A/N – just a word of thanks to everyone. I have been sick lately, so I haven't updated as quickly as I would have liked to. Please forgive me. Also, I just wanted to state for the record, that it is my personal belief that because the cousin's relationship is so close, that even if Takeshi does not directly state something directly, Mitsukuni will still understand it and be able to express it verbally. That is why in chapter 5 when the two are talking to Ranka about Haruhi taking self-defense and giving her ammunition to defend herself in her dreams as well, it goes unsaid by Takeshi, but is expressed by Mitsukuni as if Takeshi had said it. That is also why Ranka thanked Takeshi (in chapter 6) instead of Mitsukuni for implanting the idea that the self-defense lessons will help Haruhi fight her demons in her nightmares. The mind is an amazing thing, but sometimes it takes a little prompting from others.

Scherherazade – You're right, except for Huni, they are all a little tall to be dwarves. LOL The really funny part was that right after I uploaded that chapter, my daughter pointed out that they are re-releasing "Snow White and the Seven Dwarves". What timing! I also believe that every female should learn self-defense. It makes no difference what age either, young or old.

To both Scherherazade and -Arashi-Yuuna Fukushima- - What is a romance without a little heartbreak thrown in as well while two battle for the heart of the fair maiden?

-Arashi-Yuuna Fukushima- - I don't know if I could see Haruhi as ruthless as to want someone dead, that's why I just had them rough him up a bit. But with the confession, and considering the detectives stated that this was part of the biggest case they had worked on, he won't get off lightly. Considering his options, I would think that a LOOOOOOOONG time in jail would be his best option, lest Ritsu or one of the host club members get a hold of him again.

This is dedicated to all the lovely readers out there who have reviewed or added me or my stories as favs. Thank you all so much.

Disclaimer: I do not own "Ouran High School Host Club" or any of the characters in this wonderful manga/anime in any way.

Shelter in the Storm

Previously in chapter eight: The Low Blood Pressure Demon Lord found it easier to fake sleeping than to deal with the hyper Tamaki-like man who had just walked in the door. … Luckily, Ranka knew that Kyoya still had school in the morning, so he did his best to not wake the supposedly sleeping teen.

Chapter Nine

The next day, Kyoya's limo picked him up for school and Ranka rested while Haruhi worked on her homework. That evening, as Ranka prepared for work that night, Huni-senpai showed up at the door as expected, along with Mori-senpai. Haruhi let the boys in, eyeing the taller senior. Huni instantly started opening up the box of sweets that he brought along. Ranka finished his preparations for work and stepped into the living room. He eyed the taller boy much like his daughter had done only moments before. "Thank you for coming to stay with Haruhi, Huni-kun. I didn't know that Mori-kun would be joining you as well." The unasked question lay heavy in the statement.

"I'm only here to help with the homework and make sure Mitsukuni eats properly. I will be going home before they prepare for bed." Mori-senpai was always watching out after Huni-senpai, after all.

"I see, well have a good night everyone. Don't study too hard. Oh, and boys… just remember that both my baby girl and her ever loving and very protective father are counting on you to keep things in line, right?" Staring holes through Mori-senpai, Ranka's underlying message was undeniably received. He left for work after shooting one last soul searing look at Mori-senpai, only to run back in the front door a few seconds later. "I forgot about supper."

"I brought bentos. I knew Mitsukuni would not eat properly and would only bring cakes." They looked over and with a sheepish grin and crumbs on his face Huni-senpai nodded and opened the box that he brought. It only contained cakes.

"I could have cooked something." Haruhi protested, as she wiped the crumbs off of Huni-senpai's face. Her protests were immediately greeted by three frowns.

"You're supposed to be resting!" chorused all three males at the same time. Although they were frowning, all three could not help but stare at the sight before them in slight awe as the frowns slightly turned upwards. The vision of the girl leaning over and tending to her senpai's childlike face elicited three different yet similar responses.

"OK if you have it under control, then I will leave it to you. Good night." And Ranka was out the door again. As he made his way to work, he could not shake the feeling he got when he saw visions of his late wife as she tended to their daughter in the face of said daughter. Haruhi had grown up. He couldn't deny it. And she was turning out a lot like her mother. It was bittersweet. He still loved his wife and missed her more than the world itself. And now their daughter was turning into the same type of woman, cold and ruthless on the outside if you didn't know her, but warm and caring if you did.

