A/N
I'm baaaaaaaack! And with chapter eleven! Hehe. Okay, I'll tone down the exclamation marks. I'd first like to say a VERY BIG THANK YOU to everyone who reviewed Chapter Ten, and that I hope I managed to reply to you all (even though it's a very…delayed response…argh!)
twinbuster2: I'm glad you liked my portrayal of the two –it is quite hard to keep them in character, especially when I have the main goal of the story in my mind…but, ah well! It's fun writing them, that's for sure. About Kenshin, yes, I was wondering if I should bring him in to this…but I don't know. You can't have Kenshin in a story and not focus on him –I mean, he's Kenshin after all! So…I've kept away from introducing more than the…necessary characters from 'Rurouni Kenshin'…but who knows? And I'm glad that you like the longer chapters! Hopefully you'll like this one too. Thanks so much for the review!
Right, well, just a warning before you start; this is longer than the previous chapter. Sigh. I try to keep them short, but it just doesn't work. So, sorry about that!
Anyways, on with the chapter –and I hope you enjoy it.
Chapter Eleven: Of Rude Awakenings and New Weekend Plans
"I should have told you this before," he murmured, as he gazed into her wide green eyes. "A long time ago, in fact…" When his voice trailed off, he reached out with a hand and to her greater shock, caressed the side of her face with it. "You have every right to hate me, to refuse me, but all that I ask is that you hear me out…" He paused once more. "Will you, Misao?"
So caught up with staring into his mesmerizing, ice blue eyes, she missed the question entirely, until his brows furrowed slightly. "Misao?" he prompted, softly.
"H-Huh?" she stammered, unwillingly looking away from his eyes to get a firmer hold over herself. She heard a quiet sigh.
"Will you at least hear me out, Misao? Before you tell me what you wanted to say?"
Unable to say anything due to the fear of her by-now squeaky voice, she nodded hurriedly. The hand that was on her cheek stopped its caressing. "Misao…" he started, his voice low, "Misao, I have wanted to tell you, for quite sometime that-"
"Misao?"
"Huh?" she managed to get out, at the sound of the foreign voice.
He shook his head, his brows furrowing further.
"Ignore that, Misao, and focus on me instead," he said, gently, so gently that she couldn't even dream of doing otherwise. "You must know that I…" he paused, "forgive me, it has been sometime since I have been placed in such a position and…I am afraid that I'm not used to this…"
Her heart was racing now, as a glimmer of realization sparked awake in both her gut and her mind. Was he…was he doing, was he saying what she thought he was going to say?
"-sao. Misao?"
She tilted her head to a side at the sound of the foreign voice again, but it was in mild annoyance this time as he faltered upon hearing it. Whatever that was had better stop now. Especially since she had a feeling that she was really going to like what he wanted to tell her.
"Misao," he started again, and she unconsciously leaned further towards him, not caring that their faces were awkwardly too close to one another. "Misao, I…I believe that I am in---"
"-ake up, my lazy little grandchild!"
She groaned as she felt something being tugged out of her grasp, and unknowingly gripped it tighter, without realizing that there was nothing within her grasp in the first place. Instead, she nodded expectantly at the dark haired male kneeling before her, urging him to continue continually.
He shot her a somewhat uncertain look, to which she smiled in encouragement. "I simply wanted to tell you," he started, slowly, almost shyly, "that I-"
"Wakey, wakey, my pretty little butterfly!"
There was a startled expression on his face that caused her to curse inwardly. For starters, there was only one man in the world who called her that…and then there was the fact that he didn't look like he was going to continue with what he was saying.
"Ignore him," she said, almost pleadingly, as she clasped his free hand in hers. "Ignore him, please…"
"But Misao-"
"MAKIMACHI MISAO! DON'T MAKE ME RESORT TO COLD WATER!"
"SHUT UP JIYA!!"
"Misao, I---" Her eyes widened as he came to an abrupt halt, for the perfect image that had been kneeling in front of her was…dissipating. Bit by bit, it was leaving…leaving…leaving…
"No! No, no, no, no! Aoshi-sama! Come back…" she murmured, as the image of the man disappeared completely at the same time her eyes snapped open.
It was also at that moment that the quilt she had been gripping tightly in her fists was yanked out of their grip by that persistently annoying grandfather of hers.
"Well well, what's this? Aoshi?" questioned Okina, a wide, amused grin on his lips. "Thinking of him are you? No, not thinking, I'd say that was dreaming-"
She narrowed her eyes, both in anger and against the sudden brightness of the room. Oh, the old man was going to pay.
