Chapter One: Late

RING RING, RING RING.

"Nnn…"

RING RING, RING RING.

"Hikaru, get the phone…"

"You get it."

"It's your phone, you get it."

Hikaru Hitachiin sighed and rolled over in the double bed he shared with his twin brother, Kaoru. The chill of the morning air brushed against his naked torso and he shivered slightly as he flipped open his cell phone,

"Hello?"

"KAORU?" It was Tamaki, "Where are you guys?"

"Its Hikaru," the redhead mumbled groggily, still half-asleep, "We're at home."

On the bed, Kaoru, who was lying on his front, turned his head to look at his brother. He squinted through sleep deprived eyes and then drifted back into sleep. Hikaru ran his fingers through his hair as he listened to Tamaki scream down the phone,

"You're supposed to be at the airport!" Hikaru scratched his head absently as Tamaki continued, "We're all waiting for you! Do you want to ruin Haruhi's first ever proper holiday?" he sounded like he might explode and Hikaru had to hold back a giggle.

"Is that today?" Hikaru asked himself.

Tamaki took it as a question for him and answered with another bout of yelling, "YES! The plane arrives in one hour!"

Hikaru's eyes widened and he snapped the phone shut before flinging it onto Kaoru's bare back. Kaoru sat upright, rubbing his tired eyes, and squinted at his brother,

"What is it?"

Hikaru started pulling on a pair of khaki shorts and replied as he pulled on a pale green sweater, "We're gnn eee ate!" his voice was muffled as he pulled the sweater over his face.

Kaoru stretched and pushed the bed sheet away from himself; it was chilly in the bedroom with only his boxer shorts on and he started to get dressed too, although in a much more relaxed fashion, in a blue version of Hikaru's outfit. Hikaru finally managed to get the sweater onto his body and he pointed an accusing finger at Kaoru,

"You were supposed to set the alarm!"

"For what?" Kaoru asked as he pulled on some white socks.

"To get to the airport on time!"

Kaoru's face suddenly fell, "Ohh…" he whispered.

"'Ohh'?" Hikaru grabbed his suitcase (which the maids had packed the previous day, thank goodness) and started towards the bedroom door, "If we miss the plane I'm blaming you!"

"But-" Hikaru slammed the door behind him, leaving Kaoru to get dressed by himself.

~ o o O o o ~

In the airport things weren't much better. Kyoya was in a foul mood as he'd been woken up much earlier than planned, Tamaki was pacing back and forth as he waited for the twins to arrive and Haruhi was searching for her suitcase, which she'd managed to lose somewhere between the entrance and the waiting area. Suddenly Mori stepped in front of Tamaki, causing the young blonde to walk straight into the taller boy. Tamaki looked up at his dark-haired friend and gulped; Mori looked like he might attack him.

"M- Mori?" Tamaki stammered.

"Mitsukuni is missing," Mori grumbled in his low, gravelly voice.

"A- Are you sure? Maybe he just went to the bathroom…" Tamaki looked around wildly for a moment as Kyoya stepped beside him. He pushed his glasses further onto his nose and spoke in a way that made him sound like a school teacher,

"Where did you last see him?" he asked.

Mori looked into the distance for a moment and then turned his dark gaze to Kyoya, "Near the gift shop."

"Well then, we should start there," Kyoya started to march off like he was leading a very small army just as Haruhi turned the corner, along with her suitcase and… Honey.

The tiny blonde was sitting on Haruhi's suitcase as she pulled it along behind her. His face was puffy and red like he'd been crying and he was holding Bun-Bun so tightly that his knuckled were white. His huge eyes lit up when he saw Mori and the others and he jumped off the suitcase before quickly running up to them. He held out his rabbit so that everyone could see,

"I lost Bun-Bun!" he wailed, tears pricking his eyes.

Haruhi smiled, "We found him in the gift shop, though."

"Mhmm!" Honey nodded vigorously as Mori lifted him onto his shoulders. The tall teen turned his head so that Honey knew he was speaking to him and whispered,

"Mitsukuni, don't go off by yourself."

