A/N: I know I already wrote how Haru and Hikaru would have met for this idea, but there's been a different idea lurking in my head for years after randomly seeing it on Pinterest, waiting for the right inspiration to leak out of my fingers. This wasn't even the format I was going to write it in, but I wanted to keep this from becoming redundant.

So, to quote Clue, 'What if it happened like this?'

Sweet Part Six

Hikaru was exhausted. He'd had an early shift at the fire department and had just made it to the three college classes he had scheduled that day. Although grateful that he had gotten up early enough to prepare a bento box, he was still hungry enough to rival Muta by the time he dragged himself through the front gate, locked it and made sure the alarm was set since his friends had classes until later in the evening and as such weren't likely to drop in on him and his mother that day.

He sighed heavily, remembering why his mother had taken the trouble and expense to install so many security measures. 'It isn't fair to her at all. Mother may not be frail, but she deserves some rest at her age. Maybe I should arrange to get a nice face burn on the next call, that should dissolve my fan club!'

It wasn't the first time he thought about making a little slip that would make him less appealing to vapid women, but something always held him back while in the moment. He was a good firefighter, but the last thing he wanted was to disappoint the fire chief with something so shallow.

Hikaru sighed again, brightening only a little when he finished unlocking and opening the door. His cat immediately slipped through the opening to curl around his legs while purring up a storm.

"Hello, Lily," he greeted her warmly, doing a half-bow to her so that she could pounce onto his shoulders as usual.

She made herself comfortable around his neck like a scarf, still purring happily that he was finally home.

He affectionately scratched her ears before entering the house. "I'm home, Mother," he called out while carefully removing his shoes in exchange for the indoor slippers.

"Welcome home, Hikaru," his mother also seemed to purr from her favorite chair, which immediately made the hairs on the back of his neck straighten up with dread.

It was very rare that Nakoma sounded that smug!

"Is everything all right?" he asked worriedly, noting that her smile was just as evil as her tone. He could smell that dinner was cooking but pushed the thought away for now as he set his school bag on the closest table.

"Oh, more than all right, my dear. Sit down," she ordered with a gesture at his own favorite chair, still grinning from ear to ear like a villain.

He nervously did as he was told. "I don't think I've done anything wrong."

"Don't worry, you haven't," she assured him, petting a small, folded paper on her lap like it was her son's cat. "But I thought it might interest you to know that I've met your future wife."

"You didn't?!" Hikaru screamed, jumping out of his seat like there'd been a pin on it, much to Lily's displeasure.

She hopped off his shoulders and gave him a reproachful look out of the corner of her eye as she marched into her miniature castle he'd made for her last year to sulk in one of the towers.

"Sit down. You have to hear what happened."

He didn't want to, but he stiffly sat down again. "I mean it, Mother. No engagements or setting me up with girls until after I'm done with college."

"Don't worry, that's not what happened," Nakoma promised, still smiling wickedly. "While getting things ready for dinner, I didn't realize that we've been forgetting to add oil to the list of groceries every week. I had no choice but to run to the store, and you're never going to guess who I met there!"

Hikaru indulged himself in some breathing exercises. "At least grant me the mercy that this person has nothing to do with 'the club'."

"Don't be foolish, none of those girls are level-headed enough for you," she scolded, the first flicker of annoyance showing through her good mood, which was quickly restored. "When I got to the right aisle, I thought I saw a couple at first, but then I realized the girl was much too young for him, and his thumbs were nearly catching fire as he tapped something into his phone while she was talking to him. Since I felt like being nosy, I drew close enough to hear that the man wanted to make his girlfriend a special six-month anniversary dinner since she usually prefers quick and easy meals thanks to her work schedule, but he doesn't know that much about cooking. This young lady was telling him all sorts of easy tricks to make an elegant meal for his girlfriend, and you should have heard her talk about the desert! I'll have to try making it myself on Sunday. I went ahead and picked up everything I needed for it as long as I was already there."

Hikaru blinked. "So this young lady didn't know the man at all?"

"No," his mother answered, her smile turning very warm and fond. "She heard him panicking and took the time to help him, even though she was on a quick errand herself. The man was about ready to kiss her feet before he ran off to the next aisle. Then she picked up her homemade grocery bag and started searching through the spices like helping complete strangers was a common occurrence to her! Oh Hikaru, she is a sweet little thing, and very lovely. Her name's Haru, by the way. She's still in high school, but not for much longer."

