Written for KayJayLew's One-shot Contest. Happy Birthday Kaylei. Italicized words are KayJayLew's prompt given for usage by authors. (Like me!) I'm sorry this took so long. -.-" Implied KyoxKao (Although not really prominent. Only if you squint and tilt your head a little)
"One in the same". That one saying ruined my life.
My name is Kaoru. His is Hikaru, and although we look exactly alike, we are very different people. But lately... I think that he's been changing. I mean, Haruhi, the first person to cross on to our side, has been with Tono for some time now. I knew that Hikaru really liked her, the same way that Tono does, and how I used to. But he's confirmed numerous times that he's happy for them, and I believe them. So... why is he acting this way?
;A;
Hikaru. Whenever I hear his name, it reminds me of my brother, my twin, my almost mirror image. Of course there were a few tweaks here and there, but basically we were the same person. But, lately it seems as if Hikaru is someone that I don't even know anymore. It scares me, to put it bluntly. Me? Me, I think I'm doing fine, at least I hope I am.
"Kaoru, let's go," And thus was my cue. Currently it was a Monday morning, and I had been dreading this day since Saturday. Ever since Hikaru's been basically rejected with Haruhi, he's been treating me as if I'm her replacement. Me as the replacement for Haruhi! Shouldn't it be the other way around? Haruhi was the replacement for me when Hikaru was into her. And I'm sure he still is, by the way he flirts with her, even though he obviously knows it won't be working. Anyways, Hikaru expects me to be his little pet, following him around like his shadow. Some part of me really wishes to comply and go ahead with following my elder brother, yet at the same time, I don't want that. I realize that I'm a walking contradiction, wanting this, not wanting that. Sometimes, I just don't know anymore what I want. What Hikaru wants. What anybody wants. It's all about wants, not needs, I realize. Just human nature I guess. We want more than need.
"Coming Hika, you don't have to wait for me. You know that right? I can always call another limo,"I tried stalling him, just long enough so that I didn't have to be dragged around Ouran before school hours by my idiotic brother. Yes, Hikaru is an idiot. I admit it. He's an immature person that doesn't know how to control or display emotion correctly. It's the same for myself, yet I understand when and when not to behave like I normally would.
"Well, if you called another limo then we couldn't plan what we are doing today," He sounded somewhat irked at my response, but Hikaru, being the immature person he is, realizes that we have to be independent. I guess he just doesn't want to let go yet, but I understand because I don't want to leave him by himself either. I'm afraid he's going to explode.
"Hika," I sighed, unsure of what to say next. After a pregnant pause Hikaru seemed to think that he had won and started pulling me by my thin wrist. After contemplating what I had wanted to say to him, I spoke softly. "Hikaru, what is so important that we need to be at school at-" I looked at the wristwatch, reading the time, "six-fifteen in the morning?"
He looked at me if I was a crazy person. What? What had I done? I didn't say anything wrong did I? We were inside our limousine as of now with seatbelts buckled against our chests. "I thought I already explained this to you Kaoru. Haruhi asked you if you wanted to review with her for our final tests. And you said I could come!" Ah. So that was the reason. Tono and Haruhi had been together quite a while now, and still Hikaru acts if nothing's happened. Of course he says that he's happy for the two, and like the good twin I am I believe every word spilling out of his mouth. Yet, sometimes there's no way I can believe him. And that moment is right now. I nodded slowly to appear as if I had just remembered, and in reality I did, but I had gotten the real reason quicker than Hikaru realized himself.
And from that moment I knew that Hikaru was a different person from the brother I once knew. I understand that I'm being slightly melodramtic, but that's how I feel about Hikaru. He's my brother, shouldn't I care for him as much as I am now? It's as if he doesn't care anymore, like I'm not really needed. I'm not someone he needs to depend on anymore.
;A;
It was dark, like it normally was when Host Club festivities were not in order. It wasn't for any particular reason, more or less because of the fact the even the rich and powerful were not ignorant enough to destroy the earth by using energy when not needed. However, for a certain Ootori, it was much more comforting to work in the darkness, even if it gave him a strange reputation for being known as the 'shadow king' All the others, meaning the rest of the host club participants had left, save for himself and Kaoru. The glasses character inatially found this strange of him to be without his other, but didn't pry for it appeared as if the younger needed his space for now.
"Kyoya-senpai, I'm sorry if you're busy, but is it alright if I ramble to you?" Kyoya hadn't looked up, nor did he after hearing the auburn headed teens question. However, he did nod at the boy and that was the end of that. He heard rustling, supposedly the sound of Kaoru moving to get comfortable on the long velvety couch.
"It's stupid, but thank you anyway," For moment there was sound. Even the usual typing by Kyoya had paused itself. Kyoya heard Kaoru take a deep breath. "Have you ever felt as if someone is just using you? Like they know that their using you, and they avoid telling you because they think that it's okay, when it's not. Am I just some tool to get the pretty prize inside? Am I really that person that can be thrown away after being used with after a while?
"Am I really that useless? I don't think I am, but I know that it's what I am and I can't change that. Still I just want to feel like someone cares; someone who won't throw me a way after I've helped them. I don't want that- I want to feel needed again," Kaoru hadn't noticed a dark shadow hovering over him as he had his eyes tightly closed. He was about to start again, when he felt a tight grip on his wrist, pulling his body up. And suddenly he was being pressed against a warm body.
"Don't belittle yourself any longer Kaoru. You are important, you are needed, and you are loved. You are not allowed to address yourself as being worthless, useless, or any other name by that like. Because, you are not any of those things." And for the first time in a long time, both of them felt needed, felt like the world was right, and nothing could ever tell them otherwise.