Note: I DO NOT own Ouran- I wish I did, but sadly I don't. Please review after you read! I want constructive criticism, not just plain criticism. Also, I know I may have messed up on the spelling of some names; please let me know what the correct spelling is and I will correct it! And I know it kind of bounces between POV's without much notice but that's just my writing style- if you hate it, that's fine, and if you love it, that's great!

Sakura Ootori stared out the window of the limo, her crystal blue eyes blank and expressionless.

"We're almost there." Her mother, Kameko Ootori, said, patting her knee. Sakura didn't respond.

"It was very generous of my sister- your aunt- to offer her house to us, so let her know how grateful you are." Again, Sakura did not give any indication she had heard. Kameko didn't let this stop her. "Kyoya's only a few years older then you; I'm sure he'll be happy to spend some time with his cousin!" She added. No response. With a resigned sigh, she too turned to the window to look outside, hoping that a new start would be what Kameko needed.

When they arrived, their bags were taken upstairs and Kameko and Sakura entered the parlor to be formally greeted by the Ootori family.

"Kameko-chan! It is so great to see you!" A slender woman ran to greet Kameko eagerly. "And you must be Sakura-chan!" Sakura nodded slightly. After a moment's hesitation, Mrs. Ootori shook her hand awkwardly.

"This is your cousin; Kyoya." She added, gesturing to the handsome young man who stood behind her. He bowed and smiled.

"Welcome to our home." He greeted them politely. Sakura watched him, her eyes missing nothing. She looked deep into his eyes and got the strange feeling she could trust him; this feeling surprised her, but yet she believed it completely.

"I'll let the maid show you up to your rooms, so you can get settled in. We'll alert you when dinner is ready." Her aunt added. A young woman ran up to them and bowed hurriedly before leading them upstairs and down the grand hallway. Sakura looked around, curious about her new surroundings. It was a very grand mansion; her old house hadn't been half this size. As she followed the maid, she didn't hear her aunt as she turned to Kyoya.

"Tomorrow at school, don't leave her alone. Make sure she's safe and keep her with you." She said quietly. Kyoya nodded and they parted their separate ways.

The next day at school, Sakura walked beside Kyoya to her classroom.

"After school today, I have to go to a club meeting; your mother thought it would be a good idea to tag along." Kyoya said as they walked down the hallway. Sakura shrugged.

She hasn't said a word to me since we've met. Kyoya thought. He knew exactly why, and didn't prompt her to speak.

He showed her to her classroom and left her there, heading to his own. Sakura watched him go before entering the classroom. Upon her entrance, the teacher stood up.

"Class, we have a new student today. Ootori Sakura will be joining us for the rest of the school year." He announced before sitting down. Sakura merely blinked and took an empty seat at the very back of the room; the only available one. She sat down and listened intently as the teacher spoke, taking notes. When she handed out papers, she finished hers and turned it in just as the bell rang.

I can do this. She thought to herself. It was like slipping into a new skin; she knew schoolwork, and was good at it; she would survive her.

Surviving isn't living though. She thought bitterly.

After school, Sakura followed Kyoya to the Third Music Room. At lunch, Kyoya had told her everything; he'd even gone far enough as to describe each of these "hosts" and tell her their names so she would know who they were. When Kyoya opened the door, she peeked in curiously, wondering if everyone was here already.

There were five other boys in the room; all incredibly handsome. They looked up with surprise when they saw the girl.

"Mom? Who's this?" A tall blonde bounced over and peered at her curiously. She shrank back from him and to everyone's intense surprise Kyoya placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"This is my cousin, Sakura." Kyoya explained. The blonde brightened. "Ah, so this is your family? Mom, you never told me about your family!" He disappeared into a corner. Sakura turned slowly to Kyoya.

"'Mom'?" She asked, confused. Kyoya's lips twitched into a smile. "His nickname for me." He explained. Sakura nodded.

Sakura didn't miss everyone in the room staring at Kyoya with wide eyes and slightly gaping mouths. Except the large, tan boy in the back of the room, who was engrossed in a book. She followed their gaze to his hand on her shoulder.

What's the big deal? It's just his hand. She wondered briefly why it mattered so much, but was distracted when Kyoya suddenly removed his hand.

"The club will be opening soon." He muttered, striding away quickly and sitting down at a table. Sakura stared after him for a moment before following and sitting down on a couch near his table, not wanting to bother him since he seemed to be concentrating on his laptop.

The twins in the room, whom Kyoya had told her were Hikaru and Kaoru, sat down on either side of her. She jumped and looked between them, suspicion evident in her narrowed eyes and tense shoulders.

