Disclaimer: I do not own OHSHC; Studio Bones and Bisco Hatori own it. I do not lay claim to the original idea of the Ouran Elementals; many thanks to Star-of-Seraph for her permission to use them. However, I do own this whole storyline and everything non-canonical.

Rating: M, for sensuality. There are no explicit scenes, but for those who consider themselves sensitive to adult situations, I advise you to take care during the course of this chapter.

Author's Notes: There are three people that I'd like to dedicate this chapter to:

First is to Huamulan03, my beta and godsend rolled into one. She spent over a week making sure that everything I wrote was worthy of your eyes. I cannot express my gratitude enough to her, so this is the best I can do.

Second is to Sambucivox, my playful muse. Despite the time zone limitations, she's willing to stay up most of the night with me to help me pound out plot details. Plus, she and Huamulan have it bad for a certain character, and I thought this would make them scream in delight.

The last is to Aenisses Thai, my fellow author-schemer. She's also the person who has watched – and greatly helped – as my writing has become more mature. I hope to do her proud with this chapter.

Chapter 20

It took almost six weeks for the rumors and TV crews to disappear from Ouran's doorstep, but when they did it was like a breath of fresh elemancy had blown through the campus. Everyone seemed to forget the tragic events, and the police had stopped questioning the Host Club once another group of young Elementals was found dead barely ten days later – another failed Circle-forging.

Still, there was a new energy in the students, and Haruhi let herself get swept up into it. Attending the Host Club was a given, so afternoons were a whirlwind of elemancy and lecturing, but every few days she would go to the Sanano house and get some hands-on Balance training from Amaya. When Takumi happened to be around, they would play with higher-level elemancy. Jousuke had even been kind enough to buy a BB gun about the same size as her Balances for Haruhi to do some outside practice with, and she kept extra ammo at the Haninozuka and Morinozuka homes. And somewhere in the midst of all the controlled chaos, she managed to steal time to do homework and keep herself and her father fed.

The last time her life felt this normal was just before the attack from Iwasaki; just before she agreed to forge a Circle with the six most infuriating boys she ever knew.

But now I have no illusions. I know that anything could shatter the little peace we've made for ourselves, Haruhi thought, cleaning up her table and walking the dirty china into the preparation room. Kyouya was smart enough to have made clean-up a part of Haruhi's to-do list, and it filled the last half-hour of her day. It was her favorite chore, especially since no one came by except to drop off dishware and take new ones to their customers. Privacy was a rare commodity, and she grabbed every moment with both hands.

Plus, washing dishes was almost fun when using elemancy. En-Circled-level power was very useful for keeping four or five different water-whirls going at the same time, and the tiled floor at the back of the room stayed markedly dry.

She was in the middle of filling two clean teapots with hot water – then dropping a handful of tea leaves in each to steep – when she felt something lightly break one of her whirls. It was a subtle thing, like a rock getting in the way of a smoothly-flowing river, but it was enough to send her Water-touched senses into a flurry.

Someone's back here.

Carefully depositing the different waters into the sinks, she walked towards the double doors that separated the two rooms. Since the prep room wasn't particularly pretty or well lit, Kyouya kept the doors closed during hosting hours, but it didn't mean that someone couldn't sneak into the room when all seven hosts were distracted. Plus, there was a back door that, although Haruhi left it locked on a regular basis, still provided another entryway.

So it hardly surprised her when she saw a figure – probably male, though it was crouched down as if waiting to pounce – slowly reaching out towards the handle. But rather than feel unnerved or scared, Haruhi simply turned off her elemancy, knelt behind the visitor, and calmly asked, "Can I ask what you're doing?"

To his credit, the person didn't actually jump into the air or let out a shout. Rather, he – definitely a he by the sound of the curse – fell to the side, gracelessly ending up on his posterior and facing her. There was a flash of emeralds over his left eye, his casually worn uniform turning colors, and for a second she thought he might actually retaliate.

Instead, his tattoo died away and he nervously glanced around the room. "Uh, sorry. Didn't know anyone was in here," he said, his voice rough but not unkind.

"It's all right," she said. "I just want to know what you're doing."

He looked embarrassed, and only found his voice after a few moments of glancing from Haruhi to the door. "Yer one of the Hosts, right?"

"Yeah."

"So you know Morinozuka-sempai." Haruhi nodded, and he continued. "I'm an Earth, and I, uh… watched him help some of the first and second years with practice in the Forests. Even though he ain't a tutor, he still spent a lot of time making sure that anyone who needed help got it. He acts like he don't care about what's going on, but he sees everythin'."

Haruhi smiled a little. "Yeah, that sounds like him."

"So I heard about the Host Club, and I thought about comin' down to get help… and then I realized what it really was and I kinda-"

"Didn't want someone to think you're asking for his company rather than his teachings?"

Now he was definitely blushing, and Haruhi took pity on the poor guy. She stood up and offered her hand. "Well, I don't mind you being back here, but you're liable to get whacked in the head if you keep kneeling there. Stand against the wall; you'll still be able to hear."

He took her hand, getting to his feet with surprising ease. "Thanks. I'm Kasanoda Ritsu, Earth Elemental, by the way."

"Fujioka Haruhi, Water Elemental from Class 1-A," she said, walking back to the sink though he stood next to the slightly-open door.

"Hey, I'm in Class 1-D! We're the same age!"

She grinned at him, turning the water back on as she spoke. "Guess that makes us natural friends, huh?"

"Yeah… I guess."

It was quiet for a few minutes; Haruhi let Kasanoda focus on Mori, and she started throwing away some of the uneaten desserts and restacking clean dishware in the sturdy oaken shelves.

When Mori's bass-tone rumble came to a stop, Kasanoda turned his eyes from the hosts to Haruhi. "So what're you doin' back here?"

"I'm the newest club member, so I take care of clean-up. Gives me time to practice elemancy. See?"

And she pulled three whirls out of the sink, sliding the plates through vigorous scrubs, soaks, and rinses without putting a single crack into the delicate china.

