Disclaimer: Ouran will never belong to me sadly enough
Warning: I'm sick of these aren't you?. Yeah more then likely.
Thank You to everyone who's read/alerted/favorited this story. It's more encouraging then you'd think!
"Kaoru go home already!"
"But Haruhi~I don't wanna!"
"Fine, be quiet at least I'm trying to do homework here."
"But that's so boring!"
"Go home! I'm sure Hikaru will be more then happy to keep you busy."
Ugh, Why did I even come? Oh yeah Hikaru disappeared on me so I followed Haruhi home. Thank you Renge for keeping the boss and Kyouya busy with next week's cosplay!...Just don't get too excited or else Kyouya will kill you in your sleep and make it look like an accident. Currently Haruhi and I were sitting opposite of each other at her kotatsu. Figures she'd keep that there for the boss man.
"Hikaru's with Mori and Honey and there's nothing to do at my house." I whined again. Haruhi looked ready to kill something until I mentioned Hikaru.
"Wait, Hikaru left you alone? I thought you two were always together." I rolled my eyes at her.
"It's not like we're joined at the hip."
"I know but..." She put her book down and gave me her full attention. "It's not that you two have to be together. You just are."
That's pretty observant. "I've never actually thought about it that much." I stretched and leaned back on my hands. Haruhi looked curiously at me before standing up.
"Listen I've got some errands to run and I trust you'll be fine on your own." I ran after her as she grabbed her purse from her room.
"No, I'd actually like to come." She walked past me and to the door, opening it slightly.
"It won't take long but just promise to behave." I flashed her a smile and two thumbs up.
"What am I getting myself into?" She grumbled and led the way. I was all smiles since I'd get Haruhi all to myself without anyone interfering, not even Hikaru. My smile wavered and Haruhi noticed as she was walking beside me.
"Hey, weren't you all excited a second ago? We can turn back if you want to. Although there's supposed to be some kind of sale on fruits today..." I smiled at Haruhi's thinking face. She can be so selfless.
"Aww Haruhi has anyone told you how cute you are?" She grudgingly accepted my hug.
"Only everyday by you, Tamaki-senpai, and Hikaru." She escaped my hug only cause I let her. We continued walking and it was a nice silent walk. It was a sunny day out considering winter wasn't supposed to be over yet. I was quite content walking to the market with Haruhi though the silence was broken by some old couple.
"Look deary don't those two look good together?" An old woman gestured to what I assumed to be her husband.
"I'm sure they'd have lovely children." He answered wrapping an arm around her. That stung. A lot. Haruhi wasn't paying any attention of which I was kind relieved. No need to give away my dirty little secret.
"Sooo..." I crossed my arms behind my head. "How are you and the boss?"
She didn't look at me and instead looked straight ahead. "We're fine. He still wants to dress me up everytime I go to his home. So annoying."
"I'm sure he means well." Haruhi gave me a look that said 'oh yeah?' "Remember how he can't see his mom anymore and didn't have much friends growing up?" Haruhi looked down and fixed a sad gaze at the sidewalk.
"Yeah. You guys told me about that during the fair. Something about his grandmother wanting an heir."
"Anyway losing your parent is hard enough but to be sent to a foreign country as well's tough. But he turned out better then most people, I'm sure of it. I don't think I could've survived." Haruhi stopped and I almost ran into her.
"You're a good person Kaoru. So don't put yourself down like that." Surprise, surprise she's being wonderful as always. She turned to face me with a tiny frown. "Hikaru wouldn't be happy to hear you say that either." Unsure of how to react I opened my mouth but Haruhi started walking away again.
"Now let's hurry up! We still have homework to do and I have to make dinner before my dad gets home." I chuckled quietly and followed Haruhi. I may never get over her but for now I'll enjoy her company as a friend.
"Whoa! I didn't know they gave free samples of cookies!" I grabbed the plate full of these fresh-baked chocalate cookies. However Haruhi snatched it back. "Hey what's the big deal I was planning on eating those."
"You're only supposed to take one so that other people get some too." Haruhi gave the plate back to a very annoyed baker and jammed a cookie in my mouth.
"Hwwy dis iz gwd!" I ate the cookie in one gulp while Haruhi muttered something underneath her breath. Something about me being a rich bastard while she walked away. "Woah wait up! Don't leave me with all these commoners!" I caught up to Haruhi when she was looking at the free samples of something. Canned yams. Gross.
"I wonder if these will be any good." She held up a plate with a sample and took a bite.
"How can you eat that? It's canned."
"Just try it." She held up her fork and I got this weird sense of deja vu.
"I don't really want to but sure." I leaned forward and took the piece on Haruhi's fork.
"Hey this is really good! We should get a ton of this stuff." It was really yummy why hasn't anyone shown me the deliciousness of canned yams til now?
"I still need to buy ingredients for soup tonight. The yams'll have to wait." And here's were being filthy rich comes in.
"No problem. I'll just buy some for me and Hikaru."
"Oh yeah Hikaru really did like yams too but I forget whether we ended up buying them or not. He was really thinking about you the whole time." And yet he looked like he was having a fun time while the rest of us were spying on them.