"So you're Kyoya-chan's cousin?" They asked in unison. Sakura nodded tightly, her fists clenched. They noticed her tension and scooted away slightly, giving her a little breathing room.

"Did you just come here?" The one on the right asked. His voice was a bit softer and higher pitched then the other twin's; Sakura filed that information away for later use, so she could use it to figure out which twin was which.

"Yes." She said quietly, not liking them asking her questions. "Guys, leave her alone." She looked up at the boy in front of her. Judging by his girly looks, Sakura guessed "he" was Haruhi- Kyoya had told her all about her debt to the club and how she was working it off. "But Haru-chan we're bored." The one on her left whined. "Then go entertain yourselves. She's not a toy." Haruhi said coldly. The twins scowled and left, muttering to each other. Sakura blinked up at him gratefully and he smiled slightly.

"Don't worry about them. They're harmless." She said with a wink before moving on. Sakura watched her go, surprised by her kindness; they'd only just met, after all. She looked oddly familiar; with a start, Sakura realized she was in her class.

And so are the twins! Kyoya had said they were all the same age.

"Get ready, gentleman!" Tamaki cried suddenly, dashing to a plush red velvet chair and taking his seat, crossing one leg over the other and folding his hands, looking as regal as any high-schooler could. The others silently circled his chair, and then the doors opened and at least a hundred squealing girls burst in, and Sakura gaped at the vast amount of them all; Kyoya had said the Host Club was quite popular, but this was insane!

After a productive few hours, Kyoya realized the Host Club was over. He reached into his pocket and called the limo driver, who said he was waiting outside.

"You go ahead Sakura; I'll be right there." He said, nodding to Sakura. She nodded in return and left, carrying her schoolbag. As soon at the door clicked behind her, he turned to Tamaki.

"Before you start, come with me." He growled, dragging Tamaki to a back corner, far away from the curious ears of the other Hosts.

"You read my mind Kyo-chan!" Tamaki laughed, undisturbed as Kyoya roughly shoved him into the wall.

"So that's really Sakura-chan?" He asked, his violet eyes solemn. Kyoya sighed. "Yes, she is." He pushed up his glasses. Tamaki looked pained. "That poor girl… is she all right?" He asked. Kyoya nodded. "She seems fine; just…" He fumbled for the right words, something Kyoya rarely did. Tamaki watched him, not bothering to hide his surprise by his friend's hesitation.

"She's… withdrawn. And scared, in case you didn't notice, running up to her like that." His gray eyes glittered with menace as he suddenly grabbed Tamaki by the shirt collar.

"I swear, if you scare her again I'll kill you." His voice was calm but intoned a deep fury; Tamaki, however, was more curious then frightened. He looked deep into Kyoya's eyes.

"You don't usually protect anyone unless there are merits in it for you. What could helping her possibly have to offer?" He asked. Kyoya sighed. "She's my mother's sister's daughter. And what happened to her isn't her fault at all; life's dealt her a bad hand, and it'd be cruel to just leave her alone right now." He said quietly. Tamaki's eyes widened. He'd never heard Kyoya talk about someone like that; he really felt bad for this girl.

And he should; she's had a terrible time lately. "Well, I promise I'll make sure no harm comes to her whenever she's nearby." He declared. Kyoya rolled his eyes at his dramatic pose but had to admit he felt a bit better knowing there was more then one person watching Sakura's back.

"She's waiting for me now; I'd better go." Kyoya said abruptly, before he turned and walked briskly out the door. Tamaki watched him go, a slight smile on his lips. It was good to see Kyoya wanting to help someone; definitely not in his character, but he knew he had someone to thank for his change of heart. His purple eyes strayed to the only girl in the room, who was picking up her things.

Haruhi… you truly have saved us all. He thought to himself, his warm smile growing bigger.

Hitachin Kaoru watched as the "King" of the Host Club suddenly sauntered into the middle of the room. He clapped his hands twice, demanding attention.

"Wonder what he wants now." Hikaru muttered. Kaoru shrugged, not knowing. He hadn't missed the exchange between Tamaki and Kyoya- it looked like Kyoya had been beating him up over something.

He probably asked Kyoya to do another stupid cosplay Kaoru thought with an annoyed snort.

"Attention everyone! I have an important announcement, and it involves our Dearest Mother." He called. Everyone lifted their heads when he mentioned "mother"- what could Tamaki be announcing about Kyoya?

"Now, you all met Sakura-chan, correct?" He asked. "Well duh, she was here five minutes ago." Hikaru snorted.

