Thankyou to bladeofsolstheim for reminding me to get off my ass and finally start on this story. I really need to finish writing the story out long hand but will try to post weekly until that part is done. Once that part is done then I'll be able to post much quicker. Just want to make sure I have the correct flow I need :)

Hot water coursed down the dark haired man's body. Hikaru leaned his forehead against the shower wall which was no longer cool due to his lengthy shower. As it was, the entire room was filled with steam. So much steam it was getting hard to breathe. Or at least, Hikaru assumed it was the steam that was making it hard for him to breathe.

Hikaru had moved back in with his brother three weeks ago. He frowned and then corrected himself, he had moved back in with his brother and Yukiko three weeks ago. Kaoru would argue the point that Yukiko did not actually live with the two brothers. Hikaru scoffed at the thought, Yukiko was here in the mansion so often that she might as well be living with them.

So much had changed in the past month. The biggest change was the fact that Kaoru and he were now friends again. Two peas in a pod as it were. An image of Yukiko laughing with his brother made Hikaru frown. Two peas in a pod with a growth on it. Hikaru turned so that his back was against the shower wall. Kyoya was no longer his friend. They had hardly spoken since that night. Hikaru tried to breathe against the steamy air. The images of Kyoya on the ground with his lifeless eyes looking up at the ceiling would haunt him forever. Hikaru rubbed his eyes as if to wipe away the image. It had been his fault, and if Kyoya's brother had not been there to revive the youngest Ootori….

Hikaru shut off the shower. Kyoya was the one who had threatened him, he reminded himself. He threatened bodily harm if Hikaru dared to touch any more drugs. A surge of hatred overwhelmed Hikaru's guilt. On some level Hikaru knew that it was best that he stopped the drugs and that the hatred probably stemmed from his addiction. An addiction that was currently eating at him. The first week had been the worst. He would shake and yell. He had ended up in his room for the majority of the week, screaming into his pillow. Mostly about how much that he hated Kyoya. Thankfully, the need had waned down since then.

Hikaru dried off his body with a fluffy green towel. He hated green. He really did. He decided to focus on what else had changed recently. His thoughts drifted back to Kyoya. Tamaki had out of the blue told Kyoya that he was okay with Kyoya dating Haruhi. Something Hikaru had not seen coming. Something that not even the great Kyoya had seen coming. Though Kyoya took advantage of the situation immediately. Hikaru was curious how Tamaki had figured out Kyoya's dirty little secret but shrugged it off. At the end, almost everybody knew. Hikaru supposed he should be happy for Kyoya: he was now with the woman he loved.

Tamaki glanced up at the white fluffy clouds that drifted lazily above them, every so often casting a shadow on them and the pool. He breathed in the summer air and had to remind himself that he still had finals left. But at the moment it was nice to not have to think about school or have to do anything. He could just sit here with his girlfriend Kita and pretend nothing mattered.

Four weeks ago Tamaki had ended up staying with his best friend Kyoya to help the shadow king past the drug overdose that Hikaru had given him. It was strange and unnerving to see the usually composed Kyoya so twitchy. He was used to the grouchy tones he'd get from Kyoya because Kyoya was free to be himself around Tamaki, but Kyoya was downright mean. An effect from the drugs and the resuscitation, Tamaki assumed. Taking care of Kyoya meant taking a whole week off of school for both of them. They swept the whole mess underneath a rug, lying that it was a nasty bout of the flu. Kyoya's brother, Akito was happy to vouch for him.

As stressful as trying to complete a week's worth of homework at the end of the semester was, it wasn't as bad as seeing Haruhi in Kyoya's arms.

Tamaki looked up as Kita stood off of her lounge chair. She winked at him and padded along to the edge of the pool. Tamaki loved Kita. He loved his beautiful princess more than he could describe.

Kita dived into the pool.

But he still loved Haruhi.

