Disclaimer: I haven't done one of these in a while, so I thought I'd slip it in. I do not own anything, if I did, I'd be filthy stinking rich, of which I am not.
A/N: I put an OC in this story, but he only plays a small part.
A/N: This story is set after the events of the Manga.
By Your Side
"Where are the tealeaves?"
All heads turned to Kyouya's direction as the Shadow Lord craned his head back in anticipation for an answer. He had gone to get the newly arrived specialized tea they had had imported from Africa out of the cupboard, as the rest of the hosts went about their own duties to prepare for business, but he had come to discover that said tea was missing. That tea was very expensive, and Kyouya hated when money went to waste.
Tamaki was the first to respond, and pranced over to the raven-haired boy to investigate. "Isn't the tea in the cupboard?" He asked, trying to stretch his head over the other boy to see into the cupboard, and causing Kyouya to shake his head.
"No, it appears that somebody has misplaced it." He replied levelly, shooting the twins a slightly accusing side-glance.
"Hey, don't look at us!" the twins shouted in unison, scowling at the Otori.
"Everybody is innocent until proven guilty." Honey chimed in matter-of-factly from up upon Mori's shoulders.
"That's right," Tamaki agreed, giving up on trying to see into the cupboard, as Kyouya didn't appear to be moving any time soon.
"Don't any food products that we order get delivered to one of the cafeterias first?" Haruhi voiced, not looking up from the cups of commoner's coffee she was preparing, "Maybe it's just that nobody has gone and brought the tea up yet."
"Oh yeah, that's right!" Honey chirped, "I was supposed to go down and fetch it, but I went with Takashi to kendo practice and forgot."
Kyouya closed the cupboard door and turned around. "Well, somebody will have to go and get it." He informed.
"I'll go!" Kaoru replied without a second thought, jumping up happily to take the job.
Hikaru stood up as well, following his brother's example, "I'll go with you," he said, going for Kaoru's hand.
"That's okay," Kaoru smiled, pulling his hand out of Hikaru's reach, "you stay and get ready for the ladies – no sense in both of us being tardy."
Hikaru was taken aback; they usually did everything together. "Are you sure?" he asked, concerned and slightly disappointed that Kaoru didn't want him to come.
"Yeah, I'll see you in a few minutes," Kaoru replied absently, turning to leave the room.
Hikaru watched after Kaoru as he crossed the room and disappeared behind the door. Things were changing lately, and both of them were becoming more independent, but it was still hard for the older twin to adjust to their newfound freedom. Yes, it had been his decision to dye his hair black, but he hadn't wanted them to separate completely. Ugh, it seemed like no matter what he did, Hikaru was a walking contradiction; he wanted so badly for he and Kaoru to have independence from each other, but he still wanted to always be by Kaoru's side, because that's what twins were meant to do – right?
"Hikaru, can you help me with these roses?" Tamaki's saccharine voice fluttered over to the ash-haired twin, causing him to snap out of his little daydream.
"Yeah, coming Milord," Hikaru replied, giving the third music rooms doors once last glance before turning around and heading over to the overenthusiastic blond who was arranging rose bouquets around the room.
Meanwhile, Kaoru walked down the hallway humming joyfully to himself. Ever since he and Hikaru had made the decision to separate themselves a bit from each other, Kaoru had been able to have a bit more alone time. Being the quieter, more pensive twin this was a great thing indeed. Kaoru liked having time by himself, where he could just let his thoughts wonder without worrying about what others might be thinking, it was quite relaxing and relieving. Besides, it could get troublesome being around another person twenty-four seven. It's not that he didn't love Hikaru, or that he didn't want to be with him, it's just that keeping up the brotherly love charade all the time was tiring; especially when it made his heart ache, since he wanted it to be real.
Kaoru was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't see the other person who was walking the opposite way down the hall, at a rather brisk pace. He yelped in surprise when they collided into each other and Kaoru fell backwards, landing hard on the tiled floor. Rubbing his bottom, Kaoru opened his eyes, which had squeezed shut in shock when he had fallen, and came face to face with a boy about his age that had the most amazing heliotrope-coloured hair and bright emerald green eyes he had ever seen.
"I'm so sorry!" the boy apologized, standing up quickly and offering Kaoru a hand.
Kaoru shook his head and stood up by himself, "It's okay, it was my fault for not looking where I was going," Now that they were both standing, Kaoru could see that the boy was about the same height as him, although his uniform looked a bit baggier than Kaoru's or Hikaru's. "Are you new? I haven't seen you before," Kaoru commented.
"Oh, yes I just started here today," The boy stuck out his hand again, this time in greeting, "My name is Hoshizora Ursito, I'm from class 1B," he informed, smiling.
Kaoru smiled back and took Ursito's hand, "I'm Hitachiin Kaoru, from class 1A," He replied, shaking Uristo's hand.
