Title: Doppelgänger

Summary: Its 1875 in London when Kaoru meets someone identical to him in appearance. But as the two exact opposites become more acquainted with each other Kaoru must reveal his dark secret. He can only hope for the acceptance of the 1st person he truly loved.

Rating: T. Possibly M later.

Pairing: HikaKao.

Setting: 1875 in London.

Point of view: Kaoru

For those [kitty] that don't know what a Doppelgänger is its German for 'double walker' and is the paranormal double of a living being. Keywords being 'paranormal' and 'double'.

In this story Hikaru and Kaoru are not so much twins / long lost twins / etc. See above for clue on the relationship between the two.

Because it's set in that time, I will use big words. I will write in a more formal tone. Even my author's notes will take on the characteristics of an 1875 authors note.

So there will be good grammar. And hopefully a sufficient lack of spelling mistakes.

I will continues writing Consequences. I just really wanted to write this chapter tonight.

So please enjoy.

I do not own any characters used in this story except of course for characters I made up. And for those characters, they are solely fictional. Any relation to any persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

I had to say that.

On with the story.

Tora xxx

29th January1875. London, England.

The days have been uneventful lately. The weather is cold and the nights deadly. Only the few that dare to leave the warmth of their homes walk these streets, each wrapped in large coats and shawls. Women watch from the windows as their children play in the snow, laughing as they launch balls of snow at each other's faces in some form of war.

And here I sit. A narrow alley in between two houses provides a perfect place for me to sit and watch the city's winter come and go around me. I hold out my bare hand, feeling the softness of snowflakes on my palm. However I feel no cold. Sighing, I place my hand back in the pocket of my thin winter coat. I have no need for large layers of clothing, nor a need to be out here watching at all. I suppose it's because of a lack of things to do for my kind.

Admittedly, sitting here is often no more interesting than watching steam rise from the chimneys. Sometimes however, I get lucky. Sometimes, just like today, I will see someone or something that makes this whole task worth it.

He isn't very tall, probably about my height. In fact, he looks a lot like me. Same red tinted hair, same soft and pale skin, even down the same curvatures of the cheekbones and shape of the jaw.

But I notice he is clean and well dressed. He is most likely wealthy, a nobleman, able to afford the finest fabrics providing the optimum insulation in the cold weather.

Of course the stout butler following behind him with an umbrella to keep the snow from ruining his beautiful hair was most likely another sign of his wealth. A more obvious one that most people would pick up on sooner. But I suppose my inability to do so just showed that I wasn't most people.

Grudgingly I arose from my place in the alley and began to walk towards this handsome figure. I was only risking ultimate rejection, he was a nobleman after all, hardly likely to socialise with someone like me. But I couldn't stop this attraction. It was like magnets. North and South. Opposites attract they say.

'Excuse me, sir.' I had stepped in front of him, blocking his path. It was only from this angle that I got a perfect view of his face. A face I was used to seeing. A face I saw every day, in shop windows, mirrors. This was my face. Glowing gold eyes surrounded in thick eyelashes, a perfect nose and picturesque mouth. Those were the perfect words to describe this person's face. On myself however a description of dull and glassy eyes, a misshapen nose, a torn and bloody mouth, would be far more fitting.

The sight of him had taken my breath away. As well as apparently my focus as a small nudge of my shoulder seemed to bring me back to Earth.

'Are you okay? Are you not cold out here?' Listening to his voice was like drinking warm liquor feeling the burn trickle down my throat. I was still speechless. When I didn't reply to him, a frown crossed his face and he removed the thick scarf from around his neck, proceeding to drape it over my shoulders.

'Please find shelter. I don't enjoy seeing such beautiful people thawed by the cold.' He smiled a solemn smile as he walked away, his butler in tow, leaving me standing in the street unable to move.

When I finally regained use of my limbs, I clutched the scarf to my body, breathing in the sweet and warm scent of his skin.

And so I have finally found something worth waiting for. Worth living for if you will. It's not often my kind get this feeling. That feeling when your heart speeds up and your cheeks flush red, when you lose the ability to speak in the awe of someone's presence.

Some call it love I believe. I have never felt this feeling before. Only seen it in happy couples and young children. My kind don't often feel this feeling. But I'm glad I have today. As it is a feeling I'm not likely to forget.

For tonight I will sleep in my usual place in the alley. Where I sleep does not bother me. Whether I sleep in this cold alley or in a warm home by the fireplace, it all feels the same to me.

So as the darkness unfolds, I clutch this scarf to my chest and close my eyes, surrendering to sleep.

Tomorrow I hope to see him again. I hope I get to feel this feeling again.

Hope you all enjoyed.

Please Read and Review :)

Tora xxx