It's snowing again. Man, why does it always have to snow in winter. I mean I know why in scientific terms it's just the clouds getting so could the water solidifies before it gets too heavy it to simply fall as rain. Yet still I find my self asking why. Maybe after so much time with Haruhi I am starting to believe everything that happens has a reason. At least that would justify the last few years.

Now if you're wondering why I am outside on such a cold winter day and not hiding away under the bed covers like I usually do in the Christmas holidays. It's because of you know who, Haruhi Suzumiya has invited me out for a meal. Why is she being so generous you ask?

Well in her words it was: "If the grunts of an army are not happy then they will rebel against the general and take over rule. I have to do something like this once in a while to avoid a rebellion. Don't you understand!"

And since I am the only 'grunt' I am the only one who is showing up. I would gripe about being referred to as a lowly worker when all I do is just about everything for the SOSBrigade . . . sorry, turns out I am griping about it.

Haruhi had picked a cafe just near the train station. The same place I had tried to convince her aliens, espers and time travellers really did exist and walked with us. I think it was the same place we all discussed the predicament of Shamisen talking and also where we kept going during our endless summer. I guess that cafe is officially a safe heaven for nut bags.

I walked inside and dusted off my shoulders. Snow fell to the ground with that usually sound of a pillow hitting its bed. I could go for a nap right now if you ask me. Anyway, I looked around and saw that the cafe only had a few customers today as would be expected. One of the customers being Haruhi; sat in the corner eyeing me with the usual look of an empress looking at a displeasing offering from a peasant pleading for his life.

"Hey." I said putting my coat on the back of a chair and sitting on another. "I'm surprised you still came with all this snow."

"I'm more surprised you dragged yourself out of bed." Haruhi scoffed.

I was only making small talk.

"Winter is the lazy season." I agreed not wanting to piss her off.

"There is no lazy season for the SOSBrigade. We must strive all year round to fulfil our quest's objective." She said angrily. I was pissing her off without even trying, this isn't really air is it? And how is having something to eat at the cafe fulfilling an objective.

"After this, we're going to the forest near school."

"What? Why?" I asked.

"It's snowing like crazy Kyon. All humans are hiding away at home, this is the perfect time for mysterious creatures to come out and do stuff." She doesn't even know what the 'stuff' entails.

"Am I still allowed to have some food?" I asked now a lot less enthusiastic about the fact she was still paying.

"Yeah yeah, just order something small. Did you bring your wallet?"

I looked up with a slight scowl. I had brought it just in case this happened. Every part of my body wanted to scream "No! No I don't my wallet because you said you were paying." But with something like this I was too much of a coward and just put my wallet on the table without a word. Defeated.

"Good, you can pay for your half." Haruhi exclaimed. My half? What about hers?

"I'm paying for my side of course." She looked at me as if this was what always happened and I wasn't robbed of all my money every time the SOSBrigade ate food or did anything that required money.

With a few cups of green tea in my stomach to keep me warm and a hot sandwich to keep me even warmer I paid my share of the bill and we set off into the wiled white yonder. The forest was a picturesque scene like the ones on Christmas cards. Haruhi was already running ahead of me into the distance.

"Hurry up Kyon! They might try and hide if they see us coming!" She yelled.

They'll surely hear us if you yell like that.

After about an hour of tireless searching Haruhi leaned on a tree.

"This isn't fair!" She yelled kicking a pile of snow. It went everywhere and some managed to works its way into the back of my shirt. Don't you hate that feeling. "Where are all the UOCs and rare animals and portals to other worlds!" I assume she was just getting desperate and listing anything she could think of.

"They probably don't like the cold either." I shrugged. Without warning Haruhi threw a lump of snow in my face. The cold shivered my bones and I quickly tried to wipe it away. "What the hell was that for?"

"You need to be more dedicated Kyon! If we can't find them we need to force them out." Haruhi attempted to step forward but must have snagged a root or something; she fell into the thick layer of snow. Before I could even start to help her up she scramble up onto her knees and looked at her shivering hands. "I lost my gloves." She said looking like a child about to cry. Haruhi -with no regard for how quickly a cold can set in- started digging in the snow with her bare hands.

"Haruhi. . ." I started.

"Shut up Kyon! Just go home, I don't need you looking for UOCs with me. You're just getting in the way." She barked at me. I was tempted to take that offer but the cute look of desperation on Haruhi's face stopped me. I grabbed her arm and pulled her up. "I said go Kyon! Why are you st-" Haruhi stopped barking at me when I took off my own gloves and put them on her hands. They were a little too big for her but they were warm. Without a word I then leaned down and stuck my hands into the snow at two points, coming back with two very wet gloves. I put them in my coat pocket.

"We'll dry them later okay?" I nodded and started walking away.

"H-Hey where are you going?"

"Yetis don't find themselves Haruhi." I heard the crunch of snow behind me signalling that Haruhi was running after me.

We still didn't find anything but Haruhi didn't seem to mind. She was however still shivering.

"Haruhi, it's freezing and getting colder. Let's just go back to the cafe and warm up." I said. She looked at me with a grumpy look at first but it softened and she smiled.

"Oh all right. Big baby." Yeah, she's the shivering one and I'm a baby. With that statement from Haruhi we started heading back towards the streets.

Even though we were out of the woods, Haruhi -who wasn't really wearing a coat. More of a thick jacket- was still shivering. I sighed before deciding to do the nice thing and take off one of the two coats I was wearing. What? It's a cold day. She took it without any real reaction.

Although I complain a lot and say I hate doing this kind of thing. Seeing a cute girl look so desperate and dig for her little gloves with quivering hands like in an anime makes it a little more worthwhile. Even if that cute girl is Haruhi.

-end-