"You all noticed how… jumpy she was, right?" Tamaki asked. Kaoru thought back to how nervous she'd been when Tamaki had startled her and when he and Hikaru and tried to speak to her.

"Just get to the point Senpai." Haruhi rolled her chocolate brown eyes. Kaoru had to admit she had a point; their King had a habit of rambling. But today, however, he seemed serious for once.

"Well, I won't tell you everything but she's had some bad experiences in her past; she doesn't trust anyone anymore." He said, looking sad. Kaoru felt a stab of pity for the girl; she must have been through something terrible, if it had sobered their King for even a heartbeat.

"I thought it would be a nice present for Mom- seeing as how Sakura is Mom's cousin- if we could make her comfortable around us!" He clasped his hands proudly. There was silence in the room.

"What do you mean, Tama-chan?" Honey asked.

"I mean, get her to trust again! Mom's worried sick over her- we must do whatever we can to ease Mom's mind!" He insisted. Hikaru and Kaoru glanced at each, both with the same mischievous glint in their eyes.

"You mean, like a game?" Hikaru asked, turning to Tamaki with a grin on his face. "No! Not a game!" Tamaki stammered, his face going red with fury. "Don't you dare turn her into a plaything!" They tuned him out and put their heads together, whispering about the rules.

"Only one rule; if she rejects you publicly, you lose. But if you can get her to hug or even kiss you, you win!" They decided that worked fine- the other Hosts didn't have to play- it was their secret game. There was no prize; just the satisfaction of winning.

"Game starts tomorrow." Hikaru decided as they walked to their limo. "All right. Bet I can win her over in a week." Kaoru bragged. Hikaru snorted. "I'll have her by lunch tomorrow." He smirked.

Sakura and Kyoya walked into the school, and almost the instant she stepped into the hallway she went down like a rock, tripping over an unseen object. Her books flew out of her hand and, like magic, Hikaru was there.

"Here. You dropped these." He said, picking up her books. "Thanks." Sakura nodded, watching him warily. Kyoya stood over them, his gray eyes probing the back of Hikaru's head- what on Earth was he up too?

"Need a hand?" Hikaru asked, standing up and offering her his hand. "I got her." Kyoya intervened quickly and took Sakura's hand, helping her up.

"Thanks." She nodded to both of them, taking her books from Hikaru. "Welcome." Hikaru winked at her and disappeared into the crowd. Sakura and Kyoya stared after him, the same question on both their minds; what had that been all about?

Hikaru slipped into the seat beside Kaoru and gave him a satisfied smirk.

"Picked her books up in the hallway." He bragged. Kaoru rolled his eyes. "You probably tripped her." He accused his brother, who shrugged and grinned. Kaoru turned his attention to the front of the class, having heard Sakura enter. He watched her as she walked with her head down to her seat in the back. She sat and worked with her head bowed, her hair masking her face so she could hide from the world. For a heartbeat, Kaoru felt a twinge of regret she'd gotten mixed up in his and Hikaru's schemes before pushing it away. What else was there to do?

A few days later, at the Host Club, Sakura sat quietly at Hikaru and Kaoru's table, sipping her tea and gazing around the room, wondering again why they both had invited her to her table. She watched their "brotherly love" bit out of the corner of her eye, not understanding how everyone found this attractive. Kyoya had told her this was all an act, but it was a very convincing one.

"Ah, what's wrong Milady? Don't you find us appealing?" Sakura's head snapped around to see Hikaru leaning close to her. His face was only a few inches away, and her heart started hammering in her chest.

"Hikaru, back off." Kaoru murmured, placing a hand on his brother's shoulder. Sakura barely heard Kaoru and instead stared back at Hikaru, willing him to leave her alone and just go away. Hikaru blinked, surprise registering in his eyes from his brother's comment. After a heartbeat, he pulled away, somewhat reluctantly. Sakura let out the breath she'd been holding and slumped in her chair, relief evident in her face.

She fought the urge to leave the table; she didn't want to look like a cowardly baby in front of all these people. So she swallowed her fear and remained at the table, careful not to look at Hikaru or Kaoru the rest of the day.

"Nice move back there, Einstein." Kaoru snorted as they settled in their limo. Hikaru scowled. "How was I supposed to know that would scare her?" He demanded, shutting the door with more force then necessary.

"I seem to recall Tamaki mentioning how she doesn't trust people." Kaoru pointed out. Hikaru rolled his eyes. "The game's not over yet." He muttered. Kaoru blinked. He'd completely forgotten about the game. He'd only brought that up because he hadn't liked it when his twin had upset Sakura.

