The sun is just now starting to set as I walked down a neighborhood street a little slowly. I think I was going so slow because I knew what was lying in store for me, and to be honest it was something that made me feel slightly uncomfortable. I probably should have seen it coming when Kyon-kun entered the clubroom during the lunch period, to announce that there would be no club meeting today. I felt something funny in my stomach when he uttered those words, probably because they had never came out like that before. I remained silent for the moment, continuing to brew a pot of tea as the discussion began. "No meeting?" Koizumi-kun asked. There was a slight hint of concern in his voice, but the smile that was always seen on him remained. "Whatever for?" "Haruhi isn't here today." Kyon-kun explained. I rose up from the pot of tea, pulling a wrinkle out of my standard uniform the club, a maid outfit which Suzumiya-san gave me, and forces me to wear. "Apparently, she caught the chicken pox, and is going to be out for the week." "A whole week?" I asked meekly. The teakettle began to whistle, so I picked it off the boiler and walked over to Koizumi-kun, pouring him a cup. Kyon nodded. "Hai. She's apparently stuck in bed or something like that." He paused for a minute, and put his hand to his chin as if thinking. "You know, the NORMAL stuff." There it was right there. The word that should never be used when referring to Suzumiya-san. It's hard to explain, but the one thing about her that always stuck out, was her hate for normality. Normality makes her bored, and making her bored leads to bad things. I poured Kyon-kun a cup of tea, which he smiled at as he took a sip. "I see..." Koizumi-kun replied, as he leaned back a bit in his chair. "Then the only logical thing to do would be to go and entertain our leader during her time in quarantine." "Unfortunately, I agree." Kyon-kun replied taking another sip. "The only problem is, I won't be able to go." There was a tone in Kyon-kun's voice that told me that it wasn't such a problem. It was probably because of how... irritated he can be when dealing with Suzumiya-san. That, added with the fact that he's the only person in the class she will talk to, probably meant he could use a break. Still, I pressed on. "Why not, Kyon-kun?" I set the tea back on the boiler to keep it warm. "I haven't had the chicken pox before." he replied with a somewhat satisfied sigh. I'm not sure if it was from my tea or the thought of him being excluded from having to deal with the situation for today. "So, I can't go without risk of catching it myself." "O-Oh, I see..." I replied nervously. "What about you, Koizumi-kun?" "I'm afraid I have not had them either, Asahina-san." he replied, still smiling. He glanced over at Nagato-san, who was lost in another one of her books. I am not even sure if she was really paying attention or not. "I'm fairly sure that Nagato-san has not had them either." Nagato-san let out a small nod as she turned the page in her book, and continued reading. I let out a small sigh as I felt both Kyon-kun and Koizumi-kun glance over in my direction. I'm not sure if this was planned or not. I'm not even sure if Espers and aliens are immune to chicken pox or not. However, considering that someone like Suzumiya-san can get them, then I guess it is probably not impossible for them to get the itchy spots either. "Asahina-san, what about you?" Kyon-kun asked. I looked up at him, noticing an apologetic look in his eyes. "Have you had them before?" I froze for a moment as I thought of an answer. If this were one of those old cartoons, I'm sure two miniature versions of myself would have appeared on my shoulder, one in a devil costume, and one in an angel costume. To make matters worse, I'm sure both of them would have been coaxing me into saying that I haven't had them either. For a moment, I honestly wish I could've been one of those people who didn't care. "I... I have had them before." I heard myself admit, and felt both the mini devil and angel me kicking me in the behind. Koizumi-kun closed his eyes, his smile grew a bit wider. "Then I guess it will be up to Asahina-san to keep our Suzumiya-san company during her time of sickness." Both Kyon-kun and Nagato-san nodded. I knew they were right. By physical means, I was the only one who possibly could, at least I'm fairly sure anyways. I jumped a bit as I heard Kyon-kun clear his throat, causing me to snap back to reality for a moment. "Seems like it." he replied to Koizumi-kun, the apologetic look in his eyes still there, probably because he knew I was going to be