Hikaru couldn't help a sick, sinking feeling that wanted to pull him through the chair with its gravity. "What did you do?" he asked flat out.

Nakoma actually giggled like a little girl! "I couldn't resist, dear! I walked up to her, told her she looked like my son's girlfriend, and asked for her number!"

Hikaru groaned and covered his face with his hands, since it had been a long time since she'd embarrassed him like this.

"It took her longer than that to realize what I meant," his mother added with another laugh. "But here's what I found interesting; she already knows about you."

Her son glared at her between his fingers. "I thought you said she had nothing to do with 'the club'."

"She doesn't," Nakoma replied without batting an eyelash. "But she's seen us at that store many times. She was able to respectfully describe you in case I meant a different son, and she turned me down!"

Hikaru blinked, and he lowered his hands. "Did I hear that correctly?"

"That's what I said," Nakoma agreed, though grinning again. "Haru believes you're too high caliber for her, but she does enjoy eavesdropping on us when we have the weekly fight over who's going to carry the groceries home."

"They wouldn't be fights if you would back down," he shot back on reflex, though he was still a bit shocked.

He'd been dealing with girls wanting something from him since his first day at elementary school. Sitting next to him, going to whatever practice would allow spectators, learning to never be alone on public grounds in case one or more tried to jump him or make false allegations as blackmail, the list went on and on. He couldn't so much as enjoy a movie in a theatre without at least half a dozen girls swarming him on all sides to 'be so terrified they have to grab his arm' or 'accidentally' lean on him like he was on a date.

Or just talking nonstop through the movie. That alone was reason enough for stealth whenever he did go.

But this Haru was satisfied with such a small detail about him? Even more astonishingly, she seemed perfectly content that he remained oblivious to her!

Nakoma stayed silent a little longer so that he could sort through this strange anomaly. "I told her about 'the club'. Haru has no trouble believing you have one, but I made sure she knew how much you would appreciate having someone as considerate as her in your life."

Hikaru didn't want to let himself hope. He'd learned time and again what a girl meant when she said she wanted to 'be friends' with him, which usually entailed him never speaking to another girl again.

His mother picked up the folded piece of paper from her lap and offered it to him. "She knew I'd read what she wrote to you. You have my word that everything you need to know about her, it's right here."

Hikaru looked at that note like it was a cobra. But as much as he knew he should squash that tiny bit of hope, his hand disobediently reached out, took it, and unfolded it with one hand while bringing it close enough to read.

Hikaru-

I don't know if I agree with your mother's opinion, but if you would like a friend that understands personal space and that 'no' is a complete sentence, I'm just a text away. I hope the fact that I've been leaving you alone for months and you likely have no idea who I am is proof enough I care about your personal comfort.

Best wishes no matter what you decide to do,

Yoshioka Haru

Below that was a phone number.

Hikaru looked up at his mother with wonder after rereading the message a few more times. "Is talking to her like this note?"

"Identical," Nakoma smirked without remorse. Then her smile turned fonder as she stared at her only child. "Silly boy. Would I advocate for any girl so strongly unless I was convinced?"

He already knew the answer to that. More than one member of his fan club had tried to butter up his mother to gain her favor as well as his. He couldn't resist grinning at the memory of them sweaty and dirty from working in his mother's garden for hours when his mother was in a devious mood.

For some reason, he couldn't shake the feeling that Haru would cheerfully do such filthy labor. Perhaps she already does in her own home. In any case, he knew enough about cooking to get the idea that she knew how to work in a kitchen. It was plenty hard, even with a bag full of tricks.

Hikaru stood up, tucking the paper into his shirt pocket and retrieving his school bag. "I'm sorry for my sour mood earlier. If you'll excuse me, Mother," he informed her politely while kissing her cheek, forgetting that he had been hungry. "I'm going to be in my room for a while. I believe I have a call to make."

That only made Nakoma's evil smirk return with a vengeance. "That's my boy."

xxXxx

This is the last of the Sweet saga for now. Special kudos to the one that guesses the story for this one!