"Whoa," Kasanoda breathed. "Never seen a Water do that before."

"Well, if you're like the other Ouran students, you've probably never seen someone wash dishes either," she said pragmatically. The doors were suddenly pushed open, and Hikaru came in carrying both his and his brothers' trays.

"Here you go, Haruhi! Have fun!" he said, carelessly tossing the china into her water-whirls before sauntering back outside with two new trays, his mind echoing with ego-stroking phrases from the customers. Kasanoda, Haruhi noticed, had pressed himself against the wall and remained unnoticed to Hikaru's eyes as the latter exited and shut the door.

"That was kinda mean," Kasanoda said, once he was certain that no one was coming back in.

"Not mean – self-centered. Doesn't bother me, though; that's just the way they are."

"Hnh. You want help?"

"I'm all right. You keep listening to Mori-sempai, though if you really want training from him, you should ask for help. I think he'd be willing to unofficially tutor you."

Kasanoda gave a self-conscious shrug. "It's just… I'm in D-class. From a Yakuza family. And a really crappy Elemental. I'd feel stupid goin' up to him."

"So why bother to come down here if you weren't going to ask for his help?"

"I dunno. Thought about askin' him when he was alone, but he's always got people around him. Even if he don't say much, he's always listenin'. Would be nice to talk with someone like that."

Haruhi could hear the overtones of wistful longing in Kasanoda's voice. For a moment her eyes flicked in his direction, taking in the hunched shoulders and tucked-in chin, and she knew his feelings of not-quite-belonging more than her kindred could understand. It was enough of a distraction, and her fingers over-calculated the placement of a china cup. She knocked it off the tray and it fell to the ground with a musical crash, surprising both of them out of their individual reveries.

"Storm gods," she swore, releasing her elemancy to study the cup. It was broken in four good-sized pieces, but there was no way it was ever going to be salvageable. She sighed, picked it up, and wondered if she could possibly hide the incident from Kyouya.

But as she held it over the garbage bin, Kasanoda put his hand over hers. "Wait. Lemme see it."

She blinked at him, but handed it over without argument.

His tattoo came to life again, but now his fingers began to glow with subdued elemancy. He picked up two pieces, and when he pressed them together the seams melted away. Haruhi could only watch in surprise as he repeated it three more times until the cup was almost perfectly made. When he handed it back, she turned it around in her hand, knowing where the cracks could be but unable to feel them.

Haruhi graced him with a brilliant smile. "Thank you so much, Kasanoda-kun. It looks great."

His gruff reply, somewhat muffled out of embarrassment, was still decipherable. "Don't worry 'bout it."

"No, really, you're a great Elemental. This is wonderful work," she said.

This time, he simply shook his head and walked towards the back of the room. "I'm, uh… gonna head off now."

"Coming back tomorrow?"

He shrugged, and the door opened and shut with barely an audible click. Since her kindred had their minds full of elemancy and hosting, Haruhi saw no reason to bring up the visitor and went back to work without a second thought.

She was still pleasantly surprised to find Kasanoda back in the prep room the next day, just twenty-five minutes before the club was set to finish. It was perfectly timed; Haruhi had already changed and was spinning water when she felt his finger break one of the whirls. Kasanoda gave her a sharp nod and took his place by the door.

Haruhi gave him a warm smile, filled the not-broken cup with tea, and set it on the nearest table. It was empty by the time he left that afternoon.

It continued like that for almost two weeks straight, with him eavesdropping on any Earth elemancy lessons that Mori was giving while Haruhi cleaned up. When there was no tutoring, she watched him study the different personalities of the Host Club, as if he could integrate them into his being through osmosis. And when there was nothing going on, he would just stand around and talk with her.

It was simply because they were so comfortable with one another, and becoming complacent in their solitude, that everything happened the way it did.

"I still don't think that's your problem," Haruhi said, munching on a leftover cookie and leaning against the small table. "You're just a little socially awkward. That doesn't qualify you to need a complete personality make-over."

"I tried talkin' to people, but I get embarrassed and then they get scared and it's just… such a pain in the ass to repeat the same thing over 'n over," he said, sitting on the counter's ledge.

"You do realize that you talk to me just fine."

"Yeah, but yer different – yer not scared of me."

Haruhi shrugged. "I get judged by my looks on a regular basis, and it gets tiresome. I find that the least I can do is remember I'm not talking to an image."

"See? That's why I can talk with you."

Knowing that he wasn't going to really understand until he gained some measure of confidence, Haruhi simply shook her head. "Hand me that towel, Kasanoda-kun? I should finish drying now."

He tossed her the towel, but it fell too short. Both of them bent down to pick it up, and in the process they accidentally bumped heads.

"Ow!" Haruhi hissed, and Kasanoda echoed the pained sentiment. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm good. You?"

"Fine. Sorry about that."

"Nah, it was my fault. Lemme heal it."

And before she could brush him off, his fingers rested just underneath the bump and sent a gentle flood of elemancy into her skin. It wasn't as smoothly done as Mori's healing, but he was painstakingly careful in healing every centimeter of injured skin.

At the end of it, Haruhi let out a satisfied sigh. "That feels great. Thanks."

Then the door burst open again, and Tamaki walked in carrying his tray. "Oh my dear Haruhi, I br-"

He went completely still and silent when at the sight of Haruhi and Kasanoda standing together, with the latter's hand against the former's cheek.

Haruhi winced in pain as Tamaki dropped his tray. And that's the sound of my debt hitting the stratosphere.

"Kasanoda Ritsu, Earth Elemental in Class 1-D. Only child of the current head of the Kasanoda Family, one of top three most powerful Yakuza groups in Tokyo and the only one with a heritage in elemancy," Kyouya said, reading the information from his laptop. "Entered Ouran in high school, stands approximately 5'10", has long red hair, dark brown eyes, and a face that can send small children and animals running from him in terror. He doesn't talk much, and has no friends."

