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Chapter Twenty Nine
Mikan sat on the porch, resting on Tamaki's leg as Honey used her head as an arm rest. She sucked down the soda as she let out a loud belch, as she scratched the back of her head. Her hair was done in a knotted mess of pink curls that ended somewhere on the edge of her waist as she tossed them up and up again to try bring some order to it.
She felt sick to her stomach and the soda wasn't helping. She leaned her head back and let out a sigh as a loud cursing came from the kitchen.
"Mikan" Kagame whined as she rolled Kyoya's head with her fingers that were more like little claws perched upon their victim's skull. She ran them through a few times more trying to think of what she was going to say-, "Mikan, go help Jin."
Mikan didn't answer, she couldn't be bothered to answer as she watched the tall form of Mori leave the crowded porch area. She liked their small porch off the back of the house, it wasn't much for space, but then again it was made for sitting out and watching the fireflies and grass grow, not an epic of game beer pong played blindfolded. Well, they didn't have beer, so it was more soda pong, but it made sense.
"You have to drink again." Haruhi pointed to the beer as the Twins sighed and gulped down another sip. She was damn good at the game, making the ball every time since they had started playing an hour ago. The twins look no more ready to stumble then they were to give up as they cracked their fingers.
"JIN!" Hikaru called, "Where's the beer!"
"Bring the booze!" Karou continued as he roped an arm around his brother, nuzzling his face into his neck ever so lovingly. Mikan turned away, to tiered and to depressed to say anything about their nauseating love making.
"We need more players." They crossed their arms, bored already, "Milord come impress us your manly drinking skills."
"Hmmm." Tamaki considered it as he pushed himself up and spread his arms, his tie loose around his neck. Mikan rolled her eyes, Tamaki had insisted in following them home after the whole mess that today had wrought. He had been non-stop presence of what the puppy needed and how to keep her happy and not upset forever and a day.
It had been a very sweet thing for him to do, until he carried her up the stairs, fetched her four pints of ice cream. He wouldn't let her out of her room until she had explained everything while he ate one of the pints. She hadn't been to happy about that either.
She nursed her second soda, it had been slowly turning warmer and warmer under her sweaty palms. There where a chorus of cries as the sound of a ball plopping could be heard.
"Haha!" Tamaki cried as he un did his tie the rest of the way tying it around his head, as Haruhi shook her head.
"Ten points for Milord. " The twins pulled up a white board. The score was ten points with Tamaki in the lead, Haruhi with five and the Twins with negative five. Mikan watched, apparently the point was to try and make the ball into one of the cups, blindfolded. For double points you did it backwards one foot and if you missed you have to take three gulps of your soda.
She began to suspect the only point was to make people drunker, faster, if they were playing with beer, but their didn't seem to be any.
"Alright, alright." Kagame stood up leaving Kyoya, "You guys are wusses, what we need is some vodka and a few things of orange juice and I'll teach you how we played truth or dare in America."
Mikan sighed as she glanced at Honey who clambered to his feet.
"Vodka!" He cheered as he stumbled forward, as Haruhi pulled out a chair for him to climb on to, to even reach the table to throw the ping pong ball.
"Who'd be winning?" Mikan asked trying to get interested in the game.
Haruhi was trying to shrug of the twins as she gulped down a few more sips of her soda wiping her lips. Her eyes were narrowed focused on the game. They would play until Kagame stumbled back with the orange juice. Kyoya was staring coolly from his place bemused by their antics, but like Mikan refusing to join in.
She was sure he was re calculating, she wished he would come up with a plan, a devious plan to get her back into Ouran's dance program. Or maybe he wouldn't-oh what did she care for right now. She was moody and depressed and she would be the one up their getting crazy with the beer, but instead she was sulking and acting like she was having as much fun as they were.
"Mikan!"
Kagame's voice snapped her back, "Get up here, and drink like the real woman I know you are!"
"Coming!" She answered as she pushed off the floor and swaggered over to the table as she cracked her fingers, "Let's do this."
Kagame let out a mad crackle as she cleared the table of the red cups, and left over the soda cups. She poured the vodka and orange juice into one giant bowl as she spread out plastic cups pouring in the sick looking mixture. She let out another mad chuckle to herself as she passed out her chosen poison of the night.
"Come my shadow king. Take your rightful place by my side." Kagame offered a hand that Kyoya promptly ignored, "You are not better than drinking with us, now come." She stamped her foot and snapped her finger and to Mikan's surprise the shadow king rose from the depths and crept over to her side. He took the orange mixture and drank down a whole cup as Kagame quickly replaced it with another.
"Now my pretties, it is time for truth or dare." She steepled her fingers as her long dark hair fell into her face, and to Mikan her sister had never looked more evil.
"Oh Goddess!" The twins bowed in her presence, "teach us in this commoner game as you have taught us the ways of beer pong and monopoly."
"My pleasure." Kagame answered, "The rules are simply, we go in a circle, you take a truth or a gulp of the orange punch. You can take up three orange punches, before you have to do a dare."
There was a silent agreement, that the dares would be anything but simple. Mikan scrunched her toes and shifted her fingers, she was ready for this.
Honey was first as he took a truth.
"Fine. What is your biggest secret?"
