Hoooooly Cheese Biscuits, Batman! It's seriously been...forever since I updated this story! I so apologize to my wonderful, loyal, kind, caring, amazing, fantastic readers (is that enough sucking up? Please?)! Going back to school has really thrown a wrench in the works, but I've been writing diligently! I've hit a 99-day streak of at least 750 words per day! ...I just haven't had the time to work on posting a new chapter...SORRY!
Either way, I am sure I've lost some readers, but that's alright. They will be missed, though!
So before y'all get mad at me for the even longer wait to see the chapter, here it is! Chapter 11 of HSIII!
Previously...
Not wanting Kyoya to rush into the room again, Haruhi glanced around the room and quickly decided that the wardrobe against the wall was her best bet. The walls were thick, and that combined with the pillow would surely muffle her sobs. She climbed out of bed, her feet unsteady on the hard wood floor, and shuffled over to the wardrobe. Opening the door, she peeked inside, half expecting a secret passageway to Hogwarts or Narnia...but only her clothing greeted her. Shoving the garments aside, Haruhi piled into the wardrobe and shut the doors quietly.
More sobs wanted to work their way out, so she smashed her face into the pillow and let them come. Kami, she hated this.
And now...
The next thing Haruhi knew, she was waking up in the dark. Momentarily confused, she started panicking and breathing heavily. Memories from the previous night flooded back, and she settled down.
Slowly, Haruhi climbed out of the wardrobe and sauntered back to her bed, throwing herself onto it. She could not sleep well; she could not stomach anything; she could not speak without breaking down completely. All in all, she was broken. Those who tried to help her just ended up hurt or sick, so Haruhi decided to hide her pain even further. Kyoya was no longer allowed to rush to her aide, as he had become terribly sleep deprived. Haruhi worried that Isamu's exposure to her in this state was scarring him for life, somehow keeping him from being a child.
That day, Haruhi became aware of several things. First, the people around her were only going to try for so long before giving up. Second, she really knew how to bring the party to a screeching halt. Third, if she did not open up soon she would actually be as alone as she felt. Fourth, people did not want to stick around for very long when visiting. And fifth, she needed to accept the help before the offer was retracted.
Kyoya, probably in an effort to give her some space, had kept everyone away from her room all day. The day passed rather slowly when no one was bothering her, giving her time to think about things she did not want to think of. She passed the time staring at the ceiling and recounting childhood events.
That night, just as a precaution, Haruhi locked herself back in the wardrobe. Her nest of blankets and pillows did not make the cramped space much more comfortable, but she soon found herself giving in to sleep.
She woke up with a strangled cry, accidentally flinging herself into the doors of the wardrobe. The doors opened, and Haruhi fell unceremoniously to the ground.
Breathing heavily, Haruhi glanced around the dark room. No one had come to her rescue, leaving her to sob quietly to herself. She climbed back into the wardrobe, muffling her sobs with the pillows and heavy blanket around her.
Slowly, Haruhi succumbed to a dreamless sleep, and before she knew it, she was waking up once more. The darkness around her almost comforted her; it made her feel as though there was nothing wrong in her life. When she was in the dark, Haruhi could pretend that she was in her room at home, listening to her dad's loud snoring. She could almost hear her alarm going off, letting her know it was time to make breakfast for the two of them.
But as soon as she opened the wardrobe door, Haruhi was reminded that she no longer had a blood family, and she was essentially alone. She was reminded that she no longer had to make breakfast for two...actually, she no longer had to make breakfast, period.
The thought of such a drastic change had never occurred to her before this series of events. To be honest, Haruhi was wigging out.
Haruhi climbed back into her bed and lay awake. The thoughts continued to swamp her brain, making it impossible to fall asleep again. Her recent malnutrition was making her weak, so all she wanted to do was sleep. She did not have the energy for anything else really.
She needed help, and she knew it. One of these days, Kyoya would give up on her, if he hadn't already. Her heart gave a sudden painful lurch. He hadn't come in at all the previous day...had he already given up? Was she truly alone? Not even Isamu had poked his head in...maybe he had given up as well. Or he had been forced to give up.
A hollow feeling worked its way into her chest, and tears fell down her cheeks. Not caring about being heard, Haruhi started sobbing loudly. She curled up on her side and burrowed into her blankets. Haruhi desperately hoped that Kyoya had not given up on her. Not just yet. After all they had been through...he couldn't have given up so easily...right?
Kyoya
Kyoya felt completely empty as he listened to Haruhi's sobs. The first night, he had put in the ear plugs, but his heart heard her cries. He could not believe the amount of strength it took him to keep himself from rushing to her room.
