Takashi continued down the path silently, his eyes locked on the ground beneath him, not paying attention to his surroundings. He had never been one to intentionally plot to get something, or someone. It made him feel guilty, and the more he thought about it, the more against the idea he was. Maybe he should just continue being around her, weren't they suppose to do something today? Or was that all ruined now?

"Takashi?" a familiar voice broke him from his thoughts. His dark eyes lifted to see Haruhi standing just ahead, "Where is Mitsukuni and Kaoru?"

"Ah," he nodded his head backwards, she frowned slightly and looked back. Not seeing the two. "They had something to discuss."

Haruhi tucked a loose piece of hair behind her ear before her gaze rested on him. He suddenly felt uncomfortable, she walked forwards and her head tilted to the side. "What happened?" she asked quietly. His gaze slid from her off to the side and he lifted his shoulders then let them drop. Her eyebrow went up and she turned and walked over to a bench and sat down. She patted the seat beside her, her eyes staring at him until he finally walked over and lowered himself down beside her. "What happened?" she repeated, "We can't exactly fix this-"

"Fix what?" he asked, curiously, then apologized for interrupting.

"Aren't you mad?" Haruhi questioned, "I thought that's why you left. Not that you've ever really been angry..."

"I've been angry," Takashi replied, his eyebrows coming together slightly. He didn't want her thinking that he was always chill and calm, because he wasn't. Sometimes he did get angry. Haruhi glanced at him an amused look on her face.

"So you were angry?" she countered, playing with her fingers. Her gaze no longer on him. He took the opportunity to watch her. She had grown, he hadn't noticed, tried not to. Her face was more mature, her hair flowed down and brushed against her shoulder blades. Her body was skinner, which caused him concern. She was always a thin girl, but it seemed as if she hadn't been eating properly. If they weren't talking about something completely different, he would've brought it up.

"No," he said finally, "I was thinking."

"About?" her head turned towards him, and he had to bite the inside of his cheek to stop from reaching forwards and brushing his fingers against her cheek. To tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

"What he said."

"What did he say?"

"Why would-"

"Haru-chan!" Mitsukuni voice suddenly erupted and the small blonde came skipping over and stood in front of her. "Did you and Kyo-chan have a nice talk?"

Haruhi looked surprised, glancing over at Takashi before nodding. "We've cleared everything up," she answered her face softening and smiling at the older boy. "Where were you two?"

"Kao-chan had some thinking of his own to do," Mitsukuni replied, looking over at the younger man. With a smile he grabbed Haruhi's hand, "Come! Let's go see the others now, kay?"

Haruhi didn't even get to reply before she was pulled up and dragged away by Mitsukuni. If Takashi wasn't so fond of the small boy, he would've been a bit irritated with his interruption. Kaoru shook his head and smiled before glancing at Takashi. "Don't worry, Mori-senpai, everything will play out the way we want it to in the end."

Haruhi stepped into her studio and removed her shoes with a sigh. Her hand ran through her hair and she grumbled. It was excessively long, irritating and in the way. She wasn't exactly working at the moment, so she took her scissors and headed into the bathroom. She lifted her brown tresses and took the scissors to them. Cutting them off so they fell just below her chin. That was a suitable length, of course she'd have to deal with the twins stressing about how it wasn't exactly perfect and looked somewhat messy, but she didn't care.

After she left the bathroom in a cleaner state, she paused. There was something amiss about her apartment. A cupboard door was left ajar, the closet door was open and the blankets inside were messed up. She went up the stairs, stopping at the top. Her stuff had been rifled through. Her mouth dropped open slightly and she immediately called Takashi. He showed up a few minutes later and immediately pulled her into a hug. She gladly accepted it, and he wondered why she didn't call the police.

Takashi paused, something was wrong. The hair at the back of his neck tingled and he felt on edge. His gaze smoothed over the apartment. He stepped away from her and started searching. "Phone Kyouya," he ordered as the feeling in his stomach of impending doom grew. She did as he asked, telling Kyouya that someone had broken into her house. He headed up the stairs and looked around. Maybe he was just being suspicious.

A sharp and horrible pain filled his calf and he stumbled, grabbing onto the banister and looking down. A knife was embedded into his flesh. Haruhi shouted and hurried up the stairs. "Stay!" he shouted at her, and dropped to his knee. He pulled the bed skirt up and saw the disappearing glance of someone. He jumped to his feet, but the movement caused the knife to dig into his calf and he cried out as the pain made his vision go white for a second.

"Takashi!" Haruhi shouted and he felt someone collide with him. His back smashed into the banister and he fell down onto one of Haruhi's couches and tumbled onto the ground. He shifted, pain flashing through his body. He was panicking. No one had ever been able to take advantage of him before. Haruhi hurried over to his side, and touched his face.

"Go," Takashi ordered, nodding to the door. He wouldn't allow her to get hurt. He saw the man walking down the stairs at a rather casual pace. Takashi pushed himself up and used the couch to stand up. Blood seeped down from a cut on his forehead and he glared at the man. Haruhi grabbed his shirt.

"Don't fight him," Haruhi begged, "You're too hurt."

He wasn't about to give up. He wasn't about to let this man hurt Haruhi. He didn't care about whether or not he'd be even more injured. He was a guardian, to Mitsukuni and Haruhi. To anyone who needed it. He knew he had to hold out a bit longer for Haruhi's sake. Kyouya would be there soon. Takashi didn't care what this man was doing in Haruhi's house, but he had a feeling that if he hadn't been there. Haruhi would've been the one injured, or worse. His anger grew.

When a gun was drawn, Takashi pulled Haruhi behind him, ignoring the pain in his wrist and when Haruhi tried to struggle out of his grip. She didn't want him to be hurt, a gun was a permanent way to put someone down. She knew that and Takashi was too important to not only her but to others to be killed.

"Listen here," the man said, and a familiarity click in Haruhi's mind. Though she couldn't place where she had heard it before. "Tell me where your valuables are, and he won't get hurt."

"Like jewelry?" Haruhi asked, and the man made an agreeing noise, "In box in my dresser," she nodded upstairs. Not caring about petty jewelry. A life was more valuable to her than objects of wealth. The man didn't move. "I'm not lying."

"I know you wouldn't lie, he's too important to you," the man spoke, then waved his gun upstairs. "You go get it."