"Hitachiin Kaoru?" Ursito repeated as he took his hand back, "You're part of the Host Club, aren't you?"
Kaoru laughed, "Wow, you've already heard of the Host Club? Yes, I'm in it, with my identical twin brother Hitachiin Hikaru."
Ursito grinned, "You wouldn't be able to show me where it is, would you? The chairman passed me a few minutes ago and told me to give this message," the violet-haired boy held up a piece of paper, "to Suoh Tamaki of the Host Club, but since I'm new I don't really know where anything is."
"A note from the chairman, huh?" Kaoru apprised, "I'm about to go down to the cafeteria to pick up some tea, but I'm going back. If you want to tag along with me then you're welcome to come,"
"That would be great!" Ursito exclaimed, sliding the note into his pocket.
"Cool, then let's go," Kaoru smiled softly, starting again on his journey to the cafeteria, "incidentally, could I ask which hair dye you use? I love the colour of your hair."
Ursito blushed and laughed, "Uh, this is natural actually." Before moving in step with the Hitachiin.
Haruhi sighed and rolled her eyes, if she didn't know any better it was like Hikaru was waiting up for his lover. Those Hitachiin twins were so close, it often bordered on the disturbing when they were separated. Kaoru had been gone for all of ten minutes and Hikaru had spent the better part of that time keeping an eagle eye on the doors of the third music room. Luckily no guests had arrived yet to witness Hikaru's behavior, if Haruhi had to guess they would take it in one of two ways – either they would squeal in delight at seeing Hikaru so anxious for his brother to get back, or they'd be intimidated by the agitated vibes literally emanating from his being. Regardless, Hikaru had to stop this; it was almost like he had an obsession. "Hikaru, knock it off. He'll be back any minute," Haruhi admonished, going about the last minute duties before business.
Hikaru peeled his eyes away from the doors and fixed Haruhi with an angered glare, "It's been ages, and he's not back. How long does it take to fetch tea?" he spat venomously.
"It's been ten minutes!" Haruhi snapped, only causing the older twin to glare even harder at her.
Hikaru opened his mouth to retort, but before he could respond to the cross-dresser, the music rooms doors opened and Kaoru reappeared, looking as content as ever. Behind Kaoru, another person also entered after him, a boy with dazzling green eyes and purple hair. He looked to be about Hikaru and Kaoru's age. Hikaru's first thought was who the hell is that guy, and what is he doing with my twin? Well, whoever he was, he seemed to be getting very chummy with Kaoru; both were smiling and laughing with each other, Kaoru didn't even notice Hikaru sitting on a loveseat staring at them, his anger and confusion growing stronger by the second until the older twin was gripping the side of the chair so hard his knuckles turned white.
Suddenly Kaoru pointed to Tamaki, who was currently talking with Kyouya on the other side of the room, "That's Tamaki, the blond one. You can deliver your message now," He informed Ursito, giving the violet-haired boy one last smile.
Ursito bowed in gratitude, "Arigatou, Kaoru-san!" he yipped happily in thanks before hurrying across the room to Tamaki.
At this time, Kaoru finally turned around to see Hikaru fuming in his seat a few meters away. Sighing in exasperation, Kaoru rolled his eyes and walked over to his twin who jumped up immediately as he approached. "Did you get yourself worked up again because I was gone for more than five minutes?" Kaoru asked flippantly, putting the large container of tea he had brought back with him down on the table next to them.
"What took you so long?" Hikaru shot back, confirming Kaoru's suspicions.
Kaoru put his hands on his hips, "It didn't take me long, I was gone for ten minutes." He replied calmly.
"Club activities are cancelled for today," Tamaki announced over Hikaru and Kaoru's conversation, "My father said he wants to have dinner with my grandmother and I, and we get to sit at a kotatsu!"
Ursito, who had been very shocked at Tamaki's over-exuberance when he had given the blond the message from the chairman, gaped, "The chairman is your father?" he asked disbelievingly.
As Tamaki turned to give Ursito a full blow-by-blow of his family, including the Host Club, Hikaru took Kaoru's hand and pulled them over to the coat rack beside the doors to pick up their bags. "Come on Kaoru, let's blow this popsicle stand," he muttered, picking up their bags and throwing one to Kaoru. He didn't bother checking to see which was which; it was all the same anyway.
Kaoru frowned and slung his bag over his shoulder, silently following Hikaru as he walked out of the room. Both twins were so caught up in their own thoughts that they didn't even realize they had forgotten to say goodbye to their friends, but it didn't really matter since the other Hosts were too busy trying to save Ursito from Tamaki to notice.
