Didn't Hikaru know that if he went with Haruhi, Kaoru would be left entirely alone…?
They had been apart of each other for so long that it'd practically be a crime to separate them. And yet, wasn't that what had been happening lately? He'd spend more time with her, they'd get closer and he would drift off farther and farther away. So far, in fact, that he was practically less than a forgotten speck in their world. Yeah, they had their own damn world now. No Kaoru's allowed. It was practically a seven-foot sign with those words in neon pink lights it was so obvious. But wasn't it also obvious how badly it hurt him? Then again, they were blind with love. Well, so was he.
It was like they were each other's wings. Together they could fly to the highest highs and the lowest lows. Nothing was impossible. Nothing unreachable. As one, they were unstoppable. Hikaru was Kaoru's wings and vice versa. So now that Hikaru was leaving, his wings were being shredded, oh so painfully slowly. When, not if, when Hikaru was fully gone, out of his life for good, how was he to fly? Wings were not replaceable. They were a once in a lifetime chance. Once they were gone, that was it. Without his wings, Hikaru's wings would surely disappear too, right? Kaoru scoffed to himself. Haruhi would replace him and then Hikaru and her could fly off together. Happily, with no worries. Not like Kaoru had. No worries about loving your own twin. Disgusting.
Another day wasted away by staying in his room 'sick'. It was the fourth day in a row. The plan was to hide away from Hikaru and Haruhi. To hide away from their revolting show of lovebirds they acted out daily. Perhaps he really was sick. Physically? No. Mentally? Fuck yes. Alas, Hikaru decided to foil his plans. Every day he had refused to leave the house also, claiming he was to take care of Kaoru since no one did it right anyways. Claiming that no one could do it right but himself. Strange that out of all the possible times, he chose when Kaoru was 'sick' to act like a true brother. Where was he all the other times? When he sat in the corner, completely and utterly alone as he and Haruhi went out yet again? All the other times when it truly mattered. When he was truly needed.
"Kaoru?" The door slid open a crack and Kaoru immediately shut his eyes, willing himself to look like he was actually asleep. It worked every time Hikaru came to check up on him. Feeling the bed dip as extra weight was added, Kaoru listened silently as a soft sigh came from his brother. Lightly, a hand brushed away copper strands and rested on his cheek. A chaste kiss was placed upon Kaoru's cheek along with a whispered, "I love you", before the warmth disappeared and the door clicked as Hikaru left. Immediately curling into himself, Kaoru clenched his eyes shut as familiar hot tears stung at his eyes. Loved him, eh? Right.
"I love you too, Hikaru." And loved him he did. Just the wrong love, right? It was never right to love your twin. Most would say narcissistic or conceited. Self-centered. Basically like loving thyself. It all pointed to the same thing. That it was wrong. Forbidden. All around pathetic. Who the hell fell in love with their twin? It was bad enough that they were both males, but fucking related? Just how sick could he get? Oh, and don't forget the frequent dreams about Hikaru. The dreams that were the complete opposite of 'holy' and 'clean'. Ah…he was screwed. And tomorrow he had to go back to school. By the fifth day you were to have a doctor's note saying what was wrong with the student and about how long they were to be gone so homework could be sent to them. But how was one to obtain a doctor's note when one wasn't even sick? Sure, he could forge a note; his handwriting could fit any situation. Too bad the school always called the doctor to see if the note was true anyways. No point in getting in trouble when he could do his best at avoiding Hikaru during school.
Sitting up stiffly, Kaoru stared out his window. It was a bright, sunny day. So why was it so gloomy and dark inside? Maybe he should've gone to school. Surely the Host Club was suffering from their absences. But if he did go, he'd have to act as if nothing was wrong. As if his world wasn't crumbling into pieces. He'd have to continue playing the submissive role in the 'brotherly love' scheme. Was it all really worth it? He could always just leave the club. Haruhi was bound to volunteer at the chance to take over his position. And then, eventually, they'd tell everyone Haruhi was a girl and then they wouldn't have to pretend anymore. Why did he have to pretend though? It wasn't fair. Nothing was fair.