Haruhi managed to find everything she needed and I tagged along. We were walking back to her apartment when I looked up and noticed some gray clouds were approaching.
"Look's like it's gonna rain soon." Haruhi looked up and tensed.
"Maybe we should start walking faster so we don't get wet." She gave me a nervous face and laugh that I could tell was forced. Something was off but it might just be me being paranoid.
We made it to back just as it started pouring and lucky for me my designer clothes didn't get a spot on them. I'm my mother would've killed me or forced me to make my own clothes. The woman can be scary sometimes.
"Kaoru will you please focus on stirring the soup? I need to call and see if my dad'll be late coming home."
"Yeah, sure." To be honest the soup didn't look like much. It was supposed to be chicken with noodles in it and yet it looked like the kind of broth my aunt would feed to her dog. But it smelled really good since I was pretty hungry. All that walking no wonder commoners are sticks. A loud burst of thunder rang and I heard a muffled sound. Like somebody holding back a yell.
"Haruhi? You ok?" This place was so small it was worrying me how I got no answer. I knew about her fear of storms since Tamaki did tell the rest of the Host Club but I didn't really know how severe it was. The soup was done anyway so I turned off the stove and in my hurry just stuck the pot into the sink. I walked out to the living room, she wasn't there. Nor was she in any of the other rooms.
On the brink of panicking, I walked passed the storage room and heard whimpering. Getting down on my knees I slid the door back and found Haruhi's huddled form. I looked in awe as the brave girl I knew was reduced to this crying mess. Her head was buried in her knees, her hands on her ears, and eyes clamped shut. She looked up at me and it stung to see her holding back her tears full of fear.
"Ka-Kaoru?" Her small voice brought the situation to mind. I shrugged off my jacket just as another roll of thunder cried and lightning followed. Haruhi looked up when I placed the jacket over her shoulders and pulled her to my chest.
"Here just focus on my heartbeat. I hear it calms people down." Haruhi closed her eyes and snuggled closer while I fought a blush. She still flinched whenever she heard thunder but gradually she calmed. She couldn't see the lightning but she kept a tight hold on me. Rain fell down hard on the roof and the thunder became slower between intervals.
"Kaoru?" I looked down. Haruhi's muffled voice almost escaped me but she continued. "Do you ever comfort Hikaru like this?"
"No actually..." Haruhi looked up. I gulped and gave her an answer "Hikaru would always comfort me like this whenever I had a nightmare." I should be embarrassed but she's distracted and interested in what I'm saying. "When we were little I'd got to his room and he'd hug me, tell me everything's allright, and let me sleep with him. He has this idea that it's his job to protect me." I remember that's how our habit of sleeping together formed. He never once complained and I never felt like asking why we still continued, no longer having that innocence of childhood.
"He sounds like a really good brother. It must be really nice to always have someone be there for you." Haruhi closed her eyes and settled back to listen to my heartbeat.
I looked away and to the opposite side of the room. Her words sound really familiar. Honey-senpai said words like that to me too. It's as if people are now realizing I'm planning on pushing Hikaru away. And for some reason they don't want that, like I'm making a bad mistake. That explains why Honey and Mori wanted to talk to him and of course without me. So if they're taking action why hasn't Milord? He'd be over this like a dog since he wants things to remain the same way and yet it doesn't seem like he even knows of the situation. Honey and Mori could be keeping it a secret since they wouldn't want to worry Tamaki but Haruhi's caught on. I wonder just how much she knows.
"HARUHI!" We both jump as the front door slams open and something zooms in. It stops in front of the open storage and stares down with big eyes.
"Oh hey Milord..." I mutter weakly. He twitches and grabs me the front of my shirt.
"Just what the hell were you doing in there with Haruhi you devil!"
"Woah take a breather I don't think that brain of yours is getting enough oxygen." He scowled at me until he noticed the other person in the room.
"Oh Haruhi, daddy was so worried about you but mommy wouldn't let me go until the plans were finished!" He hugged Hauhii and surprise or not she didn't struggle.
"I'm fine. Kaoru was here." He looked over and then scanned the room.
"What?" I asked.
"Where's the other devil! I don't like it when I can't see you both."
"Relax." I waved my hand in the air "Hikaru's spending the night with Mori-senpai. Anyway I'd better head home." No need to see these two get all lovey-dovey thank you.
He opened his big mouth before Haruhi dragged him by the ear and led a yelping Milord to the kitchen. Well that's my cue to leave. I left out the front door and called a car. I inwardly grimaced after getting into the car knowing I'd be sleeping alone tonight. Somehow that put me in a worse mood and I stewed in misery all the way back home. I flopped down onto the bed and didn't bother to change into pajamas. Just as I was about to fall asleep my phone vibrated, indicating someone just texted me.
Kao-chan come to Takashi's house. Hika-chan needs you here.
Ok this was probably a pretty lousy chapter and I deeply regret it. Especially since those reviews really got me out of my writer's block and this is what I have to show for it T-T
However I have a proposition. Review and I update the next chapter TODAY.