Well, this chapter was actually shorter than the first though I attempted to make it longer. Sorry about that.

I think this is gonna be one of those fics that have a lot of chapters, but their all really short, just letting you know in case you hate short chapters.

Enjoy~


Kaoru awoke to the shining of the heavens as streams of light drifted through the guestroom's curtains. Nothing seemed real, not his pain, not his suffering, not Hikaru. He wished he was dreaming; that he could, at any moment, wake and the nightmare would disappear.

Why? Why wouldn't it go away?

Kaoru dragged himself off of the soft haven of white pillows, and made his way to his own room. Hikaru was still passed out on the mattress, completely ignoring the soft noises his twin made as he navigated the room.

Kaoru kept as quiet as possible, grabbing only a change of clothes as he glanced at his elder brother through the corner of his eye. He had no intention of accidentally waking Hikaru, for if he happened to, all hell would break loose. With the combination of his extreme hangovers and lack of sleep, Kaoru couldn't imagine how life threatening a situation such as that could be. And he never wanted to know.

He grabbed a pair of worn jeans and a hoodie, and then quickly scampered back into the hallway, silently shutting the door behind him. Kaoru entered one of the many bathrooms, and changed out of his flannel pajamas, and into his choice of clothing.

His reflection in the vanity mirror caught his eye. He stared at himself, trying to figure out how he could love someone who looked just as he did. Was that vain? Narcissism? Pride? No, because very few things shared between himself and Hikaru were actually similar. To the rest of the world, they were identical; impossible to tell apart. But, to himself, he was actually different; an individual.

If he could see his individuality from such a simple gesture as looking into a mirror, why did Hikaru have to change his whole being in order to distinguish it? It didn't make any sense.

Kaoru shook his head and examined himself. His frame was leaner and shorter than Hikaru's, why didn't anyone else notice that besides himself? His hair was also a bit straighter and duller, whereas his twins' was a vibrant explosion of orange. His own eyes were more golden than the brown glow of his brother's and his skin more pale.

He sighed, wishing that these simple differences where enough to halt Hikaru's habits, but apparently there weren't. He exited the bathroom just in time to see Hikaru leave the bedroom. Mustering up his courage, he called out to him.

"Hikaru!" the younger Hitachiin yelled in a faltering voice. The elder twin turned around and scowled at his brother. Kaoru froze. The look his brother gave him was so intense that he no longer could speak. It wasn't the look he would get from a brother; it was a glare of annoyance and anger. Suddenly the world went dark and there was only he and Hikaru. That gaze was directed solely at him, and it cut him like a knife.

Kaoru watched in horror as his twin spun around and stormed towards the front of the manor. After a few moments, he heard the front doors slam shut. Tears stinging his eyes, he sprinted in the direction of the nearest window that overlooked the front courtyard. Kaoru viewed in anguish as Hikaru walked away from their home, not even bothering to call their driver.

His heart raced in fear. It was noon. Hikaru never left the house before five. Where was he going? Kaoru felt no desire to follow him; however, he couldn't bear another frightening encounter like his previous one. His knees buckled from under him and he slid to the floor.

What was that? That glare… what had he done to Hikaru to deserve that?

He closed his eyes as thoughts flooded his mind. He loved him, needed him, cared for him. But at the same time, he despised him, disowned him, and wanted to leave him behind.

What had cause Hikaru to turn into this… this monster? It really didn't make sense.

Kaoru sat below the window for what seemed like hours. The minutes dragged by and all the while Kaoru thought about his relationship with his older brother. The bond between them used have been inseparable, but now they couldn't hold a conversation. No, it was much worse than that. They couldn't even look at each other.

Kaoru sat there, confused at his relationship and what had led them there. And that's what he thought about for hours, as the minutes ticked by.


Sorry about the repetition at the end there.

Well, the next chapter should be the actual beginning of the story line, the first to chappies were like the intro.

Review please~