Hello all!

My apologies for not updating this story for so long. I know some people say life gets in the way and that is true but for me it was a combination of that and sheer laziness which is really inexcusable. So, this is me begging your forgiveness! It's not much but it's what I have so far. I lost some steam with his story but my recent one shot with this couple has rekindled my flame to continue on with this story.

Chapter 14

Unfamiliar Territory

"Where could she be?!" the frantic blonde screamed. His violet eyes were bloodshot and he looked pale.

"Tono, you need to stay calm. Don't panic." Kaoru soothed, trying to console his distressed friend. In truth, Kaoru was just as worried about Haruhi as Tamaki was. She had disappeared hours ago, supposedly to retire to her own room but when Tamaki came by to tell her that they would all be going out for breakfast she was nowhere to be found. Katsu had not been seen recently either which made him leery. What if something had happened to her? He did not trust Katsu and it did not put him at ease to think that he may have met up with Haruhi. The other man had spent the better part of the evening trying to get closer to her and they had pulled out all the stops using every trick they had to make sure that he was unable to.

"Too bad she doesn't have her cell phone..." Kyoya said in an offhanded remark.

"I can't believe I didn't think to grab it when we picked her up this morning." Hikaru lamented, running both hands down his face.

"Picked up?" Kyoya questioned, quirking his slender eyebrow, he could have sworn it had been more of an abduction.

"Picked up, kidnapped, whatever! What we need to do now is find her!" he growled back at the seemingly unaffected young man.

Honey stayed quiet and looked thoughtful, he was worried for Haruhi too but he didn't think she could have gotten very far. "Did she say where she was going to anyone?"

Kyoya's looked up, his eyeglasses reflecting the light in the room and he began absently rubbing his chin, "Now that I think about it I do think she mentioned something about checking on Mori-senpai..."

Multiple pairs of eyes seemed to settle on the dark haired youth at once, most held looks of scorn.

"Couldn't you have remembered that earlier, Kyoya!" Tamaki bellowed, his face clearly construed his annoyance at his friends uncharacteristic yet strategic absent mindedness but the tension in his shoulders immediately began to dissipate.

Honey was the only one who did not seem irritated by this recent revelation, for him it simply meant another adventure. "Yay! Let's go visit!" he yelled, getting up and running out the door before anyone could really comprehend what was going on.

Kaoru came to his senses first and followed after his small, blonde friend. Tamaki and Hikaru followed suit quickly after leaving Kyoya alone in their room which was exactly what he had wanted all along.

Mori was torn from his peaceful sleep by a constant banging on the door of his room. He stood up, slightly disoriented and moved sluggishly toward the offensive noise. His eyes trailed over to the small woman that lay in his bed and a small smile touched his lips. He was thankful that she was still sleeping, that this disturbance had not woken her. For a brief moment he wondered if he should even answer the door, it was so pleasant here in this room alone with her. If he were able to he would just stay here with her forever but he knew that was an impossibility. There was also the mystery of who it may be, should it be someone he did not wish to see, namely Katsu, he did not know how he would handle himself. Truly, he did not like confrontation but should Katsu threaten Haruhi he would not hesitate.

Unlatching the lock he slowly opened the door though he was no longer hesitant, he could feel an all too familiar aura from the other side of that door.

The first thing he saw was a visibly upset Tamaki, eyes bloodshot and his nose running, the very definition of pathetic. He was quickly able to identify the rest of his friends. The only absence he seemed to note was Kyoya which was no real surprise. Tamaki opened his mouth to speak but only ended up in hysterics, blubbering like a hormonal teenaged girl. The twins tried to comfort him but more importantly they tried to shut him up, it was still early morning and they did not want to disturb the other guests of the hotel.

Honey smiled up at his cousin and though the tall man had not yet said a word Honey could already determine that they had found Haruhi, he could barely make out her form beneath the blankets and pillows on the bed. The small blonde quirked an eyebrow, surely his cousin had not shared that bed with her. No, he decided almost instantly, his Takashi was too honorable for that sort of thing but he could tell, even with Haruhi sleeping that something had changed drastically between his best friends in a very short span of time.

