"I fear we've lost her."

Haruhi took a deep breath and tried not to pay Tamaki any mind. He was getting ready to go off on one of his tangents and she just didn't have the time nor patience for it. Unfortunately, the others shared her thoughts because no one commented.

And that, of course, frustrated the tall blond. "Don't any of you care that Lily has been avoiding us!?"

She cringed, knowing that ignoring Tamaki would only agitate him even more. She stared blankly at the others and for a moment, almost suggested a game of Janken to determine who would ask him what the hell he was talking about this time.

"Just what are you talking about?" Kyoya was the sacrificial lamb, sighing as he finally gave Tamaki attention.

"Bera-senpai, of course!"

Haruhi glanced at the doors and wondered if it would be worth it trying to sneak out. Hikaru and Kaoru were watching her with a glint in their eyes. Better not to risk it, she decided.

"She hasn't been to club, she's avoiding us!"

Kyoya breathed a long suffering sigh before easing his laptop shut with a sharp snap. "Izabera-senpai will join us tomorrow in hosting, as she always does."

"But what about today?!" Tamaki threw his hands up. "How could she rebel like this? Don't we give her what she wants, what more does she need?"

"Space," Haruhi muttered under her breath, which evidently, was not the right answer because it sent Tamaki further into a tizzy. That, of course, earned her a glare from Kyoya.

"He's going to burst our eardrums at this point," Kaoru mused, though he was hardly amused. Entertained, maybe but not amused.

"That wouldn't be the worst outcome for us," Hikaru shrugged. Sure, they'd all be deaf but at least they wouldn't be able to hear Tamaki.

Honey crouched over Tamaki, poking at his back as the taller blond drew patterns in the carpet. "Tama-chan, the mushrooms…"

Haruhi slapped her forehead. "I just want to make sure she's safe. Think of the bad example she's setting for our Haruhi, mama," Tamaki wailed dramatically, ignoring Honey. The loli-shota simply held up a cookie for Tamaki. He took it gratefully.

The last time Izzy tried to deny a cookie from Honey, he proceeded to climb her like a tree and shove the treat in her mouth.

"Bad example?" Haruhi repeated but was ignored.

"What's she even up to?" Kaoru asked. Of course, Izzy was her own person and could do what she wanted but she was definitely throwing things out of whack. Her missing presence was obvious, even the girls mentioned it several times during the hosting hour.

"Gardening club," Mori supplied helpfully. He wasn't all that bothered with Izzy's absence. It was true that she had a penchant for getting herself into some sticky situations but he doubted she would run into trouble with Kasanoda around.

Kasanoda and Izzy got along easier than anyone would have originally thought. Despite not being a member of the Gardening club, he and the rest of his clubmates didn't seem to mind Izzy's presence. She didn't come every day, as she had her obligations to the Host club but she made time when she could.

Hikaru made a face, still quite unimpressed. Kaoru eyed his brother before elbowing him in the side. Gardening was not their forte but if it was something Izzy liked, they shouldn't fault her for it. She hardly had an interest in fashion but she didn't look down on them for their interest.

They had to endure several more minutes of Tamaki's tantrum before Kyoya set them free. They were sure he did that on purpose but it wasn't like they were going to make a fuss about it. Not after having to put up with all of Tamaki's theatrics.

Honey wasn't all that surprised when Mori broke off from the rest of them. He only grunted his goodbye before stalking off from his friends. They were probably wondering where he was going but he was moving far too quickly for them to ask.

Mori wound up just outside the greenhouse as Izzy was just stepping out of the greenhouse alongside Kasanoda. A crown of colorful flowers were perched on her head, errant leaves tangled in her curls.

For one moment that lasted far too long, Mori felt something tight in his chest.

But then she turned towards him and spotted him and that tight feeling loosened. "Mori!" she waved excitedly, never mind the fact that they spent all day together since they shared classes. Her eyes were bright, even from a distance, he could tell. He waved back, amused with her excitement.

Kasanoda stuck by her as she quickly approached, looking cautiously amused with her. "How was club?" she prompted first, like she just knew. He could see the amusement in the shine of her eyes and the curve of her lips.

"Tamaki cried," he answered, hands shoved into his pockets. "Not happy with you, Bera-chan."

"That guy is insane," Kasanoda mumbled his breath. Izzy was still smiling at Mori but she violently jabbed him in the side with her elbow. Maybe she was a bit cruel when it came to picking with Tamaki but she would hardly let anyone else get away with badmouthing the blond.

"He's just a little emotional," the brunette hummed cheerfully and ignored Kasanoda's offended glare. It was endearing of her to stick up for the blond in his absence. She couldn't quite deny the sisterly affection she had for Tamaki and the others.

She spun and faced Kasanoda entirely. "Thanks again for letting me hang around your club."

"Ya don't have to keep thanking me, Bera."