Tamaki sighed. Haruhi was the first true love that he had had. She had torn him to pieces when she left him. Sure they had broken up before but they had always ended up back together. It was their way. Then she didn't come back.

When he found out that Kyoya was in love with Haruhi, he nearly lost it. He felt betrayed. It was Kita that made him change his mind. Kita never truly said it but it was evident that she'd leave him if he didn't get over Haruhi. It irritated him that she would even imply that she'd leave, to give him that ultimatum. So he did the only thing that would save his relationship-he implied to Kyoya that he was completely okay with Kyoya dating Haruhi. Which seemed to be the magic word because they started dating immediately. Tamaki frowned but quickly turned it to a smile when Kita looked his way.

Thankfully, Kyoya was not a public person with his feelings or displaying his affections. This allowed for Tamaki to ignore what he knew was actually happening between them. Another thing that Kyoya was doing out of respect, thankfully, was not mentioning what they were up to in the slightest. Years before they mentioned things like that. How was this one guest? How far did she go? If you could have, would you?

The question that was suffocating Tamaki's mind was 'How long until he tires of her and she gets the boot?'

Kita came up for air, wiping the water out of her face and saw that her handsome princely type was deep in thought. His brow was creased in irritation and she knew what it meant. She had spotted that look on his face many times since Kyoya had started to date Haruhi.

"You're going to get wrinkles if you keep that up," she called.

Tamaki blinked and he immediately brightened, "never!" He darted up and raced toward the pool. Kita squealed and covered her face as Tamaki's cannonball created a humongous wave that nearly knocked her down. He chuckled and waded up to her. She wiped away the water and flicked him on the shoulder but he ignored it. He kissed her sweetly, those pretty pink lips full underneath his own. Momentarily making Kita forget about Tamaki's obsession with the other woman.

Takashi walked into the kitchen, his stomach growling at him. He glanced at the fridge but stopped dead as he spotted it. Hikaru warned him-he really did-but it still surprised him. Kyoya was currently standing on the marble counter top barefoot and only clad in dark blue boxers. Once Takashi could remove his eyes from the boxers, he became aware that Kyoya had his head and arms in a cabinet. Takashi could only assume that he was cleaning. It.

Since Takashi had come to live with Kyoya he became more aware of the 'cool and collected' man's habits. When it came to stress, Kyoya would deal with it by working on school work even working ahead if needed. Finding a solution and having everything done in advance fit Kyoya's meticulous nature. Seeing as they had no school work due to the break before finals week, Kyoya had started on his second way of dealing with stress: reorganizing, straightening and cleaning. Takashi had heard Kyoya starting his own clothes earlier (he never trusted the maid to not mention his 'club' clothes and had taken to doing them himself). But Takashi hadn't realized that Kyoya had just opted to strip down instead of finding new attire.

"Not that I mind the view," Takashi began and saw that Kyoya had stiffened, "But what are you doing?"

Kyoya pulled himself out of the cabinet, his hair sticking up in odd directions. In his hands were a bottle of cleaner and a cloth. He made himself focus on that because he didn't need Kyoya to see him staring at his lean body or that tribal scorpion tattoo. He really didn't need to think about how far down it went.

"What should we do with this cabinet?" Kyoya asked, he had turned to look at it.

Takashi raised an eyebrow but offered no suggestion.

"It used to be my alcohol cabinet," Kyoya informed him. "The good stuff I kept from Hikaru." Kyoya didn't dare mention to Takashi that he had, in a desperate attempt, gone to the cabinet and scoured it for any drop of alcohol. But he assumed that Tamaki had emptied it out because it was too high for it to have been emptied in Kyoya's fit of rage a few weeks prior.

That fit of rage was the start of him giving up alcohol because at the time he believed it had caused him to do some regrettable things. As it turned out, it was his idiot friend Hikaru that had slipped him a drug and nearly killed him. Kyoya suppressed the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose. That damned night was the reason he was without alcohol, had to refurbish his home and why he was currently living with the man that was trying not to look at his tattoo.