Tamaki seemed to snap out of his hysterics after a few moments, "Where's my daughter?" he demanded. With determined strides he tried to make his way into the room, spouting some nonsense about his poor lost daughter and how frightened she must be since they had been separated for so long. A large hand settled itself on his chest before he was able to enter and he looked up into the steel grey eyes of his senpai. Tamaki took the moment to assess him, the look in Mori's eyes was not threatening but it was hard and stern making it clear that he did not want Haruhi to be disturbed at the moment. Tamaki was suddenly struck by his own boorish actions and how considerate the other man seemed to be of Haruhi's feelings. Tamaki knew he had never been that way, knew he could never be that way. Though he did love Haruhi, he always put his own wants and needs before her. He could tell that his stoic friend was the complete opposite, that he would always make Haruhi his first priority. Always choosing her happiness over his own and in that way Tamaki felt that maybe Mori's love for Haruhi surpassed his own.

The excitable blonde took a step back and nodded his head in understanding.

"Is Haruhi with you, Mori-senpai?" Kaoru questioned, still not entirely sure. After all, the other man had not confirmed or denied their assumption that she was with him.

The tall youth nodded, "She's sleeping."

A collective sigh of relief was released from all of the men, save for Mori-senpai.

Hikaru's face reddened as he realized the implications of Haruhi sleeping in Mori-senpai's bed. Indeed, all members of their little group were curious as to why she had ended up there. Now was not the time, perhaps later there would be explanation about what events had occurred but even then Hikaru was unsure if he truly wished to know.

"Wake her up Takashi! It's time for breakfast and I want cake!" Honey said before bolting past his cousin and jumping on the bed.

Haruhi shot up in the bed, her hair disheveled and her clothing wrinkled.

She rubbed her eyes sluggishly, "What... what time is it?" Her mouth opened wide as a yawn escaped her tired lips.

"Good morning Haru-chan!" Honey exclaimed enthusiastically, instantly arming his most adorable smile just in case Haruhi decided to wake up in the same fashion that Kyoya usually did.

"Oh, Honey-senpai..." Haruhi's eyes scanned her surroundings quickly seeing all of her friends looking back at her.

Haruhi's face flushed when she realized what all of them must be thinking. She knew she had nothing to be ashamed of. She and Mori-senpai had confessed their feelings for one another if anything she should be happy. Instead all she could seem to focus on were all of her friends eyes on her and how uncomfortable that made her feel.

"What are you all doing here? Where's Kyoya?" she asked, hoping to get all of their attention off of her and onto someone else.

Hikaru spoke up, "We were worried about you Haruhi. Nobody knew where you were, the last time anyone saw you was hours ago. Look, Tono hasn't gotten any sleep!"

Hikaru thrust Tamaki towards the bed and Haruhi could see how bloodshot his eyes were. It did make her guilty to see how exhausted he looked and she did not doubt that he had worried about her. She didn't doubt that they all had worried about her but she could take care of herself.

"I'm fine." she declared a little more firmly than she had intended but it was just as well. She was tired of being here, all she wanted to do was go home. This trip had contained more commotion than she would have liked though she had to admit that not all of it had been unsatisfactory.

Mori could sense Haruhi's discomfort though his back was turned to her. He made his way over to the bed and picked up his golden haired cousin.

"Waaahhh Takashi what are you doing?" he kicked his legs and flailed his arms frantically. "Put me down."

"Mitskuni" he said as he set his cousin back down on the ground just outside the door, he sank down to one knee bringing himself eye to eye with the smaller man. "I think it's time for us to take Haruhi home."

Honey pouted but shook his head up and down indicating that he understood and accepted what his cousin was saying to him. "Can we at least stop for pancakes on the way home?"

Mori nodded once and mussed the golden hair on Honey's head. Honey scampered off towards his room to pack his bags for their journey home.

The tall youth ushered the rest of his friends out into the hallway and left Haruhi in the bedroom to freshen up and dress for the day.

"Thank you for coming." he said to the other men who had all become his friends and some had been his rivals in love. He was humbled that they would all make their way all the way here to watch him compete in his matches and show their support.

Since Hikaru and Tamaki seemed to have lost their voices, Kaoru spoke on their behalf, "It was no problem Mori-senpai. None of us wanted to miss our stoic knight in action! I'm going to take these two back with me, it's about time we all headed home as well. Hikaru and I have a meeting with a fashion designer to scope out their new spring and summer lines. See ya later!"

