A/N: When I started this story, I really didn't think it I would be about to publish chapter 49 (I was thinking more along the lines of 25-30 chapters max). It has become my most popular Ouran story and I actually think it is one of my faves that I have done. I want to say thank you to all of my readers and welcome to all of my new readers. There is an end in sight for the story, but it will take a little while longer before we reach it since we still have to catch the madman. Enjoy the new chapter and please review if you can.
Chapter 49– Speak Gently
Kyoya and Mori observed as the frail girl lying in the hospital bed tentatively opened her eyes before slamming them shut again and then as tears started to fall from beneath lowered lashes. She had been through so much and now they were about to ask her for so much more, but they needed answers from somewhere and she was the girl that had been closest to Yasu recently. She had to know something; at least they hoped she knew something that could lead them to the madman that tried to kill her.
Yuuichi received his little brother's text and hurried to the room where the young lady was lying in wait. Thoughts assailed him as he ran towards the room, but the primary thought, "I really hope Kyoya doesn't push her until she is ready. He better not ask her anything until I can examine her. Head wounds are tenuous enough and she has been out of it for over ten hours." It was his job as her doctor to make sure she was safe and healthy. He needed to protect her from mental and physical assault while she was under his care and if that included kicking his own family out of the room, then so be it.
Walking into the room, Yuuichi witnessed both Kyoya and Mori standing over the girl, one on each side of her bed. They were both leaning down and talking to each other. Clearing his throat since neither man seemed to notice his entrance; he walked up to his patient saying, "Both of you need to back away. I am sure the slightest noise is not helping her head or her anxiety. In fact, I need you to both leave the room while I examine her." When he saw Kyoya about to protest, he tried to assure the younger man that he would not keep them away from her permanently, "Kyoya, you know how head wounds can be and you know how dangerous it is that she was out for so long with a severe concussion. You can't ask her questions right now; if you do, you can do more harm than good. I know you need answers, we all do, but right now I have to think about my patient. You can come back in after I am done."
Kyoya finally nodded his acceptance and followed Mori out of the room. He knew his brother was right, however, that did not make it any easier to be patient now that she was awake. A crazy man was running around the city with guns and ammo, granted they were rigged so as not to hurt anyone, but he was still loose and running amuck. A hand on his shoulder pulled him out of his thoughts and he looked up to find Mori's eyes studying him telling him silently to calm down and wait, "I know Mori. It is just hard to think that we may have someone that can tell us something and we can't do anything. Our hands are tied. I don't want to pressure her, but at the same time I want to know everything she knows."
"I understand, but your brother is right. If we ask her right now, it could hinder us more than help us. We just have to endure and hope that she can give us something later. We have waited this long, we can wait a little longer," Mori said in his quiet and calming way.
"You're right, but you know me," Kyoya grumbled.
Mori chuckled at that statement, "I know." Not many people knew the real Kyoya, and really only the members for the former Host Club could even claim that honor, but that being said, the Shadow King was like a dog with a bone when he wanted something and right now he wanted answers.
Both men waited for what felt like an eternity, but in all actuality it was probably only 20 minutes before they were allowed back in the room. Kyoya, being who he is, immediately descended upon the bed and found the girl sleeping once again. Looking up at his brother inquisitively, he expected his brother to tell him what happened.
"She was in immense pain as was expected. She was also in the middle of a panic attack when I started to examine her so I had to sedate her. I'm sorry, but you will not be able to question her until later. I see that look Kyoya, and if I have to, I will prevent you from being in her room at all," Yuuichi declared.
It chafed knowing that he would not be able to question the girl right now, but he also knew how bad brain injuries were. He would postpone his inquest for now, but he would not delay forever, "I will hold off on the questioning for now, but you need to remember who is in charge of this hospital. Now, tell me if she said anything."
Sighing, the eldest Ootori son spoke in low tones, "She just kept mumbling something about 'you were supposed to love me'. She didn't say anything else and I barely understood what she was saying. I couldn't even get her name out of her." He was used to his brother tactics and honestly believed that their father chose the right son to oversee everything in the zaibatsu, but that did not mean he liked the way Kyoya was throwing his weight around right now and threatening him. Needing answers is one thing, but using tactics such as this was not the way to go about it.
Kyoya nodded and followed his brother with his eyes as Yuuichi left the room to care for other patients. Running a hand through his hair as he sank into a chair in the room, he wasn't sure what to do now except pray that the woman lying in the bed would be able to tell them something, anything soon. Hearing Mori sit down on the small couch in the room, he knew they were about to settle down for a very long night of sitting there and waiting for her to wake up once again.
Haruhi was curled up against Hunny's side on the bed in a bid to get as close to him as possible while they watched a movie on the TV. Right now she needed his comfort, to know that he was there and not going anywhere. She may not have agreed with everything that he and Kyoya had done, but she did understand why they did it and she did love him. She also knew that if anything were to happen, he would do anything and everything to protect her and their friends. It was one of the many things that had always drawn her to him; she may not have fallen in love with him in high school, but there had always been a connection and a level of admiration she never really had with anyone else. Maybe that was the base and the start of her feelings, she wasn't sure, but she did know that in the short time he has been back in her life, he has become an intricate part of it.
