Mori sipped his drink yet again and mentally counted all the things he wouldn't be doing today. For one thing, he wouldn't be wrapping his hands around the sides of the twins' heads and banging them together like coconuts to stop the sniggering that ratcheted up the tension vibrating through Kaori's body with every peal. Nor would he pull Hikaru's arm behind his back and press upward until the young man's joints screamed in pain as an illustration of how the words 'Disney Princess' might unintentionally hurt someone far more innocent and pure-hearted than the twins had ever been. Repaying words with violence was not the Morinozuka way and, as immature and thoughtless as they could be, they were still his friends. Besides, Honey would disapprove. Probably.
"I've never even done more than kiss."
One part of his mind was still paying attention to the game and it moved his drink up to his lips for a sip before Kaori's words hit the part of the brain that was frantically signaling that for once it might be better to lie by omission. The softly voiced 'oh' that followed silenced the room more efficiently than a scream. This game always ended in trouble or tears. Today, it looked like the trouble would be all his.
He set his drink down gingerly and turned to the woman who'd been leaning trustingly against him all evening. Two wounded brown eyes stared back at him in a mix of confusion and dismay. "Oh," Kaori repeated. "I guess I knew… I mean, you're an adult and everything. And you're a really, really good kisser…" Her voice trailed off into silence punctuated by the twins repressed giggles.
"Game's over," Mori declared and scooped her up in one arm. "Haruhi, please excuse me," he apologized while striding towards the second room of her small apartment. Her answering 'no, no its fine, Mori-sempai' was called out just as he slid the door to the bedroom closed behind him.
He leaned, legs splayed, against an empty section of wall and set Kaori down on her feet before him. As soon as she touched the ground she dove into him, burrowing her face in his sweater and wrapping small arms tight around his middle. Hesitatingly, he cupped her head in one hand and wrapped his arm around her back to cradle her against his chest.
She breathed in his familiar scent of spice and wood and began to relax. When the tension had left her body, she loosened her grip and pulled back until she could see his face. "I'm sorry. I'm making a bigger deal out of it than I should. I knew, sorta. I just didn't really want to know. I know it's nothing to get upset over." She hoped the words made her sound more grown-up and worldly than she felt.
His hands stroked lightly down her back soothingly. "How you feel is how you feel, there's no right or wrong in it."
She was going to suggest they return to the group, but instead the words "How many?" just slipped out before she could take them back. She laid her head against his chest once more to avoid looking at his face.
His hands stilled in their ministrations. "Do you really want to know?"
"Yes. No. Maybe. I don't know. Probably not." Why did she feel the need to keep picking at the topic like a scab? After the game she was already feeling like an inexperienced child and this topic just made it worse. She didn't know what she was really looking for and that made it impossible to stop. "But if I don't know then I think I'll keep wondering."
"Two," he said, "A girl in Boston and a kendo competitor from another university."
"What were they like?" She winced as the words left her runaway mouth.
Mori paused, trying to form words to sum up the two rather brief relationships he'd had. "Maureen was free-spirited. A good friend, but that was all. Natsuki and I only had kendo in common."
"Did you, do you, love them?"
He caught her use of the present tense and a great many things became clear. Pushing her away from him just a little, he crooked his right index finger and used it to tilt her head up to look in his eyes. "Kaori, I wouldn't have been intimate with them if I hadn't cared for them," he said a faint blush appeared on his cheeks. "But I wouldn't be with you if my heart wasn't free of them. Do you understand?"
She nodded, teeth chewing on her upper lip. "It's just… all my firsts are with you, even the normal things like hiking or dates. I feel like I'm only following in your footsteps and will never catch up."
"Kaori," he admonished gently, cutting off her spiraling anxiety. He lifted her right hand, gave it a soft kiss and laid it against his heart. Moving his hand upward, he cupped her chin between his index finger and thumb and held it still while barely brushing his lips against hers. "This is a first for me," he said huskily, "only Kaori does this."
The feel of his pulse under her hand leapt from steady to rapid and she looked at the hand covering his heart in wonder. She pressed her left hand to her own breast and felt the matching tattoo beating beneath it. Was it really possible that such a chaste kiss could affect both of them the same way?
