Author's note: Welcome to chapter 26, dear Reader! I am SO proud to announce that I have gotten over 1,000 views to this story! I'm amazed, and so honored! Thank you all so much! I feel all special! Thank you to everyone who has stuck with dear Sky so far, even though we've had a bit of a bumpy road at times. There will be new (to Sky) familiar (to dear Reader) faces coming in the near future, but who and when will be a surprise. Stay tuned to find out! (Any ideas or suggestions? Drop me a review or PM!)
Triggers: Nope. Nothing bad happens in this chapter! (I know, I'm shocked, too.) A short, vaguely-suggestive conversation, and tiny mention of slight violence is as serious as it gets. Otherwise, it's a pretty fluffy chapter. Enjoy!
I do not now, nor will I ever, own Ouran, the Hosts, or anything related. I'm just borrowing them for a bit of play-time.
Sky sighed softly and shook her head. Her wolf could be over-protective at times. She wanted to argue, to stay longer, but... He was right this time.
"Normally, I would argue, just on principle. But it really hurts now. As much as I don't want to, I think going home is the best idea."
With a frustrated little groan, she let him help her across the room, trying her hardest not to limp too noticeably. She was just glad that she had gotten to dance with all of her boys before her stupid knee betrayed her. She had to admit, the evening was actually really nice before that.
They were spotted before they made it out of the ballroom. Tamaki and Honey both came rushing over, and she cursed softly. Takashi gave her a questioning look, and she nodded at the scurrying blondes. She flashed a serious look, and they slowed, just a little. She sighed quietly and shook her head a bit.
"Ma cherie, what's the matter?"
"Are you ok, Pixie-chan?"
"Settle down guys, I'm alright. It's not a panic attack or anything, I just tripped and hurt my knee."
They looked upset, but thankfully, neither made a scene. Sky explained why her knee was troubling her, and reassured them that she was fine.
"As much fun as it's been, I have to agree with Takashi. I need to just go home and rest it for a while."
The blondes both gave her gentle hugs. Honey said they would tell the others what happened so they wouldn't worry. She flashed them a sweet smile before they left to find the other boys.
Takashi had already called his driver, so the limo was waiting by the time they made it outside. Sky was still vaguely embarrassed to be riding around in such an ostentatious vehicle, but she was grateful for the extra space this time. She rested her head against his shoulder, thinking that things could have gone worse. At least she hadn't fallen on her face, or had a panic attack in the middle of the dance floor. All in all, she considered the night a rousing success.
The ride home was quiet, but comfortable, despite the pain. Takashi kept his arm curled lightly around her waist, and he held her hand gently in his own, their fingers laced together. When they arrived, he waved the driver away and helped Sky out himself, watching carefully. She caught his scrutinizing gaze and flapped a hand impatiently at him with a little sigh.
"You worry too much."
"Of course I worry, mo anamchara ."
Sky blushed at his use of the Gaelic phrase, and her heart fluttered wildly for a moment. All impatience was gone instantly, and even the pain in her knee faded to a dull roar in the wake of his soft words. She reached up to lay her hand on his cheek with a pretty little smile.
"I really am alright, mo mac tíre."
He covered her hand with his own, turning slightly to place a light kiss on her palm. There was still worry in his stormy eyes, but it was overshadowed by other emotions. He wrapped a steadying arm around her waist as they climbed the stairs slowly, Sky gritting her teeth.
She let out a small groan when they reached the top, causing Takashi to look over in confusion. He saw the pain in her eyes, though she tried hard to hide it. He gave her a questioning look, and she nodded, grimacing slightly.
"Ok, yeah, it's worse now. Damned stairs."
He very gently scooped her up into his arms, taking great care not to hurt her knee. Still, the quiet whimper that escaped nearly broke his heart. He strode down the hall to her bedroom as swiftly as he could without jostling her too much. Once inside, he set her carefully on her bed, then tucked a large pillow under her knee. Her sigh of relief was quiet, but obvious. He stroked one hand down her rainbow locks and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead.
