Kaoru was just now realizing how much his brother meant to him. It started slowly, this attraction. His brother, Hikaru, was gone for about a month on a journey with their mother. It was a bit hard for his twin to be alone, but then again, it felt so strange sleeping alone on their king sized bed, going alone to school or taking baths alone. Well, of course, he had his friends to amuse him. Tamaki was over reacting as usual, Honey and Mori were following him around on the host club's hours offering him sweets, Haruhi was trying to comfort him by studying occasionally with him, taking his mind off of things, and Kyoya surprisingly was more talkative than ever.
Kyoya was so comforting and easy going around him, and that didn't go unnoticed. After classes he would go on dates with Kaoru, out for coffee and movies and they would talk for hours over many things. When came the day that Hikaru's arrival approached, Kaoru was so excited that he couldn't stop himself from talking about his brother throughout his casual, after school date with Kyoya. "I just can't wait! The thought that when I'll return home Hikaru will be waiting there for me is so exciting! I bet he has many souvenirs for me, he knows that I love surprises and such." Kaoru was super hyped while they were sitting in the coffee house, sipping on sweet tea. He couldn't stop bubbling about his twin and Kyoya, while he was most patient around him, today was more serious than other times.
"Hikaru, eh?" noted the black haired boy, stopping the other from his usual monologues. "Actually, I wanted to talk to you about something, concerning your brother, or more like, your relationship with him." Kaoru looked at him with a curious grin printed on his face. "My relationship… with my brother?" Kyoya took a sip from his iced coffee before continuing. "Kaoru, for the past month I have been your main company and we've been talking a lot. Now, I've always considered you very intelligent and that's why I enjoy our conversations, this is very pleasant to me. But I can't help but ask, do you want to share something with me? About your brother? Every day you talk about Hikaru, so fondly and so dearly, and I can't help it when you have this look in your eyes that- Kaoru?"
The younger twin suddenly blushed furiously when he realized what he was being asked. Kyoya felt a bit uneasy when confronted with a blushing Kaoru. Maybe it was a foolish question after all. "You're asking", started the orange haired teen, "about me having romantic feelings? About my… my brother? Is this a joke? I mean, you know that what we do in the host club it's just an act! We have never actually kissed or anything, you know how we act entirely different outside the club, it's all an act-""An act that holds some truth." began Kyoya, interrupting the other. "I know you still share the same beds, you shower together, and you spend every single minute of the day together… And now he left and you've been going crazy. I thought I shouldn't say something about this but, damn it Kaoru you're so smart and yet you can't tell what your own feelings mean."
The twin was just sitting there, listening thoughtful to his friend talking. Could he be right about this? Was he feeling this way for Hikaru? He thought about the way he has been treating his brother since forever. The way they always fell asleep at nights, while talking and drifting off while lying next to each other, the showers they take together… At that thought Kaoru flushed even more. The truth was that lately he didn't always follow his twin for a bath. He found himself observing the other's body or sometimes getting aroused when in the shower with him and he wanted to avoid the embarrassment. But this was puberty, wasn't it? "Even if what you're saying it's true" finally said Kaoru "why ask? Why do you want to know? I mean, I myself don't know… if that's the case…" He lowered his orange head in embarrassment. What was he thinking?!
Kyoya picked carefully his next words, seeing how upset Kaoru was. "Well, I have grown to like you more, as a friend, and I just wanted to enlighten you or give you a helping hand. You don't fall in love every day, right?" said while sipping on some of his coffee.
"I-in love?! Kyoya please! If you want to help don't say such things!"
"Ah, so you finally accepted that this is the case."
Kaoru's face was distorted with surprise, a bit of anger and the furious blush that took over his entire face and ears. "Please, just stop…"
On the ride back to the Hitachiin estate, Kaoru was left with his thoughts. Could this be right? Was he in love? In that kind of love? This sudden realization of his feelings felt like a great deal of shock for him to handle. The younger twin just didn't know what to do with himself. As the driver was driving closer to their destination, Kaoru began feeling impatient. 'I want to see him' he thought. This thought, under normal circumstances would be the most ordinary thing to think in the world for him, but now his cheeks turned red, just with this. How could he be so blind to something so obvious? Kaoru was so much into his thoughts that he jumped slightly when hearing his phone going off, a message was sent to him. He reached for it to see that it was Kyoya who interrupted him from thinking. "Happy reunion. If you make peace with your heart, come see me for advice." he read to himself. At that message he smiled. While Hikaru was away, he found a great deal of comfort while hanging out with Kyoya. He never thought that this could actually be possible, but these dates with his friend were more than pleasant. And the orange haired teen felt somehow relieved that he had Kyoya to have his back because… well, it was Kyoya, the most frightening person he had met. This notion made Kaoru chuckle a bit to himself.
After what felt like an eternity, he finally arrived home. 'Hikaru' he wanted to say and his heart started beating faster against his chest. He threw himself out of the car and started climbing the stairs on the front porch almost furiously, aching to go to his bedroom as soon as possible. After a bit of running inside the house, he once again threw himself on his bedroom's door when he reached it and, while open, he searched the room. On the floor were Hikaru's suitcase and backpack, but Hikaru wasn't there. At that moment the bathroom's door opened to reveal his brother who had just taken a shower. He had a towel wrapped around his waist, his chest was bare with another towel hanging around his neck and a goofy, happy smile was decorating his face. Kaoru swallowed hard and just run to hug his twin who had his hands already open to receive the rather predictable hug.
"Tehehe, you missed me that much? I thought you had forgotten me, since you were cruel enough to not be here when I arrived." began Hikaru still smiling while his brother buried his head to his neck and shoulder. "I know I missed you though. Mother booked for me a suite with a king sized bed and it felt so, so weird, you know, not having you next to me, snoring." At that Kaoru blushed and while not drawing back from the hug, he replied. "Don't… don't be silly! You know it's you who snores!" And they both just laughed. Kaoru could smell the sweet aroma that covered the other's body, so closely…
He withdrew himself from Hikaru's warmth without really wanting to. They spend the entire afternoon talking about the journey. The older twin at some point presented to Kaoru all the gifts he had purchased for him. Fragrances, clothes, new video games. Kaoru was beyond happy and that only scared him more, because he knew what that meant…
Right before going to bed, Kaoru tried sending unnoticed by his twin, a message to Kyoya. 'You win. You're right. What do I do SOS!' He waited impatiently for the other's reply only to regret it. When seeing what Kyoya wrote back, his eyes grew wider while his cheeks once again flushed red.
Tomorrow was going to be a long, hard day…