"May I ask you two a question?"

Izzy and Katsu didn't answer, staring at Shinobu with guarded expressions. Behind them stood Takuma and Chihiro, both wondering why they'd been called to Shinobu's house along with the two teenagers. Izzy wasn't the least bit surprised that she'd been summoned to her grandmother's house, she expected it, even.

Shinobu stared down at both of them, frowning sternly. Katsu tried to hold her stare but he was actually just staring at the wall just over her shoulder. It was an old habit of his, one that she saw through with ease. It mirrored his personality. Katsu tried to save face but he was weak willed and wore a constant facade of self-reassurance.

Izabera, on the other hand, stared up at her with cold eyes. The ice in her eyes was enough to cut steel in half, Shinobu noted. It reminded her far too much of Masami. The coldness, the relaxed set of her shoulders, the firm set of her mouth. Izzy didn't care to save face.

"When has it become appropriate for a sixteen and seventeen year old to physically fight one another in the presence of their very sick grandfather?"

Again, neither of them answered. Izzy had the distinct feeling that Shinobu wasn't even looking for an actual answer. She continued to stare at her grandmother. Of course she regretted that she might have disturbed Hiroki but she didn't regret punching Katsu in the face. She hoped they weren't looking for an apology.

"It's not appropriate," Shinobu's eyes narrowed. "Ever. How dare you two fight knowing your grandfather is getting sicker by the day? You ought to be ashamed of yourselves!" Shinobu slapped the table separating them. Katsu blinked hard, clearly cowed by his grandmother's rage. Izzy stoically continued to watch her. "What do you have to say for yourselves?"

Takuma cleared his voice before either teenager could say anything. "Mother, you can't possibly think Katsu is at fault here," he leaned over the back of his son's chair, grasping at Katsu's face. "Just look at his face!" he motioned to the large bandage slapped over Katsu's bruised cheek. Izzy rolled her eyes and slumped to the side, pressing her cheek against her fist.

"Izabera," Shinobu's eyes narrowed completely at the sole brunette in the room.

She rolled her eyes for the second time, unimpressed completely. She sat up and rolled the sleeve of her shirt up to nearly her shoulder, showing the nasty fingerprinted bruises circling her biceps. Shinobu blinked at the sight of it. Chihiro gasped and stepped forward, grabbing her niece's arm to study the bruises. Her eyes narrowed, looking towards Takuma and Katsu with an accusing gaze.

"I hit him because he was manhandling me first. It was cause and effect," Izzy explained shortly. "He told me to do something, I told him no so he got angry."

"Is this what you teach your son, Takuma?" Chihiro snapped angrily. "That when he doesn't get his way, he could just use violence?" her voice climbed in pitch with each passing second.

"Don't be so dramatic, Chihiro. If she'd just done what was asked of her, we wouldn't be in the mess," Takuma sneered, rolling at his sister's dramatic show of emotions.

"Oh, typical," Chihiro scoffed, dropping Izzy's wrist to plant her hands on her hips. "Typical Takuma, always blaming everyone else. Nothing is ever his or his son's fault."

"Are you mocking me, beloved sister?"

"Do you feel like you're being mocked?"

"As a matter of fact, I do."

"Then I suppose you have your answer."

Shinobu cleared her throat. "Perhaps we might remember that you two are in your thirties now? Stop behaving like bickering children and focus." She had no time for her squabbling children. Their squabbling children were the problem. "What was asked of Izabera, Katsu?"

He startled as the attention settled back on him again. He didn't reply, face burning from all the attention. Izzy watched him coolly, lips slightly puckering in thought. She shifted again in her seat, leaning towards her cousin.

"No need to be shy, Katsu. Share with the class, although I'm sure Takuma has an idea," she commented in that relaxed tone of hers. Takuma turned his blazing eyes on Izzy but she only chuckled. "Katsu's been demanding that I go back to Italy since I don't belong here."

Chihiro and Shinobu blinked, clearly caught off guard. Takuma didn't react, not that Izzy thought he would. Katsu had to get his hateful demand from somewhere. "Don't be ridiculous," Takuma scowled at Izzy. "You had no right to physically assault my son, Izabera. I'm not sure how they do things in Italy or what your mother has taught you—"

"You've got some nerve. You've literally slapped me."

Takuma paused and glared at her. He snorted after a moment and looked at Shinobu. "Mother, really, are we going to stand here and listen to this girl spout nonsense? It was a mistake to bring her here, perhaps it's for the best if she does return to Italy."

Izzy stood with a sudden flourish, shoving her chair backwards. "Nonsense? How is it nonsense when it's the truth? I've been made an enemy since the moment I stepped foot in Japan," she turned to face Takuma directly, staring into his eyes. "You and your thickheaded son need to realize that I'm not leaving. Hiroki asked me to come here. If Hiroki asks me to leave, then I will. Until then, leave me alone."