Well, you don't like to see anyone upset. He reminded himself. He was trying to make up for how he had been what seemed like ages ago; before the Host Club, before Tamaki came in, and before Haruhi had entered their lives. He hated the person he was back then; he'd deliberately hurt people back then, all for a little entertainment and to keep everyone out of their lives. Their lives. He and Hikaru had their own little world back then; now it was more open and far more people inhabited it. Haruhi, for instance, was a frequent visitor; she was the only one who could easily tell them apart without looking at the way their hair was parted.

"Hey. Hikaru?" Kaoru asked suddenly. Hikaru turned to his twin, waiting his answer. "I've just… been thinking…" Kaoru hesitated. "We're back to playing games with people; this doesn't mean…?" He trailed off and looked his twin squarely in the eyes. Hikaru was silent for a long moment.

"I don't think so." He finally murmured. "This isn't aimed to hurt her; if anything, it'll help her." He pointed out. Kaoru nodded, comforted by his brother's words. He leaned back in his seat and stared out the window, lost in thought.

Sakura had decided to designate Haruhi the next day; she didn't feel like dealing with boys today. She sat with her chin in her hands, listening idly to the small talk occurring at the table. She sipped her tea and gazed out the window, her eyes unfocused as she was lost in her thoughts.

"Sakura-chan?" She jumped, looking up in surprise when Kyoya stood over her. "I have to speak to a teacher- would you mind waiting here for me? The driver will be a few minutes." He said. Sakura nodded. She didn't mind. She watched everyone else leave and waited until everyone was gone before flopping down on the couch, throwing an arm over her eyes and closing them. She'd been so tired lately; she hadn't been sleeping at all. Every time she closed her eyes, a nightmare would appear and she'd be awake the rest of the night.

She heard the door open and looked up. "Kyoya-chan?" She asked, sitting up and smoothing her dress down a bit. She looked at the tall, burly senior who had walked in. He jumped when he heard her.

"Oh, sorry, wrong room." He muttered, looking down. He came a bit closer, until he was standing in front of the couch. "Do you happen to know where the second music room is?" He asked hopefully. Sakura shook her head. "Great." He rolled his eyes. "So I guess I'm stuck here." He sighed.

Kaoru and Hikaru walked side by side towards the limo when suddenly Kaoru stopped.

"Shoot, I forgot my algebra book." He rolled his eyes. "I'll go get it- you go ahead; I'll just be a second." He sighed, turning and jogging back to the school.

Kyoya tried not to show his annoyance as he stood in front of his teacher.

"I beg to differ, but as you can see, questions number 3, 6, and 19 both have typing errors- see?" He pointed out. He was annoyed that the teacher had marked these incorrect; he'd never gotten a question wrong before. But looking closely at the questions, he'd noticed plenty of spelling errors that could have easily attributed to the questions being marked wrong. The teacher still looked skeptical, and he sighed inwardly. This could be a while longer then he'd anticipated.

Sakura stood up, beckoning to the senior in front of her, Yoshio.

"Come on; let's go to the office and see if maybe someone knows where it is." Sakura said, turning towards the door. Yoshio caught her wrist.

"That won't be needed." He said, pulling her towards him. Too terrified to move, Sakura could only stare up at him as he crushed her to him. He smirked down at her.

"You're awfully pretty for a freshman." He said, stroking her cheek. Sakura slapped him as hard as he could and he swore.

"Why you little…" He growled, dragging her towards him as she shrieked for help.

Kaoru sauntered down the hallway to his classroom, annoyed that he'd forgotten his book again. That was more of a Hikaru thing- Kaoru was usually the one reminding him to go get his book, backpack, etc. As he went along he heard a noise and stopped, tilting his head as he listened. There it was again. A scream for help. He turned and raced in the direction of the scream, going as fast as his legs would take him.

Hikaru drummed her fingers on the seat, looking irritably from the school to his watch. Where was Kaoru?

Kyoya sighed and pushed up his glasses.

"If you truly think we should go see the superintendent, fine." He said, not letting his worry show. He didn't like leaving Sakura alone; but this was a safe school; she'd be fine, wouldn't she?

Kaoru heard the scream again; it was coming from the Third Music Room!
Is a client in trouble? He wondered, throwing the door open and leaping in. He stared in horror at the two people struggling near the couch; a huge, burly senior and Sakura, who looked like she was fighting for her life.

"Get off of her!" Kaoru snarled, running over and punching the senior in the face. The senior let go of Sakura and stumbled backwards. He looked at Kaoru, his eyes furious, but then he saw his blazing eyes and clenched fist and thought better of it. He bolted from the room, not even shutting the door behind him in his haste.

