A/n: The... second chapter? Haha, okay, I admit, I admit, this story is just a series of imperfect drabbles. You see, I could never stick to the themes in thirty kisses (that, and I didn't understand some), so I thought, 'whe-hey, maybe I should just write whatever kissing scene I want,' so yeah.
xxX~o~o~Xxx
Chapter 2: Within
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The bright moon shines an eerie sort of yellow light. The moonlight beams peeking from the windows dusting his skin and highlighting his features. Hikaru's eyes shift nervously from side to side along the dark hallway. His palms are wet with sweat, and his finger twitches, craving for that familiar warmth.
He walks straight ahead, not that there's anywhere else he could go. It's silent around him, and he only hears the soft patter of his feet on the floor. He bites his lower lip as he tries to hold back his tears.
He gulps and his throat feel unbearably dry, so dry but he doesn't feel like drinking water. His eyes are dry, too, though he feels like crying. The hallway is too lonely, and it seems to stretch on forever to an abyss of darkness. The only light is the moon that penetrates the glass windows. The air is warm, but he has goosebumps across his arms and at his nape.
Hikaru looks down at his feet and blinks back his tears that are threatening to flow. He's scared, but he has to be brave if he wants to find Kaoru.
A shiver runs through him. He brings his arms up to wrap them around himself/ He brushes his hands up and down against the side of his upper arm, hoping to keep warm, or to comfort himself, if more than anything.
He brings his face up to look where he is. It's still the same, he has yet to see a change of scenery, and has yet to come to the end of the hall. Hikaru looks hard, squinting his eyes to see when he can stop walking or see his brother. But the darkness swallows whatever it is a few metres away from him.
He whimpers, but he can't cry or looks like he's scared. For the sake of his younger brother.
From a distance, he hears hiccups. He hears someone crying, and it sounds vaguely like his brother.
Hikaru makes a run for it. He runs fast, fast, faster into the depths of the hallway until his ten year old body is swallowed by the darkness, he reaches a point where he can see absolutely nothing and can hear Kaoru's crying louder than before.
A light from somewhere turns on, its dim light showering the area. Hikaru looks up, across the room, and sees Kaoru's scared face. He runs towards him and he sees Kaoru running, too. He's close, but, he comes to a stop.
There's something, a barricade, a barrier, between him and his beloved brother.
Hikaru places his hands on the glass barrier, flat against it, and Kaoru does the same. He pounds on the glass as hard as he can, shouting Kaoru's name like a broken mantra on his lips. Kaoru's shouting, too, but all Hikaru hears is his own desperate calls.
Then, there's a crack. The crack grows bigger and bigger, spreading like a spider web. The glass breaks, and chunks and shards fall around Hikaru to the ground. But he's too shocked to mind them.
In front of him, where he thought a glass barrier stood between him and Kaoru is just a wall, no Kaoru. He had only been looking at a mirror. His heart hurts, and he looks down. A glass shard embedded in his chest, piercing through his heart. The taste of copper makes its way up his throat and he screams with his eyes closed. He falls to the ground, on his knees.
His eyes snap open, and he looks around. He's still in bed and he feels hot tears streaming down his cheeks. He's gasping and panting and gulping in air. His lips are dry. He looks beside him, and he sees Kaoru staring at him worriedly.
It was just a nightmare.
"Are you okay?" Kaoru whispers to him in the dark.
Hikaru shakes his head no, and he wraps his arms around Kaoru and places his head against Kaoru's chest to feel the heart that is beating and fluttering and pumping blood through his younger brother's body against his cheek.
Kaoru kisses his forehead, a reassuring and gentle and loving, ten year old kind of kiss.
Kaoru wraps his arm around Hikaru's shoulders, pressing his older brother's ear against his chest. Holding him to his heart.
"Don't worry," Kaoru whispers softly, his breath tickling Hikaru's ear, "I'm here." He says, and he hopes that that drives Hikaru's nightmares away.
To be continued...
xxX~o~o~Xxx
A/n: Oh gods, I don't know why, but I felt so awkward writing this. *laughs*
Please, review.