"I'll get you an ice pack. Just rest."
Sky nodded silently, and he walked out. She waited just a moment after the door was closed, then stuck her tongue out and shifted over to the edge of the bed. She stood carefully and hobbled over to her dresser, muttering several colorful expletives in the process. She grabbed some comfortable shorts and a t-shirt and made her way into the bathroom as swiftly as her traitorous knee would allow.
It took much longer to finish her business and change clothes than she wanted, and she wasn't surprised to see Takashi sitting on her bed when she opened the door. He must have stopped by his usual guest room, because he had managed to change as well. She swore quietly when she noticed the aggravated look he gave her.
"I know, I know. But I had to get up, I didn't have a choice. I needed the bathroom. And I figured I might as well change since I was up, instead of having to get back up later."
She hitched her good shoulder up in a little shrug, but couldn't hide the slightly guilty feeling anyway. She wasn't about to apologize, however. She really had needed the bathroom, and there was no way she was going to let him carry her in there.
"Stubborn girl."
He shook his head, but there was just a hint of humor in his voice, and Sky relaxed. She started to hobble back over, but of course, her wolf was there in a heartbeat, strong arms holding her securely. She nuzzled lightly against his shoulder before he set her back on the bed. He fixed her pillow again and gently set the ice pack on her knee. She hissed at the initial shock of cold, but a soft moan of relief followed after a moment.
"Thank you, mo mac tíre."
She grabbed his hand and gave him a gentle tug. The corner of his lips turned up slightly, and he settled beside her on the bed. She scooted closer and rested her head against his chest as he wrapped his arms around her waist. He held her gently, and she covered his hand with one of her own, lacing their fingers together, her free hand lightly clutching the front of his shirt.
The sound of her phone going off startled a yelp from her throat, and she twitched in Takashi's arms. With a quiet oath, she reached over and snatched the frilly bag from her bedside table, fishing the cell out quickly.
"Hey little owl."
"Tamaki told me about what happened. Are you alright, should I have one of my family's doctors sent over?"
Tamaki could be heard ranting incoherently in the background. Sky burst into delighted giggles. She shook her head at the questioning look from her wolf.
"Kyoya, I'm fine. You don't need to send any doctors. I'm resting with my stupid knee propped up with a pillow, and Takashi got me an ice pack for it. I'm fine, honest. Tell the blonde psycho to chill out, he's acting like I need an amputation or something."
"He does tend toward over-dramatics, doesn't he? Tamaki, kindly shut up for five seconds."
A dejected little squeal could be heard, causing another fit of giggles from Sky. She rested her head against Takashi's chest again as Kyoya and Tamaki argued. She was just about to issue one of her ear-splitting whistles to break it up, when a slight thump was heard, and Tamaki went silent.
"Sorry about that, Pixie, but you know how he is."
"I do, indeed. Now that he's off moping, let me reassure you again that I'm fine. You guys just enjoy the rest of the dance, ok?"
"Of course, my dear. If you say you're alright, I believe you. And I trust that Mori-senpai will be staying the night... To make sure you rest, of course."
Sky blushed at the insinuating tone, and vowed to give her little owl a proper slap the next time she saw him.
"Yes, he is. And you, little owl, are in for a right smack tomorrow for that unsavory remark."
"I beg forgiveness. I've spent far too much time in the company of deviants like those twins."
Sky laughed softly after they hung up. She tossed the phone lightly on the table and snuggled against her wolf again. His arms were curled protectively around her waist, holding her close. She sighed quietly, nuzzling against his broad chest.
"Why are you going to smack Kyoya?"
"Oh, he implied that you were staying the night for...less than honorable reasons."
It was Takashi's turn to blush as her words sank in. He cleared his throat and shifted uncomfortably. Sky couldn't help giggling at his discomfort. She leaned up and kissed his cheek softly. He looked rather nervous all of a sudden, and she sat up straighter. Her laughter ceased when she spotted the new look darkening his eyes. She reached up and laid a hand on his cheek.
"I don't know what that look is for, but knock it off."
He closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath to steady himself. When he was calmer, he took Sky's hands in his and held them gently. His expression was serious, and when he spoke, his voice was quiet, but firm.
"Sky, my intentions have only ever been honorable. I would never do anything to hurt or dishonor you."
She sighed softly and shifted to face him fully. She gave his hands a reassuring squeeze before letting go to cradle his face in her hands. Her words poured out without prompting, low and full of emotion.
"Don't you think I know that? If I didn't know that, do you really think I'd be sitting here so calmly? I mean, we're in bed together, for God's sake. If I was worried, do you really think we'd be here, like this? Takashi, you're the most honorable person I've ever known in my whole life."
He issued a quiet sigh of relief. Sky carefully curled up on his lap and slid her arms around his neck, cobalt and storm-cloud eyes locked on each other. He wrapped one arm around her waist and reached up with the other to trail his fingers slowly through her hair. She offered a pretty little smile.
"Besides, if I thought you had those sorts of intentions for tonight, I would definitely not be wearing such lame pajamas. Hm. Not that I actually own any slinky nighties or anything like that. I'll have to remedy that."
She giggled brightly when he blushed again, looking completely flustered.
"Relax, I'm kidding. Even if we were at that stage, it's not like anything would be happening tonight anyway. Not with my knee in this condition."
"True. You've got to stop injuring yourself."
Sky made a rude noise and poked his shoulder.
"Hey. I've only gotten really hurt going up against that bastard, Hinata. Now that he's out of the picture, I'll be fine."
Takashi growled softly at her mention of the thug. Sky shook her head lightly and laid one hand on his cheek as his arm tightened protectively around her waist. She knew how much it bothered him that she had gone up against Hinata by herself twice and come out injured. She rested her forehead against his and spoke softly.
"I really am alright, Takashi. There's no reason to be worried now. He's been expelled, I won't ever be near him again."
She pulled back just enough to study his eyes, glad to see the anger fade. She had thought to mention her desire for martial arts training, but decided that now was not the time. She'd bring it up in a few days, when her knee began to heal, and his worry dissipated a bit more. She smiled softly and ran her fingers through his raven locks, earning a tender smile in return.
"I love you, mo mac tíre."
"I love you too, mo anamchara ."
Sky's eyes lit up, and a little tremor of delight ran through her. She leaned in and brushed her lips over his in a soft, tender kiss. When they parted a moment later, she laid her head on his shoulder with a small sigh of contentment, nuzzling softly against his neck. A quiet hum of satisfaction sounded from his throat, and she smiled happily.
They spent the rest of the evening curled up together in Sky's bed, watching an epic fantasy movie. She kept her knee slightly elevated, so it took a bit of trial and error to find a position that was comfortable for both of them. Once they figured it out, Sky was loathe to move even an inch.
Before the movie was half over, she was yawning. Snuggled up in her wolf's embrace, she grew sleepy rather quickly. She struggled to keep her eyes open during the climactic battle scene, but it was useless. She was so comfortable and warm, and felt so safe and content, she fell asleep before the battle was ended.
A/N again: As I mentioned at the top, some new familiar faces are coming soon. I was thinking, sometime in the next week or two, in Sky's time-line. If there's anyone from the anime (Only the anime, sorry. I've not been able read the manga as yet.) you're just itching to see, let me know.
Ah. One more thing. If and when Sky and Takashi DO get to that point in their relationship, it will NOT be featured in this story. Vague suggestions and the occasional comment, sure, but the lemon-y bits just...don't fit this narrative. (Not that I'm against them, I've written my share of lemons.) Sky's story is M-rated for violence and emotional trauma and the like, NOT for lemons. I suppose, if I get enough requests, I might write a companion piece to showcase that side of their relationship. *shrug*
Edit: I've just found out that "anam cara" is incorrect, and the proper phrasing for "soulmate" in Irish Gaelic is in fact, "anamchara" instead. I've fixed this chapter, and will go back to fix the others. Sorry about that, dear Reader!
