Disclaimer: I don't own Ouran High School Host Club or any of the Twilight series.
A/N: Thank you all for reading and an extra thank you to all those who have favorited and followed! It means so much to me!
Honey POV
I yawned tiredly and stretched my arms overhead, careful not to disturb the curly head resting on my chest. I felt my cheeks warm at being cuddled up in bed like this with Emi-chan.
Stop that, I berated myself, she went through something horrible this morning. Now isn't the time to act like a teenager!
I felt my eyes darken at the reminder, and had to fight to keep my body relaxed as I remembered the events that occurred earlier this morning. Luckily, I had gotten up early to train some rookie military soldiers, so I had actually received Emi-chan's precautionary message soon after she sent it.
Feeling uneasy, and not liking the idea of my new, and very obviously female, friend walking the streets alone at night, I had immediately called up my limo and waited impatiently for it to arrive. The drive to the park had been an anxious one, as I couldn't help but feel that something bad was going to happen. That feeling tripled when I saw just how dark the park was. Explaining the situation to my driver, I asked for him to wait and then immediately ran into the park. Halfway through, I had heard a scream that had my heart jumping into my throat and dread filling my veins. I ran full speed in the direction it had come from, scanning my surroundings as I went. The sight that greeted me would probably be one that would haunt my dreams for a while to come, though I hadn't paused to take it in fully before taking action. I had just barely been able to stay in control enough to incapacitate Emi-chan's attackers without injuring them too severely.
After she had asked to go home, I had packed myself a small bag, handed her Usa-chan for safekeeping, and we had taken the limo to her apartment. And that's how I now found myself in Emi-chan's bed, surrounded by the smell of coconut and lilacs, and the woman I had once compared to a divine being nestled against my side. She had fallen asleep clutching my shirt and I didn't have the heart (or desire) to make her let go so I could stay on the floor or sofa. Her bed was comfortable but definitely a lot smaller than mine. She had said it was a 'double', which I assumed must be a 'commoner' thing since I had only heard of Queen and King-sized beds. I didn't mind though. It just meant that we had to cuddle closer together, and that was more than fine by me.
I was broken from my musings when Emi-chan suddenly stiffened, seemed to sniff me, and then relaxed. I giggled and she pouted up at me, cheeks slightly pink at having been caught. I did my best not to wince at the bruises that had formed under her eyes, or the cut on her lip.
"Afternoon Emi-chan!" I exclaimed, "Did you have a good nap?"
She sat up, pulled an elastic from around her wrist and tied her curls up with some wrangling, "Mmm I think so! How about you?"
I cocked my head thoughtfully, "Mhm! It was nice! Your room is really relaxing."
It really was very relaxing, with the light and neutral walls, white furniture, and pops of light blue and purple here and there. Fairy lights hung from the ceiling, and white mesh billowed like clouds above her bed. Her desk was tidy, textbooks stacked neatly, and a framed picture of a small dog stood propped up on the bedside dresser, along with a small stuffed sock monkey.
I hesitated then forged ahead, "Did you have any bad dreams Emi-chan?"
She flopped back onto the bed (I hid a pout that she wasn't cuddling me anymore), and turned her head to look at me, "I kind of thought I'd have some nightmares but I don't remember having any bad dreams at all actually."
I smiled over at her, "Yay~! And… how are you feeling?"
"Hmm, physically I'm a bit sore but otherwise I feel alright," she answered, expression a bit more serious and far away.
I hummed as I considered her words. It was hard to believe she could be feeling alright after last night, especially considering how out-of-it she'd seemed but I figured it might take some time to really hit her.
Just then, her stomach growled loudly, causing me to laugh in surprise and her to blush and quietly berate her stomach.
"Are you hungry Emi-chan?" I asked teasingly.
She's so cute…
She stuck her tongue out at me playfully, then paused and nodded sheepishly when her stomach growled again, "Yeah, I didn't have breakfast, obviously. What about you?Are you hungry? I could make us some lunch if you want."
I nodded vigorously and bounced out of her bed, then followed her to the kitchen after she tucked Usa-chan into bed.
After looking in the cupboard and the fridge she turned towards me, "Is grilled cheese and tomato soup okay? I think I have some cookie dough I could bake too if you want."