"I was not-" She squeaked as her pillow was yanked out from underneath her head. "Jiya!" she exclaimed, her voice still thick with sleep, as she reached out for the pillow with one hand while she curled up into a ball on the bed, not liking the cold that was now biting at her skin. "Give it back," she mumbled.
"Nuh-uh," said Okina, wagging a finger in her direction. "It's about time you woke up, young lady. Young women of good breeding shouldn't be sleeping at this hour, you know…"
What the-?
"Good thin' 'm not one o' 'em," she muttered, as she buried her face into the soft mattress. She missed the frown on her grandfather's face, before he suddenly brightened.
"We have guests, Misao, so I expect you to be ready and join us downstairs."
It took a moment or two for what he said to register in the dark haired girl's head, and she raised her head slightly when it did, only to find the spot Okina had been standing in empty. Scowling, she turned so that she lay on her back and glanced around her room, only to find that he really had left.
Couldn't he have given me back the quilt and pillow before he left? Grumbling under her breath, she propped herself up on her elbows as she searched for her quilt, harshly blowing aside strands of her un-braided hair that clung to her face. A victorious smile soon formed on her lips –albeit a sleepy one- when she spotted the items on the back of her desk chair.
Oh great, she thought, as the smile disappeared, that means I've got to get out of bed to get them… And if she did indeed get out of bed, then she might as well stay out of bed.
Damn, her grandfather knew her well.
"Meh," she muttered, as she flopped back down onto the bed, "wha'ever." It didn't matter, anyway. She'd just ignore the chilly air –the windows had been opened, three guesses as to by whom- and go back to sleep. It wasn't as though anyone would be missing her –it was the weekend after all, and everyone was entitled to have a little bit of a sleep in during the weekend…
Mmm, yes, she thought, in sleepy satisfaction, as she managed to settle down in a comfortable position on her side, this is such a peaceful day…no school, no annoying idiots to deal with, no shrieking girls, no feeling guilty…
Life, she decided, was good.
Meanwhile, downstairs:
"Is there anything else that I can get you?" questioned the brown haired young woman, as she stood by the young men gathered in one of the traditional rooms used for entertaining guests.
The shortest in the group shook his head with a bright smile on his lips.
"Iie," he said, sweetly. "Thank you for asking!"
The young woman smiled at him, once again marvelling at his overall cuteness, before she forced her gaze elsewhere. For no matter how adorable the young man was, it was rude to stare.
"In any case," continued one of the seated twins, "that's not what we're here to do. We're here to talk to Miso, and to get-"
"-Her side of the story? Hikaru, don't you see something…wrong there?" questioned Kaoru, quirking an eyebrow at his brother, who just stared at him in return. "Do you honestly think that she's going to just…open up and tell us?"
"Uh, is there some reason why I shouldn't think that…?" questioned Hikaru, blankly, causing his brother to roll his eyes.
"We're not exactly at the top of her friends' list, Hikaru," he said, patiently.
"So?"
"So, she's not going to want to share stuff with us."
Hikaru's eyes widened.
"But that's ridiculous. What have we ever done to her to……" he trailed off when he saw the surprised expression on his brother's face, and his face fell slightly. "Fine, maybe we weren't exactly…nice to her." He paused. "But we do it to Haruhi too, and she doesn't mind," he challenged.
Kaoru nodded, holding in a sigh.
"Because Haruhi's different," he pointed out.
"Ne, ne, what are we trying to get Itachi-chan to tell us?" questioned Honey, as he rejoined the conversation going on around him. As one, the twins turned and fixed him with an identical set of…scrutinizing glances.
"Kaoru, do you think we should-"
"-Tell him? No, I'm not sure about it, actually. He-"
"-could play an important role in this later, but-"
"-for now it would be best if he was left in the dark," finished Hikaru, with a sage nod. Kaoru just smiled at the perplexed expression on their short senior's face.
"Although," he added, as a sudden thought struck him, "we're not going to do anything until we find out a bit more information. Right?"
If he had been expecting a grunt of affirmation from his twin, he didn't receive it, causing him to glance at the boy in mild surprise. "Right?" he repeated, his eyebrows rising as he saw the all-too familiar, somewhat petulant look on his older brother's face. "Right, Hikaru?" he pressed, his eyes fixed on the identical pair looking at him.
"But-"
"Hikaru-"
"-Fine! Fine, fine, we won't do anything involving…that until we find out more about the situation," said Hikaru, with a quick scowl at his brother. "Happy?"
"Very," said Kaoru, with a pleasant smile, before he turned back to Honey, who was still sending him a questioning look. "Sorry, Honey-sempai," he said, honestly, "but we'll fill you in later. Okay?"