Honey held his rabbit a little tighter as he tilted his head to look at Mori, "But Bun-Bun-"

"-I thought you were lost!" Mori suddenly blurted, a little louder than he'd anticipated. Honey snapped his mouth shut and chewed on his bottom lip to stop it wobbling. The dark-haired boy immediately regretted shouting at his tiny friend and lifted Honey off of his shoulders so he could look at him properly, "Sorry."

Honey suddenly smiled, "Me too. I won't run off again!" He climbed back onto Mori's shoulders and sat contently as he watched the others from the new height.

Kyoya sighed and flopped back down on the bench where he'd been sitting moments before. He hung his head and tried to fall asleep as Tamaki embraced Haruhi a little too enthusiastically.

"Haruhi!" The prince sang, "I'm so happy you found your suitcase!"

Haruhi scratched the back of her neck nervously as Tamaki continued to peck around her like a demented pigeon. He checked her suitcase to make sure it wasn't damaged, then he proceeded to check her clothes (a knee-length brown skirt and pink vest top). Haruhi, finally getting agitated with Tamaki's father-like behaviour, sat down next to Kyoya. Tamaki followed, as did Honey and Mori, and all five of them waited not-so-patiently for the twins.

After almost thirty minutes Tamaki spotted Hikaru running towards the group, his suitcase bouncing clumsily behind him. Kaoru was plodding along about twenty metres behind his brother with a guilty look on his face. Tamaki jumped to his feet and pointed at the twins, who were standing much further apart than usual,

"Where the hell have you been?"

Hikaru jabbed his thumb towards Kaoru, "It's his fault! He didn't set the alarm!"

Kaoru didn't defend himself, instead he joined the others on the bench and sat with his head lowered, staring at the floor. Tamaki didn't hesitate to gather everyone up and head towards the check-in desks. They all managed to check in their suitcases and then proceeded to pass through the metal detectors with ease. Once through to the departure lounge (for first class, of course) they had to practically run to the gate to get onto the plane in time. It was all very hectic and, for a few brief moments, Kyoya thought that they weren't going to make it. However, they all managed to board the plane with ten minutes to spare.

Tamaki had reserved a seat next to Haruhi and he sat down next to the window as she slid in beside him. He knew she'd never been on a plane before and secretly hoped that she was terrified, just like she was whenever there was a storm, so that he could comfort her and hold her hand. So far though, this didn't seem to be the case. Mori, Honey and Kyoya sat down in the seats in front of them and Hikaru sat opposite. Kaoru shuffled his way in to the seat next to his brother but Hikaru placed his jacket onto the seat so that Kaoru couldn't sit down. Hikaru folded his arms and looked at Kaoru with distaste,

"You're not sitting there!" he turned away and looked out of the window.

"But-" Kaoru started. He looked as white as a sheet and his eyes were bulging as Hikaru refused to sit near him.

"Sit somewhere else!" Hikaru snapped.

Haruhi watched as the twins bickered and jabbed Tamaki with her elbow, "Swap seats with Kaoru," she whispered.

Tamaki blanched and his mouth dropped open, "WHAT?" he yelled.

Haruhi rolled her eyes, "Please," a brief though swept through her mind and she tilted her head down whilst looking up through her eyelashes, "For me?" She knew it was a low blow but it was the only way she knew to get Tamaki to move. He flushed pink and nodded solemnly,

"For you, my love!" he swiftly moved out of the seat and gestured for Kaoru to take it instead.

Kaoru sat down next to Haruhi and quickly fastened his seatbelt tightly around his waist. His hands were shaking as he unfolded the safety manual and he kept wiping them on his shorts because they were sweating so much. Haruhi looked at him and smiled gently,

"Kaoru?" The twin looked up at her like she'd slapped him across the face but she continued in the same soft tone, "Are you okay?"

He nodded uncertainly and continued to read over the safety manual with great precision.

Oh great, Haruhi thought, he's scared of flying.