Mori-senpai pulled out the bentos he had brought and handed one to each of his companions. Huni started to refuse the bento in lieu of his cakes, but Haruhi quickly threatened him. "If you don't eat your dinner, I'm taking your cakes away and you won't get anymore until you leave tomorrow," she chastised him. "Just because you're here to take care of me, doesn't mean that you can get away with not taking care of yourself." Huni-senpai knew that he had been beaten. He put his beloved cakes aside in order to eat the bento Mori offered him. The Haruhi turned to accept her own bento. "Thank you!" she beamed up at him. The whole evening's events has images of Haruhi chastising children of her own running through Mori's head. He could see her as a loving mother and wife one day. More so, he could see her as his wife.

Huni began to eat the bento his cousin had brought in silence. He didn't want to upset Haruhi any more after the way she had just chastised him. A light smile started to make its way across his face as he realized what a good mother his friend would make one day. He knew that no matter who she ended up with, he always wanted to be "Uncle Huni" and spoil her kids, to counter-act her strictness. But he pondered What if I'm not Uncle, but Cousin? Would that be the same? I know that Takeshi cares for her deeply. If he didn't he wouldn't have thought about having me teach her self-defense. His strict morals and code of ethics would not have allowed him to stay in the bed with a girl. And even more obvious, he wouldn't be sitting there staring at her right now like he is if he didn't care. He thought about how his cousin had insisted that Huni be the one to teach Haruhi self-defense because he was afraid that his own size would scare her once he took an offensive stance for her to defend against in practices. Finding that the silent giant had allowed himself to fall asleep in a girl's bed with her had completely confounded Huni. Takeshi is not the type to allow something that could be taken wrong and be so damaging to either of their reputations. But in this case, it wasn't Haruhi's reputation that he was worried about, but her mental and physical wellbeing. Sitting across the room from her would not have calmed her down and allowed her to sleep again. I know this for fact, but still Takeshi's sense of ethics and morals…

"Mitsukuni?" Mori pulled Huni out of is own little world.

"Yes, Takeshi?"

"Eat."

"Oh yeah, sorry. I was just thinking." Huni began to eat again, this time, his mind wandered in the same general direction it has been wandering previously, but instead towards his cousin. Takeshi would make a good dad too, wouldn't he? He's always looking out for me, and he definitely would be able to teach his kids a strong sense of right from wrong. "Hey, Haru-chan?"

"Yes senpai?"

"Have you ever thought about what's going to happen once you get out of school?"

"Well, I know that I want to be a lawyer like my mom. So I guess I have a whole lot of school left to go. Do you mean just out of high school, or after I finish law school as well?"

"In general. I mean, do you think about the future? Marriage and children. Owning a home. Those sort of things."

"I don't really think about it, to be honest. Law school is going to take a long time, and I wouldn't want to get involved with someone only to have the relationship fail because I didn't have time to learn who they really were due to all of my studies."

"So, what if you got involved with someone you already know?"

"Ehh, like who? My host club friends are the only guy friends I have and they see me as one of the guys, except Tamaki. And he doesn't know what he sees me as yet." Haruhi thought back to others she had known, Arai was the only other one she could think of, and the twins had made sure to scare him off thoroughly that summer at the pension. She continued to nibble at her food.

Huni looked at her oddly. "You really are slow sometimes, Haru-chan. Really slow." Then turning his attention back to the cakes left untouched until he had finished his bento, "Which cake shall we have first?"

Throughout their whole exchange, Mori sat and listened. He wondered if his cousin was talking about how slow Haruhi ate, or if he was talking about the fact that she did not pick up on the notion that members of the host club saw her as a girl. Some of them even saw her as a girl that they happen to want. But acting on that would tear their little world apart. That's probably why Tamaki was in such denial, if he admitted that he wanted Haruhi as more than a daughter figure, it would break up his little "family" play.

Because of what Huni said, Mori began thinking back to the way Kyoya had treated him at the club earlier in the day. He wasn't usually one to spend a lot of words on how each different host should handle different situations, but for some reason Kyoya was rather talkative… no, insistent that Mori not show ANY girl too much affection, least it cause another girl to get jealous. Mori had felt that most of the club was a little off not having their natural rookie there to balance them out, but Kyoya's actions that day were very much out of the norm for him. He began to wonder if Kyoya had feelings for Haruhi as well. Maybe something had happened the night before when he had been the one to stay with her.