The next afternoon at around two, we were outside of Haruhi's apartment, in Tamaki's car. We still managed to make it look like we had just arrived by the time she appeared with Kyo from around the corner.

'Hi, Haru-chan!' Mitsukuni waved and I nodded in her direction.

'It's good to see you guys, better in person than the odd e-mail, ne? We couldn't really catch up much last night either,' she rubbed her arm, smiling whilst opening the front door, 'it's cold at the moment,' she murmured almost to herself as she moved away from the group momentarily to turn the radiator up.

'This is where you live now?' Mitsukuni peered around the apartment.

'Yeah, come and sit down,' Haruhi showed us to a small sitting room, 'it's small but it's a bit bigger than the apartment I lived in with my dad,' Haruhi shrugged, 'it's nothing special but it's home.'

'Still looks pretty tiny to me,' Hikaru shrugged, Kaoru elbowed him, 'ow! What was that for?'

'Do NOT insult my daughter's humble home,' Tamaki ordered.

Haruhi laughed, her eyes sparkling and sat down at one of the spaces at the table, 'you guys haven't changed a bit.'

'Neither have you,' Kyouya observed, 'well, not much.'

'What do you mean,' Haruhi asked, 'what's changed about me?'

'You look more like a girl, that's for sure,' Kaoru noted, ruffling her longer, almost shoulder length hair.

'And you look older!' Mitsukuni chirped, 'and you also look really happy,'

'Really?' Haruhi blinked her huge eyes in surprise, something else flickering in their chocolate coloured midst.

'Yeah,' I gave her a gentle smile and then ruffled her hair.

'Guys if you keep messing with my hair I'll never get the knots out of it,' Haruhi whined though her eyes kept their cheerful look showing she wasn't too annoyed.

'Oh? We care about appearances now do we?' the twins smirked then leaped on her, tousling her hair. Haruhi tried to stop them through her laughter, her attempts worthless when Huni and Tamaki joined the fray. Kyouya and I just watched on the sidelines with amusement.

It was like nothing had changed.

'What is going on?' Kyo was leaning in the doorway, a frown on his face. Well that was understandable, there were four boys practically molesting his fiancée. The four hosts practically flew back five metres from Haruhi, sitting back in there places and pretending they weren't doing anything.

'Nothing, nothing,' Haruhi waved her hand dismissively, 'this is what I had to put up with all through high school.'

'Hey! You act like we tortured you,' Tamaki wailed objectively.

'You blackmailed me into joining your club,' Haruhi gave him a look that said 'seriously now' and rolled her eyes when he turned to sulk. Kyo had placed down the tea and now wrapped his arms around Haruhi protectively, she rolled her eyes again.

'You blackmailed my Haruhi?'

There were two objections at once.

'Well, blackmail is a very strong word...' Kyouya shuffled uneasily, as he and grown older he had seen the unfairness... and slightly illegal of the host club's ways.

'Your Haruhi?' that was the twins and Tamaki, though two narrowed their eyes at Kyo, while the other shrieked his objection.

'Yes, my Haruhi,' Kyo stared icily back at them, 'blackmail isn't a strong word, hate is, blackmail is highly frowned upon though, even in the realms of the rich. Actually, I'm pretty sure it's illegal,' Kyo's mouth curled into a smile.

'Are you seriously threatening an Otori?' Kyouya raised an eyebrow.

'We've known Haru-chan longer, she's ours too!' Mitsukuni piped in, pouting.

Haruhi stood up, pushing Kyo's arms away.

'How dare you talk about me like I am a possession, like I can be owned? Especially as I am right here. You are all being impossibly immature, even you Kyouya-senpai. Honestly!' Haruhi gave them all a look: THE angry Haruhi look then turned to me, 'seeing as you are the only one who had kept their manners would you mind coming and helping me with some shopping while these morons sort out their differences.'

I stood up obediently; Mitsukuni pouted and grabbed the hem of my shirt. I turned around, expression blank. Huni saw the meaning behind my look, letting go of the material and hanging his head in shame.