The room was quiet for a long moment. Takuma reacted first, but that didn't shock her at all. "How dare you," he hissed, taking a threatening step towards her. "You have no right to speak to me like that, Izabera. You're a child. Know your place."

"Child or not, that doesn't give you the right to treat me this way. If you want to be bitter at Masami, be bitter at Masami. I'm not her and I shouldn't pay for something she did eighteen years ago. I shouldn't have to pay for being half Italian. Get over it."

Takuma took yet another step forward, eyes blazing and face red. Chihiro quickly slid in between the two, acting as a blockade. Her face was set, shoulders squared defensively as her brother nearly ran into her.

Her green eyes narrowed dangerously. "Back off, Takuma."

Shinobu cleared her throat for the second time. "Izabera, Katsu. Go home. I'd like to speak to Takuma and Chihiro privately."

No one moved.

Shinobu's eyes narrowed, "Now!"

Izzy and Katsu quickly left the room, sending looks of unease over their shoulders. Takuma and Chi continued to glare at one another, unbothered by the dismissal of Izzy and Katsu.

Silence hung over them as they navigated Shinobu's maze of an estate. It remained quiet until the last possible second. Just as Izzy reached for the front door, she was seized by the wrist. Katsu spun her around, nearly toppling her over. He caught her other wrist and dragged her back to him until they were chest to chest.

"You're ruining everything."

His rage didn't really scare her. She stared up at him, features stoic. "Where was this energy five minutes ago?" she asked tonelessly. "Do you have performance issues?"

He looked a lot like Takuma at that moment but Izzy still refused to bend to his anger. She glared right back at him, even trapped within his grasp. Katsu's hand dropped, wrapping around her waist. He pressed closer to her until there was no breathing room to speak of.

Izzy blinked, seeing the rage in his eyes become tainted with something else. She took a step back but was stopped by the hand pressed against her waist. The look in his eyes made her completely uncomfortable and she suddenly felt trapped.

Before she could try to fight her way out of his hold, Katsu leaned down and shoved his mouth against Izzy's mouth.

She was rendered speechless.

Katsu moved his mouth against hers in what she assumed was supposed to be sensual. All it did was make her skin crawl. His hand left her waist, dipping under her shirt and slowly sliding up her back. His fingers toyed with the band of her bra, pulling it to snap against her back.

With a disgusted grunt, Izzy shoved Katsu away. She stared at him wide eyed, in disbelief of his unwanted actions. Before she could stop herself, she reared forward and punched him in the face. Katsu stumbled backwards with a grunt, pain radiating from his already bruised cheek.

The two stared at one another, both unwilling to say something first. Izzy raised a hand to her mouth and roughly rubbed the back of it against her lips.

"Stay. Away. From. Me."

She turned sharply and all but fled Shinobu's home, leaving Katsu behind without a second thought.

He didn't chase after her.

"Are you okay, Bera-senpai?"

Haruhi wasn't all that shocked when the Host Club showed up at her apartment Sunday afternoon. The only one who seemed even remotely apologetic about it was Izzy, which also wasn't much of a surprise. She hadn't been prepared for company but it didn't seem to slow her down. Izzy was thoughtful enough to bring strawberry cake, using it as a sort of peace offering for dropping by unannounced.

Haruhi eyed the older brunette. She was dressed in a slim-fitting shirt with long sleeves and a pair of pants with a high waistline. There was nothing different about Izzy's appearance but something just seemed...off with her.

"Hey, Bera-senpai," she called, garnering her attention. "Are you okay?"

Izzy paused in slicing the strawberry cake, peeking over her shoulder with a frown. "I'm fine, why do you ask?"

"Something's not right," Haruhi said straight-forward. Izzy tried not to grimace. "You cringed when Tamaki-senpai pulled the two of us in for a hug."

"I always cringe."

"No, you cringe in annoyance. You cringed in pain this time." She was eyeing Izzy's long sleeves.

"You're looking too much into it, Haruhi. I'm fine."

The shorter brunette frowned. "You don't have to be so closed-off, Senpai. We're your friends now and we're here to help when necessary."

Izzy blinked and looked at Haruhi, eyes somewhat wide as she thought something over. She smiled slowly, almost shyly actually. "Thank you, Haruhi. I...I really appreciate that."

Haruhi smiled back at her and nodded. Hopefully Izzy would come clean about whatever was bothering her before the Host Club decided to get involved.

They joined the rest of their friends in the living room, armed with cake and tea or milk. Izzy stayed quiet for the most part, sandwiched between Mori and Haruhi. She was just fine with that, hoping no one would take notice of her strange mood like Haruhi had done.

