Chapter four

When Haruhi awoke the next morning she felt as though she spent the last night fighting a tiger. Then last night came back to her, she looked at the wall that she had thought she hit. Sure enough there was a fist sized hole in the wall that got to be the target of Haruhi's anger. As she looked at the wall she wondered if the guys had heard anything.

"Oh god, please don't let them have!'' She silently prayed as looked at the hole in the wall. "It's not that big maybe no one heard. Please don't have heard. Who I'm kidding the hole is as big as my fist?" She felt the first waves of panic in her chest. "I'll have to talk to Kyoya. Shit! That is the last thing a want to do." She got dressed into a blue dress her dad snuck into her bag and headed down to go eat. She was starving, since having thrown up all she ate last night. "I'll talk to him after we eat."

Soon as she left her room she ran into Mori.

"Oh god, Mori- Senpai, I didn't see you there."

"Good morning, Haruhi."

"Good morning, Mori-Senpai."

"How was your night?"

"It was fine, yours?"

"…"

"Are you waiting for Hani-sempai?"

"No, he already went down."

"Oh, are you heading down to eat?"

"Ah." He looked down at Haruhi's hands and noticed that the left one was bruised "Haruhi?"

She looked down at her own hands and realized the bruising. She didn't look back up at him.

"Yes?"

Mori picked up the bruised hand and looked at it more closely, and then he dropped it and looked away.

"We should go down."

She didn't look at him; she knew he heard the sounds from last night; which meant that Hani must have heard, hopefully they wouldn't say anything. They walked in silence, each wrapped up in their own thoughts. Mori then looked at her from the corner of his eyes. She had her head bowed, looking down avoiding his eyes. They began the deiced the stairs, his silence was killing her. Surely he would say something about her hand, it was human nature to, why wasn't he?

Mori's thought…

What was she thinking about? Was she thinking about him, his silence? Whatever the case she wasn't talking, for that he was glad for, he needed to think. He knew that Haruhi and Kyoya argued he knew that she was mad enough to punch a wall a number of times. Enough to bruise her hand and he knew that she was ashamed that he had seen and possibly heard, but what made her mad? She was fine before going into Kyoya's room, so what did he do to her?

(End thought)

They reached the bottom of the steps and found Hani there looking at them. He seemed to notice the tense silence. Mori was always quiet and he never likes to talk much, but this, this was different. Hani knew that, Mori knew that, hell, even Haruhi knew.

"Haru-Chan, are you okay?" his voice was full of concern.

She looked up not knowing he was there. She shook her head, as if shaking away a thought. She smiled but it didn't reach her eyes, "Yes." She looked down again, clearly distracted by her own thoughts to pay attention to him. Hani leaned toward Mori and whispered to him.

"Takashi?"

"Yes?"

"What's wrong with Haru-Chan?"

"Thinking."

Hani looked at Mori with a confused expression on his face while Mori looked at Hani with a blank expression, not knowing what to say. There was the sound of someone deciding the stair. While Haruhi was of in her own little world, Honey and Mori looked to see who it was. It was no other then the early morning demon, Kyoya Ootori.

"Mori-Senpai, Hani-Senpai, good morning, how was your night?"

"It was alright." Hani said quietly.

Haruhi's head snapped up as she looked up at him. "How was your night Haruhi?"

Her eyes filled with hate as she looked at him. She didn't answer him just looked at him. Hani and Mori looked at the two, Hani was still confused by Haruhi's silence, and Mori was sure that whatever was wrong with Haruhi it had to do with Kyoya.

Kyoya looked at her no expression on his face, but clearly there was hurt in his eyes.

"Could I talk to you alone?" Kyoya asked as he looked at the two members standing in front of him.

"Why?" she said hotly yet quietly, clearly she was angry.

"Please?"

Hani looked at him with a shocked look painted on his face. While Mori's expression never changed.

"Fine, whatever." Haruhi said with a sigh. Kyoya led her to one of the rooms off the hall way, and then closed the door behind them.

Inside the room

"What do you want Kyoya-sempai?" Haruhi said not caring about her bluntness.

"Look, Haruhi, I'm sorry about last night, but I think you are over reacting a bit don't you think?"

"I'm over reacting?" she said with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, Haruhi, I think that you are."

"You have no idea what that did to me. What that brought back." She had angry tears running down her face.

"Haruhi…"

"Kyoya-Senpai you have no idea what I've been through. Please just to leave me alone."

With that she left the room. Haruhi ran toward the door that leads to the beach. Not caring if Mori or Hani was still in the dining room. She ran as fast as she could, she liked that she could feel the wind on her face, she loved that she felt she was leaving all her problems behind her, in that house were they started again. When she reached the cliff that she was pushed off yesterday she collapsed and cried out her pain.

Outside the room

Mori and Hani looked at each other.

"Did you see her hand?" Mori asked the younger man.

"No, what's wrong with it?" Hani asked with wide eyes.

"Never mind." Mori answered softly

"Takashi…" Hani pouted

Haruhi ran out of the room then and out the door.

"Stay here." Mori said before giving chase.

Haruhi ran as fast as she could, the wind smacking her face as she ran. As she ran she felt like all of her problems where behind her, in that house. She reached the bottom of the cliff that she was pushed off of; she stopped looked at the cliff and punched the side of it. She felt three of her knuckles throb pain. She couldn't help but cry out in pain and of pleasure. She had so many emotions locked up that the physical pain felt so good, she closed her eyes as she felt her eyes began to water she sank to her knees and let out all the emotions, all the pain for the last ten years, all the anger, the guilt, the loneliness, but most of all, all the hurt. Because of him she could never let herself get near any one.

