Author's note: Welcome back, Dear Reader! OHMYGODS, I can't believe it's been like a year and a half. I AM SO SORRY! Grief and depression kept me down hard, but I'm finally back! Did you miss me? I missed you! And I know Puck and the lads missed you, too. Let's jump right back in, shall we?
TW: Slight language. Mention of scars, blades, stitches
-In the limo-
Robin found themself in a bit of a tight spot, literally and metaphorically speaking. Mori had silently insisted on continuing to hold them, even though there was plenty of space in the ostentatious limo. So here they were, basically cuddling the upperclassman for all to see. And it only got worse (or possibly better, but Robin refused to let their mind go there) when Honey carefully lifted their injured foot and gently set it atop a pillow on his own lap. They let out a squeak as his hands glided over the sensitive area, then blushed hotly at the sympathetic smile he cast their way.
"I know it hurts, Robin-chan, I'm sorry. But you need to keep it elevated. And iced."
A rather unflattering little squeal escaped at the shock of a towel full of ice being gingerly placed on their swollen ankle. They whimpered quietly, gritting their teeth. Then cursed soundly as laughter erupted from all sides. The glare they shot the giggling twins did nothing to lessen the onslaught. Bloody evil gingers. They took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, willing the hectic color in their cheeks to settle.
"It's... It's not that bad, senpai. I've dealt with worse than a twisted ankle; I'll just wrap it when I get home. You don't need to do that."
But Honey was not to be persuaded. He clamped one hand on their leg, carefully avoiding the swollen area. The strength radiating from the petite hand caused a momentary short-circuit in their brain and a rather inappropriate tingling sensation. They gave themself a mental slap and tuned back in as their senpai began to speak again, a slightly more serious tone to his usual bubbly voice.
"You got hurt looking for me. The least I can do is make sure you're well taken care of."
So much for not blushing any more. A quiet groan escaped as they covered their face with both hands. They felt more than heard the slightest rumble of a chuckle from Mori at their embarrassment. He patted their head lightly. Robin thought he was about to speak, but Honey's voice sounded again before he could. (And if Robin was just the tiniest bit thrilled that the more mature tone hadn't disappeared, they'd never admit it.)
"I didn't notice this scar before, Robin-chan. What's it from?"
His fingertips brushed ever so softly over a thin, pale line of scar tissue down the side of their calf. They glanced down briefly, hesitating at the worried, almost-critical look in his eyes. Feck. They swallowed thickly, then plastered what they hoped was a convincing grin on their face.
"Well, let's just say my cousin's not allowed to have his own kunai or shuriken."
They laughed joyfully at the utterly flabbergasted looks thrown their way. Their laughter was cut off abruptly when Honey's hand twitched and tightened on their leg, however. A tremor raced down their spine at the sudden darkness in his gaze. They lightly patted his hand and explained before he could speak.
"It's not as bad as it sounds, honest. My uncle had just started teaching us how to use them, and my cousin got impatient. It was an accident, I swear. It was just some stitches, not like I needed surgery or anything. But Red freaked out so much and felt SO bad about it, you would've thought he'd cut my whole leg off! Uncle Hiroshi didn't even have the heart to punish him after that. It's been five years, and he still won't touch them."
"Your cousin's name is Red?"
Robin laughed quietly and shook their head at the very confused blonde across from them.
"Well, no, of course not, Cissy. It's just a nickname because his hair is naturally bright red, just like Uncle Hiroshi's. He gets annoyed when I use it, though. So he'll usually call me by whatever color my hair happens to be at the time. He still thinks it bothers me."
Their voice was tinged with humor, and they grinned, hitching one shoulder up in a little shrug. Honey frowned, however, and they also felt the slightest rumble of a dissatisfied hum from Mori. Feeling a tiny bit bold, they patted both upperclassmen on the arm and smiled in what they hoped was a reassuring way.
"It's alright, lads, really. I didn't even feel it. If Red hadn't said anything, I probably wouldn't have noticed a thing. And it doesn't trouble me at all anymore; I don't even notice it most of the time."