Kyoya crouched down to get off the counter, then moving to Takashi's side so that they both could look at the cabinet. It was the double-door cabinet that was right above the fridge.

"We used that one for chocolate," Takashi told him.

Kyoya nearly chuckled, "well, with Honey in the house."

Takashi shook his head, "PMS Chocolate. So Honey wouldn't eat it."

Kyoya nodded in understanding. Before their current living arrangement, Takashi had lived with Honey and their girlfriends. He assumed the chocolate was necessity. "She doesn't care too much for sweets."

Takashi knew that his friend was talking about Haruhi, "couldn't hurt."

Kyoya nodded and then headed for the living room. He may have to ask Haruhi's dad about her favorite chocolate. He waited for Takashi to make his way into the living room before starting, "speaking of Honey-"

Takashi grunted.

Kyoya continued anyway, "have you talked?" He began to pull out his laptop, making sure not to sit down until Takashi had settled.

Takashi sighed and leaned up against the wall near Kyoya, "he avoids me and then does his Lolita look from a distance."

"Playing the wounded card, I see." Kyoya frowned and then took his seat.

"It's been a month," Takashi said quietly.

Kyoya paused as he waited for his screen to load.

"Maybe he won't change…."

Kyoya nodded, "it's a possibility." He turned to look at Takashi who was lost in thought. "What would it take?"

Takashi tilted his head in question.

"What would Honey have to do?" Kyoya elaborated.

Takashi sighed, "I don't know." He paused and then fidgeted with his fingers. "I just wish he'd never lied to me."

Irritating! Hikaru ground his teeth at the entirety of the situation. He only wanted a coffee. One stupid coffee at his favorite café. But he wasn't 'allowed' to drive himself. 'They' didn't trust him. He swore underneath his breath. Swore at his brother. Swore at Yukiko. Swore at the whole damned situation. And swore that he needed those damned drugs that they tried so hard to keep him from.

He shook his head-he didn't need them. He really didn't need them, not at all. But god did he want them. He wanted to drift into that careless freedom that they could bring.

Hikaru frowned. Was this his life from now on? Being watched as he managed his way through college or possibly even further. Not being trusted. Spending all his time wishing for something that was deemed bad for him. To forever be the screwed up one who hated his life.

Kaoru had found the one he wanted. The green eyed woman that haunted Hikaru's vision. They were so happy together, smiling and holding hands at every opportunity. They only seemed to have problems when taking their time to 'pity' Kaoru's defective brother.

Hikaru glared out the window of the car that was driving him to his damn coffee. He thought of how even Kyoya had found his happily ever after. Better yet, it was with the one woman who ever seemed to understand Hikaru. The woman who he had confessed his love to on the balcony many years ago to have her declare him just a friend. Now Kyoya had her, was alcohol and drug free, and currently helping his brother Yuichi on projects to impress their father.

Hikaru sighed. Honey's life was more of a mess than Hikaru's was at the moment. But Hikaru shook his head, it was Honey's fault. Hikaru may be screwed up in the head but he would never cheat. He'd probably lie about it to cover his own ass but he wouldn't cheat in the first place. Hikaru thought about how Honey had struck Mori down and was glad they were apart. Honey didn't deserve Mori. The wonderful Mori who had managed to sneak his way in and conquer Kyoya.

It made him sick that Mori had gotten what Hikaru had clearly desired for so long. Hikaru tried to shrug it off but his mind wound itself around who Honey cheated with: Tamaki. The great and princely Tamaki who now had a story book romance with the elegant Kita. It was a completely lovey-dovey barf-fest if there was ever one.

The car pulled up to the café. Hikaru looked around the empty car and suddenly he felt more alone than he had in a long time.

Well, I hope that was a good introduction to this particular fic. If you are wondering, this is right before the last scenes in The Scorpion. That will become more obvious though. Seriously though, review and keep on my ass so that I finish this up XD