But she only waved his words off and Mori wondered if she knew just how similar she was to the rest of them. Her easy dismissal of Kasanoda's words was eerily similar to Tamaki and the twins' habit of brushing others off smoothly.

"Nonsense, if I ever get in anyone's way, tell me. I'll see you later, get home safely!"

Mori gave one short nod before walking off with the cheerful brunette. Kasanoda watched the two, vaguely wondering why Mori felt the need to show up and walk Izzy out. He continued watching them, noting just how close Mori walked next to Izzy. He sometimes wanted to walk that close with Haruhi. Did that mean…..

Kasanoda went pale. Maybe it was none of his business.

"…Fushiguro showed me how to make one of my own," Izzy was chattering pleasantly, motioning to the flower crown on her head. Fushiguro and Shiranui had given her the flower crown the moment she walked in. It was woven of mostly white flowers such as lilies, jasmine, and daisies and for a splash of color, violets. He wasn't one for flowers but the assortment was pretty and pretty on her though he did wonder about the stray leaves in her hair.

"How upset was Tamaki?" She realized that she spent most of the time talking about her. She didn't mind leading their conversations, used to Mori's quiet demeanor but talking about flowers probably bored him.

Mori glanced down at her, she did seem a little sheepish. "He thinks we've lost you."

"Lost me to what?"

He shrugged. "Kasanoda." He came to a pause, blinking. That wasn't true, it wasn't specifically Kasanoda that Tamaki went on about. It was the Gardening Club in general. Izzy stopped when she realized that Mori was standing still in the middle of the hallway. "The Gardening Club," he corrected himself.

She eyed him, not quite sure what the matter was but news of Tamaki's broken heart over her subsequent switch was enough to distract her. "Oh, good grief. He doesn't fuss that much when I join you for the Kendo Club."

That was a good point.

"There aren't any girls in kendo."

Never mind the fact that Mori was around to keep an eye on her. Izzy wasn't too keen on the idea of having someone keep an eye on her. It made her sound like she was a child.

She huffed with her hands on her hips. "For heaven's sake. I can't join another club anyway. No one will lose me to anyone."

"Tamaki should know."

"Well, I suppose I could drop by his house…" she muttered under her breath. It might have been a little ridiculous but if his feathers were that ruffled then she had no choice.

Mori smiled down at her and patted her on the head. "You're a good big sister, Bera-chan."

Her face gradually heated at the earnest compliment. "Yes, well…" she tried to shrug it off. "You know, you don't have to use that suffix with me. Bera-chan makes me feel like one of the girls we host."

It was a random thought but she realized it made her feel funny. She understood that everyone else used Senpai because she was older but it wasn't like they used her last name. They attached it to a nickname, which she preferred. Honey used the chan suffix but it was attached to Berry, making their friendship feel close. Mori used her nickname, which was fine but the chan at the end made her feel like there was a disconnect between them.

She didn't use any suffix when she said his name, she pointed out. Weren't they past that polite part of their relationship? Wasn't he comfortable with calling her just Bera?

But then again, calling her just by that nickname alone suggested something intimate. She still wasn't all that savvy to the Japanese and their needs for these suffixes attached to names but she was aware that using someone's name without a suffix meant a lot.

Especially if there's a sort of romantic tension between two people.

"Ah, well, you can call me whatever you want. Forget I said that, I don't know what I was thinking!"

She was thinking she wanted to test their relationship. She wasn't sure why she even felt the need to do so really, she'd back out the minute he reacted. But Mori was staring down at her, head slightly tilted to the side. His hand was still sitting on the crown of her head.

"Do you want me to call you Bera-chan?"

Izzy pursed her lips. "Well," she shifted her weight. "I want you to call me whatever you're comfortable with and like."

He was smiling down at her at that moment before his hand dropped to her hair. He plucked an errant leaf out of her hair, twisting it in thought as he seemingly thought her words over. She couldn't say for sure what was going through his head at that moment, she never really knew, but she kept quiet.

"Bera," he tested in his quiet voice and watched in unabashed amusement when her eyes dilated. Her lashes fluttered and her face flushed. It sounded nice to her. "Bera," he tried again, maybe just to spite her, she couldn't say for sure but she knew she liked the sound of it. Like the sound of his voice. Liked him.

Izzy liked Mori so much it almost hurt and she wanted him to like her too. She could hear the voices of her mother and cousin rattling around in her head, encouraging her to just let go of her reservations for once. Besides, no one was coming around the corner at that very moment.

"Ara…" Izzy stepped closer to him, smiling shyly. "Ah, that sounds better, doesn't it? That makes us sound like good friends."

He didn't immediately reply and drew his thumb down the soft curve of her jawline. His fingers gripped around her chin, thumb nearly pressed against her plump bottom lip. Her hazel eyes were bright, so bright that they looked amber under the lights of the hallway.

