Finally the wait is over! Part 3! Yay! There may be some OOC...ness...but I did my best! It's longer than Part 1 but shorter than Part 2 lol. Please enjoy!!
Disclaimer: I do not own The Melancholy Of Haruhi Suzumiya / Suzumiya Haruhi No Yuutsu.
The Cat And The Dog
Analogy Part 3
Understanding
"I told you I'm fine! Now drop it!" Haruhi scowled at Kyon.
It was Monday, the day after their little adventure in the woods, and Kyon had just reminded Haruhi that she had sort of been crushed by a tree.
"And when Koizumi found us and asked us if we were okay you said, and I quote "More or less." Which obviously was saying something!" He continued anyway.
"But that was before! I'm fine now!" She yelled back.
"So you were in pain before?" He asked.
"Yes but-"
"So your telling me that, even though a giant, fully-grown oak tree landed on top of you and almost killed you via suffocation, you're fine." He clarified skeptically.
"When you put it like that it sounds weird." Haruhi lowered her voice a bit. "But its true! So stop nagging me!"
The five of them were in the clubroom, Yuki reading away as usual, and not paying any heed to the argument, Mikuru whimpering in the corner, wanting them to stop, and Itsuki seated in his chair and trying to reason with them. Kyon and Haruhi were standing, face-to-face with their fingers balled into fists from irritation at the other as they glared.
"Whatever." Kyon said after a moment. "Just do what you want." He stepped away from her, grabbed his bag, left the room and slammed the door shut behind him. Mikuru and Koizumi stared after him in shock, while Haruhi's anger faded slowly. Then, she seemed to realize what she had done.
"Wait." She said in a small voice. "Wait! Kyon!" She called, racing towards the door.
"Let him be, Suzumiya-san." Koizumi, who had stood up now, gently grabbed her wrist. "He was just upset because he was wrong. He thought you were hurt and you weren't, and I don't think he likes to be proven wrong." He smiled, coming up with the best excuse he could think of.
He knew that it was not true, but he had to make Haruhi believe that he would come back to them, lest she destroy the world.
"He'll come around." He added with as much reassurance as he could muster.
Haruhi knew that what he said was a lie, despite his trying to make it sound realistic. But then she considered that she should leave Kyon alone for a while, so she exhaled slowly and turned back around. Koizumi let her go.
"Everything's gonna be fine." He smiled, resting his hand on her shoulder.
She did not meet his eyes, but lowered hers and walked past him.
"Dismissed." She ordered in a low tone.
She sounded as though she was sick all of a sudden, and she looked tired. The sparkle was gone from her eyes and the authority from her voice.
As the others left without another word, she was about to follow them when the door closed and the last person was gone. She locked the door and then went back to her chair. She rested her elbows on the table and buried her face in her hands.
Before she knew it she was crying like a little kid who had lost their puppy, which, in a way, she had.
Soon, she slumped forward so her arms formed an enclosed barrier around her face as she lay her head down on the table. She tried to quiet her gasps so no one outside heard her, which failed.
A certain someone was just walking back towards the clubroom, wanting to apologize when he heard her sobs. He stopped outside the door and tried to peer inside, but the small blind was down. He was about to knock and call out her name, but then, something stopped him, and he knew not what.
He sighed and leaned against the wall. Maybe its because I don't know what to say. Or maybe its because I'm afraid she won't forgive me. He contemplated.
Eventually, he decided that he would speak to her tomorrow before class started.
And then, he made the worst mistake of his life, by leaving there that day without having done anything, as Haruhi continued to cry.
The next day, Kyon walked through the classroom entrance, still unsure of what to say to her.
But when he looked up, he saw that the seat behind him was empty. He glanced around the room, but did not see her anywhere and she was never late unintentionally.
So he sat down, almost greeting the empty chair behind him.
During lunch and all throughout the classes, Kyon was expecting to have his chair pulled from under him, or his head smacked with a notebook, or having to hear complaining about the cold temperature. But none of it happened.
Maybe she'll show up at the end of the day. She's done it before, skip everything and then show up for the last class.
But even after he had gone to the clubroom, apologized to everyone else about his behavior the prior day, and been forgiven, she still had not shown up.
Kyon just hated days when she was absent; it was so quiet and awkward.
But he absolutely despised and detested that day in particular, for he pretty much knew that he was the reason she never showed up.
Snow was flurrying down from the skies the next day as the students walked to school.
Some let out shrieks of glee, and others grumbled at the snow.
Kyon grumbled.
As he walked into his first class, he again noted that Haruhi's seat was vacant.
However, she was there, except she was sitting at a desk on the far side of the room. Her head was buried in her arms again, and she did not look up when the new people she sat around tried to talk to her.
Instead of Haruhi, Kyon now had some random girl sitting behind him.
He honestly had not paid much attention to her and did not know her name, but he could just tell by first glance that she was a total airhead. She had blindingly yellow hair, and wore the skimpiest clothes ever to hit the market. She blew a pink bubble from the gum in her mouth and chewed on it like a cow. Every other word from her mouth was 'like', and Kyon desperately wished for Haruhi back.