But of course, no such luck.

"What's up with you today, Bera-senpai?" Hikaru asked her, looking her straight in the eye. She jumped at the sound of her name, having been off in her head while her friends continued around her:

"Ara?" she grunted, blinking out of her daze. Her face immediately flushed when she realized everyone was suddenly looking at her.

"You've been acting weird all day!" Kaoru insisted.

Tamaki sighed heavily, "That's not how we agreed to go about this."

"Weird how?" Izzy pressed.

"It's just the energy you're giving off today, Senpai. You're lacking the usual bite you tend to have," Kyoya pointed out. She wasn't sure if she was supposed to feel insulted by that comment or not.

"Well…" Izzy trailed off. She pursed her lips, thinking it over. They were her friends, like Haruhi said and Katsu's behavior the other day was bothering the hell out of her. But still, she couldn't help thinking they would go overboard if she did tell them.

The brunette huffed, annoyed with herself. This was all Katsu's fault. If he wasn't intent on acting like such a raging maniac, she wouldn't be in this mess in the first place!

Maybe she really should just go back to Italy…

Haruhi reached over and squeezed her shoulder, pulling her out of her thoughts once more.

"I...I had another...altercation with my cousin—"

"The one who put those nasty bruises all over your wrists?" Hikaru asked. Izzy paused and rolled her lips into her mouth. She really wasn't all that surprised that they knew about that but it made her wonder if she should tell them the rest.

"Yes," she nodded slowly. "There was another altercation and…" she sighed and gave in, rolling her sleeve up to nearly her shoulder. The bruises were still relatively fresh, a nasty purple against her warm skin that stuck out like a sore thumb. "I punched him in the face."

Someone snorted, probably one of the twins.

"You punched your cousin in the face?" Haruhi repeated for clarity.

"He was shaking the living hell out of me, I had to get him off."

Tamaki blinked, "Is that why he's been wearing the bandage on his face?"

"I guess so," Izzy shrugged. "And then yesterday—"

"There's more?" Kaoru gaped.

"What else happened?" Hikaru pressed.

"If you would allow her to speak…" Kyoya trailed off with an impatient frown.

"We were arguing again. Um. Well." Izzy made a pained expression. "I thought he was going to hit me or shake me again but he…." Izzy paused, head tilted with a thoughtful look, like she was still trying to make sense of it. "My cousin kissed me."

Honey stopped chewing his cake.

"I don't know why either. He just did it and...stuck his hand up my shirt. It was strange. I punched him and told him to stay away from me." Izzy kept her eyes glued to her lap. She felt Mori stiffen next to her.

"It felt strange because it was wrong, Senpai." Tamaki's voice, for once, held no joking tone to it. Izzy's head popped up, eyes open and confused as she looked at him.

"I can only assume those advances weren't well receptive since you hit him," Kyoya commented in a surprisingly light tone. "That's assault, Senpai."

Izzy blinked owlishly at him, like she couldn't quite comprehend his words. "Assault…" she trailed off. She suddenly felt too hot, like everyone was too close to her. "I, uh...I just need some air…" She got to her feet quickly, darting away from her friends before they could even think to stop her. She didn't even put her shoes on, hurrying out the door. It felt like she couldn't breathe, like she was suffocating.

Izzy grabbed hard at the railing, trying in vain to get her breathing under control. Why would Katsu kiss her? Why would he touch her like that? Her breathing only got worse. She pushed off from the railing and stumbled towards the stairs. Somehow she didn't fall down the steps even though her legs felt like jelly. She sat down on the step with a hard grunt and leaned over to press her face to her legs, gasping hard.

Izzy dug at her hair, pulling harshly on the locks in an attempt to ground herself. It didn't work much and a small part of her whispered that she was going to rip her hair out.

She'd been kissed before without permission but it hadn't bothered her quite like this. Sure, she'd been angry and creeped out but she didn't think to call it assault. But then again, fourteen year old Anthonie was under the impression that Izzy actually wanted to be kissed by him. Where he'd gotten the idea, she still didn't know but that's besides the point.

Katsu, on the other hand, was not under that impression. Katsu knew good and well that she hardly liked him as a person. They were cousins, for God's sake. Cousins don't kiss one another. She could still feel his hand, fingers ghosting up her back. A shiver of disgust was enough to shake her entire frame. Izzy closed her eyes hard and willed it all to go away.

There was a soft shuffling behind her that she vaguely registered as someone approaching her. She hoped it was Haruhi and not one of her neighbors. The Host Club already made a spectacle in front of her neighbors, she'd hate to add to the pot of absurdity.

With a quiet grunt, Mori sat down next to her.

Oh, for the love of God.

"Izabera."