Mori leaned over so close that their noses nearly brushed. "Better," he grunted simply. He could practically feel the heat radiating off of her face. Her flustered appearance amused him and he figured she'd go running off like she usually did when they toed the line of their friendship. But then Izzy's eyes narrowed almost in thought. She took one step closer to him and grabbed him by the front of his blazer.

And then she kissed him.

She didn't have much experience save for the two unwanted kisses she had the misfortune of experiencing. They weren't pleasant and the very thought of bad kisses nearly sent her into an anxious downward spiral.

But all she felt was warmth. Bliss and warmth and pleasantness. As cliche and as corny as it sounded, everything just seemed to click into place. It was a simple press of her lips against his but she felt her knees go weak, so much so that she had to steady herself by grabbing at his arms.

Mori's fingers brushing at her waist set warning bells off in her head. All at once, the insecurities and reservations that she managed to stomp down came barreling at her with a vengeance. Izzy pulled herself away so roughly that she nearly toppled over.

"Ara…" she trailed off, at a loss for words. Mori was staring down at her with wide eyes, lips alluringly swollen from her kiss. "Oh...ara…" she began laughing nervously. "Wow…I, uh, I don't know what just came over me! That was..erm…let's just…."

"Bera—"

"Forget I did that, yeah?" Izzy squeaked, voice climbing higher in octave. Her face was as red as the freshly bloomed roses Tamaki liked to throw at a girl's face. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that! Let's forget it, okay? Okay! Great!"

"Izabera—"

"I'm going to get going now! I said I'd drop by Tamaki's place so I should be doing that now! Get home safely, okay? See you tomorrow!"

Izzy darted like a fire had been lit under her. Mori watched her go, somewhat impressed that she managed to say so much in such a short time. Truthfully, he could've easily caught her before she went running off but thought better of it. He took a deep breath, uncharacteristically frustrated for once. Izzy reminded him of Tamaki when it came to the blond's crush on Haruhi. He hardly thought Tamaki had the guts to actually kiss the younger brunette though.

Mori rubbed at his forehead and chuckled quietly.

Patience…patience.

Izzy was absolutely reeling. What the hell had she been thinking? That was so far out of line, it wasn't even funny. Izzy sank into the comfy backseat of Morimoto's expensive town car. It was a newer model but she hardly cared.

Why had she done that?

The brunette buried her face into her hands and groaned. "Dio, che idiota. Stupida, stupida ragazza!"

From the front seat, Andou eyed her warily. "Miss? Are you okay back there?" he asked carefully. He hadn't expected to see the young brunette come charging out of her school with a red face. He wasn't sure what she was muttering to herself but her tone didn't promise good things.

She paused long enough to look up, looking quite sullen. "I…I'm an idiot, Andou."

He smiled politely. "I do believe you're exaggerating, Miss. In any case, we've arrived." The car came to a slow stop in front of a very impressive mansion. "Shall I wait for you?"

She smiled weakly but shook her head. "No, that's okay. I have a feeling I'll be here for a bit. I'm sure Tamaki will send me home but if not, I'll call you. Thank you, Andou."

Andou opened the door for her. "Of course, Miss."

She offered him a smile before setting off for the very large front doors. A maid greeted her, eyeing her warily as she stood there. She probably thought she was some girl from school with a hopeless crush. "I'm a friend of Tamaki's, we're in the Host Club together." Izzy explained as the maid continued eyeing her.

She nodded slowly and led her inside, leaving her in a very fancy and french sitting room. Izzy didn't mind, figuring they weren't expecting her. It left her alone with her thoughts and that was the very last thing she wanted. Instead, she focused on the area around her. The mansion was beautifully decorated but she noticed how quiet it was. How…empty it felt.

Where was Chairman Suoh? Maybe still at school but where was Tamaki's stone-faced grandmother or even his mother. She frowned, Tamaki didn't talk about his family, now that she thought about it. In fact, the more she thought about it, she was the one who shared tidbits about her family the most. The others hardly talked about their family.

"Weird…" she mumbled softly.

She wasn't alone for too long because Tamaki came bounding into the sitting room, looking confused. His eyes brightened the moment he realized who was sitting there waiting for him. "Bera-senpai!" He came running at her and swept her up in his long arms. Izzy, for once, let him have his way and hugged him back. Honestly, his hugs were nice. They were warm.

"Hi, Tamaki. How were your classes today? And Club?"

He babbled a mile per minute and effortlessly carried her into the large and tastefully decorated living room. Again, Izzy let him have his way, chuckling when he finally let her go. He wasn't wearing his school blazer and his tie was loose, like he'd been in the middle of undoing it.

"Mori said you were feeling a bit down because of my absence," she finally said when he stopped his cheerful babbles. He flushed immediately but it only made her laugh.

"I don't want to lose you, Senpai! And think, if you begin to branch off, Haruhi may do the same."

Izzy laughed again and reached over, patting him on the knee. "Don't be ridiculous, Tamaki. I wouldn't dream of leaving you lot alone but I do have other interests. Haruhi might too. You can't control either of us, you know."

