Author's note: Welcome to chapter 29, dear Reader! Wow, hard to believe we've come this far! I'm sorry, I know this update has taken longer than usual. The plot bunnies have not been kind to your faithful author lately. But they finally worked enough for an update! It's a short chapter, and mostly filler, and for that I apologize. But not to worry, dear Reader! Things will be happening in the very near future for our darling Pixie-chan!
Triggers: Hm. Nope!
I don't own anything Ouran-related, no matter how much I wish. Reviews and PMs are always welcome and much-appreciated!
-Ouran's front entrance, the next morning-
Sky hitched her bag higher on her shoulder as she strode across the courtyard. She held her head high, nodding and humming along with the music blaring through her headphones. As she got closer to the front entrance, she noticed Miko waving frantically in her direction. With a quiet laugh, she waved back at the petite brunette and sauntered over, shutting off her music and tucking her headphones in her bag.
"Hey Miko. You look better today."
"I feel better. Our talk yesterday really helped, thank you, Pixie-senpai."
"Anytime. I'm glad to help."
She slung her arm around Miko's shoulder with a little grin. She gave the girl a friendly squeeze before letting go to settle onto one of the ornate benches surrounding the pretty little fountain. Miko sat primly beside her, smiling sweetly.
"Ok, so, you really need to drop the 'senpai' thing. I'm your friend now, not your senpai."
"Alright, I'll try...Pixie."
"See, there you go."
Sky flashed a grin at the girl, and was glad to see a brighter smile in return. Miko seemed to be in a much better state than yesterday, and Sky breathed a little sigh of relief. She stretched her legs out and crossed her ankles, the chains on her boots jingling. The girls chatted happily for a few minutes, until Sky's eyes caught a familiar sight.
A pretty little smile lit up her face as she watched Takashi and Honey approach. Miko watched quietly as Honey launched himself at the taller girl with a joyful giggle. Sky laughed and hugged him tight, then tousled his hair as he rifled through her pockets. A gleeful whoop sounded as he found the little stash of candy.
"Don't eat that all at once, little bunny. We don't want you getting any cavities."
"I won't, Pixie-chan! I'll be careful! Hi Miko-chan!"
"Hi Honey-senpai."
Miko smiled shyly at the senior, awed at the close relationship he seemed to share with her new friend. Honey sat between the girls and kicked his feet back and forth, enjoying the candy and the company. Sky patted his hand and stood, smoothing her uniform jacket as Takashi closed the small distance between them.
He stroked one hand lightly down her rainbow mane as their eyes locked. Sky smiled tenderly at her wolf, and his lips curved slightly in response. No words were said, no overt displays of affection were made, but it was easy to see the emotion flow between the two. Miko spoke quietly without thinking, a wistful tone to her voice.
"Wow... I wish someone would look at me like that..."
Sky grinned broadly at her new friend as she tucked her hand in Takashi's, lacing their fingers together. Honey burst into bright giggles at his cousin's vaguely embarrassed look. Sky laughed quietly and gave his hand a little squeeze, tugging him toward the school's entrance. She waved at the others with her free hand.
"Come on, guys, don't want to be late for class."
-After school-
Sky wasn't shocked to find Miko waiting for her after classes. The little brunette had gotten attached rather quickly. She was fine with it, it was almost like having a younger sister. Though why she so desperately wanted to hang out with Sky was beyond her.
"Hey Miko."
"Hi Pixie-sen... Pixie."
"Well-done. So what's up? Aren't you going to the Host Club?"
"Oh my, yes. But I thought, since you're going in the same direction, perhaps we could walk together?"
"Oh, sure, of course."
The girls smiled brightly at each other, and Miko hooked her arm through Sky's. She laughed at the girl's enthusiasm, shaking her head lightly. They talked amiably on the short trek upstairs, Miko dominating the conversation. Sky was content to listen to her new friend chattering on, though she listened to the tone more than the topic. Miko seemed to really enjoy talking about clothing. Sky mostly just smiled and nodded, making vague noises of agreement whenever the brunette took a pause.
Sky walked with Miko all the way to the doors of Music Room #3, where a large crowd of regulars had already gathered. She plastered a polite smile on her face, though she desperately wanted to roll her eyes at the haughty looks of derision on many of the harpies' faces. She patted her friend on the shoulder, a genuine grin spreading at the shocked look. Miko was going to take a while to get used to the other girls' complete disdain for Sky. She shook her head lightly with a small laugh.
"See you later, Miko. You make sure those boys treat you right, 'kay?"
With a little smirk, she whirled around and strode off down the hall, ignoring the harpies completely. Their mutters and whispers reached her ears, but she didn't care in the slightest. She headed back toward her Breakdown Room with a little bounce in her step.
-Friday, after school-
After dropping Miko off once again, Sky was curled up in her favorite chair by the window. The delicate little brunette had proven to be quite a good friend in the space of one short week. Sky enjoyed her quiet nature, though she could do without the many, many conversations about clothing brands. In that regard, at least, Miko was just like the other girls at Ouran. She couldn't quite wrap her brain around Sky's disdain for designer labels. Especially when two of her dearest friends were the offspring of one of the country's hottest fashion moguls. It boggled Miko's rich little mind.
Instead of her usual reading, Sky was bent over a sketchbook as she waited for Host Club business to finish for the day. She had her headphones on, tuning out the world while one of her favorite bands screamed in her ears. Completely focused on her newest design, she kept up a muttered stream of lyrics and the occasional curse. At one point, she stuck her tongue between her teeth and bit down, growling quietly at the paper for not cooperating.
She was so caught up in the music and her own frustration that she lost all track of time. Too busy cursing the wings on her drawing, she didn't notice anything until a shadow fell across the page. She issued a startled little squeal and whipped her head up, only to see the smirk of her darling wolf. Clearing her throat, she yanked her headphones off and offered a little smile.
"Guess I lost track of time again."
Takashi just shook his head at her. Sky turned her music off and stuffed her sketchbook in her bag, giving the page one last glare. She was very tempted to give the book a one-finger salute, but resisted the immature gesture. Barely. She turned back and noticed the amused look she was receiving. Hitching her shoulder up in a shrug, she huffed out a little sigh.
"I can't get the wings for the faerie queen to look right. It's...aggravating."
Takashi chuckled softly at the frustrated look and reached up to pat her head, stroking his hand down her disheveled rainbow locks. She laid her hand over his as he cradled her cheek, nuzzling against his palm. After a moment, the pair walked out and down the hall, fingers laced together.
She was yanked away from his side the moment they entered Music Room #3, causing an indignant little shriek to fall from her lips. The sound was met with a burst of bell-like giggles as Honey flung his arms around the tall girl. Sky shook her head and embraced the little blonde with a quiet laugh.
"You know, you don't need to yank my arm off like that, little bunny."
"But I missed you, Pixie-chan!"
"You just saw me a couple hours ago, silly."
"I know, but I still missed you!"
Sky twirled around with her silly friend for a minute, breaking into a fit of giggles herself. When they finally stopped, she collapsed onto the nearest sofa, holding her hands to her spinning head. She closed her eyes tightly while she waited for the dizziness to recede. Honey flopped down beside her and patted her shoulder, still giggling. Takashi sat on Sky's other side, smiling fondly at their antics. When Sky's dizziness finally fled, she grinned at him and laid her head on his shoulder. She addressed the rest of her boys at once.
"So, who's riding with me to Takashi's tournament tomorrow?"
A/N again: I know, nothing at all really happened in this chapter. I blame the plot bunnies, don't hurt me! *hides behind Takashi* Stay tuned, dear Reader, things will pick up soon, I promise!
