"Are you ready?"

I look up to see Kyoya by my desk, his bag already slung over his shoulder and Tamaki waiting by the door.

"Yes, I have everything packed. What's the plan for today at the Host Club?" I get up from my seat and go to exit with the two boys.

"Ugh, you dunce." He flicks my forehead, making me flinch for a second. The sting makes me glare at him. "For your date, idiot."

My face instantly feels warm with the reminder for tonight. I nod, not looking in Kyoya's eyes. He chuckles before pulling his attention away from me and focuses on Tamaki, who has a small crowd of fans near him. He goes to shoo them away before we start heading towards the music room. I've been slowing them down on the stairs recently, so they've taken to walking ahead of me, still keeping an eye on me with a backwards glance. It lets me decompress before meeting with the rest of the Host Club and their customers. They have all been cordial towards me, but it's clear they are worried about a Host liking me. Unfortunately for them, it's true, but they don't have to know that. I already talked with Kyoya about how mine and Mori's budding relationship is to be on the down low.

"Mitsu-Chan!" Hani exclaims, leaping up from his seat. He flings himself into me and I catch him as best as I can. I stumble for a second before regaining my balance. "Kyo-Chan said that today's dessert is chocolate mousse cake and strawberry whipped cream, isn't that awesome? Are you ready for tonight? Takashi won't tell me anything."

I look over at Mori, who looks like a deer in headlights. He scratches the back of his neck, looking away from me. I look down at the smaller boy, who has a pout clear as day on his face.

"Hi Hani-Senpai," I say, smiling. "Chocolate and strawberry is a lovely combination. You must tell me how it tastes."

"Answer the other question, Mitsumi-Senpai," Hikaru says, winding an arm around my shoulders. "Don't leave Hani-Senpai hanging."

"Honestly," Kaoru continues, balancing his weight against his brother. "It's very rude to ignore a question when someone answers it."

I grit my teeth but keep the smile as much as I can. I duck under to leave the twins' grasps, Hani letting go of me. I walk over to Haruhi, who looks at me with sympathy.

"I'm sorry," She says. "They've been bugging me too, they think you tell me everything since we're both girls."

"Haruhi, I adore you," I say, slumping into my seat. "But all my secrets are for Kyoya."

"And Mori-Senpai?"

"Possibly. Some of those secrets are embarrassing."

She smiles before going back to her homework in front of her. We have an hour before the guests appear, and I have three and a half hours before my date. It makes my heart rate spike from anxiety, but there's nothing I can do unless I want to flat-out cancel the date, which is definitely something I don't want to do. Kyoya comes by and fills a tea cup for me before disappearing to continue prepping the club. Today's choice was an Elder Rose and Bergamot blend, something fruity and floral. It's a good choice for the weather; warm, sweet, perfect for after school activities.

"So, Mitsumi-Senpai," I hastily put my tea down as the twins leaned against me. I looked over at Hikaru, who's smirk was too devilish for his own good. "What are you wearing to the date?"

"Nothing of your concern," I say lightly, my foot starting to jitter from nerves. "I don't think you need to know what I'm wearing."

"Well I'm thinking you should wear something with blue," Kaoru says, his brother nodding in unison with him. "After all, it's Mori-Senpai's color. But you already knew that, with the navy swimsuit from earlier this year, right?"

"No," I say, my face flushing. "I didn't, actually."

"Well we have a few dresses lined up for you," Hikaru says, giving a wave of his hand. Instantly, racks of dresses, ranging for high cuts and low cuts, long dresses and short dresses, modest and tight fitting. "There's bound to be one you like."

"Thank you, truly," I say, standing up from my seat. "But I have my outfit picked out, I have everything ready for our date."

"Aww," The twins say in unison, their disappointment clear. "And we thought we'd get to play dress up."

"Not with me." I confirm, walking over to Kyoya.

He looks up from his notebook, the concern clear on his face. I haven't gone up to him in a minute, especially with something wrong.

"None of you are to appear for mine and Takashi's date," I say, my voice clipped and the irritation seems to radiate off me. "I don't want to see you disguised at a table, I don't want you to have a waiter with a wire, I don't want you guys to be there. Do you understand?"

He looks startled for a moment before flicking his eyes between me and something behind me. I look at Mori, who's now at my side. He looks down at me and nods. He places a careful hand on my shoulder and I relax into the touch.

"Mitsukuni even promised to not appear," He says, his lower voice making it seem to stick in Kyoya's head. "I want a quiet night."