It was early morning now, and Kyoya stood outside of Haruhi's room, listening to her heart-breaking sobs. He could not imagine how she must be feeling right now. The previous day, he had been called away to a meeting with his father, and he had not wanted anyone to bother Haruhi while he was away, just in case she ended up needing him to calm her down. Kyoya had not gotten back until well after Isamu's bed time, so he had gone straight to bed. And Haruhi...had been left completely alone...all day.
In his constant thoughts about the Ootori company, Kyoya had forgotten to check in on her. He was going to have Isamu go in and keep her company, but the idea had completely slipped his mind. What must Haruhi have thought about this?
Kyoya wanted to kick himself. He was such an idiot, leaving her in her time of need. He put his hand to the door, the only thing keeping him away from his precious Haruhi, and sighed heavily. For now, he would let her cry, and later he would check up on her. She should be okay, right?
An hour later, Kyoya heard Isamu stirring in his room and decided to check up on Haruhi. Her room had gone completely quiet, leaving Kyoya wondering if it was a good thing or a bad thing.
Kyoya hesitantly knocked on the door.
"Haruhi?" He called, not trying to hide the slight note of concern in his voice.
When he did not hear a response, Kyoya decided that it was safe to go inside. Haruhi lay sprawled out on the bed, her eyes closed and breathing shallow. Tear tracks glistened on her cheeks, and her nose was rather red.
"Haruhi? Are you alright?" Kyoya moved closer and shook her shoulder.
Haruhi groaned lightly. She opened her eyes, but as soon as the two made eye contact, Haruhi clamped her eyes shut and rolled away from him. Kyoya sighed heavily. She wasn't going to cooperate now?
"Please, Haruhi, I just want to help. I know you told me not to, but I can't just leave you here like this." Kyoya explained calmly.
Haruhi continued to ignore him, so Kyoya leaned forward and kissed her shoulder before getting up and leaving the room. If he stayed any longer, Kyoya was afraid he would explode at Haruhi. His patience was wearing dangerously thin.
"Papa?" A small voice came from his left.
"Yes, Isamu-chan?"
"What's the matter?"
Kyoya admired the boy's perceptive nature. He always seemed to know when something was wrong.
"Nothing...your mama just does not seem to want to get up again today..."
Isamu looked down sadly. "What if I tried?"
Kyoya wanted to tell him no. He was afraid that Haruhi's lack of interest would hurt the boy. But Isamu looked so lonely and scared standing there in the hallway.
"If you'd like to, you may." Kyoya stepped aside to allow the boy to enter.
Isamu disappeared into the room, and Kyoya listened intently as Isamu tried to get her to talk. Surely Haruhi would talk to the boy who thought of her as a mother? She could not possibly resist his cuteness. Naturally, he was proven wrong when Isamu came back out and shook his head sadly.
"She didn't want to talk to me...she didn't even look at me!" The boy wailed.
Kyoya sighed heavily. Haruhi's pain was being projected onto everyone around her, including the young boy. Kyoya picked Isamu up and took him downstairs. Setting him on the counter, Kyoya looked into the boy's red-rimmed eyes.
"Isamu-chan, Haruhi is still very sad. It is not that she does not wish to speak with you; rather, she wants time to reflect on how she feels. It's difficult, but we need to let her be for a little while."
"But...why can't she get over it? It's flust...fluster...flusterating!" His tiny face contorted into a scowl.
Kyoya chuckled lightly. "It's frustrating, Isamu, frustrating. I know it can feel that way sometimes, but we need to be there for her for as long as she needs us. One of these days, she's going to come back to us. We need to be there for her when that day comes."
Isamu's face softened, and Kyoya realized that what he had said was right. He shouldn't be upset with Haruhi for her reaction to her father's death. For Kami's sake, he was her father! One day, she would allow them to hear her voice again, but until that day came, they needed to be understanding and supportive.
"How about some chocolate chip pancakes?" Kyoya suggested, noting how Isamu's eyes lit up.
"You can cook pancakes?" The boy asked in wonder.
"Well...no...but don't tell anyone that. We'll just have to learn together." Kyoya smiled at Isamu, who returned it eagerly.
"Alrighty, first we need..." Isamu put a finger to his chin. "Flowers! We need flowers!"
"Uhm...flowers, Isamu? I think we should skip the flowers and add some flour...would that be okay?"
Isamu blushed darkly. "That's what I said. We need flowers..."
Kyoya laughed and patted his head as they set to work on the pancakes.
An hour later, the men had produced 30 of the most burnt chocolate chip pancakes the world had ever seen. They stood in front of the black stack of carbon cakes, staring at it comically.
"Er..." Isamu started.
"Heh..."
"These don't look like pancakes..."
"Master Kyoya!" A maid shrieked from behind him. It was Marianna, the Ootori's longest-serving staff member. She was a portly American woman who had come to the country over 20 years ago and never left. She had practically raised Kyoya and his siblings. Marianna fixed her glare on Kyoya, almost making him shrink back. "What in the world are you doing?!"