"Yeah you better run punk!" Kaoru shouted after him. He turned back to Sakura. "Are you all right?" He asked gently. She stared at the floor, her eyes wide. Her face had a red handprint on her cheek, and her wrists had long, finger-shaped bruises forming on them. Her dress was torn and she was shaking slightly.

"It's going to be OK. He's gone." Kaoru reassured her, taking a cautious step closer. At once, Sakura threw her arms around him and buried her face in his chest, sobbing quietly. Kaoru jumped, startled by her sudden touch. He hesitated a heartbeat before holding her close, stroking her hair and murmuring comforting words, trying to soothe her.

He sat down with her on the couch, still holding her close. She continued to cry, though not in loud, choking sobs like normal girls; she cried quietly, with barely any tears. His heart cracked in pity and he brought her closer, wishing more then anything he could chase all her fears away and make her safe again.

Sakura wanted nothing more then to just stay with Kaoru; she needed to feel safe and comfortable, after her terrifying experience. She couldn't remember the last time she'd clung to someone so desperately, as though her very life depended on holding on as tightly as she could.

She didn't know how long she cried into Kaoru's chest, but suddenly she heard the door open, the running footsteps.

"What happened?" Kyoya snarled. Sakura looked up, and hurriedly tried to try the tears from her face.

"Some idiot senior came in here." Kaoru growled. "I'm not sure exactly what happened but I came in here and they were fighting each other…" He trailed off, looking at Sakura. Sakura shuddered and looked down.

"He tried to… he wanted to…" She couldn't finish her sentence and buried her face in her hands. Kaoru brought her close again and she buried her face in his chest, feeling safe again.

"OK, we'll take you to the doctor to make sure you're not hurt. Afterwards, we'll deal with him." Kyoya's words dripped with poison. Sakura shivered at the menace in his voice, glad she wasn't the one he was angry at. Kaoru stood and helped her up, keeping her close as they followed Kyoya out of the room and outside to his limo.

Kaoru suddenly remembered.

"Crap, I forgot Hikaru." He groaned, digging in his pockets for his cell phone. He sent a quick text to Hikaru, telling him to go on without him while he attended to some business.

Kaoru never asked if he could come with; he simply got into the limo beside Sakura and sat down, contenting himself with mental images of what he would do to that punk if he ever ran into him again.

Kyoya looked perfectly calm; but inside he was boiling with rage. He wanted to kick himself over his stupidity; he couldn't believe he'd left her alone! He had to admit there was no way he could have known about what would happen; he had to stop blaming himself before he went crazy.

For now, anyway, he could sit in the waiting room with Kaoru, typing away on his laptop. He wasn't doing much; he was mostly just hitting the keys aimlessly, making it look as though he were actually working when in fact he wasn't.

He didn't try to start a conversation with Kaoru; Kaoru returned the favor, fidgeting in the seat beside him, flipping through magazines and examining his fingernails. He crossed and uncrossed his legs; he was beginning to drive Kyoya crazy, but he ignored him for the main part. Suddenly Kaoru's cell phone went off and a nurse glared at him. Kaoru muttered an apology and picked up the phone.

"Hikaru? What do you… no, I'm fine. I know I was supposed to be home by now. Tell Mom to calm down, OK? I'm with…" He glanced at Kyoya and coughed. "Friends." Kyoya's lips twitched but he said nothing, amused.

"Where am I? Oh, I'm at the hospital. No! I'm fine!" Kaoru sounded exasperated. Finally, Kyoya held out his hand.

"Let me talk to him." Kyoya said. Kaoru hesitated before handing the phone over, looking before scared and relieved.

"Hikaru-chan? It's Kyoya." Kyoya said, pressing the phone to his ear.

"What are you two doing?" Hikaru demanded, sounding irritated and a little worried. "We're at the hospital; a friend of mine was in an accident and Kaoru wanted to tag alone to make sure they were OK." Kyoya said smoothly. Hikaru snorted. "A friend of yours? Since when do you have friends?" Kyoya snapped the phone shut and handed back to Kaoru.

"You're welcome." He smirked, resuming his aimless typing.

Sakura yawned, for at least the tenth time and blinked slowly.

"I'm starting to think they gave you too much pain medication. You weren't even in any pain, right?" Kaoru said worriedly. Sakura stopped herself before she admitted she was bruised in a lot of places besides her wrists and face.

"I'm fine." She slurred, her head falling back. She blinked and didn't open her eyes again, falling asleep. She rested her head on the first supportive thing she found and was out cold.

