AN: let me preface this by saying this is set early in series, where Haruhi is about to be forced to dance with Kanako. Except AU where Haruhi's too nervous and calls Kagome for backup on flirting.

Idk either y'all, it's two thirty a.m.

The entire situation had started with a phone call. When the person on the other line asked for her, Kagome's curiosity was instantly piqued. Who could possibly be calling for her? Ayumi, Eri and Yuka had already departed for their respective campuses, and she had hardly spoken to anyone else in school.

So Kagome had said, "This is she. May I ask who's calling?"

"Oh, thank goodness," the caller had exhaled with relief. "Kagome, this is Fujioka Haruhi."

Her old math tutor? The only reason she didn't flunk out of school? The one with the doll-like expression and long beautiful hair? The one who would carefully and kindly explain each step of the equation with unwavering patience? The one who would lean over to check her work, and Kagome would get a whiff of her cheap strawberry shampoo, and-

"Hi, Haruhi," Kagome squeaked, before clearing her throat and repeating, "Hi Haruhi! What can I do for you?"

"Ah, that's the thing," Haruhi sounded cute when she was nervous, not quite stammering but far from her usual eloquence. "I heard you were transfering here to Ouran? So I actually have a favor to ask of you." Usually the girl was unshakeable, so Kagome waved away her stupid thoughts and paid attention to her friend's request. It had completely slipped her mind that Haruhi had gotten into Ouran- though how, Kagome wasn't sure, because the memory of them getting kicked out of the library for making a ruckus over the acceptance letter was a fond memory.

"Anything," Kagome threw out, then cringed. Was that too eager? Was that weird? Too much? What if Haruhi thought she was an absolute creep? Anything? Idiot.

The other girl paused on the line, and Kagome held her breath. After a moment, Haruhi's voice sheepishly filtered through the receiver. "So I, er, joined this club…"

After Haruhi gave a painfully awkward explanation, Kagome was quietly digesting everything she had heard.

"So you broke a vase…"

"Yes," Haruhi grumbled.

"And they put you to work… in the academy's host club…"

"It was the host club's vase!" Haruhi quickly defended, drawing a laugh from her estranged friend. "So I started out just as a coffee runner, but now they have me hosting- which I have no idea how to do-"

"So Haruhi is going to be catering to a bunch of rich girls?"

"It's just a gig, don't make it weirder than it is," Haruhi griped.

Kagome hummed, leaning back against her kitchen counter. She had been in the middle of preparing her lunch, and as she gazed at the little dome of the omurice* she had just finished packing up in a tupperware container, Kagome tried to imagine her quiet friend charming a crowd of young women-

Wait. Kagome's brain short circuited. Does Haruhi like girls?

"I don't- I don't dislike girls," Haruhi admitted, audibly flustered. "You know how I am with gender and stuff."

Ah, shit. Kagome hadn't even meant to say that last bit out loud, much less stick her damn foot in her mouth. At least Haruhi wasn't suspicious of her, but Kagome wasn't trying to be an asshole. She was just… curious. For curiosity's sake, of course.

"I'm sorry for teasing, Haru," Kagome said, because she kind of was. "I'll make it up to you with a homemade lunch, how about it?"

There was a scuffle on the other line, like the phone had nearly fumbled to the floor. "Yeah!" Haruhi said brightly, pleased at the idea of free food.

Kagome laughed. Haruhi hadn't changed too much, after all. That was nice to know.

They spent a good half hour catching up on the mundane- and only the mundane, as boring as it was for Kagome she couldn't exactly tell Haruhi what she had actually been up to- Haruhi updated her on her father, who was now a crossdresser who went by the stagename Ranka. Kagome mentioned her little brother had joined both a baseball team and amateur theatre troupe.

"He doesn't act," Kagome confessed, unable to keep the amusement out of her tone. "He couldn't tell a lie to save his life. He's doing it to impress some girl in his grade, but I thought culture would be good for him and kept my mouth shut."

"I'm learning that guys will do the absolute most for a pretty girl to give them the time of day," Haruhi agreed dryly.

Just guys? Kagome's traitorous brain murmured disappointedly. "I'm happy to help you out, Haruhi. Text me the room number and we can start my first day, if you'd like."

"Sure," Haruhi's voice bled with relief, then raised with a panicked note. "Wait! No! I need you now! Today, I mean."

"Haruhi," Kagome laughed, feigning a scandalized tone. "You need me now?" Her friend stammered on the line for a few moments before Kagome took pity. So cute! She never stammers!

"D-d-dance… lessons. Dance lesson- I- stop laughing, Kagome, do you know how rich people dance?"

"You're lucky you called the one friend that knows a waltz!" Kagome sang, laughing again at Haruhi's answering exasperated sigh. "Send me the address though, and I'll be right over with your lunch."

' "Okay, I'm about to send-" In the background of the call, Kagome heard a door opening, and a boy's voice calling out her name. "Coming, senpai! I'll be there, I'm on the- give that back, Tamaki-senpai!"

"Hello!"

"Hello," Kagome greeted back, thoroughly amused at the sounds of a scuffle crackled through the receiver.

"Rest not, fair maiden! We've taken this young man under our wings and will lift him high until he soars!"

Kagome choked on her laughter. "Riiight," she said. "But Haru asked for me to be there as moral support, so I'm going to be there for 'em."

There was a bit of bickering between the two academy students, but nothing Kagome could make out. She could hear Haruhi's level of exasperation rising as Tamaki kept going on about the integrity of the school grounds, and how this had never happened before at Ouran.

"For goodness' sake. Senpai, she's the new transfer!"

"Even better! Now she has to join us!""Just what point were you even trying to argue?!"

Tamaki chuckled condescendingly. Kagome stuffed a knuckle in her mouth to not burst out laughing. "Never you mind, rookie. Kyoya! Send for a car!"

And with that, Tamaki's voice drifted away, his plotting softly decreasing in volume. Haruhi finally got back on the line, completely frazzled.

"Do you see why I need you here? I need backup!"

A message came through with the address and room number, and then the call went dead. Kagome finally let out her laugh, and ignored the pang in her chest. After all, she had never made Haruhi react that way. She never really knew Haruhi could be so… lively.

What if Haruhi didn't really like her company? She was just asking for a favor back that was owed. They talked for a half hour, but everyone talks, right? It was small talk, too.

Then she thinks of Haruhi, with her short hair because some dipshit at their school was jealous of her grades and stuck gum in it. Kagome thinks of the warmth she feels and heard when she's around Haruhi. She missed that a lot, but sacrifices had to be made. Time was lost for her in present and past, but Kagome kept on top of it for the most part. But this… this friendship, this dumb little crush Kagome had had on a girl who was kind enough to tutor her after the teacher had given up… this was retrievable.

Even if nothing worked out, it was still a bit of her past she hadn't wanted to leave.

… She's such a sucker. She was going to her school early just to watch her friend dance with a bunch of guys who thought she was also a boy.

"Stupid," Kagome muttered, pressing her forehead against the receiver. The dial tone punched her with its agreement.

*omurice is rice with an omelette on top. it can be more complex or simple depending on how many veggies/seasonings in the rice

"Val," says the audience, "please stop making random one shots and work on your longer lived series."

"No," I replied, lovingly.

(jk but should i work on this more? add mpre chapters? idk lol)

future pairing would likely be haruhi/kagome BUT... imagine this galaxy brain: tamaki/haruhi/kagome for the ultimate rarepair