Author's note: Welcome to chapter 23, dear Reader! Wow, twenty-three chapters... Time certainly flies, doesn't it? I hope you're enjoying reading this as much as I'm enjoying writing it!
Triggers: Today's chapter does have some drama. A female student get attacked, but the scene is...only mildly troublesome to read. Tread lightly, but don't be too worried. Most of the chapter is fun and fluffy. And sappy in a couple spots, lol.
I don't now, nor will I ever, own anything Ouran related. Reviews feed my muses, and happy well-fed muses means more chapters for dear Reader! Enjoy the ride!
-Oh, yes. It dawned on just now that Gaelic isn't so well-known as French and the like. So, "Mo mac tíre" pronounced phonetically, would be "mah mock cheer-uh" So there ya go, you can now confidently call someone "my wolf" in Gaelic. Yay!-
-Friday, after school-
Sky was curled up on one of the ornate sofas in Music Room #3, her long legs tucked beneath her as she watched her boys with a fond smile. Tamaki was chasing the twins around the room, yelling in an incoherent mix of French and Japanese. She still wasn't sure just what the twins had done, but they were cackling like they had pulled off the best prank ever.
Kyoya sat at a nearby table, working on his laptop and doing his best to ignore them. Sky knew it wasn't working, and she could sense him growing angrier. She gave it just another minute, and then decided to put a stop to it before Kyoya exploded and hurt someone. She whistled shrilly.
"Alright, children, that's enough."
"But, but, ma cherie!"
"Nope. Settle down now."
There were three nearly identical pouts as Sky ruined their fun. The dejected lads threw themselves onto various furniture and sulked. Kyoya shot Sky a grateful look before returning to his work. Sky let the boys continue to pout for another minute or so before issuing a little sigh.
"Ok boys, quit sulking and I'll give you each a candy."
"You're not giving them my candy, are you, Pixie-chan?"
Sky grinned at Honey as he and Takashi walked in. Honey raced over and flung himself on her lap, knocking the air out of her lungs. She hugged the little ball of sunshine and ruffled his hair.
"Of course not, little bunny. But I brought extra today, so shouldn't we share with everyone?"
"Oh! Yeah, definitely!"
She laughed at his enthusiasm and nudged him off her lap so she could stand. Honey rummaged through Sky's bag for the candy as she stretched, and his gleeful whoop caused another burst of laughter from her.
She shook her head lightly and took a few steps toward Takashi, closing the small distance between them. She reached up to lay her hand on his cheek, and they silently locked eyes. Her heart fluttered, and she wondered if she would ever get used to the way he looked at her. She almost hoped she wouldn't. His lips quirked in the barest hint of a smile as she slipped her hand in his. She gave his hand a little squeeze before letting go and turning toward the door.
"Everyone behave for a minute, ok? I'll be right back."
Before she could take three steps, the twins had pounced on her. They wrapped their arms around her and squeezed her tight.
"You can't go, Pixie! Don't leave us!"
She laughed and wriggled out of their grasp, shaking her head at their antics.
"God, I'll be right back, honest. I'm just going to the bathroom, you psychos. Don't get all twitchy."
She rolled her eyes, but couldn't help the grin as she straightened her uniform jacket and strode toward the door. She walked the familiar path down the hall, her thoughts drifting to the homework she needed to complete over the weekend. She reached the girls' restroom and almost had her hand on the door when a dreadful sound crashed into her ears.
Sobbing and pleading could be heard within. Sky's breath hitched as terror speared through her. Without a moment's hesitation, she pulled the phone from her pocket and texted as swiftly and silently as possible.
Someone's in trouble, help
Without waiting for a reply, she slammed the door open and strode in. Taking in the scene before her, a familiar red haze settled over her vision. A girl in a ripped and dirty yellow dress was weeping, shoved against the wall by an imposing figure with long, sandy blonde hair. Sky recognized the hair, even before he turned around.
"Hinata."
Her voice was laced with venom. The thug cast her a distasteful glance, then sneered.
"You had your chance, Prentiss. We're kind of busy here, so see yourself out."
He turned back to the sobbing girl, and Sky crossed the room with a few long strides. Before it dawned on him that she hadn't left, she kicked with all her might, her heavy, spike-studded boot connecting squarely with her target. He shrieked, a high, agonized sound, as he fell to his knees, his hands dropping to his crotch.
Without missing a beat, Sky grabbed his hair and brought her knee up, and a feral grin crossed her face as something in his crunched. He fell on his side and curled into the fetal position, howling, then fell silent. She'd hit him harder than she'd thought; he was unconscious. Her vision cleared, and she moved to the girl's side. She quickly removed her jacket.