Feeling his fingers on one of his hands comb through her hair brought a small smile to Haruhi's face. Hunny's other hand was linked with one of hers and holding strong; both afraid of letting go, and both of them needing the physical contact. She wondered what it would feel like to have him closer: to feel him in her, with her, around her. Shaking off those thoughts before she allowed herself to act on them, she tried to move closer to him and his warmth.
"Are you alright Haru-Chan?" Hunny asked as he rested his chin on top of her head.
Shrugging a little, she knew he was asking as a matter of perspective. No she wasn't alright with everything, but she was ok because she was there with him and knew she was safe, "I will be. I just want him to be found and put away forever. He is psychotic. I kind of feel like it's my fault that someone is lying in a hospital and hurt because he was trying to get to me."
"I know this is about to sound harsh and crass, but I don't care… I would rather it be someone else than you. I know that you may not agree with that though. However, I think if you had been with him, it could have been you lying in there and I don't know if I could handle that," Hunny emphatically stated. The thought of her hurt or anything else twisted his gut and brought tears to his eyes.
Tears burned her eyes at not only the words he spoke, but the passion he spoke with. She knew he was serious and although she hated the situation and she still felt at fault, it made her feel good that he cared that much about her. With Hunny, it was more than the words he said, it was his actions and the emotions he invoked when he spoke to her. Tamaki spouted a lot of pretty words, but could not back them up with deed or action. Yasu had said some words to her, but he did nothing but try to control her and force her to remain at his side. It was in a sense liberating to know that someone loved her and didn't try to force her into a prison. If she needed to walk away, she was sure that Hunny would let her leave waiting until the day she returned to him. It wasn't about control with him, it was about the pure love he felt for her and she knew it, she could feel it.
Hunny knew that what he said made it sound like he was happy that someone was in the hospital due to wounds inflicted by Yasu's hands, but that wasn't the case. He was happy that it wasn't Haruhi that was suffering and in pain. He meant it when he said he would rather it be anyone other than her because he didn't want to see her suffer; it was hard enough to see her in fear, physical pain would tear him up. It could be anyone, including him, as long as she didn't have to suffer at Yasu's hands any longer. If that made him a bastard for thinking it, then so be it. He didn't care.
Gazing down at the woman in his arms, Hunny knew he loved her more than life itself. She was his other half, and he would protect her with everything in him. He had wanted to hit something this morning when Yasu had escaped yet again, and found himself enraged that once again he was unable to stop this whole mental mind game that the lunatic was trying to play with everyone. It was like he was the Harry Houdini of the crazies. It weighed heavily on him that Haruhi was still in danger and they didn't know how long it would continue. She was his world and he couldn't let anything happen to her. Whispering, Hunny kissed the top of her head before resting his chin there again, "I'm sorry we didn't get him this morning."
"I don't blame you. I think he knows how to keep from getting caught, I mean the man is a genius," Haruhi spoke softly.
Furrowing his brow, Hunny asked, "What do you mean?"
"I am surprised Kyoya hasn't found out yet, or if he has, he hasn't told you; the man has a genius IQ. I think it was something like 186. He could have easily gotten into almost any school in the world, but for some reason chose community college."
"You're telling me that the man we are dealing with is a genius and a psycho?" He wasn't sure why he was surprised by this latest bit of news, but he was.
"Yah, and he is able to look at things and analyze them in his head. Maybe that is why he is able to get away so easily," Haruhi stated thinking out loud and trying to piece together everything about Yasu in her head.
Holding her a bit closer, Hunny's words sounded strangled, "Maybe, it is." He wondered if Kyoya knew this bit of information and decided when he could, he would ask. Right now Haruhi was his priority though.
Haruhi pivoted her head and glanced up at the face that was so close to hers and marveled again at how Hunny had matured. He was still the cute loli shota, but he was so much more than that. His features were more pronounced, more masculine and she couldn't help but think, "This is all mine." Reaching up with one of her hands she stroked his face and pulled him closer. When he was a hairs breath away from her lips, she murmured, "I love you." In the next instant she was kissing him and as he kissed her back, things became more heated, more impassioned, and she couldn't stop her hands from roaming under his shirt and feeling the hard muscles of his abdomen.
Sucking in his breath when Haruhi's hands started to rove over his stomach and then his chest, he didn't break the kiss as he tried to get her to stop when her hands started to move south. He couldn't allow her to continue because he didn't think he would be able to stop if he let her carry on with her quest. He was sure she didn't know what she was doing even if it seemed things had changed in the air around them in the last few minutes. "No more Haruhi," he broke off the kiss and ordered her breathlessly.
"I want to Mitsukuni," Haruhi declared in a whisper looking at him in the eye and moving to straddle him as she waited for him to make the next move. The parallels were so clear right now: Tamaki and Yasu would try to get her to sleep with them, but she never did and Hunny didn't want to push her or take it too far too fast. If he wasn't ready, she could accept that, but she felt like she was ready to take it to that next level with him; and it was more than just about the fear and danger she found herself in.