Why did she change seats anyway? He asked himself, taking his seat with a heavy sigh.
He glanced over to his Brigade Leader, slumped onto her desk in a miserable heap of clothes and hair. Now, he was really kicking himself for not apologizing to her earlier. Well I really shouldn't have to apologize, I was just asking her of she was okay. But why would she go missing school and then change seats? Maybe that was the last straw. Maybe…maybe she won't forgive me this time. Maybe its over…Kyon trailed off as dread at the possible truth of his thoughts overcame him.
He could not imagine his life without Haruhi; it would just be…normal…and boring!
She would probably pursue the supernatural on her own but… But what was it that Nagato, Koizumi and Asahina-san had said? That Haruhi had chosen me? So, does that mean that if she didn't have me anymore, she would give up? No.
Kyon shook his head vigorously, unable to imagine Haruhi living a normal life. If she tried doing that, she would kill herself going crazy for sure.
Kyon just pushed the thoughts to the back of his mind and tried to concentrate on the teacher.
When class was over he had successfully taken all of the required notes, but despaired in the thought of having to eat lunch with that annoying girl sitting behind him, and having to watch Haruhi eat alone.
Well, he only had to deal with one of those problems.
Haruhi did not eat.
Kyon felt a tap on his shoulder and turned around slowly, not wanting to face the blonde or take his eyes off of Haruhi.
"What?" He asked, somewhat tartly. The girl just smiled at him, while at the same time chewing her gum with her mouth wide open.
"So, um…like…" Kyon groaned, knowing that it would take a while before she actually got the words out.
"Yeah, um, so…do you like…um, have those notes that we were like supposed to be like taking?" She finally managed to get her sentence out between pops of her bubbles.
"Yes." Kyon scowled, knowing what was coming next.
"So, yeah. Do you like think that I could like, um…copy 'em?" She asked dumbly.
"No sorry, take your own notes for a change." He retorted.
Then she started to laugh loudly as if he had just told a good joke.
"Please?" She leaned forward; smiling that fake smile those girls give you when they try to steal your work.
She blinked multiple times and Kyon suddenly understood that she was hitting on him.
With an annoyed growl under his breath, he whipped around in his chair and glowered at nothing.
The girl snickered, but said nothing more.
Kyon looked up to see if anyone had witnessed the little performance.
Only one person did.
The one person in the entire world that Kyon prayed would not have seen it.
She stared at him with horror on her face, shock in her eyes, and betrayal tinting her every feature. She stared at him with dismay for a moment, before she tucked her head into her arms again.
He imagined what it must have looked like to her. She probably only saw that girl laughing and giggling, thinking that I was being funny and having a conversation with her that made her laugh. She probably thinks we were flirting. He shuddered at the word, and at the thought of what he had done to Haruhi.
He was about to stand up, cross the room, and explain to her and apologize, but the teacher walked in just then.
"Alright everyone lunch is over! Get back to your seats!"
With all the reluctance in the universe, Kyon sat down, and could only stare in dismay as Haruhi dashed from the room.
The final bell rang, and Kyon made a run for the clubroom, praying that she would be there, even though it seemed highly unlikely.
Just then, he stopped when he saw Itsuki walking the opposite direction of the clubroom.
"Koizumi, you're not coming again today?" He asked.
The other boy grimaced slightly as he fought for words.
"Well, you see Kyon, there is no club meeting today. There's a sign on the door that reads that all of the members should just go home today. The door's locked. You see, I think Suzumiya-san is inside by herself, and she didn't sound too good. She's been in the nurse's office all day, much to her displeasure. And right now, the closed spaces seem to just get bigger and bigger and more unstoppable. This is a really bad situation." He murmured. "But I think we all know what to do if we want this all taken care of." He winked at Kyon.
"I know! I want to go apologize to her as soon as possible but she won't even look at me. And you said she's locked herself in." He sighed.
"Kyon, the fate of the world depends on your conversation with her and you think that I'm going to let a door get in the way?" He asked with a smile.
Kyon just stared at him, thinking he was planning on breaking the door down until Koizumi flashed a smile and tossed him a key.
"You stole her key?" He asked, disbelievingly.
"It wasn't hard." He grinned. "Good luck." And with that Kyon was racing towards the clubroom.
He wondered why Haruhi would even be in the room. Why wouldn't she just go home? Kyon asked himself. But he did not want to think about it.
He was glad she had stayed, for if she had not, then things would only get worse and worse, for their relationship, and the world.
Kyon halted outside the door and was quiet. He heard small noises coming from inside, but they did not sound like sobs; he could only classify them as whimpers.
Slowly, he slid the key into the locked door, turned it, and twisted the knob.
The door opened only a crack at first, before Kyon gathered himself and walked inside, closing the door behind him.
Haruhi, who had been sitting in her usual chair and had been facing the window, whirled around with a sharp gasp.
"K-Kyon!" She sounded relieved at first, and he saw joy in her topaz eyes. But then it quickly faded, leaving her eyes blank and desolate.