"Uh, that I have three pinks bunnies at home and I bring a new one to school each day." Honey answered
"Oh come on." Mikan rolled her eyes as Kagame hissed at her.
"Your turn." Kagame pointed to Karou, "And no sharing."
"Aww, but Goddess!" The twins cried
"No butts, truth or dare Karou." Kagame waved hand in front her.
"Dare." Karou grinned.
"Try and touch Mikan's neck." Kagame grinned. She had become the official dare master it seemed with Kyoya by her side. Mikan remembered her playing like this before, at home when she had invited Kagame to a cast party. She had taken her place and made the dare's easy from singing the alphabet backwards to difficult like juggling three cups of beer with out spilling.
"Touch me you die." Mikan answered as she clasped her hands around her neck, as a dancer she was expected to her bubble invaded, hell she probably didn't have a bubble at this point, but she did not love people touching her neck. She was lucky that no part had ever called for neck to be touched, at least not a lot, but this was cruel.
"I'll take that." He answered as he reached for her. Mikan was faster as he chased her around and around the table until she splashed a cup of punch of him. He yelped and wiped his eyes, he grinned.
"Mikan! Look out spider!'
"Where?" She started as he swiped a hand across her neck. She scrunched up her shoulders and wrapped her own hands around it as the rest of them laughed.
"You look like a turtle." Haruhi commented. She didn't mean anything by it, it was just another one of those Haruhi comments. Mikan had begun to suspect the girl never meant anything but what she said as a kind of observation.
"Thanks." Mikan rolled her eyes, "No more neck touching."
"Agreed." Kyoya was the one who spoke up this time. Mikan stared at him, but his glasses reviled nothing of what his eyes could tell her about what he was feeling. She shook her head as the game went on.
Kagame looked so menacing in her black lace skirts and her silver and blue corset. Her long hair in her face and a witches hat on her head. Mikan had watched her prepare her pot of yummy things to eat, and she had gotten rather into the experience acting like a witch and quoting Macbeth the whole time.
She hadn't bothered to take it off when everyone arrived either, instead greeting them with a small coy smile and showing them to the purple sitting room and then to the back porch for drinking and being generally loud. She had shipped out Sho and Jun and Ayumi to their respective friends houses for the night, so Mikan could find some peace in her company.
It was Tamaki's turn and he choose truth.
"What is the stupidest thing you ever did?"
"Kagame now that is not fair." Kyoya said softly beside her, "We all know of Tamaki's impairments."
The king of the host club had to think hard about the stupidest thing he had ever done, but then inspiration seemed to strike.
"I once when I was a child go stuck in the dumb waiter shaft because I wanted to climb up it like I was an explorer. They had to cut a hole in the wall to get me out."
"How old were you?" Mikan asked suddenly curious.
"12." He answered sheepishly and taking his gulp of the punch.
Mikan laughed and laughed,, as the twins ordered for Haruhi to go next.
"Dare." She said simply.
"You have to drink Witches brew." Kagame answered as she poured something behind her that looked like green bile.
"But I don't drink-"Haruhi began, "There's no point in it."
"It's just beer died green." Kagame shrugged, "It's fine."
"Okay." Haruhi nodded taking the glass as Mikan shook her head. Kagame was a damn good liar, and she really hoped Haruhi wouldn't pass out from it.
Haruhi however gulped it down it a few moments as Mikan stared amazed. She had tried Kagame's custom "witches brew" before and it was anything but tasty.
"Got anymore?" Haruhi challenged as Kagame's mouth fell open. The twins laughed and high fived her as it was back to Honey for another turn.
…..
Jin sat out on the front porch jumping at every time there were loud whoops coming from the back of the house. The echo's carried easily over the short distance. Jin felt very much like getting drunk and doing stupid shit. He had pulled a stunt that was going to cost him dearly.
Ouran was one of the last schools open to him in Japan, the only one in need of a male lead. He rubbed a hand over his face, but the way he had seen Mikan exit the door, the look on her face, he-had to have done something. How could he face her if she wasn't dancing? If they would never do a piece together, if Mikan had to sit through every recital?
Nope. He would find a way around it, that might mean going back to America, or maybe Russia. Russia would be alright at this time of year, it would allow him some time to breathe and just be with his art.
"Jin."
He jumped again as large hand found its way on to his shoulder, "Hey Mori."
Mori hiccupped as he finished off a beer, "Hi."
"Aren't you the silent one?" Jin asked disturbed by Mori's sudden openness.
"Yes, but not always. I'm tiered." He explained.
"I get you." Jin nodded, "How close have you been to him? You know Honey?"
"A long time." Mori answered. He was leaning against the wall as Jin had to turn and look at him from his seat on the wooden stoop. His hair was messy, he was smiling a small smile though with his hands in his pockets like he was going to jump off the porch and start skipping.
"Uh huh." Jin nodded, "So you like working for the host club?"
There was a pause as Mori gave a nod, and wandered over to him as he sat down, "Yes. It's fun. It's a different experience."
There was another long silence as cries of 'You Cheated!" echoed from the back of the house. They stared at each other and understood and then turned back to look out at the fields.
Mori began to speak again, "So, where are you going to go? Since the dance thing didn't work out."
