Authors Note: What can I say to make it better? I'm sorry just doesn't seem like enough. I promise to do better… Does that help?
I'M SO SO SO SO SORRY! DON'T HATE ME!
OF ROAD TRIPS AND ROMANCE NOVELS
CHAPTER 11: Of Parties and Star Gazing
"Karou… Cut away from yourself, you don't want to lose a finger." Karou re-positioned the carrot that he was attempting to shred.
The second Haruhi stepped back onto the bus, and saw the catastrophe that was taking place, she felt like she needed to take charge. Her first order of business, get Hikaru out of the kitchen... or whatever the equivalent on the bus was…
" We've already had one accident already." She motioned to the couch.
"You know it's not nice to make fun of injured people." Hikaru stated from his spot on the couch where he was currently holding a bandage, way too big for the tiny cut on his finger, with dear life.
"Can you all hurry up? We're running out of daylight!" Kyoya yelled threw the door.
Haruhi rolled her eyes and she stacked the finished lunches up. She had just leaned down to grab several bottles of water when Mori sauntered up behind her and snagged the top three boxes. She watched in awe as he opened the small refrigerator and put them in along with a couple of the now forgotten water bottles. She then watched as he tossed one to Honey who caught it easily and blushed when he leaned against the fridge and took a gulp from his own water bottle. He was watching her reaction, she realized, and that made her blush harder.
"What?" Haruhi's timid one word question made the corners of his mouth turn up.
"Stay." He said simply.
"Stay?" Her mind frantically tried to put two and two together.
It was at that moment that Kyoya stuck his head in the door and grabbed the lunches and water that Mori had placed in a bag while Haruhi was still processing the many definitions of the word "stay".
"We're off."
"Bye you guys! Have fun!" Honey waved as the twins and Kyoya began walking down the deserted highway. Tamaki was screaming something about being separated from his loving daughter as Kyoya drug him by the hood of his jacket.
"See?" Haruhi jumped at the sound of Mori's deep baritone voice at her ear. She still looked dazed and glanced questionably up to her senior.
"Stay."
Sato Hyota stared hungrily at the new edition to the "team".
Oshiro Mariko… that's what that irritating Mitsu said her name was…
His eyes started at her petite ankles, accented by the low heel pumps she was wearing, before traveling up her toned legs. They then rounded the curve of her butt, lingered on her flat stomach and settled on the lowest unbuttoned button at her chest. She was modestly dressed; much to his dislike. Winning her over would be a challenge, especially with Katsuo looking over his shoulder.
Hyota licked his lips like a predator thinking about its next catch.
I like a good challenge…
Having been walking for quite a while now, Kyoya was second guessing not staying with, what he considered the only other sane people in the club. He was sure they would have made it to civilization or at least an area with cell phone service by now if it had not been for the morons following him. If he had had to hear the phrase "are we there yet?" or "Mommy so and so is/are picking on me!" again he was sure he would blow a gasket.
At the moment Hikaru and Karou were telling their beloved Tamaki all of the "awful, perverted things" the seniors could be doing to his "poor, innocent little girl".
Tamaki broke away from the devil's spawns and ran up to "Mommy".
"MOMMY, YOU DON'T THINK… NO THEY COULDN'T… I SHOULD HAVE STAYED WITH HER… HOW COULD YOU LEAVE HER WITH THEM!..."
Oh, that did it…
"TAMAKI! ENOUGH!"
Kyoya watch the color drain from his hysterical friends face as Tamaki ran to the base of a large tree to grow mushrooms before turning to the two vandals that had set the idiot off to start with.
After taking a very deep breath he had calmed himself so that he spoke with a little less fury but no less cold voice, "Start setting up camp. It's getting too dark to see."
"We're really…" Karou started.
"Spending the night out here?" Hikaru finished with a look of disbelief.
Kyoya just looked at the two and they started to move, however they paused to ask simultaneously, "What about Tamaki?"
The trio turned to look at The King growing mushrooms, shrugged, and walked off to set up camp.
Katsuo was lost in thought for at least the hundredth time that night.
Mitsu looked at his wife who was dressed in a floor length soft pink gown. "Wonder what's got him so distracted tonight?"
Mae glanced in the direction her brother was staring. "From what I can tell, it's his lovely new assistant." She elbowed him, effectively snapping him out of his stupor. "Katsuo, Mariko is such a sweetheart don't you think?" Mae had spent most of the evening talking to Mariko about this and that. Finding they had a lot in common, including that her son, Huo, and Mariko's niece, Katumi, went to the same elementary school on the other side of town.
Katsuo flushed before giving Mae and Mitsu a light shrug.
Mitsu quickly picked up on what Mae was shooting at. "Mae dear, it's quit chilly tonight don't you think." He pulled her wrap around her shoulders a little tighter giving her a wink.
"Oh… I hope Mariko isn't too cold. I would hate for her to get sick." Sounding as worried as she could, Mae glanced at her brother who, at mention of his young assistant, had begun to scan the room in vain. "I thought I saw her go onto the veranda."
Katsuo took off toward the large glass doors.
The day, after the others had left, had been quite pleasant. They (Honey) had decided to turn lunch into a picnic. It had been nice relaxing in the sun. Honey had kept up a constant conversation to make up for his companions' quiet natures.
Shortly though, Honey had drifted off to sleep and was carried back to the RV by his ever loyal cousin. After tucking him in on one of the pull out couches, he helped Haruhi wash their dishes from lunch.
