~Chapter Thirty-Nine~
Protection
Even If I Don't Know Where To Start;
Even If My Love Is Tearing Me Apart.
I Don't Know What I'm Gonna Do,
But I'm So Crazy About You.
You Are My Light in The Dark.
You Are The Beating in My Heart.
But That Is Not Enough.
Will I Ever Be By Your Side?
~ Angel In The Night, by Basshunter
Disclaimer: Me No Own; You No Sue.
"There are no objections then, I take it?" Kyoya inquired while continually scribbling mysterious notes in his black notebook.
Honestly, I could not find harm in visiting the beach, provided that Sammy and Haruhi did not step into the ocean water. "No," I plainly said, shrugging both shoulders in a careless fashion to emphasize this decision while the rest of the Hosts – with the exception of Haruhi, of course – chimed in with various statements of affirmation.
"The Host Club," Tamaki smiled at the unanimous answer and childishly pumped his right fist in the air, "is going to the beach!"
Takashi's P.O.V.
Traditionally, Okinawa was not the designated vacation spot for fabulously rich families. Hikaru and Kaoru were right when mentioning that the noble class preferred to leave the country to visit exotic beaches, like those in Fiji and the Caribbean. When the Twins mentioned this in passing, Sammy perked upwards and started happily rambling about The Pirates of the Caribbean. She declared that it would be cool to own a jar of dirt and search for Davy Jones' Locker. I could only smile at her enthusiasm, especially when Sammy cuddled into my shoulder and sweetly asked for my opinion, smile wide and happy.
And I jumped at the opportunity to mention relevant historical references, admittedly thrilled that Sammy and I were getting to know each other better. I could proudly state that I loved how her nose crinkled upwards when Sammy laughed. My sweetheart loved to read, play video games, sing, and spend time with her family, friends, and animals. We shared that love, too; I valued family and friendship above all else.
She also quickly learned that I loved oriental food, history, and animals. To end the blatant flirting directed at Mitsukuni and I this morning, Sammy bolted upright in her desk this morning and loudly announced to the entire class that I loved animals – because people, like Ayanokoji, sucked balls. Who wanted to spend time with flighty humans, like Ayanokoji, when puppies offered unconditional love? And Ayanokoji sucked, by the way…
Dear Kami. I mentally sighed, feeling somewhat chagrined at the recall of the memory, and rolled both silver eyes in resignation and laughter. My girlfriend does not have a single subtle bone in her body.
"I cannot believe that Tamaki-senpai was serious," Haruhi mumbled darkly, scowling down at the granite tabletop with great dislike. She viciously stabbed at another piece of shrimp, most likely picturing the small piece of seafood to be the (dead, dead, dead) Host King. "Dammit."
Neither, apparently, does Haruhi…
Clearing her throat, Haruhi sighed softly in irritation and placed her head in her hands. She scowled at nothing in particular – although I noticed her brown eyes up and flicker to Tamaki several times – and complained, "You know, I have several tests that I need to study for, Mori-senpai!"
Feeling content at the moment, I did not remain silent and instead voiced the suggestion that popped into my mind. "You could always ask Sammy-chan for help," I gently pointed out and gestured to my girlfriend – and her best friend in Japan, I recently learned – with another small shake of the head.
Who cannot call Haruhi oblivious at times like this one?
"What?" Haruhi slowly asked and snapped her head upwards to stare at me, watching with faint embarrassment when I kissed the cheek of the sleeping blonde girl in my arms. "Sammy-chan is asleep right now, anyway." The brunette turned her head back to the window and sighed, letting her breath coat the glass into soft clouds.
"Yes," I admitted, nodding slowly at her to indicate that I believed her to be missing something important, "but Sammy-chan does not like water and will likely want to relax in the sand." My mouth curled upwards into a small smirk. "You could always rest next to her at the beach and ask for her help with the study material, Haruhi-chan."
That was probably the most that I'd said to her, but Haruhi paid that no mind…
She brightened considerably at this suggestion instead, noticing the merit in asking the older – and marginally smarter – student for her assistance. "That is a great idea!" Haruhi exclaimed, before glancing to Sammy, who moved restlessly at this loud voice, and smiling sheepishly at me when the girl settled back into sleep. Her straight white teeth showed in the wide smile flashed at me.
To be honest, I thought this bright expression of happiness to be adorable but said nothing more about the subject. My quiet demeanor returned. "Ah," I muttered, placing my palm to her head and gently ruffling the soft locks of brown hair between the fingers, just like I did with Satoshi and Sammy at times.
According to Oka-san, I did this when I was cheerful and feeling particularly affectionate. I preferred to keep public displays of affection to a minimum, because I believed hugs and kisses to be personal and private in nature. My hands did tender to wander on occasion, and I realized that this happened often since Sammy and I began courting. This usually occurred when I was really sleepy; however, I had to admit that the warm weight pressing into my side, courtesy of Sammy, was making it hard to remain alert and awake.