Curious, I agreed and jumped between her and the fridge, bringing her the ingredients as she listed them. It turned out that a 'grilled cheese' was a cheese sandwich that was toasted in a pan. While she worked on flipping the sandwiches and heating the soup, I worked on rolling the cookie dough into balls and placing them on a baking tray to go in the oven. And if less cookie dough ended up on the tray than one would have expected… well nobody would ever know!
When the food was ready, we sat at the table and I soon discovered that I was a big fan of grilled cheese and tomato soup.
Emi-chan giggled as I struggled with the melted cheddar cheese, pulling my sandwich as far away as I could, the cheese still not breaking off. Once I finally managed to swallow the hot cheese, she looked at me somewhat hesitantly, "So… I'm guessing you had plans for today, right? I hope I'm not totally disrupting your Saturday…"
I tilted my head, trying to figure out if she was asking because she was hoping I was busy and would have to leave or whether the problem was that she didn't want me to leave. So I answered her hesitation with my own hesitation, "Mm, well this afternoon I was going to go watch Takashi's kendo match, but he would understand if I didn't go! He has a lot so I could go to another one."
"Oh no, don't miss it because of me!" she exclaimed after swallowing a bite of tomato soup-covered sandwich, eyes wide as she waved her hands frantically, "I think it's really nice that you support each other. I wouldn't want to get in the way of that. I'll be fine here on my own you know…"
Of course I knew she'd be fine alone, but 'fine' and 'good' were two different things. And for some reason I really didn't want to leave her alone. Aside from the fact that I really liked spending time with her, I felt kind of protective of her too. This wasn't a complete surprise. The Haninozukas and Morinozukas tended to be very protective of those they considered close. But I hadn't realized just how quickly Emi-chan had made her way onto that list.
I bounced in my seat, excited at the solution that had just popped into my head, "Well why don't we both go Emi-chan?"
Her eyes brightened, lips lifting into a smile on the side that wasn't injured, "Really? That would be okay?"
"Of course silly! It would be fun to have someone to watch with!" I replied, brushing aside her concern. I had noticed she seemed overly worried by the possibility of imposing her presence on others, which I didn't think could ever be possible. She was just too cute and fun to be around!
It will be nice to have her there! Though it would be even nicer if she were cheering me on…
She beamed, practically vibrating in her seat, "Cool! I've never seen martial arts in real life before! I mean… aside from whatever you did last night, I guess." She frowned for a moment, "All I really saw was a bunch of shadows moving so I don't think it counts… But I do wanna see you do your actual ninja stuff sometime! That's so badass!"
I giggled, finishing my sandwich and bouncing to the oven to pull out the cookies, "Don't worry Emi-chan, I'll show you my 'ninja stuff' sometime!"
With that, our afternoon plans were decided. Once the cookies had cooled down we ate a few and packed the rest to go. Then, we took turns getting ready, Emi-chan in her bedroom and myself in the bathroom. When I emerged, I found Emi-chan sitting at the desk in her bedroom, looking into a mirror as she gingerly applied makeup over her bruises. I frowned sadly but quickly shook it off and bounced into her room.
Emi-chan doesn't seem like the type who'd appreciate being treated differently so I have to try to treat her the way I usually do!
Once I was sure she had noticed me in the mirror, I leaned down to hug her from behind. "You look great Emi-chan!" I exclaimed, then exaggeratedly sniffed her hair, "And you smell great too!"
She blushed and laughed, "Thanks Honey, you look and smell great too! As usual. I'm almost ready, just trying to cover some of these bruises so I don't draw so much attention."
"Okay~ But don't worry too much! It's a martial arts tournament so it's not completely unusual to see people with bruised faces," I explained, hoping to ease some of her self-consciousness.
She quirked her eyebrows at me and jutted out her lower lip, "Great, so I'll just look like someone who lost a match?" She shook her head, "Anyway, as a black woman in Japan I already stand out plenty without looking like I got into a fight and lost."