Kaoru grabbed one of Tamaki's hands and one of Hikaru's and led them back down the hall. Haruhi was safe and there was nothing more to worry about. At least nothing more he needed to worry about, he couldn't exaclty speak for Tamaki and Hikaru.

Kaoru could feel his brother practically dragging his feet as they walked away. His heart ached a little for him because for the second time the woman he loved had chosen another man. Kaoru hoped that someday soon a woman would come along and replace Haruhi on the pedastal that his brother had placed her upon in his heart.

"Come on guys, pick up the pace. You know Kyoya will leave you behind if you don't hurry."

The boys quickened their strides and managed to make it back to their room just as the bell boy was taking away the last of Kyoya's luggage.

The bespectacled youth turned to the group a mocking smile on his face. "Hooray, you made it just in time."

The journey back home took longer than Haruhi had anticipated. She realized that she must have slept for a majority of the time on their way to the arena yesterday than she had initially thought. The inside of the car that Takashi drove was dark, black leather seating with dark blue accents that ran along much of the interior. The tint of the windows was so dark that Haruhi would have sworn that it were midnight had she not known that it was late afternoon. Honey-kun was fast asleep in the back seat snoring softly as he clutched his pink Usa-chan to himself looking all the more like a child than he did when he was awake. He had eaten his weight in syrupy pancakes at the restaurant they had stopped at. Haruhi had taken note of what Mori-senpai had ordered, it seemed as though he preferred his pancakes with fresh strawberries and powdered sugar. He shied away from the more cloying topping options. She filed that away in her brain for later use. She wanted to know his likes and dislikes and as he didn't tend to talk much she assumed the best way for her to learn those preferences would be to watch his actions, to silently observe him the way he observed others.

Mori kept his eyes on the road his left hand on the steering wheel while his right worked the gear shift. Haruhi found herself more than surprised that his car was so extravagant. She was curious to know if cars were something he happened to be passionate about. She knew he enjoyed kendo and judo but she had always wondered if those were true passions of his or just activities he participated in because they were Honey-kun's interests.

Soft music played in the vehicle as they made their way back to the busy city, if she wasn't mistaken the genre was referred to as lounge music. Haruhi contemplated that for a moment. She had never thought about what music he preferred because he was such a quiet and reserved person by nature but truly it wasn't fair to assume that every facet of his life was complete silence. She couldn't imagine that he much enjoyed the frantic J-pop that Tamaki and the twins were so fond of. The music seemed to fit him perfectly. The music was beautiful, understated with a romantic sort of quality just as he was.

Haruhi stole a sideways glance at her companion, her boyfriend. The concept still felt foreign to her, she had been convinced that there was no way that he could feel the same way about her. That there was no possibility of him returning the feelings and that dark thought had begun to take root in her heart but he had proven her wrong. The brown eyed girl could not recall a time before in all her life that she had been more pleased to be wrong.

For the first time in a very long time Haruhi felt content but even so there was a small bit of trepidation that clouded her happiness. Everything would be different between the two of them now that they had openly expressed their feelings for one another. Granted their relationship wasn't exactly effortless before now but there were changes coming and she wasn't sure what impact those would have on either of them. Since their departure from the kendo venue he had not shown any affection towards her or shared any romantic words with her, not that she truly expected him to. She was curious to know what he was thinking now sitting beside her inside of the dark interior of the car.

Mori hit the lever to the left of his steering wheel to signal his turn onto the exit. He would drop Mitsukuni off at home first before taking Haruhi back to her apartment. He had felt her eyes on him several times throughout their trip but he wasn't much for conversation. He felt himself becoming increasingly self conscious of the fact that she may be unhappy to be with him right now, that she was bored by his presence. The young man wanted nothing more than to reach across the dark interior of the cab and take her hand in his own but unfortunately he needed to shift gears. He cursed himself now for deciding that a manual vehicle was a good choice.

It was early evening by the time he pulled up the long drive of Mitsukuni's home. The diminutive blonde was still sleeping when he parked the car. Mori couldn't bring himself to wake his sleeping cousin so instead he got out of the car and gingerly lifted him. He stopped at the passengers side window "I'll be right back." he told Haruhi.