Mori and Honey both seemed a little relieved after that, and everything settled down in the limo. The group began to discuss the idea of a beach trip next, though the conversation dwindled as each teen was dropped at their respective homes. First Kyoya, then the twins, then Tamaki.
Tamaki was the hardest to get out of the limo. He kept insisting on escorting Haruhi home, screeching about protecting his precious daughter. Haruhi seemed ready to burst, but Robin beat her to it. Without any fanfare, they planted their uninjured foot in his chest and shoved him out the open door. Haruhi's snickers and Honey's cackles could be heard over his affronted shriek, and she slammed the door closed before he could recover.
"Thanks, Puck-senpai. He was really getting on my nerves."
"Mine, too. It's really no problem, kitten."
The pair grinned at each other briefly, then lapsed into a companionable silence. Honey's cackling finally tapered off into little giggles, but he still shook a finger at Robin.
"You should be more careful, Robin-chan, what if you'd hurt your ankle more?"
"Not to worry, senpai, I made sure to use my good one."
"But still!"
"Yes, senpai."
They tried for a contrite look, knowing it failed miserably. Giving up after a moment, they gave a shrug. Honey frowned for another few seconds before returning to his usual bright grin. He patted their leg gently, well above the injured area.
"It's alright, Robin-chan, don't worry!"
After seeing Haruhi safely home, the limo started for Robin's own residence. They were grateful for that; it had been a rather long day. Honey stared out the window as they made the trek up the long, tree-lined drive. Three adult horses and one lanky foal could be seen running around the pasture beyond the trees. A few cats, one dog, and several chickens could also be seen roaming around.
"Look at all the animals! Look, Takashi, look! There's a baby horse over there!"
The diminutive senior bounced in his seat, craning his neck to look at everything Robin's land had to offer. Mori hummed quietly in agreement, lips turned up ever so slightly as he watched the little foal toddle after her mother.
"She's a feisty little thing, too; just like her mother."
"Cute."
The limo pulled to a stop in front of a house that, while large, could definitely not be called a mansion. It was more than enough room for Robin and Seamus, however. Sitting far back from the main road, nestled among the trees and grounds, the ivy-covered brick gave the two-storey house a faerie-tale cottage feel. Two large barns and a few other outbuildings were just visible at the end of a well-worn dirt road, though Robin was a little surprised not to see a single vehicle parked along the way. A little groan escaped their lips.
"What's the matter, Robin-chan?"
"It's nothing, senpai. I just remembered that Shay won't be home for a few more hours."
"Oh. Well, we'll just have to stick around and take care of you 'til then!"
A bewildered Robin opened their mouth to reply, determined to refute the idea, but was silenced immediately. Mori laid one large hand on their head and patted gently, a soft warning look in his eyes.
"You're hurt, you shouldn't be alone."
"But I-"
"No."
They huffed out an aggravated breath and stuck their lower lip out in an exaggerated pout. They gave up after just a few seconds, shrugging lightly. Their senpais were only trying to help, after all. With a quiet sigh, they nodded a little.
"Thank you, senpais. I really do appreciate it, I just don't want to trouble you any more than I already have."
"What do you mean, Robin-chan? You haven't caused any trouble at all. And even if you did, we don't mind! Right, Takashi?"
"Yeah."
They were saved having to think of a reply when the door opened from the outside. The driver bowed slightly and held the door open for the teens. Honey jumped out first, clutching Usa-chan to his chest with a joyful grin as he spun around. Mori exited sedately, carefully maneuvering Robin out of the limo and back into his arms, much to their chagrin. They groaned and covered their face with both hands.
"This really isn't necessary, Mori-senpai. If you give me a steady arm to hang onto, I can walk just fine."