The fair haired boy looked somewhat put-out at that, but he cheered up quickly when a small plate was pushed right under his nose, courtesy of his dark haired cousin who had remained silent throughout the conversation.
And it wasn't just any plate; it was one with cake.
"Thank you, Takashi!" he exclaimed, his large brown eyes all but sparkling as he took the plate from his cousin's outstretched hand and proceeded to dig into it without a further glance at the twins.
Kaoru sighed in relief and shot the dark haired senior a grateful smile, for he knew that he would have crumbled under those wide brown eyes, especially when they were full of hurt.
When he turned back to his brother, however, he saw that he had taken his phone out and was staring at the display screen with a most unsightly frown on his face.
"Hikaru?"
"She's late, you know…"
"Can you really blame her? It is the weekend after all, you --- where are you going?" questioned Kaoru, as his brother stood suddenly, looking for very much like a bird with its feathers ruffled in indignation. "Hikaru? Hey, hey, where-"
"-If she's not going to get herself out of bed, then I'll do it for her," grumbled Hikaru, as he moved past the pretty young woman who had been standing by the doors, just in case they needed anything.
"Eh? Oh, but…Hitachin-kun, I'm not sure if that's a good idea," stammered the brunette, reaching out towards him with her hand. "Misao-chan's not really a morning person, and in any case –ah, Hitachin-kun!"
Kaoru stared after his brother for a moment, not at all surprised with the way he simply…brushed off the maid, even though it did seem somewhat rude. Simply because nothing his brother did surprised him anymore. He did, however, pay further attention to the situation when he saw Honey look up from his slice of cake.
"Hika-chan was a bit rude, ne?" he asked, as he looked at the brunette woman before sending Kaoru a quick glance, to which the reply was a mere shrug. "And it's rude to go barging into a girl's room, ne, Takashi?"
Mori, who had taken up his usual hobby of silence from the moment they had arrived at the traditional-styled house, simply nodded in agreement with his cousin. His mind was still occupied with the brief meditation technique he had been practicing, in order to deal with whatever was thrown his way as everyone around him made plans to spend the day together.
Unfortunately for the stoic, dark haired man, however, his cousin was just as…interested in his supposed 'situation' as the devious twins were.
Which meant that he was willing to seize any opportunity presented to him, in order to better gauge the actual situation.
Unaware of the almost hopeful gleam that was shining in his cousin's eyes, Mori continued to concentrate on his breathing, practicing the meditation technique that had been used in almost every generation of the Morinozuka family. "Ne, Takashi?"
Furrowing his brows slightly, he nodded once more. "Ne, Takashi?" He opened his eyes as his cousin probed him for an answer yet again, choosing to send him a quick glance, before nodding for the third time.
"Hnn." Except this time, he followed the nod with a form of verbal response.
Even though he missed the triumphant expression that flashed quickly across the shorter male's face, Kaoru certainly caught it, and had his interest piqued.
"Someone should go up there, ne, Takashi?" continued the light haired 3rd year. "It's not good for Hika-chan to just enter a girl's room like that, ne, Takashi?"
At this point, Kaoru was trying to keep the grin off his lips as poor Mori nodded.
"Aa."
"Will you, Takashi?"
This time, the dark haired senior shot his cousin a wary glance as he heard the request. He stared at him for a moment longer, as though asking 'why me?' "Takashi?"
Kaoru could, quite literally, see the bright red warning lights flaring in the senior's head.
"…Perhaps it would be better for someone…else to go?" murmured the dark haired male, quietly.
Honey blinked.
"Kao-chan can't go because…because he looks like Hika-chan, Takashi. And…Itachi-chan doesn't really…like them," he said, innocently. Kaoru snickered –and sobered quickly at the hard look the short senior sent him- at the lost expression on Mori's face.
"Maybe you should go, then?"
"Me? Why me, Takashi?"
Mori blinked.
"Because she…likes you."
"Eh? But she likes you too Takashi," protested Honey, earning himself two disbelieving glances. "What? She even apologized, and you accepted it, didn't you?"
"… … …" It seemed that the stoic dark haired male had nothing to say to that, and Kaoru mentally applauded the usually innocent-looking senior for his devious ways.
Honey, on the other hand, was staring at his cousin with a hopeful expression on his face.
"You'll go, won't you, Takashi? Ne? Ne? Ne?"
Mori tried to avoid meeting his cousin's large, hopeful brown eyes with his grey, but found that it was to no avail –he could still fill the eyes on him.