"I don't know." He answered with a shrug as he glanced at his empty beer, "Damn. Where are her siblings tonight? The house is quiet."
"Oh Kagame said she shipped them off somewhere, I think Cuba." Mori yawned as the door slammed open.
"Mori! WITH ME! NOW! JIN GO FIND A HIDING PLACE!" Mikan screamed jumping onto Mori's back and spurring him out on the driveway, "GO! GO!"
Mori startled dropped his can of beer as he ran forward spitting gravel beneath his feet as the fields became bathed in an eerie light. Mikan kept jarring him in the sides as the loud whooping of the twins could be heard behind them.
"OMG! THERE OUT HERE!" Mikan's voice carried over the wide space as she panted clinging to his neck, "Come on Mori! Come on!"
He panted again as he slowed his pace, very thankful that Mikan was not heavy to carry. He shoved open the stable door, as Mikan steered him to the wall as she flipped on the stables light. The sleep horses raised their heads, but few of them moved to acknowledge them further.
He glanced down the long line of stalls, as the strong smell of horse hit him. He had been around horses before, but not as often as Mikan. She seemed at home singing to herself as she gave a way to the stalls and the sleepy horses.
Mori wasn't sure what was going on, but he assumed it meant something silly was happening as a result of way to much of Kagame's special blend. He had a cup or two or three of it, and he was seeing spots. Well those had cleared up after the first cup, but still, it was bound to induce stuff.
"Morning Edmund!" Mikan called softly as the great horse raised his head and flicked his ears. He looked like a draft or something to Mori, who was almost as tall as he was. He was intelligent though stepping forward and rubbing his nose against the bar.
"It's not morning.' Mori said softly in her ear as she screamed out enough to make a few of the horses knicker in return. He jumped as well, as he clutched his chest.
"Holy crap! You said something." Mikan whispered grabbing her neck as she touched her nose, "You said something."
"Yes I do speak." Mori nodded slowly as he felt his heart beat return to normal. He had never seen Mikan, well, so awake.
"Say something else." She encouraged, as she poked him in the chest.
"Mikan I think we should hide because I hear the twins outside." He answered. He assumed that's who they were running from, well who she was running from, she had just dragged him into this by riding him like a horse.
"Oh shit. Really?" She giggled, "That's not good. If they find us, oh no, they get to dare us. Oh god! I can't take a dare from the twins. I just can't."
"Then we should hide." He encouraged.
"Oh, um." She stumbled forward, "Loft, here's the ladder, come up."
He watched her stumble forward upon the concrete floor shuffling scraps of hay that hadn't been swept all away. Her shoe laces were untied, but didn't seem to hinder her already gawky movements as her footsteps made clunking noises that echoed off the high rafters.
"You really think we should-" Mori started, but Mikan despite being filled up on booze seemed to shimmy up the ladder like a monkey.
"Come on." She hissed as Mori sighed and followed up slowly behind her. The horses had returned to their sleeping, as the disturbance faded. Mikan shuffled around the top of the barn loft. He scooted around with her, the place was littered with hay and barrels and boxes and excellent places to hide. It wasn't in the direct light so it cast shadows, where they could hide easily.
"MIkan!" came a hiss from below.
"Hi twins!" She called from the loft, "What is up?"
"I though we were hiding from them." Mori told her.
"Shh, I think we were, um oh they can't hear you speak they'll go crazy." She hissed, "Up here! I'm with Mori!"
"Hey Mori!" They called together as they climbed up the ladder, "We decided it be best to follow you, Kagame knows all the best hiding places and she's got Kyoya like a hound."
"Not the shadow king!" She moaned, "Not the shadow king."
"Shh!" They ordered, "We need to hide well, your sister is bound to look here."
"Oh! Your right, hiding place." She muttered, "This is a bad place." She ran down the ladder again as she screamed missing the last few steps. She lay at the bottom of the ladder in a drunk heap covered in dust and straw and hay.
The twins muttered some curse under their breath, climbing after her as Mori followed at a slower rate, "That was a bad idea."
"I'm fine." She answered as she scrambled up. She did her swaggering walk to the wall and shut off the barn lights, "Come on this way!" She ran through the dark, as she reached for a hand. She found one, "Who is this?"
"Karou."
"Hey. Okay we need a good place to hide, there's the feed room, there's the um empty stall at the end, oh the tack room but that has a light. Kagame will turn on the light tough." She panted as she ran forward.
'Mori hold her back will you?" The twins turned to their resident giant as Mori sighed and rolled his eyes. He threw Mikan over his shoulder, easily so she wouldn't hurt her self as she clawed at him. Her knee found his collar bone as she rammed it rather roughly, he cursed and rubbed it. He jolted her as she giggled her hands trying hard not to pat his legs or back or any area in between, it was hard for her.
"Hey put me down Mr. Talkie! Talkie!" She hissed, "Oh! Oh trough! Trough! Mori put me down!"
MIkan scrambled off his shoulder as she plunged herself into a bucket as splash was heard, "Oh FUCK! There's water in here!"
"Way to go. " The twins sighed as she jumped out shaking herself out. She threw off her coat and shoes as she wrung out her soaked hair.
"Uh." She managed laughing again, "You guys pick okay."