Wanting to wash away all her feelings of insecurity, she reached up to tangle her hands in his hair and pulled him down until his lips are centimeters away from hers. "Morinozuka Takashi," she whispered against them fiercely, "You. Are. Mine. Now and forever, understand."
He responded the only way a wise man could. "Hai."
She started with light, soft butterfly kisses which tugged at his lower lip. The minute his mouth softened against hers she tightened her hold on the back of his neck and swept her tongue inside his mouth to claim him using every trick he'd taught her over the course of the previous month. Mori could taste the faint tang of peach alcohol and struggled to do the honorable thing and pull back, but when he broke the kiss she merely continued to trail her lips and tongue tantalizingly along his jaw line and down the cord of muscle on the left side of his neck.
Her hands fluttered down to his chest, one delicate hand pulling down the collar of his sweater so she could have unfettered access to the oh so sensitive notch nestled between his neck and clavicle. She flicked her tongue against the furrow once, then again as he let out a low moan. He could feel her smile against his skin and all his good intentions fled when her second treacherous little hand snaked under his sweater to stroke hesitantly against his stomach.
With a tattered groan, he wrapped his left arm around her firmly to pull her close and flipped their positions so she landed against the wall with a gentle thud. He took advantage of her surprise to capture her lips and respond to her possessive claim with one of his own. This time, when their lips separated, he was the one trailing kisses down the side of her neck as she sagged against the wall for support. Her fingernails dug into his arms when he reached the tender area where neck and shoulder joined and he gave it extra attention as repayment for her earlier explorations.
Lost in sensation, he barely registered the sliding sound coming from behind him but the chipper "Yay, looks like you two have made up!" was more than loud enough to douse his ardor with the effectiveness of plunging into a mountain stream. In midwinter. During an ice storm.
"Takashi, Kaori-chan it's time to eat the cake I brought," Honey said brightly while one of his cousins loosened his grip on the other. Mori pulled away, sweeping Kaori with his eyes to confirm nothing appeared too out of place before turning to face their self-appointed chaperone with chagrin. He had completely forgotten about the thin walls of Haruhi's cheap apartment and the group of too-knowing friends just outside the door.
Honey drew closer to the couple and abruptly took Kaori by the arm, half carrying and half dragging the furiously blushing girl towards the door. "C'mon Kaori, I got you your favorite." He stopped halfway and turned towards Mori. "You don't look so good, Takashi. Maybe you should rest a bit," he said with an almost wicked smile before tugging Kaori out of the room. "Better hurry, though, or I might eat yours," he called out over his shoulder in a parting shot.
Mori leaned back against the wall, acutely aware of why he needed to 'rest' before reappearing in front of seven pairs of observant eyes and one set that would be obliviously naïve. He ran his hands over his face, through his hair, and across the back of his neck before dropping his head back with a resigned sigh. The days between now and graduation stretched out before him like eternity.
~oOoOo~
Kaori's could feel the flames pouring off her face when Honey ushered her back into the living room. From the way everyone but Reiko, who gave her a serene smile, avoided her eyes she guessed their private 'conversation' had been louder than she'd thought. The twins were each rubbing the back of their heads and wincing as they glared at the two former Host Club members to either side of them. Haruhi was glaring back with equal ferocity but Kyoya was simply ignoring them and sipping some tea. As soon as she'd settled back into her seat she grabbed her can of Chu-hai and downed the remainder in a desperate attempt to quench the heat and address her suddenly dry mouth.
In front of her, and everyone else, were small individualized cakes. "Oh, you got me red velvet! Thank you Mitsu-chan," she noticed. The group dove in, not waiting for Mori to join them. A couple minutes later he entered and took his place next to her, carefully averting his eyes from the smirks being sent his way.
The cake disappeared faster than she thought possible, it was so delicious. Kaori wanted more, but Honey had only brought one for each person. A lone piece sat untouched in front of Kyoya, which she and Honey both noticed at the same time. They looked at it, then at each other, and then turned matching brown-eyed stares of longing on Kyoya. The bespectacled man looked bemusedly back and forth between them. Staring straight at Honey he pushed the cake over to Kaori saying, "Please, go ahead. I'm not very fond of sweets."
"Really?" she exclaimed delightedly, "Thank you so much! Ootori-sempai you are so nice." This small gesture of kindness made her extremely happy and she couldn't stop talking about it. "Mitsu-chan made me think you'd be all scary, but you aren't at all! You're really very, very nice."