He was probably the last one she wanted to see right now, she was sure she'd be embarrassed if she was in the right state of mind. She sat up just a bit but didn't look at him, eyes still focused on her lap.

"It's not your fault."

The pressure of her fingers against her head eased. Her hair was still painfully tangled around her fingers but the threat of ripping her locks from her skull wasn't so pressing anymore.

But how could it not be her fault? Why did she constantly let Katsu get close enough? None of their interactions were pleasant yet she kept giving him the opportunity to get near her. Once upon a time she insisted to Mori, of all people, that Katsu was as harmless as a kitten. Clearly she'd been wrong.

"Izabera, stop breathing so fast."

Mori's deep baritone served to ground her but it wasn't enough. She managed to free one hand of her hair, reaching for Mori. He let her grab his hand, holding onto it like her life depended on it. If her grip was painful, he didn't say a thing about it. Izzy focused on their joined hands, mapping out all the differences. His hand was large, hers was small. Bulky, slim. Attractive veins, supple skin. Short nails, long nails.

It helps, she realized.

Mori pulled her hand back towards him, pressing it to his chest. Immediately she tried to match his calm, even breathing. It began to work, her quick and short pants tampering out gradually until she had her breathing under control. "I…" Izzy was at a loss for words. She didn't know what to even say, where to begin or why she insistently fled from Haruhi's house. "I'm sorry." She finally looked at him, unshed tears clinging to her lashes. "I, um, I don't know what came over me just now."

Mori made a funny noise, like he couldn't really understand why she was apologizing. She used her free hand to rub at her eyes, sniffling quietly. "Ah..this is really embarrassing. I bet they're in there wondering what the hell is wrong with me.."

He didn't say anything for a long moment, opting to study her face instead. It made her nervous, the longer he stared, the more she began to shift around. She started to pull her other hand from him but Mori wouldn't let up, keeping her hand pressed to his chest.

"Have you ever had a panic attack before?" he asked, still holding onto her hand. Her eyes briefly flickered to their joined hands. She rolled her bottom lip into her mouth before her teeth gently bit down on her bottom lip. She chewed thoughtfully at the fleshy appendage.

"No, I've never had one."

Mori nodded in understanding. "They're not wondering what's wrong. You had a panic attack."

Izzy blinked, still somewhat confused. "But...I…." she struggled to explain what she was feeling, what she was thinking. "How do you know what a panic attack looks like?" she settled even though that's not what she was trying to convey to him.

"Haruhi," Mori explained shortly, like it was supposed to explain everything. Izzy was still confused. "She's afraid of thunderstorms."

Izzy made a small noise in her throat, unaware of the fact. She could hardly believe that something could actually scare Haruhi enough that would send her into a panic attack. Still, she was sure none of them thought she'd ever have a panic attack. Over her cousin, no less.

Mori pulled her hand away from his chest but still kept a grip on it. He flipped her hand over, pressing his thumb to the palm of her hand. His hand shifted, index finger drawing back and forth across her knuckles. He alternated between stroking her palm with his thumb and stroking her knuckles with his index finger. It was comforting to her and caused her to release the tense set of her shoulders.

"I just...he's been trying to intimidate me and it hasn't really worked so far," Izzy said after a long beat of silence. "I think...I think he thought this might do it and at first I couldn't understand why but...I feel...disgusting."

"S'not your fault," Mori said with no room for arguing. "Your cousin is wrong for doing that to you." He was looking straight at her, fingers never faltering against her hand. Izzy's face flushed and she hoped he wouldn't point it out.

"He just...he wants me to leave Japan so bad and at first, I really wanted to leave anyway. He kept telling me that I didn't belong, that I don't belong and I just…" she turned away, mouth pinching in frustration. Katsu was starting to get to her and all it took was a wandering hand and kiss to her mouth.

Mori shifted, finally letting go of her hand. His hand cupped her chin, long fingers curling around her jaw. It only took a gentle bit of his strength to force her into looking back at him. "You're the only one who can decide that, Izabera. Your cousin can't."

She stared back at him, entranced. His words meant a lot to her but there was something about the way he said her name. Like he took great care in enunciating each syllable that made up her name. She realized far too late in the game that she liked the way he said her full name. It made her feel...something inside, like a tendril of hotness in her chest. Maybe that's why she insisted early on that he use her nickname like everyone else.

She wondered, very carefully, how he would react to her using his first name instead of his nickname.

Izzy blinked hard, banishing the thoughts away. He would think nothing of it because unlike her, he didn't return her attractions. Mori was a kind person, a good friend and she should really stop romanticizing that about him. It wasn't fair to him. It was wrong of her, gross even, to assume that he might feel something for her other than platonic affection just because he looked out for her.

He looked out for anything that moved. This was Fumiko's fault, she decided, for insisting that Mori liked her more than just a friend. She wished it would just go away because she was hyper aware of every move he made.