"Fine. "The twins answered, but they were anything but bored. Mikan was very amusing wasted as she stumbled over herself. They would find a place to hide, Kagame would look everywhere obscure, but if they hid somewhere reasonable, she would never know.
They sauntered over to the empty horse stall Mikan talked about. It was clean, not even sod on the floor, besides a few bales of hay. Mikan giggled again as she moved a few of the bales around.
"Okay come on." She scooted over, as the twins sat beside her. She panted, "This is-so-much-fun."
"Shhh." They answered as Mori slunk over to the corner. He seemed to be nursing his head in the dark. A silence descend over them if only for a few moments, before Mikan began singing.
The twins had never heard her sing, but she wasn't good. She sounded like a cat in a puddle of water, screeching at the top her lungs.
"Good morning Baltimore! Every day day is a like an OPEN SORRREE!" She screeched out spreading her arms, " EVERY NIGHT IS A FANTASY! EVERY SCREAM LIKE AH AH SYMPHONY!"
"Shh!" The twins hissed again as Mikan quieted down.
"If we don't make it out, I want you to name the baby after Mori. Okay." Mikan grabbed Hikaru by the neck, "I-I-"
"You need to be shh!" Karou answered slapping a hand across her face and holding it there as she giggled through it. She licked it as he pulled away disgusted and wiping off her spit. She giggled madly again holding her stomach as her body shook from the laughter.
"Shhh!" Karou hissed again.
She shook her head no as Hikaru sighed and slapped a hand to his face, they were never going to win hide and seek now. Mikan suddenly grew rigid though as she blinked a few times. The horses were talking again patting their hooves and pacing in their stalls.
"Hello my children."
The twins heard it to , Kagame's errie voice echoing through the stallls as the crisp steps of Kyoya fell in place beside her. This wasn't just a game of hide and seek this was a game of survival. Untold horrors awaited, if they found them.
Kagame and the Shadow king went along like some unseemly evil mad pair, a quiet evil though, something that made the hairs on the back of your neck stand up on end and goose pimples run across your skin in a mad dance. It drove your senses wild so you felt your heart racing and at the same time you wanted to tilt your head back and-
"RUN!" Mikan screamed bolting out of the stable. The twins froze in their places as they glanced at each other and followed suit bolting out the back stable door. They glanced behind as Mori followed as an easy pace his legs stretched out in front of him.
"COME ON! COOOOMME ONNNN!" Mikan was hollering now as they sprinted across the fields.
"Mikan?" came another voice as the Twins glanced into the darkness. They would know that uncurious voice anywhere.
"Haruhi!" They called as they jogged forward.
"COME BACK HERE!" Kagame's voice joined the night chorus, "THE GAME IS NOW TAG! IF YOUR CAUGHT YOUR DOOMED! DOOMED!"
"AHHHHHHH!" Mikan's scream went out, , "We need to hide! I think they'll all over by the hay bales."
"Where?" The twins asked squinting in the dark as something bright showed up in their face. They blinked as Haruhi waved a small hand at them and smiled.
"Boo!" Tamaki yelled waving the flashlight, "This is the most fun I've had running for my life ever." Haruhi rolled his eyes at Tamaki, she seemed to be anxious and cold as she shivered. She was missing the over sized jacket she had come in, but then again when the game had been announced every one had run screaming from the house.
Tamaki was holding himself confidently as he beemed with the flashlight in hand. His shirt had lost more than half its buttons, and his tie hung loose around his neck. His hair was a ragged mess and his pants were unsuitable with rips and tears and mud stains.
"Milord." The Twins squinted not recognizing a dirty Tamaki, "Where are the others?"
They were alone in the middle of the one lane dirt road that led to no where, with the resident idiot who was more amused with the flashlight than actually winning the game.
"Oh there are plenty of places to hide, the commoners farm were built so that in times when they had to run evil beasts they would not be eaten. Of course we're brave knights of this place, so there's no need to worry-"
"We're not worried Milord." The twins answered rolling their eyes as they started once more through the dark fields to where they had last heard the Puppy crying out from. The hay bales, whatever a haybale was, would most likely prove to be comfortable and able to hide them well.
"Tag is fun, but I haven't played since I was a child. "Haruhi commented almost to herself. She had noticed the Tamaki loved their "commoner" games as he had been calling them for the last half hour. Kagame looked ready to kill him every time he had said it. She didn't like his aloofness about a lot of things, and it had earned him more than his fair share of whacks across the top of his head.
They were walking together now through the fields. The game of duck, duck, duck, chicken had quickly move from the house to the fields to the barn and every in between. Haruhi had followed Tamaki since he had had the luck or maybe the foresight to find a flashlight before they sprinted out into the dark.
She had not known where Jin or Honey or Mori or even Mikan had ended up and it was strange being alone in the dark with Tamaki, who seemed torn between jumping at every noise and protecting her from the field mice. She had laughed at his antics and ignored him for the most part. Drinking never really had that much of an effect on her, even Kagame's "witches brew" or "Speical blend".
She was happy to be doing it, since Kagame had told her she was welcome to spend the night. She almost wanted to go home to see if Dad noticed, if he would faint, if he would panic and hold her and banish Mikan from ever coming near the house again.
It probably would have been none of those, but still.
"Earth to Haruhi!' The twins called, "You zone out to easily, what were you thinking about?"