"It can't say that," Haruhi frowned, but when she looked over his shoulder at the screen, she was proven wrong. "These reports aren't very objective, are they?"

"It gives me the information I want," he said dismissively before glancing up at Kasanoda. "However, it does not tell us why you were skulking around our preparation room."

Kasanoda was seated across from the Host Club in one of the two couches; the youngest five sat on it while the third years stood behind their kindred. Though he held his composure surprisingly well, Haruhi could sense the sweat lightly forming along Kasanoda's hairline. She had defended him as best she could against the Host Club's anger and surprise, but when Tamaki had an idea in his head, there was nothing that could turn him from it.

Which is stupid, considering our telepathy, Haruhi thought, barely managing to rein in her temper and keep from mentally screaming at her Light kindred. He can't seriously think that we were doing anything sordid, can he?

Apparently he did, and Tamaki now loomed over Kasanoda. "What business have you with our dear beloved Haruhi, the flower of the Host Club?" he said, his tattoo almost blinding the redhead. "Do not bother to lie, for I can feel the truth of your words with my all-seeing eyes."

Haruhi mentally groaned at the butchered hyperbole. "Tamaki-sempai-"

"There is no need to defend your gentle honor, Haruhi, when your loving father is here to rescue you!" he said, spinning around and pulling her head against his abdomen in a parody of paternal love. She struggled in his embrace, overwhelmed by his physical and emotional enthusiasm.

But Kasanoda magically found his voice and blurted out, "I want to be like Morinozuka-sempai!"

The seven hosts turned towards him, and Haruhi pushed herself out of Tamaki's embrace during his moment of distraction. Mori himself raised an eyebrow, and all leaned in closer to listen better.

"I… Morinozuka-sempai is a lot like me. He's tough and serious, won't talk much, and I think he could kill someone just by lookin' at them. He'd make a great Yakuza boss, you know."

The twins didn't bother to hide their hilarity at such a blunt description of their co-host. Mori looked mortified, and his mind was nearly explosive with embarrassment.

"That's not a reason to accost another host," Kyouya said icily, and Haruhi didn't even bother to correct him because he's being just as possessive as Tamaki my gods they need to get over themselves.

Kasanoda looked a little self-conscious too, but his voice got softer as he spoke. "But he's good with living things. I like animals, and gardening, and takin' care of stuff even if I ain't good at it. And the other students all really like him and admire him. I got a lotta underlings at the house, but they're scared of me. I really wanna make friends and have fun." He glanced up, barely meeting Mori's eyes before turning his face back down at the floor. "Please take me as your apprentice! Teach me to be like you!"

It was the first time Haruhi ever saw Mori's eyes go wide with shock. Then he heaved a sigh and touched his forehead, looking extremely aggrieved by the whole situation. Huni gently patted him on the head, sympathy written all over his features.

"So what do we do, Tono?" Kaoru asked, leaning back and catching Tamaki's attention. "Bossa Nova here doesn't exactly fit the Host Club look. Are we keeping him around?"

Tamaki simply shrugged. "It's not my place to say. We aren't officially a tutoring service, but whatever Mori-sempai wants to do is his choice to make."

"Tamaki."

When the blond looked up, Haruhi caught the vaguest sensation of panic radiating from Mori – enough to make her heartbeat flutter a little faster. And though she didn't know exactly what was said or done, she had a good idea about what was exchanged between the two. Tamaki jumped on the offer so quickly that his mind completely forgot the initial incident that brought Kasanoda to their attention. Rather, he started babbling about 'lovely items' and 'charm' and 'new image', and Haruhi found her interest had completely waned away. When the other Hosts went to go make plans with their fanatical king at the other side of the room, Haruhi went back into the prep room and returned with a tray.

"My suggestion is to take their suggestions with more than a little discretion," she said to Kasanoda, sitting down and sliding the usual cup in front of him. "They're way more interested in having fun than actually helping you."

"But Morinozuka-aniki just said they could help me," he said, looking a little unsure.

"Yes, but you came here for help from Mori-sempai, not them. Though I wish you'd have asked to just learn elemancy, not to be like him. You're fine the way you are."

He didn't seem to have much of an answer for that. Instead he picked up the cup and studied it for a moment. Then gave her a piercing look, something she attributed to his severe features, and asked, "I didn't bring it up b'fore, but do you play 'kick the can'?"

"No, not since I was a child," she said with a shrug, pouring tea for herself. "But I think might be fun to do new things every now and then."

He gave her a half-smile, something tinged with hope, and took a sip. "It's good. Thanks."

"I figured that you'd need the treat. Want something to eat? You might be stuck here for a little while."

"Uh, okay."

They shared a few sweets before Haruhi asked, "So when would you like to play games? We could get some the girls to join us, too."

Kasanoda gave a slightly sideways glance at the Host Club, and Haruhi took it as a 'not yet'. Maybe when he's not so nervous about being around everyone. But she stood up, gave him a friendly smile, and said, "Whenever you want to play, just let me know."

As she bent over to take the empty cup from his hands, the oddest thing happened. Kasanoda leaned forward, and Haruhi felt his breath warm the back of her neck as his nose brushed the hair near her temple. It was such an unexpected action that she stopped in mid-motion.

What is he doing?!

"Bossa Nova!" Tamaki shouted

They jerked apart; Haruhi nearly fell backwards and Kasanoda slammed his head against the couch. Yet when she looked to her kindred, Haruhi saw that Tamaki wasn't mad; he was simply over-zealously trying to get the redhead's attention. Taking advantage of the moment, she snatched the cup from Kasanoda and almost sprinted to the prep room.

That was weird, she thought, shaking her head. What on earth was he doing? It couldn't… nah, he probably wasn't doing anything. I just leaned in too closely, that's all. It was obviously nothing.

When she returned, all seven men were gone, and Haruhi took it upon herself to finish cleaning and locking up. Then, realizing that she had been graced with a few extra hours to herself, placed a call.

"Amaya-san? Do you have some free time for practice?"

