I don't own Ouran or anything pertaining to it, save for my own mental flights of fancy.

An especially trying school term, Haruhi found herself immersed deeper within her textbooks than ever before. The days were long, the tasks overflowing, and the hours with which to accomplish it all sparse.

It happened one night after a particularly tiresome afternoon, that she found on her doorstep a neatly wrapped parcel, swathed in red. The brilliance of the box's color was outdone only by nature's luster waiting inside.

Fresh picked strawberries, the delight from which left Haruhi smiling ear to ear. Picking a berry from the box, she bit into it and began laughing as its fresh juices trickled down her chin. Knowing the pool of candidates from where the fruit must have come, she decided for the moment to forgo guessing which of them it had been.

.

With time came the seemingly sporadic placement of more strawberries at her doorstep. She kept silent of their existence, privately appreciating the gesture while attempting to pinpoint any pattern of delivery that might be offered.

Upon the arrival of their summer holiday, it came to her. Weeks had passed since the end of the last term, and with it had gone the strawberries. Thinking back to the first time she had come upon them, Haruhi recalled how it had been a rather stressful time due to an upcoming test, when the answer sparked within her.

Test nights. It had been on the eve of a rather influential exam that Haruhi first received the recurring treat. And it was then, she knew, who had been her benefactor. His words of encouragement for her constant studies had been delicious enough, but the season of strawberries reached Haruhi on a deeper level.

For a moment, she allowed her typically quiet zeal for him to surface before sending her affections back down. He would begin college soon, and the rigors of her own academic schedule were soon to resume.

Surely the strawberries had been a sweet, albeit temporary thing.

The heat sweltered on, and before long it became time to make arrangements for the first week back to school. The day before the opening ceremony found Haruhi walking home from the market, her mind occupied by what was certain to be a busy week to come.

Ascending the steps leading to her apartment, Haruhi felt a swell of joy at seeing the familiar red box waiting in front of her door. Looking inside she found the signature fruit, one of which sat prominent among the rest. The strawberry wore an interesting mutation, wherein it appeared to be two pieces of fruit melded into one.

Opening the front door, Haruhi wasted no time in setting about her plans. There was much to be done in preparation for what was sure to be interesting days ahead.

.

Laid back as always, the first day of the new term had presented its students with lesson plans, old acquaintances, and stories of another summer gone by. Walking between the twins, Haruhi did her best to savor the notion that little had changed, but she was unable to dismiss the fact that two familiar faces would no longer be routinely smiled at as they rounded Ouran's corners.

Clinging tight to the bundle between her hands, Haruhi allowed a smile in knowing that everyone would be present for the first host club meeting of the new year. At the very least, she had come prepared for today.

Familiar faces greeted her upon entering Music Room Three, and more than ever she was thankful that today's was a closed meeting. Discussions and planning for the months to come ensued. It was only upon wrapping up the business end of things that Haruhi stood to reveal that she had made for them a special treat. Various sounds of the boys' appreciation could be heard as she uncovered her made-from-scratch strawberry cheesecake.

By no means had it been an uneventful, nor a club-member-free summer for Haruhi. She had in fact established further depth within several of her friendships. In waiting to distribute the homemade confection, however, she had managed to purchase more time with which to hear the holiday activities of her friends.

She cut the cake, sending pieces across the table. Working to remain subtle, she took a deep breath and smiled while passing off another piece of cake. Nestled atop the slice was a peculiar piece of fruit; a telltale mutation of two strawberries.

Looking her in the eye, Mori smiled while accepting the plate from Haruhi. The brush of his fingers against her own caused all of her hopeful suspicions to be confirmed.

Hello! This one-shot popped into my head today. I hope you liked it!