Ouran Host - College, 2

"Ouran Host - College, 2"

orig. 4/10/2013

Elly x Mori

"Save Me" scenario(s) PG

Non-Canon Anime/Manga: Ouran Host Club

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Several weeks passed in which they slowly got to know each other. Elly got used to the tall man's silence and Honey bonded with Ari almost every day. They normally left before the screaming room mate got back, but they'd had a brush or two with her and they knew how hard she was on their new friend. They never thought anything bad would come of it, though.

"The curtains are open." Takashi noticed the difference in the small apartment the moment they got close that day. It was a nice afternoon, sunny and warm and great for their walk.

Honey frowned. "Didn't Elly-chan say the fish wouldn't like it?"

His big cousin grunted in affirmation. They reached the door and knocked once, lightly. It creaked slowly open to reveal a girl nothing like the one they had seen before. Her eyes were red from weeping yet they flashed with such anger Honey took a step back, startled.

"What's wrong?"

"My roommate decided she needed sunlight in the living room for a party. Right away. While I was gone for half the day with shopping and field research." Her voice was tightly controlled as she spoke.

"The fish?" Takashi glanced past her in dismay. The tanks were gone.

"Everything died." Her face crumpled and she shook her head. "I can't... sorry. I'm sorry." She quickly closed the door before they could see her cry.

The tall young man turned and strode abruptly back to where their friends were holding court. Honey's eyes were filled with tears and that only added to his irritation. When he found them, the gaggle of ladies around them scurried like frightened doves as he plowed through, his face like a thundercloud. He walked straight on until he reached the studious Kyoya, seated as usual off to the side with his clipboard.

"Honey. Mori," the other man said quietly without looking up. "Where have you two been?"

"Out." He frowned harder. "Kyoya. Can I ask a favor?"

"A favor?" He set his book down on his lap, his eyes widened slightly. "This is unusual. What is it?"

"We need to help the lady that was at the restaurant the other day!" Honey blurted before his cousin could say anything. "The lady hurt the fishes she was taking care of! On purpose! And she's always yelling at her and saying horrible things, and..."

"Is that true? Are you concerned about this woman?" He calmly ignored the rest of Honey's outburst. The younger man slid down off Takashi's back and stalked off, crying with frustration. A herd of girls clattered immediately to his side and tried to console him.

Takashi's dark eyes remained expressionless but Kyoyo was amazed to see a blush suddenly burn across the bridge of his nose and cheeks. He simply nodded.

"Is it really that bad, Mori?"

"It's bad," Takashi said firmly.

"An abusive roommate?" Kyoya pursed his lips. He looked again at the silent young man whose eyes now had a pleading look in them. "Does she maybe need a little help finding more habitable quarters with a better, ah, person?"

He nodded gratefully.

Back at the apartment complex, Elly was at a complete loss. She wanted to cry but was too tired. She'd been yelled at almost the whole time after the two guys had left. Supposedly it was for showing some emotion over the cruel act that had decimated her tanks. She, however, thought it was because the other girl was jealous.

It didn't matter that she'd yelled back in defense of herself and her lost little flushed friends. That had only made things worse.

So she sat out on the small porch area, her head down on her knees while she tried to think of some way to salvage this situation. That was how they found her when the two young men arrived back some hours later.

Takashi sighed and place a hand on her shoulder.

"Mori?" She looked up, her dark eyes wide and filled with the pain of her simple loss. "I - I'm sorry. They were just fish, she keeps telling me and she - she's right, but ..."

He placed the gentle hand on top of her head this time. "No."

"They were your friends!" Honey pouted.

"Yes," she said, grateful to them for understanding. "They were. And I was studying them for several projects as well." She sighed and looked up at them. "What can I do, though? There's no use trying to change anything until my lease is up. Otherwise I'll lose my half of the security deposit. I'm paying my own way for that, so I can't afford it. I'll have to do everything her way until then or she might even hurt Ari."

Takashi's eyes hardened and Honey shook his head violently. "Nuh-uh, she won't! We found you a better room mate! You can move and stay there the whole time you're in school. And it's close to us!" He chirped this last happily.

Elly frowned, confused. "But - but I can't just move out of the..." She trailed off as she saw a group of young men walking towards her. They were all chatting and joking, even fighting with each as they moved closer. "I have nowhere to go. Every apartment is booked."