"Things." She answered.
"Things. Just things?" They insisted, "You are so normal it is painful sometimes."
She shrugged as they walked along.
"You have to be careful Milord for badgers, and bears and tigers. Who knows what is running wild on the farm." The twins smiled as Tamaki glared at them.
"Please." He scoffed, "The most dangerous thing on this place is Kagame."
"True that the Goddess if of fickle nature-" The twins smiled, "But we enjoy her ever changing moods."
"Where is Kyoya?" Tamaki asked
"He's left you for her." The twins sighed, "It seems your brain is to small to understand when he speaks, he needed brighter company."
"I'm brilliant!" Tamaki argued, "I have excellent grades."
"Yes but your rants and crazy ideas over the smallest thing does leave room for questions." The twins shrugged
Tamaki glared raising a finger as he yanked Haruhi's arm, "Come on we're going to find the others."
"Not so fast." The twins yanked Haruhi back who was rather dazed. She didn't mind the tug of war, it would be over sooner than later.
"She can walk on her own and you two morons for company wouldn't help her." Tamaki argued.
"Help her with what?" The twins asked, "Jumping like you are at field mice."
"I am looking for wolves." Tamaki answered
"You said there was nothing dangerous." The twins snapped back as Haruhi broke through both of their grips and walked on alone.
"Hey wait!" They called after her as she happily loped along.
…..
Mikan felt very cold and very wet, as she returned to her senses slowly. Her fingers, her arms were very numb. She glanced around as her eyes came into focus.
Mori was still beside her as she clung to his arm, "So mori-"
"What?" He asked
"What is your favorite color?' She began as they walked together now at a slow pace.
"Blue. Like the sky where my friends the rubber ducks like go quack and fly away without me." He answered as he shrugged his shoulders, "Do you like pink?"
"Yes." She nodded, "Hmmm, do you have any pets besides the rabid raccoon?"
"No. I wish I did, how can you keep so many horses, there's only like six of you? Horses need alots of exercise and your mom is never around." He said slowly. His head hurt, and his stomach wasn't helping either. He hadn't had a lot to eat before he came out.
"We board lots of people, they come and leave their horses. And then we has a lot of girls and guys who love to help to take care of them, just to get some lessons. Mom hired has a few friends who come teach for times out the week." Mikan explained, "It makes it a lot easier, because we can't watch all of them. Back home, before we moved to the city, we had a big farm, a big farm and all we did was work on the farm."
"Did you have rabid chickens?" Mori asked
"Oh yes, twenty or thirty of them at once. We ate them to and they were yummy. My dad would make a sauce and peel all the corn, smother it all in butter and potatoes. Lots of potatoes." Mikan murmured again, "I hate potatoes."
"You do?" Mori asked, "Why do you hate potatoes?"
"What is not to hate about potatoes?" She answered
"There delicious that's what." He answered crossing his arms, "Don't your horses like potatoes?"
"No they love apples, carrots, oats, sugar." She answered, "And they get fed plenty, but no potatoes."
"Your horses are strange. Everyone should eat potatoes, my raccoon eats potatoes."
Mori started
"You mean the spawn of evil enjoys to eat potatoes." Mikan countered crossing her arms, "I don't think the boarders would appreciate if we fed their horses potatoes."
"So do you ride their horses to?" Mori asked
"Most times.' She answered, "They ride ours a lot. We teach a carriage class for a lot of people with the drafts, their usually to wide for anyone to ride like a quarter horse. And a lot of the little kids tromp on the back of the ponies."
"Why don't you ride at Ouran?" Mori asked, "We have a stable and everything, and there are all sorts of horses. I bet you they would like potatoes."
"No horse in his or her right mind is going to eat a potatoes." She countered, "Potatoes are nasty, nasty, nasty."
"They are not." Mori argued, " They are delicious. They are great with everything, butter, more potatoes, gravy, ice cream, more butter, more potatoes."
"I will never eat a potatoe!" Mikan swore as she raised a fist in the air, "And you cannot make me eat your disgusting potatoes!"
"I can to." Mori countered, "I'll prove that potatoes are yummy."
Mikan giggled as she suddenly began to jog instead and circled him,
"I'm a planet whose orbiting! I'm Pluto!"
"Why are you talkie talkie now!" She almost whined grabbing his hand as they walked along in the fields together. She had no idea where the twins went, heck she hardly knew where they were. The fields all looked the same rolling green, besides the trees that dotted the landscape.
"Ah." He said simply shrugging as he glanced around with her. Mikan sighed, as she yelped slipping down a muddy bank.
"Ew." She glanced at the bottom of her pants as she went to wipe off the cuffs and then rubbed her hands off, "Mori? Why don't you like to talk?"
"Nothing much to say." He explained. MIkan turned to him as she stared at him eyeing him almost as they stood in the fields. He was unnerved by her as tried to peer closer and closer at him. Her hair was wet and tangled more than usual, hanging down by her waist. She looked almost cute if it weren't were for the mud and dirt and booze on her breath, as she giggled.
Mori stepped away coughing and waving a hand, "Come on we should try and find the others."
"I wish I knew where they were hiding." Mikan sighed bouncing away as she fell down into the mud.