completely at her mercy. "At any rate, you may want to actually leave early today so you can get there. I doubt making her wait for such a thing would be in anyone's best interest. Just fake being sick or something like that, so it‘ll look like a legitimate reason to leave." I sighed as I knew he was right. Both Koizumi-kun and Kyon-kun left the room, obviously giving me some privacy to change back into my school uniform. After all, it wouldn't look normal for me to be walking down the street, much less around the school in it. I hesitated for a moment as I began to hang it up, but then realized that it might come in handy, so I quickly tucked it away in my school bag, making sure to fold it up nicely before I left. I took a sigh and made to exit the clubroom. I took one last look back at Nagato-san, who gave another silent nod, and then made way for the house of one Suzumiya Haruhi. I snapped out of my thoughts about the events leading to this moment as I reached a yellow painted mailbox. I gazed down at the name, reading it carefully to see that the word "Suzumiya" was indeed inscribed on it. Looking up, I gazed at the house that rested ahead. I don't know what I was really expecting. I guess knowing Haruhi, I in fact expected something... different. Maybe I was thinking that she got her uniqueness from someone else in her family. The house was a standard looking, two-story one. The color of it matched that of the mailbox, with neatly trimmed bushes resting against the house. The shutters and door were painted an orange color, not really one that jumped out and screamed look at me, but that was more serene. It was not really what I was expecting at all. I took a deep breath as I walked up the pathway that lead to the house. I still had questions as to what I could possibly do to keep her entertained. Maybe the two of us could play a game, or maybe watch a movie for a bit. Did Haruhi even have such things? Maybe they were too normal for her to enjoy. I didn't really have time to think much more about it though. The orange front door that lead to inside now stood in front of me. I took one last breath, and pressed the doorbell. I waited, and at first heard nothing. Was she even home? Maybe she went on a hunt for an Esper or something to that nature, and used the chicken pox as an excuse to get out of class for the day. I fidgeted with the bottom of my skirt for a minute, and then pressed the doorbell again. I waited another moment. At first nothing was coming from within. I sighed, and started to turn around, when I heard the sound of footsteps coming down what was probably a hallway. I quickly turned around in time to see the door open, and Suzumiya Haruhi standing in the doorway. She was wearing an orange tank top with a bunny on it, and a pair of matching orange shorts, that probably didn't come much past her thighs. Her hair was down, no ribbon or anything in it, like she normally wore. A bunch of red dots, resembling freckles lined their way across her body. She was sweating a bit too, probably from a fever she was running at the time. I blushed lightly as her eyes met mine. I have to admit, she looked kind of cute, probably because I have never seen her in such a way before. "Mikuru-chan?" she called. She leaned out the door a bit, looking around. Maybe she was trying to see if Kyon-kun and the rest had come too, or maybe because I was the last one she expected from our group to be here, aside from maybe Nagato-san. "What are you doing here?" "W-Well, I... I thought that maybe you would like some company while you are sick, Suzumiya-san." I replied. It wasn't a lie, though not the full truth either. Her gaze shifted a bit, as if in thought. "You really don't need too." Haruhi replied. "My parents are out of town for the week, and I've managed for a full day so far. How hard could it be to last a full week?" I smiled weakly at the thought. Knowing what can happen when you get bored, it could be very hard, probably for almost everyone in the world. "W-Well... It's just... Your teacher thought someone should be around to keep an eye on you." I began to explain. "They thought of Kyon-kun first, but since he never had chicken pox before, he couldn't come. Th-They went through the other members of our club, and I was the only one who could..." Another half lie, half truth, but she appeared to be buying it. Besides, there wasn't much else I could do at the moment. That, and I had no clue exactly what it was I was going to do. She appeared to be in thought for another moment. "I'm old enough to take care of myself." That was an answer I didn't