She was in the middle of target practice, firing round after round, when she blurted out, "What's it mean when a boy sniffs your neck?"

From the corner of her eye, Haruhi saw Amaya sharply turn her head. "Wait, cease fire." When Haruhi obliged, and both women's Balances were banished, she said, "I don't think I heard you correctly. Say that again?"

"It's kind of a stupid question, but uh… what's it mean when a boy leans in really close to your neck and kind of… sniffs it?"

This time, Amaya let out a howl of laughter.

Not the reaction I was expecting, Haruhi thought nervously, and both Raitoya and Takumi jumped down to see what caused the commotion.

"What's so funny?" Takumi asked, sipping a beer. When Amaya repeated the question, still smirking, he spat out the mouthful in surprise. Haruhi went to catch the spray – prevent it from hitting herself or the others – but Takumi's reflexes were faster, and he threw the wasted liquor on the sidewalk even while doubled over in laughter.

Raitoya just gave Haruhi a look of unadulterated incredulity. "Seriously, kid? You don't know what that means? Were you raised by monks or nuns or something?"

"No," she said, somewhat indignantly. "I just…."

"Who was it? The pretty blond? One of the redheads?" Amaya asked, grinning like a schoolgirl with a dirty secret. "Or was it one of the brunettes? I'll bet they're real freaks in bed – the quiet ones always are."

Haruhi prayed that none of her kindred was listening in, and added a little more depth to her mental shields. "None of them. It's one of the other boys from school. We were just talking to each other when he got this odd look on his face, and when I went to grab something, he kind of… leaned into me. I thought he was smelling my hair, but now I'm not sure."

"You're still playing the cross-dresser, right?" Raitoya asked.

"Yeah."

"Do you wear perfume?" Takumi asked, and she shook her head.

"Dad likes using scented soaps, but that's it."

Amaya got an evil smile on her face. "What Elemental is he? If he's a Wind, I can understand why he did it. Turns Kayo on when she catches a hint of either of your aftershave," she said, with the second part as an afterthought to the two men. The grins they wore now had a distinctly self-satisfied, predatory look.

Haruhi didn't want to follow that train of thought, so she said, "No, he's an Earth."

And all three nodded sagaciously. "Ohhhh."

"Well, that explains that," Raitoya said.

"What?"

Raitoya bowed to Amaya, and Takumi just looked more amused than useful, so she said, "Earth Elementals can sometimes smell hormones. Little changes in body chemistry catch their attention – oh, are you ragging? That's pretty easy for them to catch onto."

It took Haruhi a second to decipher the word, and when she did, she furiously shook her head. "No, no… no… no!"

Amaya didn't seem put-off by Haruhi's reaction. "Anyway, it's a real easy trick – smelling the difference between men and women – for an Earth to learn, and he might have been surprised to find out that you're a lot more feminine than the other guys in the Host Club."

"He was checking you out. Probably figured out that you're a girl, and likes it," Raitoya said, then gave a start when his cell rang. He muttered a quick, "excuse me" before walking back towards the house and talking in a fierce undertone.

Haruhi didn't quite know how to respond to his conjecture. She'd never had a boy 'check her out' before; her whole high school career was spent being a boy. "Are you sure?"

Takumi shared a glance with Amaya and, after she nodded, he said, "Haruhi, come here a sec."

With a puzzled frown, she stepped in front of him. "What?"

But instead of answering, Takumi bent down and lightly brushed his nose against the nape of her neck.

OH!

She went stiff again, but it was different from when Kasanoda smelled her skin. Now there was fire running from her face to her feet, pooling somewhere in-between as every part of her became extremely aware of how closely Takumi stood. Like the tide rolling into the sand, Haruhi felt her body naturally lean forward into his strength.

When he whispered down her neck, gently tickling the hair away, she gave a tiny hiccup of surprise that couldn't have come from her mouth because I never made that kind of sound before. When he drew back and brushed his lips behind her ear, a place that she never considered sensitive until that very moment, her hands were suddenly possessed with the need to return the favor. But Takumi moved quickly, pulling away with that same smug grin from before, and Haruhi stood there holding emptiness between her palms. She had never felt so unsatisfied, or so terribly out of control as her tattoo flashed in time to a pulse of a deeper heartbeat.

"Love the scent you're using," Takumi teased, then added, "Does that answer your question a little better?"

It took her a moment to find her voice – when did my mouth go dry? – before she said, "Yeah. A little. Thanks."

"That guy would be a dumbass not to think you're something hot, anyway. Just try not to break his heart too badly," Amaya said, making it a decisive, dismissive statement. "Any more questions, or can we get back to practice?"

She furiously nodded and summoned her Balance. Target practice kept Haruhi's mind away from thoughts that she didn't think deserved the attention it was receiving… though every time she looked at Takumi's back, leaning against the railing as he chatted with his brother kindred, she had the hardest time focusing on the target.

And when she took a shower that night, she decided to save the berry-and-honey soap for a nicer occasion.

The next day, she found out what the Host Club did with Kasanoda – and wasn't pleased.

"You made him dress up like that?!" she hissed at the twins, trying to keep her tattoo from sparking. "What is the matter with you two?"

"Aw, lighten up, Haruhi," Hikaru said, unabashedly grinning. "Consider it payback for being caught in the prep room with you."

"He wasn't doing anything but talking with me," she said.

"You're our Haruhi, and it's a big no-no to sneak around a dark room with you," Kaoru said, twirling a lock of her hair in his fingers. "Besides, what if he found out your secret?"

"Who cares? It's not like you'd never see me anyway," she argued, tossing his fingers off. "Why don't you actually help him? I thought you were getting over your pettiness, but I guess I was wrong."

Hikaru looked outraged, unable to stop his tattoo from throwing embers onto the desk, but he kept his voice surprisingly even as he said, "Fine. We'll really try and help today, but I'm still not sorry for doing it."

