XXx Aya xXX
It's not my alarm that wakes me up this morning. And first of all, nothing should be waking me up this morning, because it's the weekend. And weekend mornings are for sleeping in late. Someone needs to explain that to whoever's calling me.
My head hits the floor with a loud thud. The rest of my body follows quickly and soon I'm lying in a jumbled mess of limbs on the floor. I clutch my head and grit my teeth as I roll onto my side.
Ugh...note to self...change ringtone to something that won't scare the crap out of me when it goes off this early in the morning.
Returning to my previous question...who the hell is calling me this early in the morning? Well actually, who's calling me period? No one has my number other than Honey and Mori. Well, I guess it wouldn't surprise me if Kyoya found out what it was. But what reason would he have for calling me? And if it was my parents they'd just barge into my room if they needed to talk to me.
So with that thought I just decide to let it ring as I tug the fleece blanket down from the bed and snuggle up in a ball on the floor. It's not someone important so I can ignore it. And just as I'm drifting back off to sleep a knock sounds at my door.
"Aya-chan?" I hear Honey call from the hall. "You might wanna take that...it's Tama-chan."
In all honesty, that makes me want to pick it up even less. I don't know what it is about the way he says it, but I find myself sitting up and reaching for the phone anyways.
"Damn it..." I mutter to myself as I pick up my phone.
I wince as I press the talk button and make sure to hold the receiver at an arm's length.
"MY DARLING DAUGHTER FINALLY PICKED UP! DADDY WAS GETTING WORRIED!"
"Hold on Tamaki..." I mutter as I slowly bring the phone closer to my ear. "What's going on?"
"We're going to Haruhi's house for a visit!" he yells. "Be ready to be picked up in ten minutes!"
"HEY!" I yell. "Does she even know we're-"
The connection I cut before I can finish my question. I scowl at the screen before I pull myself off the floor. This had better be good.
Half an hour later I'm fuming in the middle of the sitting room.
"Ten minutes my ass!" I grumble as I stalk up to the mantle place.
An extremely pissed face looks back at me from the mirror mounted on it.
My hair is damp and curling, my eyeliner is uneven, some mascara is smudged on my eyelid, and the fabric of my white shirt is sticking to my back, which is also still damp from my three minute shower. I pull some bobby pins from my bag and attempt to pull my hair into a somewhat presentable state.
Eventually I just give up and let the waves fall down around my shoulders. Instead I try to get the mascara off my eyelid. But to my annoyance it's waterproof and doesn't budge. Exasperated, I drop into the nearest plush chair, pulling my knees to my chest.
"Want some cake?"
I look up to see Honey standing in the doorway. He holds out a plate to me, a small smile on his face. My bad mood seems to evaporate some as I walk over.
"Thanks," I mumble.
We take a seat together on the couch, munching in silence. It's not an awkward silence, but a rather comfortable one. I glance over at Honey as he eats his cake. It's odd... I could be wrong, but it seems like over the past few weeks he's been changing.
He's been acting slightly more mature, though he still has his moments in the club or when confronted outside of it by any of his customers. It's...weird almost. As if he's trying to show other people that he's not a little kid anymore.
Though I miss it a bit, I'd be lying if I said I didn't find him even cuter than I did before.
"What's wrong?"
My mind snaps back to the present to see him staring at me. I shake my head, damp curls sticking to my face. I brush them back before looking back up at him and biting my lower lip.
"Just tired," I mutter. "I was looking forward to sleeping in today."
He gives me a soft smile that makes me melt so much I have to look back down at my plate of cake. I'm just glad my cheeks are already flushed from my irritation. I don't want him to know just yet the kind of hold he has over me... I don't know how he'd handle knowing something like that.
"I'll admit; I don't know how much you'll get to sleep when you've got us for friends. Tama-chan's kind of unpredictable, and the rest of us usually end up going along with it because it ends up as an amazing adventure for us."
I look back up at him, fighting the small grin tugging at my lips. But before I can reply there's a knock on the door.
