Just Because

Sick Leave

Disclaimer: I don't own the Ouran High School characters or the plot of the Anime or manga, just the OC within the story.

Haruhi walked into her first period class on Monday. She had had a calm weekend, actually. Only receiving four calls from Tamaki and two from Kaoru, who had given her a lot more peace than she had expected. But… Hikaru, who usually called her more than his twin, hadn't bothered her once. Kaoru had said all he did was sleep during his weekend.

Nova had called her and the two had hung out on Saturday, though. She had told Haruhi about the car and taking the boys to her apartment for a while. When she got to the part where she had to kick them out because they were in her room, the cross-dressing female laughed. "Yeah, they did that to me, too." She had responded with a small smile.

But now it was Monday morning. And in her dictionary, Mondays equaled a five day countdown before Saturday… her resting day.

"Hello, Haruhi." Two voices said simultaneously.

She had stopped pulling out her chair and looked up to see the twins. "Hi." She looked at the older twin. "Are you feeling better, Hikaru? Was your weekend ok?"

He nodded. "Yeah, but this idiot just kept trying to wake me up when I was trying to take a nap-"

"It's not good to sleep that much, Hikaru. You need to go to a doctor if you feel so bad-" Kaoru said, his voice holding just a bit of worry.

"I said I don't feel bad! I just have a headache now!" Hikaru raised his voice a little. "And your arguing isn't making it any better!"

"Well then-"

"QUIET!" Nova's stern voice had stopped the two brothers from continuing their argument… She had just walked in and was aggravated enough that it was Monday.

Their faces had been getting closer and closer and Haruhi could tell that one was going to snap. Hikaru was clearly irritated, probably because he didn't feel good, and she could see that Kaoru was just worried abut his brother. But with Hikaru not cooperating, it just made the younger twin angry. Something about this fight gave Haruhi the feeling that this wasn't one of their mock versions.

The two glared at each other. "Stop it, you two. Wait until you're not in public before you start that." Haruhi said with a sigh.

Nova nodded. "It's too early to be fighting. Just wait until you go to your wooing club." She said.

Haruhi cringed. She had hoped that they would wait until they went home to solve the problem.

But the twin's aggravation had drawn the attention of many of their classmates. Renge had even gotten excited, saying she could eat "X" number of bowls filled with rice.

Haruhi glanced at Hikaru, who had let his head drop onto his desk, completely ignoring all the conversations in the class.

She then glanced at Kaoru as he took his seat. Neither boy was able to hide their emotions well, but Kaoru was slightly better at their poor attempts to conceal their emotional problems. But she could see it… Even if he looked angry with that scowl covering his face, his eyes told the rest of the story. He was slightly hurt by his brother's actions towards him.

Hikaru had slept through first period… and second, not to mention the rest of their classes before lunch. He had even decided to stay in the classroom during lunch, so Haruhi joined him. Not like it mattered, though, because he took off his blazer and used it as a pillow as he rested his head on his desk.

Haruhi glanced up at the clock. 'Twenty more minutes…' She thought as she packed away her empty bento box. She was about to pull out a book to read when she noticed that Hikaru's face was facing her. His rhythmic breathing indicated that he was asleep again.

She thought as she pulled out the book she had been aiming for just moments before. Deciding she had some time before the next class, she opened the book to the bookmark and continued reading.
Kaoru sat next to Nova in the lunch room, fascinated at her odd tastes in food. Today for Nova's unusual lunch… A peanut butter and marshmallow sandwich and a small container that was pear flavored applesauce. The second born Hitachiin didn't really care about the pear sauce… but peanut butter and marshmallows? It was driving him insane to think that someone would eat that.

Nova, who tended to have a short fuse on her temper on some days… glared at him and snapped out an irritated "What!"

Kaoru leaned back a little and shoved a bite of his own food in his mouth, shaking his head and indicating that he was unable to answer.