"Honey-sempai, what have you been telling your delightful cousin about me?" Kyoya drawled with a smile so broad you couldn't see his eyes. Honey swallowed hard and a sweat drop formed on his temple.
"Ooohh…maybe that's why. When you smile like that you look like a goblin!" said Kaori, eyes wide. She looked back at the cake and was distracted. "Look Takashi! It's strawberry and dark chocolate! Here, do you want some?" She carved into it with her fork and held it up for him. Mori leaned down and surrounded the tempting morsel she offered with his lips; catching her eyes as he slowly pulled it off the fork. Her mouth suddenly went dry again as his tongue flicked out to wipe icing that had stuck to his lips.
"Oh, he wants some alright," muttered Hikaru, "Ow! Haruhi, stop kicking me!"
Tired of jokes that seemed to pass just above her head, Kaori rounded on him and his brother. "You two aren't very nice, though."
"Aww! That's not fair," said the main perpetrator.
"Why don't you think we're nice?" asked his slightly gentler brother.
Kaori puzzled over this for a minute, trying to figure out how to put into words the way their every look and action made her feel like tiny, furry prey. "You always look at me like you want to eat me!" she concluded.
Hikaru opened his mouth to say something, but Honey spoke first. "Hika-chan, did I ever tell you that Kaori-chan is my favorite baby cousin?" The tone of his voice sounded like a frosting-covered knife and Hikaru wisely shut his mouth on whatever he'd been about to say.
"The twins are nice, Kaori-hime," contributed Tamaki lazily. "They just like to tease."
Kaori looked at the host king lounging next to her. His right elbow was propped on the table and his head lounged against his right hand as if that alone were keeping him upright. "You, Tamaki-sempai are the nicest of all, though," she said and nodded solemnly to emphasize her point.
Tamaki smiled like a benevolent monarch receiving his due, "It's impossible not to be nice to someone as sweet as Takashi's princess."
"But you were nice even back at the wedding, you brought me right out in the middle of the floor and then everyone started asking me to dance. I didn't get to say it then, but thank you." Driven by a sudden impulse to show her gratitude, Kaori leaned down to kiss his cheek. When she closed her eyes, the room jumped a few centimeters to her right and the kiss missed its intended target.
"My lips! My lips! You've stolen he purity of my lips!" Tamaki scrambled back from the table shrieking. He turned and threw himself prostrate before the snorting brunette next to him. "Haruhi, forgive me – you know they belong only to you!"
"Oh calm down, Tamaki, it was barely a peck," Haruhi laughed as he continued to throw himself on her mercy.
"Kaori."
"Yes, Takashi."
"You should rest now," the giant rumbled, lightly pushing her head down onto his lap.
"Okay. I'm kinda sleepy," she yawned and adjusted her position against his thigh until she felt comfortable. She drifted off to the sounds of Tamaki saying something about his lips needing to be disinfected while the twins giggled like howler monkeys in the background.
~oOoOo~
The apartment was quite when Haruhi finished putting dishes in the sink to soak. She wanted to head off to bed, but the clean-up would be that much easier if she took care of it now. After a quick check to make sure there was nothing else that required doing before morning, she headed back into the living room on the way to sleep.
The twins were stretched out asleep under the kotatsu, limbs so entangled around each other it was hard to tell where Hikaru left off and Kaoru began. Tamaki, refusing to go off to bed without her, was asleep with his head buried in his arms on the table. She and Mori had bundled Honey, Reiko, and Kyoya off in their chauffeured cars a couple hours ago and then her senior had resumed his post. He lounged sleepily against the wall with his fiancée curled against him, one arm protectively wrapped around her.
Mori's eyes slotted open as she walked past him to open the cupboard and pull out a blanket. She helped him to wrap it around Kaori then knelt down next to her own sleeping prince. "Every time," she murmured as she brushed the lank of hair that had fallen across Tamaki's face out of the way, "Every time he comes up with some idea that involves a lot of work on my part and I say no, but somehow I always end up doing it anyway."
"It's important to him," Mori chuckled.
"I know. All these little celebrations…. He's always looking for ways to gather his family around him. And I guess in the end that's why I do it. Why we all do."