Still, she had to wonder what was going through his mind at that current moment. They sat together closely, enough for their legs to press against one another. His fingers were still curled around her jaw and if anyone were to happen across them, they made quite the amorous pair.

"Do you want me to beat him up?"

Izzy gaped at him, words momentarily failing her. "No, of course not!" she sputtered after a moment of just staring at him. "You can't...you can't just beat my cousin up!"

"He can't just kiss you but that didn't stop him."

She was rendered silent for a long moment. "Just because that's true doesn't make it right, Mori. You can't beat up my cousin, it's just...it wouldn't be fair."

He snorted in defiance but didn't push the issue. Maybe he couldn't just beat up Katsu now but he was sure the little pest would present the opportunity again.

Behind them, a door swung open. "Mori-Senpai? Bera-senpai?" Haruhi's voice called to them, prompting both of them to turn around. Mori's grip loosened on Izzy before falling away completely. "Are you okay, Bera-senpai?"

Mori helped her to her feet then, guiding her back towards Haruhi. She was standing in the doorway, big eyes glossed over in worry. Behind her, Tamaki and the twins crowded the entryway, shoving one another childishly.

"Ara…" Izzy trailed off with a weak smile. "I'm...okay. I'm sorry for reacting like that."

Tamaki somehow shoved both of the twins away, stooping over Haruhi to stare earnestly into Izzy's eyes. "Your despicable cousin is the one who should be sorry, Senpai. Honestly, we should have Mori-senpai—"

"No, we are not having him beat Katsu up."

Tamaki deflated, using Haruhi to lean against. She only shook her head, elbowing Tamaki away. "Maybe you two wanna come back inside?" she prompted easily while stepping back into her apartment. She shooed Tamaki and the twins back in the living room, Izzy and Mori following after her.

"We were going to come make sure you were okay but Mori-senpai wouldn't let us," Kaoru said matter of factly.

"Oh?" Izzy glanced up at her fellow third year but he was conveniently looking away.

"Mama thought we'd overwhelm you," Tamaki tacked on. "So we decided to send Mori-senpai in and act as backup."

Izzy smiled, "how thoughtful."

Tamaki nodded, quite proud for making her smile. "Daddy would like to give his favorite niece a hug now," he smiled back at her, wondering if she would allow it. Katsu hadn't asked for her consent when he kissed her, he wouldn't dare stoop to that level.

"How can I be your favorite niece if I'm your only niece?" Izzy mused. She thought it quite weird that Tamaki referred to himself as a father to Haruhi and Kyoya as her mother. Especially since he liked her so much. Even odder when he dubbed her as their niece.

"That's what makes you my favorite," Tamaki held up his arms, waiting for her to make the choice on whether she wanted a hug or not.

Izzy's lids fluttered rapidly before she very easily stepped into Tamaki's embrace. She lifted her arms, ignoring the slight pinch from the bruises and wrapped them around his neck. It was a pivotal moment and even though Tamaki wanted to cheer, he relented and wrapped his arms around her torso.

It was at that moment that Izzy knew she wouldn't be leaving for Italy any time soon, no matter how hard Katsu tried.

"Izabera-senpai!"

Izzy felt her shoulders tense the moment a hand closed around her wrist. She was roughly spun in a circle, rudely interrupting her conversation with Hisa. Chiba grinned at her, causing her to blink numbly. She glanced down at his hand before her eyes snapped up to Chiba. She smiled tightly.

"Chiba, good morning."

Hisa peered around Izzy, brows high on her forehead. "You know each other?" she asked, unimpressed. "It's rude to interrupt someone's conversation, you know."

Izzy subtly pulled at her wrist but Chiba kept a firm grip. Again, she felt like her smile would crack her face in half if it tightened. "He's in the kendo club."

Hisa blinked, unsure of what the kendo club had to do with Izzy. Last she checked, Izzy's only club was the host club. Besides, kendo wasn't really her speed. Izzy noticed her confused expression and her smile became a little less tight and more genuine. "Mori invites me sometimes to watch them practice."

Hisa made a face but Izzy wasn't entirely sure how to describe it. "Is that so? My, how….sweet of him. I didn't know you had such an interest in the sport."

Izzy squinted at her. Maybe they weren't friends for too long but she liked to think she knew the honey-blonde well enough at this point. There was something laced into her words, almost like Kyoya. She wasn't exactly sure what it was but she felt like she'd been backed into a corner.

"I..suppose it was sweet," she said slowly. "I never had much of an interest but it wasn't so bad to watch…"

"You mean Mori-kun wasn't so bad to watch."

Izzy felt her face get hot. "The sport, Hisa. The sport is interesting."