Mori scoffed, but otherwise ignored the embarrassed Irish in his hold. They dug their keys out of their bag on the short walk, and Honey plucked them right out of their hand. Finding the right key, he unlocked the door and opened it with an over-dramatic bow worthy of Tamaki. Robin let out a small laugh and ruffled his hair as Mori carried them inside. A little twinge under their ribs made them grimace.
"Any other day, I'd say just drop me on the sofa and be done with it. Unfortunately, since you insist on carrying me like some damsel in distress, I'm forced to ask a rather large favor."
At Mori's inquisitive hum, they continued quietly as color flooded their cheeks.
"I had no idea when I got dressed this morning that we'd be out so long. I absolutely must change into something a bit, um...less restrictive."
"Ah. Which way?"
With a little sigh of relief at the complete lack of follow-up questions to their hesitant statement, they directed the senior up the stairs and down a bright hallway. Honey followed along, skipping happily and turning every which way to take in the new sights.
"Your house is so cute, Robin-chan! It's all bright and cozy, like a cottage in a faerie tale!"
"It really is. Uncle Hiroshi was looking at farms for us while we were still in Australia. He showed us pictures of this place, and Shay snapped it up immediately; he didn't even need to come see it in person. When you know, you know, I guess. Oh, this is me, senpai."
They lightly smacked the doorframe beside them, and Mori turned into the open bedroom with a little nod. Three large aquariums took up one side of the room; one full of fish, and two containing a snake each. A little trilling noise caused all three teens to turn toward Robin's bed, where four cats lounged in a jumbled nest of fluffy blankets. Honey immediately cooed and rushed over. The cats swarmed the newcomer and rubbed their faces all over him, their purring barely covered by his joyful giggles.
"They're so cute!"
"Well, they certainly have good taste. Just set me down by the dresser there, please, Mori-senpai. Everything I need's in there, and it's just a few steps to the bathroom."
Mori frowned, just the slightest down-turn of lips, but carefully set them on the floor anyway. He held on until they were well balanced on one foot, barely touching the floor with the other. They grinned brightly at him and patted his arm gently.
"It's alright, senpai, honest. It's just a few steps, and then I'll throw myself in bed and be good, I promise."
His discontentment was written plainly on his face, but he nodded and took a single step back. With another little smile, they turned to the dresser and pulled out the necessary articles as swiftly as possible, gathering everything up into a single bundle. They hobbled into the bathroom quickly, putting as little weight on the injured ankle as they could manage.
Honey's giggles were cut off abruptly at the sudden harsh coughing that echoed from the bathroom. He jumped up and dashed over, knocking loudly on the closed door as the felines scattered.
"Robin-chan? Are you ok?!"
"No worries, Honey-senpai. Just clearing the lungs, nothing to fret about."
"Are you sure? You sound really rough in there!"
"Positive! Don't worry your pretty little head a bit, I'm right as rain."
Robin flung the door open a moment later, clad in soft purple lounge pants and a rather baggy black t-shirt. Before they could take a single step, Mori scooped them up again, pointedly ignoring both their startled yelp and the heated color rushing to their cheeks. He deposited them on their bed, with Honey arranging a pillow and fluffy blanket under their injured ankle.
They took a deep breath, issuing a few more little coughs before settling in among the mound of pillows behind them. They let out a quiet hum of satisfaction, much more comfortable now. They smiled brightly at their senpais. Mori patted them on the head with a soft look in his eyes, and Honey flung himself on the bed beside them, grinning widely.
"There's a mini-fridge over there by my bookshelf. Plenty of cold drinks and snacks, if you'd like something."
Mori nodded and stepped away to look through the offerings. After a moment, he plucked a single water bottle from the fridge and brought it back. He handed it to Robin with a quiet comment.
"You haven't had anything to drink since we left school."
They were shocked. They hadn't realized anyone had paid that much attention. A warm feeling settled in their chest as they took the water with a little smile.
"Thank you, senpai."
AN2: Thanks for reading, everyone! Feel free to comment/review/PM. Any type of feedback is lovely. See you next chapter! (Hopefully that will be SOON, now that things are settling down again.)