A minute later she was ready, and a moment after that we stepped into my waiting limo. I peeked at her out of the corner of my eye and squirmed happily on the inside. Not only was Emi-chan adorable in her leggings and oversized pink cardigan, curls loose around her face, but she also matched my Usa-chan, who was sitting in her lap contentedly. Even though she had made it pretty clear the other day that she liked me the way I was, it was still nice to see her so easily accept the way I brought Usa-chan nearly everywhere with me.
As if she had read my mind, she held Usa-chan up to eye level and turned to look at me where I sat next to her, "You said this bunny was made by your grandmother right?"
I nodded happily, looking into the brown eyes that were so much darker than my own, "Mhm! She made Usa-chan just for me! Even though most grandparents in my family's social circle wouldn't have thought it proper to give a boy a pink stuffed bunny, especially back then."
"Ah, so…" she paused as she made Usa-chan pose with his arms crossed, "Grandma Haninozuka was a cool grandma! She was ahead of her time! Hip! Right Usa-chan?"
I laughed at her sudden silliness and marveled at the way she included Usa-chan in the conversation, which was usually something only I did.
Emi-chan settled down again, smiling softly and placing Usa-chan in my lap, "Seriously though, I'm glad your grandma was supportive of you being who you are, even if you were just a little kid at the time."
"Yea! She was the best grandma ever! I think she would have liked you… She liked cute things too!" I quipped, smiling as her cheeks pinked and she looked away shyly. It was just so easy to fluster her.
It was at that moment that the limo pulled up to the sports complex where Takashi's tournament was being held, and she took this opportunity to change the subject.
"Oh look! We're here!" And then she hopped out of the limo, almost before it had pulled to a complete stop, leaving me to chuckle at her hasty retreat from the dreaded act of receiving a compliment.
I was enjoying this tournament already, and it hadn't even started!
Emi POV
After I had run away- I mean excitedly run towards the tournament, Honey had easily caught up with me and grabbed my hand, pulling me up to the building and through the fairly packed halls.
"Do you think those two are a couple?...Look at that foreigner, she's so dark!… He's so cute!...Look at that cut on her lip, do you think she's in the yakuza?..." I heard people whisper as we passed.
Honey didn't seem to take any notice, still beaming as he led me towards our destination, though his hand might have tightened slightly around mine.
Speaking of which, I couldn't quite believe how quickly Honey's 'desensitization' plan seemed to have worked. At least for hand-holding. The jury was still out on hugs and him sitting on my lap. But now, when he held my hand, I mostly just felt a warm glow rather than a burning fire of embarrassment that threatened to melt me into a puddle and let me sink into the ground.
Finally, we arrived at where I assumed the matches would be taking place. A large arena with blue mats in the centre of the floor with stadium seating surrounding them. Rather than leading us to the stadium seating, Honey led us to a set of benches right on the floor, where there seemed to be coaches (er, Senseis?, I really had no clue) and the players (no, that sounded too team-sport-y)- the people who would be competing.
Immediately, we were swarmed by tiny little wannabe ninjas, all bouncing up and down and shouting, "Sensei Honey! Sensei Honey! We missed you!"
Honey let go of my hand to crouch down to their level, greeting each of them by name and ruffling their hair. He seemed to be really good with the kids, and they clearly respected and adored him greatly. And who could blame them really?
I don't even think I want children, but there is something about seeing a man be so caring toward children that's just very attractive… Damn hormones…
One tawny-haired little boy insistently tugged at Honey's sleeve, covering his mouth with one hand as he pointed at me and whispered loudly, "Is she your girlfriend?"
I coughed, having nearly swallowed my own tongue at the unexpected (and bold) question. I hadn't been around any small children since moving here and I had almost forgotten their tendency to ask potentially uncomfortable questions.
But why am I so flustered? It's a pretty simple question with an easy answer…
Honey giggled along with the other children before answering, "That's Emi-chan, she's a really good friend of mine!"
Is he blushing a bit right now?... No, I'm probably just imagining things…
I waved at them all as they stared up at me with their doe eyes. One small child with pigtails marched up to me determinedly and stated, "Well I think Sensei is being silly! But don't worry, I'll be your boyfriend and protect you with my martial arts skills!"
Another child interjected immediately, "Dummy! You can't be her boyfriend, you're a girl!"
The girl glared back at him, hands on her hips, "Fine! Then I'll be her girlfriend stupid!"