Isamu, clearly knowing the power he held over everyone in the mansion, stepped in front of Kyoya and crossed his arms. "We were making breakfast. What does it look like?"
Kyoya could not remember ever seeing the boy display such...such...sass.
"Well then, I hope you were not planning on eating this...breakfast." She turned her piercing gaze onto Kyoya.
"Of course not. I'm not an idiot."
She scoffed and turned on her heel. "Well, whatever you two decide on eating, make sure you try to get that girl of yours to eat. She's looking particularly unwell today."
Kyoya nodded once as Marianna left the room. He looked down at Isamu and raised an eyebrow. "Do we want to get out of here for breakfast?"
Isamu, always looking for a reason to leave the mansion, nodded eagerly and left to get ready.
Kyoya walked up the stairs to Haruhi's room.
"Hey, Haruhi. Isamu and I are going to go out for breakfast; did you want us to bring you anything?"
Haruhi shook her head, still not looking at him.
"Please, Haruhi...just look at me..." Kyoya pleaded softly.
Haruhi continued to stare into nothingness, so Kyoya turned around to leave. He stopped at the door for a minute and glanced back at his unresponsive girlfriend. Haruhi, presumably thinking that he had left, turned towards the door, and Kyoya's heart nearly shattered. Haruhi's face was red and puffy from crying, and as accustomed as he was to seeing her this way, it still pained Kyoya. Haruhi jumped in surprise, but she made no move to turn back around.
Knowing that Isamu could wait for a few more minutes, Kyoya walked back over to Haruhi's side and sat down on the bed. Haruhi turned her eyes to him. Kyoya nearly melted when he saw the raw emotion they held. He could see the guilt she felt mixed with the pain of her situation, and Kyoya felt terrible for being angry with her earlier.
"I know it's difficult, Koi..." Kyoya told her softly, leaning forward and wrapping her in a hug.
Kyoya held her while she cried and soothed her until she fell asleep an hour later. As soon as he got the chance, Kyoya hopped down the stairs to find Isamu chatting with one of the maids.
"I am so sorry, Isamu. Haruhi was not feeling very well." Kyoya explained.
Isamu waved it off and bid farewell to the maid before grabbing Kyoya's hand and looking up at him. "Can we go now, Papa? We can bring something back for her!"
Kyoya smiled slightly at the boy's consideration and nudged him out the door.
They returned in good time, with Haruhi's breakfast in hand. Kyoya had a feeling that Haruhi would not want to eat it, but it would be there for her in the event that she did feel hungry enough to eat.
The rest of the day passed in relative silence. Kyoya checked on Haruhi several times, and, to no one's surprise, she still did not want to eat. When it came time for Isamu to be put to bed, he and Kyoya went to see how Haruhi was doing.
She was sitting up, once again poring over the words in her father's will and his last letter, as though they might reveal some huge secret. Kyoya wanted so badly to shake some sense into her, to scream at her until she understood that he was not coming back. But his love for her and his wishes for her well-being over-powered these notions.
Isamu held a package wrapped in shiny paper, which he fiddled with nervously as they stood in the doorway. Kyoya cleared his throat, making Haruhi jump in surprise.
"Mama, we made you a present..." Isamu started as he neared the bed slowly, still picking at the silvery paper.
Haruhi turned her head cutely and motioned to the spot next to her on the bed. She and Kyoya locked eyes, and Kyoya tried to give her a look that said 'you had better talk to this poor boy, or else,' but he had a feeling it came off as more of a desperate look than anything else.
Kyoya approached the bed and stood while Isamu snuggled into Haruhi's side and handed her the gift.
"We worked really hard on it, Mama! Just for you!" Isamu told her, shoving the package into her hands.
Slowly, meticulously, Haruhi peeled the paper off of the parcel. Kyoya saw the beginning of tears in her eyes once more. Haruhi gasped quietly and put a hand to her mouth as she looked up at Kyoya again. The look in her eyes told him all he needed to know: she could not have been happier with any other gift.
With tears rushing down her face, Haruhi placed the gift on the bed and crushed Isamu's small body into her chest. No words had left her yet, but Kyoya knew she was getting there.
"Do you like it?" Came Isamu's muffled reply to her display.
Haruhi nodded vigorously and let him breathe.
"We love you, Haruhi. Don't ever forget that." Kyoya told her honestly.
Phew! That was a lot...I've still got about 4,000 words to post for the next chapter...will Haru-chan finally break out of her depression? Will the boys get their woman back? Will Kyoya ever learn to cook? Find out next time in: Heat Stroke III: To Lose One and Love Two Others!
Much love to all of you!
P.S. Thank you all for your kind birthday wishes on my previous chapter! I appreciated all of them!