Mori shifted Mitsukuni cradling him in one arm when he reached the front door as he pressed the doorbell. Several moments passed by before Jirou opened the door and greeted him.

"Good evening Morinozuka-san. Ah, I see you've brought the little master home. Right this way."

Jirou led the way down the winding hallways of the Haninozuka compound but even without his help Mori could have located Mitsukuni's room with his eyes closed. Throughout his life he had probably spent more time in Mitsukuni's home than his own, it had only made sense since he had been Mitsukuni's sworn protector and best friend since the day he had been brought into the world.

The tall youth gingerly laid his cousin down in the large expanse of his bed careful not to wake him. Mitsukuni grumbled something in his sleep and shifted to his side. Mori allowed a small wistful smile to pass over his lips and he watched his cousin for a moment. The realization that soon he would no longer be able to do this stung a bit. Soon Mitsukuni would be going his own way in life and Mori was unsure of what may happen between he and Haruhi but for the first time since he was born they would be distant from one another. Reaching down he brushed a lock of the boys golden hair from his face before he turned for the door and made his way back to the car.

Haruhi was still waiting patiently for him, her bright brown eyes met his as he slid back into the drivers seat.

"Sorry." he said as way of apology not only for having to leave her alone but also for his inability to make good conversation. He cleared his throat, "Are you hungry?" He was trying his best to be engaging but it was difficult.

Haruhi shook her head, "No I'm fine. Thank you Mori-senpai."

Mori turned the key in the ignition feeling slightly dejected as he turned out of Mitsukuni's driveway and headed towards Haruhi's apartment complex. He didn't want this time with Haruhi to end and he wanted to be able to make up for the monotonous silence he provided. He was also bothered that she had not called him by name. He knew that it would take time before she would do so regularly. He was determined to break that habit.

Even so, silence accompanied them home just as it had for the entire day. Neither party truly sure of what to say to the other.

Haruhi wondered what she could say to him. What was there left to say? They had already gotten the hard part over by confessing their feelings, hadn't they?

Upon arriving at Haruhi's apartment Mori was sure to act the proper gentleman as he opened Haruhi's car door for her and walked her up the steps to her unit.

"Thank you for brining me home Mori-sen... I mean Takashi." she began but trailed off embarrassed that she couldn't manage to remember to use her boyfriends own first name. She assumed that in time she would naturally begin to use his given name instead but for now it seemed to be a bit of a struggle.

A small smile touched her boyfriends lips, the first she had seen since very early this morning and it made her heart beat harder in her chest.

Mori ruffled her hair and turned to leave not really knowing what boundaries had been set between the two. Even though they were technically together now did that give him leave to kiss her any time that he desired? He was unsure and truly didn't want to have to ask the awkward question so he decided it was more prudent leave it up to her.

Just before he was able to take the first step down back to his car he felt Haruhi's small hand grasp his forearm.

"Um.. Takashi." the girl asked a furious blush covered her cheeks and the bridge of her nose. "Can I.. Do you think it would be alright if I kissed you goodnight?" She felt foolish for asking but she was unsure of what he would think was appropriate. He was not an overtly affectionate person and she did not wish to push him to give more than he was willing to.

Haruhi heard the deep rumble of his laughter, looking up she saw the amusement shining clear in his eyes.

"Aa." he said before lowering himself to her and pressing his lips to hers.

Haruhi leaned into their kiss feeling relieved and ecstatic. After a moment he finally pulled away though she could feel his disappointment that it had to end.

The tall young man ran his hand down the side of her face, "Good night little one." He turned taking his leave.

The remainder of the weekend passed by in a blur. Haruhi rushed down the sidewalk towards the coffee shop that she sometimes liked to stop at. It was Monday morning and she had woken up late for school. What was worse was that she had agreed to meet Takashi for coffee before classes began that morning.

As she rounded the corner her eyes fell upon his form, tall and graceful as leaned against the building looking completely at ease.

She bowed deeply in front of him, "I am so sorry senpai. I woke up later than I meant to, I couldn't seem to find my books for my law class and I didn't have any matching socks today." The words just seemed to rush out of her mouth and Haruhi was shocked that she had even bothered to divulge all of the embarrassing details of her morning to him.

