Long Lost and Newly Found (OHSHC)

Chapter Twenty-four: Sazuki

~flashback~

"Here..." I lifted her up and set her on the desk, kneeling in front of her and taking her injured foot in my hands. The skin was already bruising, and I looked up into her face. "I think it might be sprained." I stood up and turned away from her. "I'll uh, I'll help you to the clinic, if you'd like." Wow, her shocked expression is cute too...

"Why?" She asked, and I turned to her again.

"Because you're injured." My heart sped up, and I stepped closer, only noticing when my legs bumped her knees. I licked my lips and looked down into her eyes, managing to keep my hands at my sides.

She shook her head. "Why do you care? You're always making fun of me. I thought you hated me."

I blushed and shook my head, leaning forward slightly and placing my hands on the desk on either side of her. "Haruhi, don't you know? Boys tend to tease the girls they like."

She looked confused, and tilted her head to the side. "So, you're saying that you tease me because you like me? That doesn't make any se-"

I cut off her rambling with my lips against hers. My heart sped up when I realized she was kissing me back, and I placed one hand on her back and the other on the back of her head. She reached up and touched my chest with one hand, and-

"Haru-chan! Are you in here still?" I pulled away at the sound of Mitsukuni-nii's voice, just in time for him to enter the room. "Sazuki! What are you doing here?"

I scowled at him. "She sprained her ankle." Then I left, irritated that I had been interrupted. I really needed a smoke.

~end flashback~

Now I sat on a sofa in the club room, a few girls on the sofa with me and a few in chairs in front of me. I flirted with them relentlessly, when I could focus. Most of my attention was on Fujioka. Every few minutes, one of the girls would snap me out of my trance, and I would realize that I had been staring at Haruhi.

I had left before I got a real answer from her, and it was eating at me. I sighed as my thoughts went to Haruhi once again.

"Sazuki-senpai! What's wrong? You seem distracted!" One of the girls (I couldn't remember her name) pulled on my sleeve.

"Mm. It's nothing. Just, a lot on my mind." I smiled at her, even as my eyes drifted back to Fujioka.

"Has Haruhi-kun done something to upset you?" A different girl touched my arm, looming concerned. "You keep looking at him so intensely."

"No. I'm just staring into space. I'm sorry. I can't seem to keep my focus on you today. Maybe if you were to give me a kiss on my cheek?" I smirked at the girl next to me to see her bright red face before looking back at Haruhi. The girls swooned, and I caught Haruhi's eye as the girl next to me leaned over and pecked a quick kiss on my cheek. I was looking for some sort of reaction, but i didn't get one. I frowned and removed my arms from around the girls. "Sorry girls, I have somewhere to be. I expect you'll come back soon?" I managed a smile and a bow before I left the music room.

I headed up and out to the roof, angry at myself. "Why the hell would I think Haruhi liked me? I'm so stupid!" I punched the wall nearby, growling in frustration. "We just had to be interrupted... Maybe she would have given me an answer instead of leaving me to wonder!" I pulled out my pack of smokes and took one out, lighting it as fast as I could while I turned around to lean back against the wall. Only to see Haruhi right there, a perplexed look on her face. I dropped my cigarette in shock, and quickly stomped it out.

"Sazuki-senpai, why did you leave the room so suddenly?"

I gulped and stood up straighter, keeping my now bloodied hand out of her line of vision. "N- no reason, really." Why the hell was I stuttering?! I cleared my throat and turned my gaze away from her questioning eyes.

When I glanced back at her, she looked a little hurt. "Why are you lying to me? I thought you liked me."

I felt my cheeks redden, and I flexed my injured hand. "Sorry. Force of habit." I looked down at the floor. "It's just... We got interrupted last time and I didn't get to hear your answer and when that girl kissed my cheek you didn't react at all even though you kissed me back before and I'm confused." I took a deep breath after all that, waiting to hear what she had to say.

She stayed quiet for a minute, probably thinking to herself. "When you said a minute ago that you were stupid, why did you say that?"

I licked my lips and flexed my injured hand again. "Because. How could a girl like you like a guy like me." When she didn't say anything, I continued. "I'm not a good guy, Haruhi. You're such a good person, you deserve better."

She sighed, stepping forward and reaching for my injured hand. "You're not stupid, Sazuki-senpai." She pulled a handkerchief out of her pocket and wrapped it around my knuckles. She held my hand gently, studying it as she ran her delicate fingers over it. "You need to stop hurting yourself whenever you get frustrated." She pulled my hand closer and placed her lips softly on the handkerchief. I stayed absolutely still, watching her. Finally, she looked up at me. "I do like you, Sazuki-senpai. A lot. Despite the rumours I've heard, despite what anyone thinks. I think that you're not like that guy that makes fun of others all the time. That's just a front."

I let out a breath I had been holding, cupping her face with my good hand. "A person can change, at the precise moment they choose to." I quoted her words, stroking her cheek with my thumb. "Fujioka Haruhi, will you be my girlfriend?"
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She smiled and nodded. "Yes, I will."

A/N: yay! Done! Thank you so much HollyGummybear for your help with this! I hope you like the outcome 😉