2. Silence Is Golden

A/N: Chapter Two of Three, this time a bit longer than the first chapter, and the pairing is Mori and an OC of mine, similar to Nodoka from Negima. Hope you enjoy!

Ayaka Nakamura was a senior at Ouran. Her short, ruffled brunette hair (almost similar to Haruhi's, except a bit longer and messier) almost always covered her brilliantly leafy green eyes. Pale white skin covered her small and fragile body, and her quiet presence never really bothered any boy to talk to her. Some people believed she even had a fear of men, which wasn't entirely true. She just didn't like being in the presence of a large amount of them. The only person that she really talks to on a regular basis is her best friend Yuki, who was usually confused to her as someone of her relation due to their physical similarities. The rest of the acquaintances that she sees…well, they normally only get a "hi" or a "good morning", nothing else, really.

Anyhow, let's move on with the story. It was a regular day at Ouran. Classes had just finished. Ayaka happened to pass by the gardens of the school, and decided to study and do her homework on the gazebo surrounded by goldenrod roses. Yuki had to go home early, so she was left alone. The place was a beautiful and peaceful sight, nothing but her, the roses and gazebo, and the clear blue sky. Everything seemed to be going well, right?

Well, to Ayaka, it was until the entire Host Club showed up to pick some flowers.

"We need to change the ambience of the club room!" Tamaki gracefully said, spinning around in circles while walking with the rest of the members. "The gardens on school grounds is perfect for finding flowers to improve the music room!!"

"Yay! We get to pick flowers! Isn't that great, Takashi?!" Honey sweetly said, looking up at Mori. Surprisingly, Mori was paying more attention to the girl that was studying at the gazebo they were passing by. He was eyeing her very carefully, when she suddenly looked up, and saw him. He then turned back quickly to Honey, and looked at him.

"Were you listening, Takashi?" Honey pouted.

"Mm," was his answer. Honey then grinned, and took hold of Mori's arm while they walked.

Ayaka was scared at the sight of seven men (including the disguised Haruhi), and quickly began to gather all of her belongings. Struggling to put everything in her backpack, she was suddenly stopped by the king himself, along with the other guys standing behind them, who were all sweatdropping.

"It seems we have a stunning young lady in our presence," Tamaki boldly stated, putting his hand down at the table in the middle of the gazebo. Ayaka quivered, and was too scared to say anything. However, she did notice a very tall man who was standing the farthest away from her, along with a small blonde boy, who was right beside him. She noticed that he was staring directly at her eyes, which was still covered by her messy hair.

"Well done, Mori!" said Tamaki, "For spotting someone here of such beauty."

"Although she could use a hairstylist," Tamaki also thought. "And a light tan."

Ayaka, finally scared out of her mind, stormed away from the group of guys. They followed with their eyes where she was going, and Haruhi then followed with her feet.

"Haruhi?!" Tamaki cried. "Where are you going?!"

"Great job on scaring that girl away, Tamaki," Kyoya flatly said, pushing up his glasses. "Haruhi probably ran off to her to forgive for your sudden appearance."

"What?!" Tamaki confusedly said. "Why would any girl be scared of my presence?"

During that last sentence, Tamaki flipped his hair back, showed his almost tear-jerking eyes to the club. The lot of them stared at him in confusion and exasperation.

Mori, who acted as if he was struck by lightning, began to run after Ayaka, as well.

"MORI-SENPAI!!!" Tamaki dramatically shouted, holding his arms out. "COME BACK!!!"

"Don't worry, he'll come back," Honey said. "I saw him looking at the girl earlier."

Tamaki and then Kyoya bewilderedly looked at Honey, and then wondered why Mori was checking out a girl. It was unusual beavior for him.

"Ohhh!" The twins said in unison. "Someone's falling in love-love!"

"He is not falling in 'love-love' with that girl!" Tamaki mocked. "He's just…concerned?"

"Riiight."

Meanwhile, Haruhi finally caught up with the fast-paced runner Ayaka within the brush maze. Haruhi grabbed her wrist, and told her to stop just for a little bit. Ayaka was still frightened by even Haruhi's presence. She continued to quiver, and Haruhi looked at her with sincerity.

"Forgive Tamaki…he tends to do that when…well, wait he always does that," Haruhi said, muttering that last phrase.

Ayaka tried to say something back, but it came out as stammered gibberish.

"Look…he scared me too when I first met him, but try not to let it go to your head. You should come to the Host Club, sometime," said Haruhi. "I'm Haruhi Fujioka, and I am a member of that club, which is located in the music room."

Ayaka looked at Haruhi, and pondered about her feminine-ish appearance. Finally, she asked, "A-aren't you a g-g-girl…Haruhi?"

Haruhi gasped in surprise. "How did…she find out?" she thought.