The door slammed shut and Haruhi breathed a deep sigh of relief, 'I was suffocating in the tension, what's it all about?' Haruhi turned to look at me. I wondered how she couldn't see everyone was jealous of her new fiancé.

I shrugged; there was no point in making her worry about people's feelings. It was almost funny how she could easily tune into other people's feelings... unless they were related to her.

'What's so funny,' Haruhi pouted up at me, 'are you laughing at me, Mori-senpai?'

I shook my head, 'senpai?'

'Sorry, I know we're not in high school any more but I guess it's kinda stuck. I'll try to stop, d'you want me to call you just Mori then?'

'Or Takashi,'

'M'kay,' Haruhi smiled, they turned into the supermarket and Haruhi immediately set off to find whatever she was thinking of, I ambled slowly behind her. She was looking at the frozen meats by the time I caught up with her. She was rubbing her arm subconsciously and looking at the array of foods to choose from.

'Cold?' Haruhi jumped at my voice.

'No, why?' she pulled her hand away from her arm. I narrowed my eyes slightly and pulled up her sleeve, eyes widening at the fist sized bruise there was blossoming on her fragile skin. I looked at Haruhi questioningly.

'It doesn't hurt much, I was clumsy and knocked it on something, that's all,' she gave me a small smile before tugging back down her sleeve and turning to face the food display, pulling a packet from one of the shelves.

I continued to stare at her, trying to work out whether she was telling the truth. She was incredibly clumsy so it was probably true.

After collecting everything they needed I helped Haruhi carry four of the six bags back to the apartment. I noticed my car by the road, I think Haruhi caught my gaze, 'here are your keys,' she threw then at me and I easily caught them, 'your car is fully intact and I have to admit I'm not interested in cars but the interior is amazing,'

I merely nodded and brushed my hand against the side of the car, Haruhi laughed, why however I don't really understand.

'Let's hope everyone's getting along better,' Haruhi sighed as she fumbled with her keys to open the door, 'Kyo's a teeny bit overprotective, it can be annoying sometimes but I'm used to it with my dad, Tamaki and the twins.'

I 'hmmed' a reply just as Haruhi opened the door.

There was a chorus of, 'Haruhi!'

Then Mitsukuni added and the end, 'and Takashi!' in his usual cheerful tone.

'Have you decided to behave yourselves?' Haruhi placed her shopping bags down on the nearest counter. Kyo gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

'I'm sorry I annoyed you,' he murmured, Haruhi rolled her eyes. Hikaru stared daggers and Kyo's back.

'Yeah, well, so long as you behave yourself now. I'm going to go make lunch, I can hear someone's stomach grumbling from here,' she slipped out of Kyo's arms and started to take food out of the bag, Kyo shot us a jealous look when her back was turned. I sent a dark look back, he better protect her because it looks like I'm too late to be her protector.

There were a few minutes of silent threats being passed between hosts and Kyo behind Haruhi's oblivious back before she struck up conversation and everyone took up very unconvincing innocent poses, 'what made you guys follow me to work after all these years, why yesterday?'

We most certainly won't going to say we wanted to analyse her soon-to-be husband and possibly annihilate him.

'We felt guilty for not visiting in so long and we missed you loads and loads Haru-chan!' Mitsukuni looked like he wanted to hug her again so badly, I could see his hand twitch but he didn't move, maybe I should have let him bring Usa with him today.

'And it was cool to see where you work,' one of the twins grinned, leaning on the other's shoulder.

'But that guy who was on stage with you looks like a complete stuck-up-his-own-ass type,' it think it was Hikaru continued.

'He's called Shou and he really is,' Haruhi muttered darkly, chopping vegetables with more forced aggression, 'he pinched my ass again,' there was a chorus of gasps and death threats, I had to bite my own tongue to keep calm, this Shou guy was definitely higher on my hate list than Kyo.

'This vile demon touched your butt?' it seemed as if Tamaki was about to explode, 'your cute little butt?' then he continued to freak, failing to notice the stares he was receiving or what exactly he had just spurted from his mouth.

'Let's just ignore him,' Haruhi decided for everyone, continuing to prepare the meal, 'Shou is just a minor annoyance.'

