"Can we slow down, Hikaru?"

I was getting a little nervous. This wasn't my first time on a motorcycle with Hikaru; since we started dating, he had opted for taking me around on his motorcycle instead of the usual fancy limousine. I was skeptical about riding at first, but I learned to trust him. I even stopped wearing a helmet at one point, much to my boyfriend's disdain. But I only reasoned that I trusted him enough to be a rational motorist and that there was no need for a helmet as long as he was the one driving.

The speed that the machine was going now though, was unnaturally fast, even by Hikaru's standards.

"Hikaru!" I said again, twisting around to face him. "Can we please, please, slow down?"

I couldn't see what his face looked like behind his helmet (I still forced him to wear one, though I didn't myself), but his voice gave away a hint of a smirk.

"Are you scared, Haruhi?"

I tried to steady my nerves and didn't reply. My heart was beating too wildly for my liking. I tried to distract myself by allowing my eyes to glance at the blurs of countryside that we were passing, but the sight only made me realize how fast we were actually going.

The boy behind me seemed to sense this, and he spoke again.

"Okay Haruhi… If you're really getting nervous then take off my helmet and put it on."

"What? No!"

"Just do it, I know you're starting to freak out."

"I'm not going to take it off of you."

"Haruhi…"

"Just slow down, Hikaru!"

He nuzzled into my shoulder.

"I only want to enjoy this moment. Doesn't it feel like we're flying?"

I had to admit that the sensation really must have felt that way somehow—I could only guess, anyway, since I didn't have wings and couldn't experience flight firsthand. So I just nodded mutely, but still felt the urge to argue.

"I still say that we're going way too fast."

The thing suddenly shot forward, and we were going faster than before. I gave a little scream. Hikaru's arms squeezed tighter on either side of me. It was the closest thing to a hug that he could give me right now, given the fact that he was controlling the motorcycle with his hands.

"Relax."

"How can I relax when you're being reckless?" I whimpered.

Hikaru sighed. "Maybe if you put on my helmet, you'll feel better."

Knowing that I was going to contend with him, Hikaru tried again.

"Your dad won't ever forgive me for letting you ride without a helmet. What if he finds out, huh? You want this to be our last date?"

That got me.

Reluctantly, I turned around a little and removed Hikaru's helmet. I sighed inwardly at the way his flame-like locks suddenly came to life with the wind, and how those liquid amber pools made up his eyes. I felt so plain whenever I was next to him, but Hikaru always said that I made him feel that way.

I placed the helmet on my head, covering up my own chocolate-colored tresses.

"Okay, I put it on. But for heaven's sake, you should decelerate this thing just the same!"

He only laughed lightly.

I clenched my teeth. "Godammit, Hikaru. Slow. Down!"

"No," he said. "I want to stay this way forever. Flying down the road with my Haruhi."

I smiled at this unexpected comment, and was glad that the helmet hid my blush from view. We were quiet for a few minutes.

Hikaru suddenly kissed my shoulder.

I was a little puzzled, not knowing his motive. But there was something about him that was beginning to unnerve me; for some reason, I felt as though something wasn't going right. But then…

"I love you Haruhi, you know that?"

"I know. Now slow down, okay?"

I had no clue why he was bringing up the romantics out of the blue. It wasn't like him to be gentle or cheesy, though I secretly enjoyed the moments when he was, which really wasn't very often. So the next thing he said made my heart melt.

"I love you, Haruhi."

His tone was almost pleading. Vaguely, I wondered why, but it seemed so immensely important.

"I love you too, Hikaru."

--

The next thing I knew, I was lying on a hospital bed and the Host Club was around me.

What had happened?

Then flashes of it came back to me; speeding down a road on a motorcycle… the terrible sound of a crash…

"Hikaru!" I cried.

Tamaki was beside me in an instant, but he wasn't the one I was looking for. The blonde tried to comfort me anyway.

"You're okay. You're fine. You broke a few ribs and an arm, but nothing more, thank God. Rest, Haruhi."

Rest? I couldn't rest; I needed to find out if Hikaru was alright... Then I caught sight of Kaoru, who was crying silently in the corner. Hunny had an arm around him. Why was Kaoru crying if everything was okay? Unless…

I gulped. "Where is he?"

No one answered.

"Where is he?" I screamed this time.

Kyoya adjusted his glasses and cleared his throat, but said nothing. Mori only looked down, and Hunny kept his gaze on Kaoru. It was up to Tamaki. I looked up at him pleadingly.