Cheeks hurting with the effort not to burst into laughter at this exchange, I nodded seriously and placed my hand over my heart, "It would be a true honour to be under the protection of a martial artist like yourself but… I think I'm way too old to be your girlfriend."
She squinted up at me curiously, "Really? How old are you Miss Emi?"
In response I stage-whispered, "I'm 20 years old!"
The children all gasped and the girl exclaimed, "Whoa! You're so old!" I heard Honey burst into peals of laughter at their responses.
I nodded, "Mhm, so I think it's better if we're friends, okay? I'm sure you'll find a girlfriend your own age in no time though!"
Not at all bothered, she replied simply, "Okay!"
Honey bounced back over to me, flowers dancing around his head, and quickly directed the children over to the other Sensei who was waiting for them patiently, waving goodbye and high-fiving children as they passed.
Before we could so much as bend our knees to sit on the bench behind us, a blonde blur with amethyst eyes knocked into me, sobbing. I winced slightly as the impact made my bruises throb, and missed the dark look that Honey directed at the younger blonde, but was soon distracted by the shrill wails that were stabbing my eardrums. "My daughter is so sweet! She's going to make such a good mommy! And I'll be a grandpa!"
"T-Tamaki? What- What're you doing here? And you know I'm not anywhere near being pregnant, right?" I stammered incredulously, trying and failing to pry the overly happy Host Club King off of me. I really didn't understand him sometimes...
However, the ginger twins who chose that moment to appear, had no problem ripping him off and tossing him away like nothing more than a soggy tissue. I cringed as a hoard of sword-bearing children ran up and started poking him enthusiastically.
"The King's right, aside from that sappy display we witnessed back there, you have perfect child-bearing hips," Kaoru said, placing his fingers in a rectangle and looking at me through them as if looking through a camera.
Hikaru put a finger to his chin thoughtfully, "Yep, you could pop a few out easily."
I gagged, then shuddered, then gagged again while sticking my tongue out, "Don't say that! Ugh, I'm so grossed out right now I don't know if I'll ever look at my hips the same way again!"
Haruhi and Kyoya approached. Kyoya looked completely nonplussed while Haruhi just looked exasperated.
"Jeez Emi, I think the Host Club is rubbing off on you - Don't even think about saying something perverted Hikaru – 'Cause I've never seen you be so dramatic before," Haruhi said, inserting a pre-emptive scolding mid-way through.
"Aw c'mon Haruhi, you're telling me you wouldn't be disturbed if those ginger pervs started talking about your hips being perfect for birthing?" I complained, pointing at the twins who were now looking away innocently. "I mean I feel positively violat-," I blanched, cutting myself off.
Not good wording, really not good wording! I wonder how many times I used a similar expression in the past without even thinking about it…
Considering the mixture of grave and saddened expressions around me, I had the feeling they all knew at least some of what had happened last night. And honestly, I wasn't even upset that someone had told them. It was kind of like when my dad had died and my mum told all her friends (who happened to be the parents of my friends) and teachers. Yeah, part of me was annoyed, but a way bigger part of me was overcome with relief that I didn't have to relay the news.
I floundered, trying to bring back the light mood that had permeated the group a moment ago, "U-um anyway…The idea of being pregnant just grosses me out! Nobody can deny that it's eerily similar to hosting some sort of parasite. I mean did you guys see Breaking Dawn?! No thank you!"
Tamaki, having been released by the horde of children, was now looking at Haruhi in a panic, as if worried she would agree with me.
Someone clearly wants the whole 'big family and white picket fence' life with Haruhi~
She tapped her cheek thoughtfully, "You're not wrong actually." Tamaki looked stricken. She shrugged, "But that stuff doesn't bother me. I'm not squeamish." Tamaki melted into a puddle of relief.
I laughed, "Well I'm VERY squeamish! Thankfully, pregnancy isn't something I've ever had to worry about."
"Hmm, that is a very practical benefit of having sex with women," Haruhi said bluntly, nodding to herself. Tamaki appeared to be having a heart attack.
I nodded along as I sat down on the bench, "Yep, that's why I'm Queer."
The twins looked at me curiously, heads tilted in the same direction, "…Really?"