So, really, what choice did he have? Even though he had a strange sense of déjà vu about the whole thing; had it happened once before?
Holding back a sigh –directed both at his inability to remain firm when confronting the force that was his cousin and at his cousin for requesting such a thing- he could do nothing but nod.
"Aa."
The smile that blossomed on his cousin's face was somewhat…unnaturally gleeful in his opinion. But then again, he was probably imagining things.
Still holding back a sigh, he stood slowly, hoping that the few seconds' worth of meditation he had managed would get him through this trying situation.
"Ne, ne, Omasu-san!" called Honey, as Mori headed towards the door. The brunette turned from where she had been staring after Hikaru with a somewhat uncertain expression on her face, and nodded at the young student. "Could you tell Takashi where Itachi-chan's room is? So that he can find it and stop Hika-chan from making her angry so early in the morning?"
Omasu gave first Honey, then Mori the same uncertain look that she had given Hikaru's back.
"Well, I…" she paused. "I'm not sure if that's a good idea, Haninozuka-kun. I don't think Misao-"
"Please?" pressed Honey, turning his big, wide, hopeful eyes on her. "Pretty please? It's for Itachi-chan's own good, you know…"
"Oh, yes, but…"
"Don't you trust us?"
"Ah! No, no, it's nothing like that… It's just…ah…"
As the flustered brunette told him which floor the room was in, the stoic 'wild-type' host couldn't help but wrest a shred of comfort from the fact that he wasn't the only one that had problems with refusing his cousin's wide-eyed, hopeful gaze.
He also wondered why he heard Kaoru congratulating his cousin as he moved down the corridor.
The golden haired male turned on his heel as he reached the corner of the strip of plush carpeting, and began to walk up the way he had come. It was evident to all present that he was troubled about something or the other –at least, that was what the rest of the shoppers at the newly-opened mall thought.
Said golden haired male's companions, however, didn't look the least bit concerned as they stood off to a side, leaning against one of the many pillars that were littered around the building.
"Do you really think we should leave him like this?" questioned the short brunette, as the golden haired male turned on his heel once more and walked the other way.
Her bespectacled companion didn't even look up from the newspaper he had managed to grab for himself on the way there.
"He'll get tired of it eventually," he replied, calmly, as he turned a page, either not seeing or ignoring the look the brunette sent him.
"That may be so, but I'm not sure if the carpet will last that long," she muttered, as she turned her attention back to their companion.
"Being a Commoners' mall, I wouldn't be surprised if it already has holes in it," commented the bespectacled, dark haired young man calmly, as though he had not said something that could be considered offensive to the 'commoners' he spoke of.
"That was…direct, Kyoya-sempai," she muttered, even as she shook her head at his unknowing callousness.
"There was already a small tear of some sort by the entrance, Haruhi."
Sempai…
"I…see…"
"HARUHI!!!" The brunette did not jump a foot in the air, as she would have done prior to getting involved with the Host Club, when the golden haired male yelled her name out and charged towards her.
"Yes, sempai?" she questioned, uninterestedly. If he was hurt by her lack of interest, it certainly wasn't her fault; he should have known better than to disturb her restful weekend by literally dragging her out of her apartment to go 'shopping' with the rest of the Host Club.
"Haruhi, they're not here yet!" exclaimed the 2nd year student, throwing his arms out before him in a dramatic act.
"I can see that, sempai."
"B-But H-Haruhi…they're not here yet!"
Haruhi held back a sigh, knowing that she'd be doing a lot more of that as the day progressed.
"I know, sempai, I can see that," she muttered, again, and winced as her senior started tearing up.
"You…you're CRUEL!" he all but wailed, sending her a look of such…hurt –dramatic though it was- that it cut through her barrier of cynicism as though it was nothing at all.
"Sempai, I can see that they're not here yet. We'll just have to wait until they get here. So can you please stop making a scene?"
She regretted the request almost immediately, when he burst into tears.
"MY DAUGHTER HATES ME!" he wailed, inevitably drawing everyone's attention to the trio as he turned to the bespectacled male –who still somehow managed to keep reading the paper. "Okasan, your daughter h-hates me, Okasan!"
Haruhi fidgeted as she felt more weight added on to the gazes she was already receiving from the other shoppers in the vicinity. Honestly, did Tamaki-sempai know the…implications of such…name calling?
"I can't say that I blame her, Otosan."
That, it seemed, was the last blow, for before Haruhi knew what was happening, the golden haired senior had made himself a new Corner of Woe.
Unable to hold it back, she let out the heavy sigh that had been threatening to express itself earlier. If the day was going to be full of incidents like this…
…It was going to be one hell of a long day.