The door slammed open behind them, causing the terrified girl before her to shriek. Sky cast a quick glance, relieved to see a very worried, very confused Takashi. She turned back to the girl, who was now cowering in the corner. She spoke gently.
"It's alright, he won't hurt you. No one is going to hurt you now, I promise."
She approached slowly and wrapped her own jacket around the shaking shoulders. She recognized the girl, one of the Host Club regulars, but couldn't place a name. She turned to Takashi and spoke quietly, trying to keep a calm tone.
"Mo mac tíre, can you take the trash out for me?"
She raised an eyebrow, wondering if he got her meaning. He nodded silently, lips pursed in a tense line. He grabbed the still-unconscious Hinata by the collar and dragged him from the room. Sky turned back to the girl, who was weeping quietly at this point.
"Ok, easy question first. Do you think you can stand?"
The girl looked terrified and more than a little dazed, but she nodded. Sky helped her to her feet, and was relieved when the girl seemed steady enough. She led her to the sink and helped her to rinse her face with cool water. When the girl looked a little calmer, she tried to take a few steps, but the door opened again, and she squealed, nearly falling over. Sky caught her easily and held her upright as she looked over. The twins and Tamaki were peering in, identical worried looks on their faces. The girl ducked behind Sky, the petite girl easily hiding behind her taller frame.
"How can we help, Pixie?"
"Hikaru, can you go fix some chamomile tea? Lots of sugar. Tamaki, see if there's a spare uniform around. If not, something appropriate from the cosplay stuff. Kaoru, come here, slowly."
Hikaru and Tamaki nodded and took off to complete their tasks. Kaoru approached cautiously. Sky turned back to the girl and spoke in a reassuring voice.
"It's ok, Kaoru's not going to hurt you. You go to the Host Club, right? You know Kaoru."
The girl sniffled and peered around Sky's shoulder. She calmed a bit and nodded, though tears still poured from her eyes.
"Ok, good. Kaoru's going to help, alright? You're not steady enough to walk by yourself, so we're going to help. Put your arms around our shoulders. There, that's it. Now, stay calm, I'm going to put my arm around your waist to steady you, ok? Can Kaoru do the same? Good, good, you're doing great."
They half-carried the traumatized girl back to Music Room #3 and settled her on one of the ornate sofas. Sky noticed that Takashi, Honey, and Kyoya were all missing. Tamaki produced a soft blanket as well as a spare uniform dress. His jaw dropped when he recognized the girl, but he shook his head and spoke gently, keeping his distance.
"Princess Miko, we'll all help in any way we can."
Miko still hadn't spoken, but she glanced up at Tamaki and nodded. Sky wrapped the blanket around her, covering the ripped and dirty dress. Hikaru brought over the tea and set it down without a word, though his face held fury and grief. Sky caught his hand and squeezed gently in thanks. All three boys moved a fair distance away so they wouldn't frighten the poor girl.
"Alright, Miko. I want you to drink some of this chamomile tea and try to calm down a little. I won't try to make you talk about it in detail, but I do need to know a couple of things."
Miko whimpered quietly, but sipped from the cup Sky held to her lips. She didn't trust the girl to hold it herself, the way she was trembling.
"Are you physically injured? And by that I mean, do you need to go to the hospital?"
"No! No. No. No hospital... I, I..."
"Ok, ok. I can't blame you, I hate hospitals, myself. Next question. Do you want to talk to the police, press charges?"
"Oh, God...no... I can't, I can't... I just... No..."
"Alright. It's alright, we won't call the police if you don't want. Here, have another little drink. There you go, good. Try a couple of deep breaths now, ok?"
The rest of the lads walked in at that point, and Miko's trembling increased. She made a little keening sound and flinched, moving closer to Sky. Sky put her arms around the shaking girl and patted her back gently.
"It's alright, Miko, it's ok. They won't hurt you. It's just the rest of the Hosts, look. No one in this room is going to hurt you in any way, I swear it."
She kept her arm around Miko's shoulders as the girl sipped her tea. After a little while, she deemed her calm enough, and led her to the back to change. She helped the still-trembling girl into the clean uniform and then just sat with her. She was beyond relieved to see that the dress was the only thing ripped, and there were no cuts or bruises. She asked if Miko was ready to talk about it. Miko took a deep breath and nodded, then clung to Sky's hand as she quietly spoke about the encounter. Her relief doubled when she figured out that the girl was more offended than traumatized.