expect. That is, until she grabbed my hand and started to pull me inside. "But since you walked all the way over here, I guess I you can stay!" She had a slightly weaker, yet cheerful tone in her voice. One that showed that she was sick, but either way she was still Suzumiya Haruhi, leader of the S.O.S Brigade. Still, it felt weird. Normally her hands were so warm, and probably a bit... forceful. This time, they were clammy, and I probably could have gotten out her grasp if I desired. That would probably not be for the best though. Haruhi tends to be happier when she thinks she's in control, even when she's really not. She brought me into her house, and again I was a bit surprised, if only because it appeared as an ordinary, everyday house. Nothing was out of the ordinary. The floors were made of a nice hard wood, rather shiny at that. The walls were painted a nice cream color, with various pictures of flowers and such hanging about the walls. Suzumiya-san began to show me around her house, pointing out where various rooms were, like the kitchen, den, bathrooms, and the like. For a moment, it almost sounded as if I was in fact her first houseguest. I hesitated at the thought for a moment, but realized that was probably true. I can't really imagine her having to many people over, if any. As far as I know, which is what Kyon-kun told me, she never even spoke to anyone other than him before the Brigade was formed, and now, she never talks to anyone outside it, save for Kyon-kun's little sister. I snapped back to reality as we went up the stairs, stopping outside of a door with the word "Haruhi" written across it. She smiled a bit as she walked over to the door, releasing my hand in the process. I looked down for a bit, and released mine too, though I was a bit surprised. Had I been holding her hand the whole time? "This is of course, my room!" Suzumiya-san announced. I smiled briefly, but weakly. The thought of being alone in a room with her still made me feel a bit uneasy, and I could feel a faint blush reach my cheeks. She seemed not to notice this though. She merely turned to the door, and opened it up slowly. Unlike the rest of her house, the room screamed Suzumiya Haruhi. The walls were painted a violet color, much different from the cream color of the other house walls. Her bed was rather messy, which meant she probably just got out of it not too long ago, the covers having a moon and star pattern over top of them. She had a green stuffed cat that was tangled up in the sheets, it was kind of cute really. My eyes gazed over to a poster I noticed on her wall. It had a picture of a flag on it, the Canadian one to be exact, with a giant question mark plastered over top of it. I couldn't help, but wonder where she managed to find something like that. A computer desk sat over by a window, with of course, a computer sitting on the top of it. I glanced at it closely, and recognized it as one of the ones from the computer club. My first instinct was to ask how it got there... Nevertheless, I decided against it, and continued to look around. My eyes then glanced over at a bookshelf, and my eyes widened a bit. The shelf was loaded with books. Sure, about eighty percent of them were all covering three certain things, those being Espers, time travelers, and aliens, but the fact that she had so many... Even Nagato-san might get jealous from them. Once again, I was snapped back to reality by Suzumiya-san's voice. "So, what do you think?" she asked me. "It's very... nice." I said. I wasn't going to say it was different or unusual. Even if it is, I couldn't help, but like the way she decorated it. Maybe it was because it was just... expected. I watched as she walked over and hopped on the bed, gazing at me with waiting eyes. I knew exactly what it was she was waiting for. "Did you bring it Mikuru-chan?" she asked in a curious, hinting, and slightly weaker voice. I knew what it was. Slowly, I reached into my bag, and pulled out my uniform. Suzumiya-san grinned as she moved off the bed, and began to walk to me. I felt a shiver run up my back as she pulled one of the shoulders down on my school uniform. I took a deep breath. This was almost an everyday thing, I should be used to it by now. Every time she did it though... I couldn't help, but feel a bit... restless inside. I squeaked as I felt her hand press up against my breast, giving it a quick squeeze. Her smile grew as she picked up the maid outfit, and slowly began to slip it on me, after she dropped what was left of my school uniform to the ground. She began to hum a bit as she dressed me in the