"Haruhi, listen to me-"
"And why should I?" She snapped, unexpectedly. "I thought you had feelings for me too, and just because I got my seat moved, I see you flirting with some random, brainless-"
"Wait, wait, wait!" Kyon put his hands out in front of him. "Back up. You got your seat moved?" He asked.
"Yes! Well actually it was because of that other girl. She got into a fight with someone who sat next to her so she got her seat moved. Of course she had to switch with me, just when I was going to-" She cut off, like she had given away a secret she had sworn not to tell.
"You were going to what?" Kyon took a step forward.
Haruhi took a step back in response.
"What do you care?" She fumed at him.
He could see small tears forming in the corners of her eyes.
"I was going to apologize okay? I'm sorry Kyon…" Her voice trailed off, going from a shout to a whisper.
Suddenly, before she could comprehend what was happening, she was in Kyon's arms.
He leaned down and kissed her, feeling her heart skip.
She did not resist, however, and only pulled away when she needed air.
"What are you apologizing for? I'm the one who's sorry." He mumbled.
"No, you were just concerned, I was just stupid." She lowered her gaze.
"No I was! And I'm sorry about today too! That dumb girl wanted to copy my notes and I told her off and she started laughing like a maniac and-"
"Okay! Okay! We're both sorry, we were both acting stupid, we'll never do it again, and we still love each other!" She clarified. Then she gasped. They both knew that they loved each other but she had never came out and said it like that. A blush crept across her cheeks.
"Precisely." Kyon agreed with a grin. After a moment, Haruhi began to fidget uncomfortably.
"Ano, Kyon? Could you let go? I'm still a little sore." She mumbled, pulling away from him. He loosened his grip immediately and let his hands fall from her back.
"Haruhi-"
"Let's not start this again." She cut him off. "It doesn't hurt so bad that I feel like I'm going to die or anything, just aching. It'll go away soon enough, so don't bug me about it." She huffed. "When I went to the nurse, she said that I really shouldn't even be in school right now and that I should have gone to a hospital but…" She stopped when she saw Kyon's face.
He stared down at her in disbelief and worry. Then he grabbed her wrist and started pulling her towards the door.
"Kyon!" She mentally slapped herself for letting the part about the hospital slide. "I don't have to go to the hospital, she just suggested it!" She protested.
But he ignored her.
"I know we should have done this right after we came back." He grumbled as he pulled her along.
She tried to plant her feet, but the school's flat tiles did no good for her. Then, Haruhi sighed, as there was no other choice and she twisted her wrist, flipped it, and was free.
"I'm not going Kyon, what'll my parents say when they get back? And besides, it'll cost money." She pointed out.
Kyon stopped and cursed in his mind.
Haruhi nodded to herself for successfully defeating Kyon.
"Fine." He sighed. "You win. But you've gotta promise me you'll take it easy for a while. When are your parents coming home?"
"Next week." She told him. "Yours?"
"Same." He said. "Let's go get our bags and head home." He suggested.
On their walk back home, the snow was still falling steadily, and neither had brought a coat for the unexpected weather, which Kyon addressed aloud.
"Yeah, but I love the snow!" Haruhi told him.
"So wait, you hate the rain, but you like the snow?" He asked.
"No. I love it!" She chirped, dancing through the flakes.
"Whatever." Kyon walked behind her at a normal pace, feeling the waves of hyperness flow off of her.
The few cars that were on the road were moving along sluggishly, and the couple seemed to cover more ground in 5 minutes then the drivers did.
Haruhi scooped up a ball of white and threw it at Kyon, hitting him in the shoulder.
"I can't believe you didn't see that coming!" She laughed.
Kyon just rolled his eyes at her, letting her think that he was not going to partake in her game.
Haruhi sighed and turned around and began walking again when she saw that Kyon was not going to return the fight.
Or so she thought.
Once her back was turned, Kyon reach down and picked up a handful of snow, quietly packing it into a ball.
Unfortunately, he failed to feel that there was a chunk of ice mixed in with it.
He aimed and chucked it at Haruhi, who was actually half expecting it. She spun around, not knowing that it would be so close to her face. The snowball collided with her face, and she expected to only feel the soft, cotton of the snow.
And Kyon only expected her to flinch a little.
Neither got quite what they were expecting.
Instead of the soft fluff, something hard and cold smashed into Haruhi's face. Kyon heard her gasp in pain, before she fell roughly to the ground.
"Haruhi!" He raced over to her and helped her sit up.
"Ow." She complained, rubbing her cheek and tilting her head up to prevent the upcoming nosebleed.
"I'm so-"
"I know, I know. I guess you can't help it if you can't tell snow from ice." She laughed. "Dumb dog." She sniffed a few times, but the nosebleed was inevitable and the white snow was soon red. "Do you have a tissue?" She asked him. Kyon wanted to try apologizing again, but knew she would ignore his efforts.
"No I don't. Just hold your nose." He told her, helping her stand.
Unhappy that she had to walk with her face up to the sky, Haruhi had to walk slow so she would not trip over anything. After a few moments, she sniffed and then smiled with satisfaction. "Better?" Kyon asked.
"More or less." She quoted herself.
