Author's Note: I need someone to ride behind me on a bicycle as I write these things, I have a total of 0 motivation. Anyway, I hope you enjoy my contribution to Haruhi fanfic.

I do not own The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, nor any of its Affiliates.

A pebble struck my window. Allow me to elaborate. A pebble struck my bedroom window. Allow me to further elaborate. At twelve fifty-three AM, a period I usually reserve for sleeping, a pebble struck my bedroom window. Naturally I was curious.

I removed myself, with some reluctance, from the nest of warm pillows and blankets I had earlier assembled. They meshed and irreparably folded into something less comfortable. I sighed, tugging at the hem of my disagreeable grey shirt. A brief phone check told me the time as another pebble served as a reminder of my mystery guest's presence. I sighed again.

The things that would be worth getting up after twelve for include, but are not limited to:

Consoling Miss Asahina over a nightmare. ("Don't cry, it was just a dream.")

Teaching our resident alien, Yuki Nagato, in the ways of love. ("What is this... Love?")

And lastly, helping Koizumi with... Err, actually, nothing involving Koizumi.

The single flings (from what I could only imagine to be a comically undersized trebuchet), turned into an all out barrage. I hastily made my way to the window before my aggressor decided to throw something heavier. In the shadowy black of fences and brick, I could see nothing beyond my own hands, grasping at the frame.

I managed a shaky, "Hello?" and waited for the answer that was sure to come.

"It's me!" That voice. I had practically known who it was already, had known before I left my bed: Haruhi Suzumiya. Though I had more pressing questions to ask, I chose to indulge myself with a little fun instead.

"Who's 'me?' 'Me' could be anyone."

There was a muted shuffling below, accompanied by a flash of gold headband. What followed was a moment of suspense-building silence as Haruhi occupied herself with untangling her leg from a garden hose. I had to restrain a laugh.

A minute passed... "It's Haruhi!"

"I don't know any Haruhi, sorry." How did she find my house anyway? It's not like she's ever visited. "You've got the wrong place, bye." I pretended to close my window with no actual intention of leaving.

"Kyon! Wait!" Haruhi yelled.

"Quiet down, you're going to wake my sister." I urged in a stern tone. Haruhi took a step back into a more moonlit area; she wore beige shorts and a red tank top, though it all looked to be a single article of clothing in the grip of darkness. To my relief, she began to whisper.

"Sorry about that. Come downstairs-"

"Uh huh."

"-and-"

"Uh huh."

"-go outside."

"No."

Haruhi leaned her weight on one leg and crossed her arms in that all too familiar gesture of annoyance. It was no doubt caused by my insubordination. When will I ever learn?

"I'm going back to bed."

"Tomorrow's Sunday!"

"Shhh!"

"Tomorrow's Sunday. You'll be able to sleep in all you want. Now come down!"

"Fine, just give me a minute." I begrudgingly navigated my way to the nearest light switch, flicking it on. With the new clarity I found a pair of pants and a fresh shirt I must've gotten at last year's Tanabata Festival. After redressing myself, I crept through the hallway beyond my room, eventually reaching the first floor. There was an eerie stillness, a forbidding air that came with such an hour.

I visited the bathroom, fixed my unkempt hair, then left to see what Haruhi had woken me up for. To my knowledge, little sister hadn't heard a thing. I greeted my unwanted company with a look of the purest disdain I could muster, but it fell flat in the dimness.

"Hey Kyon."

"Good evening," If you could even call it that. Would morning be more appropriate? "Tell me the reason we're both standing out here at one o'clock, and make it quick." Please don't say UFO hunting, please don't say UFO hunting, please don't say UFO hunting...

"We're going UFO hunting of course!"

I was far too tired to do anything but yawn and rub the sleep from my eyes. All of my energy had been drained from scowling. "Goodnight."

"You can't disobey direct orders from the Brigade Leader." Haruhi bit back. "That's grounds for punishment. Just the thought earns you lunch bill duties for the rest of the month!"

What? How is that fair in any capacity?

"You're just gonna have to learn the way things are done around here!"

Around where? I've been in the club as long as you, Haruhi.

"Let's get going!"

I had since given up on trying to lower her volume. I took the lead, striding in the direction of the street parallel with my building. To no one's surprise, it was completely empty, desolate, sans people. A stray ball of crumpled newspaper carried itself on the breeze, brushing past my shin as if to say, "What are you doing out here so late?" I haven't any idea.

We began our long walk side by side. The stars above had arranged themselves into a rich tapestry or purples and deep blues. Haruhi and I craned our necks to look, but only for a passing second.

"I think the best area to find a UFO would be..." She placed a finger on her chin, as if it might be there.

"Hold on." I interjected, "We're looking for landed UFOs? Is that what you mean?" I prepared myself for the inevitable, the jovial shout of naive puerility sure to follow.

