Anime: - Ouran High School Host Club

Character: - Kaoru Hitachiin

Disclaimer: - As per usual, this is nothing more than use of characters' names and backgrounds for fictional (even more so than the fiction from whence they came) purposes. I own nothing pertaining to the series, no rights and whatnot. This is solely for entertainment purposes.

Title: The Door The Twins Opened.

Summary: - Even as Hikaru's world got bigger, even though they were together every minute of the day, Kaoru felt his own world get smaller

0o0o0

"It seems.. that the door we opened will lead each of us down a different path."

Hikaru looked at his brother, thoroughly annoyed with his homework for Conversational French, and the fact that Kaoru had time to dream up stupid sayings.

"The hell are you talking about?" Kaoru broke free from his reverie and chuckled.

"Nothing. Just taking to myself."

"Man, you've been saying weird things like that since Halloween."

"Un..."

0o0o0

The Hitachiin twins were alike, with little or no signs of distinction between them. But that wasn't to say that they didn't differ.

Because of this, for as long as they could remember, the twins played a game, to see who could tell the two of them apart. The Hitachiin brothers' famous game revealed little about them and plenty about the people who fell victim to it. No one could tell the two of them apart, for their extreme levels of similarity. No one, but they, could tell them apart. (Not even that foolish lord of a president of theirs could and he was pretty perceptive of them) While they were both disappointed, and both had to admit that to have someone tell them apart without hairstyles or colours, or clothes, or anything like that (it was too easy to do that, the point of the game would be lost) would be a good thing, Kaoru often wondered what would happen if someone did. He often wondered what it would mean. Still, like his denser half, he wasn't sure if he was ready for that. Hell, he wasn't sure he wanted that. It was safer when it was just the two of them, after all. No false hope. No disappointment. No need for pointless people in their life to cause unnecessary trouble.

The matter rested, almost forgotten, until the entry of Fujioka Haruhi into the host club. Naturally, the twins were together. Naturally, with he being a newbie, they both considered Haruhi to be the best toy they could come across. Naturally, they both tormented her. Naturally, they both flirted shamelessly with her to the chagrin of Tamaki-tono, whose pathetic protests were met with even more shameless flirting.

Still the questions that resided in Kaoru's mind burst forth after Haruhi won the game. She was the first person to do so, and with a legitimate reason as well, although it was one that neither appreciated. (It instigated a new game to be played with their newest toy, which meant that she would be kept on a while longer, Kaoru thought, with a grin.) That caused them to drop their guards, now that he thought about it. Hikaru reacted without thought, while Kaoru took it well enough in stride. He still picked up on a chance to play a new game. However, after the incident, while the twins resumed their usual games, usual torment of the new host, usual flirting, Kaoru noticed that Hikaru, for his part, flirted more so, though it was barely noticeable to the rest of the host club. Their attention was drawn more to the effects of the flirting to the actually methods used.

It was obvious to Kaoru then, that Hikaru was slowly maturing, though he, himself, hadn't noticed it. His feelings for Haruhi were noted by the rest of the club too, but for Haruhi, herself, who was pathologically dense to matters such as this. As a result, he planned to have a date plan forced upon them to allow greater opportunity for his brother to grow. Kaoru reflected that it was probably a good idea to allow his brother to be separate from him, to widen his world, as Tamaki-tono put it. (That was the plan, even though Kaoru still followed the couple, to ensure that nothing went wrong.)

Yet even as Hikaru's world got bigger, even though they were together every minute of the day, Kaoru felt his own world get smaller.

Hikaru was slowly but surely becoming more independent of Kaoru.

Although he saw the need for the two of them to lead separate lives, was it that Kaoru still needed Hikaru to be there as often as he was before The Infiltration? Was it that he would be left behind, while the others moved on, developing, growing, learning, eventually to become more independent of the family that brought them together in the first place? Could Kaoru's magic carriage be turned into a pumpkin before the given time because of Haruhi?

Maybe. But he didn't blame Haruhi. She was the one who saw them as Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin – separate beings with the same name. She was the one, who instigated this growing independence. Kaoru was thankful to her for that.

This was just another social obstacle the twins had to get through. Though not necessarily through the same method. They were two different people after all. Different people underwent different forms of development.

And they were still together.

Separate and together. Collectively and singularly referred to. Two halves of one whole, though each equally effective on his own.

They were the Hitachiin brothers, after all. Kaoru and Hikaru. This experience could only lead to new games. And Kaoru was more than excited to play them when the time came.

0o0o0

A/N: First Ouran fic, though i must admit the twins held more of a shadowy interest for me than even Kyouya and his shadow king-yness. Maybe because I'm a sucker for sibling relations be them good or bad. And I have to say, I like writing a story where siblings aren't trying to kill each other, take over each other's lives, or possess each other entirely. This is a healthy sibling relationship. Because of this, I'm positive that I'd designate them as my hosts, if it weren't for the fanservicing, incest-yaoi things that would make me uncomfortable, and mind games. The mind games would screw you up bad. V_V'a