Quickly going back to the bathroom she spits out the toothpaste and rinses her mouth. Running back to her phone she clicks on the notification. After only 2 rings Kyoya picks up.
"Hello?"
"Haruhi, hello."
"Sorry, I'm staying at Mori's house and was watching a movie, what's up?
"Nothing good I'm afraid. But before I tell you, since you are at Mori-senpai's house I need to tell you something else as well."
"Ok?"
Kyoya tells her the story of what happened in classroom 3A. How Mori had fought the intruder off as much as he could. It looked as if he was going to win until another one entered the room. The new intruder pulled out a gun and aimed it toward Mori. Honey spotted this and charged the man without hesitation, the bullet hit Honey directly in the heart just before Honey's foot collided with the barrel. He was a millisecond too late.
"I thought you should know, in case you see fit to tell him why. For the next part, I suggest you sit down."
"Kyoya-senpai what's going on?" Haruhi asks panicked, taking a seat on the bed.
Sighing into the phone Kyoya clenches his fists, 'This could've been prevented,' he thinks.
"Kyoya-senpai, are you alright?" She noticed how his voice was shaky, it sounds like he had been crying, this wasn't good.
"Haruhi- Kaoru, he…" he pauses. Can he really say this to her? He has too.
"What about-" her eyes widen, "No…" she whispers.
Sensing that she had already drawn the conclusions it makes it a little easier for him to continue. "Kaoru commit suicide. By the time his mother had found him he was already gone. Overdose." He spits out the last word, venom dripping from his tongue. Not aimed at Haruhi of course, but it may come off that way.
"I- he can't be gone too. He said he would call me if he needed…"
"Haruhi I'm so sorry."
"I'm sorry too, I'm going to go now."
"Very well, goodnight."
"Night."
Haruhi clicks the end button and flops backwards onto the bed. She allows a couple tears to fall, soon enough her body is wracked in sobs once again. "Why did this have to happen?" She cries.
She cries and cries for who knows how long until she realizes how loud she's being, not wanting to disturb the others she quickly tries to shut herself up. "Mori should know this." She says to herself.
Getting up she drags herself to the door, her body feeling as heavy as lead. Stepping into the hallway she goes to her 'neighbors' door and knocks. 'Please answer, please answer.' She begs, she really needed to talk to someone.
As she's waiting, she hears shuffling from behind the door.
Starting up in bed, Satoshi looks to the door, "What the-?" groaning, he slowly approaches it. Rubbing his eyes he opens it slightly and peeks through. Seeing Haruhi he opens it all the way, "Oh Haruhi! What's u- are you ok?"
"Oh my gosh!" She shuts her eyes close and apologizes profusely, "Satoshi I'm so sorry! I thought this was Mori's room."
Satoshi was shirtless.
Running his hand through his hair, he notices his appearance. "OH CRAP!" He ducks behind his door, a red tint covering his entire face. "Sorry." He chuckles. "Um Taka's down the hall 2, on the left side. Are you ok though?"
"Uh- yeah. I just need to talk to him."
"Alright."
"Thanks, sorry for bothering you!" She says as she heads down the hallway.
Satoshi does back to his bed and jumps under the covers.
Reaching Mori's room, Haruhi notices his door ajar. "Hello?" she asks and lightly knocks.
No answer.
"My apologies." Haruhi says as she pushes the door open partway. 'He's not here.' She frowns.
She hears a voice drawing her from her thoughts, "If you are looking for master Morinozuka he is in the dojo." A maid bows to Haruhi.
"I am thank you. Would you mind taking me there?" She asks wiping more tears that had fallen.
"Of course! Follow me please."
The maid takes Haruhi through the house and outside to the dojo.
"Thank you ma'am."
"No problem miss." The maid bows again and scurries off.
Haruhi takes off her shoes and walks in. She catches sight of Mori sitting in the middle of the room panting. Hands on his head, body shaking, knees pulled to his face, crying.
She had never seen him so broken.
. . .
Yasuchika woke up for the 4th time that night, staring at his alarm clock that read 2:49. 'Dammit why can't I just sleep it off!'
Just because he didn't like his brother or respect him for that matter, didn't mean he wanted him to die. Yasuchika couldn't wait until he graduated so he could finally be free of his brother. He never thought he would wish to see his brother. But now all he wanted was to talk to that alien one last time.
He attempts to sleep again but this time something else is keeping awake.
"I know that we don't know each other that well but, if you ever want to talk, I can listen."
"Well my offer still stands."
Even after he was so cold to her, she still was willing to listen. Truthfully, Yasuchika liked Haruhi, not romantically of course, but because she saw him as Yasuchika, not Mitsukuni's younger brother.
"I might have to take you up on that offer. I hope you're awake." He grumbled getting out of bed.
It seemed no one was going to get a good nights' sleep.
Exiting the Haninozuka mansion, Yasuchika walked to his cousin's house in hopes to speak to the brunette.
On the walls of the mansion were pictures of the four of them, him, Takashi, Satoshi, and Mitsukuni… He found himself stopping to stare at a picture of them when they were younger. Mitsukuni was behind him with his arms slung around Yasuchika's neck. Seeing this brought tears to his eyes, it wasn't fair. He started running, hoping to get to Haruhi's room asap.
He saw her door was wide open and so was Mori's. Peeking inside he can't find her. Finally the frustration of the day caught up to him.
The day's sadness and anger pooled into a sea of emotions that was too big for Yasuchika to keep inside anymore. Curling his hands into fists he falls to the ground and punches the floor with as much force as he could muster.
The sound must've echoed because less than 10 seconds later Satoshi came running into the room. "HARUHI? WHAT THE HEL- Chika?"
At the sound of the nickname Yasuchika became a weeping mess. "Hey hey, Yasuchika? Is that better?" Satoshi says frantically trying to calm the boy. He sits down next to him and wraps his arm around him.