"I don't want to control you!" Tamaki insisted, his eyes open and earnest. "I just want what's best for you two!"

Izzy smiled at him and reached up, this time patting him on the cheek. She cupped his face, the same way her brothers would do to her. While she didn't mind Tamaki's odd insistence on dubbing her as his niece, she looked at him like a younger brother. Maybe she was taking this Big Sister gig to heart.

"You're a sweet boy, Tamaki. You should just tell her that you like her."

She watched in muted amusement as blood rushed to his face. He began sputtering though he was speaking too quickly and she could hardly understand him. "I'm just her Papa, that's all! Nothing to it, you're hallucinating, Senpai!"

She patted at his face again, this time a bit firmer. "You can't hide those feelings forever. She's a bit dense now but she'll figure it out soon enough. You're also as subtle as a brick."

He stopped his sputtering, opting to pout instead. "Really, Senpai?"

"Really," she nodded with a grin. "It's charming though. Anyway, enough about that. How about we hang out for a little while? We could do our homework together."

His eyes were bright and he readily agreed, dashing out to retrieve his schoolbag. She patiently waited, sliding to the floor in front of the very obviously expensive coffee table. She pulled her own homework out, spreading it across the table.

Tamaki joined her seconds later, toting his own pile of homework. The two sat together in the living room he hardly ever used, pouring over their homework and sharing casual conversations about any and everything. It was nice, both of them realized at one point or another. Despite the comfortable time spent together, a thought constantly nagged at Izzy.

"Where's Chairman Suoh? Or Shizue? I'd like to say hello, if you don't mind. Nonna always stressed the importance of greeting the homeowners."

But Tamaki gave her a funny look. "I don't live with my grandmother or my father."

"No? Your mother then?"

"I live alone, Senpai."

Izzy squinted at him, at a loss. "Alone? Tamaki, you're sixteen. What do you mean you live alone?"

He eyed her for a long time before sighing, seemingly deflating. His friends knew of his complicated family but she still didn't. He felt that he could trust her enough to share. So he did. He told Izzy everything from his childhood up until now. She listened quietly but her face twitched here and there. When he finished his story, her expression was hard to decipher. It was a mix of different emotions and he took his time picking them out. There was anger and confusion. Disgust but most of all, pity.

She pitied him.

No, that wasn't right. She sympathized.

"I..I get what that feels like," she said after a long moment. "Being only half Japanese, I get it. Our circumstances are different but I get it. But..Tamaki, this is wrong of your father and grandmother." She motioned around them. "Hiding you away? Isolating you? It's wrong."

It was a bit surprising that she felt so strongly. He didn't often talk about his homelife, it was a downer and who wanted to waste time on things that can't be changed? Certainly not him. But family was so important to Izzy. Family meant something entirely different to her.

She was staring at him openly before taking a deep breath. "Would you mind if I stayed for dinner? We could cook something together, like on Christmas."

"You did all the cooking then, Senpai."

"We could have French. You must know some recipes and I'm a quick learner. It could be fun."

And it was. He had an old French recipe book that was hardly ever used. Izzy, talented as she was, couldn't speak or read a lick of French so he translated it for her. She did most of the cooking but he helped prep the food. His staff of maids, the ones who did most of the cooking, were surprised to see him in the kitchen with the brunette. They shared a delicious dinner, one that impressed Tamaki given the fact that Izzy never cooked French cuisine a day in her life.

"Are you still leaving at the end of the school year, Senpai?" Tamaki asked carefully. He hated the thought of her leaving but he hadn't brought the subject up since finding out in the first place.

"Truthfully? I've been considering…things," Izzy replied after a second. "Fumi and my mom, they've been trying to convince me of some…things." It was strange, she had yet to really even share these thoughts with Fumiko or her mother. "I think I might want to stay for a little while longer."

Tamaki's eyes brightened. "Really?"

Izzy nodded with a smile. "Really."

She was avoiding him.

Which, given the fact that they spent so much of their school day together, was impressive. She'd been overly polite in greeting him and Honey and quickly retreated to her seat, using her thick hair as a curtain to shield her red face.

She opted out on eating lunch with them, joining Hisa instead. She made up some excuse and was nearly late to Club, much to Kyoya's silent chagrin. She hosted with Haruhi but when the hour was up and she helped clean with the younger brunette, she avoided his and Honey's area all together. She didn't come to Kendo Club at all, opting to drop by the Gardening Club instead.

Now, she was just being ridiculous.

"Takashi?" Honey asked with big innocent eyes one morning. "Is something wrong with Berry-chan?"

Izzy was surrounded by Fumiko, Yuna, Ayamae and Hisa that particular morning with a pleasant smile. She'd noticed them but instead of branching off and joining them as she was known to do, she nervously smiled and waved at them before going back to the conversation with the other girls. Hisa visibly frowned and said something to the brunette but she only shook her head in reply.

