Title: Duffel Coat

Pairing: HaruMori

Word Count: 366

Summary: When she was little, he helped her, she still hasn't forgotten.

A smaller version of Haruhi sat on the bottom step outside of a museum, hidden behind a bush. She cried silently, tears streamed down her face and her mouth was open in a silent scream. Her hand held tightly to a woman's necklace.

'Mama... mama,' she whimpered and tried to rub at her eyes but only succeeded in making them more red than they were already and more tears to spill freely over her flushed cheeks. She placed her hands over her ears and closed her eyes as if willing the past to go away, for her mother to come and find her and bring her home. For her mother to come back from the dead and just be Mama again.

The small girls whole body quivered, sadness and confusion rippling through her body, her teeth chattered and a louder whimper escaped.

She felt a warm hand on her head and she lifted her head and looked at the newcomer with watery eyes.

A boy a couple of years older than her stroked her hair and sat down beside her.

She whimpered a little more but nuzzled into the boy's warm chest. Closing her eyes and pretending it was her mother. She breathed in deeply, the stranger smell of wood, earth and also peppermint. Haruhi smiled into the comforting scent and breathed deeply one more time then fell asleep.

A few hours later when her eyes flickered open she moved and the coat fell from her shoulder. She sat up and looked at the unfamiliar duffel coat in confusion then remembered the boy. The coat was pretty big, but then again, the boy had been pretty tall.

He had come and then left without a word, leaving his kind actions imprinted on her heart.

Haruhi pulled a small coat from her school bag.

'I know it's been a long time but, would you like your coat back, senpai?' Haruhi held the navy duffel coat out to him and he took it, looking at the garment, surprise evident in his eyes, 'I still remember, you know. And I still really appreciate it.'

She went up on tip toe and pecked him on the cheek.

'Thank you Mori-senpai,'