When it was over, Sky hugged the girl gently and told her it would be alright. She gave Miko her phone number and told her to call anytime, day or night. Once she saw that Miko was calm enough, she called the girl's driver herself, and walked her outside. She spoke quietly with the driver for a moment, giving instructions. He accepted and understood, and she went inside. She was fine, until she walked back into Music Room #3.
She took a glance around at her boys, all looking both proud and worried, and nearly collapsed. She stumbled and grabbed the door to brace herself. There were several shouts of alarm, and Takashi was there in an instant, scooping her up into his arms. She clung tightly as he settled onto the nearest sofa with her on his lap. She nuzzled against his shoulder for just a moment, then spoke before anyone could ask.
"I'm alright, nobody freak out. I guess the adrenaline just ran out. I'm ok, really."
Takashi made a small sound of disbelief, and Sky raised her head to look him in the eye. She saw the worry, though his expression remained neutral.
"I really am ok, mo mac tíre, I promise."
He nodded and sighed quietly, resting his forehead against hers. Before anything else could be said, Sky was pulled from his arms with an indignant squeak. She had the breath squeezed out of her by the twins. She was shocked to feel both of them trembling. She hugged them firmly, but spoke lightly.
"Hey, hey, it's alright. Everything's fine, guys, really."
"How can you be so calm, Pixie?"
Hikaru's voice shook, and Sky bumped her head affectionately against his. She wriggled out of their grip so she could breathe, then answered casually.
"Because I have my boys, of course. You all make me feel like I can do anything. You guys give me strength. Hell, you are my strength."
That was all it took. Honey flung himself into her arms, even as Tamaki shoved the twins out of the way to throw his arms around her. The blondes hugged her even tighter than the twins, both of them covering her cheeks in kisses as they cooed about how sweet she was. She burst into bright laughter and struggled to break free once more.
"God, you guys are silly."
She was still laughing when Kyoya took her hand and spun her away from the others, pulling her into a gentle hug. She was grateful that he didn't seem to want to break her ribs, unlike the others. She held on for a moment, surprised to hear an almost-silent, relieved sigh. She pulled back with a grin and ruffled his hair, earning a half-hearted attempt at the Shadow King glare that quickly turned into an amused smirk.
Before anything else could be said, she turned back to Takashi. He stayed sitting, watching the scene before him with a fond little smile. She grabbed his hand and tugged lightly. He stood and slipped his arm around her waist, giving her a gentle squeeze. She wrapped her arm around him and held tight.
"Come on boys, let's go home, yeah?"
There were joyful whoops from Honey and Tamaki, and laughter from the twins. Sky couldn't help the broad grin that stretched her lips. Even though she was mentally drained and physically exhausted from the day's events, she was happy. Her boys were spending the night. These sleepovers were always so fun.
Takashi grabbed her bag and hoisted it with his own before she had a chance. She made a frustrated noise at him, but he just raised his eyebrow at her, daring her to say something. She stuck her tongue out, earning a grin for her childish behavior. She smiled back prettily and slid her hand in his, a little thrill running through her when he laced their fingers together.
They piled into two cars and headed to Sky's house. She was settled comfortably between Takashi and Honey. Honey chattered on and on, his hands fluttering and waving animatedly. A fond smile crossed Sky's lips as she struggled to listen, but he was speaking too quickly to catch everything. Takashi fished the extra protein bar from Sky's bag and thrust it into her free hand, causing her to look over in confusion.
"You barely ate at lunch, and had a bad shock. Eat, I don't want you fainting."
She wanted to argue, but didn't. She couldn't, because he was right. She could feel the dizziness and lightheadedness trying to surface. She rolled her eyes, just for form, and took a bite. He stroked his free hand down her hair with the barest hint of a smile.
"Good girl."
She couldn't help it, she just had to.
"If I sit up and roll over, do I get belly rubs?"
Takashi blushed at her overly-innocent smile, and she burst into bright giggles. Honey joined in, causing an even deeper color to stain his cousin's cheeks. Sky's giggles reach an almost hysterical pitch at that point, and she stuffed her knuckles in her mouth to muffle the sound.
She finally started to calm down when they arrived at her house. Tamaki looked at her curiously, but she shook her head. He just grew more confused, and looked at the older boys for help. Takashi was still blushing, and wouldn't meet anyone's eyes. Honey let out another peal of giggles and answered Tamaki's unspoken question, patting his hand.
"It's ok, Tama-chan. Takashi's just embarrassed because Pixie-chan said something naughty."
"Mitsukuni."
"What? It's true, she did!"
Sky grinned radiantly at the look on her wolf's face. She cleared her throat quietly and tried to adopt a completely innocent tone as she unlocked the door.