"Hmm…" Her narrowed eyes drifted back to her sandwich as she shoved the last bite into her mouth.

Kaoru felt uncomfortable around Nova without anyone else as a buffer. Haruhi would have been said buffer, but she stayed behind to look after his brother, and the other host members were off somewhere, eating with other people maybe?

"Hey, Dop- Uh… Kaoru. So what's up with your brother anyway? I mean… He should have gotten plenty of sleep over the weekend." She asked as she tore the aluminum lid from the pear sauce and put a while, plastic spoon into the green mush.

"I don't know…" She gave him a side glance. "Really! He's been moody ever since he stayed up for the project-"

"Ah. I was right… he's probably got some sort of bug now. If he's not careful, he could pass it to all of us unless it only attacks weak immune systems. Silly boy, that Clone… uh, Hikaru?" She smiled a little. "Sorry. I've been trying to fuzz out the Clone and Doppelganger names."

Kaoru put his spoon down. "Can you tell us apart, Nova? You've always refereed to me as Doppelganger, and you've always called Hikaru Clone."

She nodded. "Of course I can. I'm in the Navy after all. It's my job to be able to spot things like that. You and your brother have slightly different tones in your voices, your eyes are just a hair bigger, and of course, your bangs flip in opposite directions." She stated. "Not to mention that I can tell who is who by you just standing next to me. The feel of your presence is different from his. I think that's how Haruhi tells you apart, too."

She thought as she reached over and touched his forehead. His cheeks had turned red during the last period, and it had worried her a little. He clearly had a fever.

"Hikaru… Hikaru." Haruhi spoke softly as she lightly rocked his shoulders. "Wake up. You need to go to the nurse."

"Mmm… Go 'way K'ru…" He muttered as he made some attempt to swat her hand away.

"C'mon. You need to wake up." She said in a sterner voice.

He lifted his head and cracked open his eyes. "Haru-…" He his bobbed a bit. "What is it?" He muttered.

She smiled. "I want you to walk with me to the nurse's office."

He quickly sat strait up. "Are you sick? Do you feel ill or something?" He said quickly.

She shook her head. "No. You have a fever, and you need to go home."

His attention seemed to fall. "I can handle it-"

"Hikaru Hitachiin! It's not a matter of 'handling it' or not! You're sick and you need to get it taken care of right away!" She crossed her arms and glared at him.

Hikaru's cat like eyes widened with shock. Not once had Haruhi ever called any of the host members by their first and last names… ever. And Hikaru could tell that she was angry. No… Upset.

He stood up, letting his chair slide across the floor. "Ok. If you insist, then I'll go." He said slowly. His body wobbled a little.

She smiled a little. 'That was easy.' She thought as she led him out of the room and into the hall. Luckily, the nurse's office was only a few rooms away, so the walk was quick. He sat on the nearest bed and waited until the nurse could see him… she was busy with another student who had thrown up during lunch.

"You'll be ok now, right?" Haruhi asked. The bell had just rung, and she needed to get back to class. As she turned to walk away, he grabbed her sleeve.

"Don't go." He said in a new voice, one that Haruhi hadn't heard from him before.

She turned and looked at him. "What's the matter? All she's going to do is take your temperature, then have someone take you home. Besides, I don't want to be late to our next class." She replied.

He shook his head. "I- I mean… my mom. She'll take me to the doctor when I get home, and I don't want to go."

"Are you afraid of going to the doctor?" He nodded slowly. She knew that everyone was afraid of something, and with hers being such a stupid fear itself, she didn't question him anymore. "It'll be ok, Hikaru."

"Will you come with me?!" He asked as she started to turn again. She stopped and faced him.

"What?"

"Please!"

"But… couldn't Kaoru go with you?" She asked.

"Well yeah." He stopped. Haruhi could see that he was still aggravated about his brother pestering him.

She sighed. "How will I get out of school to come with you? What if your mother doesn't want me to go?"