"H-How did you know?" Haruhi asked, in slight shock.

Ayaka was still looking at Haruhi, although it looked as if she wasn't looking at anything at all, with all that hair in the way. "Y-your eyes…th-they're like mine. Oh…and I'm A-Ayaka Nakamura."

Haruhi let go of Ayaka's wrist. "My eyes…?"

She reached out her hand, while the shy senior flinched. While saying silently that she's not going to hurt her, Haruhi moved the brunette locks of Ayaka's hair, to find that her eyes that matched the gardens stood out like hers.

"Your eyes…" Ayaka stuttered, "A-a-are like ones for a girl."

Haruhi finally understood. "I see…just make sure you don't tell anyone, okay?"

She put her index finger over her lips to show that this secret should remain one. Ayaka nodded in agreement, moving her head to put her hair back in its original place. Mori suddenly showed up right behind Haruhi. Ayaka, once again, gasped in fear, this time her legs unable to help her move away.

Haruhi turned around to find that Takashi was standing behind her, and then told him that she found out that she was girl. Mori nodded, and looked at Ayaka, who was almost cowering.

"Do not be afraid," he said in his deep voice. Haruhi stared at Mori in shock that he actually said something to a girl he didn't know. A complete sentence, at that!

Ayaka was looking slightly up at Mori (she was about a few inches shorter than him), and then nodded. Her legs, finally giving back its movement, directed her to run back inside the school. Mori kept eyeing her all the way, until the sight of her was gone. Haruhi looked at Ayaka running away, then at Mori, at Ayaka again, and at Mori again.

"Does he…" Haruhi started to think, "…like Ayaka?"

"Come on!" Haruhi happily exclaimed. "Let's go back."

"Mm," Mori replied.

The two members of the Host Club caught up with the rest of the members, who already began picking bouquets of roses and other flowers from the garden (with the head gardener's permission, of course). Tamaki, holding about half a dozen white roses, jumped to see that Haruhi and Mori came back.

"Haruhi! Mori!" Tamaki excitedly cried, grabbing hold of Haruhi and spinning her around. She was on the verge of vomiting. "You came back!"

"Of course we came back," said Haruhi. "All we did was APOLOGIZE to Ayaka for your sudden acts."

Tamaki grumbled, while Mori walked away and helped pick flowers with Honey.

"Well, it wasn't my fault that the girl had no taste in beautiful men," Tamaki narcissistically said, flipping his hair once again and looking at the sky.

"She looked interested in Mori-senpai!" Kaoru and Hikaru chimed in, putting their arms around Haruhi. On their other hands held a variety of flowers that varied in color.

Tamaki raised an eyebrow. "Hm…her? Interested in…Mori-senpai?"

"Think about it later and get back to work," Kyoya ordered, who was holding a complete bouquet of the goldenrod roses and another of red roses. Tamaki glanced at the vice president of the club, and followed. Haruhi then went with the twins to pick out more flowers to decorate the music room.

----------

The Host Club finally got back inside the music room, and switched the tables' centerpieces with cut roses, gardenia flowers, purple azaleas, and a few lavender petals to garnish the tables with purple flowers.

Mori, who was with Honey as usual, was holding a few freshly cut yellow roses. He looked at them carefully, then thought about that girl back at the gardens.

"Why am I feeling this way…?" Mori asked himself silently. "I've never had this feeling…"

"Takashi!" Honey cried out. "Whatcha doin' with the flowers?"

Mori tried to lose focus on the question he was asking himself, and set them on the table they were assigned to decorate. The duo was just about done.

"Yay! We finished our table set!" Honey cheered. "All of this hard work is making me hungry. Let's eat some cake, Takashi!"

"Yes," Mori monotonously replied. Soon enough, he brought out a small strawberry shortcake enough for just Honey.

"Yay! You're not going to eat, Takashi?"

"Mn," Mori replied, shaking his head very slowly.

"Okay! More for me!"

While Honey quietly chewed on the soft, frosty and sweet cake, Mori thought again about Ayaka.

"Haruhi," Mori quietly called. Haruhi, who was walking by, turned to find that Mori was asking for her attention.

"What is it…Mori-senpai?"

"What was the name of that girl we saw this afternoon? I can't remember the name when you said it to Tamaki," he quickly asked. So quickly, Haruhi didn't hear it.

"What was that? I didn't hear you," Haruhi replied. Mori, feeling a little frustrated, asked her a second time, this time even faster and quieter than before.

"Mori-senpai, you need to speak up and slow down what you're saying…" said Haruhi. "What exactly are you asking me?"

"He's asking the name of that super-cute girl we saw earlier!" Honey sweetly said for him, just after swallowing a small piece of shortcake.

Unfortunately for Mori, the rest of the Host Club heard what he had to ask Haruhi. Tamaki quickly ran over to the quiet senior, and put his arm around his shoulder.

