Author: Oh boy! Another chapter! I want to thank all of you for your reviews/favorites/follows, and I hope you enjoy the chapter!
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" What could be taking Mori-senpai so long in there?" Haruhi wondered aloud while silently wondering why she had been drug along to begin with.
She had homework that need to be finished and she also had to prepare dinner for her father before he left for work.
If he had a proper meal tonight it would be his only for the day.
Sometimes he was so focused on earning a living for the both of them that he'd forget to take care of himself.
" Takashi always takes a while whenever he sees Hime-chan." Honey said quietly.
" Because he enjoys spending time with Haga-san?"
" Because he has to argue with Hime-chan's stepmother just to see her." Honey replied, his tone sounding disgusted.
" He argues with her stepmom?" Haruhi repeated in disbelief. " But if they're engaged-"
" I hate that woman…" Honey said, his tone becoming dangerous.
It was so rarely that Honey was serious that it made Haruhi on edge.
Haruhi was so used to him being so carefree that seeing him like this put her on edge.
What was Mori-senpai involved in?
" But yeah, Takashi's been in there a while…longer than usual…"
" Maybe he was able to speak with her and they are patch-" Haruhi broke off when she saw the small figure of Himawari exit the mansion via a side door.
" Hey isn't that-"
" Hime-chan!" Honey yelled darting over to the girl, startling her.
" Honey-senpai!" Haruhi called as the blonde darted towards the black haired girl.
She clearly looks like she doesn't want to be disturbed. Haruhi thought, making her way towards the two.
" Mitsukuni?" Himawari said in surprise as the blonde wrapped his arms around her in a brotherly hug. " What are you doing here?"
" Hime-chan! Did you get a chance to talk to Takashi?" Honey asked causing the girl to fidget.
" Ah, no…he's been talking with Stepmother and…"
" She won't let him talk to you?" Honey pouted.
" I-It's just that I am busy with my Bridal studies and since I was late coming h-"
" Hime-chan, what happened to your cheek?"
" Honey-senpai!" Haruhi said as Himawari tensed.
" I don't know what-"
" Your cheek," Honey repeated his tone becoming serious. " What happened to it?"
When she didn't respond, Honey let go and took a stepped back, taking in her entire person.
" Did she-"
" It's nothing, Mitsukuni!" Himawari said quickly. " I had difficulty getting a door open earlier and-"
" Himawari!"
Haruhi jumped at the sound of a disgusted female voice.
She looked over to see a girl with golden curls and brown eyes.
She was dressed to the nines, hair done up like a princess, super model style make up and tight fitting clothes.
" You're supposed to be in the kitchen!" The girl snapped causing Himawari to flinch.
" What's Mother going to say when she sees you shirking your chores again?"
" Chores?" Honey said in confusion.
" It's not like that, Kameko! I was just going to the greenhouses to-"
" Lying isn't attractive, Himawari." The girl said, waltzing over. " No wonder Takashi only comes to see you when he's forced to."
" That's out of line, Kameko!" Honey said as he stepped between Himawari and her stepsister.
" Is it, Mitsukuni?" Kameko laughed, her eyes never leaving Himawari's.
Enjoying the hurt that flashed through those violet orbs.
" He hasn't been by in months and before his last visit it had been months before that." Her mouth curved upward into a twisted grin. " It seems he only spends time with you when he's forced to. Like when you shove your way into his private life.
" Like today for instance. Would he really have come here if you hadn't barged into his school today like the little lovesick-"
" Hima."
His rumbling baritone voice sent chills throughout her.
It was then that she felt something wet trickling down her cheeks.
Violet eyes met grey ones as the tall boy had made his way onto the porch.
" Takashi!" Honey exclaimed in relief.
Haruhi saw the little blonde relax just before he tensed again.
" Himawari!" Yoru snipped causing the teen to pale drastically.
" My apologies, Stepmother…" Himawari said in such a small voice that Haruhi had difficulty hearing it. " I was on my way to the greenhouses when I ran into Mitsukuni and his friend."