It was the closest thing to an apology that she was going to get. Kaoru didn't even add to it; their minds were sparking with burned pride. Haruhi, however, was still angry at the other Host Club members. Kyouya probably egged the twins on, and neither Mori nor Huni tried to stop it. Even Tamaki, who didn't have a malicious bone in his body, was to blame for even allowing such a thing to happen.

I should find a way to make it up to Kasanoda-kun.

Though when she saw him in the Elemancy Room that afternoon – Hosting was put into momentary hiatus while the Host Club tried to help with Tamaki's new project – Kasanoda was furiously arguing for Mori's safety to the others.

"No, I swear! Someone's after him!" he said, pacing around the room. "There were the two plants, the eggs, a platform breaking under his feet – it's all really obvious!"

"Who'd be dumb enough to attack Mori-sempai?" Hikaru said. "Seriously. He's an Earth and a martial artist – there's nothing he can't take on."

"And he's not going around provoking fights. I find the veracity of this situation very hard to believe," Kyouya added.

"I've seen this shit when people are targeted by Yakuza, and I really think Morinozuka-aniki is in trouble!" Kasanoda insisted, but his cares were repeatedly brushed away as everyone's attention was quickly sucked back to the "image" issue.

But Haruhi was never one to brush off such concerns. The boys were forgetting the fact that they were an illegal Circle, and it was a possibility – albeit a distant one – that someone was attacking Mori to see if he would retaliate. It also wasn't a big leap of judgment to guess that said person might start attacking the rest of the Host Club.

Though the fact that neither Huni nor Mori seemed troubled was a good sign; if they weren't panicking, then they probably had the situation under control. I'll just keep it in mind, she decided, and went to speak with the other first year.

"Ne, Kasanoda-kun," Haruhi said, gently touching his shoulder and stopping his pacing. "I want to apologize for the other members." He looked confused, and she continued. "You know, the stuffed animal, the bad hair-do…."

It definitely took his mind off the previous worries, and he deflated and collapsed on the couch. "Oh that. Yeah, I felt like such a dumbass walkin' into the compound last night. Scared the hell outta one of my men, screamin' at him when he came to check on me."

"It wasn't your fault, obviously. But you can tell the guys 'no' if you don't like something."

"Suou-sempai said he was rootin' for me," he said, voice dropping to careful softness. "He and the others are really tryin' to help."

"Even if you don't need it."

Again, that piercing look, and he opened his mouth to reply when Tamaki grabbed his shoulders and lifted him off the couch. "I have the perfect idea, Bossa Nova! Before we decide on the perfect image, I will work my beautiful elemancy and turn you from a demon to an angel!"

He began weaving light and colors around Kasanoda's body, as if painting the air around him. Haruhi watched, her chin resting on her hand, as she watched outfit after outfit wrap themselves around the redhead's form. The twins would throw in a suggestion here and there, adding their own opinions that Tamaki gleefully fell upon.

If it weren't for the fact that they were doing the silliest things – making Hawaiian costumes, angel wings, and good storm-gods a maid outfit with matching cat ears – Haruhi would have been impressed by Tamaki's show of elemancy.

As it was, she could only feel embarrassment as a long-haired man, not anyone that she recognized, walked into the Elemancy Room. But Kasanoda recognized him, and yelled so loudly that the floor and walls began to shake with the promise of an earthquake. Then he ran, tearing through the illusions and sprinting out the room with the man following as fast as he could.

'What was that about?' Tamaki asked, honestly bewildered.

'One of his men, most likely,' Kyouya said.

'We were really trying to help him this time,' Kaoru said, and Haruhi could feel the truth radiating from the brothers.

'Then let's go find him,' Huni said, making the executive decision. After locking the doors they split off for different parts of the campus. Before she could get too far, Mori put a hand on Haruhi's shoulder, and together they headed towards the garden maze and its fountain. When Kasanoda's back was in sight, sitting on the white marble steps, Mori gave her a little push in his direction.

'Why-'

'There's something I must look for,' he said, and was shocked to suddenly see a large black wolf at her side. It swished its tail in farewell, and silently bounded through the maze.

He's getting better too, she thought, then focused on Kasanoda. In his lap was a small basket, and she was able to see a small bird inside.

"Lemme see the wing," he grunted to it, picking it up and studying it from all angles. After being poked by his finger, glowing with healing elemancy, the bird chirped in lazy delight. "That's better. Time to eat."

And Haruhi couldn't hide her interest. "A sparrow," she breathed, and Kasanoda jumped a little. "Where did you find it?"

He blushed, and she took a seat beside him. "Saw it got hurt a few days ago, so I picked it up. Took it to a vet, said it'd be fine after a few days."

"You were using elemancy on it."

"Just a little. I don't really know what I'm healin', so I didn't wanna accidentally hurt it more."

Haruhi, though she didn't have a particular fascination with animals, felt a little curl of delight in her chest when she saw how tame the sparrow was. "Can I feed it?"

"Uh… sure. Okay."

He gave her the bag of seeds; she sprinkled some on her hands before Kasanoda gently handed her the sparrow. It was a nice sensation to have such a tiny little thing trusting her so much that it was literally eating from her palm. She even pulled a marble of water from the nearby fountain, and it pooled in her hands so that the sparrow could drink to its heart's content.

She spoke in an undertone, not wanting to surprise the bird. "I take it back. You don't really need elemancy lessons from Mori-sempai."

At this, Kasanoda gave her a shocked look. "Wh-what'cha mean?"

"This little bird is healthy. It's fluffing its wings, eating seeds, drinking water – you healed it. You're really very good at healing elemancy – remember how you helped me yesterday? There wasn't even a bruise."

"Thing is, I don't get much chance to practice," he said, matching her quiet. "Most animals don't like me. I end up takin' care of ones that're really sick 'cause they can't run away… but they don't always get better after I help. So I get scared that I ain't gonna be able to help, and I…."

"You should have a little more faith in yourself and your elemancy. Then everything else will have faith in you, too."

He didn't reply, but this time she could sense that he was deep within his own thoughts rather than discarding her words.

