Standing on the porch of his older brother's apartment, Sui scoffed, meddling with the handle of his suitcase. Sure enough, his father had shipped him off to temporarily live with Kei in the two weeks that his father would be gone on business, and already Sui was able to tell that Kei's apartment would be in no way as luxurious as the Takishima estate. Sui contemplated escaping to return to the estate, but Kei, already knowing Sui's options, ordered the servants of the household to keep Sui from returning without permission.

Crossly, Sui mashed the door bell and waited on the familiar sound of foot steps before his older brother of six years opened the door. "Sui…" Takishima Kei began, the slightest hint of interest in his brother's presence on his doorstep before his tone flattened out. Kei glanced at the thirteen-year old with his frozen amber eyes before pick-up his suitcase. "Give me your bag. I'll show you your room."

Quickly lead through the small living room connected to the kitchen and front foyer, Kei directed Sui to a room on the far right of the apartment—the guest room. Still generally unimpressed with Kei's apartment, Sui began comparing it to s mini-villa with nothing in it. The thought temporarily entertained Sui as he unpacked his articles of clothing and necessity items before making his way into the living room and sitting on the pelt-covered sofa.

Sui frowned as he listened to the silence, besides Kei's fiddling with pans in the kitchen. It wasn't usual for the older blonde, but Kei without Hikari was too weird for Sui to properly imagine.

"Where's Hikari? I would think that 'stupid woman' would be around here somewhere." The younger teen chuckled, receiving death glares from Kei in the kitchen.

Sui frowned, sitting up a little straighter. "Well?" he hummed, waiting for an answer. Kei shook his head, slightly hinting that he was still annoyed.

"Hikari doesn't live here. She lives a couple blocks away," the nineteen year-old replied.

"She doesn't live with you?" Sui echoed out of surprise.

"Obviously," Taskishima frowned again.

"Why doesn't she?" Sui pressed, stubborn to pull answers from his unhelpful brother.

"Why are you asking such ridiculous questions?"

"Let me guess—She flat-out rejected living together, hm?" Sui smirked, laughing grimly to himself. Kei's expression darkened-- the smallest bit of disappointment showing and then evading. Sui paused, eyes widening with the realization that perhaps his taunts had gone too far. "Nii-chan, I'm sorr-"

"Forget about it," Kei shrugged, distracting himself with making preparations for dinner. Sui frowned, settling further on the sofa and bringing his knees to his chest. For a moment, he swore that he could almost make out the hurt and disappointment in Kei's eyes.

Momentarily, he reflected on the situation—as if it was deja vu. 'Where have I seen that expression from him before?' Sui pondered, resting his chin upon his knees.

Realization then struck him.

It had been several years ago when Takishima Midori's temporary return to Japan had been highly advertised. As a child, Kei had spent several years of his childhood with Midori in Australia in her villa that she referred to as 'The Oasis'. Kei, without realizing it, had shown some interest and possible excitement in her return. Sui, at the time, hadn't really cared because he had rarely seen his mother, but acted happy for Satoru, who had been filled with excitement and would happily cheer "Mama is coming home!"

A day prior to Midori's return, Sui remembered the call that Satoru received:

"Midori, what's wrong?" Satoru asked, listening to his wife frantically apologize over the phone.


"I'm so sorry, Satoru. I've really let the family down, haven't I?" Taskishima Midori hiccupped, holding back tears. "I've been such an awful mother to Kei and Sui!" she hyperventilated, biting her tongue and shaking her head before strangled sobs escaped her.

"No! Kei and Sui couldn't have a more wonderful mother. You know they'll understand that the president called you for business…"

Midori whimpered, trying to pull herself together as she listened to her husband's smooth and reassuring voice. "That bastard—always messing up our lives. Not only did he murder mother, but now she wants to hurt us too," she paused.

"One day," she whispered "One day I'll come home for good, and be a real mother to our babies. Ne, Satoru-chan?"

Takishima Satoru smiled gently. "I await impatiently upon that day…Midori-chan"

It had hurt his older brother to hear Midori call off coming to Japan to visit her family, but the boy had his ways of moving on—somehow.

For a moment, Sui wondered if Hikari and Kei were as close as Midori and Satoru. He knew that his parents loved each other and were pained to be apart, but hearing this disappointment from Kei, he wondered if 'that stupid woman' could even begin to reciprocate his nii-chan's feelings.

"Sui." Kei called from the kitchen. Sui sat up. "Yes?"

"Dinner"

"Okay… nii-chan," the tiny blonde almost giggled. Whether he realized it or not, Kei was still selfish and possessive like a child, but even so, he still loved Kei the same.

'Hikari better figure out how nii-chan feels, and soon'

Thanks so much for all of those who have shown possible interest in this fic. I'm still a relatively new writer when it comes to fanfictions and am trying to be very careful in keeping everyone in-character.

Although there hasn't been any Kei x Hikari yet, I wanted to focus a little bit on the Takishima family itself, whether it was parental love or even siblings.
This fic is rated T for slight cursing and some later occuring themes, so if you're not one to be tainted, I ask you don't read any further.

Please continue to read and review. It really helps me to get the plot and characters correct.

-Lupeh