Mori grunted. To others, his expression hadn't changed much but to Honey, he noticed the slight twitch of his eyebrows and the small tic to his jaw. "Yeah," he sighed after a moment, realizing that Honey was still staring expectadely at him.

"What happened?" Honey tilted his head to the side, big eyes shining in confusion. He wasn't happy with Izzy's sudden distance. They had a routine between the three of them and her sudden distance threw things out of whack. He wasn't too happy with it but if he confronted the elusive brunette, she would brush it off with a smile and a laugh.

Mori didn't immediately reply, weighing his options. He was pretty sure Izzy wouldn't appreciate anyone knowing of her blunder unless she said something first. Not that he thought it was much of a blunder in the first place but she fled too quickly for him to say otherwise. "Can't say," he grunted after thinking it over.

The loli-shota nodded, seemingly understanding without much being said. "Whatever happened, does it have something to do with you?"

He sighed deeply for the second time and nodded. He didn't look guilty, Honey decided so whatever happened, wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Izzy's odd behavior probably had something to do with her panicky nature. Whatever was going on between his cousin and the brunette, it was probably more of a misunderstanding.

"Do you like Berry-chan, Takashi?" Honey asked, straight to the point. He had a feeling but it was always best to flat out ask Mori.

He thought back to all of the small interactions between the two of them that eventually led up to that point. The very easy friendship between them with flirtation sprinkled coyly here and there. He enjoyed their back and forth but Izzy's avoidance was a real damper. Maybe he pushed her too far? The last thing he wanted was for her to treat him the same way she treated her cousin because he might've pushed her past her breaking point.

"I do," Mori decided after a moment, realizing he had yet to answer Honey. He liked Izzy a lot, actually. Maybe too much, honestly. Their kiss was a brief one at best but now he just felt hyper aware of Izzy. Aware of the tall, lithe and curvy young woman with a smile that was far too beautiful to be considered fair.

Yes, he liked her. A lot.

Hisa's words crept back up to haunt him. He would have to spell it out for her and make the first move because otherwise, she'd simply edge the line of their relationship before backing off. Which, evidently, was exactly what she'd done. Toed the line, flirted innocently and kissed him only to panic as she literally fled. Typical of Izabera.

He huffed, an amused chuckle.

Typical, typical Izabera.

She felt guilty.

Izzy knew deep down that she was being a bit difficult and even ridiculous. She kissed Mori and although it was an innocent peck on the mouth, she felt guilty. She felt like Anthonie, shoving his tongue in her mouth and Katsu, kissing her without her permission in order to make her uncomfortable. She felt like she just couldn't face Mori.

What if he didn't want to be kissed by her? She wasn't even sure if he liked her the same way she liked him! Sure, Fumiko insisted that he liked her just as much but what the hell did Fumiko even know? No one knew anything because she never really asked Mori if he liked her.

Thus began nearly a week of her avoiding Mori.

Was it the right thing to do? No, of course not. Was it childish? Yes, very childish of her but she was new with this sort of thing. She wasn't sure how to go about this because what if he didn't like her the same way? What if she ruined everything, including the dynamics of the Club? They were a close knit bunch and she would hate to ruin that for them because she couldn't keep her mouth to herself.

And Mori was far too kind to her to really say otherwise. Maybe things were already ruined between the two of them. She wouldn't know because she made damn sure to avoid being alone with him. The only time she really interacted with him during that week was when they were surrounded by everyone else.

Was she a coward? Yes, yes she was.

"Hey, Iz?" Fumiko asked as Ogen welcomed them into their grandparents' house. "Is something wrong?"

Izzy made small talk with Ogen before glancing at her younger cousin, visibly confused by the sudden question. "Why do you ask?" she asked instead of replying. Fumiko wasn't fooled, having realized that Izzy was evading the question.

"Well, " Fumiko cooed innocently. "Hisa told Yuna and Yuna told Ayame and Ayame told me—"

"Oh, good grief."

But Fumiko ignored the brunette with a smile. "Ayame told me that Hisa feels like you're avoiding Mori-senpai lately. Are you upset with him?"

Izzy nearly choked on her spit but managed to regain her composure. She smiled tightly and made a mental note to murder Hisa later on, when there weren't any witnesses around. "Upset? Of course not. Where would she get a silly idea like that?"

Fumiko blatantly eyed her. "She says you've been avoiding him and now that I think about it, you've been spending a lot of time with us."

Izzy stubbornly avoided Fumiko's green eyes, looking straight ahead. "You girls are my friends too, you know. Is it a crime to spend time with you?"

"You're deflecting."

"And you're being a busybody."

"Aha! So there is something going on!"

Izzy's face was flushed terribly but luckily they were ushered into Hiroki's bedroom. He was having a good day for once, having been far too tired to get out of bed for the past couple of weeks. Once he was up, he requested that Izzy and Fumiko come visit him after school.