'Watch it!' Huni yelled both mentally and verbally, and Haruhi immediately brought the sparrow into her chest and turned her back to protect it. She felt something splash against her clothes and face, and when she looked up, Mori was dragging two men out from the bushes. They didn't look like students, though they wore the uniforms, and they had thick rocks binding their hands and ankles together. Kasanoda jumped up to help deal with the situation, and moments later the other Host Club members came melting into view.

Huni suddenly landed in front of Haruhi, a light frown marring his features. "Are you all right, Haru-chan?"

When she looked at herself, she let out a groan of annoyance. Her uniform was covered in vivid red paint. Though paint could usually be manipulated with Water elemancy, it was now thoroughly trapped in the weave of her clothes. She placed the sparrow back in its box before touching the ruined cloth.

She looked at Kyouya. "I don't suppose this could be kept from my debt."

"We'll take the money from other sources," he said cryptically, and Haruhi decided against asking him about it.

"I'm going to go change, then."

"There will be a new uniform waiting in the Third Elemancy Room when you get there," Kyouya said, flipping open his cell phone.

Normally, Haruhi would have waited to see what happened with Kasanoda, but she didn't want to sit around with paint on her clothes and hair. She quickly walked up to the Third Elemancy Room and, lo and behold, Kyouya was right. There was a new uniform exactly her size – complete with tie, shoes, and a belt – waiting on one of the tables. She carefully picked it up with a clean hand and dashed into the preparation room.

She stripped to her underwear, and was relieved to see that most of the paint had been on her clothes and face. Sliding into the new trousers, she turned on one of the taps and began making a water-whirl for herself. When it was sufficiently warm and soapy enough, Haruhi gently spun it through her hair and scrubbed her face.

Not exactly a high-class spa, but it'll suffice.

She was busy picking at chunks of red in her hair when the door opened, and a sharp breeze cut across her arms and chest.

"Fujioka, I-"

Although she couldn't see through the soapy water, Haruhi instinctively wrapped her arms around her chest and cried out, "Someone's in here!"

The door was slammed so quickly that the china in the hutch shook and clinked. When she was certain that no one was inside, she finished the wash, rinsed her hair, and dried off with an extra hand towel. As she dressed, her mind spun with the water-whirl as she deduced who must have walked in on her.

None of my kindred called me 'Fujioka', and that was no girl's voice saying my name, she thought. That leaves one extremely likely candidate.

Her assumption became more valid as the volume of her kindred's mental-verbal screaming got louder and fiercer. Once dressed, she opened the door and sharply said, "That's enough, you guys," interrupting Kyouya mid-threat.

He, Huni, and the Hitachiins looked extremely upset. While she had expected a violent reaction from the twins, Huni and Kyouya's reactions were unprecedented; they were usually much more self-possessed. Mori looked neutral, though she could sense his displeasure, and Tamaki looked even more vacant than usual – and there was nothing radiating from him, which was the weirdest response thus far.

And Kasanoda was turning such brilliant shades of red that Haruhi was concerned that he might suffer from shock. "Fujioka," he said, turning to her but unable to meet her eyes. "I'm really sor-"

"It's all right," she said, cutting him off. "I didn't mean to surprise you."

He made furtive glances at the Host Club – who were silent but no less menacing – and Haruhi gave him a disarming smile. "Whatever lines they were giving you, don't worry about me. If you want to tell people, I'm fine with that."

There were sparks of frustration from her kindred at such an offer, but Haruhi didn't care. When Kasanoda was gone, nearly running out the door, she turned on them before they could say anything.

'If I find out that any of you did something to hurt him, I am going to transfer schools,' she said, and it was not an empty threat. 'He didn't mean to walk in on me, and he didn't do anything to cause me harm. I keep telling you that I'm your kindred and that I'm never going to leave, but you're all so damn desperate to lock me inside of the Circle that you're losing perspective!'

'He walked in on you half-naked!' Hikaru yelled.

'It was an accident! And frankly, you're always trying to get me out of my clothes, too, so stop casting stones,' Haruhi retorted. 'The excuse of, 'we're kindred' isn't a magic answer.'

'What of your debt, then, if he decides to tell people about this?' Kyouya asked, so cold that he was drinking away light from the windows.

'Then I'll find a different way to pay off. Look, it wasn't his fault that paint got splattered on me, and it wasn't his fault that I forgot to lock the door. Everything will work out, okay?'

They weren't happy – to put it mildly – but Haruhi was having none of their arguments. Rather, she gathered up the painted uniform, threw it in a plastic bag, and headed for home with the fragmented emotions of her kindred following her the whole way.

She was standing back in the grove, the place where she first discovered Kagiri, and felt a terrible sense of apprehension and dread eat away at her stomach.

Because she was alone, and there was a Circle walking towards her, and she couldn't run because they were everywhere at once, getting so close that any one of them could reach right through her.

"You must be Fujioka Haruhi," Voice said. "Nice."

He looked her up and down in a way that made her want to tear his eyes out. Instead, she stood up straight and faced them with all the dignity she could muster.

"And you must be 'Voice'," she said calmly, then picked up the vase filled with spellglobes. "Here. Money for freedom."

All the Elementals chuckled. Voice reached out to take the bribe –

And a flash of Water elemancy exploded near the side of her head, and all the Elementals fell away as they screamed in unified pain. The vase fell to the ground, broken and unwanted, but the spellglobes simply flew into the sky and never came down. Hands suddenly covered hers, and it was like dancing as she and her partner fought back the opposing Circle, moving in tandem with him as she'd never moved with anyone else, until there was no one around but him and her –

Then she was truly dancing, spinning in his arms as the lights of Vivid Lain deafened her and the pounding music raised the hair on the back of her neck. He was still behind her, still holding her hands, and his heartbeat matched hers and the rhythm that their hips were sharing. He was whispering in her ear though she couldn't understand the words but it didn't matter because he was promising this and that and everything and anything she wanted as long as she turned around –

But when she did, all the lights died and now she wasn't sure where he was, just that his hands moved everywhere without finding a place to rest and it was driving her insane because she needed more, more, more than just a touch and a glance. When her endurance reached its limit, she created a sphere of champagne and let it rain over her face and clothes because she knew he liked to drink and wanted his attention on her and only her –

"Haruhi?"