"Mikan." Mori muttered almost scolding her as he hauled her by an arm. She wasn't that light that he wanted to carry her like he did Honey, but she was prone to snap an ankle if she didn't watch what she was doing.
He did feel sorry for her, she looked sloppy wet and muddy and shivering from the cold. He moved her forward as he tried to eye something that would give them an inkling of where they were in the fields. Mikan was hopeless, in her giggling state of pure happiness as she wobbled on her footsteps.
"This way." He said softly walking forward as she followed his footsteps, taking her time as she made her strides wider and wider.
"Whoops split!" She called in her straight legged split, as she rolled back up from the dirt, "Hehe!"
"That-" He paused and shook his head and didn't finish his comment.
"What! Do I creep you out? Do I? Huh? Do I?" She asked as she walked beside him happily bouncing and clinging to his arm.
"Your annoying." He answered adding a little more edge to his voice than he probably should. She stopped and walked beside him quietly instead as she shuffled her feet. She didn't laugh or even giggle as she sighed in the night air. He didn't apologize.
"Takashi! Takashi!"
That was Honey's cry coming from the hay barrels. He started off in a jog as Mikan followed slowly. He sighed and stood in front of her with his arms crossed, "What?"
"Nothing. I'm just keeping calm." She answered crossing her arms, "You said I was annoying."
He sighed and blew out a puff of air, "I like rubber duckies, really rubber duckies when they fly in the sky. The polka dot one are my best friends, they took me to where the bubble gum gets it bubble."
"What?" Mikan asked looking at him.
"Why are you mad at me?" Mori asked
"I'm not mad." Mikan looked offended as she looked away, "I'm not mad."
"You are so mad." Mori laughed as he poked her in the back, "Your face gets all scrunched up and your nose is wrinkled and you cross your arms and you ignore me."
"I'm not mad." She whined now shoving him back.
"You are mad. The rubber duckies get mad at me sometimes, they go Quack, Quack, and chase me around and go Quack, Quack, Quack." Mori answered poking her in the back again, "Mikan please stop being mad."
"No you can keep your rubber duckie's! And you potatoes! Your horrible potatoes!" She screamed, "I hate you and you potatoes!"
"No you don't." Mori began, "Come on! Mikan please don't be mad!"
"I can be mad all I want. I could be mad until the cows come home and they won't because their dead, like dead hamburgers and hotdogs and-yeah so I'm going to be mad all I want!"
"No! I'll make you less mad! You better not be mad or I'll summon my rubber duckie army! And they'll beak you! Beak you!" Mori answered laughing as he clutched his stomach, "For they are evil polka dotted rubber duckies!"
"It was a teenie weenie, polka dot bikini, that she wore for the first time today." Mikan sang out softly.
She was still drunk, well she was sobering pretty well, as she wavered back and forth. He shuffled his feet as he glanced off to where he had heard Honey call for them.
"We should try and find the others, see what the game has turned in to." He explained as he began again. MIkan, however stood still for a moment longer, as her eye burrowed into his back. He walked faster, and glanced once to see her following slowly like some dejected-
"Puppy." He called, but she didn't respond coming forward slow again. She finally made it to him, as she walked slowly beside him, keeping her distance. Her arms were crossed and she was shivering harder, but her mouth was closed tight like a clenched fist. Her eyes were focused ahead as she said softly, "I bet their up hiding in the bales, or the knotted tree. Good place to hide or gather if we're still playing hide and seek."
"Puppy." Mori said again reaching for her, as he tugged her to his chest in a hug, "Good puppy. Good puppy." He patted her tangled mop of her as he nuzzled her nose of her head .
"Your hair smells so nice." He smiled, "If only you had polka dots in your hair it would make it that much better."
"No my hair is better polka dot free." Mikan answered pushing away from him gently.
Her voice had changed to, all the playfulness was gone and instead she had an annoyed edge to it. She was pissed off, and her moodiness had returned. He ignored it, becoming silent himself, he wasn't going to take back his comment.
"Sorry." She said after a minute and then left him alone in the dark as she jogged ahead. He sighed frustrated as he loped after her at an easy rate. He refused to feel guilty about it though; he didn't like her babbling away like she did when she was hyper or stumbling into him, or getting some crazy idea like-
"MUD ANGEL!" Mikan screamed dropping into the grass and making an angel in the mud as she took off her second t-shirt so she was only in her tang top. Her hair was tangled and stained brown as she whipped her head around trying to get rid of the excess.
Mori grimaced at her, "If you break and ankle, I'm not carrying you."
"Fine. I'll get Jin or Tamaki to drag me." She huffed.
"What is with you and Jin?" Mori asked as he shoved his hands in his pockets.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Mikan turned on him with a glare in her eye.
Mori blinked and cleared his throat, "I didn't mean anything from it Mikan."
"Oh." She looked embarrassed for a minute, "Sorry. Sorry. We're close, we used to partner together."
"Ah." He nodded, "Okay. Hmm, I like toast. Toast with butter, my mother would make me toast with eggs and cheese. Lots of cheese, thanks to cows. I like cows, because cows have polka dots. Not big cool polka dots that are different colors, those would be fun."
"Cows are cool, but chickens are better. Chickens would be nice as blue or purple." Mikan said absently, "So why do you ask?"