"SENPAI!"
I feel the veins pop out of my forehead and my irritation returns with full force as the twins and Tamaki come bursting through the doors. Mori and Kyoya follow behind them silently. Tamaki goes to throw his arms around me as I jump up from my seat on the couch.
"TEN MINUTES!?" I yell at him as he crushes me. "In what world was that ten minutes?!"
"It's their fault!" he says as lets go of me, pointing an accusing finger at Hikaru and Kaoru. "They took forever getting out of the house!"
"More like they chose to ignore the phone call so Tamaki literally had to drag them out of bed," Kyoya says as he sits down in one of the chairs.
"Why does that not surprise me," I sigh as the twins give me a sheepish grin. "Can we just go so I don't get madder than I already am? I could have straightened my hair with all the time you two wasted."
And with that the twins dash off to the two cars waiting outside, leaving the rest of us to follow al lot slower.
The trip there is more or less calm, and we only stop to pick up a box of cakes in hopes that Haruhi won't murder us for the unexpected visit. But no matter how you look at it, Tamaki seems on edge. The twins seem to get on his nerves quicker than usual.
"So are any of you going to tell me why we're suddenly so interested in Haruhi's personal life?" I ask.
Tamaki cringes at the question.
"Ah...no reason," he says in a panicky voice. "It's only natural that daddies want to see their daughters for more than a few hours a day right? They should get to see them on their days off!"
"Uhhh...sure," I reply before pulling my phone out of the pocket in my faded jean shorts.
By the time we step out of the car, there is a whole crowd of people on the sidewalk. You'd think that they would have better things to do than to gawk at us getting out of the car.
I try to ignore them as I stare up at the giant peach colored building trimmed with white and brown in front of us. It's actually pretty nice compared to what the twins kept going on about. It's got a cheery atmosphere around it, and it looks rather cozy.
"So this is where Haruhi lives?" Kaoru asks in awe.
"It's pretty big," Hikaru says as he scans the building. "Bigger than I thought it'd be."
Then I feel it. There is a source of pure white hot rage standing right behind us. I wonder how the others haven't noticed yet.
"You feel it too?"
Honey steps up beside me, the slightest quiver in his voice. I nod curtly and we both turn around.
This is the angriest I've ever seen Haruhi. She looks ready to spit fire. We take a step over to her as the rest of the club continues to stare at her apartment. She takes note of my annoyance and I take note of her fury.
"Want me to hold those so you can thoroughly kick the crap at of Tamaki?" I ask, gesturing to the two bags that she's carrying.
"No I'm fine," she growls as she walks up to the rest of them.
"Now listen up men," Tamaki commands. "Don't you forget, we must be polite! This is a casual 'we just happened to be in the neighborhood' kind of visit. We are not here to judge the Fujioka family's lifestyle. The words 'shabby,' 'cramped,' and 'rundown' are absolutely forbidden. Don't say anything that might offend Haruhi of her father and cause them to ask us to leave."
"Well it's too late for that!" Haruhi yells. "Go away!"
Tamaki jumps and turns around quickly, a terrified look on his face.
"Haruhi," he chokes out as he gives her a once over.
But he seems to recover quickly.
"That pink dress is pretty cute!" he and the twins chorus with a goofy grin on their faces.
"Shut up!" Haruhi yells, completely ignoring the compliment. "Get the hell out of here!"
XXx Honey xXX
Tama-chan is terrified by Haru-chan's sudden outburst.
"This is all your fault!" he yells at Hika-chan and Kao-chan.
"It wasn't us," they say lazily, ignoring Tama-chan's accusing finger.
I take a step closer to Aya-chan and Haru-chan just as a middle aged lady steps up from the crowd. She looks rather anxious and not quite sure how to handle this situation.
"Oh, excuse me Haruhi," she says softly. "But is everything alright? Those men are driving such fancy foreign cars...they're not Yakuza are they? Do you want me to call the police?"