Hikaru's face lit up. "Easy! Call your dad and tell him to call school and tell them that you need to be released now because you have a doctor's appointment. He can say that both of you forgot." (used it myself… it works ) He took a breath. "And I already asked my mom."

"Tsk, Hikaru-" She stared at his big eyes. He looked like a little kid whining to his mother. "Fine." She pulled the cell phone that the twins had given her and called her father. Luckily, the nurse hadn't returned yet and her father agreed since it didn't involve Tamaki.

It was only a minute later when the nurse walked in. "Master Haruhi, your father just called in about an appointment, did you forget?"

"Hmm? I guess. I should go pick up my things, right?" The woman nodded.

"While you're at it, could you please pick up Master Hikaru's school items?"

Haruhi nodded. "Sure. I'll be right back.

Kaoru and Nova walked back into class and looked around. "Hey… Where's Hikaru and Haruhi go?" They both said simultaneously. Some of the other students looked at them and gave the two an odd look.

Once all the students were back form lunch and class had started, Nova moved to the seat next to Kaoru. "Where'd you think they went?" She whispered as the teacher started rambling on about his subject.

He shrugged. "I wouldn't know, I was with you… remember."

"Oh yeah!" She said a little loudly.

"Miss Larsting, Mister Hitachiin! Are you two talking back there?" Mr. Keppa asked, clearly aggravated by the interruption in his class. "Would you both like after school detention?" He asked. They both shook their heads and mutter 'no sir.' "Good."

As he went back to teaching, Kaoru leaned over and muttered, "Well… I can't sit here and not know where they-" The door opened and Haruhi walked inside.

"Ah, good for you to come, Mister Fujioka. Take your seat-"

"Sorry sir!" She rushed back to her seat. "I forgot about my doctor's appointment. I have to leave." She packed all her items up. "Kaoru, Could you get mine and Hikaru's homework? He's being picked up by your mother." She said to the younger twin as she packed up Hikaru's things. Before he could say anything, she said "thanks," and rushed out of the room.

"That was odd." Nova said slowly.

Kaoru nodded. "Yeah-"

"Hey! I told you two not to talk! Go stand outside!"

"Yessir." They muttered as they slowly went out into the hallway.

"Oh, Hikaru. You do look a little ill, don't you. Well, mother's here to take care of you." She rubbed his head lightly. "I'll walk Haruhi outside, if that's ok." Hikaru's mother said to the nurse.

"Absolutely." The nurse smiled and waved as they left.

As they walked through the halls, Hikaru glanced down the hall in the opposite direction to see Kaoru and Nova standing out in the hall. 'Good thing we're not going that way.' He thought.

When the three got into the limo, Mrs. Hitachiin smiled. "Well, Haruhi dear. Thank you for making Hikaru go to the nurse. It was lucky that I was home today or he would have had to go to the doctor's all by himself. I know he can be stubborn ad act brave-"

"Mom!"

"But he's completely terrified of needles and going to the doctors. It's the complete opposite of Kaoru. It'll make him feel better if he has a friend there with him."

Haruhi smiled. "Then it's good that I came." She looked over at Hikaru, who had his face plastered to the window, his skin paler than ever. She put her hand on his shoulder. "It'll be ok, Hikaru. It's ok to be scared. I mean, look at what I'm afraid of."

He glanced at her, then smiled weakly. "Thanks."

"There you are, girl. And it's true, you're friends with some pretty rich kids, hmm?" A deep voiced man said from a rooftop. "You'll be a good hostage, hmm?"

Wha?! Sry, but I couldn't think of anything else for this chapter. TT But I've set the incline to the climax in motion, so be ready! Lol, sry it took so long, but you know… school, I had to finish my Naruto story… etc.

Oh yeah, I'm going to change the title to "Chain of Reactions" because "Just because" was the title that I came up with on the spot and was going to get changed anyways. It'll be changed when I post the next chapter.

Blackblaze