"Ah, Mori-senpai…you are experiencing the early signs of love…" he said. "How cute!"

"Yeah! How cute!" Honey repeated, finally done with his cake. "Takashi's in love-love!"

Mori grumbled.

"He's not in 'love-love'," Haruhi defended. "He just saw her only today."

"Yes, but have you heard of 'love at first sight', Haruhi?!" said Hikaru and Kaoru, the two putting their arm around her shoulders.

"It's not like Mori to just 'fall in love' like that…" Haruhi contemplated. "He's so attached to Honey, how could he ever just fall for someone he just saw? Let alone someone he doesn't even know the name of?"

"It is likely," Kyoya remarked, writing miscellaneous notes down in his large black notebook, "That Mori-senpai has fallen for Ayaka Nakamura, 3rd year student here at Ouran. She is a Taurus, like Mori-senpai, 6'0" in height, brunette hair, and green eyes that can be rarely seen since they're always covered by her hair. Her strong subjects are geography, which is also one of senpai's strong subjects. Coincidental, yes, but surprisingly, they don't share any classes together."

The club stared at the nosy and sly member, who looked back at them with an expression that said "I like to research a number of students" all over his face. Mori's stare was more of a scowl. He stood up, and walked by Honey before he left.

"I need some time alone," he told him. He then walked out of the music room, and silence filled it until the door was slowly shut.

"Well," Tamaki broke, "Why don't we call it a day, my fellow members?"

The majority of the club members nodded.

"Okay then! Till tomorrow, my dear friends!" he dramatically waved, especially directing it at Haruhi. He then quickly strolled up to Haruhi, and grabbed her wrists.

"I will miss you dearly, Haruhi…"

Haruhi broke free of his limp noodle grip. "I'll see you tomorrow again, idiot! It's the showing of the new theme!"

He slumped, and the members soon left the music room at its peace, with Kyoya the last person to leave. He did have to see if the room looked nice for tomorrow morning and all day. Before he headed home, Kyoya also left a single red rose outside the foot of the music room door, so when Akae would pass by before school started, or even if she was still on campus, she knew he was thinking of her.

----------

Mori sat quietly at the same gazebo surrounded by yellow roses. He didn't do a whole lot, just sitting there, and watching the roses move with the light breeze at the sky was turning shades of pink and orange. Suddenly, he heard footsteps. Very light footsteps. Almost like a female's. He turned around to find Ayaka coming back to the spot, and he quickly stood up.

The shy girl looked up to find that the same guy from earlier was there, and she stepped back, whimpering. "F-f-forgive me…I ca-came back to study here a l-l-little more."

"Mm," he mumbled.

She sat down nervously, and quietly did her work, attempting to ignore Mori's existence at the gazebo as much as possible. It wasn't long for her to not mind anymore that he was watching her. Scribbling notes and answers away for the next half an hour without a sound, he did watched her every move from a reasonable distance. He observed her small strokes she made to write, the way her hair moved with the breeze, and even thought about how could she see through that thick, dark brown hair of hers covering her face.

What's coming over him? What's coming over Ayaka, as well? Feeling a little careless around Mori…

"I've always loved to study in a place like this…so peaceful, and the roses…" Ayaka abruptly said, finishing her last few answers for her homework. Surprisingly, she was speaking with stammering, and with a more confident voice than before. "Yellow roses represent friendship, but the ones with red tips mean falling in love. I…I wonder if I'll ever feel that way."

Mori listened to her statements, and agreed with her quietly. Believing that he wasn't really listening to her, she put away her things, and stood up.

"I'm s-s-sorry…for telling you all these things…um…I should go!" She quickly said. Like earlier before, she ran away in a flash. Mori reached out his hand, but then slowly let it down. Sighing deeply, he recollected himself, and left the gazebo.

On his way out, walking through the paths of blooming roses, he found a lone one. A rose that didn't look the same as others. It was a darker yellow color, and the ends of each petal were accented with a deep red. It was just in bloom, and Mori picked it out of the bunch of other yellow roses. He held it up to eye level. The rose seemed perfect, one to give Ayaka.

"Should I give it to her so soon…?" he thought. "It's only a day…should I wait longer?"

"You should give it to her tomorrow!" A familiar, high-pitched voice said from behind. Mori turned his head, and found Honey, hugging his poofy pink bunny.

Mori looked back at the rose, then back at Honey.

"If you strongly feel that way for her," Honey started, "Don't wait until the last minute to show it to her. Even if it is only a day that you have 'known' her. The earlier she knows, the more time she can think about how she feels, too."

"Mm," he retorted once again. He nodded, and Honey climbed up onto Mori's back.

"Let's go home!" Honey anxiously stated. "I'm hungry…and I want to eat some more of mama's super-sweet cake!"

