All That Is Needed
"A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart and can sing it back you when you have forgotten the words."
~Unknown
There were three things in this world Hotaru loved enough to waste time on.
The first things were her inventions. They're her Alice, her future and her passion. Most people would not describe Hotaru Imai as a passionate person, but those people had never seen her invent machines. Those people had never seen her up in her lab all day and all night, working almost obsessively on an invention until it was nothing short of perfection.
Coming in second were crab brains. Well, food in general really, but especially seafood and especially crab brains. She needed food to live so that was an obvious reason why crab brains were so important to her, but other than that she just really liked them. There weren't many things Hotaru really liked.
The third and final thing was her best friend Mikan Sakura (though she'd never admit that). Hotaru would never be entirely sure what attracted her to the brunette girl in the first place. Even if she ever figured it out, it didn't really matter. Mikan made her happy and that was all that mattered.
Now, it was her turn to make Mikan happy.
Hotaru had never seen Mikan truly upset before. She usually only shed childish tears about childish things and was cheered up quickly just by getting distracted. It was trait Hotaru reluctantly admired about her best friend, but there was nothing to admire this time.
Mikan was silent with only the occasional tear slipping down her cheek as she stared out the window of her one star room. She'd only let Hotaru in and refused everybody else, though she had yet to even look at Hotaru. Mikan didn't speak or move. She just sat and stared.
Worry after worry built up in Hotaru's mind. What happened? What could possibly make Mikan, cheerful Mikan, the poster-girl-for-all-things-good-and-happy Mikan Sakura this upset?
"Oi, idiot," Hotaru called experimentally. Mikan didn't even blink. "I have howalons." Still no reaction. "I have pictures of you and Natsume at Christmas." Nothing. Another tear slipped down Mikan's cheek and Hotaru walked over to wipe it away. "Mikan, look at me."
She did, turning slowly until she was face to face with Hotaru.
"Look, you don't have to tell me what's wrong, but please tell me how to make it better."
One more blink and Mikan finally opened her mouth. "Thank you, Hotaru. Thank you for . . . Well, everything." With that, Mikan turned back to the window.
Hotaru stood there, confused, before an idea lit up her mind. Silly, sentimental Mikan would want something just like that - silly and sentimental, and Hotaru knew just what to do.
A small smirk grew across her face as she turned and marched out of the room, saying only that she'd be back before dinner. Outside the room were the rest of their friends, waiting to see what was wrong with Mikan. Before they could all begin talking at once like Hotaru knew they would, she held up a hand to silence them.
"I have a plan. I need all of you to pitch in."
Five minutes later they dispersed, running off into different directions to get the material they were assigned. The only ones who didn't leave straight away were Natsume, who cast a suspicious glance the girl's way and Ruka, who stuck by Natsume as always.
"If this doesn't work," the raven-haired boy started, "You'll pay for the waste of my time."
Hotaru simply glanced at him before walking away, leaving him with a simple, "When has anything I've thought of not been perfect, Hyuuga?"
An hour passed before they all met up again at the inventor's room, laying out what they'd gotten and starting on their project. The combined voices of everyone in her room was giving Hotaru a slight headache, especially Koko's loud argument with Sumire about how Mikan would definitely prefer the orange ribbon and that Sumire's green perm-infested ribbon was not wanted anywhere near the project (an opinion with which she silently agreed). Still, she let them talk as she worked on her part, listening to the snippets of conversation that were loud enough for her to hear.
"No, the orange ribbon-"
"Pass the tape!"
"Where's the photo from Natsume's-"
"Ruka, where'd you put the stickers?"
"My ribbon is not perm-"
"Hands off Shadow before I-"
"MY NAME IS NOT PERMY!"
They finished an hour and a half later than they'd originally planned due to many arguments, a forgotten roll of sticky tape and two trips to the nurse's office for Tsubasa's burnt hands. Somehow though, they'd finished and were now on their way to Mikan's room to deliver it.
After a swift knock on the door, Hotaru entered and closed it behind her. She wasn't sure if Mikan wanted to see anyone else yet, so everyone had agreed to stay outside (though not without a fight from a certain fire caster).
Hotaru walked straight over to the girl by the window and dumped the finished product on her lap. "From all of us," was all she said to the confused brunette.
Mikan blinked at the book in her lap in surprise before opening it and looking at the first page. There, in colourful bubble letters, were the words 'Mikan's Scrapbook of Memories by class 2-B'. Down in the corner was a scribbled 'Tsubasa and Misaki as well!'
Mikan smiled, making Hotaru breathe a relieved sigh. She began looking through all the pages of the scrapbook. There were photos from their first trip to central town, their Aladdin RPG game, the Sleeping Beauty in the Woods play and the one from Natsume's birthday. Photo after photo was revealed to her, most of which she didn't even know had been taken (Hotaru's work, obviously). Each page was decorated with stickers, drawings, ribbons (orange, thankfully) and little messages from her friends.
On the very last page were five words that brought a massive grin to Mikan's face.
'Smile - We're here for you!'
"Hotaru," she called out said, finally looking up her. Though Hotaru had no expression on her face, Mikan had never felt more loved. "You know, you didn't have to do this. I meant my thank you. All I really need is your friendship."
And with those words, everything was back to the way it was supposed to be - a smiling Mikan and an inwardly happy Hotaru. The world was right again.
A/N: Okay, so this is for you, Kage no Megami~! I'm your secret santa. 8D So, hopefully I haven't disappointed you with this. You have another gift coming soon, but for now this is all I have for you. Merry Christmas~!
DISCLAIMED: I do not own any of the copyright material mentioned above.