Walking lazily to the door and opening it, Kaoru peered out the side, checking for a sign of life. Nothing. The house workers were probably off somewhere else and Hikaru was probably downstairs. Good. It wasn't like he actually wanted to see his brother, now. There really wasn't anything to do in the house so he would get dressed and sneak out. No need to bother Hikaru. The way to his bedroom was quiet and undisturbed. Technically it was Hikaru's bedroom, but they both shared it and all his clothes were in there. His room remained untouched by human hands but was covered in dust. There wasn't a time he ever remembered sleeping in that room. He'd have to get it cleaned up. The idea of sleeping with Hikaru wasn't as appealing as it was before. After trudging through piles of crap on the floor and searching through overflowing dressers, he finally found an outfit. Simple black jeans and a dark red top with black tennis shoes. It'd have to do; otherwise he'd probably spend a half an hour longer searching for something better. The maids were definitely slacking as of lately. A quick comb of his hair and brush of his teeth, and he was down the hall and out the door. With Hikaru down that same hall watching him leaving questioningly.
Riding in the limo was surprisingly quiet without Hikaru with him to talk to. Well he'd better get used to it. There'd be a lot less Hikaru soon. Hopping out of the car, he gave the driver a hundred dollars to keep his mouth shut about Kaoru leaving. It was getting to be around eight o' clock so he figured he'd give the driver a call a few hours later. He needed some time to himself, no Hikaru or Host members. His stomach growled loudly, demanding the first stop to be the nearest restaurant. A small bell rang as Kaoru opened the door to the quaint café and cold air from an air conditioner blew at him lightly. As soon as he sat at a table, a boy around his age came up, a bright smile on his face.
"Hey, welcome to Illuminati Café. My name is Rei, can I get you anything?" He was taller than Kaoru with messy brown hair and hazel eyes to match. Rei handed Kaoru a menu and he scanned it quickly once through.
"I'll have a small Iced White Chocolate Mocha and a chocolate chip cookie." Calmly writing down his order, Rei then took the menu and disappeared with a flirtatious wink. Hmm. Maybe it wasn't all that bad that he left. The bell chimed again as another customer walked in. A few years older than Kaoru, he had black hair that hung in front of his bright green eyes. He marched straight up to the counter where Rei was and started talking to him. As Rei started to walk towards Kaoru with his food, the older teen wrapped his arms around him, pulling him back to kiss him on the side of the neck. Rei's face lit up in a blush as he obviously protested, motioning to the food in his hands. He was let go after a few more kisses and made his way over to Kaoru, his face still a bright red.
"H-here's your food!" Kaoru flashed him a false smile and watched as Rei walked off, his apparent boyfriend following him behind the counter and into the back. God. What he wouldn't give to be able to act like that with Hikaru in public. Sighing, Kaoru stood up, grabbing his food and dropping a twenty-dollar bill on the tabletop, and made his way out the door. Staying and watching the two act all lovey dovey wasn't really entertaining in his book. Not when he could be doing the same thing. Chewing thoughtfully slow on his freshly baked cookie, Kaoru wandered around for a while, trying to decide where to go to next. Whenever he usually did go shopping, Hikaru was with him and he knew exactly where to go. Now that he was on his own, he kind of wished he had paid attention to the stores. Off to the side was a small boutique with accessories adorning the racks that caught Kaoru's attention and, throwing his now empty cup and wrapper into the trash, he headed towards it.
Opening that door brought soft music and the smell of incense floating around. It was...pleasant. Kaoru sauntered throughout the store, sifting through some of the racks that intrigued him. Looking up, he stopped, staring at as simple silver chain bracelet with the letter 'K' dangling from it. In two strides he was at his interest and trying it on. It fit snuggly on his slender wrist, not crushing tight, but not in danger of slipping off unnoticed. He rather liked it and it only cost about six dollars. Cheap, yet cute. There were other identical bracelets with different letters, namely 'H'. No doubt Hikaru would like it. They could match, like always. Purposely ignoring and turning away from the other bracelets, he went to the cashier and paid for it, wearing it on the way out, silver catching and reflecting sunlight almost to the point of blinding. An accessory that doubled as a weapon. Cool.