Kaoru watched on as Hikaru lay on his bed, scowling up at the roof for all he was worth. The ride home from school had been a nightmare; Hikaru hadn't talked to him at all the whole time and had just sat beside him with a perpetual glower on his face. The younger twin couldn't work out what could have made his niisan so angry; he decided something must have happened when he went down to get the tea. Nobody else had seemed upset when he had come back though, so he just didn't understand what was wrong. It pained Kaoru to see Hikaru like this, he loved his brother dearly and he always wanted a smile to be on Hikaru's face. Love was strange though, because despite the fact that Kaoru wanted nothing more than to cuddle Hikaru and make all his worries go away, he couldn't help thinking that his brother was the biggest baby he had ever seen.
Having enough of this perennial sulkiness his brother was displaying, Kaoru stood up from the desk he had been sitting at, walked over to where Hikaru was and jumped onto the bed next to his brother. "Come on, what's up?" he probed, poking Hikaru in the arm.
Hikaru shifted his eyes over to Kaoru, but didn't move, "Who was that guy?" he asked, his question mumbled.
Kaoru cocked an eyebrow in confusion, "Guy? What guy?"
Hikaru sat up and pointed a finger right at Kaoru's face, which happened to be right in line with the auburn-haired boys nose, "that dude with the purple hair! Who was he? Where did he come from?" the older twin snapped.
Kaoru knit his eyebrows together in seriousness, "What? Ursito? I met him when I went to get the tea –"
"Why was he with you?" Hikaru snapped yet again.
"He was delivering a message to Tamaki from the chairman!" Kaoru shouted back, getting more frustrated by the second, "Why does this even matter?"
Hikaru shrunk back a little, "So he isn't you're friend, or secret lover or something?"
Kaoru blanched and then slapped a hand to his forehead, "I just met the guy today! He might become my friend, he was pretty nice, but he only just started at Ouran today and I met him by sheer coincidence!" Kaoru shrieked, his voice going up an octave as it usually did when he got annoyed, or upset, or just emotional in general.
Hikaru blinked, "So you weren't late because you were doing something with him and forgetting about me?" Hikaru asked again.
Kaoru's right eye twitched and he had to use all of his self-control to answer levelly, "No…"
Suddenly Kaoru was pinned to the bed with Hikaru's arms wrapped around him, his face being pressed tightly into his brothers shoulders, "I'm so relieved," Hikaru murmured, nuzzling his face into Kaoru's hair.
Kaoru couldn't fight the blush blossoming on his cheeks, his eyes started darting around frantically in panic, "H-hika, w-what are y-you saying?" he stuttered out, not entirely sure he wanted to hear the answer.
Hikaru pulled back so that he and Kaoru were face to face. Kaoru watched him expectantly, but Hikaru couldn't seem to muster up the words to respond. Instead, the ash-haired twin bit his lip in thought, which Kaoru couldn't help but think was a very cute look on him. Taking a deep breathe, Hikaru gathered enough courage to speak his feelings, "I love you, Kaoru." He said quietly, just above a whisper.
Kaoru, whose cheeks had already darkened somewhat, turned an even deeper shade of red, "W-what?"
"I love you, Kaoru," Hikaru repeated, "I always have. I'm sorry for being a petulant idiot, I was just jealous of that Ursito guy because I thought there was something between you two. I know it was stupid to even think it, and that I shouldn't make assumptions, I just couldn't help it because I don't want you to be with anybody else, ever!"
Kaoru's eyes widened considerably at Hikaru's words. He was now lying on the bed flat on his back, and Hikaru was directly on top of him, holding himself above the younger twin with his arms. Kaoru's head was right between Hikaru's hands, all the ash-haired twin would have to do is lean down a few centimeters and their lips would meet. Kaoru stared up at his twin who was waiting expectantly for an answer; he realized he had not said anything for a considerable amount of time, and Hikaru's facial expression was staring to drop. Lifting his arms up, Kaoru reached his hands around Hikaru's neck and pulled his brothers head down so that their lips met in an earth-shattering kiss.
Hikaru squeaked in surprise, but then let himself sink into the kiss that he had been dreaming of for years. Their teeth, and tongues, and souls melded together in a tangle of hands, and arms, and legs, and bodies, until they were holding each other so close and so tightly that they were almost one. Unfortunately, after a few minutes the need for air become too great and the twins had to pull apart, but they still kept their faces close, now lying on their sides, staring intently at one another.
"I love you too, Hikaru, and I could never forget about you." Kaoru whispered, sliding his fingers into Hikaru's ash locks.
Hikaru closed his eyes and leaned into Kaoru's touch, "Never leave me."
Kaoru smiled softly and leaned in to peck Hikaru on the lips. "I'll always be right next to you, holding your hand."
Fin
Ursito is named after the constellation Ursa Minor, which is Latin for Little Bear. I wanted to give him a name related to my own (My middle name is Star, no joke). His last name, Hoshizora, means 'Starry' in Japanese :)
This was written for a friend on deviantArt.