"Duh! We already tried finding them in the sky, remember?"

I did. Fleeting half-memories of Nagato's rooftop and a shared telescope flitted through my mind. At the time it seemed an exercise in futility. I guess it was more of a warm up.

"Answer me!" My brief silence was an insult apparently.

"Err, what?" I stammered, emerging from my sleepy fugue.

"Nevermind. So how's school going?" Haruhi asked, and I nearly got whiplash from the sudden change in both topic and tone. "Are you getting good grades?"

"Yeah, I'm doing pretty decent." I gave her a perplexed look that was either ignored or unseen. I decided to roll with the confusing, Haruhi-sized punches. "And you?"

"All A's, all the time. I don't even have to try. Expect any different?"

If there was such thing as Karma, yes.

"Summer is just around the corner," I said, balancing on a curb as we continued our destinationless descent, "I'm sure you've been planning."

"You better believe it!" Haruhi beamed, "We're gonna hit all the spots we did last time and then some! And by some, I mean 'a lot.'" She punched me lightly in the arm, a gesture as foreign to me as I'm sure it was to her; it seemed vastly out of place and made me feel uneasy.

Never one to beat around the bush, I voiced my concerns. "Did you really call me out here to search for UFOs?" The question hung unpleasantly as Haruhi continued to walk a few paces ahead, her face hidden behind the dual masks of distance and shade.

I expected her to lie.

"Why else?"

And she didn't disappoint. Or rather, she did.

"It just seems really out of place to walk all the way to my house in the dead of night, alone, if you only wanted to indulge in wild goose chases. You could of at least called beforehand." When I noticed the subtle slump of Haruhi's shoulders, I tried to add some much needed levity, "It's just that I have a lot of other bird chases I've been meaning to organize, busy schedule, y'know? Geese are kind of low on the list." It was clear that any wit beyond the dry with me is ill-fated to cause more frowns than smiles.

That's exactly what she did: frown. You can tell from behind if someone is smiling by the rise of their cheekbones. No such luck. It was beginning to dawn on me, as friendly banter melted into silence, that there was more Harhui wanted to divulge.

And then she caved...

"Do you think I'm pretty, Kyon?"

I understood, and figured the best way to keep things from deflating was to maintain fluidity; in less than a second I answered back.

"Yeah, I think you're pretty, Haruhi."

The back of her head looked displeased with my reply, if that was possible.

"That's..." A pause, simmering with the unsaid, "That's not what I meant, forget it."
I was wondering when her pride would kick in.

"I think I know where this is going." My comment only served to further Haruhi's aggravation, her entire body tensing in response.

"No you don't!" She sped up, leaving me to follow suit while keeping an appropriate distance. If I didn't know better I would say she was embarrassed.

"Then what do you mean?" I slowed to a stop, the sounds of my footfalls no longer mirroring hers. Noticing this, she too came to a halt. Then spun around. Then glared. Yikes.

"I mean that you're arrogant, and selfish! And also an idiot! You never seem to understand how important the SOS Brigade is when it matters the most! Like when we made that movie for the school festival, or... or... And you're always complaining! Always, always complaining! Either that or being smug. You're just a smug jerk with no redeeming qualities! None whatsoever! And... and..."

- I grit my teeth, my brow furrowing -

"And I think you're cute and I like you and maybe we should date or atleast try it and see if we're into that sort of thing but if you don't want to then that's fine too!"

Haruhi's words came far too fast and jumbled for me to translate. Her hands were hooked behind her back, fingers laced, as she kicked at the ground. Her soft browns were cast downwards, the blush on her cheeks illuminated by a streetlight - it was all very cinematic. The trouble was... No script. The words caught in my throat as I molded them into a coherent sentence.

"Would you like to try again?" I offered.

"Yeah! I would! And you better listen this time because I'm not saying it again!"

"You're the leader." I conceded with a small grin.

"Don't laugh! I'm being serious!"

"No one's laughing, Haruhi." In spite of myself, I let a chuckle escape.

"Hey!" She broke into a smile herself, the red disappearing from her face, "Stop that!"

"Stop what?" I pursed my lips as she came near enough to give my chest a push. I leaned my weight forward but she didn't give an inch. Peering down, we were practically face to face, our height difference the only factor separating us. I felt her hot breath against my chin as my own grew closer to its source. Haruhi gave a pleading look so alien I had difficulty deciphering it: vulnerability.

She closed her eyes, and I mine. We locked in a tasteless tangle of lips and tongue, sliding ever inwards. I cupped the line of her jaw as we danced without motion, so heartfelt, so right. Haruhi looked so beautiful without her armor.

I altered the ending, removing the last sentence.

Thanks for taking a moment to read. Every review supports the brigade. :)