Sammy-chan's hair smells sweet, like strawberries, I mused, before rubbing my nose into her blonde locks of hair. My mouth twitched into a smile at the tickling sensation of the skin below my chin, which I believed to be going numb, and then opened in a yawn. I like strawberries…
Oblivious to the silly ramblings in my mind, Haruhi lifted her head to glance at me with her eyes closed in relief, and gratefully said, "Thanks, Mori-senpai!" She grinned brightly at me, a sweet and lighthearted laugh escaping her parted lips. The end result was a pretty, sweet, and carefree girl, and I stared at her, understanding suddenly why Tamaki loved her so very much.
My eyes softened considerably at the innocent laugh and her quick but honest smile, before glancing around the seaside restaurant in which the Host Club stopped to eat lunch. "You are most welcome, Haruhi," I politely said, shifting to the left of the cushioned bench that Sammy and I currently rested in to find another, more comfortable position. My girlfriend might not be incredibly skinny and bony, but I could feel her hip bones pressing into mine.
Feeling the shift in weight, Sammy stirred sleepily at my side and slowly leaned backwards to stare at my chest, which I noticed to be at her level of eyesight. She yawned cutely, nuzzled into the soft material of the blue tee shirt with her nose, and then curiously muttered, "We finished with lunch yet, Takashi-kun?"
"Not yet," I murmured, kissing the top of her head and leaning into the bright warmth of the arms curled into my sides. My lips then brushed her forehead when Sammy peeked upwards at me in curiosity, and I answered the silent question in her eyes by continuing, "Your brothers want the Host Club to change into our swimsuits here, instead of at the beach."
"That makes sense," Sammy admitted, before pulling back to smile in the direction of the two redheaded troublemakers who were, as always, causing trouble. She laughed loudly at the image of her brothers attempting to coax our classmate, Nakamura Kotoko, out of the female restroom area with the promise of sweets. "That, however, does not make sense since most skinny girls hate eating sweets." She grinned wryly at me and added, "Makes 'em chubby, like me."
Instead of reprimanding Sammy for thinking herself fat, I leaned down and barely touched her soft lips with mine. "My girl needs to be nice, and soft, and healthy," I muttered into her open mouth, breathing warm air passed her trembling lips. "Otherwise, I could not do this –" I then clutched her hips with both hands and applied gentle pressure. "– without hurting you."
My girlfriend seemed to understand the implications behind those words and flushed lightly at the heat in my eyes, a soft blush painting her cheeks pink. Her bright blue eyes were wide with surprise, but I could tell that Sammy was pleased with this reassurance and not repulsed with the sexual interest I hinted at. She leaned into the touch, her face pressed into my side, and smiled into my shirt, her expression happy and not scared in the least. I rubbed her back through the white material of her baseball tee, pleased with her interest in me, as well.
"Onee-chan, Hikaru and I need to make certain that this swimsuit fits you, so come and try it out real quick!" Kaoru called to his older sister, his cheeky grin at odds with the impatient look of his hands pressed into his slender hips. He winked at me upon noticing that I stared at him, confused, and then teasingly said, "Leave the Boy Toy behind and get your rear in here!"
Blue eyes glittered with mischief, shining like little blue sapphires in the sunshine, and Sammy playfully whined, "But I don't wanna!" She bit back the giggles burning in her throat, instead fisting her small hands in the shirt bunched at my waist and cutely pouting at the idea of being forced into her bikini.
"Silly girl," I chuckled at her antics and the gentle teasing between the two siblings, before I began to nudge the small female out of the booth with soft pushes to the small of her back. My girlfriend attempted to fall, limp, into my open arms, so I moved to stand and lifted the American high into the air.
"No!" Sammy wailed loudly, pretending to beat her hands into my arms and ignoring the strange expressions glued to the faces of the other customers in the restaurant. Blonde hair curtained her face, falling down in waves and into her open mouth, preventing her from speaking again. She tried to spit the strands of hair out but did not succeed – and started giggling hysterically at her failure.
Amidst this fit of happy laughter, I easily toted Sammy from the hard bench and to her brothers, depositing the short female between the two grinning pranksters. I chuckled at the sight of her rather indignant pout and sarcastically said, "Nice try, sweetheart." My eyes glittered brightly with silent laughter and I grinned softly, ducking to avoid her swats and retreating to the table again to watch – and listen to – the chaos ensue.
"You're a mean old boyfriend, Takashi-kun!" Sammy called, sounding exasperated, and reached upwards to swipe her hands at her damp face, wiping away several stray tears of laughter. Her laugher returned, however, upon noticing the annoyed female standing at her side. "Wassup, Kotoko-chan?"
