Chapter One: Let Them Eat Cake

The gym was loud as three classes had been jammed into it because of the rain. Squeaking sneakers, shouting classmates and chattering girls filled the air making my head throb a little. The period before, math, had been very unkind to me but I kept jogging lazily around the suspended track on the second floor. Below I could watch the basketball game going on and it'd become pretty heated with Itchika, the star player, turning jerk pretty quick. Charging across the court, hogging the ball, he plowed into an opposing player knocking him back so he smacked his head against the wood floor. I cringed at the loud pop that resounded through the gym.

"I never understood why people play against him."

Lifting my gaze I looked next to me at Iori who was jogging alongside me.

I shrugged, "I think it's because he's on top so people want to see him fall, you know."

Iori regarded me thoughtfully before going silent again. It was just his way to be so but I found it an enduring quality about him. Out of the corner of my eye I watched as his silver hair washed back exposing a dashingly handsome face that was known as swoon worthy to all the girls in school. His mired grey-brown eyes were intently focused ahead.

"Hey guys! Wait up dammit!"

Looking back I saw Yusuke trying to catch up…which was pretty bad because Iori and I were already near walking speed. Poor Yusuke. His crimson hair was limp with sweat, his face pale as his mouth gasped for air like a beached fish. His dark holly berry eyes were wide with exhaustion. Softly I nudged Iori and we slowed down to a walking pace to let Yusuke catch up.

"How can you even go that long?" Yusuke panted draping an arm over his brother's shoulder.

Iori gave him a perplexed look, "How can you be so slow?"

"Hey! Not everyone has to be an athlete!"

Shrugging off Yusuke's arm Iori snorted, "I'm not and I can still keep up with Cael."

"Now that's not fair, Iori, I run all the time for fun."

Yusuke gaped at me dramatically, "For fun?!"

Smiling I nodded.

By the time the school bell rang I wasn't ready to go home but I had nothing else to do. Standing in front of my locker I stared up at the blue sky just beyond the roof overhang. It was blue and cloudless and told of clear days but I was sure it was going to rain. On both side of me Iori and Yusuke rummaged through their lockers. It was only by coincidence that our lockers were right besides one another and it always made me laugh that they were. I'd known the Asahina family since I was five and they were amazing people. Iori closed his locker door softly while Yusuke continued to bang around like an elephant in a china shop.

"Did Yusuke tell you that today is Subaru's birthday?" he asked leaning against his locker.

I smiled, "No but I remember."

"I told you she didn't need to be told!" Yusuke snapped as he started stuffing papers in his backpack, "She remembers everything."

I shook my head. Yusuke was such a disorganized mess but energetic all the more.

Iori cleared his throat pulling my attention back to him, "Would you like to come over? We're throwing him a birthday party….kind of."

"Of course!" I jumped on the opportunity, "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

"Oh, look, it's a nuisance."

Yusuke slammed his locker shut, pulled on his pack, and turned glaring at Futo who walked up to us. He regarded me with cold cinnamon eyes and a smug look on his pop idol face. Futo had never liked me, even from the get go, and he wasn't my favorite of all the brothers but I loved him anyways.

"Oh look it's a Futo." I sneered back.

He snorted and tossed a tiny box at Yusuke who caught it clumsily, "Give this to Subaru. Tell him happy birthday for me."

"Why don't you tell him yourself?" Iori asked calmly.

I crossed my arms across my chest.

"I got a call and I have a gig I have to get to. I won't be home for the next couple of days."

"Did you even try to get the time off for your brothers birthday?" I asked a little sarcastically.

Futo pinched his face in annoyance, "What do you care? You're not my mom."

"No but I can call her." I threatened.

Yusuke snickered besides me at that. I'd never call Mrs. Miwa over something as small as Futo being an ass but he didn't know that. Futo stiffened and I saw a bit of fear run through his eyes.

Waving my hand I turned and started to walk away, "Whatever. He's your brother and if you want to burn that bridge I won't stop you."

Iori and Yusuke quickly took up flank on either side of me and we walked to the Asahina condo together.

The condo was packed with all the brothers. Going into the kitchen I took a stack of plates from Ukyo and helped Louis set the table. Wataru, who had way too much energy for six o' clock at night, was skillfully being worn down by Tsubaki while Azusa, Kaname and Iori sat on the couch chatting.

"How's business going Louis?" I asked as I went around the table.

Ukyo came out of the kitchen and set down the three tire cake I'd made when I'd arrived. I was glad to see that the whip cream frosting was holding up well.

"It's good. I've been busy with Futo lately."

With the table set with plates, forks and napkins I stood back and glanced out the windows. Outside it was dark; the sun had set, and hoped that my dad wasn't hitting the bottle.

"What about school?"

I looked back to Louis. He was such a laid back guy it was hard to imagine anything bothering him. He smiled warmly as he watched me with pale purple eyes that were such a striking contrast to his platinum fair hair I lost my train of thought for a moment.

"Schools fine. You know same ol' same ol'."

"That's good. Getting good grades?" he hummed.

I put my hand son my hips, "I better be." I stated blowing s tray strand of hair out of my face, "As hard as I'm working."

"You seem to have been a good influence on Yusuke at least." Ukyo commented joining us at the table with a hot plate of food.

The smell of vegetables and sweet and sour sauce filled the air making my mouth water. At home I was the only one to cook and since I'd never been taught my meals consisted of pb and j or macaroni.

Looking over at Ukyo I caught his brilliant light blue stare, "Well at least I'm doing something right." I laughed.

He laughed warmly and returned to the kitchen.

"Your hair is getting long." Louis commented.

I looked back at him.

"It is now that you mention it." Azusa joined us peering at me through his classy glasses, "It looks beautiful."

