A/N: I got a large spam of emails of people who put this on either their favorite story or story alert list. Thanks to all of you. And also thanks to Sebastian's Servant Felicia, loves2readandwrite, and chalek4ev for reviewing. You're all awesome.

And, now, here is the next chapter.

The next day in the dining room at breakfast, Renge came in to announce the first date Haruhi would be having later that morning.

"Who is it?" Tamaki asked, a bit less alert than he would normally be for he hadn't gotten much sleep thanks to being in a room with Nekozawa.

"Well, we put all of your names into a randomizer, and the first date goes to Kaoru-kun," she said. (1)

Tamaki immediately started pouting, which earned him a smirk from the younger twin. "Don't worry, Lord. I won't do anything Haruhi doesn't want me to do," he assured him.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Haruhi sighed.

"Well, for the first cycle, all dates have to take place on the mansion grounds," Renge told them, "so Karou-kun, you have until 10:00 to decide on where you're taking Haruhi-chan. There are plenty of interesting places here, and there's a map in the main hall. Haruhi-chan, you should get ready as soon as you're done eating."

The brunette blinked. "I am ready, though."

Renge sighed and shook her head. "No, You have to get dolled up, right?"

She shrugged. "I don't see the point if we're not even going out."

"Haru-chan is so pure and naive," Honey giggled.

Kaoru waved a hand. "It doesn't matter to me, really. Just look however you want."

"Come on, at least put something nice on!" Renge said, dragging Haruhi to her room.

[insert line that time jumps to 10:00]

Kaoru knocked on Haruhi's room door. "Haruhi, you ready?"

She opened it only a few second after. Renge had insisted that even if she didn't wear a dress or a skirt, she wore cute white shorts and an orange tank top with a few barrettes in her hair.

"Yeah. Where are we going?"

He grinned. "It's a secret~!" he sing-songed.

"Lead the way, I guess then," she said.

Kaoru led Haruhi to a huge bedroom that hadn't been assigned to anyone. It was the only spare.

"Why are we- mmph!" she was cut off when a pillow hit her in the face.

When she threw it to the ground, her glare was met with a playful grin and she just shook her head. "A pillow fight? Really?"

"Well, that was actually just for fun. I wanted to make a pillow and blanket fort."

Haruhi just stared for a moment then laughed. "I haven't done that since I was in elementary school! It'll be nostalgic. Sure!"

Then they went to work making their "impenetrable fortress", interrupted only by the occasional brief pillow fights.

When they were finally done, it looked like a huge jumbled mess, but that was fine, because it meant only the ones who built it knew where it would let them inside if they lifted the blanket, and where they would just come face to face with more blankets and pillows.

"Now all we need is soda, chips and comic books," Haruhi said.

"Eh? What do we need those for?" Kaoru asked her.

"It's not a real fort unless it's got at least that much!" she said matter-of-factly.

He just stared at her blankly for a moment before laughing. "I guess you know more than I do. I never made on of these before. I just heard it was a fun past time for commoners, so I thought you'd enjoy it."

"You've never made a pillow fort?" the brunette asked incredulously.

"I never really got the point. I mean, shouldn't a fort be stronger so people can't get in?"

"That's why you protect your fort, though! Because it's not so impenetrable. I'm going to get some soda. I'll be right back," she said, crawling out.

[time skip line to when she returns with a six pack of Cola]

"I'm back, Kaoru," she said, going to lift up the blanket, only to find resistance. "Hmm?"

"Speak the password and enter," Kaoru said from inside as he held the blanket down.

"We didn't agree on a password!" she protested.

"How do I know you're really Haruhi, then?" he asked teasingly.

"Because why else would I be here saying I am?"

"Sorry, but I can't be sure."

She sighed then got a slightly playful glint in her eyes. "If I have to, I'll storm the fortress," she warned him.

"I am fully prepared for invasion!" he replied.

Haruhi laughed softly and then stepped back before running into the fort and knocking all the pillows asunder. She somehow got tangled in a blanket and fell down.

Next thing she knew, there was Kaoru grinning down at her. "You're not very good at storming places if you manage to get yourself caught like that," he said.

"Hush," she said, sitting up. "Well…it was nice while it lasted."

"Yeah, it was nice to do this," the carrot top agreed, taking a Cola and opening it. "It wasn't much of a date, I guess…"

"That's okay. It was still a lot of fun. It's repaying me for the time you got sick and Hikaru had to take your place."

"Ahaha. Yeah. That works." A moment of silence passed before he spoke again, "About Hikaru…I want you to know that if you ever had to chose between us, I'd want you to chose him."

"Hmm?" She asked.

"Hikaru is still childish when it comes to feelings, but he's changing. We've both changed since we've met you. He just doesn't realize it yet, though."

"Kaoru…"

"So, if he were able to spend more time with you, maybe he'd notice and be able to keep changing, is all I'm thinking."

"Ah! I get it!" Haruhi said, slapping her fist and palm together. "I'll try my best to help, then," she nodded.

He smiled and hugged her. "Thanks, Haruhi. You know, I used to think I loved you."

"Eh?" she asked, dropping the can of Cola she was in the process of opening, causing it to get shaken up so she'd need to take a different one.

He laughed. "Is it that shocking?"

"A-anyone would be shocked if you suddenly said that!" she insisted.

"Maybe. But that's not what it is. To me, Haruhi is like a sister and a good friend. Now that I know that, I can let my brother go after you without any bitterness."

"Man, you're complicated, Kaoru. But I guess that's what makes you who you are."

"Everyone is more complicated than they seem. That's how people are."

"I guess that's true…Say, what time is it?"

"Hell if I know," he shrugged.

"We're supposed to be in the dining room at 12:30 for lunch. You know if we're even one second late…"

As if on cue, Tamaki's voice could be heard screaming nearby, "THEY'RE LATE! WHAT IF SOMETHING HAPPENED?"

"We should go before he finds us and gets the wrong idea…" Haruhi sighed, standing and offering a hand to help Kaoru up.

When they walked out, the paranoid blond was running down the hall and saw them. "Oh! Here you are! Did something happen? Wait…Wh-why were you in a bedroom?" his face paled.

"Oh, you know, a little of this and that, my lord," Kaoru said with a Cheshire cat grin. "Nothing Haruhi said no to, though."

The brunette in question groaned. It was going to be a long day now.

A/N: And thus ends another chapter, bringing the first "date" to a close. The next chapter will take place later the day this one did for the second date.

(1) : That is legit how I'm choosing the order. Through a randomizer. Can you tell that I'm making this whole thing up pretty much as I go?

I'll update soon, so be sure to stay with me. And leave a review. Reviews are my motivation to continue the story.