" And you didn't think that Takashi would be here?" Yoru said dangerously.
She was like a cat waiting for the mouse to slip up.
Ready to pounce.
" I-I-"
" You that wherever Mitsukuni is that Takashi will always be nearby." Yoru said firmly. " Are you trying to avoid your fiancee?"
" N-No! It's just that I-"
Haruhi saw panic was now flooding the dark haired girls eyes and she couldn't take it any longer.
" Why don't you just let her explain what she was doing in the first place?"
Four sets of eyes shifted immediately to her.
She met the coldest with an unwavering indifference.
" Or maybe you can explain why Hime-chan has a bruised cheek?" Honey said causing Yoru's gaze to shift from Haruhi's to Himawari's cheek then to his own.
" I would assume she had another accident. You are aware of how accident prone she is, Mitsukuni."
" I already told you Mitsukuni, it's-"
Himawari broke off when she felt Takashi's calloused hand enclose around her small wrist and pull her away from the group.
" TAKASHI!"
He ignored the shrill screech of his fiancee's stepmother.
" T-Takashi?" He heard Himawari's soft voice, filled with uncertainty ring in him. He glanced behind him to see Mitsukuni standing in the path of the furious Yoru and the jealous Kameko.
Glancing downward, he saw Himawari's panicked filled eyes scanning the area around them.
Checking for the staff that Yoru had planted around the grounds, ready to report the heiress' every waking move to their mistress.
" Now," he said calmly as they entered one of the many greenhouses that littered the Haga family grounds. " How did this happen?"
" It's nothing, Takashi." She said quietly, flinching slightly when his palm lightly brushed her bruised cheek.
" Yoru?"
" It's really n-"
" Hima…"
" I'm sorry that I bothered you at school today." She said trying to change the subject.
" You didn't bother me, Hima."
He didn't even notice me… Himawari thought to herself. Not when he's surrounded by all those girls.
" You're never a bother, Hima." Mori said quietly. " And I'm sorry."
" Sorry?"
" About earlier, with the twins." He said calmly, running his thumb across her bruised cheek.
" Oh that, it was nothing, really. Of course they would be confused about someone from Lobelia visiting your school."
" It doesn't excuse their attitude towards you." Mori said calmly. " I am amazed that Kyoya had allowed them to behave such to someone that could have been a potential client."
" Are you really that popular?" Himawari asked, dreading the answer. " …with your customers?"
His response was a light shrug of his shoulders.
That's it? She thought as her heart sank at the thought of him surrounded by those girls.
Even though his eyes never left hers, she couldn't read them.
She never could read his eyes.
Read him.
She could never tell how he really felt about anything…about her especially.
But right now, with his thumb gently caressing her cheek, she felt calm.
" Has she done this before?"
There went that.
" It's nothing." Himawari said trying to turn her face away only to have him bring it back.
" Hima-"
" Don't worry about it, Takashi…really." Himawari said softly. " It was an accident."
" Don't lie for her, Hima." Mori said, his thumb continuously stroking her cheek.
It was so soothing.
So intimately.
" I'm…not."
" You shouldn't lie for her, Hima." Mori said stepping towards her, closing the gap between them. " If she struck you-"
" It was an accident, Takashi." Himawari said quickly, wishing for not just him to believe it but for her as well.
" Takashi, it-"
" Does your father know?"
Those words caused her to freeze.
Her father…
Haga Inei, the head of the Haga Tea Corporation, had been sick for several years now.
His illness had left him bedridden and barely able to walk.
Most of the times he left his room he was wheelchair bound.
The day prior he had asked his daughter to hand deliver a set of brews specifically requested by the Ouran High Host Club's accountant.
He had been so excited that the future heads of important families had requested their tea that he had asked her to personally deliver the brews to them.
He had thought that Takashi would have enjoyed seeing her after being apart for so long.
That he was sure Takashi had missed her.
If he were to find out what Yoru had done.
" Please Takashi," She had said in such softness, it was barely more than a whisper. " Please don't tell him."
" He should know, Hima." Mori said reassuringly.
