An American Rabbit in Japan

Birds chirping in the early morning woke Haruhi up. She opened her eyes and looked up at the ceiling, wondering what she was going to pack for America. She rolled onto her side and saw that Bunny was awake, doing exactly as Haruhi had been earlier. She looked over and met Haruhi's eye, her face expressionless. For a while, they said nothing, just looking at each other. They didn't need to say anything. Words weren't necessary in their friendship; they understood each other with a single glance, with an unspoken thought.

Ranka poked his head into the room. They turned to look at him at the same time with the same happy, yet sad expressions on their faces. He smiled softly at them before leaving to get a cup of coffee.

***

The trio was silent as they waited for Haruhi's plane to begin boarding, seated on one of the numerous rows of designated seats. Ranka hid behind a large pair on sunglasses and had covered his head with a bandana. Haruhi's flight left very early in the morning so he didn't have time to put on any make-up or mess with his hair. He lounged in sweatpants and a t-shirt. Haruhi had thrown on some baggy shorts and a baggy t-shirt. Bunny was stretched out on the seats, her legs partially covered with a pleated blue skirt and her top with a white cami-type shirt with inch-thick straps. Her head rested in Haruhi's lap, her blonde hair flowing over the edge of the chair.

Ranka looked at the two girls out the corner of his eye. Haruhi never had any siblings, and Bunny never had any sisters. Those two went together like peanut butter and jelly, as Bunny's father used to say. Ranka agreed with that statement. At times, the two girls were like night and day; Haruhi was quiet and thoughtful, and Bunny was very easily excited. They even looked like opposites, to a certain extent, like Bunny's long blonde hair and blue eyes verses Haruhi's short brown hair and brown eyes. Bunny almost always wore dresses and skirts and other feminine clothes, whereas Haruhi didn't really mind what she was wearing, just as long as it counted as clothing. But something between them had clicked, and instantly formed a bond that had withstood distance and time. Throughout all of their troubles in their own lives, they never hesitated to pick up a pen and write to the other.

Most girls wrote in diaries. Bunny and Haruhi wrote to each other.

Soon, they heard the announcement they'd been waiting for.

"I guess you'd better get going, kid," said Haruhi's dad, giving her a hug.

"Yeah, it would suck to miss the plane when we paid for the ticket already." It was Bunny's turn for a hug.

"I don't think it's too late to get it exchanged…." Haruhi laughed.

"This was your idea!" Bunny laughed too.

"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry, go ahead. Daddy's expecting you." The two girls laughed, but then Haruhi face-palmed herself.

"Why did I think of Tamaki-senpai when you said that?"

"Speak of the devil," muttered Ranka, looking fairly unhappy. Haruhi and Bunny turned around and saw the entire Host Club, minus Kyoya, enter the airport. Honey, perched atop Mori's shoulders, appeared to be looking for Haruhi. He spotted her and the rest of her small group, shouted something they couldn't hear because of the distance, and pointed in their direction with Usa-chan. In the blink of an eye they were there. The extreme wind created by their sudden appearance caused Ranka's bandana to fly away and Bunny to force her skirt from flipping up. She turned pink as she did this.

"And he shall appear." Haruhi finished Ranka's statement as four of the boys glomped her. "Ugh, guys, get off. I have to go!" All but Tamaki did as she asked. "Senpai, please!"

Tamaki slowly got up, holding his hand out to Haruhi to help her up. She took it, and he pulled her up and into his arms, cradling her head in his hand.

It took all of Bunny's strength (which really wasn't very much) to hold Ranka back from plowing Tamaki down.

"Um, Senpai? What are you doing?" Haruhi felt a slight blush creep along her cheeks.

"Shhh, Haruhi," he whispered, relishing the feeling of Haruhi in his arms. "Don't ruin this tender Father/Daughter moment."

Haruhi snorted with indignation and pushed him away from her.

"I really have to go now, you guys." Haruhi smiled at them all, but they could see the hint of sadness in her eyes. After a final glimpse at them over her shoulder, she began walking away.

"Wait, Haruhi!" Bunny called out to her. Haruhi stopped briefly.

"Yeah?"

"Don't stop writing, okay?"

Haruhi laughed.

"Okay, I promise!"

They all waved to her until she was out of sight. Ranka was the first to speak after a slightly sad period of silence.

"Well, I'm going back to sleep for a few more hours, then I'm going to work." He stretched, then started to leave. "Bunny, are you coming back for a bit?"

Bunny played with a strand of her hair, not wanting to meet anyone's eye.

"I dunno," she said quietly. "No, I don't want to."

"Well, where are you going to go?" He put his hands on his hips; he obviously wasn't going to let her go off somewhere by herself.

"Ummm… I could go to the supermarket…" It was bizarre, but she enjoyed seeing the differences in what this local supermarket had and what her own back at home carried. Tamaki perked up.

I LOVE the Commoners' supermarket! He began to wiggle with anticipation.