"Pleased to meet you madam," Tama-chan says as he steps up to the lady. "My name is Suoh. I'm one of Haruhi's friends."
And with that he has her spellbound. She starts stammering out a response before she returns to the building, promising to return with snacks. In the meantime, Haru-chan leads us up a flight of steps and down a few doors. She stops outside one of them before handing one of her bags to Tama-chan.
"Ok here's the deal," she mutters as she fishes through her bag for a key. "I'm only giving you a quick peak. Three seconds and then you all go home. Got it?"
"We brought you a gift Haru-chan," I say softly, holding out a box of mini cakes. "We know how you like cake, we got chocolate and strawberry."
"Fine," she sighs in defeat. "I guess I'll make us some tea."
She leads us into room that's small but cozy looking. I've never been in an apartment before, but it has a nice homey feel to it. Sunlight polls on the floors through the windows, giving it a cheery appearance. I grin as I take it in. I don't know what Tama-chan was so worried about, this place is really nice.
"A wood built two bedroom unit," Kyo-chan mutters as he observes the room. "That's normal for a commoner family of two."
"Haruhi's such a pipsqueak," Kao-chan adds. "At least we know she won't hit her head on the low ceilings."
"Well I think it's a super cute little room," I say to Haru-chan.
"It's so warm and cozy here," Aya adds she glances around with a serene look on her face.
"You don't have to struggle to compliment it," Haru-chan grumbles as she slips out of her shoes, leaving them by the door.
"Are we supposed to take our shoes off too?" I ask Haru-chan.
"Yes, if you don't mind," she says.
Aya-chan begins to unlace her green velvet boots and I follow her example. We slide them into place next to Haru-chan's brown and pink sandals.
"It's kind of like going to the dojo huh?" I ask as I look up at Takashi.
He answers with his usual 'Yeah' before slipping off his shoes like the rest of us.
"Hey do you have any slippers for us Haruhi?" Hika-chan asks.
"Oh wait! The rooms covered in tatami mats," Kao-chan exclaims.
"Oh, in that case we don't need slippers," Hika-chan replies.
"Thanks for inviting us in!" they say in unison.
"Yeah," Takashi mutters. "Thanks."
"It's greatly appreciated," Tama-chan says excitedly.
"Yes, thanks Haruhi," Kyo-chan replies.
I go to set up the cake at the table while Tama-chan tries to help everyone cope with the alien surroundings. I really don't see the need, so I just sit down next to Aya. She still looks tired and still a little bit agitated now that Tama-chan keeps going on about the rules of coping with commoner housing. So while the rest of the guys are busy, I decide to take a risk and scoot closer to her.
She rests her chin in her hands, gently blowing at some strands of hair that have fallen into her face. I don't know why she always straightens her hair. It looks really cute when it curls.
My hand moves without a conscious thought, taking the loose strands and tucking them behind her ear. Once she realizes what just happened her face turns a shocking shade of pink and she quickly looks down at her hands. I smile just as I hear a soft clatter that tells me Haru-chan just set down the tea cups on the other side of Aya.
I unwrap the light blue box of cakes before pushing it towards them.
"Ladies first," I say with a smile.
"You sure Honey-senpai?" Haru-chan asks.
"Of course," I reply.
"OK, I'll have the strawberry," she says.
I hand it to her and look at Aya-chan. I picked out four different kinds of Chocolate fudge cakes for her, not knowing which one she'd like best.
She eventually picks out a mini lava cake with a small caramel filled chocolate rose on top. She picks it off the top and bites it in half, a small smile playing on her lips.
Then I see Takashi out of the corner of my eye.
"You like strawberries right?" he asks Haru-chan as he shovels some onto the side of her place. "You can have mine.
"Thanks," she says with a smile. "That's nice of you Mori-senpai."
He smiles. Whether Takashi's motives were intended to be romantic or not, I take a page out of his book and give some of my strawberries to Aya.
She looks at me curiously, her fork paused in midair.
"Try them Aya-chan," I say as I hold my fork out to her. "They're really sweet today."