"Kyoya-sempai, where is everyone else?" she questioned, once more ignoring the sobbing male. Kyoya sighed as he folded up the paper in his hands.
"At the Kashiwazaki residence, I believe," he said.
"Oh."
Wait a minute…Kashiwazaki-? "What?" she asked, looking surprised. "But that's…" her voice trailed off. "Sempai, please tell me that they weren't sent to get Misao-chan here?"
"They weren't sent to get Misao here."
She didn't even bother sending him a stern look.
"Kyoya-sempai, don't you think that's a bad idea? She's stressed enough as it is, and Hikaru and Kaoru don't exactly help matters much," she argued. "And she hates Mori-sempai so-"
"-If I have to suffer a day here, Haruhi, then she might as well suffer a day in Hikaru and Kaoru's company," cut in Kyoya, casually. "It's only fair, don't you think?"
No, Haruhi certainly didn't think that it was fair…but then again, the evil glint in her senior's glasses wasn't exactly fair either.
With a frown tugging the corners of her lips down, she turned back to gaze ahead of her, wondering how Misao was handling things at home. Honestly, it was as though the Host Club just couldn't leave her alone…
Kashiwazaki Residence:
He had a grin on his face as he peered through the gap between the door and its frame, immediately seeing that he had finally, finally got the right room. One look at the place from outside most certainly didn't tell you how many rooms it had, that was for sure. Leaving the door ajar, Hikaru snuck in as quietly as he could, grateful for the drawn curtains and opened windows and the natural light they provided.
The green-clad bundle on the bed didn't stir as he moved further into the room, curiously taking in its furnishings and the various odds-and-ends that were placed here and there.
It wasn't a typical girl's room –as the shuriken and other assortment of small weapons showed- and it wasn't half as big as the room he and Kaoru shared at their home, but he supposed it was big enough for someone like Misao.
Ah, no, for someone like Miso.
A soft mumble from the bed caught his attention and he carefully made his way past the table and chair –which, curiously, had a blanket draped on it- until he was standing opposite the bookcase that was adjacent to the bed. His earlier grin reappeared, wider and more-improved, as he took in the sleeping girl's face, noting how she looked half-suspicious even in her sleep.
As she sighed in her sleep and batted at a strand of hair, he found his attention drawn to her hair, and couldn't help but wonder if it had been that long before. Of course, that was ridiculous –hair didn't just…grow overnight after all. But…he had to admit that her hair, when not held up in that god-awful braid, was… well, it was…acceptable.
Shaking his head free of all other thoughts, he reached out with a finger and poked her in the arm. They had a schedule to keep to after all, and had people waiting for them.
"Hghnn..."
Huh? Seeing no reaction from her apart from that mumble, he poked her again, although this time, he applied more pressure into the poke.
"Mmhnnnn," the still asleep figure almost whined, as she shook her head in a subconscious attempt to get him to go away. He grinned at that; as if that was going to happen!
"Oi, Miso, it's time to get up. Seriously, how long do you sleep? Half a day?" he asked, but received no answer in reply. Well, obviously, as she was still asleep.
Frowning, he looked around the room, looking for something that he could use to wake her up. But all he saw were books, ornaments, shuriken, some…deadly looking short knives and…stuffed animals –whose use in this endeavour he doubted.
What can I use? Come on, there has to be something here that I can use! A thoughtful expression replaced the frown. What do people usually use when they want to---
The devious smile was back on his lips as he glanced down at the sleeping, dark haired girl. He only needed to know one thing; if she didn't have a bathroom in her room…where was the nearest bathroom?
Mentally urging the girl to stay asleep, Hikaru moved over to her desk and grabbed the empty vase on it, before he headed towards the door, intent on searching for the nearest bathroom, and hoping that there was one on the same floor.
The upper floors of the Kashiwazaki residence were quiet, but not eerily so; it was the sort of quiet that was calming, and peaceful. It was the sort of silence that Mori liked, and that, somehow, he could not picture the house' young female occupant liking very much.
He had just reached the corridor that the nice brunette had said held the room he needed to be in –assuming, of course, that Hikaru had found his way there too without getting distracted by his curiosity- when he heard the yell.
Unfortunately, it was a yell that he recognized well, having heard it quite a bit since the long-haired girl had been…introduced to them.
Wondering what Hikaru had done this time –and also wondering if he really wanted to know- he quickened his pace as he moved towards the door.