"My temper," Kotoko darkly responded in a mutter and, in frustration, glared at the redheaded fashionistas through narrowed jade eyes. She pulled her sarong around her waist and stormed off towards the benches reserved for the Host Club, her black hair flying behind her like a cape. "I hate it when people stupidly start sniffing around in my personal affairs!"
"What the Froot Loops, Kotoko-chan?" Sammy asked, frowning faintly in confusion when the beautiful heiress merely lifted her nose in the air and continued to stalk by the rest of the group, passed Mitsukuni, and to the register to order yet another huge plate of sushi. "Okay, then…"
Now, Kotoko did not generally treat others poorly and rarely snapped at her friends, so it rather bothered the Hosts – myself included – that this girl would just ignore us. She did, however, like to eat and eat and eat when mad. Meat, pasta, and other rich and heavy foods passed her dark red lips. The Nakamura Heiress would then vanish into the nearest restroom because of her "upset stomach." It was rumored that the beautiful girl suffered from ulcers, but the last I checked, people suffering this condition did not like to stuff their faces full of seafood…
What is wrong with Kotoko-chan? I stared at the scene, concerned, and calmly attempted to walk towards the kind heiress that I shared several senior classes with at Ouran High School.
Mitsukuni beat me to it, though, and intercepted his love interest at the buffet table, stilling her shaking hand with his own. He turned serious brown eyes in her direction, staring upwards at the trembling girl that normally displayed complete control of her emotions. The concern and curiosity whispered by his lips and Kotoko could only smile sadly at the smaller senior, her green eyes empty of all emotion, with the exception of only one – pain.
Mitsukuni, sensing this pain, leaned forward and wrapped his strong arms around her waist, which rested just below his chest. He stretched upwards to bury his face in her neck, placed his mouth next to her ear, and gently whispered, "What is bothering you so much, Kotoko-hime?"
But I did not find out what was wrong exactly because Haruhi placed her hand to my arm and slowly tightened her hold until I shifted attention to her in question. Her small fingers squeezed the muscles at my wrist, paused, and then released the hold. I stared down and into her brown eyes, wondering what thoughts could possibly be running through her quick mind right now. Silver eyes stared at her with worry. What is wrong with Kotoko-chan?
The brunette slowly, almost hesitantly, turned her head back and forth at me, answering my silent question. I realized that Haruhi seemed to sense my interference would ruin the chances of Mitsukuni getting information from Kotoko about her problems or concerns. It was imperative that I not successfully intercede, or else the problem would continue to escalate. And the Host Club would have little hope of helping Nakamura Kotoko.
My body turned from the girl at my side and to the pair lost deeply within what I believed to be a very serious conversation. "Thanks, Haruhi-chan," I slowly said, still milling over my near mistake with faint discomfort. It was not often that I did make mistakes, but when I did…
"No problem, Senpai," Haruhi kindly responded in turn, but her smile was smaller than normal – and also somewhat depressed. She cleared her throat at the concerned gleam in my eyes and tucked her hands into the pockets of her tan shorts. "I'm, uh, going to talk to Sammy-chan, okay?"
Swiftly, Haruhi excused herself from the table, at which Kyoya and I rested. I watched the younger girl dart to the other side of the seaside restaurant and outside of the female restroom, where Sammy and Tamaki could be heard talking excitedly about the games, sunshine, and food to come. Bits and pieces of the muffled conversation drifted to the table, but I decided to focus upon my cousin and his girlfriend instead. Because Sammy would immediately punch Tamaki in the gut – and likely his groin, too – if the Frenchman pissed her off. My girl could hold her own against the idiotic Host King.
Meanwhile, Mitsukuni seemed to have convinced his crush to move over to the benches outside the restroom area. He and Kotoko were seated together, with barely five inches between the two of them, and Mitsukuni continually talked to her in a soft and comforting voice. Kotoko blushed and nodded at whatever Mitsukuni muttered in her ear. He paused in the middle of his sentence, cocked his head to the side, and then pulled Kotoko to the left, about fifteen inches from their original spot.
Since I could not see anymore, my attention shifted back to Sammy, Tamaki, and Haruhi. I observed the proceedings with interest. Tamaki immediately attempted to launch himself from his seat beside Sammy and at Haruhi, who screeched to a quick stop and blanched at the sight of her upperclassman running towards her. But Sammy, upon noticing her best friend starting to panic at the impending collision, jumped to her feet, tripped the other blonde, and happily latched onto her arm, instead. The American wrapped her arms around the smaller girl, pretending to nibble at her ear. My lips twitched upwards, and I facepalmed, feeling overwhelmingly exasperated with the entire situation.