"Quiet it will be then," Kyoya says, making a note in his book. "I won't have the rest of the Host Club bombard you to the best of my abilities."

I smile at him and he gives me one back before ruffling my hair. I scowl but that just makes him smirk and walk away. A hand reaches up to brush it out of my face and I feel the warmth invade my face as I see it's Mori. He gives me a very small smile, something fleeting, but still so sweet.

"I think I will be leaving now," I say quietly. "I don't want you to mess up here at the club, and I need time to myself."

"Understandable. I will see you at 6:30."

"See you."

He pushes the hair behind my ear and places a chaste kiss on my forehead, feather light. I feel my heart stutter before he walks away to help his cousin with the costume preparations for the day. I grab my bag from the table with Haruhi, who's still immersed in her homework. I caught a glimpse; thank God I'm no longer in the graph section of mathematics.

The exit was quiet, thankfully everyone was preoccupied by setting the club room up for today's customers. Even with school being out, it was full of students. Some girls were waiting to get into the club room while others were milling about on the courtyards and spying on the various sports teams and their players. I wouldn't be surprised if we as a school had all sports known to man available to us. I call my driver to pick me up early, assuring him that it isn't a health emergency.

I have to get ready for my date.

"Look at my little girl!" My father practically squeals. I jumped from my seat at my vanity, almost messing up the eyeshadow look I wanted. "Aren't you the cutest?"

"I was going more for pretty," I sigh, twisting in my seat. "This must go perfectly."

"And it shall, my dear," My father soothes. He makes me face the mirror once more and moves my hair from being between my body and the chair to over the chair. "I have double checked with the restaurant about seating arrangements, dietary needs, and overall aesthetic."

"That wasn't necessary," I argue, grabbing the eyeshadow brush once more. The dark blue was spreading nicely, I want to do a light blue in the inner corner of the eye. Maybe silver, instead. "Most restaurants already accommodate all of that without us having to call. And the aesthetic of the place is nothing to correct, it's a perfectly fine restaurant. I want this to go perfect, but not affect anyone other than myself and possibly Takashi. I want him to be happy too."

"If he isn't, then I blacklist the Morinozuka family," Father says indifferently, making a shiver go up my spine. "If he can't have a great time with my daughter, there's no point in doing work with them anymore."

"Sometimes you terrify me," I remarked, starting on the eyeliner for the look.

"Thank you."

He fiddles with my hair, grabbing my brush to make it appear smoother, the knots having already been brushed out. From the shower and blow dry treatment earlier, it's soft and fluffy, almost floating around my face. I blow a strand out of my face before continuing. Father gathers the majority of the front of my hair and makes a simple bun in the back, adding a navy ribbon that matches the dress I'm wearing. I took the twins' advice; I originally was going to wear my favorite green dress, but it needs to be hemmed once more. I settled for a navy blue dress with see through light green sleeves, making it look more ethereal. I pause in my makeup to write that word down in my notebook.

"It's 6:25, my darling," Father says quietly. "I believe the boy is to appear at 6:30?"

"Yes," I reply, finishing the look up with mascara and a bit of lip gloss, the red tint making it look like I have life in my face, rather than being flat with the concealer and foundation. "I'll wait downstairs for him in just one moment."

"I must meet the boy too," He warns. "I have only seen our printings of the family and their heirs."

"Yes, Father."

His gaze softens as he looks at me before squeezing my shoulder and leaving. As the door closes, I get up to grab a shawl and shoes. I would wear heels to something fancy, but considering how often I've been stumbling and falling, I'll play it safe with short heeled boots, black velvet. I take one last look in the mirror before heading down, the doorbell notifying that Mori is here. I take each step carefully, measuring my breath as the door opens and Mori greets my father.

It feels like a fairytale; Mori makes eye contact with me as I go down the stairs carefully, his face barely showing any emotion. His eyes show everything, and they're shining. I feel my face go warm and a delicate blush settles upon my cheeks.

"Now, Morinozuka," My father says gruffly, making Mori instantly turn his attention to him. It makes me chuckle with his nervousness, but he has nothing to worry about. My father is just overly worried. "You know the predicament of my daughter. I will not hesitate to stop our family's alliance if there is anything to hurt her."

"Yes sir."

"She is to be home by 10 sharp, no loitering at the restaurant longer than necessary. If something is to come up, you must call me directly."

"Yes sir."

"If I hear from anyone that my daughter is disgraced in any matter, I will have your head. Do you understand, boy?"