The snow was still falling, piling up in thick layers onto the street. There were no cars now, so everything was silent around the two besides the chirping of a cardinal. The sidewalk and the street were now on about the same level thanks to the snow, and they did not realize that they were actually walking on the street.
Haruhi thought that she heard a car coming from behind, but when she looked back, saw nothing. She shrugged, until she heard the noise again, but still she saw no cars in either directions. She was more on the street than Kyon was, he was nearer to the sidewalk. Yet as far as they knew, they were both still on the sidewalk because they could not tell from the snow.
Again the noise of a car came to Haruhi's sharp ears, but, thinking it was crying wolf again, she did not look back.
Big mistake.
The noise grew closer and closer and she finally spun around to see a large car speeding down the road from the ice. She was so shocked for a moment, that when she got her bearings, the car was only feet away from them.
Her reflexes were as fast as a bullet, and she hurled herself at Kyon, yelling, "Watch out!"
The two of them went flying off the road and onto the sidewalk, as the car sped away, not even stopping.
Haruhi and Kyon rolled over each other until they finally came to a stop in the snow. Kyon was dazed for a moment, not knowing what had happen. Geez. She rammed me with such force I'm lucky I didn't get a concussion.
His eyes finally began to focus and he blinked when he realized it was not snow he was lying on. He quickly pulled himself up as to not suffocate the girl underneath him. He suddenly remembered when the SOS Brigade had gone on their trip to the island together and he and Haruhi had fallen off the cliff. This was the same position they were in, only the rolls were switched.
Blood tricked from her nose, staining the pure snow. Haruhi's eyes were open in an instant and she looked up at him panting. "You okay?' She asked breathlessly.
"I should be asking you that." He stated.
"I'm fine." They said, simultaneously to one another.
Then they laughed and Haruhi sat up. When Kyon saw that she was still panting, he got concerned.
"You sure?"
"Yeah I just got the wind knocked outta me." She wheezed.
Kyon stood and shook himself off like a dog, and small flakes flew onto her. She pouted, but accepted his hand when he offered it. He pulled her up, but she only got halfway.
She fell right back onto the ground with a sickening 'thud' and a moan. She lay on her side, breathing quickly.
"Hey, are you alright?" Kyon crouched down next to her.
He shook her shoulder and she cringed at his touch. He pulled back automatically. What the Hell is wrong with her?
"Stupid…tree…" She managed to hiss through bared teeth.
Without another moment's hesitation, he slung both their bags across his shoulders.
"Wait." Haruhi watched him, and she tried to scramble up out of the snow. "No please don't Kyon!" She warned, halfheartedly frightened. "I'm okay! Really!"
He paid as much attention to her as a lion would to an ant. He picked her up carefully and proceeded to carry her home bridal style.
"Kyon." She complained. "Put me down. I'm still bleeding." She sniffed, turning her head as to not stain his shirt with blood.
He only put her down when they had reached her house.
"How do you know where I live, you stalker?" She teased, punching him playfully in the arm.
His counterattack was flicking her hard on her temple. "Ow!" She squeaked, rubbing her head. Kyon smirked.
"Do you have your house key?" He asked.
"Of course I do, dummy! What student doesn't when coming home from school when their parents are away? Did you really even have to ask?" She scoffed, pulling out a small silver key.
Once the door was open, she turned around to say goodbye and thank him, but to her surprise he was following her inside.
"Hey, now wait a second-"
"One Mississippi, okay what?" Kyon smirked at her.
"What makes you think you can just come in?" She quirked and eyebrow.
"Are you really going to make me walk back home in the snow?"
"I didn't ask you to bring me here. I'll give you a coat and an umbrella." She offered, trying any method to get him out.
"I don't think your clothes will fit me."
"You can use my dad's. He's not here, he won't care."
He gave her a look.
"Fine." She sighed heavily. "You can stay until the snow stops." He grinned, satisfied that he had finally won at something. "But you stay in the living room! No going anywhere you want! This isn't your house!" She warned.
"Yeah, yeah." He sat down on the couch.
"H-Hey! Take off your shoes! You're soaking wet!" Haruhi flung off her shoes and walked over to Kyon. "You're getting the rug all wet you big dummy." She whined. Kyon sighed, stood, and slid off his shoes, leaving them by the door.
Then, just to annoy her, he shook himself like a dog, spraying droplets of ice and snow about the room. "Kyon!" Haruhi protested, wiping her face dry. "You are just like a big, dumb dog!" She moaned.
"Oh come on it's just water, you spoiled, little, kitten." He reached out and ruffled her hair playfully and she ducked away.
"Ew, gross!" She complained. "You're getting me all sopping wet! I'm gonna make you sleep outside in another minute, you mongrel!" She threatened.
Then, with a flick of her chin, and a huff of exasperation, she stomped away up the stairs.
Kyon was still fascinated by the fact that she had suggested letting him sleep at her house at all. He sat there for a few moments, until Haruhi came back down the stairs.
She had changed from her wet school uniform, to a thick blue sweater and sweatpants. As she passed by him to go into the kitchen, she tossed a bundle of material at him, which when Kyon unfurled it, he saw it was a blanket. She did not give him a second glace as she passed, a small blush on her cheeks.
