A Day With Kaoru

by Bellchime

Beth, Kaoru's girlfriend, hates the Twincest act that he and Hikaru pull. Can she learn to live with it or will it pull them apart? A oneshot I wrote for a friend, any reviews are welcome and appreciated! (Also, it's pretty sappy, even for me, and I almost exclusively write fluff)

I sit on the arm of one of the plush crimson couches in Music Room #3, as I wait for the Host Club hours to end. Kaoru always walks me home now that we're dating, which is really sweet of him, but I'm always worried that one of the customers will see us; part of the hosts' appeal is that they're single.

"Oh Kaoru..."

"Oh Hikaru..."

The pair of female customers squeal as the twins play out their routine, Hikaru stroking Kaoru's face, Kaoru blushing.

I hate seeing it. I hate that anybody else gets to be so close to Kaoru. Especially somebody he isn't in love with...

I look away, but at that moment a bell chimes and the customers all begin to stream out of the doors.

"Beth-san? Aren't you leaving too?" A girl I vaguely know from maths class asks me.

"Oh, in a bit. I need to ask Kyoya something..." The girl nods and rejoins her friends, giggling about something. I don't really have many female friends apart from Haruhi and Emily, my best friend, so since Emily's still in hospital I'm spending even more time at the Host Club.

Kaoru slides up next to me on the arm of the couch and wraps one arm around me. He squeezes my shoulders briefly.

"Ready to go?" My boyfriend asks, and I smile up at him and nod.

"Yep, I'll just grab my coat."

He twines his fingers around mine as we leave, having said goodbye to the other hosts. Hikaru wolf whistles as we walk out, and Kaoru grins at him in the mischievous only the twins can.

God I love him.

But as soon as we're out of the building and in the cherry-blossom trees of the courtyard, Kaoru leads me by the hand around a corner.

He hugs me gently, and he smells of cut wood and boy, the scent I love. I try to reciprocate the way I normally would, but Kaoru notices that something is wrong. He noticed earlier, too.

"What's wrong?" He asks quietly.

"Nothing, Kaoru." I reply. I try to sound genuine, but he knows.

"It's okay, you know. I won't be mad, whatever it is."

But can't tell him. It wouldn't come out right; what would I say? Oh hi Kaoru, by the way I'm really jealous of your identical twin so can you stop hanging out with him? That's just plain unreasonable.

Kaoru holds my chin with the tips of his fingers and angles my face to look at him. His deep amber eyes stare questioningly into my own hazel ones, and a strand of auburn hair falls across his alabaster skin, rebellious.

"It's the Twincest stuff, isn't it?" He asks, his fingers still touching my chin, faces inches apart. I just nod.

"I'm just… it just hurts to watch it, because I don't understand how you can fake it so well, and… I sound so self-centred, I'm sorry."

"You don't. It isn't exactly normal, either, pretending to be banging your identical twin. I don't think I'll ever be entirely comfortable with it, but I love the Host Club and it's given me actual friends…"

"I know. I don't want you to quit the club or anything. There's nothing we can do, so let's just forget about it." I say. It's true. We can't do anything. I give him a slightly wobbly smile.

"There is something we can do…" Kaoru smiles at me, the same grin he gave Hikaru. I realise his face has crept closer to mine without me noticing, and when his lips touch mine it's a pleasant surprise. He tastes of caramel, sweet, and his lips are soft, so soft, gentle against mine. It's never the exact way I'd expect it, but better.

So that's how we ended up making out together in the cherry blossoms. Kaoru and I lie on the ground, carpeted in petals. He turns on his side to face me, and I do the same to him while he strokes my cheek with his smooth, pale hand before kissing me again, hungrier, more certain, and all mine.

By the time we get around to walking home it's dark, and streetlights emit a neon glow.

"You know, you're the one for me, Beth." Kaoru says, barely more than a whisper. His face is illuminated by the artificial lights as we walk.

"And you me." I whisper back.

Kaoru pauses for a fraction of a second.

"Wait…"

"What is it?" I ask. Then I look around me.

We're nowhere near my house at all; I don't think I've ever been in this part of the city. Huge conifers dominate the landscape, dark and shadowed.

"Where are we?" I ask Kaoru. He bites his lip.

"Urgh… I got distracted and… well, it's about a minute's walk to my house, and an hour's walk to yours."

"What?!" I say.

