The Guesthouse

So dinner comes and goes quickly. I have to admit that it is wonderful, but I’m not entirely sure what we ate though. One thing is for certain Kyoya sure set us up; it turns out he wants a planning meeting but knew I wouldn’t show up at one of their houses for it. The only thing that seems out of place is the way Hunni-sempai is acting; he really isn’t being himself. However no one else seems to notice and aside from that everyone seems to be having a good time. We honestly get a surprising amount of work done considering the group. It grows late before any of us realize it. It’s not at all surprising that once they do realize it the group leaves with Mori-sempai and I walking with them to the door. When the door finally closes, I put my head against the wood. It has been a long day. We have really trashed the room, so I go back and start picking up. For a moment I wait to be told that the servants will take care of it, but am happy not to hear those words pass his lips.

Suddenly I want to try to look into his eyes to find my answer. He’s off in the corner picking up trash and paper. Amazing although we are alone together for about another hour, we stay so busy cleaning up that we hardly speak. I have to keep asking were things go. Once we finish, we head for the rooms. Mori-sempai gives me a small and yet tired smile and says goodnight right as we reach my hallway. Torn for only a moment, I proceed to the guestroom. After all what did I expect, I could not even manage to form the words to ask him about what had happened. Sighing I get ready for bed, but still feel like I have a nagging issue weighing on my mind.

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The cook did a good job preparing the meal on such short notice; I normally try not to spring this many guests on anyone unannounced. I should have known when I saw Kyoya’s smirk earlier that he had additional designs upon our time. The meeting while not completely unexpected goes well enough. One thing that makes the evening a little edgier than normal is the way Mitsukuni is acting towards me. I don’t think most of the rest of the group notices but I did see Haruhi give him a puzzled look. Thru the antics and the meeting the evening turns to night and it has gotten late. There seems to be a collective dawning amongst them, and before I know it we go to the front door to let them out. Once the door closes behind our friends I see that Haruhi has once again put her head against the door. I just watch her for a moment, slightly amused by her actions.

Before I even realize it though she has heads back to the room, as I look around I find myself surprised at the condition of the room. I could leave it for the servants, but since the dinner had been pulled together in such a hurry I had not requested any additional staff for clean up. Haruhi is busy moving and straightening up. Only occasionally asking me were things go. The time we spend together goes quickly and as it is so late we both head back towards our rooms. As we walk down the hallway together, I stay about a step behind her so I can watch her. As we reach the junction to her hallway she turns her head, and I give her a smile saying, “Goodnight.”

I should be trying to go to sleep but my mind is racing. While I am laying in my bed all I can think of is her. The sweet floral memory tormenting my senses, to the point that almost every pore feels like I am only part here. I cannot say how much time I spend sitting on the floor in my room after I slid out of bed, the clock within reach part of me does not want to know. Without considering it I leave my room and head down the hallway, at the junction now I wonder if I should continue on. She’s bound to be asleep by now; it is so late after all. The part of my brain that should stop me seems to have gone to sleep on me, because I’m already standing at her door. My hand on the doorknob, I turn with my back now against the wall and slide down to the floor. I cannot bring myself to enter unannounced.

Some how knowing she is so close has a calming effect, because I start to find myself dozing off. It’s then that I’m torn right out of dozing state, the tormented scream that I hear must have come from her room. No hesitation as I yank open her door, the moonlight has partially illuminated the room. Her small form is sitting up and shaking as ragged breaths are taken. She’s soaked in sweat as I pull her shaking form into my arms. It took a moment to realize that she is sobbing with tears pouring from her eyes. With one hand I try to wipe her eyes, but it doesn’t seem to help. The tears just keep coming from her eyes; my lips move to brush them away. Slowly the tears dry on my lips as I notice that she isn’t crying any more. Her small hands press against my chest as I try to hold her close, but I start to notice a difference in movement. What had been a scared reaction with body wrecking sobs that caused her to shake has now turned into the chills leaving her skin clammy. Hoping she isn’t getting a fever I pick her up and carry her into the bathroom down the hall.