Chiba loudly cleared his throat, grabbing their attention again. "Oh," Hisa said flatly. "You're still here."

"Hisa," Izzy sighed. She glanced down at the hand still coiled around her wrist. She didn't like it. "Chiba, is there something you need from me?" she tried to control the rising infliction of her voice.

"We're—" he drew it out in an obnoxiously annoying way. "—going on a date!"

"Ara?" Izzy blinked.

"Oh, good Lord," Hisa rolled her eyes.

"A date!" Chiba repeated, louder this time. Izzy noted with a flush that he was drawing attention to them. She hoped and prayed that this wouldn't get back to her cousin or worse, the Host Club. "This afternoon after school."

"I have Club after school and then homework to do—"

"Homework can wait. I can wait until you're finished with club activities."

"He's a stubborn one…" Hisa muttered.

Izzy's head twitched and she sighed. "Chiba, we already had this conversation. I already said I wasn't going to date you, I'm flattered but no means no—"

"But my brother said that if I show you that I really want to date you and if I keep asking you, you'll eventually have to say yes."

Izzy's eyebrow twitched this time. Hisa scoffed and folded her arms. "Boys," she sneered, any sense of amusement gone from her eyes. "Never can take no for an answer."

Chiba gave her a strange look, like he couldn't really understand the issue. He felt like his brother's advice was sound. He'd seen it done before anyway. Girls eventually gave in if asked enough times.

"Let me explain something to you," Izzy shook her head. "If you get a young lady to agree to something after wearing her down about it, about anything at all, that's wrong. She's not saying yes because she suddenly changed her mind and is attracted to you. She's saying yes because she feels like you won't stop bothering her otherwise."

Izzy liked Chiba, he seemed like a nice boy but he was too impressionable. "Now, be serious, would you really be satisfied if I went on a date with you because you bothered me into it?"

He looked thoughtful, like he had to really consider the notion. "I...I suppose not," he replied after a short moment. "But I really like you, Izabera-senpai! I really want to date you."

Izzy pressed her lips together in frustration. "I'm sorry, Chiba. I don't want to hurt you but I don't share your feelings. We could still be friends, if you want."

He looked heartbroken at that moment and Izzy wondered how the hell the Host club could deal with confessions all the time. How could they deal with looks of absolute heartbreak all the time?

Chiba's shoulders slumped. "Friends," he repeated with a slight pout. He began to nod slowly, like he was thinking hard about it. "Okay, Senpai."

Izzy smiled weakly, guilt settling in her stomach. "I'm sorry I can't return your feelings, Chiba."

"It's okay, Senpai. I understand. Can I ask something of you though?"

"Yes?"

"Would you still…" he paused, seemingly struggling with whatever he wanted to ask her. "Would you still hang out with me? Just as friends? Not today, you said you were busy. Maybe Sunday afternoon?"

Izzy didn't immediately reply, lips pursed in thought. Hisa scoffed loudly. "You're not considering this, are you?" she asked after a moment. "Izabera."

"Well," Izzy smiled weakly. "I suppose that would be fine. As friends though, nothing more."

Chiba's face brightened considerably. They exchanged ideas before settling for a meeting at a cafe Sunday afternoon. Hisa watched the second year dart away, excited energy bouncing off of him. She wasn't impressed, arms folded stubbornly across her chest.

"Was that wise?" she asked with a stiff lip.

"It's fine," Izzy shrugged. "I'm a Host, after all."

"He's not a girl."

Izzy only shrugged again.

"It's fine."

It wasn't fine.

Izzy wasn't too dressed up but she did look nice, she'd like to think. She was dressed in a pleated russet sweater with short sleeves paired a matching plaid skirt. The sleeves, thankfully were long enough to hid her bruises. Like Hisa, Fumiko wasn't all that impressed with the 'date' but Izzy brushed it off.

"You're giving the wrong idea," Fumiko huffed as Izzy sat on the edge of the bed. She was frowning with her arms folded across her chest, just like Hisa.

"Giving who the wrong idea?" Izzy asked with pursed lips. She busied herself with rolling the stockings up her legs, searching for any runs in the material. She got up immediately and approached her vanity. She began messing with her curls, styling her hair to her liken.

Fumiko continued to watch as Izzy. "You're certainly putting a lot of effort into this. And everyone, Iz, everyone."

"You're starting to sound ridiculous. Like Hisa," Izzy rolled her eyes and continued to fluff at her hair. "I'm not putting any more effort than when I'm harassed into hanging out with the host club."

"What about Mori-senpai?"

Izzy paused, fingers stilling in her hair. "What about him?" she asked slowly. Fumiko did not look impressed, staring at Izzy through the vanity's mirror. She watched as Izzy continued with her hair, manipulating some of her curls into a high ponytail at the top of her head. The rest of her hair fell around her shoulders in bouncy curls, accentuating her beauty.