"Thanks." He told her. "Do you really think its that bad out there?" He asked.
In response to his question, Haruhi pulled away the curtains from a window to reveal the world outside. It was covered in white, just like in Winter Wonderland fairytales.
"Whoa!" Kyon jumped up. "No way! We were just out there a few minutes ago and it wasn't nearly as bad as that!" He exclaimed in pure shock.
"Well I'm sorry I don't control the weather Your Highness." She pouted, closing the curtains again. Without another word, she disappeared into the kitchen.
Kyon sat back down; still baffled at the pace the snow was falling at. After a few moments, he started to smell the delicious scent of food wafting from the kitchen. Finally, Haruhi emerged from the kitchen and appeared in the living room.
"Well come on! Dinner's ready!" She shouted to him, disappearing back into the other room again.
Dinner? For me?! Kyon started to wonder if she was sick, but stood and followed her.
Awaiting him on a large, wooden table was a bowl of miso soup, a bowl of rice, and a pouting girl. He took his seat across the table from her, and after they said their thanks, the two ate in silence for a few minutes. Finally, Kyon decided to break the silence.
"Did you make all this?" He asked.
"Of course not, you idiot! I can't make rice!"
"You know what I mean, you prepared it all right?"
"Unless it fell from the sky, then yes."
"You wish it fell from the sky don't you?"
"It would've been something interesting at least."
"It's really good." He complemented.
She opened her mouth to respond, but the only thing that came out was a surprised gasp. She had no reply to that.
She still isn't used to having people appreciate her. Kyon though with a small smile.
"What are you laughing about?" She mumbled.
"I'm not laughing about anything." He defended himself.
"You're giving me a weird smile."
"I thought you liked weird things."
Again, she did not reply, she just glared at him and continued eating. When they had both finished, Haruhi got up and placed her dishes in the sink and Kyon did the same.
"Thanks." She said unexpectedly, in a quiet, subdued voice. It took Kyon a moment to comprehend what she was thanking him for.
"You're welcome." He finally replied.
"You…you weren't just saying that to try and make me feel good were you?" A hint of suspicion stained her tone.
"No, I really liked it. I'm not going to lie about something I like. If someone gave me a brand new mansion or something I wouldn't lie and say I didn't like it."
"My cooking skills aren't equivalent to a mansion and neither am I." She pointed out.
"No, you're worth much, much more." He grinned. Pink flashed across her cheeks and she quickly looked away.
"Cut it out with the sappy, romantic stuff, you're creeping me out!" Embarrassment rolled off of her in massive waves, as she stalked into the living room.
She peeked through the curtains to see that the snow still had not slowed, let alone stopped. She sighed, knowing that she would have no choice but to let Kyon stay overnight. She sighed yet again, and sat down on the couch, and Kyon sat down next to her.
Although it was cold and most normal people would huddle closer to share body heat, Haruhi Suzumiya was not a normal person.
Shyness washed over her and she shifted to the other side of the couch, away from him. She glanced at a clock on the wall to see that it was 6 o' clock. The snow outside was making the clouds gray, and it looked much darker than it really was. Haruhi was beginning to feel drowsy for a moment, until Kyon asked her a question.
"Do you have a heater in here?" He asked.
"Yeah, but it broke a few weeks ago. My parents were going to have it fixed but they had already booked their trip and didn't have enough time to call and get it fixed. They're going to get it taken care of as soon as they get back next week." She explained to him.
"How long have they been away?"
"About two and a half weeks."
"So you've been living by yourself for almost three weeks in this temperature?" He asked, disbelievingly.
"Well you've been home alone about that long too-"
"But not in this freezing weather with no heat!"
"It's not that bad, it just gets chilly at night."
"Yeah, but this is the first time its snowing so it's gonna be a whole lot colder." Kyon pointed out.
"I'll live."
But Kyon grabbed the blanket from around his shoulders, and moved closer to her, draping half it over her shoulders. He pulled her over so that she leaned against him and they shared the blanket as well as body heat. Haruhi's heartbeat sped up instantaneously, and she tried to pull away again.
"Haruhi stop it." Kyon pulled her back. "Resistance is futile." He teased.
She pouted, but said nothing. They sat there for a few moments of awkward silence, until Haruhi broke it.
"Neh, Kyon?"
"Hm?"
"When did the whole 'Cat-And-Dog' thing between us start?" She asked curiously, failing to remember. He seemed taken aback by the strange question for a moment.
"Let's see…" He tried to think back to the first time the joke had been used. Finally he remembered. "As a matter of fact, you started it." He informed her.
"Really?" She sounded skeptical.
"Yeah. It was a few weeks ago when you…well…you remember you're whole choking-fit episode, don't you?"
"Ug! Don't remind me!" She groaned, placing a hand on her throat.
"Well, you first called me a lovesick puppy right before you had the choking fit that almost killed you."
He shuddered at the memory of her coughing away her life-supply of air, and pulled her closer. Neither of them spoke for a moment as they both remembered the horrible day not so long ago.