I sweatdropped, rolling my eyes, "No! Of course not! I don't just like women because they can't get me pregnant!"
It's obviously because I like being able to customize the size and shape of what's going inside of me, I thought, snorting at the vulgarity of my own thoughts and the fact that they'd never guess I would think something like that.
Honey sat down next to me, smirking at me in a way that once again made me question whether maybe he could read me a little too well. His smirk vanished and an air of innocence surrounded us as he beamed at me, "Don't worry Emi-chan! I think your hips are great for lots of reasons outside of giving birth!"
"Uh… thanks?" I responded, giving him a definite side-eye. Looking around I could tell the others were also wondering whether he had meant for that statement to be kind of dirty or not.
Thankfully we were all saved from this line of questioning when Mori arrived, wearing his kendo getup.
"Takashi!" Honey yelled, bouncing over and pulling his cousin down to his level. He reached out to pat Mori on the head, and sweetly said, "You're gonna be great so just do your best!"
"Ah," Mori nodded, looking just the slightest bit shyly pleased. Everyone took their turns wishing the tallest host good luck and he nodded back, then waved goodbye and made his way over to his bench as a bell rang.
As soon as the first match began I realized just how little I knew about Kendo. For instance, I hadn't had any idea that there were bamboo stick things involved. Watching the matches was definitely entertaining and I soon found myself 'oohing' and 'ahhing' with the rest of the crowd, all worries and troubles forgotten for the moment.
Soon, Mori was up for his first match and the twins were quick to begin cheering loudly. From the start it was easy to see that he was extremely skilled. He moved with a fluidity and ease that set him apart from the other people we'd seen so far. And that continued to be the case, match after match. Though some contestants clearly posed more of a challenge, it was of no surprise to me that Mori made it to the final match. And of even less surprise that he won, coming in first place overall.
We all burst into loud cheers (except for Kyoya, who politely applauded) and Honey ran towards his cousin in a blur, launching himself onto his shoulders as soon as he had stepped off the mats. The hosts all crowded around the towering duo, excitedly congratulating him. I had a feeling that the twins would have lifted him up in the air if he had been just a bit smaller.
Tamaki was quick to insist that Mori's win called for a celebration, spacing out as he mumbled about hosting a large ball to honour the fact that Mori had won a great war, protecting all of Japan in the process. I clucked my tongue at the slightly ludicrous depth of his imagination.
Mori shook his head, "I'm tired, I just want to relax."
Honey patted him on the head, then hopped down from his shoulders. He nodded understandingly, "Takashi has been training really hard for this tournament. He probably needs to rest, ne Takashi?" he asked, looking up at his cousin. He winked, "Besides, we all know what happens when he gets tired~!"
I blinked, tilting my head curiously as I considered the gentle giant. What happens when he's tired?
He looked normal to me… Aside from appearing sweaty and tired, obviously. Maybe his eyes were slightly darker? His answer to Tamaki had maybe been a bit longer than usual… Shrugging, I gave up on figuring out this bit of insider knowledge.
Tamaki was pouting along with the twins, all of them completely put off by the idea of not having a formal celebration. Hesitantly, I piped up with a possible compromise, "Well, Mori, if you want to relax but you still want to celebrate a little, we could just order your favourite food and have a movie night? You're all welcome to come over to my place…" Not wanting him to feel pressured, I hastened to add on, "But I'm sure we'd all understand if you're too tired!"
Slightly sleepy eyes looked at me consideringly before he nodded his assent, "That sounds really nice."
Perking up (his golden retriever tail was back somehow), Tamaki shot to his feet, puffing out his chest as he declared, "To the limos! A celebration shall be had!"
And so everyone trooped to the limos obediently. Tamaki and the twins skipped along, whooping and hollering, garnering the curious stares of passerby as Haruhi and Kyoya rolled their eyes exasperatedly. Honey and I trailed behind, matching Mori's slower-than-usual pace. Though Honey was skipping, he did so in circles around us so that he was never too far ahead.
I grinned to myself as I walked. Once again, I found myself grateful for this odd group that had allowed me in to their small circle. There was really never a dull moment with them, and today of all days I had really needed that.