"What if he gets the wrong idea?"

Izzy turned around, one hand on her hip while the other hand settled on the vanity. She didn't look impressed by Fumiko's words, scowling at her. "The wrong idea about what, Fumi?" she pressed with a hard sigh.

"About...about you! Come on, Iz, you have to realize that he—"

"He does not, Fumi," Izzy interrupted before Fumiko could finish her sentence. "I don't know how many times we have to have this argument before you realize that you're looking far too into our friendship."

"Do...do you wish it was more than a friendship?"

Izzy blinked, caught off guard by the sudden change in direction. Fumiko had been adamant this entire time about Mori supposedly being attracted to Izzy but she never thought of it the other way around. She never once even questioned if Izzy was attracted to Mori. Judging by her cousin's silence, she was definitely onto something.

"You do!" Fumiko squealed with glee. She jumped up off the bed and clapped her hands excitedly while bounding towards a flustered Izzy. She dragged the brunette back towards the bed and forced her to sit down, joining her seconds later. "You have a crush on him, don't you?"

Izzy's face was hot. "I don't know what you're talking about," she said almost too quickly.

Fumiko was grinning. "Come on, we're best friends! You can tell me."

Izzy sighed, knowing that Fumiko wouldn't give it a rest. She leaned backwards, settling her weight in her hands as she appeared thoughtful. "Well.." she puckered her lips. "I'm too old for crushes but maybe I think he's attractive."

Fumiko's grin was bright enough to power the room. "Quit being so elusive, you can be honest with me. I won't tell anyone."

"Not even Yuna and Ayame?"

"Not if you don't want me to!"

"What about Chi?"

"Now that's not a fair question."

Izzy snorted and rolled her eyes in good nature. She couldn't expect Fumiko not to gossip with Chi. It was one of their many ways to bond and she wouldn't step in between that. Even if they were gossiping about her. Besides, they weren't doing it with ill will. It was like they wanted something to come from Izzy and Mori.

"I just…" Izzy's shoulders slumped and she fell back on the bed, stretching out. "He's a really good person and he looks out for everyone. I don't want to mistake that for something else."

"So that's why you deny it so hard?" Fumiko pushed.

Izzy didn't reply. "I suppose it's true that Mori-senpai looks out for anyone who needs it," she rocked her head from side to side in thought. "But you can't tell me the attention he gives you isn't completely different."

Izzy still didn't say anything but began to think. She tried to think of all of her interactions with Mori. From constantly guiding her through Ouran, to inviting her to kendo practice, helping her with a panic attack and even offering to beat up Katsu. She thought about how they constantly gravitated towards one another, often had quiet conversations on their own and got along seamlessly.

Could it be possible that there was something there? She couldn't say for sure and she'd be embarrassed if it wasn't the case. She could ruin the friendship, hell, the dynamics of the Host Club if she was wrong. It just wasn't worth messing it all up.

"In any case," Izzy sighed and Fumiko pouted before she said anything else. She just knew Izzy would push it back to the back of her mind by her tone of voice. She was giving up before really trying. "I'm content with how things are now so please just let it go. Please?"

Fumiko huffed and got up to help Izzy up. "I will for now. But we're going to revisit this soon," she said with no room for argument. "I'd say enjoy your...whatever this is with Chiba but I truly hope you don't."

Izzy laughed all the way downstairs.

She met up with Chiba at a very cute cafe that wasn't too far from Chi's house. He grinned immediately when she stepped inside and began waving a wild arm at him. It was endearing but obnoxious as well and she found herself smiling weakly as she approached him.

She didn't have a horrible time, she'd admit. Chiba was a nice kid when he wasn't being pushy. He slipped up a couple of times, insistently flirting with her but he apologized whenever she pointed it out. It seemed he really did like her but she made sure to remind him that they would remain friends. It put a damper on his mood but he would quickly bounce back.

"Ah, Senpai? Did you...perhaps tell the Host Club about today?" Chiba said, eyes trained over her shoulder.

Izzy gave him a funny look. "I didn't think it was necessary, why?"

"Because…."

Izzy glanced over her shoulder and paled. Although they were conveniently holding menus over their faces, she spotted the Host Club just a few tables away. She looked back at the table with a groan. "Oh, per amore di Dio.." she muttered. Chiba gave her an odd look. "Did you tell them about today?"

"Of course not! I didn't tell anyone but my brother."

"Ah, let me guess, he gave you more bad advice?" she shot him a pointed look. Chiba pouted and that made her laugh. "I'll handle this. Just act like you haven't spotted them yet," she advised before getting up from the table. She walked as if she was unaware that they were there, skirting around their table for the powder room.