Kyon recalled the feelings of helplessness he had in not being able to do anything for her. He recalled the painful expression on her face and the memory of her suffocating right in front of him. Haruhi recalled the pain in her chest as she tried desperately to breathe, and she remembered how it felt to almost die by lack of oxygen.
But most of all, they remembered the feeling of the others' lips against their own.
Each one of them blushed, until Kyon spoke. "Yeah, I kind of was wondering why you chose to label me as a lovesick puppy."
"Well…" She responded, after thinking her answer over. "At the time, you were just staring at me with big eyes, like a puppy's. And, you were looking at me like you…loved me," She blushed. "Which, you didn't admit you did until a little while afterwards."
She nudged closer to him now as a shiver shook her body. "Judging by the circumstances, I think I picked a pretty good animal to describe you by." She ended her explanation with a satisfied smile. "And though I'm not entirely sure I want to hear the answer, why did you pick a spoiled cat for me?"
"Well I think that's pretty obvious." He smirked.
She jabbed him with her elbow.
"But I chose a cat for you because you chose dog for me." She stared up at him with utter confusion plain on her face.
"Well, cats and dogs obviously don't love each other, but I guess I was just trying to prove that since you're a cat and I'm a dog, that anything's possible." He tried to explain. Haruhi thought for a moment.
"So you're saying that you think cats and dogs should love each other and-"
"No! Not cats and dogs! Us! Anything's possible, and we can be together no matter what any one else says!" He clarified.
"Your logic is so messed up…" She shook her head. "But, I guess I can understand what you mean." She flushed cherry. "It's just…really weird how you described it." She laughed.
"Yes well, you're pretty weird too if I do say so myself."
"I'll take that as a complement, thank you."
"You're welcome, it was partially meant as a complement." He smiled.
Then he leaned down and kissed her quickly without warning. Haruhi was caught off guard but the kiss was over within mere seconds. Her cheeks were a deep pink for the next few moments.
"Hey, the 1st Century called. They want their flirtatious chivalry back." She pouted.
"No, they called again. They want their joke back." He countered jokingly.
The two of them laughed for a minute afterwards. Once the chuckles had died away, Haruhi yawned.
"Tired already?" Kyon asked. "It's only 6:15."
"I don't know why but, I've been getting really tired really early lately. I think it's because the seasons are changing and it's darker earlier now."
"Yeah I feel the same way." Kyon agreed, as he stifled a yawn of his own.
But Kyon did not think that she heard him.
She was propped up against his side, her head resting on his shoulder. Her deep breathing alone was signal enough that she was out like a light.
I didn't think she'd fall asleep that fast. He sighed.
Slowly, he wrapped his arms around her and stood, carrying her bridal style up the stairs.
Although he had been completely forbidden from leaving the living room, he searched for Haruhi's room, guessing which one was hers by the SOS Brigade symbol hanging from the door. Only as he reached the door did he hesitate.
Never being in any other girl's room before besides his sister's he did not know if it was such a good idea to go in without permission. But he was not going to let her sleep on the couch. So he leaned down and twisted the doorknob and pushed the door open.
Thankfully, there was nothing about the room that was bad enough to have him deserve a smack on the head for entering without authorization.
There were stars painted on the ceiling and small UFOs hanging from strings. Pictures from the Internet and newspapers clung to the walls. There were articles about strange creatures and unexplained occurrences. Some words were jumbled in a collage in bold print such as, Mystery, Unknown, Abnormal, Bizarre, and Uncanny.
Ducking away from a hanging spaceship, Kyon made his way over to a white bed near a large window. He pulled the covers away with some effort and then laid Haruhi down on her back. He stared at her for a moment, watching her serene face as she slept. She seemed so calm and exposed this way, breathing softly, with her hair pooling out behind her on her pillow, her chest moving up and down slowly…
Kyon pulled the covers back over her body and was about to leave the room when one headline in particular caught his attention: Unknown Creature Lurks in Nearby Woods.
Kyon walked over to the newspaper tacked to the wall and read the article that described a large, unidentified beast that lived in the forest by North High. It had interviews with eyewitnesses and ended in saying that the identity of the creature may never be revealed.
Kyon smirked when he read this.
This article had a large, red check across it, indicating that it was one mystery that Haruhi had solved. He also noticed that it was the only one in the room that was checked off.
Oh well, more for the SOS Brigade to solve. I just can't believe that we solved that mystery about the giant wolf. But no one else will ever know the truth, I'm betting.
Then, a small wave of pride washed over him in knowing that he was one of the only two people who knew the answer to that mystery.
He turned and headed for the door, but stopped when he heard a muffled moan behind him. He turned around to see his Chief pushing herself up from her bed and shaking her head to clear it.
"Ow." She mumbled once she had sat up, placing a hand on her stomach. Then, she seemed to notice her visitor. "K-Kyon! I though I told you not to come up here!" She was suddenly awake in an instant.
"Not really. You see, you told me not to leave the living room, but then you invited me into the kitchen, so I assumed you didn't really mean it, so I came up." He countered cleverly.
"That's not the point you stupid mutt! You shouldn't just come into a girl's room with no permission!" She spat.