"Your cousin is heavy." Kaoru complained, lifting Sakura out of the limo.

Kyoya didn't respond, striding briskly up to the house to warn Kameko and his mother before they saw Sakura- he needed to do some serious damage control.

They're going to be furious I left her alone. He thought, opening the door and calling loudly for a servant to fetch his mother and aunt. As he waited, Kaoru opened the door and stumbled in with Sakura, panting heavily.

"You have at least left the door open." He snapped. Kyoya ignored him. "Her room's upstairs; a maid will show you the way." He said with a careless flick of his hand. Kaoru stared at him in horror.

"Do you really think I can carry her upstairs?" He demanded. Kyoya stared back, his gaze icy. Kaoru wilted beneath his glare and headed upstairs, muttering angrily to himself.

Just as he disappeared over the top of the stairs, Kameko and his mother appeared.

"Kyoya, what's so important you had to drag us all the way to the parlor?" His mother demanded, looking irritable. Kyoya sighed. This wasn't going to be easy.

Kaoru lied Sakura gently down on her bed, covering her with her blanket. He watched her sleep for a moment, hypnotized by the peaceful expression on her usually troubled face before he shook himself, realizing he had to get home to Hikaru before his twin sent the cops after him. He rolled his eyes to himself and headed to the door, pausing to look back at Sakura one last time. He sighed and opened the door, intent on slipping out of the house without anyone noticing.

He made it to the top of the stairs and saw Kyoya ushering two women out of the room; they both had identical expressions of worry and suspicion as Kyoya led them away.

Kaoru hurried down the stairs and out the door, heaving a sigh of relief as he made it outside. He dug into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone, calling his driver.

He waited until the limo arrived and then jumped in, his mind revolving around only one person the entire ride home.

"I am going to school today, Mother." Sakura insisted, struggling into her dress.

"Honey please, just take one day off!" Her mother pleaded. Sakura shook her head. "I won't have everyone thinking I'm a coward." She muttered. "If that boy's there, he might be spreading awful rumors about me; I need to go there and make sure he hasn't been blabbing to the whole school." Sakura said, fastening her shoes.

"You've always been so stubborn." Kameko sighed, rubbing her forehead. "All right. But I don't care what happens; don't be alone even for a minute." She warned Sakura, who nodded and grabbed her bag, heading downstairs.

"Come on, let's go." She said briskly to Kyoya, breezing past her. He looked startled by her sudden appearance and chased after her.

"I thought you were under strict orders to rest in bed today." He accused her as he followed her into the limo.

"I'm not going to skip school looking like a coward." Sakura declared, crossing her arms. She knew she was acting far different then usual; but she was so ashamed of her behavior the day before. She couldn't believe she'd clung to poor Kaoru like that; she had to act brave, and make sure he knew she wasn't some scared little girl. No, she couldn't be scared. Not anymore.

They pulled up in front of the school and Sakura hopped out, walking briskly with her head held high. Kyoya had to hurry to keep up, even though his legs were almost as long as she was tall.

"See you later Kyoya." She lifted a hand in farewell before entering her classroom. She was early; there were only a few other students here. She took her seat in the back and fiddled with her pencil, both anticipating yet dreading the arrival of Kaoru.

"Hey, would you settle down? You've been twitching like a ferret all day." Hikaru teased as they climbed out of their limo.

"I'm fine." Kaoru insisted. He was beginning to think that was the only thing he'd said for days; last night, when he'd come home to his weeping mother who'd been certain he'd either been kidnapped or killed.

"Which of Kyoya's 'friends' was it in the accident anyway?" Hikaru asked, again, as they entered the classroom. He stopped dead and Kaoru bumped into him.

"Geez." He breathed. "Sakura looks like she was a in a bar fight!" Suddenly his eyes widened. "She was the one in the accident, wasn't she?" He asked quietly.

"It's none of your business!" Kaoru snapped, brushing past him and sitting down in his seat. Hikaru stood frozen in front of his desk, hurt in his eyes as he looked at his brother. Kaoru immediately felt ashamed. He'd never snapped at his brother before; he guessed he was just upset over Sakura's appearance; her face was swollen and the bruises on her arms were visible even from here.

"I'm sorry." He said softly. He looked up but Hikaru was already in his seat. "It's fine." He said briskly. "You barely got any sleep last night; I'm surprised you waited this long to get snippy." He teased. Kaoru smiled slightly, though he wasn't amused. He hadn't slept at all last night; he'd been worried over Sakura.

