Disclaimer: Ouran High School Host Club does not belong to me.

Two Halves of a Whole

We were always together — that's just the way it was. Two halves of the same whole… sharing everything from possessions, to friends, to thoughts. It was natural for us to want the same thing, and up until now, we had both always gotten what we wanted. But this time, that wasn't an option. We both couldn't have our way — not when the "object" in question couldn't be split or shared.

Haruhi Fujioka… She's so… different from everyone else that we can't help ourselves — it's obvious we all have strong feelings for her, though milord probably takes the award for most obsessive when it comes to our club's most unusual host. But that doesn't mean that everyone else has given up hope… Even if I have.

Regardless of how I feel, I know Hikaru needs her more — he may not have realized it at first, but I think he's caught on now. It's gotten to the point where I can't help him anymore. It's all up to him.

Outside the cool, glass window, a messy-haired boy — identical to the reflection that stared back at Kaoru — stepped out into the courtyard. His eyes lit up at the sight of a petite girl, whose short, chestnut hair would lead almost anyone to mistake her for the opposite gender. The reflection in the glass smiled back wryly.

After all, it can't always just be the two of us…

"Haruhi!" The girl turned around, mildly surprised to see one Hitachiin twin running up to her without the other. It was odd to see them apart, though not completely uncommon. He came sliding to a stop in front of her, hunching over slightly as he gasped for breath.

"Hey, Hikaru," she greeted, offering him a cheerful, albeit bemused, smile. "Did Kaoru stay behind?"

"Yeah, he did."

Hikaru straightened after a moment, watching her shift uncomfortably with the weight of her bag on her shoulder. He continued to gaze at her until her eyebrows knitted together in amused confusion. "Do you need something?" she prompted, knocking him out of his daze.

"Oh! Um…" He nervously scratched the back of his head, his mind failing him during what could be one of the most important — strike that, the most important moment of his high school life. "Yeah, actually I wanted to tell you something…" This time, it was his voice that failed him. He couldn't, for the life of him, get it to form the words he'd rehearsed countless times the evening before, much to Kaoru's amusement. It wasn't till a soft chuckle met his ears that his face began to burn with embarrassment.

Haruhi looked up at him, her face expectant despite her curved lips. "And?"

"Uhh…"

Best to just get it out all at once, he told himself. If he hadn't been so nervous, he might have realized it was his brother's voice that echoed in his mind, repeating what Kaoru had said not even half an hour before hand. What's the worst that she can say?

"Haruhi I- I really like you."

She's not saying anything… Why isn't she saying anything?! What if–? His frantic thoughts were abruptly cut off by the brilliant smile that appeared on Haruhi's face.

"I really like you too, Hikaru."

Even though it defied all logic, he could've sworn he was flying. "R-really?" A pink tinge still covered his cheeks as stared at her with shock. "I didn't think you would…"

"Why?" she wondered, her tone rich with that Haruhi brand of frankness that she was so famous for. "You're my friend. It's only natural that I'd like you."

If he'd been soaring before, then surely he was falling now. It was like someone had slapped him; the grin that had been there only seconds before vanished. "That's not…" Haruhi had always been slow when it came to this kind of thing… He'd never make fun of Arai again — suddenly he knew all to well what that guy had been through. "That's not really what I meant…" Hikaru trailed off lamely, avoiding eye contact at all costs. Why won't the ground just swallow me whole already…?

"Then what'd you mean?" she asked innocently. He didn't want to say it now… What if she only misunderstood again? Hikaru stood there in thought, his mind reeling for any possibility that would let the pretty brunette in front of him knew how he felt without him having to say it. Only one came to mind…

With a long, drawn out sigh, he reluctantly faced her. Putting on a feeble smile he mumbled, "I guess there's really no other way…" She was about to ask what he meant when he cut off her words; his lips pressed firmly against hers.

The moment was fleeting — he wasn't even sure he'd actually done it — since she pulled away a second later. Her face was easily the color of the roses that so often decorated their club, but the look of sheer disbelief on her face was completely unfamiliar to him. "Wh-why did you–?" A look of dawning suddenly graced her expression, though her voice was deadpan in contrast. "Oh… That's what you meant."

Hikaru jumped away from her, his hand falling from where it had been clasping her arm as he became increasingly more flustered at the situation. "Y-you don't have to say anything!" he blurted out before his shoulders fell slightly. "Just think on it for a while…" He glanced at her momentarily — the realization had now gone, her face an unreadable mask. "Yeah… Well, I'll- I'll just be going." Before she could respond he spun on his heel and started briskly towards the courtyard's exit.

"Hikaru!" He could hear her footsteps behind him, but he didn't stop.

"Actually, I'd rather not hear your answer," he called over his shoulder before letting out a force laugh. "Better yet, just pretend it didn't happen."

"Hikaru!" She was obviously getting frustrated, but that wasn't going to stop him.

"I mean, you're not really obligated to respond–" Suddenly, he felt her grab his wrist and jerk him to a stop, showing a surprising amount of strength for such a small person. Letting out a soft sigh, he reluctantly turned around, his eyes downcast as he felt his face heat up. "Haruhi, you don't have to–"

"I think we should go out." His eyes snapped up to her equally flushed face as she looked away, releasing his wrist to fold her arms across her chest.

"…W-what?" was the only word that stumbled out of his mouth before an odd, nervous bout of laughter. "You're just saying that… You couldn't have made up your mind that quickly…"

She faced him with a small frown. "I think that's for me to decided," she replied hotly.

This time, he was sure he stayed firmly on the ground, but he couldn't help the fluttery feeling that was building up in his stomach. "So… What now?" he wondered, fighting back a chuckle as the blush rose to her cheeks once more. Hesitantly, she took his hand, pursing her lips in thought.

"…Want to come grocery shopping with me after school?"

Hikaru smiled — no, that was an understatement. He beamed. "Sure." They walked over to the courtyard's exit, hand-in-hand and completely oblivious to the teenager in the window. Mouth twitching slightly, Kaoru stood up from the window sill and headed for the door.

I think it's about time we grew up a bit.

There was a reason we called it the "Which One is Hikaru?" game. He was the one who wanted to be found… The one who wanted to be different… And I couldn't stop him — what kind of brother would I be if I did? It was obvious he'd made his choice… I think, in time, I'll come to accept it as well.

After all, it'd been Haruhi who had proved that we weren't just two halves of a whole. ...If I have to share Hikaru with anyone, I can think of no one better than our beloved hostess.

A/N - I know the format is a little confusing... But it's an idea that I've had floating around for a while and I'm glad I finally got around to writing it : ) Please review!

-Twilight-Songstress

(Update 11/11/09 - Just corrected a few typos and what not... I'm embarrassed by the number of mistakes that were in here '^_^)