costume, though her hands were a bit shaky. I watched her with nervous eyes. Suzumiya-san usually seemed to enjoy dressing me up, but... She seemed happier to be doing it this time. Was she that bored before I arrived? "You know, Mikuru-chan..." she began. "You always look so cute in your outfits, but..." "B-But?" I replied. I noticed a look of concentration appear over Suzumiya-san's face. I felt my restless rise a bit, as she began to walk around me slowly. Her body was a bit more shaky, but that didn't seem to distract her. She came back to the front of me and grinned. "Mikuru-chan, I think it's time for your new outfit!" she announced. "N-New outfit?" I questioned. "Hai!" she replied. I watched her slowly start to rip the maid uniform off me. An impossible to miss blush rose to my face. Suzumiya-san seemed excited, like she had been waiting for an opportunity like this. It wasn't long before I was down to my bra and panties, which once again earned another feel up from her. She seemed to squeeze a bit longer this time, and smiled as she turned face, and then walked to her closet. I waited for a minute as she seemed to be looking for something. I heard the sounds of hangers being moved to the side and a cheer as she pulled a hanger down and walked out, carrying something behind her back. "S-Suzumiya-san?" I asked. "You're gonna love this one, Mikuru-chan..." she replied, grinning a very... plotting grin. She pulled the costume out and presented what in fact looked like a tiny, white, furry bikini. My blush rose as she slowly pulled it off the hanger, walking close to me. I found myself thinking of backing away to the door, but my legs wouldn't respond. She grinned more as she slowly began to slip the costume on me. After getting the body on, she began to slip accessories on me to match. They included a pair of black cat ears, a set of four matching paws, and a tail. She smiled wider as she walked over to a dresser. Suzumiya-san opened the drawer, and pulled out what looked like leather collar. She slipped it around my neck, concentrating as she buckled it. She stepped back to admire it, giving a somewhat satisfactory nod. "Not bad, Mikuru-chan..." Suzumiya-san commented. She began to walk around examining my new outfit from all angels. I froze as I felt her latch onto me from behind, leaning close to my ear. Another shiver ran down my back, and I began to blush furiously. "Mikuru-chan... You really put the maid outfit to shame in this..." I bit my lip as she leaned closer, and began to nibble lightly at my ear. A suppressed moan and whimper escaped my lips as I shivered. I could literally feel the heat rising to my cheeks. Thoughts began to race through my mind, much quicker than normal. How much was Suzumiya-san enjoying this? Why was I having these weird feelings this time? "H-Haruhi-chan..." I whimpered. Haruhi-chan? Since when did I call her that? "A-Are you feeling alright? M-Maybe you should lay down for a bit!" "But Mikuru-chan..." she whined a bit, leaning up close to me. I felt her cheek brush up against mine, it was burning up. My eyes widened. The fever, it had to be the fever! "I wanna play some more..." I was about to protest some more, when I felt the weight against my back increase. I felt a lump in my throat, and my stomach a bit nauseous, yet light at the same time. Slowly, I began to turn my head to the side, trying to get a better view of Suzumiya-san. A sigh escaped her lips, her eyes resting shut as she leaned against my back. She somehow managed to fall asleep that way. I slowly turned around, managing to catch her in my arms, and somehow managed to drag her towards the bed. I had never been that physically strong. Add that with my mind drifting in a random direction, and it became a bit more difficult that it would have normally been. Still I managed to succeed in getting her to bed. I managed to tuck her in securely, and sighed again. "Th-that was definitely... different..." I said aloud, though quietly. I looked down at Suzumiya-san, and felt myself blushing again. "I should go make some tea... Hot tea would be good for her." I quietly slipped out of the room, shutting the door behind me gently, and began to make my way towards the kitchen. I frowned as I got there. Suzumiya-san never did show me where she keeps things like that. My eyes drifted around the kitchen. She luckily kept a teakettle sitting on the stove, or rather her mother did. That of course, left the issue of finding some tea. I began to quietly open up cabinets, looking around for some sort of tealeaf. I had some of my own... But I left that upstairs in