"Sorry Queen Kitty Cat." He bowed jokingly.
She hissed, but let the subject drop. Then, he noticed that she was tracing circles on her stomach with her hand.
"You okay?" He walked back over to her.
"Sort of. I can't sleep on my back or my stomach yet because of that tree. It makes it harder to breathe. So I have to sleep on my side until the pain subsides completely." She informed him.
Kyon mentally smacked himself for not remembering the little tidbit that she had been crushed by a tree.
"Sorry." He apologized. "I forgot. I guess I wasn't thinking."
"Yes well, I wouldn't want to ask for any miracles now would I?" She grinned and he reflected it.
Haruhi yawned again a moment later and glanced out the window into the dark, snowy world.
"Wha?! It's only 6:30?! And I'm already so tired!" She complained, flicking her gaze around and glancing at the alarm clock on her bedside table.
"Well you know what they say, early to bed, early to rise." Kyon recited the phrase. Haruhi sighed.
"Yeah I guess you're right. I'm just not used to falling asleep so early. Here." She pulled herself from under the covers. "I'll go get you some more blankets." She said, eyeing the small, thin one around his shoulders. "I'm sorry you'll have to sleep on the couch, but you can't go in my parent's room, and sorry but you're not staying in here!"
She pulled another, thicker blanket from her closet and tossed it to him. "Hopefully they'll cancel school tomorrow because of the snow." She mumbled to herself as she passed him to retreat to her bed.
She did not bother changing clothes, for the sweater and sweatpants were comfortable enough to sleep in, especially in the cold, heater-less weather. Haruhi slumped back onto her bed and lay down on her side, with her back facing Kyon.
"Oyasumi." Kyon said softly, pretending to make his way across the room to the door.
"Oyasumi." Was the muffled reply.
Kyon crept silently across the room and opened the door, and then closed it but stayed in the room, making it sound like he had left. He stood in the same spot for a few minutes, until he heard Haruhi's deep breathing.
Then, he made his way back across the room and laid one of his blankets across her body so it covered her and dangled off the edge of the bed. He then sat down on the floor and leaned against the mattress.
He did not mind sleeping sitting up; he just wanted them to stay close to one another to share their warmth. Well, maybe it's also because she's so cute when she sleeps… Kyon shook his head, not wanting to think perverted things.
Then he let his head fall back and he closed his eyes, letting Haruhi's soft breathing and the whispers of the wind lull him to sleep.
When Kyon woke up, he noticed that Haruhi was now facing him, but she was still sleeping.
He glanced at her clock and saw that it was still a bit early and that he could have gotten at least 15 more minutes of sleep. But since he had gone to bed so early, he woke up early as well.
He was going to sneak out the door and pretend that he had spent the night downstairs, when the clock started beeping. Kyon cursed under his breath as Haruhi stirred and hit the button. He quickly stood up and tried to make it look like he had just come in.
Haruhi's topaz eyes blinked twice before they opened and focused, looking past the glaze.
"Ohayo, Sleeping Beauty." Kyon smirked down at her.
"K-Kyon!" She gasped, jumping and sitting up immediately. "D-Did you sleep in my room last night?!" She seemed more embarrassed than outraged.
"No I-I just came in." He defended.
"Then why is this here?" She held up the blanket she had given him that now rested on top of her. "And why would you come in my room in the morning anyway?"
"You looked cold, and I d-didn't know if you would wake up on time." He said whatever came to mind.
"Kyon, think for a second will you? Have you ever beaten me to school? No. And that's because I always get up early and on time. And besides, why are you stammering? You obviously slept in here last night you pervert!" She lifted her pillow and flung it at him. "Get out! And don't even think about coming in here again!" She huffed, as Kyon made is way to the door.
After she had washed up, Haruhi consulted Kyon to see if there was school that day.
"Let's see…" He glanced out the window, and even though it was still snowing, most of the snow was gone from the roads and there were a few very early risers on their ways to North High. "Yeah, I guess so." He sighed, disappointed. And then Haruhi asked him another question.
"Neh, Kyon, why do you always call me Sleeping Beauty?" She blushed lightly. Kyon gave her a simple answer.
"Because it's true."
Her blush deepened and he smirked.
After Haruhi had made them both omelets for breakfast, she changed into her school uniform. Then, Kyon was allowed to use the bathroom, and when they were both ready, set out for school early, as the piled snow would surely slow them down.
"No wonder you always beat me." Kyon observed as they walked. "Not only do you live closer to the school but you get up and leave about half an hour before me."
She just stuck her tongue out at him and smiled.
The snow was so cold that not even huddling close together keep them very warm.
There was a thin layer of snow on the sidewalk, and ice layered on top of that. It took everything they had to stay balanced for more than 30 seconds. They were still a ways away from the school, when a speeding car came up behind them and beeped loudly. It was so unexpected that the couple lost their balance, slid on the ice and went tumbling into the street.
"Crap." Kyon growled, standing up and pulling Haruhi up with him.
They made their way back to the sidewalk, but almost immediately regretted it.