And she recognized them.

"What the heck is going on here?"

"I'll tell you later," the brown-haired girl in front said in a resigned tone. "Let's get you packed up and out of here before they decide to 'help' any more."

A few days later she was settled into her new apartment.

It didn't seem to matter that she wasn't taking many classes at the school; money smoothed away all problems and technically, she was enrolled. Elly wasn't confused about the school's willingness to accept her, she was more puzzled by the acceptance of this new group of friends. She broached the subject while poking about her transported tanks.

"Do they go around helping everyone that needs it like this? I mean, it's admirable, and I'm not ungrateful or anything. It's just that it was so sudden. They don't know me that well."

"I don't want to embarrass you or anything," Haruhi murmured, not looking up from the book she was reading. "But I heard Mori was the one that pressed the issue. Mori doesn't speak out a lot, I'm sure you noticed."

Elly laughed softly as she rummaged through the box that held her aquarium supplies. "Yes. It's hard not to."

"Well," Haruhi drawled, "he's a good judge of character. And he never asks for anything for himself."

"Hmm." Her tentative new friend blew out a little puff of air and went about her business, sorting equipment for the fish she would be purchasing soon. Haruhi added ten additional points to her good values, noting that she didn't chatter on and on like most girls she knew. And she was considerate! The fish would be housed in a spare section of the apartment away from windows and blocked by screens to create a free-standing room in one corner. She had asked for opinions about them first and this had been what they worked out.

Personally Haruhi was glad the guys had taken it upon themselves to shove the new person at her. They helped each other with their respective languages and cultures. They were both learning a lot more than when they was just taking classes and going out once in awhile.

Elly had quit her job - something she had eventually intended to do -- much to her boss's dismay. But after writing to her distant parents they were more than happy to add the extra money she needed. In fact they sent so much now that she was embarrassed. She knew they could afford it, but this was why she had taken a year off to earn money herself and learn how to manage it better. When you had so much it didn't matter anymore, you didn't appreciate it.

A week later the tanks had been set up and were ready for a fresh batch of fish. The largest had taken the longest amount of time since it was a saltwater tank and Elly hadn't wanted to purchase anything for any tank until the big "Hobbyist Expo" that was being held in the college auditorium. She was sitting at the kitchen table finishing up a list of species she might want and checking off her water bags filled with trading stock since she'd managed to save some sponges, snails and plants from her previous tanks. She was so intent that she didn't hear the door open or the voices in the living room as Haruhi greeted her guests.

Takashi stepped quietly into the doorway and stood there, hands folded across his chest and head tilted to one side. Elly was busily writing, pausing from time to time to blow at an unruly lock of hair that had fallen out of a clip she'd jabbed somewhat messily into her side locks to keep them in place. Haruhi poked her head into the room, raised an eyebrow, and poked him in the side.

"Mori-senpai," she hissed under her breath in Japanese. He glanced down at her and she made imperious shooing motions towards the table before rushing back into the living room to entertain Honey.

Elly glanced up. "Mori?"

"Hi."

"Hi." She smiled at him, unsure of what to say. He was wearing casual clothing today: jeans and a t-shirt. He wore them with the same ease he wore everything, an indifference to his outfits that made them somehow more attractive.

He walked over and bent down until he was next to her, looking down at her list. "Are you going out?" He asked quietly.

"Yeah, actually..." She blushed when she saw how close he was. "I was going to pick up some new plants, fish and stuff for the tanks."

He regarded her for a moment, then placed a hand on the table next to hers with a peculiar kind of empathis. "Want some company?"

"Would you like to come?" She regarded him in surprise. He nodded. "Okay. Prepare to be bored, though." She smiled. "I get carried away when I'm looking for new additions for my tanks."

Elly was completely astonished when Takashi seemed genuinely interested in all the little creatures at the Expo. He had, she saw, a natural affinity for animal life she hadn't noticed before. He loved animals. She had known her rabbit liked him, but then Ari liked almost everyone - including that bad ex-roommate of hers. He'd always been hopping around after her begging for attention, which had just made things worse.

He didn't speak much, but she was getting used to that. And of course Honey came along, which meant there was enough chatter for everyone.

PART 3 >>