"I'm sorry! I'll get the chauffeur to give you a ride back, or…"

I frown. We've come all this way, and it feels like it'd be a waste to just go home…

"Or?"

Kaoru fidgets with his long, thin fingers.

"Well, I know it's forward, and you don't have to, of course, but… would you like to stay here the night? We have a spare bed." He adds quickly.

I grin at my boyfriend, and he grins back at me.

After a quick call to my mum to tell her I'm staying at a friend's house tonight - she doesn't need to know it's Kaoru - he takes my hand and we walk along the winding coal-black road. As we turn the corner I gasp, because it isn't a house, it's a mansion, nestled in the hills and forestry.

Kaoru looks down at me and smiles. A frond of fringe falls into his eyes of maple. He pushes it to the left of his face.

"It's pretty big; I still get lost sometimes, if I'm really tired."

He leads me in, my lemon silken school gown billowing out, his sky blue blazer crisp.

"Hikaru? I'm back!" Kaoru calls into the empty hallway. Well, not exactly empty. Every surface is covered in lavish gold and jewels, silks and red plush carpets. A crystal chandelier as wide as I am tall hangs from the ceiling. I'm scared to touch anything in case I break it; the chandelier is probably worth more than my entire house. Hopefully it won't come crashing down Phantom-of-the-Opera style.

"You took your time, Kaoru! What were you even doing? With Beth again?" I hear a familiar, disembodied voice, like Kaoru's but smoother, without the slight rough tone. I blush at what Hikaru said.

Kaoru's cheeks and the bridge of his nose start to turn a shade of rose as well.

"Hikaruuu!"

"What?"

"I've got company over…"

"Oh, did you finally bring her back to the house? I was wondering when you would. Hi Beth, don't mind him, he's an idiot."

I swap glances with Kaoru. He's definitely pink now. I try not to, but I can't help but think, he's pretty cute.

"Say that to my face!" Kaoru laughs a little. It's odd, them like this; together in their own home. Their personalities are coming out even more than before.

Kaoru and I head up the stairs. I brush my fingers on the mahogany banister lightly.

The door to the twin's room is open, and Hikaru is lying on the four-poster bed nearest the window, flicking lazily through a magazine with headphones on. The music is turned up so loud I can hear whispers of pop. How did he hear us? I think, but then I remember the twins are masters at understanding each other. He looks up.

"Hey, how's it going?" Hikaru greets us.

Kaoru sits on the edge of the other bed - I'm guessing his - and smirks at his twin.

"Good, thanks. You?" I ask.

"Eh, pretty bored. Want to play a game?" He asks.

"Hikaru…" Kaoru says, warning.

"What type of game?" I ask.

"Let's keep it simple. The Which One's Hikaru Game!"

"That one's easy, but if you say so." I reply.

Kaoru sighs, as his twin cheers. A minute later, two caps the colour of a crocodile are on their heads, and they flash identical mischievous grins at me.

"Which one's Hikaru?"

It's pitifully easy now. I can sense where Kaoru is.

I point at the boy on the left.

"You're Kaoru." I move my arm to point at the twin on the right. "You're Hikaru. It's too easy now."

"How can you tell?" Kaoru asks.

"I can tell where you are, Kaoru, but I can't tell where Hikaru is. This is boring. Have you got anything to eat? I'm starving."

The twins glance at each other. Then Hikaru laughs.

"Kaoru, you haven't even gotten our guest anything to eat? Shame. I guess we'll have to make it up to her ~"

Hikaru turns to his twin, still wearing the caps, and takes my boyfriend's chin in his hand, the way Kaoru did to me less than an hour ago. I turn away, my snakes seething in my stomach and my heart hurting.

"I don't want to see this." I stalk out of the room.

"Beth, wait!" Kaoru calls out, but I don't look back. I'm not really annoyed with him, but I need space.

Actually, scratch that. I am annoyed at Kaoru - and hurt, and angry as well - but it isn't his fault, and I shouldn't be.

I turn right down a corridor, then left, then left again before turning right into one of the hundreds - possibly thousands - of rooms. I shut the door and sit with my back to it, and look at the room.

There are lots of shelves of crockery and dried food. Meats hang from the ceiling and there's an industrial-sized fridge and an equally large freezer, all chock full of food.

Oh. I've stumbled upon the pantry.

I almost laugh at the irony, before ransacking the cupboards. I find a bar of chocolate and unwrap it, then go back to sitting with my back to the door.