A warm blush spread across my face and I had to look away. I'd never been very good and receiving compliments.

"You should let me play with it one day." Louis hummed.

I looked up at him, "Oh, no, that's okay." He looked at me with a blank face, "I mean that's what you do for work all the time. I'm sure it's the last thing you want to mess with on your day off."

"Ah-"we all looked up to the landing, "but hair is Louis's passion."

"Hey Hikaru!" I called.

Hikaru walked across the landing, came down the stairs, and went straight to me. Today, instead of wearing women's clothes, he was dressed in a nice pair of slacks, pressed blue shirt and his long hair was pulled back.

"It's been so long since I've seen you around here Cael."

Hugging him back I smelled some powerful cologne and I sneezed.

"I'm sorry!" I gasped pulling away.

Hikaru took a step back as Azusa started to chuckle.

"It is a little strong I suppose."

Waving my hand as my eyes watered up I shook my head, "No. It's just allergy season for me is all. I'm so sorry I didn't mean to sneeze next to your ear!"

I felt horrified!

"What is with that look on your face?" Masaomi laughed as he came to stand next to Louis.

"What look?"

Tsubaki chuckled, "You look like you just saw a zombie!"

I rubbed the bridge of my nose, popping it, "I feel bad for sneezing in Hikaru's ear!" I protested like a little girl.

Masaomi reached up and ruffled my hair, "Don't let them get your goat."

Ukyo, who'd disappeared from the kitchen at some point, came running into the living room, "Subaru's here!"

Quickly we all hid, flipping all the lights off, and waited filling the room with excited tension. Crouched down behind the couch I was flanked by Kaname and Tsubaki who, for some reason, decided to play the Slap-Each-Other game at that moment. So I shoved them both over onto the floor at the same time eliciting some chuckles from the two dodo's. The elevator dinged…..the doors slid open….footsteps echoed in the quiet as they got closer and-

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY SUBARU!"

The lights flashed on as we all yelled and popped out of hiding. Subaru jumped with a fright, stumbled back, and fell onto the floor.

"Oui, Subaru, why you on the floor?" Tsubaki teased.

After the fuss of getting Subaru on his feet and everyone greeting him we all managed to sit down at the table, minus Futo and Natsume, and have a good birthday dinner. It was amazing and I savored every bite.

"This is really good Ukyo!" I hummed, "You'll have to teach me how to make it."

Next to me Azusa nodded, "you've out done yourself.'

Ukyo's face blushed with the praise and he pushed up his glasses in nervous habit. I smiled. Subaru helped himself to a third serving. It seemed like a lot of food to me but he was pretty much burning the candle at both ends with school, basketball and his job.

Azusa tapped me gently with his elbow, "Have some more."

I'd finished my plate faster than anyone else and managed not to splatter sauce or noodles anywhere which seemed like a miracle.

Sitting back I patted my stomach, which was barely extended, and sighed, "Tanks all full."

Kaname chuckled lightly and followed my lead.

Iori leaned forward and peered at me from across the table, "But you barely ate anything."

"She's always been like that." Yusuke mumbled.

"Eats like a hummingbird." Subaru teased looking up from his plate with a soft smile.

Subaru was a man of few words but when he did speak it always seemed good.

"Now that's a misconception. I've seen hummingbirds eat and they can pack it away."

Wataru gasped, "You've seen hummingbirds eat?!"

His childish voice echoed shrilly in the room. Masaomi quietly told him to quiet down.

Nodding I smiled, "Yea. Of course. If you put food out they'll come and eat."

He looked up at Masaomi, "Can we start feeding the hummingbirds?"

"Of course."

Subaru pushed away his plate, "I think I'm ready for cake."

Ukyo had skillfully cut the cake giving everywhere a slice and we all retired to the couch where the presents had been set on the coffee table.

"This is really good!" Azusa marveled.

Masaomi nodded, "What is it again?"

I swallowed my bite tasting the lemon custard and whip cream frosting mix, "It's a lemon refrigerator cake. It's an old recipe from like the forties or something."

"It's good isn't it Subaru?" Kaname asked prodding his side.

Subaru looked up at me and nodded, "Yea."

He must've been feeling embarrassed because he'd gotten very red in the face. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. I looked at my wrist watch at the alarm went off filling the room with sound. It was eight-thirty.

"Oh man." I got up and hurried to the kitchen washing my plate, "Sorry guys I gotta go. If I'm not home by nine my dad goes ballistic."

Well…..that wasn't the whole truth of it. He was usually 'ballistic' by five but hopefully today would be different.

"I'll give you a ride home then." Hikaru offered standing up.

I set my plate and fork in the drainer, "Oh no don't worry about it. I can walk."

Coming out of the kitchen I walked up to Subaru and bent down giving him a hug, "Happy birthday Subaru."

"Hey, that's no fair, I want a hug too!" Tsubaki protested.

I rolled my eyes as I pulled away from Subaru, "When it's your birthday you can have one." I winked.

Tsubaki's face fell flat as his brother began to laugh. Snatching up my pack I hurried off towards the elevator.

"See you tomorrow Iori, Yusuke! Have a nice night guys and thank you for inviting me!"

Without waiting for a reply because it would be too painful I quickly left leaving paradise behind.

This is my second Brother's Conflict series. It is in no way related to my rough, first installment 'Oh the Sh*t We Fall Into'. Unlike that one which covered a very broad spectrum of events and characters this one will be far more focused and I will attempt to go brother by brother. I have no idea how long it will run but the more comments/recommendations/suggestions I get will tell me if I should continue to tell the story of Cael and the brothers.

Please enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to Brothers Conflict and they are the rightful property of their creators. I only claim rights to my OC (Cael) and events.