When they noticed Danny's lack of a reaction, they figured it out that he knew about the calls.
"I stay home the entire day, Haruhi," Danny explained, sipping his tea. "You wouldn't think I could hear Ranka having a conversation with someone over the phone about you in school. However all of the calls were good, telling him how you were fitting in and doing a good job at the club."
After that, Haruhi basically gave up and left for the supermarket, by herself, throwing one last glare before she left that yelled 'try me'. No one did. With only the men in the apartment, they all began discussing different things with Haruhi, how independent and hard-working she was from Ranka's stories. Halfway through him telling the guys how she did all the paperwork for Ouran (which was an amazing feat in it of itself) the phone rang. Getting a feeling in his gut that it was for him, Danny got up and answered it, trusting the feeling he got.
"Hello?"
"Good day, Daniel." Vlad. Danny calmed down, smiling into the call. "And how are you doing?"
"I'm doing extremely well, thank you."
"That's great news." Danny could feel the joy in the elder halfa's voice, growing his smile. "Now I did call for a reason, one I think you'll like."
"And that would be?"
"How would you like to go to school."
Danny froze, shocked at the question and its bluntness. A chance to go back to school, to learn and finish his dreams of becoming and astronaut? He would gobble that chance up the second he could, but before he could answer, reality settled in.
"Where would I be going?"
"I looked into where young Haruhi is going, and I think that Ouran Academy would be also a great spot for you. Not only would you be with family in school, but you would be going and learning again. I thought you would accept the offer the second you could."
"I would," Danny agreed, but lowered his head. "But that school is not the most...financially acceptable, for me at the moment." He had whispered that part, not wanting the hosts to hear.
"I heard, and am happy to put you through with my own money,"
Now Danny's modest and humble side came out, "Vlad, I don't want you to-"
"Don't play the 'Don't waste money on me' card, young man." Vlad's tone was very serious, reminding Danny of the many scolding's he got from Jazz. It did bring a smile to his face. "I am happy to use some of my 'expansive monetary inventory' to put you through. I've got enough as it is, and I don't feel like buying another cat." Both of them laughed at that joke, but Danny smiled stronger when he finished his little cackle.
"Thank you, Vlad. I can't wait to start."
"Very well, Danny." That's another thing Danny noticed. Vlad had taken the time out to call him Danny, instead of 'Daniel' or 'Little Badger'. It was something Danny appreciated from the older man, and it warmed his heart to see him change for the younger halfa. "I had a feeling, so I am currently filling out the paperwork. You should be back in school by Tuesday, all you have to do is take the entrance exams tomorrow to see where you would place. And don't worry about the uniform, I sent it over already."
"That's great Vlad." Danny answered, "I can't wait."
"Good to hear. Farewell young Danny."
"Goodbye Vlad." The line ended, and Danny hung the phone back up. Feeling satisfied, and excited for Tuesday, Danny turned to the group, sporting the happiest and cheeriest grin they'd ever seen.
"And who was that?" Tamaki asked, making Danny smile wider.
"A friend." He answered, taking a step to rejoin the group at the table.
Then it came...a feeling in his gut. He froze, all happiness and joy falling quicker from his face than Box Ghost could annoy him. This feeling wasn't good...and it pointed to Haruhi at the store. His shoulders tensed up, and his heart paused in his chest, making him feel worse.
Ranka saw the mood change, and stood up immediately, "What's wrong."
Danny looked up, his face serious. "Where is the supermarket."
"Danny-"
"Where." Danny's serious voice had shocked everyone, used to either seeing his joking look or embarrassed one.
"Down the street," Ranka told him, pointing directly across from the complex. "Turn left once and it should be there." With a nod, Danny turned to leave the apartment, when Honey's voice halted him in his step.
"What's the matter Danny?" Danny sighed, and turned to him with a serious look to his eye.
"A feeling I've got," Danny replied, looking at the others. "A bad one, and it's to Haruhi. My years have told me to trust my gut, and it's not good at the moment."