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 ten: Yup yup yup! They are good together. I think that I will enjoy being an Uncle/Cousin to their kids. As Haruhi went off to get ready for bed, Huni let his mind wander to what little Haru/Take offspring would look like.

Chapter Eleven

The rest of that evening and the next morning were uneventful. Ranka came home from work, Huni got up for school just in time for his limo to show up, Haruhi did her homework while waiting for her torturous time away from school to end. She hated the idea of falling behind. Ranka had just started the process of getting ready for work which is usually an hour and a half long task, when Mori showed up. Ranka greeted him and let him in the door, "You're early. What, Huni-kun's not with you today?"

Mori just smiled, "I skipped host club today. And Mitsukuni couldn't think of a good enough reason to come along. He tried though."

Ranka just chuckled then excused himself to finish readying himself for work.

"Ahh, just in time. Senpai, could you help me with this problem? I can't seem to get it to match the answer in the back of the book." Haruhi was, as expected, finishing the last of the homework that had been sent so far. Once she returned to school, she would only have the last three days worth of work to make up.

"Which one?" He leaned over her shoulder to see which problem had been giving her trouble. As he did, he suddenly became acutely aware of how close he had leaned without realizing it, as her short spiky hair tickled the side of his cheek. "You forgot to invert this part of the equation. Remember to follow the formulas. Try that, see if it gets you the right answer," he said as he unconsciously turned towards her, his lips barely brushing her cheek. He pulled back away from her with a blush.

She had not noticed the close brush. When she came up with the correct answer, she turned to him and threw her arms around him in a hug. "Thank you! That problem had been driving me crazy for an hour." It took her a moment to realize what she had done, but then she pulled back. "So-sorry, senpai. I didn't mean to…"

"It's ok." He didn't mind, really. He also didn't want to make Haruhi uncomfortable. Especially since he would be the one staying the night to take care of her. It would not do to have the person who is being cared for to fear the one caring for them. He scooted to the other side of the table to offer assistance if she needed his help again, but she had the work completed in no time.

Ranka was walking out the door, when he stopped for a moment. "Mori-kun, is everything going to be ok? Do you need anything?"

"Everything is fine. Mitsukuni will bring the bentos by in a little bit because I accidently left them in the limo."

"You didn't go to host club today?"

"No" There is someone that I am trying to avoid there.

"Is everything ok?"

"Yes." More or less. I just don't feel like being given the third degree by the third son of Otori again. I only did what I was asked to do that night. The nurse asked me to keep Haruhi calm by lying in the bed with her. So I did. I didn't do it for personal reasons, I did it because I was told that it would calm Haruhi down, and be better for her health. I can't help it if the reason that I want her to have a healthy happy life is for personal reasons. The reason I allowed myself to lay in her bed wasn't personal though. Why do I feel like the villain?

"Oh ok. Well, if you need anything, call me at the bar. Good night."

"Have a good evening at work, Ranka-san."

"Senpai, I can cook us something for dinner so that Huni-senpai doesn't have to come out of his way to drop them off," Haruhi offered, although she knew it would be fruitless.

"You're supposed to be resting, not cooking."

"I know, but I've been resting all day. That's all I do, is rest. It won't hurt for me to do a little something."

"Nnh"

"But I…"

"Haruhi."

"I just…"

"Nnh."

Haruhi sighed heavily. "Fine," as she slumped down at the table, defeated. "But I feel so useless and worthless."

Those are the last two things that you could ever be considered. He grumbled, hoping that she would just drop the subject, and then sat down across from her again to help with her homework. The evening went on like that with no real problems, until his phone rang. He stepped outside so as to not interrupt Haruhi's studies.

She was putting her studies back in the school bag when he walked back into the apartment. "Haruhi, are you finished?"

"Hai! All completed."

"Then would you like to go out to dinner?"

"Is Huni-senpai not coming?"

"Nnh. He got unavoidably detained." By Kyoya again. He won't let it rest. It's like he has appointed himself your personal guardian.

"I don't have any money on me for my share."

Mori just stared at her. He was in complete awe of how differently they were raised. Or maybe it was just how differently their mindset was, not so much their upbringing. Ranka certainly would have expected a gentleman to pay for the dinner if he invited the young lady out. He got an idea. He excused himself for a moment and stepped back outside to make another call.

When he stepped back in, he found that Haruhi had changed into something a little more appropriate for leaving the house. No longer was she in her pajama shorts and t-shirt, instead she now wore a knee length, short sleeved, shirt dress in navy, with bright red buttons and trim. She had her hair pulled out of her face by a pair of red clips, and to complete the outfit, she held in her hand a pair of navy ballet style flats that she was heading to set by the door for when they left. Mori froze at the door, one hand still on his phone, the other on the door midway through closing it. She looked amazing. Classic enough to fit into most any business environment, yet casual enough for a walk in the park. He wondered how this one girl, who dressed as a boy at school, had no regard for gender differences, and had just recently been the only woman to fend off and survive an attack by a certain serial rapist/killer… how could this one girl throw his world into so much turmoil, yet set it right with just a smile. "Slight change of plans."

"Oh, we're not going out to eat then? Should I start something for dinner?" She set down the shoes she had in her hands and turned back towards the kitchen.

"No, we're still going out, but not to somewhere that you will have to pay. Besides, Mother really wants to meet you." He smiled at her.

"Oh, umm, ok," she stammered, not real sure of what to expect next.

"Haruhi."

"Yes, Mori-senpai?"

"Tonight, call me Takeshi, since we will be eating with the rest of the Morinodzuka family."

"Ok, Takeshi." The name rolled off her tongue with ease, and he liked the sound of it.