There are footsteps outside, and not just a couple of people. It sounds like the Japanese Mafia have invaded. I guess the boys asked their servants to look for me.

Stupid rich people.

I know that I'll be found soon; it's a matter of seconds. Still, it's a surprise when somebody knocks on the door.

Kaoru's outside. I sense him. Can he sense me? Probably. He did knock, after all.

"Beth? I know you're in there. I'm sorry." He says. He doesn't try the handle, like Hikaru would.

I stay silent. Maybe he'll go away.

One hour later and I can still sense him outside the door.

Bloody hell, Kaoru. What're you waiting for, a written invitation?

Somebody else knocks on the door.

"Miss Atwood?" A timid female voice says from behind the door. Kaoru isn't moving. "Can I come in?"

What's he doing?

I tentatively open the door slightly. A maid is outside, looking worried. Kaoru is asleep on the floor, curled up into a ball with his ginger hair messed up in a halo around his head.

God help me. That's a level of cute I'm not ready for, especially when I'm annoyed at him!

But I can't look away. Kaoru's eyes are closed and his knees are tucked up into his chest. If I listen hard, I can hear his breathing, soft and slow and rhythmic.

Oh no.

Oh no.

Can you fall in love with somebody twice?

I want to kiss him.

No. I'm annoyed with him.

I want to marry him.

NO. I'm angry with him.

The maid is smiling slightly now. I forgot about her for a minute, but she saw me through the ajar door.

"Can I come in?"

"Yes, of course." I pull open the door, and she slips inside. I sneak a final look at Kaoru before re-closing the door.

Bad idea. He's literally the most adorable thing I've ever seen, which makes it hard for me to stay pissed off.

"You're Master Kaoru's girlfriend, aren't you? Y'know, I think I know more about you than I do my own mother, the way he talks about you!"

"He talks about me?" I ask. I'm surprised.

The maid smiles.

"Of course he does. He loves you. It's cute, really."

I know he loves me. He's told me, but it just feels more honest when the maid says it.

"We all know you hate their Twincest act. The only one Kaoru hasn't said that to is Hikaru, though… I think Hikaru just sees you as another guest at the Host Club."

'But I'm not."

"Hikaru's never had a girlfriend. He doesn't know how it works. He's never fallen in love, either…" The maid's eyes sadden, just enough for me to notice.

Then it twigs.

"You're in love with Hikaru?" I ask. She smiles sadly.

"He'll never know it. You're lucky, Beth. You landed yourself with the sensitive twin who noticed your feelings and felt them back." She gestures to the door. "I can't sense Kaoru behind there, and I don't think he's the most attractive thing to walk this earth like you." I blush and shake my head, but my new friend winks at me. "Don't deny it. But I can sense that Hikaru is... " She opens the curtains to reveal the grounds, "out there." I look down, and, sure enough, Hikaru is pacing the courtyard.

"Do you hate the Twincest like I do?" I ask. She nods.

"But unlike you I shouldn't have a reason. I'm only a humble maid after all. Y'know what though? It isn't real. I still have a chance, however small, and as for Kaoru, well, he'll always love his brother as a best friend and sibling, but he's in love with you. Not him. It's been you since you walked into the Host Club for the first time and he came home and told us about a beautiful girl in glasses."

"B-beautiful?"

"I have to say, he's not wrong."

"Thanks."

"Anytime. My name's Ayano, by the way."

"It's nice to meet you, Ayano. Are you going to confess to Hikaru?"

"I've tried, but I've always lost my nerve before I do it…"

"Do you want to? He'll never know unless somebody tells him, and it's better if it's you." Ayano nods. "Then I'll come with you."

Ayano laughs. "Okay then! I might not chicken out if someone's with me. But remember that the one you love is asleep behind that door, and you need to spend time with him."

I look at the door. "Mm-hm. Should I meet you in the courtyard in five?"

She smirks at me. "You'll take more than that with Kaoru."

I blush. "Ten, then."

Ayano rises and dusts off her apron.

"I'll see you at the entrance to the courtyard in ten." With that, she sweeps out of the room, careful not to step on Kaoru.

I step outside the pantry too, and sit cross-legged next to Kaoru. He's fast asleep, and I don't want to wake him, but at the same time…

I reach out to him, but pull my hand back before I touch him.

What am I so afraid of? I ask myself.

I touch his auburn fringe, gently moving it out of his face. He looks serene and peaceful, in a way he rarely does while awake.

