Carnival, Part 2

A/N This is part 2! Obviously… There's no song to this part; it's just a follow up to part 1, and it's a conclusion of sorts.

The phone rings, waking Haruhi from her reverie.

"Hello?"

"Haruhi? It's Hikaru."

"…hi."

"Um… the lor… um… I mean… everyone is getting together for, um, a sort of farewell party for the host club, since it's kind of… um…"

"Disintegrating?"

"…yeah…"

"And why are you calling?"

"I volunteered."

"Why? Why would you or anyone care if I came or not?"

The tears were fighting to come back with a vengeance. She fought back. But it made her sound angry…

"Haruhi? This isn't like you at all. What's wrong?"

He actually sounded worried. Was she wrong?

It wasn't just a game, was it?

"…huh?"

"You… and the host club… you weren't just using me, were you? You actually cared…"

"No, silly, we still care! You're our friend!"

That did it. Haruhi dissolved into tears. She couldn't stop them. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't speak. Sob after sob, all of her sadness and loneliness and uncertainty came pouring out in a flood of relief.

"Haruhi?! Haruhi, what's wrong? Are you okay? I'm coming over right now! Stay there!"

Click. How could she have been so wrong? Here she was, thinking she was just being used, and now Hikaru is on his way to make sure she's alright. It had to be her brain's insane way of coping with the break-up of her beloved club. Hani and Mori had graduated a year ago, which was hard, but everyone else was still there. Now Tamaki and Kyouya, the founders, were leaving. The club would end, and where would she be? This is scary, she thought. What would become of her? She would become another nameless face in college, and all of high school, including friends (yes, she decided, they were her friends, and they still are) would be left behind. This hurt. She couldn't do it alone.

A knocking at the door. Oh yeah, she thought, Hikaru was coming over.

"Come in!"

"Haruhi, are you okay?"

The concern was genuine.

"What, no Kaoru?"

"No… he said I should come alone."

"Hm. No kidnapping to take me to the party?"

"Ha! Silly! The party's not till next week!"

She tried to laugh, but a sob came out instead. He held out his arms toward her, and she collapsed into him. Hikaru slowly lowered himself into a sitting position, still holding the crying Haruhi. They stayed that way for what seemed like ages, until she was calmed by his warmth and his touch.

"Of course it's a game. The host club, I mean. But all of our friendships have been real since the beginning. I would've thought that you of all people would have seen through all of that."

"I'm sorry. I let fear get the best of me."

That grin…

"Fujioka Haruhi is afraid of fear and thunder?!"

"What the heck is that supposed to mean?!?!?!?!"

"It means that my plan worked."

"What plan…?"

"The plan to cheer you up!"

"…"

"So… if you're not at the party, be prepared for the Hitachiin brother's secret attack!"

"…or not-so-secret…"

It felt so good to laugh like that. With a friend. Haruhi knew then that she wasn't alone. And she never would be.