Suzumiya-san's room, and felt that going back up now would possibly disturb her rest. Eventually, I managed to secure a box. She had quite a large box of green tealeaves. I never knew that she liked that kind so much, but tea was tea. I set the kettle up, and began to brew some of the beverage. I leaned against the counter for a moment as I spotted a phone hanging on the wall by the door to the kitchen. "I... I s-should probably call Kyon-kun, and let him know everything is alright..." I decided. My voice was still shaky a bit. Suzumiya-san must have gotten to me more than I thought. I walked over to the phone, removing one of the cat paws on my hand in the process. I picked the phone up, and dialed his number. It rang several times, almost too many, causing me to think that he wasn't going to answer. Finally it picked up, and I heard a familiar sigh. "Hello?" Kyon-kun said. "Konichiwa, Kyon-kun. It's Mikuru." I replied. "Oh, Asahina-san, I was wondering about you. How goes it with Haruhi?" "F-Fine, everything is alright..." I told him, another half and half. Those were becoming more common suddenly. "Haruhi-chan is upstairs asleep right now, and I'm making some tea for her." "Haruhi-chan?" he replied, a slight hint of confusion in his voice. Did I call her that again? "You must've been through one hell of an afternoon, but seeing as how we're all still here, everything must be alright." I bit my lip hesitantly for a second. "H-Hai, everything has been fine..." A little bit interesting... A lot different, but fine. "She didn't... You know... Do her usual things to you, did she?" he asked me, concern in his voice replacing the confusion. I dropped the phone, and quickly scrambled to pick it back up. "N-No! She's been fine, really." There was an awkward silence for a moment, as if he was thinking. I bit my lip once more, mentally beating me up for lying like that. Also, I started wondering why I did lie? That wasn't even a half and half... "Huh... I guess even she can't beat sickness." Kyon-kun replied. He sighed, as a small clatter was heard in the background, probably his little sister. "Well, I've got to go. Whatever you're doing, keep it up, Asahina-san." "H-Hai, I'll keep you updated." I answered. The phone clicked, Kyon-kun hanging up. I hung up the phone to match, and sighed. The sudden sound of the kettle whistling filled my ears, causing me to jump in the process. I ran over to it, and took it off the stove carefully. I placed the kettle and two cups on a tray, and began to carry it towards the stairs, when I stopped. "A piano?" I asked aloud, though I didn't really expect an answer. I followed the sound down the hallway, back towards the den, and found Suzumiya-san playing it. When did she get up? How did I not even hear her come down the stairs. She didn't appear to notice me come into the room yet, and I didn't want to disturb her. I had never really listened to her play the piano before, and it was quite nice. Suddenly, the music stopped, and I felt a pair of eyes fall on me. I looked over to the piano, and saw her brown ones looking back into mine. "If you're gonna listen, then come sit down." she replied, a smile on her face. "I don't bite, Mikuru-chan." Bite? No. Nibble? Yes. I nodded, and made my over to the couch. Suzumiya-san followed suit by climbing off the piano bench, and taking a seat on the left cushion, leaving me with the right one. I slowly sat down the tray, and began to pour us both some tea. I watched as she cooled it a bit, before taking a sip, smiling as she did. I followed suit, until I felt her eyes on me again. "I-Is everything alright, Haru... Suzumiya-san?" I asked. "Hai." she replied, taking another sip. An awkward silence fell between us, but her eyes never left me the whole time. I could feel yet another blush rise to my cheeks. What was she staring at exactly? Did I have something on my face. "S-So... Who taught you how to play the piano like that?" I asked, trying to make conversation. "I did." she answered, her eyes beamed as she smiled proudly. She taught herself to play that well? "Did you like it?" "H-Hai, it was quite good." I replied. That was an understatement. It was probably better than most concert pianists could probably dream of playing. "Can you play the piano, Mikuru-chan?" she asked, setting her tea down on the tray. "N-No." I answered. It was true, I didn't have an ounce of musical talent in my body. "I'm not very g-good at musical things." She seemed to smile wider at this. "I can teach you. Come on, give it a try!" I watched as she rose to her feet, and walked back to the piano. She