It was after the last dish was put up that the two sat across from each other on two of the big leather sofas and in companionable silence picked up books to read.
I wish I would have brought my novel with me…
Little did she know that Mori had snuck it out and was reading it behind his history text book.
Stars lit up the city as Mariko stared out at the city's skyline. The hotel, that the office party was being held, had beach front property and the ocean breeze caused her to shiver.
A suit jacket snaked around her arms making her jump.
"Oh…" she said out of breath, "Linn-Sama. I didn't hear you come out."
"Sorry." His customary short answers didn't bother her anymore. It just made it more special to her when he did speak.
They stood on the veranda in a comfortable silence as they stared out over the city, the stars sparkling above their heads.
"Your sister is quite lovely. I would love to meet up with her again sometime." Mariko's words were soft and they wrapped around Katsuo as if they floated on the sea breeze.
"She likes you. So does Mitsu." He whispered as he drew closer to her, hoping his broad body maybe would give her some warmth.
And so do I…
She looked so small draped in his large coat, small and vulnerable. She shivered again. Katsuo snaked his arm around the small of her back, holding her to the side of his body. It was then he realized just how far he had fallen for this petite young woman.
They stood there gazing at the stars.
"Checkmate… I think…"
Haruhi had just won her eighth game of chess against Honey; which was funny because she had never played before tonight. It was adding fuel to her theory that her little senpai was letting her win. It was actually a team effort. At first Haruhi thought it was just a coincidence before realizing that her silent companion was giving her silent advice through their games. She would be concentrate on the board; her hand lingering over the piece she thought would be good to move when suddenly Mori would distract her. He shifted, coughed, and even loudly turned the pages of his book. He was so distracting, which he always was to her that she lost which piece she was going to move. He was only quiet when she reached the correct piece.
Honey just smiled at his cousins antics thinking how sweet it would be for them to just admit their feelings to each other.
"I can't believe you've never played before Haru-Chan! You're really good! I bet you could even beat Takashi!"
The two turned toward their silent companion, who had dropped his eyes back to his "History Book". It was just something about her. Maybe it was the way her cute little nose scrunched up or the way she tilted her head as she contemplated her next move that made her so utterly captivating.
Honey yawned convincingly and walked around the little table to crawl into Haruhi's lap and she rocked him back and forth until he was sound asleep.
Mori leaned over and picked the little blonde up and settled him back on the couch.
"I'll grab a blanket." Haruhi said as she went in search of one in the small closet to the left of the bathroom.
When she returned she tucked the lightly snoring Honey in and turned to find Mori missing from the RV.
"Where did he go?" She mumbled disappointedly to herself.
She smiled when she spotted a well know figure sitting outside the bus.
Mori gazed up through the small clearing of trees; the stars had just started to appear in the darkening sky. He found it quite relaxing among the many sounds of the forest. The crickets chirped in time with some very enthusiastic frogs. He let out a sigh and laid back into the soft grass. It had been a very nice day. He thought about how warm he'd felt in her presents and how he enjoyed her reactions to various things. Yes, it had been a very nice day.
Like his mind magically called out to her, he watched Haruhi walk off the bus. She glanced around as if looking for something before her eyes landed on him. Sending a smile his way she turned and strode back onto the bus.
Mori sighed disappointed. His heart leaped at the idea that she was looking for him, only for her to turn around and go back in. He sighed and laid back down, closing his eyes and getting lost in the music of the night.
He jumped when he was enveloped in warm blanket.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you Senpai. I just thought you may be cold." Haruhi sat down next to him and held out a cup of coffee, blushing when his fingers grazed hers as he retrieved his cup. She strained to hear the quiet "thank you" that he mumbled before taking a sip and lying back down.
The two sat their quietly, enjoying the night and the company.
Haruhi finished off her coffee and after setting the cup aside, laid back next to Mori; their hands barely touching in the cool grass.
Mori turned his head toward her and took in her beautiful profile staring up at the stars.
"It really is beautiful out." Haruhi whispered, though he could still hear her clearly
Yes you are…
"Mori-Senpai, can I ask you something?" She was still staring up at the heavens but sounded nervous.
"Ah."
"Have you ever been in love?" Her voice was softer now and he strained to hear her. His eyes widened at the question.
Why would she ask that?… Does she think she might be in love?... And who with?...
Three emotions came over him as he thought about how to answer her: a since of protectiveness, possessiveness, and jealousy. It was then he realized how far he had fallen. His need to protect her, the insane want for her to be his, and the jealousy that came when he thought someone else stole her heart.
She took his silence as offence. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to intrude or anything."
She started to get up until a hand grabbed hers and she sat back down.
"No. I've never been in love."
She looked up into his steal grey eyes.
"Oh."
She almost looked disappointed and his heart swelled with affection.
"I'm falling."
He looked at her with such affection then that she knew she loved him, even if he would never love her back.
They laid there in the grass staring up at the stars, never releasing the other's hand.
OK … I'm sorry… I know I'm late… and worse than being late I used a corny romantic line… I'm a sucker for the classics. LOL
AGAIN IM SORRY IM SO LATE! DON'T HATE ME! SCHOOL SUCKS THE LIFE RIGHT OUT OF YOU…
I would like to present SATO HYOTA one of the villians in the novel... I just thought of something... the novel needs a title... any ideas?
PS did anyone catch my Phantom of the Opera reference? It hit me after I typed it… LOL
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW! THEY ALWAYS MAKE MY DAY!
