It's Not Kidnapping, It's Taking Her Out
AN: Next chapter! More of a filler chapter than anything else, but there you go. The title amused me. Simple things do amuse simple minds...
Also! Do read WorldsAngel's story 'Scratching the Surface' which is a brilliant collection of one shots about all the cannon characters and some sub-characters. No real pairings, so it's safe for all! XD It has my seal of sparkly awesome approval! *0*
...meaning the story's awesome, not me. Anyway, do check it out! :D
Enjoy~
"So... tell me again why Hikaru's on his way to kidnap me."
"To take you out to buy my birthday present."
Haruhi paused and frowned at her mobile, waiting rather irritably for him to elaborate. She had been enjoying her free afternoon by reading, only lazily getting up to do a chore or two when she found the motivation; she would have been happy to spend the whole day like that, if a certain Hitachiin hadn't rang up and promptly destroyed her peace.
Her brow furrowed into a glare when she heard Kaoru chuckle, annoyingly amused.
"You see," He began with a dramatic sigh, "I always know what Hikaru's getting me every year because he makes it really obvious, like leaving the order form on our computer's history and stuff. He figured that if he goes with you to get it from a shop, I won't find out what it is." He explained wisely, pausing thoughtfully before he began sniggering again. "'Course, I already know what he's getting me."
Haruhi cocked an eyebrow.
"Oh? What would that be?"
"A writing set." He announced, obviously chuffed that he still managed to work it out.
A writing set...? Haruhi rolled her eyes exasperatedly at his smug confidence, as she regretfully put her book away; she had a feeling there wouldn't be any more time for reading today. "Do you write, Kaoru? And how do you know he's getting you that?"
Deciding to completely dodge her first question, Kaoru laughed again at the thought of his twin. "Because he makes it obvious. He keeps smiling to himself when I write anything down, and he told me the other day that it's impossible to write without something good to write with." He paused before musingly adding; "Ne, he's probably going to buy me a new I-pod too. He has issues against mine for some reason."
"I see..."
I think Kaoru's definition of obvious and the world's definition of obvious are two different things.
Deciding to change the subject, Haruhi sat back, shifting the phone to her other ear as she tried to get comfortable. "So, do you know what you're getting Hikaru? You both already have everything..."
"Mm, I know what I'm getting him, but it's a secret."
"Okay."
There was a long, expectant pause.
"... What, aren't you even going to try and get me to tell you what it is?"
He sounded slightly exasperated and let out a disbelieving snort when she drawled back, completely uninterested; "Uh, why should I?"
"Aren't you the tiniest bit curious?"
"Not really. I'll see it when I come round anyway."
"...Huh. You're so boring, Haruhi." Kaoru mumbled, half sulky and half amused.
Haruhi rolled her eyes and was about to retort back with some crushingly blunt comment, when she suddenly froze at the sound of enthusiastic steps outside her door. And, as whomever it was seemed to be skipping (Why? The world may never know), there was really only one person it could be.
Haruhi sighed. "Hikaru's here. Wonderful. Tell me why again?"
"Because he's taking you out to-"
"No, tell me why I'm actually going to go."
She frowned irritably when Kaoru began to laugh, obviously highly amused at the whole situation. "Because you can get my present today too! And you'll amuse him for the day so I finish some homework."
She scowled.
"Kao-"
"Uh-oh, got to go~! If I'm right about his presents, I want a Haruhi-made bento box, okay Haru?"
"No chance."
Rolling her eyes as Hikaru began to enthusiastically rap his knuckles against her door, Haruhi tiredly bid her goodbyes to Kaoru and absentmindedly placed her rarely-used mobile on the sideboard. As she walked over to answer the door (sigh), a sudden thought occurred to her and she gave her clothes a sceptical glance.
As she had thought she'd be doing nothing but lazing around, she hadn't exactly made an effort with her appearance (not that she generally made much of an effort anyway); she was wearing some rumpled leggings and a casual pair of shorts, her top half completely swamped in a baggy t-shirt. She considered them for a second before shrugging dismissively.
Knock, knock.
They were clothes and they were comfortable.