"I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about, little bunny. My question was perfectly innocent and completely appropriate."
There was a burst of laughter behind her as they filed into the house. She turned and batted her eyelashes at the boys, the picture of innocence. For about two seconds. Then she put her hands on her hips with another broad grin.
"Ok, so I'm a total deviant, nothing new there."
More laughter. The twins were falling over each other, cackling hysterically. Tamaki looked appalled that his "sweet little unicorn" could say something dirty, though a grin was struggling to break through. Even Kyoya chuckled quietly. Suzette walked in from the kitchen with a fond smile, happy to see her daughter so happy.
"What's so very amusing?"
"Uh oh. Dear Maman, I didn't want you to find out this way. Your sweet, innocent daughter is, in fact... A complete and total pervert."
"Tell me something I don't know, sweetheart."
Sky burst into laughter and hugged her Mother tightly. Suzette chuckled softly and ruffled Sky's rainbow hair. She greeted the boys warmly, then left the teens to their own devices. They traipsed upstairs, their laughter trailing behind. The boys went to their usual guest rooms as Sky went to her own. Everyone wanted out of the stuffy school uniform and into their own comfortable clothes.
Before she had a chance to close the door, Takashi stepped in behind her. Sky's heart fluttered wildly, and she smiled shyly at her wolf. He nudged the door closed and pulled her into his arms. He held her tightly for a long moment, resting his head on hers. She wrapped her arms around him and clung to him, reluctant to let him go, even when he started to pull away. He put his hands on her shoulders and held her at bay, though a hint of a smile graced his lips. She opened her mouth to apologize for embarrassing him, but he shook his head.
"I'm proud of you, Sky."
Sky blushed deeply. Proud of me? What for? She looked up at him in confusion. He stroked one hand down her hair before cradling her cheek gently. She nuzzled his palm lightly.
"You dispatched Hinata and rescued Miko, all on your own. You weren't afraid, or defenseless. Today, you were the knight in shining armor."
Sky's jaw dropped. Takashi laughed softly at her expression and tapped her chin with the tip of one finger. Her jaw closed with a snap. She started to shake her head, but then she stopped to actually think about it. Takashi had arrived swiftly, but Sky had already knocked the thug out by that time. Huh. Her eyes widened in shock. Oh holy shit...
She started trembling. Her knees grew weak. Breathing became increasingly difficult as everything started going gray around the edges. Takashi groaned quietly and gave her a light shake. When that didn't work, he simply picked her up and sat with her in the over-stuffed reading chair until she calmed down.
It only took a minute or so, but Sky was loathe to let go. They had barely had a moment alone all week, and she was thoroughly enjoying the quiet. She curled her arms around her wolf and snuggled closer, nuzzling softly against his neck. He sighed, the content sound warming Sky's heart.
With a reluctant little pout, she got up after another moment. They both knew that the others would get impatient soon. Takashi brushed his lips softly over hers and left, closing the door quietly behind him. Sky stood still for a few seconds, willing her heart to calm down.
-Later that evening-
After a casual dinner, the teens were once again congregated in the little home theater. The end credits were rolling, and the debate over a second movie started. Sky yawned quietly and rubbed her eye. She contemplated getting up to get another drink, but decided she was too comfortable to bother at the moment.
Takashi sat on one end of the plush sofa, leaning back into the corner with his long legs stretched out in front of him. Sky was right beside him, her legs curled up to the side on the cushion. She was snuggled up against him, her head resting comfortably against his chest. His arm was curled around her, his hand lying casually on her hip.
"You two are just so cute!"
Sky looked up as Honey bounced over to them. He was grinning radiantly, Usa-chan clutched tightly to his chest. She couldn't help smiling back at her precious friend. He hadn't sat with them during the movie, opting to give them some semblance of privacy. Sky appreciated it immensely.
"Nahh. He's the one with the looks, I'm just the comic relief."
"You couldn't be more wrong."
Sky sat up to look at Takashi with a little smile. The corner of his mouth twitched, just the tiniest hint of a smile. She shook her head lightly and pressed a kiss to his cheek before settling back in to her previous position. He tugged her onto his lap, wrapping his arms lightly around her waist and laughing quietly when she squealed in shock. Honey giggled at his friends and flopped down beside them.
"See? So cute!"
A/N again: See? Most of that was fluffy and cute, so no worries. And aren't we proud of Sky now? Buckle up, dear Reader, for tomorrow is the dance! Hopefully you're looking forward to it a bit more than Sky is, hehe ^.^