Above them, the trees were barren and leafless, but hanging low with heavy icicles. There were shattered chunks of ice on the ground from when some had fallen overnight.
"Maybe we should cross the street and walk on the other side." Haruhi suggested, seeing the long, deadly, ice-spears.
"Won't do us any good." Kyon glanced to the other side and shook his head. Icicles dangled loosely on the tree branches there as well.
"Why would they still make us come to school today?" Haruhi wondered angrily. "This is dangerous!"
"Do you want to go back and just skip today?" Kyon asked.
"Nah, I'd feel to guilty. Is there any way around this?" They glanced around and saw that pretty much every tree; even the ones that they had already passed under had frozen daggers. The ones behind them were thicker, but the ones in front were longer.
"Well cutting through the forest where there are even more trees wouldn't be such a good idea." Kyon pondered. "And if we ran, we'd probably only end up falling and that wouldn't be too great either. How about we-"
A loud gust of wind cut him off, and the unsteady trees swayed under the weight of their burdens. Several icicles on either side of the street and in every direction fell and shattered on the icy ground beneath.
And then they just kept coming.
Blade after blade fell from the branches and plummeted down to the ground. The only thing Haruhi could think of to do was get them both to the center of the street, the place where the least amount of icicles would reach. She shoved Kyon onto the road and they both slide to the ground on the hard, cold pavement.
Shards continued to slash at the couple, and a few of them cut them, but they were both thankful not to be directly under the trees where they had just stood.
As quickly as it started, the shower of deadly daggers was over.
The two sighed in relief simultaneously.
No cars were in sight either, so they took their time in finding their balance. Kyon eventually pulled Haruhi up and they were about to continue on their way when one last chunk of ice fell. It sliced so quickly through the air that Haruhi barely saw it. She pushed Kyon again as it landed where he had stood only seconds before. Haruhi lay on top of Kyon but she quickly pulled herself up.
"You okay?" She managed to pant through rapid, fretful gasps.
"Yeah. You?" He asked, standing up again.
"More or less." She quoted herself again as she rubbed her bleeding shoulder.
"Come on. Let's get to school." Kyon grabbed her wrist and pulled her along behind him once they had picked up their bags.
They went back to the sidewalk, but kept their eyes above them and listened warily for any wind. The cold snow that flurried down ebbed the pain in Haruhi's shoulder a bit, but it stung like a swarm of bees.
"You know, you've used up 8 of your 9 lives Miss Kitty." Kyon scolded, counting the five times she had nearly choked, the time she had been crushed by the tree, almost hit by a car and killed by an icicle.
"Well maybe I need a guard dog." She suggested, jabbing him in the side.
"You already have one."
"Well he still needs training!" She laughed.
They made their way through the snow and finally made it to North High.
They were greeted with horrified gasps and concerned murmurs as they walked down the hallway to the nurse's office. Kyon explained to the nurse what had happened and she wrapped Haruhi's shoulder up in bandages. After she agreed that they should not have had school that day, the nurse gave them late passes for their class.
However, the passes were not needed, for even though they had lost so much time, they were still early to class.
Once there, Haruhi asked the teacher for her old seat back, and the annoying blonde was given a new seat, and new people to annoy.
"So, do you understand the whole 'Cat-And-Dog' thing now?" Kyon turned around in his seat at lunch, and asked the girl he liked having behind him. She looked up at him with a smirk.
"I think so. You're a big dumb puppy dog and I'm a gorgeous, angelic little cat!" She clarified, jokingly.
"More like you're an annoying little kitty cat and I'm a devilishly handsome dog!" He scoffed.
"No! You're still a puppy!"
"Kitten!"
"Mutt!"
"Fur ball!"
"Fido!"
"Fluffy!"
"Mongrel!"
"Spoiled, indifferent cat!"
"Stupid, lovesick dog!"
The two were out of breath and in each other's faces when they had finally run out of insults.
They glared at each other, and then broke out in laughter.
"Haha! I came up with more insults for you than you did for me!" Haruhi hissed under her breath.
"Did not!" Kyon barked.
"Count 'em!" She spat.
"Shut up." Kyon growled after he had gone over their little contest in his mind.
Then he checked to make sure that no one was looking and leaned over and kissed her.
She jumped, but kissed back, until they had to pull away from lack of air.
"I love you." Kyon smiled.
"You too." Haruhi grinned.
And finally, after dilemmas, fights, and quarrels, the two had gotten trough thick and thin together, made up, confessed and kissed.
And now, Haruhi and Kyon fully understand The Cat And The Dog Analogy.
A/N: And thus concludes The Cat And The Dog Analogy trilogy! I really hope that you guys enjoyed all 3 parts!
Oyasumi means Good Night. And again, I apologize for any spelling mistakes or grammar errors. Sorry if it sort of skipped around a bit too.
And no offense to any blondes! I am a blonde myself, but I just made that character that way because it's how most people see those kinds of girls. They always do that to me, try to copy my work and stuff and I always tell them off XD And they are all so stupid! LOL
Thanks so much for reading and special thanks to everyone who read all 3 parts. Arigatou gozaimasu!!
Let me know what you thought and Please review!! :D