Great. Now I just want to kiss him.

Should I?

That's weird. He's sleeping.

I need to.

I'll wake him up.

But God, I need to.

I lie down beside him, and my fingers brush his cheek. He looks so peaceful…

Then I lean in and my lips connect to his. It's soft, but before it's over I notice he's kissing me back, and when I pull away his sunset-coloured eyes are open and smiling.

"Beth… I'm s-" I press my finger to his lips.

"I love you. Okay? That's all there is to it." Kaoru smiles at me, his hair still messy. He leans in again, and just as his lips touch mine, he whispers back,

"I love you too."

For the second time that day, we're kissing on the floor.

After a few more minutes, I reluctantly break off the kiss and sit up again. Kaoru does the same.

"Y'know, I was talking to that maid Ayano while you were getting your beauty sleep…" I tease, and he hits my arm lightly.

"The one who likes Hikaru?"

"You know about that?"

"Everybody except Hikaru does. No matter what he says, he's the idiot!"

I smile at Kaoru's indignant tone.

"We all know that. Well, we were talking, and she's going to confess to Hikaru in like five minutes. Care to join us?"

Kaoru's eyes widen. "Wait, what? She's loved him since she started work here six months ago, and in the space of - what, ten minutes? - you've got her to admit to him?"

I grin. "She has nothing to lose, right? Maybe it'll get a bit awkward if he doesn't reciprocate, but still…"

Kaoru runs a hand through his hair. "He's still getting over Haruhi, though…"

I blink. "He loves Haruhi?"

Kaoru sighs. "Not love. The only Host Club member who loves Haruhi is Tamaki, but for a bit… well…" I look at Kaoru, who is visibly distressed.

"You both loved Haruhi…"

"Not love, but we both had a crush on her. We didn't know what love was… Hikaru still doesn't."

"And you do?"

Kaoru pulls me to his chest. "Whad'ya think?"

I rest my hands against Kaoru's chest, my cheek to his shoulder. This visit to his house has taught me a lot, and most of it has hurt, but I'm glad I came.

"So Hikaru will reject Ayano." Kaoru bows his head, his face buried in my hair.

"Yeah. If he was in love, I'd know about it. He knew instantly that I was in love with you, after all."

"Poor Ayano-san." I peek at my watch. It's about time. "Are you coming with me?"

Kaoru scrambles to his feet, and extends his hand to me. I take it and pull myself up.

We find her inside the building, next to the door, fiddling with her black skirt. She looks up and smiles nervously.

"Hi, Beth-san, Kaoru-sama. Have you two made up?"

Kaoru reaches out and takes my hand in his. I blush the colour of strawberries and nod. Ayano smiles at us.

"I'm glad. What should I say to him?" Ayano directs her question to me.

"I'm going to be honest - I have no idea."

"I confessed to Beth, but it wasn't exactly smooth."

"You stuttered a lot. And you mumbled so much I thought you said something about a goat."

"Goat pick-up lines. My favourite."

Ayano looks slightly bemused at our lazy banter. "I don't know if Hikaru is into goats…"

Kaoru looks thoughtful for a second. "Ayano-san, I don't mean to be rude, but have you ever had a proper conversation with Hikaru?""

She looks at her feet in black Mary-Jane shoes and white starched stockings. "No… he hasn't even spoken to me before."

Kaoru shakes his head. "It would be better to have a conversation with him first and let him get to know you. He can't accept the feelings of somebody he hasn't spoken to before."

"True… but what should I say to him?"

I step in. "The garden. Do you tend to it?"

"Yes… Why?"

Kaoru catches on. "In that case, you have something, small in common with him. He always goes into the gardens when he's anxious."

Ayano looks up. "Should I pretend to be watering the plants?"

"Well, actually water them. It's going to look weird if you're miming pouring water on a rose bush." I say, and Ayano laughs, picking up one of the watering cans that sit beside the door.

"I guess no better time than the present. Thanks, you two."

Ayano turns, her skirt spinning around her.

"Good luck!" Kaoru and I call, and she grins at us as she steps outside. I can hear her filling up the can from the hose outside.

Kaoru and I peek out of the window at the artificially lit garden.

"Do you think it'll go okay?" I ask.

"It's just a chat. If it doesn't go well, she'll have another chance."

"True."

"Beth?"

"Kaoru?"

"The window is frosted. We literally can't see a thing."

"..."

"..."