'If he touches you again I will personally snap his finger off,' Kyo promised.

'You don't have to,' Haruhi insisted. Of course she wouldn't think violence was the answer. 'I'll kill the bastard myself,' ah, never mind. Kyo laughed at the petite girl's sudden ferocity.

'That'll be fun to watch tonight,'

'You work tonight as well?' Tamaki seemed shocked, 'I didn't know commoners had to work so hard! I'm so sorry I have not aided you all these years my daughter,' Tamaki promptly started to wail all over again. I often wondered why Kyouya put up with such an... immature person, he managed to make Mitsukuni look mature, even I find it hard to say that someone who consumes more cake than their actually body mass per day and carried around a stuffed bunny until recently mature.

'...Commoners?' Kyo frowned, 'daughter? He keeps calling you that are you sure there isn't something wrong with his brain?' Tamaki gasped and retreated to his corner. At least he'd shut up.

'I assure you I have checked plenty of times yet can't find anything wrong,' Kyouya said dryly.

'Try not to be insulted,' Haruhi insisted, 'he means no harm really,' Kyo nodded but his frown didn't move.

'Ne, Haru-chan, can we come watch you work again tonight?' Mitsukuni asked.

'You guys aren't busy?' I guess it did seem weird that we hadn't been available for so long yet now we were free two nights in a row, to be honest whatever plan we had now we had cancelled because we were too interested and happy to see Haruhi again.

'No,'

'Whatever then,' she shrugged but smiled then placed at least ten different small dishes onto the table, 'sorry if it's not what you're used to but eat as much as you want.'

'Are you kidding? I miss your commoner food,' Hikaru was already reaching to one of the bowls. I had to agree with him. The cuisine I usually ate at home was definitely of the finest quality but Haruhi's cooking was different, the flavours were gentler and the plates looked appetising without feeling like you were destroying a piece of art. I felt guilty though sometimes because I ate so much and I occasionally wondered if I was literally eating a hole in Haruhi's budget.

'You still eat like a black hole, Takashi?' Haruhi asked, I looked down guiltily and she laughed, 'I guessed so, I'm kind of flattered that you like my cooking so much.'

'You're so lucky you get to eat Haruhi's food so often,' Kaoru whined to Kyo.

Kyo grinned, 'only when she's not working, I cook the rest of the time. Haru-koi works three part-time jobs,'

'Overwork could lead to a decline in academic performance,' Kyouya looked like he disapproved. I did too though, I admired that Haruhi worked so hard but it worried me those days she used to come into school with dark patches under her eyes. I remember one day when she came to the host club and she was so tired she slurred all of her words and could barely walk.

'My jobs aren't that hard and do fine in school,' Haruhi objected, 'I balanced host club and school just fine,' we didn't, couldn't, say anything to that.

After that we ate food in general silence, not including the usual Host Club banter and Haruhi seemed content to chew her food and revel in the fact she had won an argument against us, which was not a common occurrence. At one point once almost all of the food had disappeared... most of it my fault... Haruhi looked at the clock and chocked on whatever was in her mouth; Hikaru went to pat her on the back but was beaten by Kyo.

'Jeez Haruhi,' Kaoru laughed, discreetly patting his brother's arm to wipe away his annoyed expression, 'haven't we taught you to chew before you swallow.'

While Haruhi was trying to catch her breath she pointed at the clock, Kyo glanced at it, 'shit!'

'Do you have to go to work already?' Tamaki looked both disappointed and confused, 'it's only four.'

'Saturday is that day that the boss comes in, either he's happy or someone gets fired so each week everyone comes up with a theme to keep him satisfied. We have to go in early to prepare everything,' Haruhi was already hurriedly tidying away empty plates whilst Kyo grabbed two large bags from the corner of the room.

'What's the theme?' Kyouya asked.

Haruhi grinned, 'you'll find out tonight,' I wondered if I should be worried.

*Phew* it looks like I'm going to be updating all three stories at some point -.- I would feel bad if I ddin't becuase so many people asked. This chapter wasn't as long as the first but pretty inpressive for me still, I hope it's ok and I just want to warn it isn't going to be happy the whole way through :|