Mori grinned, and carried Honey all the way home, along with his rose.

----------

The next day seemed average for all Ouran students. After school rolled around, and the customers are excited to see the new, decorated music room.

The Host Club was now open.

Ladies flung open the door to find a rainbow of flowery madness. Roses, sunflowers, daisies, dogwood, and more were hung, set, and decorated the entire room. Of course, the flowers were all coordinated by color, and some groups of flowers were coordinated together. You wouldn't think rich, handsome men like them would misplace a single flower in an unusual group, right?

The Host Club's business was booming once again, and when everyone was all settled in, Mori decided to take a break.

"I need to go see her now, Mitsukuni," Mori told Honey in secret. He nodded, and Mori walked away from Honey.

"Where's Mori-senpai going?" Haruhi pondered.

"He's probably going to see Ayaka-senpai in the yellow rose field," Kyoya answered, again writing random and miscellaneous notes in his notebook. "Don't worry about him."

Mori opened the door, and found that Ayaka was about to open the door. Once again, she was startled, and slipped on her foot. A shrill cry filled only Mori's ears, and caught her just in time, before she hit the ground. A little shaken from the fall, Mori brought her back to her feet, and held out the goldenrod rose with red tips. He bowed low while he held out this gift of falling in love.

She gasped in surprise to look at the single rose, and took it gently from his hand. The scent of the rose and its obvious look told herself that this guy does like her. Whatever is she to do?

"You don't have to say anything, Aya-chan," Honey said, standing right behind Mori. Ayaka looked down at the small boy, who was smiling widely. "Takashi really really likes you!"

Ayaka almost turned beet red, and smiled at Mori. "I-Is this true? Ta-Takashi…?"

Mori sighed, and nodded his head in nervousness. Ayaka giggled, and hugged the silent Host Club member. Observing this little gesture of developing love not only included Honey, but Haruhi and Kyoya, as well.

"So Mori does like that girl after all…" Haruhi said.

"No doubt about it," Kyoya replied. "I guess we'll be having a new customer! And she'll probably come every day!"

The vice president then took out his calculator and punched in a number of numbers as quickly as he could. Haruhi sweat dropped.

"He's thinking about money again…" she thought.

"Heyy!" The twins spotted, pointing at him. "Mori got his girl!!!"

Tamaki, apparently, wasn't paying too much to the rest of the members' observations, and focused on his hungry customers. "These roses…the beauty, its lovely scent, its sensitivity…represent you, my darlings…"

"T-Takashi…" Ayaka started.

"Mm?"

"Could I visit you after your hours at the club?"

He nodded, and she hugged him once more.

----------

It was now an off-day for the Host Club, who were very busy watering and tending to the flowers all around the room. For some bouquets of flowers, it was too late for them, for they were already wilting, and petals were turning brown and falling.

"DEAR FLOWER!!!" Tamaki, once again dramatically cried. "WHY MUST YOU DIE AT SUCH AN EARLY TIME?!"

"Maybe because you didn't water them enough to last the night," The twins commented.

The members of the Host Club all had something to do, except Mori. He sat on a couch and sat close to his first sweetheart ever. The two were extremely quiet, doing nothing but look at the yellow red-tipped rose he got for her. It stayed fresh as it sat in a small vase of water and plant food. Honey wasn't very far from the new couple, almost overwatering some flowers in the process.

"They're so quiet," Tamaki observed from afar. "WHERE'S THE ACTUAL LOVE?! AND HOW COME I DIDN'T SEE THIS COMING YESTERDAY?!?!"
"They're showing it, Tamaki," Kyoya said. "The two may not say much, but their actions and expressions tell all. Haven't you heard the phrase 'silence is golden'?"

Tamaki looked blankly at Kyoya.

"They don't have to say anything to each other…their actions and expressions tell all," Kyoya exasperatingly and redundantly stated.

"Ohh…"

"Oh, and to answer your 2nd question…you were paying too much attention to your customers to notice Mori and Ayaka-senpai."

"Hm, so much for having a new customer…she'll visit after hours…" Kyoya thought. "Oh well."

"The silence is pretty golden for them," said Haruhi. "It seems as if they've known each other for a very long time…and yet it's only been a few days now."

The members' conversation about the couple rambled on, while Mori and Ayaka weren't listening, and kept on holding each other close. Honey kept a close eye, and didn't stray too far from his dear Takashi.

"It was about time…" Honey thought, "For Takashi to experience the feelings of love."

A/N: Whew! A doozy for me…but tell me whatcha think. I notice that the twins don't have a lot of lines in the story…and I apologize for that -cry- Well, Happy 2008! I will most likely get the third and last chapter of this story uploaded the first day of the new year. In the meantime, I hope you have enjoyed what this story is so far! Much love - Naoko