"No, the supermarket isn't open yet, and it won't be until much later. I'm afraid you'll have to come back at least until I go to work," Ranka said firmly. But Tamaki was determined to spend some time establishing a fatherly bond with Bunny. He was about to make a suggestion, but Hikaru and Kaoru beat him to it with their own.

"Hey, Bunny," said Hikaru.

"You should come hang out with us later," said Kaoru. They both put an arm around her shoulders.

"Oh?" She sounded slightly interested… or was that fear?

"Yeah, it'll be fun," promised Hikaru.

"We can play dress up in our mother's designs. Or, we can dress you up," said Kaoru, winking suggestively. Tamaki was furious.

"HOW DARE YOU TALK TO BUNNY LIKE THAT! WHAT MAKES YOU THINK—"

"Actually," interrupted Bunny, placing a finger thoughtfully on her chin. "That sounds pretty entertaining."

Hikaru and Kaoru grinned and stuck their tongues out at Tamaki. He was about to attempt to beat them to a pulp when Bunny spoke again.

"But as fun as it sounds, I think I will stay at Haruhi's house. I really don't want to go anywhere else today." She looked at the ground as she spoke, giving off an air of gloominess. Hikaru's, Kaoru's, and Tamaki's shoulders sagged. They wanted to spend time with Bunny. "Ranka, I'm gonna go ahead and get a cab. I'll wait on you." She smiled then left. They watched her walk quickly away, as if she was anxious to get back.

"Poor kid," sighed Ranka. The boys turned to him with curious expressions; even Mori seemed interested. They waited for him to explain, but he just stood there, looking in the direction she left. Tamaki got impatient.

"Aren't you going to-?" Honey stepped on his toe, interrupting him.

"Ranka, what do you mean by that?" He looked up innocently at Haruhi's father. Ranka sighed again and looked at the boys, ignoring the whimpers of pain coming from the sulking corner ("Honey-senpai, how could you?").

"Bunny may seem happy, but she's really going through a hard time right now. Her mom left her family when she was twelve, and hasn't contacted them since. She never calls to check on them, not even to tell the kids 'Happy Birthday.' Her dad is struggling as a single parent, and Bunny has been trying her best to look after her brother while their dad is away at work. And her little brother got into an accident about a month ago." A dark shadow fell over his face. "If you want to know more about it, you'll have to ask her." This serious information brought Tamaki out of his sulking corner.

"Oh…" he said, at a loss for words. "She must be in a lot of pain right now…." He couldn't help but to worry about her.

"Is her brother okay?" asked Honey. Hikaru and Kaoru were concerned, too: they wouldn't know what to do if something happened to the other.

"He's not in pain anymore, if that's what you mean." He looked away from them. "Ask her."

"Ranka!" They looked up and saw Bunny waving from the exit. "Come on, the cab driver is waiting!" For the first time the boys took a good look at her smile; on the surface, it seemed to be an exceptionally happy one, but upon closer inspection they saw how fragile it really was, as if it could shatter in a moment.

Such a fragile smile must reflect the state of her soul, thought Tamaki, frowning. He was such a bleeding heart.

"One more thing," said Ranka as he turned to leave. "Bunny wears her heart on her sleeve; she means every word she says. If you hurt her in ANY way…" He trailed off, his stare threatening.

"Why are you looking at me?" Tamaki asked nervously. Ranka didn't reply, but left.

"Coming, Bunny!" The tranny left the boys feeling… well, sad. And slightly intimidated. Honey and Mori told the three goodbye, then left in their own car.

"Hikaru," said Kaoru, looking at his brother non-deviously (for once).

"Yeah?"

"I think we should do something nice for her." Tamaki listened interestedly.

"I was thinking the same thing," he said, telling the truth (for once). They walked outside to continue their conversation.

"But what should we do?" asked Hikaru. "I'm stumped."

"Then let's make it a game," his twin said with a smile. "Let's call it the 'Cheer up Bunny' game!"

"Yeah!" agreed Hikaru, sounding excited. "And whoever makes her smile, really smile, first, wins."

"Fine," said Tamaki, "But only the three of us are allowed to play." He had an image in his head of Honey and Bunny having a tea (but mostly cake) party, where Honey made her laugh without even trying.

"Yeah, okay, Boss," Kaoru said with a smirk.

"Good luck," said Hikaru as their car (understatement) pulled up. "You're gonna need it, Boss."

"What do you mean by that?" asked Tamaki, slightly ticked off.

"Nothing," they replied in unison. That devious gleam entered their eyes again. "You just seem to get on her nerves." They jumped in the car before Tamaki could do anything to them then rolled down the window, sticking their tongues out at him as they drove away.

Tamaki was in the middle of having a fit when his car pulled up.

"Uh, Master Tamaki?" asked the driver, sounding slightly afraid.

"I'm fine," Tamaki replied, smoothing his hair into place. He got into the car and began talking to himself. "I'll win, no doubt about that. No one can resist my charm." Haruhi's face flashed in his mind, but he pushed it away. "No, she only pretends to, that's right…"

His chauffeur looked at Tamaki through the rear-view mirror, a concerned look on his face.

Maybe I should ask for a raise….