She is still not completely recovered, because as I try to get her to stand on her own for a moment she leans right against the wall as though she cannot support her own weight. Turning on the warm water of the showerhead I climb into the western style tub with her to make sure she doesn’t collapse. The water comes down on our forms, and gradually her breaths start coming normally. Rubbing her hands then arms making sure the water is warming her completely, I’m glad that she seems to have stopped shivering. This whole time her back had been to me, and as she seems to regain some of her senses she turns to me for the first time. The water has plastered her hair to her face, so without thinking I brush it with my fingertips behind her ears. Those big eyes looking at me for answers, as the water continues to pour from the showerhead.

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I wake with a start, screaming as though I have been attacked, feeling the raw scream still in my throat. Struggling to remember what I have been dreaming, my heart beating loudly in my ears, my whole body cries out the wrongness of it all. I can almost feel the warmth being drained out of me as the tears pour out. Completely drenched in sweat and shaking, I do not notice when he enters the room. Mori-sempai sits down and pulls me into his bare arms. One hand tries to brush away my tears, but there are too many. With my eyes shut I can feel soft feathery touches on my skin, until gradually the tap that had welled up behind my eyes stops.

My shaking soon changes though, into a violent case of the chills. He is right on track with this change and picks me up. I quickly realize we are in the bathroom, and he sets me down in the tub. Apparently intending that I stand on my own, but I cannot will my body to move. Sagging into the wall, he steps into the tub with me as he turns on the hot water. Shocking to my system, as I have been so cold, I notice that he is rubbing my hands, arms, and shoulders to make sure I warm up.

For just a moment more than it takes for me to regain some of my senses I let the water continue to run over my pajamas and skin, then I turn to him. The water has made my hair stick to my face, without thought his warm fingertips smooth those stray strands behind my ears. This is the most eye contact I’ve had with him in awhile. As I look up at his face I can see his concern over what has happened. It’s also at this point that I break eye contact, as I have the uncomfortable realization that my pajamas are sticking to me as though a second skin, my tendency not to wear a bra to bed not helping my case at this point. Not to mention the short shorts of mine stick to my hips and thighs. Noticing now that I’m not the only one with this issue, because although he’s not wearing a shirt his shorts no those boxers are sticking to his hips and legs.

After I break eye contact he starts to move to turn off the showerhead and pulls the curtain open. Seemingly from nowhere he produces a robe and pulls it around me, and picks me up. He grabs a spare towel, and heads back to my room. Sitting me down on the edge of the bed, he recommends that I change while he gets some clean sheets. Of course if I woke up in such a state I must have sweat all over the sheets, and feeling embarrassed by the thought. Struggling to find my footing, I am surprised to find myself still shaken. When was the last time I had a nightmare that had ripped open my sleep? I struggle to remember a time. Searching thru my few things I realize that these pajamas that I’d been wearing are the only ones that weren’t picked out by my father. There are a few options, I finally decide on a sleeveless yet stylized nightshirt that should reach my knees. I have to peel the shirt from my body as it is still stuck like glue, the robe now lying abandoned on the floor.

As I pull the shirt over my head the door opens, hastily I pull it the rest of the way off. Attempting to pull it over my chest since I happen to be facing the doorway as it opens. There shouldn’t much light in the room aside from the moonlight but it seems to have pooled. By the look on his face he must have just seen me half naked, because there is a warm flush that I have never seen in his cheeks. I nervously clear my throat with a near chuckle and he moves to turn while I finish changing. The moonlight offers enough light to gauge his expression, and I can feel the warmth of embarrassment spread from just my cheeks into my chest. He is still facing the doorway as though trying to move thru it with his mind, when I finish changing. So I walk up behind him, he must have changed before he got the sheets because he is now in lounge pants, a press my hand onto the small of his back. He meets my eyes for a split second before he heads to my bed and strips the sheets off. The movements are so calculated and fluid to watch, it is almost entrancing. He’s done almost to soon, because after he finishes he makes for the door.