She blushes softly before taking my fork and raising it to her lips. Biting into one, a bigger smile crosses her face. She hands the fork back to me still flushed high in her cheeks.
"You're right," she says softly. "Thank you."
"Hey isn't it about lunch time right now?" Hika-chan asks out of nowhere.
"Well then, what's for lunch?" the twins and Tama-chan chorus.
"Would you guys quit being do happy go lucky all the time please?" Haru-chan asks as her mood takes a dive again.
"We'll take care of it," Kyo-chan says as he gets up from his spot at the table. "We did drop in unexpectedly, so we'll pay for lunch. Why don't you just order us all some of your favorite sushi?"
"Thanks, but no thanks," Haru-chan says. "I know if I let you guys pay I'll only regret it later."
"Oh don't worry," Kyo-chan says as an evil glint reflects off his glasses. "We'll just pay for it using the profits from the photos of you we auctioned off."
"So I really am paying for it after all," she mumbles in defeat. "Well if that's what you want then I do have a friend who owns a nice little sushi shop nearby. I'll just give him a call."
Tama-chan freaks out at her words and quickly scribbles a note and passes it to Haru-chan. As she reads it her irritation levels visibly rise. By the time she's done she crumbles it up and tosses it in the trash.
"I'm not stupid," she growls. "I could figure that out on my own."
"I'd really like it if you could make us something for lunch Haru-chan," I say.
I really like this house. And I'm all comfortable next to Aya. I really don't feel like moving.
"Well, I guess I could whip something up," she says. "But it's going to take me some time."
"We can wait!" I reply.
"Do you mind if I help?"
I look over at Aya-chan. She gets up off the ground and begins pulling her hair up into a messy bun.
"I'm can cook but I've never made any Japanese dishes before," she says. "Do you think you can teach me a little Haruhi?"
"Sure," Haru-chan says, looking somewhat happy she'll be receiving some help. "But we're going to have to go to the super market again."
"We're coming with you!" Hika-chan says.
"We want to go to the commoner's supermarket!" Kao-chan adds.
"Me too!" I say, jumping up from the floor.
"This could be a learning experience," Kyo-chan mutters.
"YAAAY!" the twins yell as the run to the door. "Commoner's supermarket! Commoner's supermarket!"
"This is gonna be fun!" I yell as I grab Aya's hand and pull her to the door.
XXx Aya xXX
"Hey boss what in the world is taking you so long?" Hikaru asks as he sticks his head in the door.
"Whoa check it out," Kaoru adds. "That person we passed downstairs was Haruhi's father."
They share an evil grin as they slink back inside. Oh dear god. Now that I know they're up to something I'm staying outside where it's safe. But sooner than I expected we're called back inside to meet Haruhi's dad.
He gestures for us to take a seat again before giving us a once over. He looks nice. It doesn't really surprise me that her dad is a transvestite, it actually explains a lot.
"I get it," he says with a smile on his ruby lips. "You must be the Host Club I heard so much about. You certainly are a fine looking bunch of young men. I'm not sure which one of you I like best. What about you dear?" he asks Haruhi.
She looks only slightly mortified under the surface annoyance. Not that I blame her. I would be too if my papa asked me the same thing.
"I'll tell you what why don't you just go ahead and call my Ranka," he says, not even waiting for her answer. "That's the professional name I use at the transvestite bar I work at."
"Professional name?" Honey asks. "You mean like a stage name?"
"Exactly like that Mitsukuni."
"Hold on, how did you know my name sir?" he asks, his eyes widening a bit.
"You three are third years Mitsukuni Haninozuka, Takashi Morinozuka, and Amaya Atsumi,"Ranka says with a grin. "And the two of you are first years in the same class as Haruhi. You're the Hitachiin twins, but I'm not sure which one of you is which. I've heard a lot about you!"
"So Haruhi told you about us?" Kaoru asks in awe.
"No," Ranka says with a smile. "Kyoya told me about you two over the phone!"