A sharp breeze cut across her naked skin as someone opened the door. She couldn't see through the water but wrapped an arm around her chest and the other further down, crying out, "I need some soap!"

She felt him break the water-whirl, and it became bigger as it embraced them. She felt his thumbs brushing droplets from her eyes, and he tilted her face up as his mouth hovered over hers. But he dipped lower, his teeth nipping at the pulse in her neck as if his tastes ran deeper, and she let out a moan of frustration at being so teased. It quieted when she felt his hands gently push hers away from her body, and she felt so exposed in front of those eyes and matching tattoo that she tried to cover back up –

"No, don't," he whispered against her ear, his voice familiar as a caress, and she felt his hands rest on her hips. "We have to get all the paint off."

The water was hot now, filling the room with a thick steam that hid his features. He moved his fingers in small circles on her skin, lathering her with a bar of soap that he carefully passed from hand-to-hand. She lifted her arms overhead, watching him as his hands slowly slid up her back – too slowly, and she vocalized her impatience over and over –

Until the touch found its way to her chest, fingers sliding across all things sensitive, and his name fell from her lips like holy water. Her back arched and she pressed herself into his palms, her arms encircling his neck as her hips begged to meet his. She felt feathers of water brushing her, and something more than elemancy showed her how to touch him back without moving a finger. When she heard a gasp of stunned passion, she took the soap from his hand and began to repay the favor. There was no rushing as she covered him in the delicious scent of sea salt and summertime limes, and she would have cleaned every inch of him except he grabbed her wrists and pushed himself against her –

The soap fell forgotten to the floor as they lathered each other's skin without hands. Their mouths met and she buried her fingers in his hair to keep him close, though he didn't make a move to leave the seduction of her lips and tongue. The whole length of him was against her and she knew that he wanted it as much as she did. He reached a hand down to her leg, trailing his fingertips against her curves to make her shiver, until his fingers held the back of her thigh and lifted it up and –

BRRRRRRRING!

Haruhi literally awoke with a loud gasp, her eyes flying open so quickly that she had no idea if she was awake or asleep. Her hands were clutching the futon, her heart was frantically racing, and there were no coherent thoughts because her body was still in total control.

Oh! My! God!

She slapped the alarm clock and ran out of the bedroom in one motion, relieved to see that her father was still asleep. She hit the bathroom, locking the door but not turning on the light. Throwing off her pajamas, she cranked on the cold water; using elemancy, she dropped it a giant deluge over her head and barely held back a shriek as she did it over and over.

It was just a dream it was just a dream there's nothing meaningful about it because it was just a dream….

But it didn't stop the not-memory from replaying in her mind like a Light-crafted illusion. It didn't stop her from remembering the steam and soap, the fight and dance, the elemancy and energy.

The knowledge of who she had been dreaming about.

I have to get this out of my head or they're going to read it and I can't let them know oh my God I have to finish it get it out of my head I have to finish it….

She left the bathroom twenty minutes later, carrying a furious blush on the back of her neck and the scent of wild berries and honey on her skin.

Haruhi should have realized something odd was going on when the Third Elemancy Room went quiet. The Host Club was in full swing, though she was in the preparation room putting together a new tray, but she only figured out that something was wrong when five of her kindred's minds went needle-sharp with resentment.

Mori's, however, was peaceful as an evergreen in winter when he said, 'Someone is here for you.'

A moment later, she heard Kasanoda say, "I-I'd like to request Fujioka."

The outburst from all the assembled ladies was loud enough to shatter glass and break eardrums. However, all Haruhi felt was a pleasant tingle of affection – and surprise. Kyouya had told her about the successful bonding between Kasanoda and Tetsuya – the long-haired man that visited the previous afternoon – and she was quietly overjoyed to hear that her friend had finally found his confidence. Thus, she hadn't expected to see him anytime soon, believing he would take the time to bond with his underlings.

I guess he came by to tell me about it.

It was a doubly-positive sign. He obviously hadn't been scared away by the boys' over-protective fury; quite the opposite, since he was coming to visit during hosting hours. Haruhi welcomed his presence and down-to-earth coolness.

And talking with him will be a great way to keep my mind on safer subjects, she thought, picking up the newly-prepared tea tray and walking out.

"Welcome, Kasanoda-kun," she greeted. He was seated on the big red couch, which both of them favored, and she slid next to him. "Decided to be a customer today rather than eavesdrop?"

"Uh… yeah," he mumbled.

She set out the two tea cups and pulled the plate of treats off the tray. "I brought out black tea and your favorite desserts," she said.

"Oh, uhm, lemme help you."

"No, it's all right. You're a customer now," she said, pouring some for both of them, and dropped her voice down to a sotto voce. "Thanks for coming back."

"Er… it wasn't anythin'."

He looked a little bit overwhelmed, and Haruhi could understand. With all the girls still screaming in the background, and Renge at the head of it, it was a wonder that he could hear her at all. She leaned her head closer to him, as if sharing secrets, and found it much easier to converse.

With kind encouragement, he spoke about himself, his followers, and new elemancy classes. Haruhi let herself act little more exuberant than usual, wanting to remind him that though he knew of her gender, she was still the same person that he shared leftovers and cold tea with. They were free to be themselves around each other.

Plus, she wanted Kasanoda to have someone to talk to, since he always looked so lonely between classes, and getting him comfortable with the Host Club was as good a start as any.

A shadow fell over them, and looked up to see Tamaki leaning over the back of the couch. He had a broad smile on his face, though Haruhi could immediately tell how terribly false it was. "Dearest Haruhi, let me help you with hosting today. I imagine the trauma suffered by you yesterday keeps you from being in the best of straits."