The sun was setting, casting a sea of colors over the sky. Red melted into pink, which dissolved into purple and all the other colors that were floating around almost magically. Sunsets had always been the favorite time of Kaoru's day, while the sunrise was Hikaru's. Sometimes, he'd wake up to find Hikaru sitting on their balcony, just staring at the sky. It had always been nice to snuggle up next to him with a blanket wrapped around their shoulders. They truly were opposites in some ways, but in all others, they were the same. Being the opposite wasn't all that bad. They did say opposites attract. Besides, it was like two halves making one whole. Like...Yin and Yang. Opposites—yet when together, they were one and nothing could break them apart. That's what Hikaru and Kaoru were like. Well, that's what they were supposed to be like. Damn obstacles.
What was one supposed to do when they were out by themselves? He had eaten, his stomach thankful, bought a new bracelet, and wandered around. He supposed he could buy some clothes...or something. A large group of people brushed past him, all heading in one direction. Usually it wouldn't bother him to see people walking and minding their own business, but this was a group of at least eight or nine people and with the way they were dressed, you just couldn't help but stare. The girls wore outfits that could be described as leather strips that were strategically placed, their hair was dyed and put up in styles Kaoru wouldn't had even thought was possible unless he saw it, and make up was done heavily, yet somehow still tastefully, on their faces. As for the men, they too had leather outfits on: skin tight and hugging everything huggable. Their hair was also dyed colors that weren't even in a box of 84 crayons and styled. They even had make up on. Albeit it was a heck of a lot less than the woman, but it was definitely noticeable. On at least three of the guys, dark eyeliner lined their eyes, bringing out their color even more. One of the guys had cat eye contacts in the color of silver. It was like a walking rave or something. Definitely something to stare at. Just where the hell were they headed? Surely not some place in public?
Curiosity brought Kaoru to follow them around a few corners and streets until the once faint pounding became clearer and he was able to identify it as music. It was so loud that it shook the ground and small pebbles tumbled off the curb and into the street. A tall black building with the word 'Nightlife' and stars in dark blue neon letters stood before him. There was a line of countless people—all dressed similarly exotic to the group in front of him. Blue light shone through the doorway of the club, lighting up the ground. A nightclub apparently. The longer he stared at the ominous black building and the people in their dazzling getups, the more tempting it became to actually go inside the club. Music weaved through the air, pulling him closer and closer to the edge of giving in. Another look at the line pushed him over. Who wouldn't be able to give in? Glancing down at his own attire, Kaoru confirmed to himself that he couldn't possibly go as he was. And the race to get a great outfit in less than five minutes began. Now if only he knew where to buy some clothes. Turning sharply, his mind set on strong on his decision, Kaoru accidentally bumped into a guy walking towards the club.
"G-gomen nasai! I wasn't looking where I was going!" He apologized quickly. From the looks of it, the stranger was another club goer. At least his clothing wasn't half bad. A sudden idea popped in his head as the man waved off his apology with a smile. "Anou…would you mind telling me where you bought your clothes?" It probably sounded strange to ask a random person that question and the shocked look on the other's face confirmed his suspicions. Kaoru looked down, a small blush of humiliation on his cheeks as the guy proceeded to laugh.
"You gonna go to the club too?" His voice was deep and masculine, causing Kaoru to blush for another reason and shake his head nervously. "Okay, there's a store two blocks away from here. It's called 'Black Angel', ya can't miss it. Just go down this street and turn right before walking a bit farther. You'll see it." There was a light clap on Kaoru's shoulder before the man disappeared, not leaving his name. Then again, Kaoru hadn't asked for it either. Maybe he'd see him at the club and then he could ask him. Directions in mind, Kaoru headed down the sidewalk. The walk took up most of his five-minute deadline so he switched to ten minutes. Yeah, ten minutes was good. And just as the man had said, Kaoru was unable to miss 'Black Angel'. Different colored lights lit up display windows and silver decorations shined brightly, reflecting the strobe lights. You'd have to be blind to miss it. So how come he hadn't seen it when he was walking up that very street earlier? Weird. He paused outside the entrance. Was he really going to do all of this? It basically had been a one-second decision.