"It's ok to cry." Satoshi smiles. "Why don't you stay with me for the night?"
"Yeah." Is all Yasuchika says.
. . .
Haruhi sprits toward Mori and wraps her arms as best she can around him, linking her hands together. Startled, Mori goes to attack whoever snuck up on him. He notices the frail arms around his torso and identifies them as Haruhi's.
Mori had never cried in front of anyone other than Mitsukuni, not even his brother.
He never let anyone see him weak, so the fact that Haruhi, someone that he felt was his duty to protect and be there for, saw him like this, made him feel inordinately ashamed.
"I'm sorry Haruhi." Mori bows his head lower as Haruhi tightens her grip around him.
"Shut up."
.
.
.
Mori's eyes widen. Did Haruhi just tell him to- 'shut up?'
"It's ok to cry. You don't have to be strong all the time." Is all she says before burring her head in the back of his shirt and allowing herself to cry with him.
Using his nimble nature learned through years of kendo training, he turns himself around and pulls Haruhi closer to himself embracing her in a tight hug.
"It wasn't your fault. Honey-senpai knew what he was doing. There was nothing you could've done."
"It was my job to protect him, and I failed." Mori chokes out.
Haruhi distances herself from Mori enough to look him in eyes however he still cannot bring himself to look at her.
"Lift your head. There is nothing to be ashamed of." Haruhi takes her hand and places it under his chin, raising up his head and forcing him to look at her.
"You did not fail him Mori. Honey did what he did to save you." Haruhi wipes his tears on her sleeve. "Honey wouldn't want to see you like this. Honey did this so you could have a chance to be without him, to live for you, not for him. To find a purpose for yourself that is not being his shield.
Truthfully, Haruhi didn't really know how to go about this. She never felt the same attachment to someone as Mori to Honey. She was trying her best to calm him while simultaneously calming herself. To break down now about Kaoru would not be beneficial.
"You lived to serve him and Honey knew this. Your every thought focused on protecting him. However, this isn't your only purpose. You all explained this me before, that the Haninozukas and Morinozukas have had a master/servant relationship in the past, and even though it isn't like this anymore you still follow this path. He wanted you to live for yourself."
"How do you know this?" Mori seems skeptical. Haruhi knows that it will take time for him to believe her, even if it is the truth. It's how he is, he always does things for other people without expecting anyone would want to do the same for him.
"I know what happened, Kyoya told me. And I can see why you blame yourself, but it isn't your fault. You did everything you could. Honey knew what he was doing."
Even though her eyes are clouded, looking Haruhi in the eyes Mori can see that she truly believes what she says. "Please, you have more to live for than that." Haruhi drops her head in defeat, she does not want a repeat of Kaoru. If there is anything she can do for him, no matter how small, she will do it.
Mori senses that something more has happened, he could feel Haruhi trying to hide something from him. The way she talked just then, sounded like she had been through it already.
"Haruhi, did something happen?"
"Y-Yes." She sighs, she couldn't lie to him if she wanted to.
"Kaoru- he…" She looks to the floor and sniffles, "he killed himself."
"He what?"
"He's gone. He couldn't take it living without Hikaru and I don't want that to happen to you. Dammit he said he'd call me!"
Mori hugs Haruhi tightly. It is clear she partly blames herself, and he can see why. The same way he blames himself for Honey.
Perhaps he found his new reason, and it is sitting in a weeping pile in his arms.
Letting herself cry again she chokes out, "He promised me he'd call if he needed to and he didn't! HE LIED!" Haruhi lets out a painful sob and clenches her fist around the fabric of her pajama pants so much that her knuckles begin to turn white.
Backing up to look at Haruhi, Mori sees a girl that he thought was unbreakable.
Looking at Mori, Haruhi saw a boy that she thought was unbreakable.
It was funny the two were so focused on others to think about themselves.
Haruhi felt safe in his arms, she wondered if that was how Honey had felt all those years.
Mori felt like he had a new purpose, one that he hoped Honey wouldn't mind. He would never replace him.
Mori places his hand under Haruhi's chin and forces her to look him in the eyes. Leaning into his touch she takes her chance and locks lips with him. His woodsy scent intoxicating her. Breaking apart she takes a deep breath, "I- I'm so sorry. I don't know what came over me-" Mori puts a finger over her lips to silence her. "It's ok."
Haruhi nods and looks down. 'Now was not the right time.' She mentally scolds herself. She yawns and Mori takes this as a sign for them to go to sleep.
"Let's go to my room." Mori picks Haruhi up bridal style and carries her out of the dojo to his room.
At some point during their journey he realizes that her breathing has stabilized and she goes limp, smiling down at her sleeping figure he wishes for her to wake up and be free from the previous day's trauma.
Setting Haruhi down in his bed and covering her up he takes a seat at his desk and takes out his homework from the week. It was never mentioned when school would be back in session and the homework assigned would probably be null when they returned, but it kept Mori's mind occupied.
. . .
At some point Mori must have fallen asleep because he woke up to his mother shaking his shoulder. "You're drooling on your textbook."
Slowly stretching Mori checks the time on his phone, 10:21, "You have never slept this late so Haruhi said to let you sleep. She is downstairs with Chika and Satoshi."
Mori goes to the bathroom to change into a blue t-shirt and jeans, afterwards he heads downstairs to join the group.
He enters the living area and spots Haruhi reading on the corner of the couch while Chika and Satoshi bicker about the outcome of a card game. Walking over to Haruhi he takes a seat beside her and puts his arm around her shoulder. She leans into him and puts her book on the couch beside her.
"I'll always be here for you." Haruhi smiles.
Mori kiss her forehead and whispers, "I love you."
"I love you too."