"I'm fine, thank you," she said pleasantly, but shot him a little mental warning. 'Go away.'

"But nothing would please me more than to help my daughter with her customers today," Tamaki said lightly, coming around the couch to Haruhi's other side.

She was about to tell him off (in more ways than one) when Kasanoda frowned. "Wait, what the hell are you talkin' about? Daughter? You call her daughter?"

The blonde stopped dead in his tracks, hand halfway to the teapot. "I, uhm… I'm her father."

"Are you kiddin'?"

Tamaki's mouth opened and closed a few times. "Well… okay, so we're not blood related."

Kasanoda stood up, and Haruhi mentally winced; she really didn't want all the attention pulled onto them. "Just ignore him," she said, tugging on Kasanoda's sleeve while throwing dirty looks at her Light kindred. "Tamaki-sempai, don't you have customers to tend to?" 'I could use a little help here!'

"But I don't get it," Kasanoda said, looking from Haruhi to Tamaki. "Why's he callin' you 'daughter' when he ain't yer father?"

And the blond blinked a few times before collapsing in a dead faint; like usual, Huni caught him before Tamaki could crack his head against the floor. He was quickly whisked away to the preparation room, and Haruhi stood up to follow. She sensed blankness where Tamaki's spirit should be and wanted to make sure he was well.

'He'll be fine. We'll take care of this,' Kyouya said sharply, and his mind snapped shut like a trap – as did the others'. She gave a small shake of her head, and both of them sat down.

"Uhm… is he gonna be okay?" Kasanoda asked. "Hope I didn't offend him."

Haruhi rolled her eyes. "He's been through worse. I just don't understand why he was so adamant about helping just now," she said, and couldn't hold back a sigh.

"How d'you deal with this club? I mean, they're all hyper and yer… not."

"Well, it's my fault that I'm here, but they're actually really nice to me. They're strange, but they watch out for me and help me when I need it."

"So is that why Suou-sempai does the whole father-daughter thing with you?"

"He's always called me his daughter; it's annoying, but as long as he doesn't do it around the customers, I really don't care. For someone who's so worried about my gender being discovered, he has absolutely no sense of discretion. But he does act a little like my dad, so I try not to let it bother me when he says it."

A small burst of starlight shone behind Haruhi's eyes; Tamaki just had a rather joyful reaction to something that someone said. She actually had to brace herself against the table and Kasanoda while the room spun around and disappeared for a few seconds.

"You okay?"

"Just some elemancy backlash," she lied, pulling her hand off his leg. "You look a little flushed. Should I get some iced tea?"

He shook his head. "N-no, I'm good. So, uhm, is it okay if I come back? Like, you could get some time off from hosting the girls and just relax with me?"

She was a little surprised that he would offer to spend his time here when it was obvious he could be with his underlings, and that must have showed on her face. He then turned away and said, "I-it's only if you want me to come back."

His thoughtfulness made her smile, one of those "all-natural-host" smiles that Kyouya made so much money off of. "I'd appreciate it. You know, I'm really glad that we can be so close."

"Me too," Kasanoda said, but his next words came out in a stutter. "Fujioka, I… I like…

"I like you!"

It took a second for the meaning to sink in, and when it did, she felt her mind go blank with shock.

Oh. My. God.

The 'voices of her kindred disappeared as she turned her thoughts inward, furiously throwing around theories about how this happened I didn't mean to lead him on I was just trying to be friendly.

All of a sudden, Haruhi understood Amaya's words –

"Try not to break his heart too badly."

– and she made the decision to hurt him as gently as possible. With a false smile, she said, "I like you too. I mean, these kinds of friendships don't come around too often."

I'm so sorry, Kasanoda-kun.

He gaped at her, and she began putting things away, deliberately keeping her eyes averted. "I usually can't talk to my other friends like this, but you're different and I'm really thankful for that," she said, throwing as much warmth into the words as she could.

I'm not lying, really I'm not. I'm so glad to have you as a friend, but I don't feel that way towards you so it's just better for both of us if I play dumb.

There was an odd sound in the background, like all the female customers letting out a concerted groan of disappointment, but Haruhi ignored it in favor of Kasanoda's next words. She stole a glance in his direction, and saw that he wouldn't look at her either.

"You an' me," he choked out, heroically holding back his disappointment, "we're friends forever!"

"Yeah… forever."

Then from everywhere, the customers (and a few of her kindred) started swarming her and Kasanoda. Words of friendship and praise and something close to adoration was spewing from their lips, but Haruhi left them and cleared away the tea set before anything could become broken. It felt like running away, but she needed time to collect herself.

She passed by Tamaki, Kyouya, and Mori coming out of the prep room, and refused to meet their eyes. She didn't try to shield herself from Kyouya's unsubtle triumph or Tamaki's puzzled relief. All she did was dump the rest of the tea down the drain, throw away the uneaten cakes, and then lean against the wash basin, her hands shaking as she stared down into the water-filled basin.

She saw Kasanoda's expression of pained rejection in her own image, and something in her chest went tight and hard. The dream flashed across her awakened eyes, but now logic was stripping away the passion and leaving behind the bare truth – she dreamt about someone that would only laugh or pity her if she ever told him about it.

That could be me.

Haruhi felt her face burn with humiliation. With a strangled sound, something like a cry and a denial, she slapped the water and destroyed the reflection.

It will never be me!

The rest of the afternoon was spent washing dishes by hand, her elemancy tightly coiled in the pit of her stomach and her mind sealed against her kindred's bewildered touches.

Author's Notes (3/31/08): This was one of the difficult chapters I've had to write, and it's not hard to guess why. Haruhi's changed in so many ways, and I wanted to do justice to her evolving character.

I'm sorry that it took so long to get this posted, but I'm hoping to have the next chapter ready in two weeks. It's taking me much longer to finish this story than I originally intended, but I'm writing as quickly (and as best) as I can.

Thank you to everyone's who reading and professing their love for my story. I admit that I'm basking in it and letting those reviews fuel my inspirational fires like crazy.