'Well,' he thought, 'it's either this or going back home.' The realization made him frown but it didn't take him long to decide that the club was perfectly fine. Loud rock music sounded as he stepped through the front door. The place didn't look too bad. It was almost like your regular Halloween store. Skulls were placed at random and hanging from the ceiling, highlighted different colors when the lights shone on their glassy surface. Quite a few people were lingering around, some searching through the racks and others with clothes in their arm already. Apparently the main color in the store was black (what a shocker) so, even with all the lights, the store still looked pretty dim. Right. It wasn't that bad at all. He looked around curiously. But where to start?
A young girl wearing a long, black flowing dress covered in jangling chains and—the hell?—huge ass safety pins walked up to him. She had a wide smile on her face. It was a bit unnerving to see her smile so brightly when her pale face was covered in so much black make up that she looked dead.
"Hey there, can I help you?" She asked, still grinning.
"Anou…do you have any clubbing clothes?" He replied hesitantly. Suddenly the girl frowned making Kaoru think he had said something wrong.
"Have you ever been to a nightclub?" For the second time in less than five minutes, Kaoru flushed in embarrassment. A sudden sharp squeal caused him to jump and look at the worker weirdly. "Oh my god! You haven't! It's sooo obvious!" She started pushing him towards the dressing rooms and practically shoved him into a stall. "Okay! You stay here while I go and get you some clothes!" Prancing off she left a very disturbed Kaoru. Ten minutes later and several darts around the store, she returned with her arms filled. Now thanks to her, his goal time had been destroyed. Damn. Suddenly a pile of clothes was unloaded into his arms causing him to almost fall over. "Try these on!" Was all he heard before the door was shut and he was left alone in the small room.
Sifting through the clothes resulted in more than half of the clothes being thrown to the side before he even tried them on. Was that girl insane? There were all sorts of clothing. Neon colors shone brightly, silver shined flashily, and then there were the leather strips again. There was no way in hell he was going to wear something like…that. The best he could find was a dark blue shirt, but even then it was tight and the sleeves slipped over his hands. It had a large smiley face in metallic black on the chest that was like partially dead or something, judging by the 'x's' for eyes and the pierced tongue stick out of its grinning mouth. Well, the good thing was that it looked reasonably well on him. He glanced down underneath the smiley and nearly groaned aloud. There, in bold letters were the words 'Fuck Me'. Was there not one fucking shirt that was remotely normal in this store? All the pants the girl had brought him were so tight he felt like he wouldn't even be able to walk in them. How did people do this! After sorting through at least fifteen pairs of second-skin pants, he found a pair of black pants that were mainly comfortable, despite the slight hugging feeling they gave to his legs. Was getting away from home really worth all this crap? Before he had the chance to decide, the door swung open, almost torn from its hinges. Kaoru yelped.
"Oh. My. God! You look so cute!" It was her. Again.
'Kill me now. Please.' No matter how many times he repeated that in the next five seconds, the worker still grabbed him by the hands and took him towards a mirror. She could've at least knocked. What if he had been in the middle of undressing! The girl looked around for a moment before dashing off again and returning with a chair to push Kaoru into. Now what?
"Okay! Well now that you have an outfit, I need to get you some make up!" Kaoru gaped at her. Make up! Why the hell would he want make up! He already had a shirt that said 'Fuck Me' on it, and now make up! Come on! Before he could voice his protests, she skipped off to the back of the store. Yes! His chance at freedom was finally available! He'd change as quickly as possible, leave the store, and crawl back into his bed to forget that any of this had ever happened! Unfortunately, as soon as his feet touched the ground, the girl returned with a scowl on her face. "Just where do you think you're going!"