Hikaru held the half-full vase in his hands as he once again found himself standing at the sleeping girl's bedside. She looked as though she really was blissfully asleep and unaware, but he didn't feel the smallest shred of remorse. This was, after all, the reason why they were going to be rather late for the day's planned activities.
Trying to hold back a snort as he pictured her reaction to the cold water on her face, he raised the vase only give a start when he suddenly found himself staring into a pair of green eyes.
"What- what the hell do you think you're doing?!"
He dropped the vase in his surprise –because, really, she wasn't supposed to wake up until after he had drowned…er, splashed her face with cold water- and winced as it shattered upon reaching the ground.
"Ouch," he muttered with a grimace, as he felt something cut his uncovered shin.
"Ouch? Ouch?! What're you doing here?! You –you little - how the hell did you get in here?!" Misao was seated on the bed now, and there was an almost mad gleam in her green eyes as she stared at him.
"Walked in through the front door, said 'hi' to your grandfather and then headed here to wake you up," said Hikaru, with a shrug. "Do you have a band-aid or something? ACK! B-Blood…"
Misao, now fully awake, could only stare at the older twin –not that she knew which twin it was- as he fussed over the scratch he had on his shin; the scratch that was oozing a thin line of blood.
"Get out!" she snapped, her temper rising. "Get out!"
"Not until I get a band aid."
"You're not getting one from me –so get out of my room!"
Hikaru stared at her, his own eyes narrowing.
"I have a cut here!" he protested, going as far as putting his leg on the bed to show it to her. "I'm not going until I have a band aid for this! Who knows how dangerous it could turn out to be?"
"It's just a scratch you idiot!" yelled out Misao, angrily brushing the loose strands of her hair out of her face and eyes. "And, personally, I don't care! I just want you to get out of my room. Now!"
"Well I'm not going until-"
"-Yes, you ARE-"
"-I get a band aid to-"
"-leaving here immediately! Before I-"
A throat being cleared effectively ended the heated argument, as both Misao and Hikaru turned towards the door, seeking the person who had interrupted them.
Whereas Hikaru pouted slightly upon seeing the dark haired, stoic senior, his companion tensed immensely.
"W-Wh…What're you doing here?" she spluttered, her green eyes narrowing as she stared at the dark haired male.
Mori was silent for a moment, as he debated on an answer that would least rile her up –but found that nothing he said would have any calming effect on her, given how much she…disliked him.
Although she did seem eager to apologize for her…angered comments a few days ago… He shook his head. No, now was not the time to analyze that –if it needed to be analyzed at all, that is.
"To get Hikaru out of your room and to ask you to join us for some…shopping…" he said, feeling the glare he was receiving from her.
"Shopping? You expect me to go shopping with you?!"
Mori cringed at the rising levels of her voice. "Hell would have to freeze over first, buddy! I'm not going anywhere with you, so get out –out of my room and out of my house. And take this idiot with you."
Well, really, thought Hikaru, she didn't need to be so rude. Shaking his head inwardly, he turned his attention to Mori, intent on telling him that they might as well leave her to get ready –because she was coming with them, whether she liked it or not- when he saw something that made him stop short.
Was that a hint of colour on Mori-sempai's cheeks?
He blinked, sure that he was seeing things. He had to be seeing things, for Mori-sempai did not, and he would like to repeat 'did not', look embarrassed. Or uncomfortable, even if he was uncomfortable. He was the sort of person who appeared to adapt to anything, inevitably blending in and seeming as though he belonged there in the first place.
He glanced at his senior again. Nope, he wasn't seeing things; there was a pale, very pale hint of red on his face.
Hikaru frowned. But what could have caused this…?
"What're you waiting for? Get out!"
"Would you please lower your voice, you're starting to give me a headache," snapped Hikaru, scowling, as he turned his attention to the dark haired girl, and only then noticing how she was kneeling on the bed, with her hands clenched into fists at her sides.
Boy, did she look a sight. An unkempt, ruffled sight at that, with her pale green sleeveless pyjamas crumpled and almost hanging off her shoulder, and her long black hair tousled.
Why, she almost looked as though she had been…involved in a rather…er...scandalous activity –if it wasn't for the fact that he knew that he was the only one to have seen her and that she had most definitely been asleep, he certainly wouldn't find it too hard to come to the conclusion that she had been up to 'something' beforehand.
Just as the thought struck him, his head swivelled back to look at his dark haired senior, who, he noticed, was avoiding looking at her.
Which was odd, really, because it wasn't as thought the girl was naked…and besides, he'd seen girls in pyjamas before.
Hmm, Mori-sempai? Why are you…embarrassed now?