Only Sammy-chan could succeed in being that intentionally retarded…
Two fingers reached upwards to pinch the lips of the person attached to her ear, and Haruhi sighed at the incessant whining of her silenced best friend. She scolded the older girl – much like a mother would – and gently chastised, "You really need to quit watching so much anime, Sammy-chan."
"…kjdosjfidjsiofjs," Sammy muttered, her words and insults jumbled together because of the index finger and thumb firmly holding her lips shut. She inhaled around the hold, sucking in another breath through the sides of her lips, and loudly screamed, "SOFJEOIHFISOIY!"
"Sorry, but I don't speak gibberish," Haruhi blandly stated, pinching her lips together in emphasis and letting the other girl flounder in her hold, seemingly amused at her pointless struggles.
Annoyed, Sammy glared at her with dark blue eyes and mimed beating the younger girl in the head with her new sneakers. She continued to glower at the brunette until the point in time that Haruhi finally decided to release the fingers from her mouth. The American pulled backwards, frantically putting extra distance between them, and furiously rubbed at her bruised lips, blue eyes wide and alert. Sweat trickled down the side of her face and neck from the strain of the (play) fight.
Haruhi nodded in victory, feeling satisfied with the suffering endured by her best friend, and then crossed her arms. She lifted her face to Sammy in order to accommodate for the extra three or so inches in height and asked, "Can you spare a couple of minutes at the beach to study with me?"
My girlfriend seemed to be considering telling Haruhi exactly where to shove her question, and I could tell that the rest of the Host Club waited for her response with baited breath, expecting her to flat out refuse to help her close friend because of what had just occurred. She could be rather spiteful at times. But Sammy managed to surprise us all by responding to the request with loud laughter and her sincere promise to help the other girl study the required material sometime before dinner tonight.
Normally, I was not the type of individual to judge others for their choice in friends – look at mine – but I did have to admit that their friendship was a strange one, even by the (odd, weird, warped, skewed) standards of the Host Club. Sammy and Haruhi smiled at each other, however, oblivious to the astounded expressions of the rest of the Hosts. Both girls seemed happy with the results of the pretend fight that just happened and basked in the comfortable silence that ensued –until the Twins moved forward to drag their big sister off to the changing rooms, anyway.
"ZOMG!" Sammy squealed in honest horror, finally catching wind of the plan that the redheaded boys hatched together this afternoon. Her tiny fists flailed – rather uselessly, I might add – in the air when Hikaru hoisted his sister to his shoulder and toted her off to the restrooms. "They're gonna eat my soul, Haruhi~!"
Haruhi nodded solemnly at this horrified declaration and kindly said, "Have fun with that, Sammy-chan." She then smiled that thousand watt Host smile at her stunned friend, brown eyes closed, and returned to her seat to finish her salad, effectively leaving Sammy to fend for herself against her evil little brothers.
Per usual, Sammy began cursing up a storm, filling the silence of the restaurant with her fury. I listened to the mishmash of English, German, and Japanese with both confusion and amusement, lost to the meaning of most of her insults but finding humor in the scene nonetheless. My pissed off girlfriend snarled at the attentive expressions of the other restaurant patrons – which ranged anywhere from horrified to stunned to amused – and attempted to strangle the redheaded boys with the straps of the bikinis in their hands.
It did not work, and I watched with silent amusement, and faint concern, as my girlfriend disappeared behind the door to the changing area – to change into her bikini. Smoke rushed from my ears at the thought of her cute face, curves, and soft skin clothed in a white bikini and openly displayed for my perusal. I frowned and paused in consideration, mentally scanning the list of other people that would be able to observe her pretty form, including Tamaki, and Kyoya, and Mitsukuni, and Hikaru, and Kaoru, and…
To the rest of the Host Club, I probably looked manic when I blanched and furiously began to twitch in irritation. Her body will be free and visible for the entire world to see!
"No bikinis," I insisted suddenly and without warning, startling the others with the force behind those two words. My lips curled downwards, and I stiffened, scowling darkly at the thought of another man staring at her assets with hunger. Sammy was my girl.
No one would touch her.
No one would hurt her.
No one.
***Author's Note***
This chapter is kind of like a 'filler,' I guess. But I wanted people to be able to see all of the changes happening within everyone! Sammy is happier, Takashi is becoming more confident in his relationship with her, and Mitsukuni and Sammy are now good friends, too. Sammy is actually willing to be friendlier to everyone and interacts with Takashi, Haruhi, Hikaru, Kaoru, and Tamaki in this chapter. Her love for her friends is obvious now. Yay! :D
And I wanted to start the continued character development for Kotoko-chan, too! She is hiding something that no one seems to know about, with the exception of the sneaky Twins. ;) I have only dropped three or so really good hints about her problem throughout the story, but I am curious if anybody has figured it out yet. I want to hear your ideas about this, okay? Please read and review! :)
P.S. One more chapter in Takashi's POV and then back to Sammy!