"Uh…." Kaoru winced at the girl's loud voice. 'Nowhere, apparently.' He sat himself back down before she was angered further. Who knew what she was like when she got pissed. A small table was dragged over to where he sat and a pile of make up was dumped onto it. Kaoru gulped nervously. Oh God.
"So, everyone knows that you can't go to a club without having some sort of eyeliner! Black is a must have color but since your hair is sort of an orange-ish-red, I was thinking we could use red too. But blue would also look nice but we can't use all three. And then there's the matter of whether or not you're going to have eye shadow. You can't have the colors clash. You could always have colored mascara so we have to put that into consideration." She paused for a moment, staring at the contents on the stand before glancing at a stock still Kaoru. Just what the hell was she talking about? Eyeliner? Eye shadow? Mascara? He didn't know what half of what she was rambling on about! She started up again. "We'll put on some blush to highlight your cheekbones and maybe some gloss for your lips. Or what about lipstick? Hmm…probably not. Oh! You would look so great with your hair highlighted! Do we have enough time though? Ugh! You so should've come earlier!" By now Kaoru's head was spinning and he felt a headache coming on. Did she ever shut up!
"A-anou…I don't even know if I want to wear make up…." The girl stared at him dead panned. "U-uh, never mind. Make up sounds good." It took at least another ten minutes for the two to decide on what kind of make up he should wear. Finally she granted him the 'luxury' of looking in a mirror to see how badly she'd screwed him up. Boy, was he wrong. He looked great. Black lined his eyes with shimmery blue in the mix (because, like oh my god! It would sooo match his shirt!) As she had said, she put some blush on his cheeks to make them rosy and whatever the hell she meant by 'highlighting his cheekbones'. He even had clear lip-gloss on. Except the fact that it felt sticky outweighed the fact that his lips looked, in the words of the insane chick next to him, 'more kissable!' Joy. Just what he needed. Standing beside Kaoru, the girl looked smug as ever.
"Well? What do you think?" She asked.
"W-what do I think?" He repeated as if he hadn't heard her the first time. "W-well…I guess it's okay…."
"Okay?! You look hot! I swear, guys are going to be all over you tonight!" Kaoru gaped at her. Had she just said guys? Was it that fucking obvious? As if reading his mind, she answered cheerfully, "Yes, it's obvious! No straight guy would let me do to them what I did to you." She laughed, whether at him or not, Kaoru wasn't so sure.
Ignoring her statement, Kaoru wondered, "So how much do I owe you?" The girl blinked as if she had forgotten about being paid.
"You don't have to pay me anything. That was for fun." She smiled, gathering up the make up and walking away. "See you later!" Was tossed over her shoulder before she disappeared behind a door. Kaoru stared after her. Not pay her? But...all of the stuff she had given him! Walking up to the cashier, he gave him a few hundred dollars, briefly explaining what had happened and left. So what if his time limit had been broken? He looked good and that was all that mattered.
Once again, the black building appeared in front of him. It was now or never. Nervousness spread throughout him, slowing down his steps as he stood in the line. It felt like an eternity had past by the time he reached the front, but he didn't mind, doubts present in his mind. The large bouncer seemed overbearing, making him feel like a mouse compared to him. After looking him over once, the man nodded and gave a grunt, apparently a sign saying that he could go in. Taking a deep breath, putting one foot in front of the other, Kaoru stepped through the doors and into the nightclub.
A/N: ...Yeah. After writing like a bajillion stories and deleting them, I finally decided to keep this one. Cuz I kinda like it. If it sucks, I'm sorry. I'm trying /cries/ And I know that like Kaoru and Hikaru both know all about fashion and crap, but in this story, Kaoru doesn't. So there.
Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I don't own Ouran High School Host Club. ...Yet. Oh, and also, for the store name (Black Angel), since I'm so totally uncreative, I looked on Google for a name of some store, and there it was. So 'Black Angel' doesn't belong to me either. I haven't been there so I have no idea what it's like also.