A sudden thump startled him out of his thoughts, causing another scowl to appear on his lips. It turned out that Misao had just slammed her fists onto the mattress, before struggling to get out of bed. As he watched her crawl to the edge of the bed after a short pause –no doubt debating whether to get up from the side he was standing beside, or to brave the other side, in front of their senior- he couldn't help but comment;
"You're not wearing a bra."
Silence reigned in the room for a full thirty seconds, before all hell erupted.
"GET OUT OF MY ROOM NOW, YOU SICK, TWISTED PERVERT!"
"Are you?" Well, that certainly explained Mori-sempai's…embarrassment.
"Out – GET OUT!" The dark haired girl –now wrapping her arms about herself- with a face as red as an overly ripened tomato, jumped off the bed and glared at the smirking twin as she stood before him. Raising a finger towards the door, she narrowed her eyes further. "Are you deaf? Get out before I –before I-"
"Yes? Do go on, this should be interesting…"
Her face had turned a most curious shade of purplish-red, one that he hadn't seen before. To Hikaru, it appeared as though she was powering up for a good session of…chaos and destruction and all that.
"Hikaru."
"For the last time –"
"Hikaru."
"Yes, for the last time?"
"-Leave me alone! I have to deal with you five days a week –isn't that enough? Have you not made my life enough of a hell during those five days? Can you not even…even let me enjoy a few days of peace when I can have time to myself and not feel paranoid about you and your brother popping up somewhere or the other?" Misao took a step forward, towards the still twin.
"Hikaru."
Hikaru turned towards their senior, and whatever smart remark he had been about to say died instantly as he saw the frown on the dark haired male's lips. "Let's go."
"But Mori-sempai-" One look at the look he was being sent stopped him abruptly again, and, with a quick, impatient sigh, Hikaru shrugged before making his way towards the door. "Tamaki-sempai won't be too happy," he commented, as he reached his senior.
Mori sent him a steady look.
"He will understand."
"Understand what?" queried Hikaru, but, upon receiving no answer, he shrugged again and walked through the door. "Fine, fine, I can tell when I'm not wanted," he mumbled, before he moved down the corridor, leaving Mori behind.
"Can you not just…leave me alone for two friggin' days? Is that too much to---" The sharp hiss brought Mori's attention back to the girl, and he frowned as he saw her tensed posture and somewhat…pained face. "Oh crap," she muttered, as she grabbed her leg.
Mori stood where he was by the door, uncertain as to whether he should inquire as to what was wrong, or if he should quietly and safely make his exit. "What the hell are you still doing here?" Well, as it turned out, he didn't have to make the decision himself. "Don't think I've forgotten what a jerk you are just because you accepted my apology!"
He bowed his head slightly as he glanced at her once more and found his eyes travelling from her face –the intended target of his glance- to her slender neck and the expanse of skin that the loose pyjama top revealed as it hung off her shoulder.
This is wrong, he thought, as he attempted to focus his thoughts on the matter at hand. On the important matter at hand.
"I…we apologize," he said, quickly correcting himself. "We had not meant to disrupt your weekend –that was not what we had planned on doing at all."
"Yeah, well, you did," she said with a huff, the pained grimace never quite leaving her face as she stayed quite still.
Mori nodded.
"We did," he agreed, sombrely, wishing that he had his cousin with him; his cousin who was so…adept at comforting people and making them feel at least marginally better. As the image of another person so skilled at comforting people when it really mattered popped up in his head, he supposed that he might as well explain to her what their intentions had been, so that he –or someone else- could at least tell the golden haired male that they had tried. "Tamaki found out about a new…shopping mall that was being opened, not too far from where Haruhi lives. He wanted us to go there and have a look around."
"Hah, you mean he wanted to go there and cause trouble?"
Possibly, thought Mori, but unintentionally.
"He wanted us to invite you with us, while he went to…pick Haruhi up."
Misao blinked.
"Why'd he want to invite me?" she questioned, sounding curious rather than angered, much to Mori's consternation. What was going on with this girl and her emotions?
He shrugged before his thoughts could take over.
"He likes you." Misao quirked a disbelieving eyebrow at him. "In his own…unique way," he added.
"Well that's a first," mumbled Misao, tightening her arms around herself as she glanced away, making Mori wonder what exactly this 'first' was; the fact that someone liked her in their own unique way or…the fact that someone liked her at all. The second thought garnered a twinge of…something within him, which he quickly squashed.
As he looked at her again –and thought that she looked a touch vulnerable, if such a thing was possible- he could see that she was unsure. The fact that Tamaki actually wanted her there, with them, did seem to have reached her somewhere…but he was willing to bet that the idea of spending time with the twins –when she didn't have to- was keeping her from coming to a decision.