"Father!" I say reproachfully, having finally reached the end of the staircase. "That is quite enough. Takashi is a very reliable person. Let us go, we might miss our reservation."

"Yes, my dear," Father says, softening up. "At least let me take a photo of you two?"

I shake my head and he pouts at me. I see similarities between him and Ranka. I should have them meet, they would probably enjoy gushing over their children and then keeping tabs on us. A maid hands me my clutch, black to match my shoes and shawl. We head out the door, a butler closing it behind us.

"You look beautiful," Mori says, his voice almost a rasp.

I look over him; a nicely tailored suit, black, with a light green tie. His shoes are polished to a tee and he must have gotten a new cologne, because his scent is of pine and fresh water. I smile at him as he holds out his arm for me to grab. I stood close to him, our sides pressed against each other.

"You look quite handsome, Takashi," I mumble out. "I like the green on you."

"The twins notified me of your favorite color."

"Of course they did."

"Shall we?"

I nod as we get close to the car. He opens the door for me and I blush at his gentlemanly actions. It's all going so smoothly, it makes me giddy. He gets in, sitting close to me. He nods to the driver who starts up and we head to the restaurant.

A hand lays over mine; it's warm and large, and perfect. I smile up at Mori, whose face is redder than a strawberry, something I have only seen a few times. I love it. I think I love him.

The restaurant is gorgeous. My face goes slack jawed as we enter the room, the elegance of the one table and the windows showing the foliage outside.

"Oh, Takashi," I say excitedly. "Isn't this amazing?"

"Yes."
I look over at him, a grin large on my face. He smiles back before motioning to sit down. I carefully sit down, making sure not to rock and accidentally make a fool of myself. A waiter comes by and pours green tea for us, the aroma of it making me feel more relaxed. Mori takes a quiet sip as the waiter describes our meal, showing interest in a few key items. We order drinks, simple juices, and a silence washes over us. Quiet piano music and the wind between trees is the only noise between us, but it's pleasant. We're always talking and rushing and going on adventures when we do hang out. I look out the window to see the trees blowing in the wind, the leaves floating around the area, making the garden look magnificent. I place my hands on the table, not quite sure what to do with them.

"Today, another drama happened," Mori says, making me look at him. "Concerning Tamaki."

"Oh?" I raise the tea to my mouth, sipping lightly. It's still very hot. "What has the blonde gotten into this time?"

"A young girl has claimed that he is her brother," He continues, taking a sip from his own cup. "She is the younger sibling of Nekozawa."

"I don't believe I've met him."

"He's a year 3, the head of the Occult Club."

"Interesting. What happened after that revelation?"

As he tells me about the day and its predicament, the food comes in waves. First, appetizers of the highest quality; fresh vegetables and seafood, the array looking vibrant and delicious. Soup came next, a refreshing course that made my face heat up from temperatures.

"The classes to make Nekozawa will happen again tomorrow," Mori mentions during the breaks between courses. "You are welcome to come, of course."

"Well," I say, wiping my lips on the cloth napkin on my lap. "I would love to be with you and the rest of the club. I doubt I can be of much use with young Kirimi."

"I want you to be there."

I intake a quick breath, the blunt sentence making my heart beat at double time. Mori reaches across the table and holds my hand, squeezing it slightly. I rub my thumb over his hand, the glide of our skin together makes goosebumps appear on my arms, barely visible due to my see through sleeves.

A crash near the entrance of the room makes us both jump. I look over to see shadows, which makes me a bit suspicious of who may be there. Mori goes to stand up, but I tug at his hand. He looks down.

"It's not serious, they would notify us," I assure. "We'll be okay."

"Okay."

We continue sitting and talking when my tea spills on the napkin in my lap, making me flinch. I take it off and leave towards the door, making Mori's brow furrow.

"I'll be right back," I promise. He relaxes for a second before going back to his tea. I leave the room, shutting the door quietly and head towards the bathroom.

I feel my skin prickle up uncomfortably. The bathroom alleviates that feeling, and I take a deep breath as I get a towel to sop up the little tea that got on to my dress. I hum a little song as I do so, not fully paying attention to my surroundings. I take a look in the mirror; nothing out of place. I still look pretty, despite the fading lip gloss and blush that seems to permanently cross my cheeks tonight. I give myself a grin; this date is going so much better than I ever dreamed of. I dry off my hands and head out, the room isn't too far from the bathrooms thankfully.

Another crash, not as loud as the previous makes me look over.

I grimace as I see familiar hair colors behind newspapers and phony mustaches.