" He's so sick, Takashi."
" He should still know." Mori said as his free hand began to run its way up and down the small of her back. " You're his daughter, he deserves to know."
" It will only cause him to worry."
He leaned forward and pressed his forehead against her own causing her face to pinken.
" You look like one of your flowers right now." Mori said to her surprise.
" I-I what?" She squeaked.
" I like when your cheeks are that shade of pink." He said before pulling away.
" I wanted to apologize for earlier."
" For earlier?" She asked in confusion.
" With the twins. They should never have been disrespectful to you." Mori said calmly, his thumb still caressing her cheek.
" O-Oh, that's fine, I'm sure not many people at your school see someone from Lobelia unless it is to cause trouble." She shrugged lightly. " I heard that Amakusa-san has caused some issues for your friends."
" Amakusa?"
" Amakusa Benio." Himawari said nonchalantly. " She's the head of the Zuka Club and I heard through the rumor mill that she's been causing issues for you and your friends."
" How do you know her?"
" We go to the same school Takashi and she has a rather large personality." Himawari sighed. " I heard she has become obsessed with one of your friends and I know that when she sets her mind to something, it's hard to distract her."
" How do you know that?"
" Again, I attend the same school as her so I've seen her fixate on-"
" Not you, right?" Mori asked, a hint of concern in his voice as well as something that she couldn't lay her finger on.
It couldn't be jealousy…could it?
" You don't need to concern yourself with what happened this afternoon, Takashi." Himawari said trying to distract him.
" Hima-"
" Really Takashi, I'm not upset." She said placing her hand overtop of his.
" It doesn't matter that you aren't upset Hima," Mori said quickly. " What matters is that they should not have treated you that way. Kyoya should never have allowed them too."
" I wasn't a client so it shouldn't-"
" Even if you weren't a client, it would set a bad example for the Club."
Ah…there it is. Himawari thought.
The real reason he was here and that he was apologizing.
For his friends sake.
If I hadn't bothered his friends today he probably wouldn't even remember she existed.
" Tamaki will not allow the twins to be disrespectful."
" It's alright Takashi, really." She said taking a step back from him, his hand still in where her face had been. " I'm sure no one saw the incident. You won't need to worry-"
" Hima, that isn't the only reason I came to see you." Mori said, his fingers curling into his palm.
" I need to get back to my chores, Takashi."
" Would you like to come to dinner…?" He asked awkwardly.
" What?"
" Dinner…with me."
" With you?" Himawari said in disbelief. " Why are you asking me this all of a sudden? Is it because of this afternoon?"
" Partially…"
" I told you not to worry about it, Takashi." She said as she went to leave. " You don't need to invite me out of pity."
" It's not out of pity, Hima." He said, a serious glint in his eye as he stepped towards her. " You are the last person I would ever pity."
With every step she took back, he took forward, until she was pinned against the wall of the greenhouse.
" You don't need pity, Hima. You're too strong for pity." He trailed a finger across her bruised cheek. " But I do want to take you to dinner."
" Why all of a sudden?"
" I really need a reason?"
" Y-"
" MISS HIMAWARI!"
Mori saw his fiancee tense, her complexion going pale.
He glanced over to see an elderly maid standing there with stern look on her withered face.
Her long grey hair was pulled back into a tight bun and her half moon spectacles were poised in-front of her hawkish gold eyes.
Eyes that held such disapproval of the sight before her.
Shion, the head caretaker for the Haga Estate.
" Mister Takashi! This is most improper! A gentleman such as yourself shouldn't have drug a lady such as Miss Himawari to a place such as this! It is most improper indeed!"
" My apologies, Shion." Mori said, not bothering to take a step away from Himawari. " I needed to speak privately with Hima and felt we would be interrupted elsewhere."
" I am well aware of just WHAT you would like privacy with Miss Himawari for!" Shion snapped, taking a step towards the teens, her eyes locked in a dangerous battle of wills with Mori.
" However, Miss Himawari is not yet your wife and until then, you will conduct your visits with her, SUPERVISED!"