"Nothing. Just wondering." Mori shrugged, "He's down since he quit. Tamaki told us it was because of you and you know how the twins get to talking-"
"You listen to them?" Mikan asked. Her shoulders were hunched over, her mirth was gone again and the cold had drifted over as she walked on.
"Can't help." He answered. Mikan eyed him for another minute and then shook her head. He hadn't been expecting her to get so defensive, but dancer's could be strange.
"What did they say?" She asked
'I forget ." He lied. He didn't think he should tell her how the twins were suggesting that Jin was the one to get Mikan fired and quit to earn more publicity ,which made no sense. Haruhi had come to her rescue forcing to bite back their comments. Jin seemed like too nice of a guy to pull something like that. He had been wrong before though.
They walked in silence the rest of the way until they reached the peak of the hill. Mikan left Mori's side as Honey took his place on the giant's shoulders. He had been perfectly happy running around with Jin, who was tall enough to act as a replacement Mori.
"Takashi!" He said happily. Mori smiled lifting Honey on his shoulders. He eyed MIkan who quickly engaged Jin in one her silly games. She climbed on the giant hay bale stack as she leapt on the next one. Her feet kept slipping as she jumped with Jin have to pull her up.
"Thanks!' She giggled again as she sat on her butt, "Where do you think everyone else is?"
Hunny steered him so he stood by the bale they were sitting on as he clambered on. Mori rested against the itchy straw crossing his arms glancing out into the night. The hay bales were stacked high in small squares, like towers . They could have climbed higher, but Mikan had let out a warning that the hay bales were prone to tumbling over with to much rocking.
"Takashi I had so much fun with Jin! He ran with me all around the fields, but I missed you soo much because Jin isn't as tall as you are and it must better when your carrying me." Honey said rather quickly as he gibbered on and on and on.
Mori wasn't sure if he had more energy when he was drunk or on cake. It was almost more scary to see him drunk. There was a glimpse of a flashlight and a chorus of voices. The cry of "Milord" gave it all away though as the Twins crested the hill, Haruhi tugged between them as Tamaki trailed looking ragged.
"Tamaki did you get in fight with a gopher?" Called Mikan from her place as she rested her head on Jin's shoulder.
"No. Running from your sister!" He answered as he panted, "She's crazy!"
"She is. She is, but we do love our goddess!" The twins sang out as they laughed.
"Is that game over then?" Haruhi asked as she let herself hang in their grip.
"I think so." Mikan began as she heard a laughter fill the air.
"I told you I could round them up!"
"Yes it only took an hour and a half of us chasing them through the fields."
"Hey sis." Mikan waved as Kagame looking flushed, grinned and stepped out of the shadows. She had a high beam flashlight in her hand and Kyoya was standing beside her imposing as ever, "Is the game over?"
"Considering I can't feel my legs yes." Kagame answered, "Nothing like a good game of tag hide and seek to sober people, come on my lovlies, we must return to whence we came."
"But only the twins crawled from the dark pit of hell-'" MIkan began to interject as Kagame laughed.
"My dear sister-" She shook her head as she skipped away, "You have much to learn about your true potential."
"WHAT THE HECK DOES THAT MEAN!" Mikan yelled after her, leaping off the hay bale as she tore off after her own sister through the fields, as their barking laughter carried back to the crowd.
"Shall we follow suit?" Tamaki posed to those remaining. Haruhi looked ready to sag to the ground, the twins were leaning on each other for support, Honey had clambered back on to Mori's shoulders and was sleeping peacefully. Only Jin and Kyoya seemed to be unchanged as they looked out bored at the others.
"Right! Forward men!" Tamaki ordered as he led the slow march back to the house that had the lights on. It made for an eaiser walk once they got close enough to see the single dirt road leading back, instead of running over the hills. Their were a chorus of moans as they piled back in.
"Okay, sorry guys, but we got to clean and not to mention school-" Mikan trailed off at the last word. She had been there to greet them at the door as they eased aching bodies into chairs. Her eyes locked with Mori who simply turned away and scratched the back of his head.
No one felt like talking, as they quickly shuffled back out to their waiting rides as they pulled out slowly of the dirt and mud.
"Bye-bye Mikan." Honey said softly patting her on the head as she handed him his jacket.
"Bye Honey." She answered staring at Mori, "Bye Mori."
He didn't even look at her this time, as he gave a nod and walked out to his car. The limo pulled away in the dirt and mud following the other two that had already peeled out the drive.
Mikan shut the door, as she glanced at the mess they had made. She turned on the light, slowly picking up the cups and trash and putting it in the big black trash bag she carried around the house.
Haruhi had wandered up stairs and passed out on the guest bed they had made up for her. She had figured she would spend the night instead of stumbling in on her dad who would most likely, well make a scene of her apperence.
Kagame had curled up in the couch room on their purple fuzzy couch wrapped in a cheetah blanket. Her blue hair curled around her face as she happily snored away.
"Night sis." MIkan called closing the door, "And thanks."
She finished about three in the morning as she stretched and sat on the couch. The trash bag could wait to be hauled to one of the big dumpsters by the barn when she could in the morning.
"Still up?"
She jumped at the voice, "Jin? You didn't leave."