He would later wonder why he had even bothered. Really, hadn't he been absolutely furious with her two days ago? And even after she had apologized, hadn't he decided that he would…not get too involved?
"You won't need to worry about Hikaru and Kaoru. Mitsukuni and I will make sure they don't trouble you." He was just as surprised at his words as she looked to be, if her slightly widened eyes were anything to go by.
"O…Oh…"
Yes, thought Mori, somewhat sardonically, 'oh' indeed.
"Haruhi would like some…normal company," he added, hoping that it would take both hers and his attention from his earlier assurance.
"Haruhi, huh…" Mori nodded, as silence fell between the two standing at opposite ends of the room. After a long moment or two, the dark haired male stood straight, averting his eyes once more from the ruffled –and seemingly in pain- girl.
"I'll leave you to your plans, then," he said, as he nodded at her. "And we'll leave here shortly, once I inform Mitsukuni and Kaoru."
He turned on his heel and walked out of the room, making sure to slide the door shut after him. Unwilling to take a moment to process what exactly had happened inside, he strode down the corridor briskly, intending to leave the girl to her peaceful, stress-free weekend, when he sensed a somewhat familiar presence standing somewhere to his right.
Okina smiled as he fixed him with an impassive gaze.
"I shouldn't have expected anything else from the Morinozuka heir," he commented, lightly, acknowledging the fact that the young man had sensed his presence before he had announced himself.
"… …"
"I couldn't help but hear a bit of your conversation, Mori-kun," continued the white haired man, "I do hope you will forgive me?" Mori shrugged, careful to keep the stoic expression on his face. "Then would you mind terribly if I made a suggestion?"
The taller male shook his head. "I think that Misao should accompany you and your friends to the…mall, was it? Yes, I believe that she should. It would do her some good, you know…" He trailed off as he glanced further down the dark corridor. "The only reason why she insists on spending her weekends at home is because of that one phone, Mori-kun…and I fear that that phone is not going to ring this time, much like the previous times."
Mori wondered if he really should be listening to this, for it certainly sounded as though it was something…personal. And knowing as much about Misao as he did –which, on hindsight, wasn't very much- he had a feeling that she wouldn't appreciate the knowledge that her grandfather had told someone else –much less him- something personal.
"My poor Misao, always getting her hopes up…" For the briefest of moments, Mori could swear that he had seen the elderly male that Okina really was, as opposed to the youthful, cheery person he usually appeared to be. But the white haired male quickly shook himself out of that stupor.
"In any case, Mori-kun, I only have one request to ask of you; don't leave just yet. I'll go and speak to Misao now, and I'm sure that she will consent to accompanying you and your delightful friends to the mall. She hasn't had very many friends in her life –apart from family and those she considers as close as family- so I can't quite describe how it pleases me to see that she's making friends at Ouran High School. Will you allow this old man this one favour?"
There were many answers that were running through the 'wild-type' host's head at the elderly male's question. Thoughts such as; 'she hates us all, except maybe Haruhi, so I don't think that would be a good idea' and 'if she does accompany us, there will be a death within the group somewhere during the day; either hers or Hikaru's…'
In addition to that, he highly disliked the hopeful expression he saw on the old man's face as he stared at him. It was no where near as…youthful as his cousin's, nor as appealing, but it was hard to ignore all the same, especially since it was coming from an elderly man.
And, really, who was he to refuse the elderly?
He sighed, his shoulders drooping ever so slightly.
"…I'll-"
"-Oh thank you Mori-kun! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" exclaimed Okina, as he rushed forward and clasped the dark haired male's hands in his. "Thank you so very much! Now I just need to threaten –ah, convince my little Misao to join you!!"
With that, he pranced towards Misao's room, leaving the slightly bemused but mainly troubled young man staring into the dark corridor that stretched out before him.
Why did it sometimes seem as though the world was…moving too fast around him?
A/N
Remember how I said in the previous chapter that I wouldn't make a chapter as long as that one ever again? Yeah? Well, as you can see, I lied. [Cue dramatic, exasperated sigh] Honestly, you'd think I'd learn by now.
Anyways, as you most probably gathered from reading this, there will be a continuation to this chapter/scene, and that'll be in the next chapter. I really wanted to post the two chapters together, but I'm having a bit of difficulty with finishing off the next chapter, so I thought I might as well go ahead and post this.
Hope you all enjoyed it! And look forward to the next one before Christmas!
See ya soon!
Siriusgirl1