Haruhi shouldered her bag as she tried to outpace Tamaki, but he was already on her heels. There really wasn't any point to outrunning Tamaki-senpai—he always seemed to know where she was and where she was going.

"Haruhi," he exclaimed in a sing-song tone as he alighted beside her, "not to be a bother, but isn't your apartment that way?" He pointed in the opposite direction down the sidewalk for emphasis.

"Yes," she replied bluntly.

Tamaki pursed his lips, skipping a few steps ahead of her to get a better look at her expression, but it was as neutral as ever. "Then might I ask, dear daughter, why are you going this way?"

Haruhi shrugged, running a hand through her short hair. "The bus stop is this way."

"Why are you taking a bus when you could just walk home?"

She stopped in front of the green bench, setting her bag down. "Because I'm going to visit the twins at—"

"—those devils?" Tamaki exclaimed. "I absolutely forbid you from going there!"

Haruhi slumped down on the bench as the blonde continued his monologue of melodrama. After a minute of his dramatics, Haruhi threw a paper crumpled in a ball at his face to get his attention. He seemed traumatized, like the paper scalded him or something, but it did the trick because he shut up and faced her.

"Tamaki-senpai, the twins were home sick all day today—didn't you notice?"

Tamaki rolled his eyes, losing his princely demeanor for a moment. Personally, Haruhi liked it better when he cut back with the acting and behaved more...normal. "I noticed they were gone, of course. It was way too peaceful of a day for them to have been there," he said as he slid onto the bench beside Haruhi. "But I wouldn't put it past Hikaru and Kaoru faking a sick day."

"Why would they fake being sick?" Haruhi eyed him suspiciously. Was he always this paranoid—she mentally scolded herself because the obvious answer to that question was yes. "They called me during lunch and—"

"They called you!?" And here come more hysterics from the one and only, Tamaki Suoh. Haruhi prayed the bus would show up soon… "Oh Haruhi," Tamaki groaned, "you're playing into their trap. First they pretend that they're sick. Then they ask you to come over to bring them the homework they missed. Before you know it, you'll be defiled with quadruplet demon spawn!"

"Hold it right there, senpai." Haruhi glared, effectively making the blonde cringe ever so slightly. "I know you get kind of anxious about this stuff, but that's not going to happen. I'm just going to drop in, give them their work, maybe see if they need some water or something, and then I'm on my way back home."

Tamaki sighed, standing up as the bus pulled up alongside the curb. "Then if I can't persuade you, then I suppose I will have to join you."

"One problem, Tamaki." Haruhi turned with a cheeky smile as she boarded the first step. "How are you going to pay the bus fare when you never carry any money around?"

Haruhi grinned smugly to herself as she slid into an empty seat toward the back of the bus, leaving a rattled Tamaki on the corner muttering about how Kyoya is the one who always manages financial affairs and why should he have cash on him all the time.

…

The Hitachiin mansion was as big and grand as ever.

It wasn't hard to get in; at this point Haruhi had been forced over to their home enough times to know most of the staff by name. One of the twin maids was the one who opened the double French doors upon Haruhi's arrival, looking rather ecstatic that she was there.

"Oh Haruhi!" she ushered her inside. "How wonderful of you to stop in!"

Haruhi dug around in her bag, pulling out a yellow folder as they walked down the hallway. Their footsteps echoed against the marble floors and ceiling. "I brought Hikaru and Kaoru the homework from today. Are they doing any better?"

The maid sighed sadly. "I'm afraid the young masters are in the worst condition I've ever seen them. The last time they were this sick, they were barely two years old with scarlet fever."

Suddenly Haruhi wasn't too keen on getting anywhere near them. "Well, I brought them this for whenever they feel up to it." She handed the maid the folder. "I should probably go if they're resting."

"Oh, please Haruhi-chan, the boys have been waiting all day for you to visit them!" the maid pleaded, clutching onto the folder.

Haruhi stopped in her tracks, surprised by the news. Were the twins really that attached to her? What happened to simply being a "toy"? "They have been?"

"Oh, definitely."

Haruhi glanced up at one of the many grand clocks in the home. She had enough time to visit for a while, make it to the supermarket before closing, and still make dinner before her father got home. "Um, okay. I guess I can go see them for a little bit."

The maid beamed. "Wonderful. You know the way, I presume?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Thanks."

Haruhi parted ways with the maid and meandered down the hall until she reached the elevator (she never would stop being annoyed at this) and punched the number three button that would take her to the third floor where the twins spent their time.

Even though the entire third floor being dedicated to the twins as their personal living space annoyed Haruhi, she had to admit that it was useful. At least she knew they had to be lounging somewhere on this floor.

First she checked the man cave where they play their video games since she knew they spent the most amount of time there, but surprisingly neither twin was there. She tried the rec room next, but the pool table and surround sound movie system were abandoned as well.

Haruhi found it very hard to believe that Hikaru and Kaoru would actually be in their room doing nothing—they had way too much energy for that!

Still, she opened up the door and was surprised to find both redheads shivering in the same bed. Both had glossy foreheads, their mouths were parted as they breathed raggedly, and they were both flushed pink.

"Hikaru? Kaoru?" she called gently into the room.

She wasn't sure they were even awake, let alone heard her when a weak voice she instantly recognized as HIkaru said, "H-Haruhi? Is that you?"