"Something going on?" Hiroki asked, wheeling his wheelchair around to face the two. He paused, never realizing how much they seemed to resemble his daughters. Suddenly he could remember when Masami and Chihiro were young teenage girls, bickering over Chi's habit of borrowing Masami's things without permission.

"Izzy's avoiding her boyfriend," Fumiko grinned gleefully.

Somehow, Izzy's face managed to darken, if it was possible. "Don't listen to her, Oji-chan. She's being ridiculous."

"Is this the same young man mentioned before?"

Izzy slapped her forehead but Fumiko nodded readily. "Uh-huh," she paused long enough to kiss him on the cheek. "She's been hanging out with me and my friends way too much lately! Hisa even said she avoids him in class!"

"Oh," Hiroki's eyes sparkled in mirth. Izzy, on the other hand, rolled her eyes and dropped a kiss on his cheek as well. "Is this true, Busy-bee?"

"He's not my boyfriend," she replied quickly, taking a seat on the floor in front of him.

"Not yet, he isn't. You'd like him, Ji-chan. He's smart and he always helps Iz with her studies, really handsome and he's even a kendo champion!"

Hiroki blinked before looking at Izzy in interest. "Is that so?"

Izzy sighed heavily from her place on the floor. "Well, he's not my boyfriend but everything else is true."

"Even the part about him being handsome?"

Izzy groaned and laid her head in Hiroki's lap. He smiled down at her and carded his old fingers through her curly hair. He often did that when Masami was a young girl. He saw a lot of his daughter in his granddaughter. Maybe he loved her a little bit more because of it.

"Do you like this young man, Busy-bee?"

"I….maybe."

He chuckled softly, watching as Fumiko grinned widely. "And are you avoiding him?"

"Maybe…"

"Did he do something to upset you?"

"No, Mori is a really good person, a good friend. He wouldn't do anything on purpose to upset me," she was mumbling now. "It...he didn't do anything wrong. It's my fault, really," she admitted in a soft tone. Fumiko's grin dropped and her head tilted to the side. She hadn't been expecting something like that. Izzy sounded disturbed, sad even, that she'd been avoiding Mori in the first place.

"If you keep avoiding him, he's never going to know. If you two are close, don't you think you might be hurting him by avoiding him?"

Izzy buried his face in his lap, groaning again. She hadn't thought of that, hadn't considered that she just might be hurting Mori by avoiding him. She hated herself for her, the last thing she'd ever want was to hurt any of her friends just because she made a mistake.

"I wasn't expecting this when I planned to visit today," Izzy huffed when she sat back up. "Could we talk about something else for now?"

The old man smiled down at her, wrinkles seemingly deeper these days. It worried both his granddaughters, his daughter and his wife. They noticed his ailing appearance but they had the good graces not to mention it. His son, on the other hand…well Takuma wasn't so gracious but that was just Takuma.

"How about we take Ji-chan out for a walk? It's warm out today, I think you may enjoy the fresh air," Fumiko suggested with a soft smile. Hiroki's old green eyes brightened immediately at the suggestion.

They did just that, taking him out and about around the freshly manicured grounds. Hiroki enjoyed every minute of it, talking to his granddaughters about anything and everything. Izzy appreciated it as well, grateful to keep her mind off of her personal life for the moment. She really hadn't expected such a conversation with Hiroki and Fumiko but her grandfather had a point.

Was she hurting Mori by avoiding him? She hadn't even thought of that but it was a good point. Tamaki was hurt when she began branching off, even though he had nothing to really worry about. Could the same be said for Mori? She hardly even gave him a chance to say so or not, she couldn't even remember the last time she looked him in the eye.

Oh wait, maybe that was right before she kissed him?

Izzy was a mess. An absolute and utter mess.

"Hey, Iz?" Fumiko nudged at the brunette with her elbow as they stepped out of Hiroki's room. He was exhausted by the time they came back from their walk. The two left him kisses and a promise to come back for another visit when he was feeling up to it before Ogen shooed them out.

"Hm?"

"I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable with all my pushing," Fumiko apologized genuinely. She noticed immediately that Izzy's mood wasn't as chipper after she and Hiroki practically ganged up on her. She hadn't meant to upset Izzy.

Izzy folded her arms behind her back with a soft sigh. "There's nothing to apologize for," she decided after a moment. "I just...I just realized that Hiroki is right. I..just...I think I made a mistake with Mori and maybe I'm just too afraid of his reaction."

"What...what did you do?"

They turned the corner leading them to the grand staircase only to run straight into Katsu. Izzy's already crappy mood went down even further but she tried to maintain her calm composure. "Katsu," she greeted plainly. "If you're planning on visiting with Hiroki, he's resting right now."

He made a face but Fumiko began speaking first. "Sorry, Katsu. Had we known you were coming to see him as well, we would have invited you to come along with us. We took Ji-chan out for a walk and it tired him out."