She stayed in there for several minutes before emerging. The Host club was watching Chiba and seemed to be quietly arguing about something. They were probably debating on whether they should confront the second year while she was gone. Izzy shook her head with a laugh before sneaking up on them.

Hands on her hips, she stood behind them. "And what—" she grinned when they all, Kyoya included, jumped at the sound of her voice. "—do you seven think you're doing?"

They turned all at once to look up at her. Tamaki smiled weakly. "My, Bera-senpai, what a surprise! We weren't expecting to see you here!" he laughed nervously. To her amusement, Kyoya slapped his forehead in exasperation.

"Do I have stupid written on my forehead?"

Hikaru opened his mouth but Mori elbowed him in the side. "Don't answer that."

Izzy would've grinned if she wasn't so exasperated at the moment. She glanced at Haruhi, noting that she was wearing baggier clothes and even had a pair of sunglasses on. She quirked an eyebrow. "That's the best you guys could come up with?" she motioned to the disguise.

"I tried to talk them out of it," Haruhi said easily.

"Not hard enough," Izzy quipped.

"That's besides the point!" Kaoru slapped his menu down, there was no need for it anymore. "How could you not tell us about your date?"

Izzy rolled her eyes, hands still on her hips. "It's not a date."

"A date is an appointment arranged beforehand," Kyoya said. "Usually to develop a romantic relationship if one is not already established."

"Do you have the dictionary memorized or something?" Izzy's tone was dry. It garnered a smile from him. A secretive one but a smile nonetheless. "It's not a date, I made that clear when Chiba asked me to hang out with him."

"That's not what Ozawa-hime said," Honey pouted. He was the only one who was actually reading the menu, in search of desserts to consume.

"Aha, should've known," Izzy rolled her eyes again. She was, after all, the only other one who knew of Izzy's plans for the day. "This is ridiculous and unnecessary."

"But Bera-senpai," Tamaki wailed dramatically. "He's a boy. We told you they can't be trusted with you," he reminded her.

Izzy eyed him for several seconds and pondered on whether or not she should just smack him. She decided to show some mercy, knowing it would attract more attention if she beat him up in the middle of a cafe. "Yes but you can't trust me?"

Tamaki didn't have an immediate answer and Izzy figured she'd won. She grinned down at him, hands still on her hips. "Listen, don't think so much of it. Chiba is innocent, this is innocent. Don't do anything foolish."

She left their table before they could protest. She returned to Chiba but she could tell he was a little intimidated now that the Host Club was present. It wasn't long before their 'date', as Hisa liked to call it, ended. She walked with him outside, ignoring her friends' blatant staring.

"This was fun, Chiba, thank you for inviting me out," Izzy smiled as they waited for his car to come around. He noted that she hadn't called her car around yet.

"I had fun too! Thanks for giving it a chance, Senpai. Are you sure I can't talk you into an actual date?"

"Nope," Izzy didn't even think about it, laughing as he pouted. "I'm sure there's someone in your year that would be delighted to date you."

He pouted. "I suppose a kiss goodbye would be out of the question then?"

"I think you know the answer to that but nice try," Izzy snorted. She watched as his car rolled up. An expensive one from Morimoto. She waved as he slipped inside before turning back to the cafe. The Host Club seemed to be waiting for her, an assortment of sweets set out on their table. Honey was eating most of it.

She sat down next to Mori with a deep sigh. "Satisfied?" she asked once she realized they were looking at her with expectant expressions.

"Are you?" Hikaru asked pointedly.

"I'm allowed to hang out with people other than you guys," Izzy replied primly.

"Yes, when they're girls," Tamaki muttered petulantly but Izzy heard him all the same. "Can't you hang out with Ozawa-hime?"

"Don't be like that. Bera-senpai is right," Kyoya spoke up. Izzy blinked and leaned around Mori to stare at him, surprised he would take her side. "As long as you don't embarrass us, you're free to do as you please."

She rolled her eyes for the umpteenth time before sitting back in her chair. She folded her legs and began to bob her foot while they carried on. She leaned on the arm of her chair, moving into Mori's space. "Do you think Chiba is like one of those boys Tamaki is so afraid of?" she asked in a soft voice. She was glad no one seemed to notice.

He turned to her, giving her his undivided attention. He looked thoughtful and his hair was tousled more than usual, like he'd been running his fingers through it. She wondered what made him so thoughtful today.

"I don't think so," Mori answered. Izzy seemed satisfied with just that, nodding with a smile. She trusted him enough, took his word for it. Besides, they were in the kendo club together. He wouldn't let her spend time with someone with negative intentions.

Either way, he'd just beat them up for her.

TeeBeMe: two idiots pining for one another. I like that trope. Izzy is so oblivious, it's almost painful.