He glanced at her worriedly; she should have been home, resting, but here she was, defying the odds. Despite himself, he felt a tinge of admiration for her bravery.

Two seniors of Ouran walked down the hallway together.

"Man, I can't believe about Yoshio." The one on the right shook his head. "Yeah. Who knew his dad would suddenly get relocated at his job?" The one on the left shrugged.

"Do you even know where they moved?" The one on the right asked. "No. Yoshio just said some really far off place- they don't even have working cell phones or running water there." The one on the left said. "Huh. That sucks." The one on the right shrugged. They continued on their way.

After school at the Host Club, Sakura was beginning to think she'd made a bad choice coming back to school.

Well, you only have to endure the stares another hour or so. She comforted herself. When she'd walked in, all of the Hosts had gawked at her. Tamaki had immediately asked what happened, but Kyoya's icy stare prevented him from pressing the matter.

Now, she sat quietly at Hunny's table, fully aware of the curious looks both he and Mori gave her. Mori wasn't nearly as inquisitive as Hunny however; he often stopped his cousin before Hunny could ask, again, where the bruises had come from.

Sakura's eyes kept straying to the nearby table, to where Hikaru and Kaoru sat entertaining their customers with their act.

Every time she looked at Kaoru, she found he was looking back. Whenever she caught his eye she would turn away quickly, a blush creeping up her cheeks.

Stop looking at him! She chided herself. He was just another guy; not worth a second glance. So why did she keep catching herself glancing over at him?

Kyoya's ever-observant eye didn't miss the glances Kaoru and Sakura kept shooting at each other, or how they'd both look away, their faces tinged red. Every time he saw this, he felt a stab of hope and worry; he hoped that maybe Kaoru and Sakura would maybe end up together- it would be good for Sakura, to learn how to trust again. But, though he wouldn't admit it under the threat of death, he was terrified for his cousin; if Kaoru broke her heart, he didn't even want to think about the consequences that would have.

I can't believe I let myself get to attached to her; if she gets her heart broken, it shouldn't have any effect on me. Though he repeated this to himself countless times, he knew he wouldn't be able to bear it if any harm came to Sakura.

I probably never would have gotten to this point; actually connecting with people, if it hadn't been for Haruhi. He glared at the small figure on the opposite side of the room, deciding to blame her for his worry and fear for his cousin.

Kaoru was literally twitching in his seat as he fought to keep his eyes and attention on his clients.

"Kaoru-kun, are you all right?" One of the girls finally asked. "I'm fine." He laughed nervously, brushing off the comment with a wave of his hand. An idea flashed in his mind and he put a hand to his face, looking as sad as he could.

"It's just that… Hikaru can't seem to keep his eyes off you lovely ladies, and I feel neglected." He said sadly. Hikaru, catching on, seized his brother's chin and pulled him close.

"Don't worry brother…" He murmured. "I promise to give you extra attention tonight." The girls all turned bright red as they squealed their approval of the brotherly love act.

The next day, Saturday, Sakura was trying to get a little extra sleep when the door opened.

"Miss Ootori-san, your presence is requested downstairs." A maid said with a bow. Sakura stretched and yawned, irritated that she wasn't going to get to sleep in after all.

With a resigned sigh, she stood and cleaned herself up and dressed before coming downstairs to find Kyoya waiting for her, his arms crossed and his eyes flashing with irritation. Standing beside him was Tamaki.

"Tamaki-san?" Sakura yawned, rubbing her eyes. "What on Earth are you doing here?" She asked.

"Ah, hello Sakura-chan! I'm here because I thought we could use some family bonding time!" Sakura blinked slowly. "Family bonding time?" She repeated in disbelief. Kyoya sighed and put a hand to his forehead.

"Tamaki, Sakura doesn't need to come along." He said. "No, I want to." Sakura said suddenly. She wasn't looking forward to being cooped up in the house all weekend- she needed some sort of activity to keep her distracted.

"Yay! Let's go!" Tamaki cried, dashing out the door. "Where are we going?" Sakura asked Kyoya as they left the house.

"Tamaki didn't say." Kyoya rolled his eyes. "But it's somewhere stupid, I'm sure." He muttered.

They got into Tamaki's limo and found the rest of the Host Club there.

"Morning everyone." Sakura yawned as she slipped into the seat between Kyoya and the window. Everyone nodded a greeting.

No one said anything as the limo sped off, leaving the Ootori mansion far behind. Even the normally hyper Hunny was quiet, yawning and rubbing his eyes as he clutched his bunny to his chest.

"We're here!" Tamaki cried suddenly, leaping from the limo before the driver could open the door for him. Sakura came out after him and looked around, getting more irritated by the second.

