My Choice

Chapter 19

Haruhi was tripping over the legs of her jeans as she pulled them up her legs, over her hips. She grunted as she fell backwards onto her bed, "Dammit… I need to slow down…" Pausing in her movements, Haruhi took a few slow, deep breaths to sooth her pounding heart.

Her mind began to wander back to the day she had sought refuge in the church during the storm. The thunder had echoed menacingly around her, forcing her to try and retreat within herself from the terrifying screams and howls of that taunting thunder. Hikaru had come to find her… and she felt so safe. His arms, as the wrapped around her, made her feel safe… like she was meant to always be in those arms. He soothed her fear just by holding her and placing his headphones over her ears. That ignited the fire within her, her love for him burning her from the inside out. She couldn't lose him, no matter what. So she'd fight for him, even if she spent the rest of her life fighting after he's moved on.

Haruhi had finished getting dressed and dashed out into the common space of the apartment. She pulled her coat on, not bothering to button it up, and ripped the door open.

She let out a small yell as she saw two identical boys standing just outside her door; One's hand was raised midair to knock on the door. "H-Hikaru. Kaoru."

Kaoru gave her a smile, trying to tell her silently that everything was going to be okay between the three of them. Hikaru stepped forwards, pulling Haruhi into his arms and burying his face into her hair, breathing in the sweet scent he's come to get so use to.

"Haruhi…" He whispered softly. After standing there, holding her tightly against his chest, he finally let her go and smiled, "May we come in?"

Haruhi stuttered, not sure what this all meant, "O-Of course. Come on i-in." She stepped aside, hanging her coat back on the hook and asking them for theirs. After she hung their expensive designer coats on the extra hooks, she led them into her bedroom; A safe place for her to be since she felt so comfortable in there, and they couldn't gain the upper hand in such a sanctuary.

The bed dipped as Haruhi sat on the edge, her nerves started to spike as Hikaru sat beside her and Kaoru in her desk chair. She eyed the younger twin, wondering what sort of conversation was held between the two after he left. Hikaru surely knew the truth now… So what did it mean for her? "Hikaru, I-"

"It's okay, Haruhi. I forgive you, so let's just drop it and never bring it up again." Hikaru's lips were pulled upwards in a genuine smile, eyes sparkling in their normal happy way. His hand gently grabbed hers, a sign for her to stop being so rigid and relax.

Haruhi sighed, nodding, "Forgive and forget, right?"

Hikaru didn't answer, instead he squeezed her hand and began speaking to the both of them, "Everything is fine between the three of us. We're still friends, the three musketeers. We'll still go to class together, eat lunch together, go shopping together- much to Haruhi's disinterest. Nothing is going to change between us… except for the fact that I won't let the two of you be alone for a while."

Haruhi laughed softly, "Even when we weren't together, Hikaru, you barely ever let Kaoru out of your sight and alone."

Haruhi was truly surprised. Knowing Hikaru's past outbreaks over smaller things, she was expecting him to completely break down and start screaming at her. It was no secret that he couldn't handle his emotions that well. He got so mad and upset when her middle school friend Arai walked back into her life for those short days in Karuizawa. She cheated on Hikaru with his brother Kaoru, so she was expecting something much bigger than his emotional outbreak with Arai. Seeing that he was so calm, that he wasn't letting his emotions go to his head and control him, that he was forgiving and forgetting… Haruhi had to smile at that. Hikaru was showing her that he was maturing, changing, able to have a better control on his emotions.