"I was going to catch a ride with Mori and Honey, but Kagame offered for me to stay here." He answered happily sinking next to her on the couch. He was in his dark blue jeans and simple green tee. She hadn't seen him when she was cleaning up, he probably had been taking a shower, or reading, or sleeping. She was not quite sure with him.
"Ah." Mikan nodded as she rested against his chest, "So how you doing?"
"Sick to my stomach, worried about my life and where the heck I'm going." He answered, and then added 'The usual."
"Oh." She answered nuzzling closer to him, "Do you remember when we would drink like this?"
"Dance." He laughed, "After the show at the cast party we stumbled back to our dorms at two in the morning.
"We had a lot of fun in New York." Mikan commented, "God, and then all those rumors when we started dating?"
"Yeah." He nodded as he felt her, "Your wet and smelly go take a shower."
"Pft." She answered, but she wandered upstairs. She wandered down later, her hair clean and her skin smelling nice. Jin was still awake staring out onto the back yard as she climbed up next to him.
He always smelled nice, and he was warm. She was in her over sized sweat shirt as she curled up her knees in her sweat pants and laid her head on his lap as he stroked her hair.
"You were so innocent." He clucked his tounge.
"Still am." She rebutted, "We were what 14 or 15? You were so, cute."
"I know, total heart throb.' He laughed, it was a barking laugh as they grew quiet.
"And now I have no where to dance-" She was changing the subject, but she knew that's what was on his mind.
"You still belong to that studio-" He insisted. He was talking about the studio she took classes at where the girls would try for companies if they were good enough or join a company at their colleges and dance their. She had never really tried for anything yet, any parts in their recitals.
"Oh yeah." She nodded, "But I needed to school to keep me in shape. Maybe I should just-"
She wanted to say quit, but the word wouldn't come. After everything that had happened, it was like the world was begging her to give up while she could, as if everything cried that she would never make it.
"Mikan if you say give up, I will drag you through the mud until you say different." He answered
"Fine." She laughed as she crossed her arms, "We made a mess of things, do you think that because we used to be something it followed us?"
"No." Jin answered quickly, "We haven't been anything for a long time, and even then, it was more about me then it was about you. I was that up and coming young star, the raw talent, the potential-'
"Oh yes, and then everyone was amazed when they saw us talking like we were best friends. Those girls could be so mean, they told me that I shouldn't hang out with you, that you were going to kicked out. Then Kagame came and punched the lead in the mouth and no one ever messed with me again."
"Well it did help that you gave them cookies and I told them to leave you alone as well." Jin smiled remembering Kagame's early exploits, "Your sister really took to the dance world."
"She was a looker even then." Mikan answered sighing, "She went through a boyfriend every few weeks, sometimes just those hook up's at preimeres. Mom had no idea what to do if anything, she was happy and terrified that Kagame was going to get preggers."
"Your sister was-"Jin began
"You didn't know." Mikan laughed, "Kagame stopped being a virgin at 16. She was crazy and once she started she didn't want it to stop, but her taste got better and better in men."
"Thank the world for small miricles." Jin sighed lying his head back again.
"Wow honey." Mikan scolded, "Why do you think I knew so much-"
"Internet." He offered with a shrug.
Mikan laughed as she nudged further into his lap listening to his heart beat steady beneath his chest. Jin had a nice sounding heart, it didn't pound to hard or fast and it always kept and even rhythm as it went thump thump thump. He stroked his hand through her hair, as she yawned.
She should be passing out about now, but something kept prodding her, keeping her awake. It buzzed in her mind like an angry bee. Jin would be fine, she wouldn't worry about him. Male dancers were a lot harder to come by then female leads, and Jin, could be one of the best if he really wanted to be.
He had a problem pushing himself to be the very best though, like something held him back in his moves that made his performance move the audience to laughter, to tears, to screams of applause. Jin was like a modern ballet rock star, if that was even possible, Mikan was sure it was.
She thought about leaving her classes at Ouran. That would be a problem, she need to take something else to fill the slot. She liked the Ouran dancer's, they were funny. The ones who took jazz and tap as their principals always teased her when she would go into the locker rooms. It was fun though, not mean, not meant to hurt anyone.
She would miss them and her teachers who came in and snapped when her feet weren't straight. She liked, no she loved to be corrected to make sure she was perfect.
"Mikan, are you okay?" He asked softly as his fingers became knotted in her pink hair.
She sighed, "I want this to go away."
"It will. " He answered, "It will, something will come takes it place and you'll have something else to freak out about."
"Where will you go?" She asked
"I don't know."
Those words were what scared her the most. I don't know, could mean a lot of things. She didn't have many dance friends, maybe she should start trying harder to make time for the girls at the studio. Maybe they would prove to be different, less cut throat then the rest of them. If Jin left, it wouldn't be the end of the world, but it would be one less person who got her, well most her. Kagame would listen, but talking about dance and routines, wasn't what thrilled her.
She didn't want to talk about dance any more tonight, and took his words of wisdom to heart. She closed her eyes and nodded to sleep as he went on stroking her hair.
A/N: God this chapter went through so many edits its not even funny. Please enjoy and remember to leave a review.
P.S Be warned of friends who comb your chapters like lice on a scalp (lovingly of course)