Mori shrugged his shoulders, indicating that he did not mind at all that she had been late. He was just pleased that she had agreed to meet with him this morning. He wasn't particularly certain why he would think she may deny his invitation but he had still felt a bit of anxiety when he had asked her to meet him here.

Luckily she had readily agreed, he had barely slept last night he was very eager to see her again. The raven haired young man had replayed his first kiss with Haruhi multiple times committing each detail to memory. It pleased him to know that he would able to replay his memory in live action now.

Haruhi was now his girlfriend.

He held the door open for the petite young woman and they made their way into the cafe, the cheerful little bell rang above their heads. At the counter Mori allowed Haruhi to order first, she ordered her standard chai tea as well as a croissant. Mori ordered a large black coffee with two sugars.

Mori took note that the young lady who had attended them on their visit before was either not working or no longer employed at this establishment. Either way he was relieved, he did not feel that he could tolerate anyone being rude to Haruhi again.

The couple walked down the sidewalk towards the University in relative silence content just to be in the presence of the other. Haruhi offered some of her croissant to Mori which he readily accepted. She tore a piece of the pastry off and fed it to him, though she hadn't meant for the gesture to be romantic necessarily she couldn't help but notice the dusting of pink that appeared upon her boyfriends cheeks. Trying to quell some of the awkwardness that her mindless actions had caused she asked if he liked croissants and he nodded his head, a sign of his approval.

"I could make them for you sometime. They're relatively easy to bake." she offered.

A subdued smile spread across Mori's face, "Aa, I would like that little one."

Mori noted the unusual expression that crossed Haruhi's face.

"Is something wrong, Haruhi?" he asked. He could not determine a cause for her expression.

"I'm just curious to know why you call me that." she asked.

His brows came together on his forehead and his mouth turned down into a frown, "Does it displease you?" he asked, he did not want to continue to refer to her in this way if it made her feel uncomfortable. Honestly, it was just the nickname that came to mind when he thought of her. She was so petite in comparison to him he had thought it was rather appropriate.

She shook her head furiously, "No, no it's alright. I... I like it."

The young man reached out a hand and took one of hers in his own, her small fingers curled around his. The couple wondered what sort of looks they might receive when people saw them on campus with their hands clasped like this. Mori was certain that the kendo club would be pleased to see the two of them together, save for one member. Though Katsu was still a concern for him he would not allow himself to dwell on the issue. For the first time in his life he was happy and it was his own happiness.

As anticipated they received several surprised glances, some students whispered to each other behind their hands while others blatantly stared. Haruhi did her best to pay them no mind she had dealt with more incredulous looks when she was in the host club, it was Takashi that she was worried about. She didn't believe that he really relished all of the additional attention that he was getting. She looked up, craning her neck slightly to see his expression but as always his mask of indifference was firmly in place. If the scrutiny was causing him any discomfort there was no indication if it on his face.

Though all eyes seemed to be on them that morning no one made any verbal comment about their supposed togetherness. Mori escorted Haruhi to her first class and walked her home after classes had been dismissed for the day.

The next week passed similarly, the newly minted couple getting accustomed to one another's company. Slowly Mori became more conversational with her, though marginally so. She knew he would never be as outspoken as Tamaki and for that she was grateful. Takashi's quiet nature was a considerable reason why she felt the way she did for him.

Haruhi allowed herself to relax for the first time in quite a while. Simply allowing herself to enjoy the time that she was able to spend with the one that she loved the most.

Takashi surprised her when he suggested that they should visit Misuzu-san in Karuizawa for spring break. He mentioned that the hot springs may be a nice vacation for the two of them to take together. Haruhi didn't see the harm in that, it would be nice if they could spend some quality time alone together. Takashi was making her excited about the future and that made her smile.

Thank you all so much for being patient with me! Honestly, I'm a little disappointed that it took me this long to release a chapter that is so commonplace but I was really trying to wrap up this story arc. I think this story has about 10 more chapters or so to go depending on how much material I put into each chapter. I have one more story arc that I will be developing which will focus heavily on Mori and Haruhi's relationship developing further and how their lives are influenced by each others presence. I've already begun work on the next chapter but that's no guarantee that it will be out very soon. I'll do my best to post it sometime next month probably right before the Thanksgiving holiday. Please review! It keeps me motivated!