Knock, knock.
They'd do.
Knock-knock-knock-knock-knock-knock-knock-knock.
"Alright already! Stop being so impatient, Hikaru!"
Steeling herself for the worst, she finally opened the door and came face-to-face with the oldest Hitachiin twin, who was practically bouncing on the balls of his feet as he grinned down at her delightedly. He was (expensively) clad in some ripped skinny jeans and a plain, white tank top, a red patterned shirt shrugged casually over his shoulders and rolled up to the elbow. Both wrists were practically covered with strips of brown leather that matched his complicated-looking sandals.
Haruhi could only imagine how much it all cost.
"Hey Ha-ru-hi~~!" Hikaru practically sang, smirking gleefully at her sceptical look. "I'm here to--!"
"-take me out."
"Yeah! To buy K--!"
"-Kaoru's birthday present."
"How'd you--?"
"Kaoru phoned me."
"...Oh."
Her lips twitching slightly in amusement at his suddenly stumped look, Haruhi moved back slightly to let him step inside, rolling her eyes at his uncertain glance.
"I only trust you alone in here for a second." She assured him with a raised eyebrow as he quickly trotted in, surprised but happy with the rare invitation to come inside. "I just need to get a jacket and write a note to my dad and we can go."
If I try to protest, I'll just be prolonging the annoyance. Or rather, the torture.
Turning her back on him to face the sideboard, Haruhi hurriedly grabbed a ball point pen and a scrap of paper; she quickly wrote a short note to her father, only pausing to stop herself including the words 'kidnap', 'brats' and 'damn rich bastards with way too much damn free time for getting so damn worked up about their damn joint birthday'. Suddenly hearing a suspicious flump behind her, she frowned and glanced over her shoulder, after scribbling her name on the edge of the paper.
Hikaru had flopped down on the floor, next to the table, and was lazily shifting through some of her papers with his usual total disrespect for her privacy.
Haruhi cocked a bemused eyebrow.
"Comfy?" She drawled sarcastically.
"Not really." He snorted, giving her an almost reproachful look. "You really need to invest in a sofa. Or just let me buy you one. This floor's too hard."
Twitching, she shot him an irritated glare, irritably cursing the power of money. "Well, I apologise for the hardness of my floor." She snapped, snatching a plain jacket from the side. "We can go now anyway, so you don't need to put any further pressure on your spoilt little ar--"
"What do you mean, we're going now?"
"Huh?"
She stopped and stared blankly at him, her sudden confusion mirrored perfectly in his face. For a second, the two just blinked at each other, completely perplexed, until Hikaru's impatience finally broke the silence, and his brow furrowed into a frown.
"Aren't you... aren't you getting changed?" He muttered uncertainly, staring rather pointedly at her scruffy attire.
Realising what he was getting at, Haruhi snorted dismissively, clearly showing off her opinion of the matter.
Hikaru's frown deepened.
"I'm taking you out." He reminded her.
"I'm aware."
"Shopping."
"I guessed."
"And maybe for something to eat."
"Wonderful."
"...So, are you going to change?"
Haruhi sighed in irritation, glaring at his insistent look. Kaoru had been like this too, on the morning of her and Hikaru's first 'date', demanding that she wore what he picked out for her and not taking no for an answer. They were only going shopping; who cared what she looked like?
...
Who apart-from-the-twins cared what she looked like?
"I'm not getting changed." Haruhi said in a final sort of way. "There's no point."
Hikaru jutted his lip out in a sulk and started eying her wardrobe, a dangerous glint in his eye.
In the end, Haruhi got changed.
She never looked at her wardrobe the same way again.
"...Hey, Hikaru?"
"Yeah?"
"What are you planning to buy Kaoru?"
"Just the most ingenious surprise presents ever."
"...Which are...?"
"A cool writing set, since he always seems to be writing, and a new orange I-pod, since the music on his sucks. Seriously, Kaoru shouldn't be left to his own devises when it comes to music. I'll put some good songs on it."
"Ah..."
"I'm such a genius."
"...I'm still not making him a bento box."
"Huh?"
"Nothing, nothing."