"... We are absolute idiots."

We head upstairs to spy on the two from the twins' bedroom window instead. I place my hands against the glass, my nose pressed against the cold clear material. We watch as Ayano waters a few flower beds before Hikaru calls her over. We watch as they talk a little, then laugh. We watch as Ayano sits beside him on a low brick wall, keeping the flowers away from the path.

At least, I watch it all. When I look at him, Kaoru is watching me.

Later, Kaoru, Hikaru and I are sitting side by side on Hikaru's bed, eating fancy food off of fancy plates.

"We don't ever use the banquet table when our mother isn't here." Hikaru explains.

"If she was here, she'd have forced you into a flowery dress by now." Kaoru says.

"Ick. Flowers aren't my thing." I'm more of a tomboy.

Hikaru looks pensive. "I like them."

"Didn't think you'd be the type, Hikaru." I reply.

"Is there a type to like flowers?"

"Homosexuals." Kaoru teases.

"I'm straight!"

"Could've fooled me!" I reply.

"You did fool me. All this time I thought you were gay, Hikaru! What else have you been hiding?" Kaoru says, mock-surprised. For the record, neither of us are homophobes; we're trying to get information out of Hikaru.

Hikaru falls into the trap. "Oh, shut up. If you must know I like a girl, okay?"

"Yeah, we know, her name's Ayano, you had your first conversation with her today and she's a maid. Twin powers are useful, y'know?"

Hikaru goes slightly red. Just like Kaoru, but not. He is attractive; I can see why Ayano likes him, but I prefer his twin. "Yeah, yeah. So I like a maid. What's wrong with that?"

"Oh, nothing. Just thought butlers were more… you." I tease.

"Shut up, Beth."

"Where's Ayano? I wanted to ask her what happened."

"Probably with Hikaru somewhere. He seemed pretty smitten, seeing as he's only had one conversation with her!"

"Yeah, he did. It was sort of cute!" Then I panic. "Oh fudge, oh fudge, fudge fudge fudge fudge!"

"What's wrong?" Kaoru asks, worried.

"I have a dance in the youth theatre's show to practise for tomorrow night and I forgot! I'll never learn it in ti- ah!" I'm interrupted by Kaoru, who grabs my hand. He pulls me off his bed and leads me down the winding corridors. "Where are we going?" I ask. Kaoru opens a solid mahogany door and leads me inside. I turn and look.

It's a huge music room, decorated in purple and gold. Violet curtains hang from the window and another massive crystal chandelier dips from the ceiling. A grand piano sits in one corner; a gramophone in another. Bookshelves full of sheet music and vinyl records are spotted around the room.

"What's the song?"

"Masquerade. Phantom of the Opera?"

"P… p… Phantom of the Opera… M… Masquerade, here's the vinyl because I can't play piano for toffee. If you want, you can practise here."

I take the record. "Thank you. Are you sure?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

I set the vinyl in the gramophone and place the needle in a groove. The room fills with the music of Andrew Lloyd Webber, dramatic and booming.

I feel slightly awkward practising in front of Kaoru, but soon I'm used to it. He rewinds the record if I want to go over a part again, and watches me dance intently.

After about an hour, I have the piece sussed, and I go over it a final time with Kaoru watching me. I make no mistakes. He claps for me at the end.

"You're pretty amazing at that! It's quite a complicated piece, too. Can I put a request in?"

"A request? What do you mean?"

Kaoru grins at me and slips a different record into the gramophone. A waltz.

He takes my right hand in his left, and he rests his other hand on my shoulder blade while I place my left hand on his shoulder. And then we're dancing, and the air is charged with something magical as we dance together in a lilac-hued room to beautiful music. We step together, moving in the imaginary square, as I gaze into Kaoru's amber eyes, deeper than the sea. There's a slight smile on his lips. He may as well be the only thing in the room.

The music fades out eventually, and Kaoru holds me as we kiss, deeply, passionately, young and drunk on love and music.

"Here's your room!" The twins chorus. It's roughly midnight, though it's been dark for hours.

"It's got an ensuite-"

"- and we left a spare nightdress on the bed."

"Spare nightdress? Do you bring girls back often?" I tease.

"We have one trapped in the basement."

"Don't worry, we feed her once a month."

I roll my eyes and laugh. "Thanks. I guess I'll see you two tomorrow, 'night."

"Sleep well!" Hikaru walks off down the lamplit corridors. Kaoru stays a moment longer, and he drops a kiss on my forehead.