Haruhi found herself drifting into the room against her better judgement. She tried telling herself that she was risking major illness in order to see the famed Hitachiins in such a pathetic state, and not that she cared about their well being...certainly not their well being…

She shuffled over to Hikaru's side of the bed since she knew he was at least conscious enough to answer her in the first place. "Hikaru?" she whispered, hovering over him.

He looked pathetic, which was something Haruhi was not used to. His eyes were narrowed slits as he stared up at her. "Y-you're still in your Ouran uniform?"

Haruhi rolled her eyes. Nice to see his charming personality was still in tact. "That's what you have to say to me?"

Hikaru tried to smile but it was more of a ghost smile. "Sorry."

"Hikaru, you two look like a mess," Haruhi sighed. She rested her palm on his forehead. "Hmm. You don't feel too warm." She slicked his hair back and she could feel him melt against her touch. She could relate; being sick heightened the senses so a gentle head rub could feel like the most amazing thing in the world. Leaning with one palm on the bed, Haruhi reached over Hikaru with the other to feel Kaoru's head. "He's burning up though."

Hikaru blinked up at her a few times. "Haruhi?" he whispered hoarsely.

"Yeah?" she asked, standing up.

"I hurt all over."

Haruhi winced. She really didn't like seeing him so weak. It was too weird, too out of character. It was like everything she knew about anything was crumbling before her. "I know." She bit her lip as she glanced at the empty bed on the other side of the nightstand that looked like it had never been used. "Just a second, Hikaru."

She pulled back the covers to create easy access to slide in. She turned back to Hikaru who was watching her as intently as he could. "Get in," she said.

Hikaru blinked, eyes widening a smidge. "W-why?"

"Kaoru is obviously way sicker than you at this point and if you want to recover faster, you'll listen to me. Got it?"

It took a bit more coaxing than she liked, but Haruhi managed to help Hikaru climb into the fresh bed. He sighed deeply as he relaxed back into the pillow. Then his eyes shot open in panic. "H-haruhi? This is too freaky. I need Kaoru—"

"—you can last a day, Hikaru," Haruhi chided. She walked over to Kaoru and kneeled beside the bed so that she was level with his face. He looked about a hundred times worse than Hikaru. "Hey, Kaoru?" she said gently. He didn't respond. "K-Kaoru?"

"Mhmm?" He murmured, barely opening his eyes. "Haruhi?"

"Yeah," she murmured, reaching out to massage his forehead. Like his brother before him, Kaoru melted into her touch and hummed as she rubbed soothing circles onto the sensitive parts of his skin. "How are you holding up? Did you want something I could get for you?"

Kaoru's nose twitched slightly. "N-no. Haruhi? I don't feel good."

"Yeah," she whispered, "I know."

"Haruhi?" Hikaru whined from his bed. "Can you massage my head too?"

"Yeah," she responded, rising from her spot on the floor. "Hold on a sec."

The brunette made her way to the door, knowing that a few servants would be on hand somewhere. She hated herself for taking advantage of it, but at this point she didn't have much of a choice. Poking her head out, she called, "Anyone out there? I have a request!"

A short, plump woman Haruhi recognized as Ms. Nelson waddled out of what seemed to be nowhere. "How can I assist you, mistress?"

The title made her want to puke. "Just Haruhi, but could you bring some wet towels or cloth? Kaoru is burning up. And some tea—both of them of them are really dehydrated."

"Of course, mistress Haruhi." The lady bumbled off toward the elevator.

"Just Haruhi!" she corrected in frustration before returning to the sick redhead that was Hikaru.

"Who was that?" he wondered.

Haruhi sat on the edge of the bed, but Hikaru wiggled around until his head was resting in her lap. "Ms Nelson," she replied, absently beginning to twirl Hikaru's hair around her fingers as she rubbed his head and neck gently. "She's going to bring some stuff that will hopefully make you two more comfortable."

Hikaru relaxed, his breathing becoming even. "You're good at this you know."

"At what?" she asked skeptically.

"Being nice," he peaked one eye open, the smallest of smiles playing on his lips.

Haruhi expected herself to become annoyed at the comment but instead found it, at the very least, acceptable. Maybe even endearing. "You're a lot nicer when you're basically on your deathbed."

Hikaru tried to laugh, but when that proved to difficult, he tried for a smile instead. "Will you come back tomorrow?" he asked after his smile had long time faded. "To check on us?"

"Yeah," she decided, slicking his hair back, "I will."

She got up from underneath the elder Hitachiin's head, making him groan in annoyance. "Where are you going?"

"To take care of Kaoru," she replied, a sly smirk on her lips and glint in her eyes, "who is actually sick and isn't pretending to be sick."

Hikaru grumbled, suddenly sounding a lot like his usual self as he flopped backward on the bed. "How'd you know?"

Haruhi laughed as she settled beneath Kaoru's limp head and began playing with his hair instead. "The same way I know you're Hikaru and he's Kaoru."

Hikaru groaned again.

Haruhi smirked.

…

Up in a high tree branch outside the twins' window, Tamaki sat with a pair of binoculars. "Kyoya! I see them! And Haruhi is coddling them, the lucky bastards! How I wish it was me…"

At the base of the tree, Kyoya sighed, wondering how he got roped into this mess. "Careful, Tamaki. Don't fall out of the tree because you weren't paying attention.