turned and looked back at me, expecting me to follow. I nodded slowly, and set my tea down. I walked over to the piano bench, and sat beside Suzumiya-san. She nodded as she took my hands, and positioned them on the keyboard in the correct manner. I felt that funny feeling inside again, and my blush deepen as she held her hands over top of mine. It wasn't a perfect fit, as even though she was taller, my hands were slightly bigger. Slowly, she began to press her fingers against mine, guiding me along through a song. I kept my gaze down, trying to avoid hers, but at the same time, I could feel her gaze on me. "Mikuru-chan is better than she said..." Suzumiya-san said rather closely, her breath was brushing against my neck. I shivered, and slowly looked up. She was smiling, but the smile was different again, and I found myself helpless not to smile back. Her nose began to scrunch up a bit, and a small yawn escaped her lips. That time though, I knew she wasn't bored. She was tired. Her nap that she took upstairs hadn't lasted maybe more than about fifteen minutes or so tops, and she was sick as well. She leaned her head against my shoulder, another blush on me again. "Mikuru-chan... Make me something to eat..." she half-whined, half-ordered. I glanced over at the clock on the wall, and noticed that it was in fact about that time for dinner. I smiled over at her, and nodded. "Hai, anything in particular?" I asked her. "Ramen cup." she replied bluntly. I watched as she climbed of the bench, and took my hand again, leading me back to the kitchen. She walked over to a cabinet hanging over the stove, and pointed. I reached up, and opened it finding exactly two cups, one chicken and one beef. She smiled as she eyed the chicken one, which I knew meant that she wanted that one. Suzumiya-san walked over to the kitchen table, and sat down waiting. I could feel her eyes on me the whole time, watching me intently. I finished preparing the cups, and handed her the chicken one and a pair of chopsticks. I was about to head to the chair across the kitchen, when she coughed lightly. "Mikuru-chan." she called. I turned to her as she pulled the chair out beside her. "Sit." I looked hesitant for a moment, but shook the feeling off. Taking the seat beside her, I quietly began to eat my ramen. I still felt her gaze on me, and slowly looked up. She was staring at me quite intently. "Mikuru-chan." she called again. "Hai?" I asked back. "You've got a noodle on your cheek." she replied. She took her chopsticks, and reached up, picking the noodle off my cheek. "Itadakimasu, Mikuru-chan..." She smiled as she slowly held it out in front of me, and then slipped the noodle into my mouth. I don't think I've ever been more red. There was silence after that, but it wasn't as awkward this time. It was somewhat comfortable. Granted she did watch me as I ate, still intently, almost fascinated. She smiled as a yawn escaped my lips. "Are you tired, Mikuru-chan?" she asked me. I bit my lip for a moment, but nodded regardless. She smiled and nodded back. "Then let's get some sleep." Once again, she reached out and took my hand, guiding me back upstairs. I think I expected it that time, so I let her do what she needed to. Until I realized that we were back in her room. I brushed a piece of hair behind my ear, and looked down for a moment. "Sh-Should I stay in another room?" I asked, hesitantly, yet gently. Suzumiya-san shook her head. "My parents don't allow anyone else to stay in their room." I bit my lip. "I... I don't have anything to wear." Why did I say that? I noticed the smile on her face as she walked over to her dresser, and pulled out an outfit similar to the one she had on. It was a purple tank top with a frog on it, and a pair of matching purple shorts. She smiled as she brought them over, and once again began to undress me slowly. She groped me again, this time squeezing and holding her grasp there from sometime. Her hand began to make circles while doing it, causing my squeal to be a full moan. A satisfied sigh escaped her lips as she put my sleepwear on me for the night, and then slowly sat on the bed. She scooted a bit to the side, and patted the mattress, showing that she was waiting for me to take a seat beside her. I nodded, and walked over, slowly sitting on the bed with her. The mattress was very soft, almost surprisingly so. "S-So... What sh-should we do now?" I asked. I looked over at Suzumiya-san, and she didn't seem quite ready to sleep just yet. "Talk." she said with a nod. I hesitated again for a moment. She just wanted to talk for a moment. She never specified