"G'night." He whispers, before closing the door. The room is plunged into darkness, and I turn the light on as fast as I can. There's a queen sized bed next to the window, and a vanity mirror on the other side of the room. The main colours in the room are pastel pinks with touches of scarlet in the floral patterns decorating the curtains and bedspread. The twins have given me the girliest room in the entire house.

Are you kidding me?

I knew they were into stereotypical girly girls, but seriously?

I walk over to the bed and sit on the duvet. Sure enough, there's a nightdress. What colour? Rose pink, with a lilac underskirt. It's knee-length, with a soft pressed lavender peter-pan collar and violet fabric-covered buttons up the front.

I sigh, before taking my red-pink lipstick out of my tan leather school satchel and placing it on the vanity chest, along with my iPod and headphones, a mini bottle of cleanser, my phone and a hairbrush. I always pack essential things in my schoolbag; you never know when you're going to need them. Lipstick is essential in any situation.

I fire off a quick text to Emily, my best friend.

staying at the twins house tonight dw wuu2? im in the girliest room in existence send help b xx

She replies in seconds.

no way im at moris tonight! consider it sent gl 2 u x

Then I flick through my contacts and click on Kaoru's name. A picture of him looking surprised pops up, and I smile at it. His phone rings twice before he picks up.

"What's up? Are you okay? Need anything?"

"MY RETINAS ARE BURNING THE PINK IT'S BLINDING AHH-"

I hear the pair burst out laughing down the line. I grin at the picture of Kaoru on my phone and hang up.

I pick up the nightdress and pad through to the pink-hued ensuite, covered in rose designs. I brush my teeth with the toothbrush provided, clean my face and slip the nightdress over my head. It sort of suits me, style-wise, but it looks like it came out of a candy-floss machine.

Then I notice the crucial flaw with the room, bigger than the colour scheme or general girliness.

There's no lamps. And I'm scared of the dark.

Not many people know this, since it's kind of embarrassing, but I hate the dark. I can't help but wonder what's hiding in it, before scaring myself into a panic and turning every single light on.

I try keeping the light on, but the chandelier is right above the bed and keeps me awake. I try turning the light off, but I last all of two minutes with my knees up to my chest before freaking. I leap out of bed and race to the light switch, as fast as humanly possible, looking behind me to make sure nothing is chasing me.

I curl up in the bed for a while, headphones in at full volume, trying to block out the weird noises every house makes. At home, they would be dismissed with an internal 'oh, listen to that, the walls are all squeaky'. In the Hitachiin house, every noise is an 'OH GOD SOMETHING IS COMING IT'S GOING TO HURT ME WHAT IS IT WHAT IS IT' type of sound. No matter how I try to calm myself down, I end up shaking uncontrollably.

No. I can't… Can I?

No. It's way too forward.

But I'm scared. He'd understand, right?

Kaoru would, but Hikaru wouldn't.

Stuff Hikaru. I'm scared, I'm getting Kaoru.

I grab my phone and use the flash as a torch. It's on 2% battery, so I sprint through the empty hallways. The borrowed dress billows around my bare knees.

Which room is theirs again?

Oh, right. I sense Kaoru's nearby.

I turn a few times before knocking softly on a door. I know it's the right one; I can tell Kaoru's on the other side. There's no reply.

Then my phone light goes out and I open that door as fast as I can, closing it behind me. I can barely make out the shadows of the beds, but I can hear the twins snoring softly, synchronised sleeping. Even so, Kaoru is snoring more quietly than his twin, and the little roughness of his voice carries over to his breathing.

It's cute.

But I'm still scared.

I walk, faltering, towards Kaoru, before placing my phone on his bedside table and sitting on the end of his bed. I shake him gently.

"Hmm?" He mumbles, just waking up.

"It's me… I… I'm scared of the dark."

He sits up. The duvet falls away from him, revealing his bare, toned chest. "Why didn't you say so before?" I say nothing. "C'mere." Kaoru pats the bed next to him, and I curl up next to Kaoru. We lie there together, snuggled up. "You better now?" He whispers.

"A bit."

"Do you… do you want to sleep here? You don't have to." Kaoru asks quickly.

"If… if it's okay."

He tosses the duvet over both of us, and wraps me in his arms. I feel his skin under mine, soft and muscled. Before long Kaoru is asleep again, and I smile and fall asleep too.