"Love takes us outside of ourselves, makes us do the unexpected."
Her eyes opened in surprise and she gave a small laugh, "You must be tired if you're getting philosophical."
She sat back on her heels and looked at her friend. He'd always been the one she felt most at peace around, but they had grown closer since she began university. As she followed along a similar academic and career path he'd started to act like a true mentor – guiding her towards the best instructors and opportunities, sharing some of the struggles she'd face preparing for the bar exam and going through the mandatory internship required of every lawyer. Since his graduation they met frequently to talk over coffee and she hadn't failed to notice the subtle changes in him since September.
"Mori-sempai, you've always been the most… content out of all of us," she ventured, "Lately, though, you seem happy too."
He tilted his head and narrowed his eyes in consideration. "I've always been taught that contentment is happiness," he said tentatively, feeling his way through an unfamiliar landscape. "And I know neither can come from outside you. But, just knowing she cares for me makes me feel stronger."
Haruhi smiled at his sleep-driven eloquence. "You've always looked out for everyone. You deserve to have someone who'll put your first. Tamaki keeps calling her sweet, but that doesn't seem the right word for her though, it's more…" she trailed off uncertainly.
"Open-heartedness," Mori supplied, "She doesn't have any meanness in her at all and she puts all her strength into everything she does." His fingers stroked gently up and down Kaori's arm.
"I'm glad I got a chance to meet her properly, Mori-sempai." She sighed and stretched out her shoulder blades. "Well, I'm taking the king here off to bed," she shook Tamaki awake just a bit and rose to her feet with his arm around her shoulder. "Don't feel you need to wake me when you leave."
Tamaki sleepily mumbled something about disinfecting again as she pulled him off towards the bedroom. "Fine, fine. If it will shut you up," she agreed and then called out over her shoulder, "Good night Mori-sempai."
"G'night Haruhi," he replied and closed his eyes, letting sleep wash over him.
~oOoOo~
The sun streaming through the window fell on Kaori's nose, tickling it with warmth until she woke. Blinking groggily she turned against the hard pillow onto her back and found herself staring into steely grey eyes twinkling with humor. She smiled up at him then realized in quick succession both what her head was resting on and all the events of the previous night. "Oh no!" she groaned, pulling the blanket up to cover her bright red face. Mori chuckled and pushed the blanket back down with one finger. "Last night, did I really ki…" she couldn't quite finish the sentence.
Mori nodded solemnly, but his lips twitched.
"Are you upset?"
He tilted his head to the side considering her question. "Not really," he replied, "Come on, I'll send you home."
She sat up suddenly and noted the sun. "It's morning! Papa's going to kill me!" she wailed, then turned horrified eyes on him. "Papa's going to kill you!"
Mori chuckled. "I called him last night. Mitsukuni told him you were sleeping and that I would send you home first thing." He helped her up, lifting her up over the still snoring twins, and deposited her at the door of the small washroom. He handed over her brace and told her where to find one of the many toothbrushes Kyoya had long ago bought as part of stocking Haruhi's small apartment with necessities for the group's get-togethers.
The morning was cold and clear, but the air held the faint whiff of future snow and Kaori's breath was visible in the post-dawn air as they headed for the car. He might not have been bothered by her impulsive actions last night, but she couldn't shake the mixed feelings of guilt and embarrassment. When they'd both settled into the car, she couldn't hold it in anymore. "Takashi, I'm sorr…."
Before she could get the words out, his lips descended for a hard, demanding, and utterly thorough kiss. When he pulled back, it took a minute to for her eyes to regain focus and meet his.
"Disinfection," he said then started the car and shifted it into reverse with a smug smile on his face.
Kaori stared out the window, fingers occasionally drifting up to touch slightly bruised lips. All the events of the previous evening played over and over in her head like a depressing carousel she couldn't get off. The gulf of experience between them yawned wide and she despaired of ever being able to cross it and stand by his side. Somehow, someway, she needed to catch up.
A/N: Thanks to Jessi DarkFox, crazyangelgirl21, and new reviewer envoy for your comments and encouragement! Starting to get depressed because I only have one more main arc to go before the conclusion and epilogue. Should still run around five chapters though.
Please R&R if you like, hate, have comments, I'll take it all.