what either. I thought about it for a moment, and decided to talk about the Brigade. After all, she didn't get to see them today, and wouldn't for about a week's time. "Well..." I began, voice a bit shaky as I felt her brush a strand of hair out of my face. "Koizumi-kun put up a bunch of new posters around the school to give the Brigade some more publicity!" I looked over at her, but noticed for once she seemed... uninterested. Maybe if I kept going, she'd catch interest. "Kyon-kun went to help him. And when they went to put a flyer over the stairs, Kyon-kun tripped and fell on top of Koizumi-kun! They looked a little like a yaoi couple! Koizumi-kun was still smiling, but Kyon-kun didn‘t look too happy..." I began to giggle as I told the story, the image of it happening flashed back in my head. It something I would have missed if I didn't leave early. I glanced back to Suzumiya-san who didn't look amused at all. In fact, she seemed to be... bored by the conversation. I looked down at the floor for a moment, and suddenly felt her put a hand on my shoulder. "Mikuru-chan, I probably should've been more specific." Suzumiya-san said. "I meant, I wanted to talk more about you." I blinked in confusion. "Me?" She nodded, and I tilted my head a bit. "B-But why me?" Suzumiya-san rose to her feet, and began to walk over to a window in her room. She gazed out of it for a moment, leaning against the glass as she did so. "Because... You were the one who came to check on me." she replied. "I didn't expect Yuki to... Kyon... I'm not really sure. I think I was expecting at least a call or something from him or Koizumi-kun." I watched nervously for a bit as she turned around. A blush was starting to work its way to her cheeks, as her eyes met mine, and then drifted back down to the floor. I bit my lip a bit, and she began to go on more. "Mikuru-chan? I guess what I'm trying to say... Is... well..." "Suzumiya-san?" I asked. She was starting to shake. Slowly she walked over to me, sat beside me on the bed once more. She looked hesitant, almost nervous... They were definitely ways I had never seen her before. She took a deep breath, and brought her eyes to mine, placing a hand under my chin. I suddenly began to feel very warm. "I just wanted to say... Arigato, Mikuru-chan..." she concluded. My heart suddenly began to beat faster and faster. I stared her in the eyes, as she met mine as well. I began to feel her pull me forward, closing the space between us until our lips were meeting. My face turned solid red. I couldn't figure out how to react. I don't think I did. We simply sat there that way for a moment or two more, before our lips drifted apart. "H-Haruhi-chan..." I whispered. I was at a loss for words. She rose back to her feet, and suddenly turned away. "G-Gomen, Mikuru-chan... I... I just got lost in the moment... But... But I've wanted to do that all day..." I blinked in confusion. Was she ashamed? No... She was embarrassed. She thought I was mad. The interesting thing was... I wasn't. I slowly climbed off the bed and walked over to her. My legs shaking a bit with every step until I was right behind her. My hand reached out, and slowly met her shoulder. She turned around slowly, still blushing, probably more than I was. "Haruhi-chan, what is it?" I called her that again, twice in a row. But it didn't seem as weird this time. "Gomen, Mikuru-chan." she repeated, her voice slightly weaker, but still sure of herself. "For always dressing you up... For playing with you like that... It's just... I... I've always thought you were... Different from the others." "Different?" I asked her. "You... You never seemed annoyed with me... Even when I do all those things." she replied. "I mean... The others are different... Yuki is always reading, and I really don't think she likes me... Kyon acts like it's a chore just having to talk to me... And who knows what Koizumi-kun is probably really thinking half the time... You though, you don‘t mind talking to me... I mean, you sacrificed your whole day to be with me, and you didn‘t complain about it once, or seem annoyed." I remained silent as I listened intently. I could tell this was hard for her. It was almost as if each sentence was a struggle, but I could tell they were coming from the heart. Her gaze left mine, and fell to the floor once more. "Gomen..." she repeated a third time. "I did all that even though you may not have wanted it, but the thing is... that I only did it because... Well... I... Um... I like you... A lot..." My heart skipped a beat. Did Suzumiya-san... No, Haruhi-chan admit a confession to me? Yes... She