The eldest Morimoto cousin scowled at that. No, they wouldn't have invited Katsu along with them. She didn't care that Katsu was their cousin, she didn't like him. He made her feel wholly uncomfortable and she wasn't going to make herself suffer while trying to include him. She wasn't sure what he was capable of, whether he would be violent with her or if he would do something like try to kiss her once more. She wasn't going to give him the chance to harm or harass her, not if she could help it.

"I doubt Izabera would warm up to the idea of that, Fumiko, but thanks anyway," Katsu replied plainly, eyeing Izzy up and down. Fumiko blinked and turned to look at Izzy, noting the icy look in her usual warm eyes. She didn't deny Katsu's accusation, hardly caring if it were rude or not.

"Iz?" Fumiko pressed softly.

But she didn't bother to answer, opting to grab Fumiko by the elbow and step around Katsu. He retaliated quickly, stepping in front of her and stopping her from walking away from him. Izzy's jaw tightened but she stared straight into his eyes, unimpressed and annoyed. "Excuse us, Katsu."

"It's getting awfully close to the end of the year, Izabera."

"My, my, look who knows how to read a calendar. Bravo. Now move."

Katsu sneered at her but didn't move, not like how she wanted. He reached and roughly wrenched her forward by her jaw. "I wouldn't want anyone to get hurt, Izabera. And by anyone, I do mean you." He angled her jaw downwards and blatantly stared at her mouth, smirking all the while. Izzy felt her muscles stiffen. She wasn't bothered with his threat, it was his touch that made her go numb. Her stomach twisted uncomfortably and her jaw tightened even more. For a moment, she forgot Fumiko was even there as well.

"Katsu." Fumiko sounded horrified.

Izzy slapped Katsu's hand away and took a step back. "Don't touch me," she snapped with a scowl. "Just..just back off, Katsu." She was lacking her usual bite but she didn't give him a chance to point that out, storming away with a quickness.

Fumiko didn't immediately follow, staring at Katsu instead as if he'd grown another head out of his neck. This was not the cousin she grew up with. He was nothing like the shy and quiet boy she thought he was. Her disappointment in him was obvious in her eyes but she said nothing, darting around him to chase after Izzy.

Katsu watched them go, still smirking.

Everyone had a breaking point.

He let her get away with avoiding him for a week straight. He didn't like it but he still let her get away with it. However, it was beginning to bleed into two weeks and that was...well that was just pushing it. So color Mori surprised when she showed up to Kendo Club. She was sitting off to the side, like she was known to do, waving at some of the Club members as they greeted her.

He kept an eye on her every so often during the entire hour but she wasn't acting suspicious or anything. It was like a regular day to her. That was strange but he guessed he would figure things out once Club was over for the day.

Once Club was over, he changed out of his Kendo uniform quickly. Once he stepped back out, Chiba and Izuru were with her, which wasn't unusual. It frustrated him just a little bit, which someone could say was out of character for him. She seemed so at ease with practically anyone besides himself.

He approached the three and as usual, Izzy noticed him first. Her face flushed almost automatically. "Hi, Mori," she greeted almost shyly. Chiba and Izuru noticed the switch in her, glancing between the two in confusion.

"Hi, Bera."

Izuru's head twitched visibly on his neck. The last time he checked, Mori tended to use a suffix with her name. Dropping that suffix sounded oddly intimate for just two friends. He had a feeling something either happened or something was currently happening and it had nothing to do with him or Chiba. "Uh...we're going to get going, Senpai."

Even Chiba, oblivious as he was, got the feeling that he should just let the two be. For once, he didn't fight Izuru off as he pulled him away, although he did pout. He was never going to get Izabera to like him if there were constant interruptions.

"Um.." Izzy trailed off, somewhat unsure. She hadn't expected them to leave so soon. "You forgot your bag. Again. So, uh, I brought it." She'd been dumb enough to point that out and Kyoya suggested she be the one to take it to Mori. She conceded, not wanting them to become suspicious of her. She'd been acting weird enough. She stood up, brandishing the bag. "It's not like you to be so forgetful," she smiled softly and shoved the bag at his chest. "Well, I'm going to get going. Um. I'll see you tomorrow."

That was it? Mori watched her for a mere second before he reached out and caught her by the wrist. He spun her back around effortlessly, stepping into her inner space and forcing her to crane her neck back just to look him in the eye. Steam threatened to puff out of her ears but she somehow managed to hold his stormy gaze.

"Um…?"

"You're avoiding me, Bera."

"Ara…" she trailed off before looking off to the side, avoiding that stormy gaze of his. She just couldn't take it, not standing so close to him. His grip around her wrist felt warm and safe and she had to stop herself from lacing her fingers with his. Now, that would just be plain old weird and as stated before, she was acting weird enough. "I..it's not that."

"Are you upset with me?"