"You know you really are a beautiful person Ranka!" Kyoya says with a smile.
I'm pretty sure my eyes bugged out at that point. Kyoya...smiled. It's really kind of creepy.
"Kyoyaaaaaa," Tamaki growls from the corner.
"We've been entrusted with the care of his precious daughter," Kyoya says as he sips his tea. "It is only natural that we introduce ourselves and give periodical reports. Ordinarily that would be your job wouldn't it?"
"I'm so impressed the club has such a capable president," Ranka says, oblivious to Tamaki converting one of their closets into a mushroom room. "But wait a minute, you're only the vice president aren't you Kyoya? I guess that president of yours is pretty much good for nothing."
"You never mentioned this to me dad!" Haruhi yells. "Why didn't you say you've been getting calls from Kyoya-senpai?!"
"Well what am I supposed to do Haruhi?" Ranka whines with the largest puppy dog eye's I've ever seen on a grown man. "You rarely tell me anything about school."
"So that makes it ok to talk behind my back!" she retaliates before shooting a glare at Tamaki. "Come on senpai would you please stop growing mushrooms in other people's closets?!"
"Haruhi," Ranka says softly. "The thing about you is...you're cute even when you're angry!"
He tackles her in a hug, nuzzling his cheek in her hair. It's creepy how he seems not to like Tamaki yet...they're exactly alike. The irony is almost too much. Haruhi eventually manages to detangle herself from Ranka's grasp and heads for the door. She mutters incoherent things as she grabs her purse.
"Wait Haruhi!" Ranka yells. "Where are you going?!"
"The supermarket alright," she says curtly. "I have to go shopping and I want to do it by myself. So all of you just stay here and try to behave yourselves."
"Wait! We want to go to the commoner's supermarket!" Hikaru yells as the door slams shut.
"I wouldn't push it," Ranka says as he leans an elbow on the table. "Once she's made up her mind she'll never change it. When she decided she wanted to go to Ouran Academy she did all the enrolment paperwork by herself. While I respect her independent spirit, I wish she'd be a little more dependent on me sometimes."
Ranka pauses for a moment before looking back up at us. He smiles softly.
"I hope you know how grateful I am," he finally says. "Since she's found you she seems to be happier. She's enjoying herself. Wouldn't you agree, Tamaki Suoh?"
"You know who I am?!" Tamaki gushes as he bursts out of the closet.
"Well of course I do," he says. "Haruhi's told me a thing or two about you. You're the Host Club's bumbling president right?"
"UH HUH!" Tamaki says, even though it sounds like he doesn't know if he should be offended or not.
"Come to think of it," Ranka muses as he sips his tea. "You're the one that didn't realize Haruhi was a girl until the very last moment. You're clueless aren't you? Pretty pathetic."
Tamaki crumbles and shuffles back to the closet as Ranka sets down his cup. He glances up at us again, and the glint in his eyes has me more than a bit worried.
"Now that we've gotten all the introductions out of the way, how would you guys like to have a little fun?"
Ten minutes later we're standing in the middle of a crowded market.
I've never been inside a supermarket before, but as I watch all the happy couples and families roam around together I feel a smile cross my face. It seems like this is a normal thing for the middle class families to do together, and I admit I'm a bit jealous.
I briefly allow myself to fantasize as we scatter through the aisles of the supermarket, with Honey at my side. After a while we both jump into the basket of a shopping cart and Mori pushes us around.
Is this what it would be like to be a family?
We get out and walk together through the supermarket, and I begin thinking about what it would be like to do this every night. Walking through here like any other couple, pushing the cart myself, wondering what to make for dinner that night. It's amazing how just having him standing next to me can make me feel this happy.
I don't understand how that simple thought sends a surge of warmth through me, like drinking hot chocolate on a freezing winter night.
Some things just aren't easy to explain, and this is one of them. And now I think I finally have my answer. I did it again.
XXx Author's Notes xXX
Fifteen! Only two more to the halfway point
losta love, krystal