"He's gone."

It didn't register. He couldn't be! It was impossible! But the look on everyone's face proved otherwise.

"What?"

"He's… gone, Haruhi. The doctors said it was because… Because he wasn't wearing his helmet…"

Something in that sentence stirred my memory.

Of course he wasn't wearing his helmet… I was.

"This is my fault," I broke down wildly in Tamaki's arms. "I couldn't make him slow the motorcycle down... I was freaking out so he gave me his helmet… I still told him to slow down, but he just wouldn't listen…!"

I trailed off when I realized that everyone looked at me now. Their expressions were unsettling… Then Hunny decided to speak for them this time, and his eyes were wide and glazed with tears.

"But Haru-chan… He couldn't have slowed down. You crashed because… Don't you remember? The brakes were broken."

--

"Can we slow down, Hikaru?"

I'll pretend I didn't hear that—not what you just said, but the tone by which you said it. You were getting frightened. I didn't want you to be, so I didn't tell you what had been going on for a while now. The truth is, I realized what's happening halfway down the road, but I just can't bear to tell you...

"Hikaru! Can we please, please slow down now?"

Your voice sounded serious, and you had turned to look at me. Your eyes said it too… you were afraid. I couldn't let that happen, so I faked a smile when I answered your question with a question of my own.

"Are you scared, Haruhi?" I asked, though the answer was glaringly obvious. You didn't answer, and you probably assumed that I was doing this just to mess around with you. I'm not, I swear. I wish I was.

"Okay Haruhi… If you're really getting nervous then take off my helmet and put it on."

Just as I expected; you argued with me. You keep on saying no, even though I can feel that you're just as afraid as I am. But you don't know that… You're still thinking of me; you want me to be safe. But it's my job to keep you safe, and I'll make sure I do that until the end.

"Haruhi…"

"Just slow down, Hikaru!" you said in that tone you always use on me to get what you want. Of course, you don't know that that's what your voice does to me every single time, and it pains me when I know I can't give you what you're asking for. For now, I'll just try to make light of the situation.

"I only want to enjoy this moment. Doesn't it feel like we're flying?"

Yes, flying. That's how you should see this, Haruhi. We're just flying...

"I still say that we're going way too fast."

I know that…

Oh, God.

You screamed when the motorcycle revved and sped up. I wanted badly to panic too, but that won't help anything. So instead, I said…

"Relax."

"How can I relax when you're being so reckless?" you retorted. The fear in your voice was clearly evident now, and I sighed.

"Maybe if you put on my helmet, you'll feel better."

I wasn't about to give you another chance to say anything back, because I knew that you were only going to refuse. I'll try a different tactic, and I knew this one will work.

"Your dad won't ever forgive me for letting you ride without a helmet. What if he finds out, huh? You want this to be our last date?"

But of course, I knew it might be.

Right after I said that, you unwillingly faced me and took my helmet off. Before you put it on, I gazed into your face. You looked so pretty. Your hair was whipping out behind you as we coursed down the road. Your eyes were sparkling and your cheeks were flushed. I'm so happy to have such a cute girlfriend…

"Okay, I put it on. But you should decelerate this thing just the same!" you told me.

I put on a false grin and even laughed a little. You weren't amused, apparently...

"Godammit, Hikaru. Slow. Down!"

"No. I want to stay this way forever. Flying down the road with my Haruhi."

I had you taken aback. You said nothing more, and for a moment we were speeding down the road in silence. You don't know how bittersweet this is to me, but I guess I'm glad all the same. After all, you're with me, and I've done my best to keep you safe for now. That's all that matters. You being so close to me, it's like I'm in heaven already. When I breathe, I take in your scent. Did you know that you always smell like strawberries, Haruhi?

You're too tempting. I kissed your shoulder.

"I love you Haruhi, you know that?"

You still didn't say anything, and you're probably wondering why I'm being so sentimental. But please, I just want to hear you say it. I just want you to be the last thing on my mind.

"I love you, Haruhi."

Say it… Please just say it. Let me hear one last time.

"I love you too, Hikaru."

I smiled and closed my eyes.

A/N: Yeah. I was inspired by one of those chain message thingys where you have to pass the story to more people or else the love of your life will leave you or something like that... Anyway, I made a story out of it! I know it's a tragic one again though. Gomen...

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