Suddenly my heart is in my throat. Luckily my feet are faster, they bring me right up behind him. My hands reaching out to close around his nearest arm, this sheer act of will to keep him from leaving. I cannot stand the thought of being alone, the memory of my raw throat and puffy eyes too fresh to forget. There is a moment of confusion that flickers across his features, before he nods and moves back into the room with me. Isn’t it strange I don’t have to say a word to him, and yet he seems to know what I want from him. Pulling back the sheets, I lay down on the bed. His hand is pressing against my forehead, as one of his knees moves onto the mattress. Without being asked he moves onto the bed with me. As soon as his head nears the pillow I’m laying on I can feel the heavy weight of exhaustion shut my eyes.

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As she looks into my eyes, I feel almost pulled in. She breaks our eye contact, it causes me to search her face, and I can now she were her eyes are moving. First from the thin t-shirt that she is wearing that is clinging to every curve and hollow, then to her short shorts that cling to her thighs and hips, and finally her eyes seem to notice that my state of dress. Or rather undress, as tonight had been about the same as yesterday, and I had opted to just wear my boxers. That alone should have halted my journey into the hallway with her room, but I could honestly say that at this point I don’t care. She still hasn’t completely shaken loose of whatever heart retching dream had cut thru her night. Moving to turn off the shower, I pull out a near by robe that is meant for guest use and wrap it around her.

She still weighs next to nothing as I pull her back into my arms so I can carry her back to the room. Still not speaking she sits there almost dazed. The sheets had been soaked thru as well, so I move to leave the room. Turning for a moment to recommend that she changes into something else, her head drops a little into a half nod. As I continue out the door, I remember to pull it shut behind me. It is not possible to know at this point how long it will take but I go and get the clean sheets, dry myself and change into a some lounge pants, then hurry back to her room. Thrusting the door forward into the room, as my arms are full of clean sheets, what I see next almost makes me drop them. The wet t-shirt sticking to her arms, as she moves to pull it off her head. I can now see her curves without the fabric cover, noticing how small yet formed they are, and I find myself wondering what color her nipples are since the moonlight does not afford me that. This of course must only take a split second because the shirt is now up over her head and down in front of her chest.

She clears her throat with a small chuckle, and heat rises to my cheeks also stopping along the way to burn into my chest. I turn now to the door, wondering if I stare at it long enough I can see thru it into the hall. But no matter how much I stare the world beyond the door seems unreal to me as the walls in this room seem to close in. Her small hand on my lower back reins my thoughts back into the situation before me. My eyes meet hers for but a moment, but just long enough to see that the crying from earlier has made her eyes puffy. I move to the bed stripping it as quickly and efficiently as I can, funny that of the movements with the fabric would almost remind me of martial art moves. I’m done quickly, and without a thought my movements bring me back to the door. Her small hands move around one of my arms, with an evident need. I stop my movement out of the room, and realize my intent to leave so quickly, is rude.

She peels back the sheets, curling into the bed and laying on her side. My hand reaches out to feel her forehead, but she’s just far enough from me that I have to put one of my knees on the bed. There is only the normal warmth, on her skin. Her eyes start to close, and as those lids drop they seen to draw me to lie in bed beside her. Without being asked this is the only solution that feels right. Resting my head on the same pillow as hers, her eyes flutter open one more time. After making sure that I am beside her, she almost immediately drops off. The pooling moonlight now seems to fade as the weight of the day comes back around me. Just inches from me lies the person who is quickly consuming my every thought. It’s nice that she is so close to me, hearing her soft breaths indicates that she is now sleeping peacefully. One of her hands is so close to me I reach out and take it in mine. Enjoying the contact of her small, slender hands. Her soft hair falling into her face is the last thing I see before I fall asleep as well.

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