"You dragged us out of bed for a carnival?" She growled. Tamaki grinned widely. "It's a commoner tradition to hold one of these annually! I thought we should all come and learn more about commoner culture!" He cried, sweeping his hand around in a grand gesture.

"Ooh! Cotton candy!" Hunny cried, pointing to a stand. Without a word, Mori placed him on his shoulders and wandered off towards the stand.

"Come on Haruhi! Let's go play!" Tamaki grabbed Haruhi by the hand and dragged her off into the crowd. Only the twins, Sakura and Kyoya were left standing by the limo.

"Now what do we do?" Hikaru complained. His brother shrugged. They stood silently, gazing around at their surroundings.

"Well, this is boring." Sakura said with a roll of her eyes. "We might as well enjoy ourselves while we're here." She took a step towards the nearest arcade.

"Oh no. You're not going alone." Kaoru came up beside her. Sakura looked up, shocked to have him there.

"Will you be all right with Kaoru-chan?" Kyoya asked, looking down at her. Sakura nodded. "Hey, I'm here too!" Hikaru protested.

"All right. I'll be here, but there's no way I'm going to an arcade." He said, heading to a nearby park bench and sitting down, pulling out his laptop. Sakura shrugged and led the way to the arcade, intrigued by the flashing lights and blaring music.

"We could try one of those games too- they have better prizes." Kaoru pointed out, nodding to stand where you had to hit the balloons with darts. Sakura brightened immediately; she'd played those games before, and she wasn't too bad at them.

"Come on then!" She called, dragging Kaoru by the hand to the stand. Hikaru followed, looking slightly put-out .

"Bet I can hit more balloons then you can." Hikaru bragged to Kaoru. Kaoru smirked. "You're on." He said, putting a fistful of money on the table.

Sakura set her own money down and picked up a dart. She aimed carefully then sent it sailing through the air, popping a balloon.

"This is fun." She said with a grin, grabbing more darts and tossing them, hitting a balloon each time. She didn't notice Hikaru and Kaoru missing most of their shots; apparently they didn't have very good hand-eye coordination.

"Let's play a different game." Hikaru sniffed when he'd used all his darts. "OK." Sakura agreed, accepting her large pink bear.

Hikaru led the way towards another game, one where you had to shoot water into a target to race a few cats.

Sakura set her bear down beside her and sat down on the stool next to Kaoru.

They hit their buttons, shooting a steady stream of water into the target.

A group of girls had surrounded them, cheering on the twins. Sakura glared at them, upset that this fun day out had turned into just another Host Club meeting.

Hikaru narrowly beat out Sakura and Kaoru to win, and the girls clapped enthusiastically.

"Teach us to play!" They all cried hopefully. Hikaru hesitated, glancing between his brother, Sakura, and the girls.

"They'll just follow us around if I don't." He finally shrugged, sitting back down. "Go take Sakura around; it won't be fair if she's stuck here." Hikaru said. Kaoru stood still, glancing awkwardly between his brother and Sakura.

"Just go." Hikaru insisted. "I'll catch up with you later." He said. Kaoru sighed and turned, leading Sakura way from the games.

"So what do you want to do?" He asked as they walked along. Sakura shrugged, suddenly wishing she had stayed home.

"Saka-chan! Kao-chan!" They both looked up, each sighing with relief as Hunny skipped up to them, Mori right behind him.

"Where's Hika-chan?" Hunny asked, tilting his head. Kaoru nodded to the suddenly crowded racing game. "Entertaining." He replied.

Suddenly two familiar figures came up, one tall, blonde, and grinning, the other short, brunette, and scowling.

"Are we done yet?" Haruhi sighed as she came up. Tamaki looked towards the sun that was starting its slow descend and sighed with disappoint.

"Alas, even the most glorious day must end!" He lamented, putting the back of his hand to his forehead.

"I'll go get Hikaru." Kaoru said abruptly, spinning on his heel and racing back to where they'd left his brother.

"Let's go find Kyoya." Sakura suggested. "I'm right here." Sakura jumped three feet in the year and whirled to see Kyoya standing behind her.

"Don't do that!" She accused, though she was laughing at the rush of adrenaline.

"OK got him! Let's go!" Kaoru called as he dragged his brother away from the crying girls. They hurried to their limos, eager to get home and rest.

Sakura collapsed into bed that night, tired and confused. Why had she and Kaoru both acted to weird towards each other? Yesterday they'd been so close… now they seemed miles apart.

Why can't things ever be simple? She thought bitterly.

14