All Mori could do to keep Haruhi in sight was to run as fast as he could and she still was faster than him. Mori could see her punch the side of the cliff and then fall to her knees. He ran quicker and when he reached her side he got on his knees as well. He noticed that she was crying. This was the first time he ever knew of Haruhi crying and he hated it. His instincts kicked in and he wrapped an arm around her.

Haruhi looked up at Mori, she hadn't realized that he had followed her, she seemed to have made up her mind then… she had allowed him to comfort her, she cried on his shoulder. He then wrapped his other arm around her and held her close. He let her cry it out not talking all the while.

About fifteen minutes later Haruhi ran out of tears and just stayed there in his arms. It was so warm, so gentile, so comforting, to her she didn't want to move. She decided that she would let her guard down for a moment just to feel this warmth that was coming over her; she closed her eyes and allowed the heat to invade her shield that she created to keep everyone away, the shield she built when she was five. She liked the feeling the warmth give her, she never felt anything like this before, it was a strange high that made her crave more…no! I can't have any more I got to put back up my shield I'll only end up getting hurt. With that thought she closed herself to the warmth put back up her shield and locked away her heart once again. She pulled away from him.

"Haruhi…?" She didn't say anything; she didn't even look in his eyes. "Are you okay?"

"No, but I'll be fine."

"What happened?"

"Kyoya-Senpai is an arse."

"Why do you say that?"

"He just is."

"Haruhi, why did you run?"

"It's nothing important…" Haruhi looked away again even though she couldn't move her head

"Please." Mori said gently

"Why should I tell you? You would you care?" she said quietly, pulling her face out of his hand. She had realized a single tear fell from one her eyes and she didn't want him to see her weak again. He couldn't help but smile.

"Haruhi, you don't have to tell me but I would like to help you."

"I don't need any help." But her voice broke on 'help'.

"Haruhi what had this world done to you?" Mori thought. He wanted to reach out and take her into his arm once more but he knew he probably make things worse for her.

"Haruhi, you don't sound like you mean that."

"But I do…" she still refused to look at him.

"You can tell me anything, Haruhi, you know that right?"

Haruhi didn't say anything or a few seconds.

"What all did you hear last night?"

"Arguing, and loud banging."

Haruhi paled "I thought so…"

"I couldn't understand though."

"Oh, did you hear anything from this morning?" her voice was small again.

"No."

There was a long break of silence before Mori continued "Haruhi we should go. Mitsukuni and the others might be worried."

"Yeah, you're right." Her voice was small again.

Mori pushed himself off the ground then offered a hand to Haruhi who allowed him to help her up. And they began walking back up to the house. The sun was beginning to rise as they walked from the beach to the house; soon they came to the palm tree, Mori the same pace so he was beside Haruhi. She didn't notice, she had her head bowed looking down at the ground, she was squeezing her left hand with her right. Mori looked up at her face, it was slightly twisted… as if she was in pain, then he remembered that she punched the cliff with her left hand.

"Damn." Mori thought as he stopped walking.

"Haruhi?"

Haruhi stopped walking

"Huh"

"Are you hurt?"

"No."

Mori walk towards her and picked up her hand, and she winced and pulled her hand away.

"Sorry."

"It's okay." She looked down again

Mori moved closer to Haruhi…"Haruhi."

She looked up again "Yes?"

He wrapped a left arm around her waist and pulled her to him, being careful not to hit her hand, he lifted her head with his right hand, looked into her eyes and lightly kissed her lips then pulled away, but didn't release her, this confused Haruhi.

"Mori-sempai?"

"Thank you."

This confused her even more. Why was he holding her, and why had he kissed her, even more puzzling was that he was thanking her.

"What for?"

"Helping me, talking with me."

"Oh."

So that explains why he was thanking her and maybe the kiss. But why was he still holding her?

"Mori-sempai…?"

"Haruhi, would you like to learn kickboxing?" She looked at him, her face pulled into a frown. "It's great for self-defense…" Mori tailed off.

Her voice came out small again "I guess…"

A small smile crossed his face, he still hadn't released her instead he pulled her closer into a hug and lightly kissed the top of her head, and held her like that for a minute…

"Mori…?" She said moving in his arms to look up at him, this was the first time she hadn't called him Mori-sempai, and it pleased him in a way.

"Yes?"

"We should get going…" As she said this the warmth that threatened to take over on the beach was creeping back, and she couldn't allow it to. She had to stay detached from him, from every one for that matter. After all you only get hurt in the end.

"…" Mori let go of her, and began walking again... Haruhi was consumed by her own thoughts as was Mori.

"Haruhi how's your hand?"

"It's okay…"

"We should get it checked out when we get back."

"Why?"

"You might have seriously hurt it."

"Oh…"

"Does it hurt?"

"Yes." She looked down again

"Where at?"

Haruhi stopped walking as did Mori. Haruhi lifted her hand and lightly touched the back of her hand… three of her knuckles hurt when she barely touched them…

"The first three..."

"We'll have one of Kyoya's doctors look at it."

"…Ok"

They began walking again, side by side.

"Haruhi, I would like to talk to you to after breakfast, Mitsukuni will be there as well."

"Sure…"

They came upon the house then, and Haruhi fell silent and grew tense, none of this escaped Mori's notice.