did. In her own way, she basically told me that she loved me. I felt many things starting to rush through me all at once. I don't think I ever imagined myself in this position, but... It felt right. I acted like it was uncomfortable, but... I always had this strange feeling when she did things like undress me, and grope... Now that I think about it, I think I felt the same. I found myself reaching out to her chin slowly, and lifted it, making her gaze meet mine. "H-Haruhi-chan... Do you... Do you really mean that?" I asked her. Haruhi-chan nodded in response. She slowly reached up, and began to stroke my hair gently. "Hai... I've... I've always thought you were pretty... No, beautiful... You're so nice and honest... And you help me out in so many ways... I can't even imagine trying to make the club what it is without you..." Haruhi-chan found herself silenced as I put my arms around her, pulling her into a hug. She looked at me, with what looked like sad, yet loving eyes. I felt the love she had for me, and I could feel the same slipping out and meeting her. "Haruhi-chan..." I whispered lightly. "I think... No, I know... I like you a lot too..." I brought my lips to hers, and wrapped my arms around her frame lightly. I could feel her arms slowly wrap around me, and a light moan escape her lips. We slowly pulled apart, and I smiled as I saw the familiar smile I loved so much. "I think we should sleep now, Mikuru-chan." Haruhi replied, gazing towards her bed. I nodded slowly and walked towards it, her hand holding mine tightly. I helped her climb into the bed first, and she began to scoot over, making room for me. I climbed in beside her, and felt her wrap her arms back around me, pulling me in close. I sighed in the warmth of her hold, and felt her kiss my forehead lightly. "Arigato, Mikuru-chan..." she whispered sleepily. I smiled and brushed my hand against her cheek. "No... Arigato, Haruhi-chan..." It was probably the quickest week that passed in my life, and I found myself wanting to relive every moment as it happened. I don't think I could possibly imagine life now with Haruhi-chan... And I think she felt the same. I was sitting in my desk in class, anxiously awaiting the bell to ring. It would be lunch period next, which meant I could finally see her again. My foot tapped repeatedly against the floor. Eventually, the bell did ring, and I walked out of the classroom quickly, making my way to the Brigade room. It was empty for the time being, save for Nagato-san reading off in the corner. I changed into my new uniform, and then began to brew a new kettle of tea. The doorknob turned, and the door opened slowly, as Kyon-kun and Koizumi-kun both entered the room. Kyon-kun took immediate notice of my cat costume, and his face turned a slight crimson as he looked away. "W-Well..." he said still somewhat calmly. "It looks like you survived a week with Haruhi. Though I see she gave you a new uniform..." I nodded. "It wasn't too bad..." I told him. It was a lot better, but Haruhi-chan insisted we keep it a surprise. "Well, I guess the main point is, you're still alive, and the world is still in one piece." Kyon-kun responded. "All in all, a happy ending then." Koizumi-kun added with a smiling face of approval. It was at that moment, that the door swung open, and Haruhi-chan walked in the room. "Konichiwa, all!" she cheered happily as she walked into the room. "The Chief is back in full force!" Kyon-kun sighed. "Lucky us..." Koizumi-kun nodded at Haruhi-chan, closing his eyes briefly. "It's good to have you back, Suzumiya-san." Haruhi-chan nodded in reply, and glanced over at me. She smiled widely, her eyes narrowing in the process. I grinned back sheepishly, as she requested when she got this idea. "Mikuru-chan..." she called seductively, making her way to me slowly. I began to back away nervously, up against the wall. She pressed her hand against the said wall, leaning closely to my face. "You really make one hot kitty..." I began to squeal as she pressed her palm against my breast. I glanced over her shoulder to see Kyon-kun raise out of his seat, and begin to make his way over to us. He paused about half-way, when Haruhi-chan turned around, both of us looking at him. "Mikuru-chan..." Haruhi-chan called again. "Yes, Haruhi-chan?" I replied, slightly nervous now at the impending result. "Kiss me..." she replied. I obeyed. Our lips pressed together, as our arms wrapped around each other tightly. Kyon-kun's eyes widened. A trickle of blood came out of his nose, and then he hit the floor.
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