"What? No! Of course not." Well, her grandfather was right. She hadn't been upfront with Mori and now he was under the impression that he'd done something to deserve her ire. This was one big mess that was completely her fault. "It's not..that. I..well, you didn't do anything wrong. It's just...I'm having a hard time here." She huffed, her frustration evident across the pretty plains of her face.

But he was patient as she tried to get her thoughts in order. "That last time...in the hallway, uh. I shouldn't have done something like that. It was impulsive and rude and I was avoiding you because I thought I made you uncomfortable."

Impulsive and rude but not...wrong? Not a mistake?

"Did you regret it?" Mori asked, throwing her for a loop. She blinked for several long seconds, still staring up at him, at a loss for words. He was supposed to scold her now or something. What did regretting it have to do with anything?

"Well.."

He could hear someone calling his name, it sounded almost like Kasanoda. Izzy heard it as well and began to turn in the direction of the door. Another interruption, he watched as her shoulders slumped. In disappointment or relief, he wasn't sure but he had quite enough interruptions to last them a lifetime. If he let her get away, she'd definitely go back to avoiding him.

Mori seized Izzy around the waist, lifting her off of her feet and balancing all of her weight against him as if he was carrying Honey. With speed that should be impossible for someone his size, he carried her back towards the changing room for the Kendo Club, hiding behind the closed door. She was so caught off guard, she didn't utter a sound the entire time.

The two remained quiet, breathing quietly as Kasanoda called him for several minutes before giving up and eventually leaving. Once he was sure the redhead was gone, Mori set Izzy back on her feet but stopped her from escaping completely, crowding her against the shut door. Her eyes were big as she stared up at him but she didn't try to fight her way out of his grasp.

Mori leaned over the leggy brunette, arm braced above her head. "Bera?" He pressed, watching as her pupils dilated. "Do you regret what you did?"

Her mouth trembled but her eyes turned to the floor, trying to avoid his gaze. She was going to hyperventilate at this point. She should have told Kyoya to mind his damn business and send someone else to return Mori's bag to him because she hadn't planned for this.

"No...I don't. I really don't regret it. I liked doing it. Ara, a lot….I liked it a lot. I wasn't avoiding you because you did anything wrong, I just felt like we're friends and I was being selfish…and.." she trailed off, realizing Mori hadn't said anything. She carefully peeked up at him, chewing nervously at her bottom lip, and wriggled her hips. He was pinning her to the door and not saying anything, she felt like she was going to have a panic attack.

Mori grunted in thought. "Can we try it again?"

Izzy felt like the entire Earth came to a screeching halt. Her features crumpled, knitting together in complete confusion. "You want...you want to kiss me?" She had to be sure because she knew good and well that she wanted to kiss him, she wasn't sure what Mori wanted and that's where the guilt came from.

That was a silly question but he answered her anyway. "Yes."

"Oh." Her lips puckered in thought. "Okay."

She carefully reached out for him, again grabbing him by the blazer. Her movements weren't so erratic this time around, weren't so rushed and she timidly tugged him closer. Izzy carefully stood on the tips of toes and brushed her lips against Mori's lips. Simple. Once. Twice.

Mori's arms were like a band of steel at her waist as he anchored her against him. Any wisps of space between them were completely destroyed and Izzy scrambled to clutch at his arms despite the fact that it was literally impossible for her to fall over. Not with his arms around her waist.

Unlike her gentle and simple kisses, Mori kissed her so hard and thoroughly that her head spun on her neck. She reared forward on the tips of her toes for the second time and wrapped her arms around his neck. That warm feeling from before came tumbling back, wrapping her up in warmth that reminded her of honey and flowers and the warm ocean breeze and freshly baked chocolate cookies.

It was almost too much, she realized and she pulled back with a start. Her eyes were big and round as she stumbled back on the flats of her feet. "Uh…" she trailed off, lips alluringly bruised and swollen. "I think…"

Well, she wasn't sure what she thought. She sagged against his grip, hands sliding down to rest against his arms. His arms, which by the way, were still wrapped around her waist. She ducked her head and rested her forehead against his chest, laughing nervously.

Honestly, her insecurities were slowly creeping up from the dark shadows of her mind. Those insecurities whispered for her to run, to flee, to break out of his hold and never look back. Her bottom lip trembled nervously as she tried to fight her impending panic attack.

"Bera?"

Her head snapped up almost automatically, brown curls flying around her shoulders. Storms personified. That's what she found herself thinking, staring straight into Mori's eyes.

"Yes?" Izzy asked softly.

She was surprised when Mori offered a tentative smile, maybe shyly, she couldn't say for sure but she knew damn well she was besotted with that smile. He leaned in closer, like he'd done the first time she kissed him, lips nearly brushing hers again. Thoughtlessly, she reared up and brushed her lips against his again. "Better?" He asked carefully, like when he asked if saying Bera was better.

She couldn't control her smile, "Better."

TeeBeMe: oooooh. I'm here for the Tamaki and Izzy Bro!TP. Tazzy would be their shipname?