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 fifteen: It's because I have fallen in love with you."

Nothing. No reaction. He searched her eyes for a glimmer of hope. She just sat there, silently, blankly staring straight ahead. "Haruhi?" Still no response

Chapter Sixteen

She sat on the bench, with the rose in one hand. He wanted to tell her something, so she would sit with him as he told her. He couldn't look her in the eyes though. That bothered her. Here was a man who could express himself in very few words. He didn't need a lot of rambling and blubbering like most of their friends from the host club did. Yet he was having a hard time talking to her about something. He understood how she felt with all the questions about relationships that everyone had been asking lately. Well, he thought he understood. What she hadn't expressed to anyone was the fact that the reason the questions were bothering her so much is because she realized that she had grown to care for one particular host club member more than the others. She couldn't tell them that, of course. It would be the death of Tamaki and it would send the twins back into their own world again where no one would be able to break through again. Maybe even permanently this time. She couldn't do that to them. She also couldn't bear to break the heart of the senpai who had, in essence, confessed to her while she lay in the hospital.

He made eye contact, but was talking about the attack and the host club. Wait! Did he just say that he couldn't leave me? Is he saying what I think that he is saying? No, surely he doesn't feel that way about me. That would be… what? "Head examined"? Yeah that's what I need. I am surely not hearing what I think that I am hearing. Senpai couldn't be telling me that he feels the same way about me as I have come to feel about him. I couldn't get that luck. No, my luck surely has run out by now. I was lucky enough to get into Ouran in the first place. Lucky enough although it may have seemed like bad luck at the time, to break the vase that got me involved with the host club and my friends. Then lucky enough to survive the attack. No, surely my luck was running out. I couldn't possibly be lucky enough to have the man that I have fallen in love with actually love me back. No, stop it brain. Stop playing such cruel tricks on me.

"…I have fallen in love with you."

Did he just say that or is it my brain playing tricks on me?

"Haruhi?"

My mouth won't move. I am afraid to say anything in case it was my crazy brain making things up and he really didn't say that.

"Haruhi, please say something. You're really starting to worry me."

"Senpai, when I was in the hospital, do you remember if they said anything about me hearing things or going crazy?"

"No, why? Are you hearing things? Should we take you to the hospital? I can call Ranka right now and we can pick him up on the way."

"No. No. I just need to clarify one thing then. Did you just say that you love me?"

"I … I … Please don't hate me."

"You didn't answer my question. Did you just tell me that you loved me?"

"Y…y… yes."

"And am I the butt of some cruel joke? Is this some kind of hoax? Or am I still in my coma?"

"What? No. Haruhi, what are you getting at?"

"Then how should we go about telling the rest of the host club? I mean, since you say that other's feel the same way."

"Haruhi?"

"How do we tell everyone else? I don't want to hurt my friends, but I have to follow my heart. So how do we tell them?"

He couldn't answer. All he could manage to do was pull her into a hug.

"Maybe we could help you come up with a way. I hope that I didn't return too soon." Takeshi's mother said with a smile. "It's funny. Most girls would be demanding that you quit the host club. She's more worried about what's going to happen to her friends."

"It's because of the host club that I even got to meet Takeshi. Why would I ask him to quit what brought us together?" Haruhi flashed her 'natural host' smile at the newest guests to join the conversation.

They spread out a blanket amongst the rose bushes and the maids brought out enough food to feed an army. It was a pleasant afternoon. The whole Morinodzuka family offered suggestions to Takeshi and Haruhi about how to handle the host club. "It wouldn't be much of an issue, if it weren't for the fact that my dad has them rotating to stay with me so that I am not home alone at night."

"Well, while you were in the hospital, I can see how it would not adversely affect you. But when it's just you and a young man home alone overnight…"

"Mother."

"Ah, I have an idea. I will be right back. No one run off, ok?" She sprang up and quickly made her way across the garden to where a few of the maids were waiting to further assist them as needed. After a few words with one of the girls, she headed back. "It's resolved! Haruhi, would you be opposed to a young lady staying with you during the overnight hours that your father is working?"

"Eh, no, but I couldn't afford to pay…"

"My dear, nothing was said about you paying a thing. Kimiko would be doing it as a favor to her favorite young master. This is about your health and well-being, dear. You will not pay anything, and I would rather you not refuse either. Now, she's not a nurse, but if you were having teen-aged boys staying with you, then I suppose that not being a nurse isn't an issue, correct?"

"Correct, it's just someone to stay with me at night to keep me from being alone and doing things like cooking dinner. Although that frustrates me, and the doctors said that I could start doing small things around the house, he still wont allow me to do anything."

"So other than Mitsukuni, does anyone at the club know who Kimiko is?" She looked expectantly at her son for an answer.

"I doubt it."

"Good, then tomorrow, I will send her to the school to collect Haruhi after she gets out of class. We'll play a little game with them just in case someone decides that she's not good enough, and put her in a nurse's uniform until she arrives at your home with you. OK? If anyone asks, simply say that she being paid out of a victims fund or something. It will be fine."

"Mother, isn't Kimiko the one that is going to school part time to be a nurse anyway" Satoshi asked.

"That's why she jumped at this opportunity. If, the heavens forbid, Haruhi does need some medical assistance, it would be right up Kimiko's alley. Plus, if I remember correctly, wasn't there some comments in the past about Haruhi's cooking being superb. Since Kimiko can't cook, maybe if Kimiko did most of the work, and Haruhi only assisted and instructed, Kimiko could learn to cook from Haruhi. That would surely make Kimiko's boyfriend a lot happier, thus killing two birds with one stone. Not to mention that by being over at Haruhi's with her, maybe Kimiko could get some more studying done since the staff head likes to keep her busy when she's here. Poor girl, I honestly don't know when she gets any studying done at all."